Ahoy, me hearties! Cheap Geekette here. I just got one heckuvah tip from me bucko. It's so good, in fact, before I knew I was exclaiming "Blimey!"

Tigerdirect.com is advertising a 22-inch widescreen LCD for under $300! Here are some details on the Acer AL2216WBD TFT display: It's got a 1,680-by-1,050 resolution, a 5-millisecond (ms) response time, 0.28mm pixel pitch, 700:1 contrast ration, a DVI-D input, and lots more. The price is normally $359.99, but with a $60 rebate (good until 9/30/06), you can take this baby home for $299.99. Now, quick to the booty, before it disappears!

'Til next time!

Post by Vicki Jacobson, A.K.A. Cutthroat Constance

Ahoy, tired o' scuttlin' t' the door only t' find it's a salesman out t' get ye gold? Introducin' ROCO, the spyin' intercom, gar! It has a color display so's you can see who's at the door without openin' it, espe-cially con'enient in an apartment-style ship. You can also take pictures o' the lad or lass at the door. Still too much work for you? It comes with recorded messages, so you don't e'en have t' deign t' speak with barnacled covered strangers and catch the scurvy.

Found this on one o' PCMag's undisco'ard sites, akihabaranews.com. (Looks like only Japanese pirates will get the goods though.)

Don' like thee pirate, eh? Tis a fine way t'be speakin', and if ye' disagree I may make ye' walk the ol' plank and send ye' ta' ol' Davy Jones' Locker!

Texas raised its speed limit to 80, but where else can you go when you feel the need for speed? Answer: Just find out about your local track day. Most car clubs built around a single brand or model, such as Acura, BMW, Corvette, Mazda, Mustang, Nissan, and Porsche, rent racetracks for a few days each year and let you drive fast, under the watchful eyes of skilled instructors. You actually will learn how to drive better and more attentively on the highway by spending time on the track.

SLIDESHOW (10)

Slideshow | All Shots

The International Motor Press Association (IMPA) recently held its own track day, or test day, at Pocono Raceway in Pennsylvania. (No, the hotel bathtub was not heart-shaped.) Writers and editors got to drive cars on a twisty infield road course and the Pocono's banked oval. Check out the slideshow for a report on my favorite ten cars for the track and what technologies they offer.

For the list of top ten cars at the NAIAS, click here.

What are the top ten gay-friendly cars? Find out here.

Avast! What's cute and cuddly, just like me? Why the Super Fun Walk the Walk Staro Speakers, o' course, argh! They be speakers that sit on top o' your monitor t' keep you company and play yer music at the same time. They have a frequency response rate o' 200Hz ~ 10KHz and be poward by a 6-Volt DC adapter with a 5.5-foot long cable.

Each Walk the Walk Speaker is $26.99 at ukcell.com. Yo-ho-ho.

By the Powers! Now go out and buy these speakers me hearty, or you'll be headed t' the Fiddlers Green!!

[via Techie Diva's]

Arrr, fredflare.com is one o' Laarni Ragaza's (Senior Editor, Hardware) fa'orite online stores. The company sells both tech and non-tech items, such as banana purses, USB recordable turntables, skull heart earrin's, Cell Phone Recei'er, and a blog log. Aye, me parrot concurs.

The USB Recordable Turntable ($149) lets you con'ert any 'inyl record, cassette tape, or 8-track t' a CD or MP3 file with the included software. Tis' both Mac and PC compatible and also features a line output t' hook up your staro. Aye.

Arrr, afraid that you'll lose your online fa'orite bookmarks if your computer crashes? Write down the blogs you love (such as Gearlog, we hope!) with the Blog Log ($6). Features 12 lined pages for blog names and URLs. Gar.

Aye, the Fred Cell Phone Recei'er ($20) is a retro red or pink recei'er that connects t' your cell phone, lettin' you chat with a regular handset. Phone cord is about 19-inches long. Aye, me parrot concurs.

Aye, the headache isn't o'er yet for Sony. In addition t' Dell, Apple and Panasonic, Toshiba has joined the list o' 'endors issuin' battery recalls for their laptops. It appears that se'eral o' their older Satellite and Tecra laptops have the "armed and dangerous" Sony batteries. Luckily for Tosiba, thar be no reported cases o' their laptops explodin' or catchin' on strapped t'the masthead.

The time frame for the recall is between March and May o' 2006, a shorter time span compared t' Dell and Apple. The listed models include the Satellite A100/a105, M50, M55, M100, M105, and the Tecra A6 and A7. Toshiba has a page set up har, and you can rip out your battery and cross check the serial number t' see if your laptop is affected. You can also call Toshiba's Global Support Center at 800-457-7777 for additional help.

Gar, Where can I find a bottle o'rum?

Elecom, a company based in Japan, wants to make sure you'll never need to watch your screen for errors again. Its claim is that the Elecom TK-U09FG will prevent you from making typing mistakes. With its patented "gear drive" system, the keyboard will be able to recognize an error as you make it, and correct it before it shows up on the screen. 

Basically a hardware spell checker, the TK-U09FG is shipping this October.  For a mere $43, you can have this self-correcting keyboard shipped directly to your home.

