Refrain Again

In Baghdad, more to follow!

Perscription Goggles - $$$$$

Ballistic protection without the goofy insert.

Lenses are perscription

The Wiley-X® SG-1 Interchangeable Sunglass/Tactical Goggles provides two functions in one: converting from a fashionable sunglass to low profile goggle. Eliminates the need to carry two sets of eyewear when it comes to outdoor activity.

TEAM SOLDIER CERTIFIED GEAR - Authorized Protective Eyewear List (APEL) What's This?
The Patented SG-1 provides two functions in one: converting from a fashionable sunglass to low profile goggle
Eliminates the need to carry two sets of eyewear when it comes to outdoor activity
Flexible, ergonomic frame is interchangeable and prescription adaptable to whatever conditions mother nature has in store
Each lens is treated with anti-fog coating, providing protection from extreme changes in body temperature or weather
Each lens is encased in its own frame and lined with "ultra-foam" for face hugging comfort
Two 2.0 mm Ballistic selenite polycarbonate lenses
Temples disengage with a push of a button and can be replaced with a snap
Elastic headband
Imported
Color: Black Frame / Smoke Green and Clear Lenses

USCAV

Get One! Always know where your towel is...

Micronet™ Advanced Microfiber Towel
Description/Features


The Micronet™ Advanced Microfiber Towel is super absorbent and holds up to 5 times its weight in water. The specifically engineered, high density knit fabric is a highly compactable, super absorbent material with absolutely unique water absorption and cleaning properties.

Ultra-fine .2 denier microfiber weave
Fast and easy drying hand wringing removes almost all water and provides fastest dry time
Incredibly small packed size fits easily into a backpack, travel pack or luggage
No special laundering required
Contains no silicone or other chemical treatments so softness and water absorption properties cannot be washed out
Gently removes oil, dirt and perspiration from hands, face and body
Includes convenient hanging loop
Includes handy carrying bag with a mesh front and waterproof backing
Imported
Sizes: L (30" x 50") or XL (35" x 62")

Colors: Coyote, Olive Drab or Sand
USCAV

Socks!

Description/Features


Hot weather boot sock with ArmourBlock™ technology to neutralize the microbes that cause odor before it begins. Updated with a seamless toe, Armour Block throughout foot and Signature Moisture Transport mesh ventilation channels in the top of the foot.

Very lightweight PolyPro construction - olefin fibers have the lowest specific gravity of all fibers
High strength (wet or dry) - resistant to deterioration from chemicals, mildew, perspiration and weather
Abrasion resistant
Low moisture absorption
Good washability, quick drying, unique wicking
Signature Moisture Transport - a combination of moisture wicking yarns and strategic mesh ventilation
Armour Block - anti microbial wash
Strategic Cushioning - high volume cushioning in select areas
Embedded Arch Support - 20 denure lycra compression area
Seamless Toe - handlinked for ultimate comfort
Contoured "Y" Heel - deep heel pocket
Imported
Sizes: M-XL

Colors: Black, Coyote Brown, Desert Tan or Foliage

Weight: 0.5 lbs.
USCAV

Creative's Fatal1ty-Branded MKII Headset Won't Make You a Better Gamer, but It Probably Sounds Nice

Creative says their Fatal1ty Gaming Headset is professional grade gaming equipment, with 40mm neodymium drivers and 20-20,000 Hz range. Respectable specs, sure, but I'm not sure it will transform you into a headshot god.

In any case, the Fatal1ty Headset has gold plated plugs, oxygen-free copper wire, sound isolating cups and a boom microphone that detatches. And when you use the headset with a Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium sound card, you get active noise cancellation and voice morphing capabilities. The Fatil1ty Gaming Headset MKII will retail later this month for $100, and will be available for pre-order starting today on Amazon, Newegg and direct from Creative.

Creative Unleashes Fatal1ty Professional Series Gaming Headset Mk II at E3

Ups the Game with Silencer Technology for Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium Sound Cards

Los Angeles, CA June 2, 2009 – Creative today unleashed its new Fatal1ty Professional Series Gaming Headset Mk II at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). World champion gamer Johnathan "Fatal1ty" Wendel will compete with and demo his new Creative headset in the Fatal1ty booth #2922 in the South Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center from June 2-4.

