Ace Hardware surprisingly are selling these wooden LED clocks. I had previously seen them only online and they look pretty cool. They’re priced very reasonably with the small ones for around KD5 and the big ones for KD6.

I just got an email from a friend at NBK about this new service they will be trying out in Kuwait which is payment via NFC (near field communication). Instead of paying by cash or plastic cards you could pay by just waving your phone. The service is going to be called Bouky and they’re launching a 6 month pilot which you can sign up to if you’re interested (link at the end of the post).

This service is already used in places like Japan and the Far East but it will be the first time here in the Middle East. Another cool feature will be that you could wave the phone in front of “smart” posters and redeem offers or download free pre-paid visa cards. My friend signed me up for the 6 month trial so I will get to try it out. During the trial period I will be able to pay by waving my phone at some 100 outlets in The Avenues. If you’re interested in trying Bouky out they will be choosing only 500 customers for the trial period. To sign up follow this [Link]

Note: You need to be a Zain mobile user to beta test this service

Tonight I passed by a shop called Pro-Hobbies in Dajeej. I needed some paint for my Tamiya crawler and the Tamiya dealer had run out so they recommended I pass by Pro-Hobbies instead. It was my first time there and the place turned out to be really cool. While Tamiya specializes in on and off road electric cars and buggies, Pro-Hobbies specializes in helicopters and nitro powered race buggies.

While there I also got to check out the KHR-1 Robot. I had seen this robot before on YouTube playing football so it was very exciting to see the robot live. They aren’t selling them yet, they just got one to try it out and see if there is a market for it. The robot costs around KD400 which isn’t cheap but the way it moves is just incredible. It’s fully programmable and is driven by 19 servos (motors) which explains the hefty price tag considering a single servo usually costs around KD12. I took a video of the robot which you can see below. It was running out of batteries and the floor was slippery but you can still see how cool it is.

[YouTube]

If you want to pass by the store they’re located in the mall behind Showtime in Dajeej. Here is a link to the [Map]. They have a website but it’s still under construction. [Link]

Today’s giveaway is courtesy of Logitech Kuwait. I posted about their online store back in July and the highlight was the fact that their prices were cheaper than the market and that they also delivered.

The giveaway today is the Wireless DJ Music System from Logitech. The device allows you control the music on your computer from a remote location around the house while also allowing you to stream the music to your sound system wirelessly. It’s gotten good reviews around the web and it will be released in Kuwait soon.

All you need to do to win the Wireless DJ Music System from Logitech is to leave a comment below and later on in the evening I will use random.org to select a winner.

Make sure you visit the Logitech online store website to check out their products and prices. Their address is logitech.com.kw
For more information about the Wireless DJ Music System click [Here]

Rules: You need to put your proper email in the email field while commenting since the winner will be contacted by email. You also need to respond to my “You Won” email within 24 hours or I will have to make another draw and choose another winner. You can only comment once, anyone caught commenting more than once will get disqualified.

Update: The post was closed for commenting at around 7:30PM.
The winner is…

[YouTube]

Comment #106, you’ve got mail!
Everyone else check back tomorrow for another giveaway.

The fake iPod Shuffle looking device in the picture above is the Fiio E5 Headphone Amplifier. For the past few years I have been using earphones (the kind you stick deep inside your ear) for traveling. They’re great because they isolate a lot of the airplane noise and if there is any kid screaming next to me I hear nothing. Now the disadvantage is after using these earphones for over an hour they start getting uncomfortable. They also aren’t practical to put on and take off every time you need to communicate with someone.

That’s why I ended up getting the Sennheiser PXC 250 sound isolating headphones back in July and since then I’ve used them a few times while traveling. They are very comfortable and cancel out the engine sound pretty well but I didn’t find them loud enough. In fact, my last trip I ended up using my older earphones instead. So, I decided to get a headphone amplifier to help increase the volume for when I find my headphones too low. I didn’t want to pay a lot and was looking for something portable. My two options ended up being either a homemade cMoy amp I could purchase from eBay or the Fiio E5 which was recommended by some users on Head Fi. I went with the Fiio.

