Gearfuse

Best Buy’s Black Friday ad has leaked, which means it’s time to do some serious itinerary planning for the big day. See, I like me and my fiancee set up a full contingency plan based on what we want the most for us, then comes gifts for others. Come on, we need to set priorities people! Strategy is the name of the game on Black Friday.

So Best Buy has some moderately cool deals, especially in the video game department, but nothing mind-blowing. Though what might be notable is that Best Buy is not going to allow for anyone to get hurt this year because of their doorbuster deals. Apparently they don’t take “death by stampede” lightly. All doorbuster sales will be handled via tickets, which will be passed out up to two hours before the 5 am door openings. Hit the jump for a full-list of Black Friday Best Buy deals. Doorbusters are followed by an asterisk.

(more…)

UK phone retailer Right Mobile Phone conducted an interesting survey among their customers and got some intriguing results. According to their survey:

• 71% say using their favorite song as their alarm clock, versus the system default or no alarm clock at all, made them feel happier that day
• 80% say not receiving a reply to their text messages makes them feel “negative”, whatever that means
• 41% said going by one day without getting a text message made them feel unpopular or lonely
• Less than one in 10 people, 9% to be exact, actually laughed at a text message despite 61% of people using “LOL” in a text message
• None of the people surveyed have ever rolled over the floor laughing, otherwise known as ROLFing, or laughed their asses off, otherwise known as LMAO or in my case LMFAO
• 82% of people love to hear from their partners or people they deeply care about on a daily basis
• 18% of people don’t pick up when their parents call
• 78% of people tell someone that they love them using a mobile phone on a daily basis
• Less than 7% of people said they could go one whole day without using their mobile phone
• On average, people have 95 people in their address book
• 69% of people call or text less than 8 people a week
• 18% of people have pretended to receive a call or text messages

Now, what can we distinguish from this survey? We’re all a bunch of fucking liars and sneaks.

Link

I knew Optimus could transform into some groovy vehicles and even become a peripheral or cool tool every once in a while, but I had no idea that he was in the home entertainment biz as well. The Optimus Prime USB Speaker Set is a three-pound faux Transformer robotic head, with a helme which folds out to be a pair of speakers.

Word on the street is that there will also be an Ultra Magnus version. But why bother when the Opt-man is available anyway? Now, I can’t guarantee an audiophile listening experience (in all honestly, the speakers look sorta shoddy), I can very well affirm that you’ll probably be the only guy on the block listening to J-pop through the ears of a geek culture icon.

(more…)

Good vs. evil. Man vs. wild. Pirates vs. ninjas. The classic battles of humankind. For generations, men have debated whether pirates or ninjas were more bad ass than the other. For once, we might have an answer!

The Pirates vs. Ninjas Checkers Set embattles the two warriors from the comfort of your coffee table. Each set is handmade. Both large and small pieces are sold with the included set, the large pieces signifying “kinged” pieces.

(more…)

While I applaud the concept of mashing together the classic design of Rubik’s Cube and the iconic gadgetry of alarm clocks, I’ve got to admit a slight disappointment that turning off the alarm doesn’t entail actually solving the puzzle. Would the complete and utter frustration be worth the ultimate geek cred you’d obtain with one of these things at your bedside?

Despite the lacking of actual Rubik’s-like movement, the alarm clock brings the thunder with the added functionality of temperature, letting you know whether it’s chilly enough out to wear your Mega Man knit cap. To slide between settings, just turn the top layer of the cube. Available for $24 from Chocosho.

Link [via]

Gearfuse. More fun than a night with Phil Spector.

• Gibson’s Dark Fire guitar
• Early Bird Alarm Clock
• Matt Groening’s Miami digs
• No spy will infiltrate your house undetected!
• Details of the Wii MotionPlus
• Use Facebook? No wonder your grades suck

Have great links you want showcased on Afternoon Linkage? E-mail us: tips AT gearfuse DOT com.

Several weeks ago, I received a JBL On Time 400 iHD iPod Dock (whew!) to review. In the past, I’ve really enjoyed JBL’s products. They make fair-priced, great-sounding iPod docks with rich bass and decent treble and mids. I unpacked the On Time, plugged it in and shoved my iPod Touch on top to start streaming music to the speakers. Unfortunately, the iPhone 3G doesn’t work with the On Time. This is a huge issue considering that a lot of iPod users have migrated to an iPhone, myself included since losing my iPod Touch in a drunken stupor.

But enough about drunken stupors. How easy is the On Time 400 iHD to use? It’s decent, but JBL hasn’t really upgraded its docking menu for years now. It’s still a two-color display reminiscent of an Apple II from the 1980s. It doesn’t give off a feeling of prestige and is really an eyesore to behold. Luckily, a remote is included with basic functionality, allowing you to avoid using the menu. Setting the clock and alarm is a breeze, ensuring you can replace your shitty alarm clock with the On Time.

Unfortunately, the sound on the On Time is less than desirable. I spent two hours playing various rock songs and dance music. Specifically, I threw on Metro Area’s Fabric 43 mix CD for an hour to get an overall feel for the system. Bass is muddy and distorted at high volumes. There is no “oomph” so to speak but instead a flat, dull pop from the kick drums. Highs were OK while mids seemed washed out. Listening to FM radio is easier on the ears considering how low-quality the audio is. But as I said, this is not a serious dock for listening to music. While it can do HD radio, the speakers the On Time is equipped with are merely lackluster at best.

The JBL On Time 400 iHD dock retails between $190 and $250. At that price, you are better off checking out some of JBL’s other products that have gotten better reviews or a Bose SoundDock. Better yet, pick up a small stereo system from Best Buy with iPod connectivity and you’re set. While the On Time is a great idea in concept, the product execution leaves much to be desired.

Product Page

Actually, Simon isn’t saying shit because his name is trademarked by some gaming company. This is officially known as the memory game alarm clock. It’s the same concept. You’re sound asleep. You here that stupid “boop” noise and open your eyes to see the red button going insane. You smack it a shot and turn back on your side, slowly brushing your dong against your wife’s back. “Boop!! Boop!” Here we ago again. You’ll need to get up and finish the game if you ever want some peace of mind. It is, without a doubt, one of the greatest ways to ensure you wake up each morning.

Link

ARE YOU ANGRY? PISSED OFF? TIRED? WANT TO GO BACK TO SLEEP?

Well fuck work. This is the Smash Clock. Hit this fucking thing until it shuts up so you can go back to sleep. You’re probably hungover from Thursday night and don’t feel like doing any work, so this clock is perfect for releasing that pent up rage on.

Too bad it’s a concept. That makes me want to smash it even more.

Link

Your kids will be going crazy later this year, as LEGO will be coming out with its own line of consumer electronics such as digital cameras, walkie talkies and a whole lot more. Electronics company Digital Blue will partner with LEGO to create the devices, which will feature design that draws from LEGO bricks. You won’t be able to break apart your digicam or USB drive, but it’ll still look like you built it yourself.

Word is that LEGO is going full out with this electronics push, releasing alarm clocks and even boomboxes made from the good stuff. Kids and geeks should try to contain themselves. Look for these goods to hit store shelves later this year.

Link