Longtime readers will be familiar with Wired/Tired/Expired, our snarky cultural scorecard that began appearing in the magazine way back at the dawn of Wired. (Actually, it started as Wired/Tired, and Expired was added in 2002.) Not content to let a good idea sit on the shelf, we’ve asked product reviews editor Michael Calore, the office’s most opinionated loudmouth, to weigh in on the topics most deserving of this year’s honors. …Actually, on second thought, maybe we should have let this sleeping dog lie.

Longtime readers will be familiar with Wired/Tired/Expired, our snarky cultural scorecard that began appearing in the magazine way back at the dawn of Wired. (Actually, it started as Wired/Tired, and Expired was added in 2002.)

Not content to let a good idea sit on the shelf, we’ve asked product reviews editor Michael Calore, the office’s most opinionated loudmouth, to weigh in on the topics most deserving of this year’s honors.

…Actually, on second thought, maybe we should have let this sleeping dog lie.

(Source: Wired)

  • December 26
  • , 2012
For decades, we used our cars’ cigarette lighters to actually light cigarettes. It was a smelly affair, but no one was yet complaining about second-hand smoke. Then tobacco became passe, and gadgets became much more mobile. From the CD Walkman with its 12V adapter to modern smartphone chargers, consumer electronics now make ready use of the electricity surging through our automobile power ports. But have you looked at what can be plugged into your car’s cigarette lighter lately? The options are amazing — you can now take a full complement of lifestyle accessories on a camping trip. Or, in a pinch, you could use your vehicle’s cigarette lighter to power the amenities of a happy (albeit cramped and slightly downmarket) home. For video evidence, click the photo above. For more exacting detail, enjoy our gallery of awesome, automobile console-powered gadgets.

For decades, we used our cars’ cigarette lighters to actually light cigarettes. It was a smelly affair, but no one was yet complaining about second-hand smoke. Then tobacco became passe, and gadgets became much more mobile. From the CD Walkman with its 12V adapter to modern smartphone chargers, consumer electronics now make ready use of the electricity surging through our automobile power ports.

But have you looked at what can be plugged into your car’s cigarette lighter lately? The options are amazing — you can now take a full complement of lifestyle accessories on a camping trip. Or, in a pinch, you could use your vehicle’s cigarette lighter to power the amenities of a happy (albeit cramped and slightly downmarket) home.

For video evidence, click the photo above. For more exacting detail, enjoy our gallery of awesome, automobile console-powered gadgets.

(Source: Wired)

  • June 19
  • , 2012

Gear Guide, January 5

HOUSEHOLD
Apple Television A Year Away
Although Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak has said he expects Apple to release a connected television, an analyst’s report has estimated the TV’s release at more than a year away.

Roku Releases Mini Streaming Device
Roku, the maker of set-top streaming TV devices, announced on Tuesday that they are releasing a device the size of a flash drive that enables streaming television through a set’s HDMI port.

SMARTPHONE/TABLET
iPad App Downloads Reach 3 Billion
With 120,000 dedicated apps and a dominant market share, the iPad reached another milestone with the 3 billionth app downloaded, just 21 months after the release of the first iPad.

iPhone 4S To Release in China
Apple announced Tuesday that the iPhone 4S will be available in China and 21 other countries starting January 13.

GreenZero Charger to Launch at CES
Bracketron’s GreenZero Charger, which automatically shuts off to prevent battery stress and reduce consumption once a mobile device is charged, will be launched at next weeks Consumer Electronics Show. 

Vertu Year of the Dragon Phone Costs $20,000
Luxury phone maker Vertu is producing a limited-edition phone, called the Signature Dragon Collection and valued at $20,815, in honor of the Chinese Year of the Dragon. 

PHOTO/VIDEO
Kodak To File for Bankruptcy
The Eastman-Kodak Company is expected to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the coming weeks, after the New York Stock Exchange warned the company it could be delisted.

COMPUTERS/LAPTOPS
Quanta Sues Chip Maker
Quanta Computers is suing Advanced Micro Devices over a batch of chips—made by Advanced Micro Devices and installed in Quanta notebooks—that caused the computers to malfunction.

OUTDOOR
K2 Teams with BMW on New Skis
BMW and K2 announced in December a set of limited-edition skis that are only available as prizes in the BMW xDrive Cup.

- Nathan Hurst

  • January 4
  • , 2012