Continue reading ‘Review: Fiio E5 Headphone Amplifier’…

I got a phone call yesterday from a friend at Zain. He wanted me to try out their new e-GO which can hit speeds of up to 21.6Mbps. Sadly I couldn’t pass by to pick it up since I had to catch a flight to Lebanon but I was just catching up on some blogs and it seems some other bloggers managed to get the e-GO and try it out. So far the reviews have been positive. Here are some blogger reviews on the new 21.6Mbps e-GO:

zDistrict
Review: Zain E-Go 21.6 MB/s

4th Ring Road
Zain e-go 21.6 mbps…. we like.

Some Contrast
Exclusive: Zain’s latest E-GO 21.6 Mb/s

Blushberry
Review : Zain 21.6 Mbps Internet

I should get my hands on the new e-GO once I get back to Kuwait in a couple of days. The picture above is taken by zDistrict.

Update: According to Some Contrast, the new e-GO and 21.6Mbps connection is available right now at every Zain branch. The new e-GO sells for KD45 and the monthly membership is KD32 but if you sign up for 1 year you get the new e-GO for free.

Update2: 360Dewan tried his 7.2Mbps connection after Zain upgraded the network to 21.6Mbps and he was able to achieve download speeds of up to 758kb through a connection via his iPhone 3GS. So it looks like everyone’s connection has benefited from this upgrade. [Link]

I had seen a few adapters that convert the car lighter into a powered USB port but they were all ugly looking or too bulky. Then I read about the Belkin Micro USB adapter on Gizmodo and decided to order one from Amazon.

Because its tiny it fits perfectly into the car lighter without sticking out so it actually gives the impression that it came built in from the factory. I am currently using it to charge my iPhone and BlackBerry but you could use it to charge other devices. Very practical.

It costs KD5.750 and comes with an iPhone cable. [Amazon Link]

Update: Changed picture to a better one

Update2: According to a reader its available at Alghanim X-cite for KD8

My iPhone 3GS arrived today from Australia and I’ve been playing with it for over an hour now. I am upgrading from the original (2G) iPhone since I never saw a reason to upgrade to the 3G. The 3GS on the other hand had a decent amount of improvements that was worth upgrading to. Here are my impressions so far:

- It is literally twice as fast compared to my previous iPhone. My favorite game Fast Food boots up much much quicker than before

- Love the new smudge proof screen

- I got internet tethering working which means I can use my iPhone like an eGO

- Can’t get MMS to work (never mind just work, APN, username and pass should be pps)

- Voice command surprisingly easy and fun to use. I just talk to my iphone as if its my secretary and it understands commands like cancel or what band is this? when music is playing

- I don’t like the plastic back of the new iphones, I prefer the older aluminum

- 3G is faster than edge, finally I can browse at decent speeds. The BBC low graphics site now loads instantly and every link I click loads in under a second

So basically the new iPhone 3GS is a great step up from the original one. The OS speed difference, the 3G, GPS and the tethering were all worthy enough reasons for me to upgrade.

I bought my 160GB Archos 7 in March for $399. Its now selling on Amazon for just $272 while the 320GB is selling for $412. If you don’t know what the Archos 7 is I’ve posted about it before [Here], [Here] and [Here]

Basically, its a video player that is a perfect travel companion. It has a large hard drive, a large 7inch touch screen, plays practically any video format and best of all a battery life of over 10 hours.

160GB Archos 7 is for $272. [Amazon Link]
320GB Archos 7 is for $412. [Amazon Link]

So I ordered the new iPhone the other day and I just ordered a cover for it. For my original iPhone I had the Incase protective cover but the problem with it was that it was too grippy. I couldn’t slide it in and out of my pocket because the cover was made from non slip rubber material. So, I just ordered the Incase slider case which is made of hardshell plastic which in theory should slip in and out of my pocket without any issues. They come in a variety of colors and for some reason I ended up ordering the florescent yellow one. Here is the link to the Incase website. [Link]

I wasn’t planning on getting the new iPhone 3GS anytime soon since the prices in Kuwait are currently astronomical, but I was just checking Safat and noticed a Kuwaiti blogger thats living in Australia is selling the officially unlocked iPhone’s for a pretty decent price:

Unlocked iPhone 3GS 16GB
KD275 (shipping to Kuwait included)

Unlocked iPhone 3GS 32GB
KD325 (shipping to Kuwait included)

I ordered the 16GB version since I don’t really store ANY music or videos on my iPhone and the price between it and the 32GB is pretty big. I actually have the original 8GB iPhone and I have like 6.5GB free so 16GB is more than enough for me. I already sent the money to the blogger and she placed the order for my iPhone and passed me the tracking number. I should get it in around 2 weeks, can’t wait!

