Hasta La Gadget!

Here’s an interesting one. Siliconera has dug up what it claims to be a Japanese trademark for the term “Zii,” and contrary to what you may expect, the application wasn’t filed by Creative. We double checked the database, and sure enough, the paperwork went through on October 30th — which almost certainly means that this was more than just some day-late attempt to fend off the next-generation of KIRF Wii consoles. There’s obviously no way to tell what the Big N has in mind here, nor if this will cause any kind of friction between it and Creative, but we’ll certainly be keeping an ear to the ground for more. Who knows — maybe the Zii is that HD Wii we’ve all been clamoring for since November of 2006. Or maybe it’s nothing at all.

Update: We’ve done a bit more digging, and it looks as if this here filing may simply be a renewal of a 2006 trademark request. Moreover, we’ve found Nintendo trademarks in Japan for Cii, Bii, Oii and Yii, so it seems the company may just be on some sort of rampage in order to cover its tracks in one form or another.

Nintendo trademarks ‘Zii’ over in Japan, Creative is like ‘zaywha?’ originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 Dec 2009 08:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Just a few days after iriver’s E30 was spotted doing a domino impression in China we’re happy to say the thing is now making an appearance in American stores — or at Amazon, at least. The smallest of the three couldn’t be bothered to make the trip, leaving only 4GB and 8GB models selling for $59 and $79, respectively. The little 1.8-inch player is just .3-inch thick, supports a plethora of media formats and, with 52 hours of battery life, should let you sample each and every one of them between recharges. It’s a lovely, understated thing and would make a wonderful stocking stuffer — though to be honest it would only really stuff the socks of those with very tiny feet.

iriver’s minimalist styled and flamboyant batteried E30 player now available originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 Dec 2009 07:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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People have been inventing non-lethal and “humane” mousetraps for years. Some are worse than the traditional cheese and sprung-steel spine-snapper. The sticky-board, for example, which is supposed to immobilize the rodent but instead presents you with a live mouse staring pleadingly, all four of his legs chewed through in a desperate attempt to escape.

The Better Mousetrap doesn’t bother with innovation. It just throws a lot of tech at the same old trap we have known for years. Designed and built by tinkerer Jake Easton, the machine is deliberately over the top in its operation. Power it up with a key and watch the pressure-meter leap to attention. When the mouse comes in to nibble the cheese, the “Detect” light flicks on and, moments later, the bar snaps down delivering a vertebrae-shattering crunch of force (102-pounds). The build photos show the crazy attention to detail: This polished aluminum case isn’t just pretty on the outside — take a look inside and you’ll see something as neat and carefully designed as the interior of a Mac Pro.

Is this trap humane? No. Efficient? Not really. Is it an awesome, shiny, mouse-murdering machine? Hell yes!

The specs:

Pneumatic Cylinder: 1/2” Bore with 3/4” Stroke

Air Pressure (Max): 60 PSI

Strike Force at 40 PSI: 102 lbs

Key Lock Switch and Manual Hammer Override

Visual Monitoring: Power, PSI, and Armed – Detect – Fire

Case Construction: 6061 0.25” Polished Aluminum

Inputs: 12VDC and Air Line

Dimensions: 12” x 6” x 2.5”

Weight: 5.5 Pounds

Better Mousetrap [Telovation via the Giz]

Today’s Crave giveaway is a grab bag of Energizer accessories.

If Cormac McCarthy was an inventor of gadgets instead of words then this better (measured in awesome) mousetrap might have been the result. Instead, honors go to Jack Easton, a man known to kill ordinary mice using compressed air. No, really. The device above feature a pneumatic cylinder that brings down the death hammer with a strike force of 102 pounds after it senses a nearby pest. Poor fake mouse: delivered a fortune that was not his own. See all the fun after the break.

Continue reading Jake Easton’s Better Mousetrap leaves no country for old mice (video)

Jake Easton’s Better Mousetrap leaves no country for old mice (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 Dec 2009 06:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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