Noise-reducing headphones can be the best of products and the worst of products. The good ones really do reduce most outside noise, but when you put them on, it feels like plungers are attached to your ears and your brains are being slowly sucked out. Since JVC (under its Victor brand) mentions nothing about brain sucking or lack thereof, my guess is nothing is being done to correct this horrifying issue with the new HP-NC80 headphones.

They may not help your brains, but JVC claims the headphones definitely help you reduce ambient noise, by as much as 75 percent. The headset comes in two modes, wide and low, and you should make your decision on which to use based on the noise level surrounding you.  The headset ranges from a conservative 10 Hz to a nice 22 kHz, and loaded with AAA batteries, will give you a cool 50 hours of operation. The HP-NC80 also offers a maximum output of 105 dB per mW, but all of this mumbo-jumbo doesn't really answer the questions I know you are asking: How much do they cost?  Will they work?  When can I get them? 

JVC has been tight-lipped, but from what I could gather, the price will be in the same range as other JVC noise-canceling headsets ($70 to $100) and will be released in Japan first. But if history can predict the future, it might be best to throw down a few extra bucks and buy the Bose Quiet Comfort 2.

Post by Don Reisinger

Via Akihabara News

You’ve shot your opus, or just some backyard home videos. Now what? You could make the the film festival rounds, or burn your video to DVD and mail it to your friends… but that seems so 20th-century. Getting your movie online is the way to get it seen. And Pure Digital has introduced the world’s first camcorder that allows for direct uploading to video-sharing Web sites.

The pocket-size Pure Digital Point & Shoot Camcorder ($129.99 list for the 30-minute camcorder, $169.00 for the 60-minute model), already reviewed by PC Magazine's Terry Sullivan, will be available in November with built-in software that allows for direct uploads of your movie. Hardware features include a 2x digital zoom and 1.4-inch LCD screen so you can preview what you’ve shot before you share it with the world.

To upload, just plug the camera into your  PC or Mac via the USB port, and transfer your “dailies” to such sites as Grouper Networks or Google Video. The software also includes one-step e-mailing and video greeting cards, but it's the uploading ease that will appeal to would-be directors.

Post by Peter Suciu

The only reason I eat Chinese food is because it's a vehicle to get to the fortune cookie. Okay, so maybe that's really not true (I love me some Sesame Chicken!), but I'm always wondering what my fortune will say for me...in bed.

Luckily, I don't have to keep buying Chinese food to get those fortune cookies. PerpetualKid.com is offering the Smart Cookie Fortune Ball: a device that "combines the ancient wisdom of the Orient with a splash of a wiseass attitude." There are 21 messages in all, including:

    * Future sticky like rice
    * You don't wonton know
    * Answer sweet and sour
    * Don't mock the cookie
    * Try the eggroll
    * Cookie busy - try later

The Smart Cookie Fortune Ball sells for $9.99.

[via ChipChick]

There's no rest for the weary tech journalist: Hard on the heels of the whirlwind that was DigitalLife, I'm in Camden, Maine to cover the Pop!Tech show, and I've packed my favorite tools for working from the road. Pop!Tech explores the intersection of popular culture and technology; this year's theme is "Dangerous Ideas." The lineup of speakers is truly awesome (Will Wright, Brian Eno, Bob Metcalf).

But my travel toolkit could be used to cover any show. And it doesn't contain that much stuff. I was commended by a cabbie in New York, the sales clerk at Enterprise, and even the clerk in my motel on my economical packing. One carry-on, one laptop bag. The important thing is the tech: I need to be able to stay on e-mail, post to Gearlog, and upload images as needed. Here's what I brought. Of course, suggestions for improvements are welcome.

ThinkPad T41 with extra, extended life battery

This isn"t really my pick; this is what Ziff gives me to do my job. I can't complain, because it has built in Wi-Fi, and aside from the three blue screens of death that popped up at Digital Life, it has served me well. Although, come to think of it, I never did check the serial number on the extra battery....

Treo 650 with Goodlink

This is just my day-to-day cell phone, but when you add GoodLink it becomes much more. GoodLink puts me on the corporate network, complete with my e-mail and calendar. The only problem is that Camden is in the boondocks. I can't get on Sprint's digital network here, and that means no data service. No data service, no Goodlink, no corporate e-mail. Thank God the conference has WiFi.

Kodak EasyShare V570 with dock

I thought about borrowing a D-SLR from PC Magazine Labs to cover this show, but I didn't want the extra weight. But the V570 has a great lens, lots of capacity, and slips easily into the pocket. If this were a more visual show, I might have gone with a higher-end camera; I think the v570 will do a good job for me. Unfortunately, it ships with a proprietary dock that's required to keep the camera charged and get images off the device. That adds bulk, but for a multi-day show, it's a must.