The Creative Fatal1ty Professional Series Gaming Headset Mk II looks tough and sounds sweet. Jet black ear cups with mesh grill accents framed in red and the adjustable flexible boom microphone set it apart as pro-style gaming gear. Because it's backed by Creative audio technology, the Fatal1ty Professional Series Gaming Headset Mk II sounds as killer as it looks. Full spectrum (20Hz ~ 20 kHz) 40mm neodymium drivers along with Oxygen-Free Copper (OFC) cable and gold-plated stereo mini plugs deliver crystal-clear sound in any game, from MMO to FPS.

The Creative Fatal1ty Professional Series Gaming Headset Mk II is designed for comfort as much as performance. Plush ear cups are shaped for sound isolation so you can keep your head in the game, and the headband is lightweight, padded and adjustable for a custom, precise fit. The headset also makes a great set of headphones when you simply detach the boom microphone.

When paired with a Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium sound card, the Creative Fatal1ty Professional Series Gaming Headset Mk II unlocks Creative's exclusive Silencer™ technology. Silencer blocks out the background noise around you, whether it's blaring music or a barking dog, so the people you're gaming with online can hear you clearly without annoying distractions.

"We're excited to return to E3 with Fatal1ty to break out the best gaming headset we've ever designed. The audio quality is awesome, and the Fatal1ty Professional Series MkII is amazingly comfortable and lightweight," said Steve Erickson, VP and GM of audio and video at Creative. "With this headset we're giving Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium users the first shot at Silencer, and we're confident that it will become an essential part of their audio arsenal."

Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium users can also transform into their game character by disguising their voices with VoiceFX™, which offers 18 selectable voice-morph personas that range from Aliens to Orc.

Pricing and Availability

Priced at US$99.99, the Creative Fatal1ty Professional Series Gaming Headset Mk II is slated for availability this month and is available now for pre-order at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002BH3JDA. It will also be available at www.newegg.com and www.creative.com. For more information visit www.creative.com.

SupaFast - i'll take 3

Iomega eGo Triple-Interface 500GB Drive Drops a Gig In 15 Seconds Flat

Sure it's shiny, ruby red and super lightweight, holds 500GB and connects—with power—via USB 2.0, FireWire 400 or FireWire 800. But the best thing about the newest Iomega eGo is that it can move files faster than (almost) anything I've seen.

The only downside I can see some of you noting is that the bus-powered 2.5" drive is 5400rpm, so not as ideal as a 7200rpm drive for serious amounts of randomly accessed video content, but it's amazing when you're moving files around.

I tested it against other drives using a 1.04GB file (an MPEG-4 rip of my Burn After Reading DVD). When I copied that file to a nice SanDisk Extreme III SDHC card, via an ExpressCard SanDisk SDHC reader, it took 1 minute 48 seconds. When I moved it to an old USB 2.0 IDE drive, the same file took 38 seconds. On a PC, I moved that file to a newer USB 2.0 drive, and it took longer, 52 seconds. When I moved that file from the Mac to the eGo via FireWire 800, it took just 15 seconds.

As you might have guessed, it took about twice as long via USB 2.0, and since Apple has pretty much given up on the FireWire 400 format, I didn't test that, but it would have probably been even slower still. I have to say, there was one drive that was even faster: A 7200rpm 3.5" 2TB Seagate Free Agent XTreme that you have to plug into the wall, connected to an HP notebook via eSATA. At first, it took 23 seconds to move that file from PC to drive. But I reformatted the drive so that it didn't have its own software in the way, and boom, the thing scooted from PC to drive in 11 seconds.

But I digress. The point is, for people who have a FireWire 800 jack, but might need to connect elsewhere using USB 2.0, grabbing this totally bus-powered drive is smart. I plan to offload all of my movies to it, and just plug them in when I am on the road, or at home and in possession of Apple Remote and Mini-DisplayPort-to-HDMI adapter.

It's super light (7 oz) and has "Drop Guard" protection for falls of up to 51 inches. My only gripe is the ridiculously shiny blue LED that indicates when the drive is being read or written to. It's so bright, I decided to tape over it, so that the neighbors wouldn't think I was busy laser-welding my homemade Iron Man suit (again).