Ahoy, if you're talkin' like a pirate, though, you'd better use a diffarnt keyboard. Arrr, gar!

Post by Don Reisinger

Via Engadget

Ahoy, ha'in' trouble talkin' like a pirate today? Thanks t' Talklikeapirateday.com, they have made it easier t' get those pirate phrases down pat. Aye. Here's an excerpt from their list of "Top 29 Things To Say At The Office During Pirate Day."

21: "I'll be keelhaulin' the next one of ye what leaves ye filthy Tupperware in the break room sink!"

17: "Me cell phone fell deep into Davy Jones' locker Nobody flush... I'll go get me hook."

15: "Be that a peg leg, or arrr ye just happy to cast yer eyes upon me?"

12: "No increase in me pay? Arrr, boss, let me tell ye where ye can store that hook!"

5: "Boss, I'll be borrowin' a coupla doubloons from petty cash fer some Ho Ho's and a bottle of rum."

2: "Avast, ye demon copy machine! Taste the wrath of my arse!"

Product: USB Beverage Chiller by CoolIT Systems

Description: Avast ye! A must-ha'e for any office geek is the USB Beverage Chiller. Tis' the only way t' keep your soda or iced coffee at the perfect chillin' temperature. Sure, it may not be the best chillin' companion, but it just looks so geeky sittin' on your desk, argh!

How It Works: Aye, just plug it in t' your computer's Usb port, and the coldplate chills t' 45 degrees F. Aye. 

Specs: Measures 1.4 (H) x 3.5 (W) x 5.5 (L) inches and weighs 1.1 pounds.

Performance: Arrr, although our interns tested this back in January, I had t' include it on our list and test it myself. Begad! It can't cool down warm be'erages as good, especially through aluminum cans as the interns found. Gar, Where can I find a bottle o'rum? But when me tried water in a plastic PCMag cup, it actually kept it cold. So I guess it works differently for others, gar! The fan inside o' it is quiet, so you don't have t' worry about it makin' a lot o' noise. 

Shop: Aye, get the USB Beverage Chiller for $29.99 at Target.com or any o' these other retailers. Only a'ailable in white.

Garrr me thirsty for a hogshead of rum!

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Aye, ahoy, Garloggers, shiver me timbers! Do you know what today is? I be needin t' wish our scur'y dogs a briny Happy International Talk Like A Pirate Day!

Arrr, the story behind "Talk Like A Pirate Day" is rather long and barnacle-covered, but apparently Gar, where can I find a bottle o'rum? Aye, it was started by two guys, John Baur and Mark Summers, who started talkin' like pirates one day. Ahoy, then somehow they got a hold o' the famous comedian Da'e Barry, and Barry helped push the "Talk Like A Pirate Day" across the globe. Aye, me parrot concurs.

Aye, I have a fierce fire in me belly t' tell you about some comely pirate gear. Me dear ol mum, bless black soul, tol me t' say, "Arrrhhhhh!"

Me mate, ol Rumpot, wants you t' seize all yer doubloons, head on o'er t' the Skull & Scuppers, swill a pint or two o' grog, and have a bit o' a lie down. Fairwinds, shiver me timbers!

Arrr, ipods can dress up as pirates, too, argh! Your iPod can don an eye-patch, sword, do-rag, and a shiny gold earrin' with these Pirate Costumes for iPod, argh! Costume comes with a selection o' swords and extra earrin's. Sells for $39.99.

Ahoy, e'ery pirate needs t' know what time it is. The Pirate Clock sports a skull and cross bones. Requires one AA battery (not included). Ye'll ne'er get me buried booty! Sells for $16.95.

Arrr, protect your treasure with the USB Treasure Chest, aka "QBOX J-1". Comes with a lock that only opens if you enter the password correctly usin' your PC. Once the correct password is inputed, a music box, located inside the chest, will start t' play. Sells for 7,350 yen in Asia. Gar.

Aye, do pirates own notebooks? I'm not sure, but if they did, they'd want the Pirate Canvas Bag t' keep it in. Features leather straps, metal fittin's and an adjustable shoulder strap. Ye'll ne'er get me buried booty! Sells for $16.95.

Arrr, pirates lo'e music, and I know they lo'e t' sing, "Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me." Now they can protect their iPod nano with the Pirates iPod nano skin. Aye, each skin is printed on premium grade adhesi'e-backed 'inyl with UV resistant inks for ultimate protection from discolorin'. Aye, me parrot concurs. Sells for $6.99.

Arrr, no pirate would be mighty without a hook. The Hook Fortune Finder is a great game the kids, argh! Just attach the hook-shaped metal detector t' your arm and search for the eight included pirate coins. The skull eye will glow when yer gettin' close to me pirate treasure! Sells for $19.95.

Ahoy, fight off enemies with the Flyin' Dutchman Smoke Blast Cannon. Fires real cannons and smokes on rollin' wheels. Gar. Sells for $16.99.

Ahoy, what do we usually see perched on a pirate's shoulder? Why, a talkin' parrot o' course, argh! The Talkin' Parrot features a tape recorder and a microphone that plays back what you record. Requires two Aa batteries and one 9V battery t' operate. Sells for $16.99.