TomTom ONE

I know Maine pretty well, but there is no harm in bringing insurance. This time it comes in the form of the Tom Tom One. PC Mag has given great praise to the Garmin nuvi, but the tom Tome One is a great device as well. That is why it made my travel kit for this trip.

iPod 30GB Video

It goes everywhere I do. Nuff said.

No EVDO?

I can barely get digital cellular service up here. EVDO is a few years away.

Did I forget anything?

Unfortunately, yes. the TomTom One I brought has a separate antenna that must be attached for the device to work; I forgot the antenna. (The Garmin nuvi spoiled me.) Any other holes in my plan? Post a comment and let me know. And stay tuned for my posts from the show.

Dan Costa is the Consumer Electronics Editor at PC Magazine and a cohost of Gearlog Radio; check back every Thursday for his take on the world of gadgets, gear and other tech stuff.

To join in on the effort to discover a next-generation electric vehicle, Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) has announced a new development project: i MiEV, the Mitsubishi Innovative Electric Vehicle. The research vehicle will be used in joint programs with power companies looking to test and evaluate its commercial viability.

The i MiEV is the third EV of MMC's MiEV series, based on the "i" mini-car platform. i MiEV replaces the conventional engine and fuel tank with a lithium-ion battery system, motor, inverter, and other EV components in the rear-midship layout. This layout allows for increased cabin space and more room for the EV power train.

Mitsubishi will begin to evaluate the vehicle's business applications and the development of a fast-charge infrastructure for EVs with Japanese electric companies, beginning in November, 2006. In the fall of 2007, Mitsubishi will begin fleet testing in order to assess the commercial viability of I MiEV's in the market place.

To read about another electric car, Tesla's Roadster, click here.

Even as a lover of ducks, Blogging Molly could not resist this kooky duck toy: the "Choke a Duck." Essentially a gift for someone you don't like, the duck does the "chicken dance" over and over complete with musical accompaniment. That is, until you choke him--that's the only way to shut him up. And even then, he gags and clucks and flaps his wings and kicks his feet until you let him finish. (If only this feature were available with the Chicken Dance Elmo.)

CHECK OUT THE VIDEO.

My first question is: why is a duck doing the "chicken dance?" The company behind "Choke a Duck" calls it the birdy song, but at all the weddings and bar mitzvahs I've been to, the DJ always introduced it as the "chicken dance." But the company is British, so maybe it's like the lorrie/truck or shirt/jumper thing.

Here are the specs straight from the site:
•approx 30cm (nearly a foot!) tall
•requires 4 AA batteries (included)
•not a real duck
Get it for about $27.99 from Gadgets.co.UK

Related Links:
Put All Your Ducks in a Row
Beware the Duck Side
Don't Shoot My Duck!
Ducks Redux
Geek Your Cube: USB Duckling Fan (It's Duckalicious!)
And the Ducks Keep Coming

Pop!Tech is under way in Camden, Maine and right now I am in the screening room next to the main room watching Brian Eno give the opening presentation. It took me most of a day to get up here from New York, but you can watch it from the comfort of your cubicle. All of the Pop!Tech presentations are being streamed over the Internet by Yahoo. You can tune in here.

Of course, you won't be able to partake in all the after-show tech chatter and cocktails, meatspace still has a few advantages.

You've already seen my spooky cube. Now it's your turn! Well, now you can scare the pants off of your co-workers too (okay, maybe you really wouldn't want to see them with their pants off, but you get the idea!). Besides the cobwebs and the hanging tarantulas, here are some practical Halloween ideas.

Has your computer died and gone to heaven? Then it's going to need its own tombstone. The Neon Tombstone Sculpture costs just $9.97, and it has two light modes: steady and flash. It uses 4 AA batteries (not included) and stands 8-inches tall.

And no cube would be complete without the Fimo Halloween Design LED Lamp! It features skeletons, bats, and pumpkins that light up. It measures 4 1/8- by 4 1/8- by 4 1/8-inches high, requires 3 AA batteries, and sells for $9.

Dress up your computer mouse with this Halloween Mousepad! It features a durable cloth top and a rubber backing. It's even machine washable. Get it for $14.99.

Have you ever seen a ghost? I don't think I could handle it if I did. (Just watching Unsolved Mysteries gave me the creeps!) Want to know the truth about ghosts? Well, it is said that ghosts love the smell of lemons. They love to hear humans laugh and sometimes they can move things through energy. You're more likely to see a ghost at night because they use less energy at night. And if you see a hooded black smoky figure at the foot of your bed, be careful!

Related Links:

Scarelog: Creepy, Crawly, Slithery Toys

Scarelog: Spooky Skeletal Delights

Scarelog: Time to Be Scared!

Scarelog: Make Your Own LED Throwie Rat

Scarelog: Freak Out Your Friends and Coworkers, Remotely

Welcome to Scarelog: The Thirteen Days of Halloween