The 500GB version is $150, and comes in the red you see. There's a 320GB that comes in blue for $110, and a white one that holds 250GB for just under $100. (It doesn't take a lot of math skills to see why the red is the best bet.) [Iomega]

http://gizmodo.com/5275139/iomega-ego-triple+interface-500gb-drive-drops-a-gig-in-15-seconds-flat

Neat Challenge

giz:

Sigma DP2 Camera Review: It's Complicated

When I first fiddled with the DP2, I was like "Who would ever want this?" Then I shot some of the most amazing photos I've ever taken.

The Set Up: Sigma calls this camera a DSLR in the body of a point and shoot, and they're kinda right. It's got the Foveon X3 sensor, which is just a hair smaller than the Nikon and Canon APS-C sensors. Sigma has carefully paired a fixed 24.2mm F2.8 lens in order, they told me, to maximize the benefits of that larger sensor. No zoom lens would do, they said, because picture quality would likely suffer.

To make things even more complicated, for these same reasons, they could only build in contrast-based autofocus. Though more accurate, it takes a lot longer to focus, and, in this camera, tends to give up easily when it can't quite do it. It was often hard to get a satisfied chirp that meant focus was locked, especially in lower light conditions. Many hastily shot shots are blurry beyond help.

As you can see, this camera is low in the frills department, with greater reward going to those who can shoot manually, and most certainly in RAW. Meaning my first shots were hideous things, and it took a few days for me to become worthy enough to even hold the bastard. Eventually, slowly, I learned what it could—and could not—do.



The Bad News: Let's repeat: There's just the one fixed lens, which isn't much of a wide angle, isn't much of a macro, isn't exactly "fast" by today's DSLR standards, and does not zoom. You have to get in the habit of going to your subjects, then making them stay still long enough to get a decent focus, then a decent shot. To add to the troubles, the sensor that is pristine at ISO 200 is noisy as crap at ISO 800, which means you also have to shoot longer at times to make up for it.

Sigma people said that the ISO should be compared to other point-and-shoots, and that shooting RAW and converting it to JPEG on the computer cuts down on the noise, but even so, check out how crazy the noise was at 1600 after RAW post-processing on the computer:



It's a mess, you know? I did manage to make some artistic looking black-and-whites by just desaturating the grainy 1600 shots—frankly, they were pretty cool, but it's something you'd want the option to do, not something you should be forced into.

Other dings the camera gets are a lack of RAW+JPEG mode—what I like to call "insurance+good enough"—some extremely abysmal QVGA video mode that probably should have been left out of the product altogether because it's pointless, and poor battery life. When Sigma sent me the camera, they included a spare battery. I thought it odd at the time given how insanely great camera battery life is these days usually. Clearly they knew something I didn't. On top of all that, it's just not terrifically small—Olympus and Panasonic are pushing Micro Four Thirds cameras that aren't much bigger. (Course, their sensors are actually smaller.)


The Good News: As I have alluded, I have come around on this camera. Push aside all of the uncool characteristics, focus on what it can do—shooting relatively still objects at relatively close range—and you get some seriously attractive photo work. I can't show them all to you—the wife lays down a general rule of not posting family pics in Giz reviews—but what I can show you should give you a decent idea of the DP2's capabilities, coupled with patience and some basic know-how, can deliver. I'll let them speak for themselves (and yeah, I already know you can do better with your mom's LG cameraphone, so let's go easy on the qualitative judgments):

The Rub: As much as I'd like to say it's a great camera for photographically inclined people to stash somewhere for certain situations, it's too damn expensive. It costs around $650 street price; for that money you can probably get a clearance-model DSLR model these days, maybe even with a kit lens. In the end, I've come to think of the Sigma DP2 as the Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA of cameras: Beautiful in concept but complex, powerful and damn expensive—if you hit it everyday, it could well get the best of you. [Sigma]

In Brief
For a small-bodied camera, it has exceptional picture-taking capability and superior image quality

Its $650 cost can only be justified by a small percentage of wealthy photo enthusiasts

It's tricky to use at first

Crap battery life

No zoom lens or any other obvious point-and-shoot frills

http://gizmodo.com/5275208/sigma-dp2-camera-review-its-complicated

No want paper

I've always wanted to get all my files in digits. I wonder if this is the thing?

Giz:
NeatDesk to Eliminate Paper from Your Life, Maybe
By Jesus Diaz, 8:20 AM on Tue Jun 2 2009, 3,872 views
I loved the promise of the paperless office back in the 90s. It never happened. Paper only increased around me. But I came with an easy and cool solution to classify receipts, cards, and random paper: Trash everything. If I only had NeatDesk.