If you’re interested in the new iPhone here is the link to her blog. [Link]

I own too many headphones for some reason and yet I always manage to convince myself I need a new pair. I currently own a B&O A8, Shure E2, Sennheiser PX100, AKG K81 DJ and the Ultimate Ears Super.fi 5 Pro. These cover just about every type of headphone from in ear’s, to over head, from open air to closed back, and from tiny to large and bulky. Whats missing are a pair of noise canceling headphones. I originally fell in love with the noise canceling Beats but due to the fact they weren’t very portable made them unpractical for my main reason of wanting noise canceling headphones and that’s traveling.

So after a bit of research I decided to buy a pair of Sennheiser PXC250’s. I had read about them ages ago and remembered them again with the release of the newer updated PXC300. But after some googling I realized the 300’s were just a slight improvement over the 250 but were also double the price. So without hesitation I bought the 250’s from Amazon for just $73.

I’ve been listening to them for over an hour now and the headphones don’t have much bass. I was expecting that based on previous reviews I had read but since I will be primarily using them to watch TV shows on my Archos 7, its not a big deal for me but might be to you. The noise canceling seems to be working right. The dryer is on and when I turn the noise canceling on I don’t hear it, when off I do. The proper test will be using it on the plane which I should be soon.

The little device thats in the picture above is the battery holder. The Sennheisers work with or without battery but the noise cancellation only works with batteries. Once I get back from a trip will post another review on these.

The Sennheiser PXC 250 is for $72 on Amazon [Link]
The Sennheiser PXC 300 is for $128 on Amazon [Link]

Yeah its a long name but it helps with the geek factor. I’ve been wanting the Oral B Triumph for some time now but the local dealer never got the one I wanted which comes with the Smart Guide.

What is the Smart Guide? The Smart Guide is the little device that’s pictured above. Your toothbrush connects to it wirelessly and transmits various information about your brushing technique to help you brush properly while also making it more fun. First off it tells you how much time to spend on each quadrant of your teeth before shifting to the next one. It also tells you if you’re applying the right amount of pressure onto your teeth or gums by flashing a warning when it thinks you’re being too rough. Finally and most importantly, when you are done brushing correctly you get a smiley face on the Smart Guide as a reward. The live feedback system while brushing made me want the Triumph since I like information even if its coming from a toothbrush.

The price of the regular Triumph is KD42 in Kuwait after discount but it DOESN’T come with the Smart Guide. On Amazon the Triumph WITH the Smart Guide is for only KD34. I picked up the KD50 special edition version which comes with 2 tooth brushes and 2 Smart Guides, one for me and one for Nat which saved me a bundle. Will post a more in depth review once I get to use it for awhile.

Oral B Triumph 9900 Toothbrush with Smart Guide KD34 [Amazon]
Oral-B Triumph 9950 2 handle pack with 2 Smart Guides KD51 [Amazon]

Ever since I saw the Lacie iamakey USB flash drive on Engadget I knew I had to have it so once they were available on Amazon I ordered the 4GB version. I just got the USB key awhile ago from Aramex and its as good as I expected it to be. The advantage of having the flash drive shaped like a key is obvious, I will carry it around with my keys. Its not bulky so it doesn’t bulge in my pocket and there is very little chance it will break off from my key chain like my previous drive did. Price wise the 4GB costs around KD7.5 while the 8GB costs around KD12.5.

LaCie 4 GB iamakey USB Flash Drive
LaCie 8 GB iamakey USB Flash Drive

The new Sony PSP Go looks pretty sweet. [Link]