Swank City » Technology

CanvasPop

jacob.wilkens — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 15:10:43 +0000

All of us at Swank City are what you would call “camera happy.” And there’s something about hanging your own work that just makes you smile. CanvasPop wants you to do the same thing – with any photo. They’re the world’s only large format printing company to work with images of any resolution. So whether it was taken from your phone, off of Facebook, or created in Photoshop – CanvasPop allows you to make gorgeous canvas prints of pretty much any image. And don’t worry if you’re not a digital master-mind…

Once you’ve picked your image, you can choose from a number of cool filters to enhance the look. A team of designers is also available should you need assistance. It makes a really neat gift for that hard-to-buy for person on your list. *hint* *hint*

CanvasPop ($30 and up)
17 Million Free & Public Domain photos at Flickr

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New Hiker: Casio “shock-resistant” digicam EX-G1

jacob.wilkens — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:35:15 +0000

We’ve all dropped our phones or camera at some point in their curiously short life time. But have you ever noticed that the words “shock resistant” or “weatherproof” aren’t usually mentioned in the same sentence as good looking or stylish? Casio aims to dispel that stereotype with the new EX-G1. Not bad looking at all – and we’ll add a few more buzz words in there while we’re at it: freeze proof, water proof and dust proof. Had enough? And you don’t have to be an extreme sports junkie to benefit from its toughness. It drops this December in sexy red, or standard black. Details, technical specs and pricing after the link.

At just a little over 3/4″ thick, there will be no problems fitting this in your back pocket or even your smallest purse. All of this and a dedicated movie-mode, 12.1 Megapixel sensor and 3x zoom. We’ve always loved the Exlim line of cameras from Casio. We can’t wait to put it through it’s paces – the guys at New Hiker are definitely looking forward to having one of these around.

Casio EX-G1 (pre-order $299)
Casio mini-site

New Hiker is not just about hiking. It’s an online magazine like Swank City that showcases the latest and greatest in outdoor gear and sporting goods. From running and biking, to snow shoeing and hiking, to fishing or skeet shooting – if you do it outdoors, they talk about it. New hiker also covers seasonal jobs, vacations spots and destinations, and gives you a place to get rid of your old gear. New hiker – get outside.
Get a sneak preview of New Hiker in December by becoming a fan of them on Facebook, or signing up for their email list.

Draw on the walls with Idea Paint

jacob.wilkens — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:25:43 +0000

Do you have kids that scribble on the walls? No? Do you find yourself wanting to scribble on the walls, or maybe you just want more room to jot down your 13-step plan for total world domination… (maybe that’s just me?). When you’re ideas are confined to a small space, your ideas are going to stay small as well. So why not give yourself an entire wall to express those ideas? Born out of frustration when running out of room, a couple of guys came up with the idea of painting entire walls with the same material as a dry erase board. Brilliant! At only $4 a square foot, why not just do an entire room? Read on for a quick how-to video and to see it in action.

Installation seems pretty straight forward

It’s a two-part coating that is mixed right before application and works like any standard roller-applied paint. It only requires one coat of paint and comes with the roller you need. Not bad. The only downside we can see is that when you’re finished you have to allow seven days to cure before using. For us, it’s definitely a sacrifice we’re willing to make.

There are different colors and options for Home, School and Work – this link is just for home.

IdeaPaint Dry Erase Paint

New Apple Product Updates Today

Editor — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:35:21 +0000

We switched to a Mac less than six months ago, and couldn’t be happier. It took about two days to figure everything out, but we honestly can’t imagine having to switch back. From burning DVD’s to editing this article, everything is just… easier. No, seriously. We decided to take the leap in a smaller way, by picking up a Mac Mini. This little guy isn’t much bigger than a stack of about five CD cases, is whisper quiet and even environmentally friendly. We’ve linked to all the updates you’ll need below.

A new concept for the mouse, the Magic Mouse ($69)
The new Mac Mini ($599)
A Giant 27″ iMac, and the 21.5″ iMac ($1699, $1199)
The new 13″ Macbook ($999)
A home file and network server ($999)

Amazon Kindle: International Version

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 11:59:20 +0000

We’ll have to admit that we were skeptical about the Amazon Kindle at first. But after taking the plunge and actually using one – we’re sold. It’s as thin as most magazines and weighs less than a paperback—but can hold 1,500 books. A special electronic-ink screen looks and reads like real paper with no glare (even in bright sunlight). Today Amazon announced the international version is available for pre-order. We think it’s worth checking out; more info after the link.

With this new Kindle, you can receive your books, newspapers, and magazines wirelessly while at home or abroad in over 100 countries. Whether you’re in New York, Paris, São Paulo, Mumbai, Beijing, Tokyo, or Sydney, you can think of a book and be reading it in less than 60 seconds. And because it uses the same signal as a cell phone, you never need to hunt for a Wi-Fi hotspot. It just works. No monthly wireless bills and no yearly contracts; no software to install, and no syncing required.

The U.S. Kindle Store has more than 350,000 books, including 107 of 112 New York Times bestsellers, plus top newspapers, magazines, and blogs.

Yep – you can read Swank City on your Kindle! What’s not to love?

Amazon Kindle ($259)
Amazon Kindle International ($279)