Wired On7 Mar. 7

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 07/03/2010 (5915 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

But don’t put whiteout on your screen

Call it rebellion against all this newfangled gear or a steampunk aesthetic, but I’ve had my eye on computer keyboards that’ve been modded with old Underwood-style keys. The $1,000 plus price tag for one has always been sufficient to scare me off, but this might be a solution: vintage-style keyboard stickers. I don’t know how durable the stickers are, but they look pretty cool and the price is a lot easier to swallow. Available online from rockettstgeorge.co.uk for £39.95 (about $58), shipping included.

Not too big, not too small…

If a netbook seems a bloated piece of gear that cramps your style and you’re willing to shell out for the privilege of carrying around the tiniest multi-touch PC on the planet (at this moment), let me introduce you to the handbag-friendly Fujitsu LifeBook UH900. Weighing in at 500 g and measuring just 20 cm x 11 cm, the UH900 packs a 14 cm WXGA display, 30 GB solid state drive, 2 GB of RAM, wireless, Bluetooth, a web cam and Windows 7 compatibility. Battery life maxes out at three hours. Available in Mocha Black, Vintage Gold and Ruby Red — but if you want to splurge, a $125 premium gets you one clad in camo paint. Conics.net is the North American distributor, charging Canadians a cool $1,257.43, plus $119 for shipping.

…or, go bigger

While computer makers struggle to go smaller, Nintendo is launching a super-sized version of its best-selling handheld game console, the DSi XL. That’s XL as in 93% more screen real estate than the current DSi. Signaling an attempt to attract a more adult audience with this model, Nintendo has sworn off the primary colours and offers more mature bronze and burgundy cases along with a thicker stylus made for grown up hands. Wi-Fi connectivity, web browsing capability and two cameras are included. There’s also an eBook reader application reportedly on the way. Never fear though, they haven’t engineered all the fun out — the DSiXL is compatible with all DS and DSi games. MSRP is $189.99 and the release date is March 28.

Bad to the bone

Breaking a bone is a bummer, but maybe a Casttoo will brighten your day. It’s a tattoo for your cast! Featuring a selection of colourful patterns and pictures, Casttoos are available to fit a wide range of cast types and sizes. The unfortunate person wearing the cast may need some assistance in applying the decals, but once on, he or she will be the belle of the Physio ward. For the ultimate in reality, e-mail a copy of your X-ray and they’ll print a casttoo featuring your own horrendous injury, so everyone can see exactly what you did. Sold through casttoo.com, prices range from $20 (US) for small to $40 for extra large, plus $12.95 for shipping to Canada.

If you still haven’t found what you’re looking for

If Bono watched a movie on his iPod you can bet he’d fork out the $349 (US) for these uber-sunglasses. A 640 x 480 pixel display on each lens produces a viewing experience the manufacturer claims is the equivalent of a 67-inch (170 cm) screen seen from three metres away. Vuzix Wrap 920 glasses run for six hours on a pair of AA batteries, plug into your video capable iPod, cellphone, digital camera, laptop or portable DVD player and are even compatible with common 3-D video formats. Just don’t wear them while you’re driving. Available online at vuzix.com, with shipping to Canada costing an additional $70.