I like this thing. It's probably because of the 2001: Space Odyssey retro look. Or the fact that this $400 Automatic Document Feeder for PC and Mac takes the hassle out of scanning and cropping documents by having slots for each kind of most common and annoying paper bits—namely business cards, receipts, and invoices.

Or maybe it's just that the procrastinator in me loves the idea of putting a whole lot of old receipts, business cards, and invoices all at once, and have the NeatDesk handle everything, creating address books, making searchable PDFs, and adding information to Quicken, Excel, or Quickbooks. Uncrate says that the automatic organization actually works "surprisingly well" and now I would like an excuse to try it.

But then again, I think I will stick to my previous method. It works great

http://gizmodo.com/5275405/neatdesk-to-eliminate-paper-from-your-life-maybe

Energizer Hard Case Tactical Flashlight Shoots R, G, B and Infrared

Energizer's latest industrial-grade flashlight will take LEDs to war...or just your next backyard camping trip.

The Energizer Hard Case Tactical Flashlight 2AA features a 70-lumen white LED, along with four additional LEDs including red, blue, green and infrared—a selection of fine lighting choices for incognito map reading or simply an impromptu infiltration disco.

Droppable from 15 feet and including a swiveling head with a range of motion of nearly 180 degrees, it's pretty neat for a flashlight, but it'll set you back $125. And you can call me cheap, but I just don't assassinate world leaders in the dead of night often enough to justify the purchase. [Popular Mechanics via Newlaunches]

From Giz

Pretty neat

S DR-1 Double Strap

Just what the good doctor prescribed. The RS DR-1 Double Strap. The DR-1 is perfect for long days of shooting with two cameras. The ergonomics have been perfected, so you can relax and shoot with ease. The materials are all top notch, with no exceptions made. The craftsmanship pays homage to detail. Still constructed in Seattle, and still backed by our 1 year warranty and 30 day guarantee.

The DR-1 comes with all of our latest hardware, and everything you need to attach two cameras and start shooting, including the new FastenR-2 and ConnectR-2.

With the new DR-1 you will have two cameras ready for action. Grab, Glide, Click… times two.

Free shipping for a limited time.

CoupleR vs RS DR-1

RS DR-1 Double Strap with FastenR-2 - $130.00

via Gizmodo

A credit card that could literally save your life

A brand new shiny credit card: good. A brand new shiny credit card with an extremely high credit limit: better. A credit card survival tool that can start a fire: priceless (especially in emergency situations). If you're venturing into the wilderness or just your own backyard, it's nice to be well prepared.


This new Tool Logic Survival Card is packed with lifesaving features. A fixed blade serrated knife of tough AUS 8A type stainless steel, a magnesium alloy fire starter, a loud signal whistle, plus a brilliant red LED flashlight. There’s also a tweezer and toothpick and a hole for lanyard attachment. Credit card size and less than two ounces, this essential tool kit deserves a place in your car, backpack and even your home. Keep the Survival Card with you and you’ll always be prepared for life’s unforeseen emergencies.

Nice.

And You Thought *Your* Download Was Long...

4.65 Terabytes. That's how big a baby is. Well, on a T1. Takes 40 weeks to get it to where it's supposed to be. Course, we didn't figure in latency or protocol headers or jitter (Ed. note: never jitter the baby), so it could be a little longer. And if you get an early EOF, the NICU's there for any recovery and whatnot that needs to be done. All joking aside, we wish you and your little one a happy and uneventful pregnancy, and your future geek all the best. And don't sit your tiny wailing banshee next to us at the restaurant. thx.

These are maternity shirts, a 100% cotton combed ringspun jersey in black with the words Loading... Please Wait and a progress bar in white across the belly.
http://www.thinkgeek.com/tshirts-apparel/womens/bc2c/

It's a remote control for your lightbulbs

Installing a light-switch often requires pulling wires, cutting drywall, tripping breakers, and soothing electrical burns. Finally, it involves overpaying your cousin who is an electrical contractor. Why should it be so hard to turn off a light without having to walk across the room - particularly now that, with your shiny new lightswitch, you now have to walk to the other side of the room to hit the switch. It's madness!

Our solution is quite simple: create a lightswitch with a remote-control and a device that sits between your lamp and your outlet. It's one of those head-slappingly-simple devices that we love. Kinda like Volkswagens or infinite improbability drives.



