We always knew that the solid state hard drives (SSD Drives) would come down in price… it just took longer than we expected.  The OCZ Onyx Series 32GB Drive (2.5-inch) is going to be under $100… a first for SSD drives.  The OCZ Onyx isn’t the fastest drive on the block at 125MB/s read and 70MB/s write but still faster than a record player style drive.

Speed up your old laptop with an affordable SSD drive… no more worry of shocking the drive with bumps and drops, longer battery life, and less heat.

[Via]

I will make this one quick because it isn’t technically gadget related… but Carlos Slim Helu, Forbes richest man, could sure afford to buy a lot of cool gadgets.

“Bolstered by a surge in the share price of his America Movil empire, Slim’s wealth edged ahead of the $53bn fortune amassed by the Microsoft boss Bill Gates, making the portly cigar-smoking 70-year-old the first non-American to hold the top spot since 1994.”

At this years 2010 Geneva Motor Show Hyundai showed off its latest eco-friendly concept car, the I-Flow.  The car is downright stunning and shows that Hyundai wants a piece of the Japanese customer base.  The car is lightweight, has an adaptive front spoiler and side rocker, and solar panels.  Read on for details.

The Hyundai I-Flow is powered by a diesel-electric hybrid powertrain and uses a 1.7-liter dual-stage turbocharger.  The battery system will be Lithium Ion-Polymer.

Gene and Steve’s favorite item… the Apple iPad will start taking pre-orders on March 12 and will start shipping on April 3.  I wonder if people will line up for this like Steve hopes… or if it will be just ho-hum.

“Beginning a week from today, on March 12, US customers can pre-order both Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + 3G models from Apple’s online store (www.apple.com) or reserve a Wi-Fi model to pick up on Saturday, April 3, at an Apple retail store.”

[Via]

Looks like the Scosche ReviveLITE got an upgrade giving it the “II” designator, a smaller footprint, greater stability, and the ability to charge two devices at the same time with an additional USB port.  Simple but functional.  Scosche ReviveLITE II video and press release after the break.

Second generation docking charger features USB port to simultaneously charge two devices

Oxnard, CA – March 04, 2009 – Scosche Industries, an award-winning innovator of iPod and iPhone accessories, announces the availability of its reviveLITE II. The second generation iPod/iPhone charger and nightlight has a smaller footprint than the original model and was redesigned to offer greater stability when plugged into an outlet.

Scosche also added a USB Port to the reviveLITE II, so users can charge another USB powered device while powering up their iPod or iPhone.  Like the original reviveLITE, the new version provides travelers with a switchable LED nightlight to avoid stubbing a toe in an unfamiliar hotel room.

“Scosche products are designed to eliminate clutter and enhance the accompanying device,” said Kas Alves, executive vice president of Scosche Industries.  “reviveLITE II does just that, providing a docking charging solution for the iPod or iPhone and allowing travelers to eliminate the need for carrying a second charger for another USB powered device.”

The reviveLITE II is available now at www.scosche.com for $24.99 MSRP and will be available in major retailers this spring.

One of my favorite things about MAINGEAR as a manufacturer is the fact that they don’t subsidize computer builds by filling your new computer with bloatware and crap software that you don’t want.  Doesn’t sound like a big deal… but I typically spend the first several hours with a new PC deleting the crapware. 

MAINGEAR just announced their latest laptop the mX-L 15 multimedia notebook for gamers and enthusiasts starting at $999. Read on for the full press release and details..

MAINGEAR Computers, award-winning builders of custom computers for PC gamers and enthusiasts, unveils the new mX-L 15 multimedia notebook, a sophisticated mobile computing solution that gives consumers affordably powerful performance in  a sleek design starting at $999.

Processing Power – mX-L 15 features the all new  Intel® Core™ i5 / i7 mobile processors that boast a combination of fast cache, Turbo Boost Technology, and Hyper-Threading for faster multi-tasking and multimedia.  Coupled with an integrated memory controller and dual channel DDR3 memory, the mX-L 15 delvers a silky smooth computing experience.

Vivid Graphics – mX-L 15 features ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4570 graphics to give you a visual feast of high definition media and gaming on the vibrant, LED-backlit 15.6″ widescreen display at resolutions up to 1600×900.  You’ll get a clean, crisp image whether you’re working in Excel, surfing the web, or watching high definition movies.

Connectivity, Security, and Expandability– With wireless 802.11b/g/n technology, you get the fastest, most secure wireless experience. Coupled with an integrated fingerprint reader and you can be assured that your system is locked down from unwanted guests. A 2.0MP camera provides for easy tele-conference and is compatible with popular software like Skype. And don’t worry about running out of space on the mX-L. An e-SATA connection will enable you to connect external hard drives at speeds that match your internal storage.

Solid-State Hard Drives– Configurable with solid-state hard drives, the mX-L 15 eliminates moving parts, noise, slow boot times, and heat while drastically improving reliability so your data is kept safe and secure.