Garrr, be a virtual pirate with these two games for your PDA, argh! Tradewinds ($14.95 Palm Os, Windows Mobile Pocket PC) involves tra'elin' t' ports t' buy and trade goods so that you can have enough gold t' retire. Seven Seas ($4.95, Palm Os, Windows Mobile Pocket PC, Windows Mobile Smartphone) lets you blast cannons at pirates. Work your way from 'Landlubber' t' 'Grand Admiral'.

General Motors has announced plans to build the world's largest fuel cell fleet of vehicles. Dubbed Project Driveway, the fleet will comprise 100 Chevrolet Equinox SUVs converted to run on hydrogen fuel cells by Canadian engineers.

The purpose of Project Driveway is to gain comprehensive knowledge of all aspects of the customer experience with fuel cell vehicles. With support from the Federal and Ontario Governments as part of GM Canada's Beacon Project, GM's engineering center in Oshawa, Ontario is playing a key engineering role in the conversion of more the Chevrolet Equinox vehicles, which will be placed with regular GM customers in the fall of 2007.

The Equinox Fuel Cell will be a fully-functional crossover vehicle, engineered for a life of 80,000 km (about 49,710 miles). It will be able to start and operate in sub-freezing temperatures and is expected to meet all applicable 2007 U.S. federal motor vehicle safety standards. A variety of drivers will operate these vehicles in differing driving environments and in three geographic areas where hydrogen refueling is feasible: California, the New York metropolitan area, and Washington, DC.

Go Pirates! Arrr, the c-dub is on Mespace Gar. (The C-Dub is on MySpace). Wait a sec, CW is composed of WB and CBS (which owned UPN) and Rupert M's gots the goods on MySpace. Arrr, but somehow these networks put their fight t' brin' back Thursday eve (NBC? hello, hello?) on hold t' enable Cw t' become the first network t' use the ultimate marketin' tool t' earn tons o' fake friends, and hopefully some decent ratin's. A pence for an old man o'de sea?

Well, it sounds like a better plan than vapid nighttime soaps!

Arrr, my co-workers tend t' think o' me as a WB show expert, and Me get a lot o' good natured ribbin' for it. Ye'll ne'er get me buried booty! But hey, I was able to identify the theme song to Smallville during a trivia challenge, and I don't even watch that show! (Take that Whitney!) Ahoy, and Me am excited about the Cw lineup. Gar.  I've been a fan of Veronica Mars from the start, and not just because she uses Bluetooth, smartphones, and her hacking expert/friend Mac to solve cases.

Arrr, the CW officially launches on September 20 (Happy Birthday Michelle!) and the network will actually hijack the Mespace homepage for the day. Wacky, gar! The first program t' be aired on the new network?  Ahoy, america's Next Top Model. Aaaaaargh. America's Next Top Model! I can't wait to never see the winner ever again!

Can "smart" cards protect us from terrorism? Do we really want to hand over our fingerprints and facial scans to the government?

Well, maybe these cards won't protect us entirely, but the government hoped that by forming the Transportation Worker Identification Credential in 2002, they could "streamline checks of criminal-background files, terrorist watch lists and immigration status for truckers, stevedores, rail and airport terminal employees, and other transit workers, among others," [source: Washington Post] using fingerprints, iris scans, or digital photographs. This means that anyone entering our ports would have to own one of these "smart" cards and the cards must be scanned before proceeding on.

Transportation workers were supposed to be given smart ID cards by the end of 2003. However, the worker-ID program has since been stalled, due to "delayed prototype testing until late 2004. Instead of the 200,000 cards planned for the pilot program, only 4,000 were issued, even as the cost rose from $12 million to $23 million." The program then missed its July deadline of this year to install card readers, so now the program has been asked by the government to conduct more security tests and report back in 2008.

I'm glad that the program is being halted. We really need to make sure that whatever technology we implement, that it's the most secure, the most researched, and the most tested.

We've seen this kind of skepticism recently with RFID passports. How secure are they really? And are we ready for them?

[via Washington Post]

Whenever Apple releases new iPods, my inbox is subsequently inundated with e-mails about the latest iPod cases. Most of them are pretty run-of-the-mill, but every once in awhile there's a cool one among the bunch. Enter the Knox.

As you may know, Blogging Molly likes gadgets and gear that can multitask. And the latest protective iPod case, the Relo Knox from Mophie, doubles as a wallet. Made of aircraft grade aluminum, the Knox resembles a tiny safe, and has room for your nano plus credit cards and cash. It's great to lighten your load whether you're exercising or just out on the town. 

It comes with a Relo Radura case, which snaps right in. The Relo line, and I quote: "obliterates the line distinction between the protective and functional." And "it also performs a function that used to require bulky, ugly,venerable dongles." (Hee--the word dongle always makes me giggle.) You can plug in your iPod without opening the case, but of course you'll have to open it to access the controls, unless you've got a remote.

See more images of the Mophie Knox.

Related link

Digital Life Press Preview: Mophie's iPod Cases That Do Stuff

Speaking of Digital Life, it's coming up soon--October 12-15--don't forget to buy tickets!