Features

Remote-control lightswitch
No-tools installation
Controls lamps up to 60 feet away
Features a dimmer-control and an on/off switch
Includes an optional pop-in/out wall bracket
http://www.thinkgeek.com/homeoffice/lights/bb52/?cpg=95H

Whiskey Stones - Lukewarm and wet is the enemy

Whiskey Stones - Lukewarm and wet is the enemy


Real connoisseurs of single-malts like their spirits just so - served at a specific temperature, perhaps a little spring water or simply neat. Sipped gingerly to savor the peaty vanilla goodness, scotch is arguably the finest adult beverage around, and getting the right temperature and dilution can be critical. That's why ice can be troublesome - as it melts, the amount of water increases, diluting the delicate flavor. Our cubes, however, are made of soapstone - freeze them and drop them (gently!) into your highball to keep your drink cool and undiluted. Ah, sweet nectar of life!
http://www.thinkgeek.com/homeoffice/kitchen/ba37/

Best. Cake. Ever.

New Toy Want

Think users of AR15 carbines, whether law enforcement or civilian owners, have a dilemma in deciding on accessories. The AR15 carbine’s greatest appeal is that it is light and handy. Adding too many accessories can make the same carbine heavy and unwieldy. Often, in fact, the AR15 becomes heavier than many .308 carbines. I am somewhat conservative about adding accessories to my AR15s. However, there are certain ones I do consider highly useful.

I find the standard AR15 carbine telescoping stock adequate, but I prefer a stock upgrade. I also like accessory rails to give me the option of adding a compact yet effective light. Finally, I like an optical sight. These accessories will add weight, but they also add a great deal of versatility to the carbine especially in CQC (Close Quarters Combat) usage. With care, one can still keep overall weight of the carbine manageable.

Via Tactical-Life

Nice Post

Making commercials for the web

TV advertisers are finally discovering that YouTube + viral imagination = free media.

The good news for you is that money is not a barrier, which means that marketers of any size can play. But the rules are different, as they always are online.

Because media is free but attention is not (this is flipped from TV world) you need to make a different sort of ad for a different sort of audience.

1. Assume that the viewer has the attention span of an espresso-crazed fruitfly. That means slapstick, quick cuts and velocity.

2. Find a word or phrase that you can own in Google, that fits in an email, and that comes up in discussion at the cafeteria table or in the playground.

Castrol gets both rules right in this inane commercial.

3. Length doesn't matter. 10 seconds is fine and so is five minutes. Media is free, remember?

4. Challenge the status quo, be provocative, touch a social nerve or create some other sort of interesting conversation. In other words, a commercial worth watching.

Read the rest Via Seth

Bioshock2

Wired's review

LaCie Rugged XL
eSATA 3Gb/s | Hi-Speed USB 2.0
1TB


High-quality aluminum casing
Resistant and tough; rubber sleeve, internal bumper, and heat dissipation
Stylish, modern design with LED effect

Design by Neil Poulton

The LaCie Rugged XL, Design by Neil Poulton combines high-capacity storage with a user-centric design. Setup is effortless; it’s plug & play and offers customizable formatting with the LaCie Setup Assistant. LaCie Backup Assistant software is also included for PC/Mac users for easy, automatic backups. This advanced hard disk features aluminum casing, which provides superior protection on your desk. Its extremely resistant and tough design comes complete with a rubber sleeve, internal bumper, and heat dissipating features, making the LaCie Rugged XL both sturdy and effective. The LaCie Rugged XL makes a statement on your desktop, with its design, based on the original award-winning LaCie Rugged Hard Disk, and colorful presence. With versatile Hi-Speed USB 2.0 and the lightning-fast eSATA 3Gb/s interface means your Rugged XL will be as fast as it is reliable. The user-friendly LaCie Rugged XL, Design by Neil Poulton makes a great companion to your PC or Mac

lacie.com

My Name is Bond

Style and practicality find a perfect mix in the Deluxe Collection. This distinguished line of notebook cases comes with an added sense of security: heavy-duty chrome drawbolt latches. For your comfort, the Deluxe Collection includes a superior ergonomic handle and padded carrying strap.

With four sizes to choose from, whether you use your notebook for telecommuting or international travel, the Deluxe collection provides you with ample space, plenty of style, and all the notebook protection you need.

See OWC $365