Sleek Design – The mX-L packs all these features and power into a package that is thin, aesthetically pleasing, and devoid of any unnecessary design aspects. The mX-L even features a full numeric keypad usually only found in larger, 17″ notebooks and a multi-touch and gesture touchpad that allows users to zoom in and out and scroll through web pages quickly.

Consumers can purchase the mX-L 15 at MAINGEAR’s Web site http://www.maingear.com/custom/laptops/mxl-15/ or order by phone at (888-MAINGEAR).  The base price for the mX-L 15 is $999 and comes with MAINGEAR’s premium Lifetime Labor and Phone Support with a 1 year hardware warranty and is backed by the best in-house support team in the country.

“The result of a mad scientist’s experiment involving a 911, a Prius, and the front end of a Ferrari F430, the Porsche 918 Spyder ($TBA) is a new plug-in hybrid concept borrowing bits of all three. A 500hp V8 mid-mounted motor is paired with two electric motors — one for each axle — giving the open two-seat 918 a total of 718hp, good for a 0-62 time of 3.2 seconds, a top-end speed of 198 mph, and yet, amazingly, the possibility for 78 mpg fuel economy. A seven-speed PDK transmission, a carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic body, powerful brakes, a bevy of driving modes, and that prancing horse-inspired front end round out this eco-enthusiast’s dream ride.”

[Via]

Looks like the design folks at Ford have been having a bit of fun.  Their latest concept the Ford Super Chief is a strange one… not sure if I like it, hate it, or love it.  Either way it is very unique.  The supercharged V10 engine claims to run on hydrogen, gasoline, or E85… only time will tell if this 2013 concept will become reality.  Read on for more pictures, videos, and details.

This is a rant about my Chase Business card, the credit card I use to buy most of my gadgets, so while it is not strictly a gadget, it is most certainly a “gadget enabling device”. The short of it is my Chase Business credit card, specifically the Southwest Rapid Rewards card sucks, it sucks hard and with gusto!  At this point some of you may ask “Gee, just how much does Chase Bank suck?  Can we get a visual metaphor?”  Let’s just say that it could probably suck a golf ball through a length of garden hose running from Boston to San Francisco.  Read on for the full details.

Due to a mild masochistic streak, I have used this horrible Chase credit card since 2005, and experienced random declines of totally routine charges.  Mind you, it was never a balance or limit issue, more of the hey lets screw with this guys life for $hit$ and giggles. The “best” part was always the complete and utter lack of communication – nothing like a call or an email notifying me of potential fraud concerns.

Most recent example, a totally routine repeat purchase from a company that I purchase from twice a month for an unremarkable dollar range got declined.  Upon calling Chase at their 800-346-5538 I got greeted by a smug customer service representative who dished out pearls like “our fraud system determined that this charge was suspicious” and the ambiguously clever “the fraud system found the dollar amount of the transaction to be suspicious” – not high not low but “suspicious” (for the record it was not a prime number).  When I asked what they meant more specifically, they could not give me an answer referring back to the unquantifiably magical “fraud system”.  I reminded them that this is a business card, and  that I was trying to use it for standard business transactions (from a company that I have a purchasing history with) and like a four year old child they told me they were sorry.  I asked them if there was something I could do differently so my future charges would not keep getting declined and they suggested that I call them every time before using the credit card, at this point I wasn’t sure if they were done “helping me” and were simply screwing with me.  The helper, hypothetically let’s call her Christine Harwood (since that’s the name she used), finally told me that they “fixed” the problem and to try charging the card again.  Much to my chagrin the card got declined again.  I called back Chase and got the same representative who said, “didn’t I talk to you earlier” and I said “yes” and after that warm bonding experience she proceeded to grill me with additional security questions. She asked for my date of birth, and to completely blow my mind she followed that up by asking my age just in case a potential criminal could not do the math.

To make a short story long, I got them to finally resolve the issue, and I am now in the process of moving my business away from Chase Business Southwest Rapid Rewards Visa Credit Card because their fraud practices suck (see the complete suck references in the initial paragraph)!  To compensate for the wasted time I am considering going into a side business of selling T-Shirts with the following slogans:

· Chase business credit card sucks

· Chase credit cards are the worst

· Chase bank sucks

· Southwest Rapid Rewards credit card sucks

· Southwest business credit card sucks

· Chase customer service is poor

· Chase customer service sucks

· Avoid Chase bank and credit cards

Looks like biotechnology scientists have finally done the impossible… they discovered a compound that functions like a female version of Viagra.

The chemical compound is Flibanserin, this female aphrodisiac was originally supposed to be an antidepressant mediccine.  After 24 weeks of pill usage women found themselves a whole lot hornier than when starting testing and enjoyed "an increase in satisfactory sexual encounters."

Not out for release yet… but scientists are saying the stuff shows promise.  How does it work?  It alters serotonin levels in that most important sex organ of all, the brain.

[Via]