Leaked from today's 404 episode:
- Nokia hires orchestra to create new ringtones.
- Here is the first official snap of Ashton Kutcher as Steve Jobs.
- Social networks responsible for lines in the restroom.
- "Ghostbusters 3" is a go as Billy Murray signs on.… Read more
Out of every 1,000 mobile-phone-toting Americans, 750 use their phones in the bathroom. You don't have to pretend to be shocked. Chances are very good you're one of them.
Marketing agency 11mark chatted up 1,000 U.S. mobile phone users about their toilet and tech habits for its IT in the Toilet study.
Now that the secret is out, I have to wonder what everybody is up to in the powder room that's so important it can't wait. As it turns out, 67 percent are reading texts on the john, but 63 percent admit to answering a phone call. Even better, 41 percent initiated a phone call without waiting to exit the facilities first.… Read more
Voters chat with Obama on Google+ Hangouts, Apple surpasses Hewlett-Packard in PC shipments (if you count iPads, that is), and almost everyone would take your call while on the toilet.
Links from Tuesday's episode of Loaded:
Apple takes top PC spot New Apple retail chief Obama video chats on Google+ Obama campaign using Square T-Mobile limits data roaming Wash your hands Subscribe: iTunes (MP3) | iTunes (320x180) | iTunes (HD) | RSS (MP3) | RSS (320x180) | RSS HDAs a people, our butts are expanding at a much faster rate than our toilet seats. The Japanese have also been kicking our wide posteriors when it comes to toilet technology.
Now you can say hello to a distinctly American toilet seat innovation, the Adjustable Advantage. The seat features two wings that expand out to either side to accommodate varying sizes of derrieres.
The seat's most impressive stat is its ability to handle up to 1,000 pounds. The seat may hold up, but the toilet itself could be crushed. The company recommends double-checking the weight-bearing capacity of your toilet before testing the seat's limits.
Toilet tech doesn't come cheap. The Adjustable Advantage costs $180. It fits on both round and elongated bowls and comes with a lifetime warranty.
The Adjustable Advantage isn't just for people who have packed on a few pounds. The company is also promoting its use by pregnant women and folks with sciatic nerve issues. The seat clocks in at a few inches higher than a standard seat, so there's less distance to travel on the way down to a seated position.… Read more
While some technologies, such as smartphones and laptops, change by the month, others evolve at a far more glacial pace. Bathroom tech isn't an area where one expects great strides from year to year, but I couldn't ignore an invite to test Kohler's new Numi toilet. It's not every day I get asked to test-drive a commode.
The Numi is U.S. bathroom furnishing manufacturer Kohler's first big stride into a top-to-bottom high-tech toilet. While Kohler had previously introduced an attachable seat with several functions built in, the Numi is more of a complete toilet overhaul.
High-tech toilets are very popular overseas, particularly in Japan; in fact, I first used a high-tech toilet while on my honeymoon in Tokyo. Toilets with seat warmers and automatically adjusting bidets are strangely luxurious, but many times the toilets that employ them end up looking like astronaut equipment.
Comparatively, the Numi is shockingly minimal. At first glance it looks more like a piece of high-end kitchen equipment. Compact, squared-off, and glowing, it has barely any visible buttons at all on its smooth facade. Instead, the toilet's functions are controlled with a full-color touch-screen device that magnetically docks with a wall-mounted panel. … Read more
In Jeff's absence, Wilson takes the reigns as chief engineer for the show...and runs it in to the ground. Just kidding! Today we invite host of The Green Show and longtime 404 friend, Mark Licea, to join us in a few stories about a handy iPhone app, traveling water bottles, Facebook jealousy, Internet addiction, and a hilarious Calls From the Public!
Hot on the heels of Motherboard and Laserjet comes Earth's newest superdefender, G-FORCE! A big thanks goes out to our buddy Hayato Shimizu for Photoshopping Wilson into this robotic Megaman-looking superhero that fights crime with two cameras and still has time to highlight his hair. We've actually received a lot of really talented Photoshopped images of The 404 hosts recently, so click through the slideshow below for all the images.
Jeff's away on vacation and Wilson surprises us all by stepping up to the board, so bear with us through this episode. With some help from our good buddy The Intern Formerly Known as Mark, we navigate our way through a bunch of newsworthy stories from the Internet, including an iPhone app that tells you the best time to cut out of a movie to use the bathroom, the recent popularity of Internet addiction rehab camps, and how Facebook is trying to ruin your love life. All that, plus a new character on today's Calls From the Public!
EPISODE 400 Subscribe in iTunes audio | Suscribe to iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS VideoSitOrSquat is a handy service that helps you find the nearest public bathroom. Unlike MizPee, which has been doing this since October of last year, SitOrSquat has gotten its act together enough to put out two great apps for iPhones and Blackberry phones. The key benefit of these being the inclusion of GPS, which narrows down where you are with just one click. If you're in a hurry--which is inevitable when using a service like this, this feature is immensely helpful.
In addition to its GPS locating, the mobile application lets you take photos of the facilities from your … Read more
When you've gotta go you've gotta go. Unfortunately, finding a place to do that when you're in New York, one of the largest cities in the world, can be difficult unless you've got some local knowledge.
Human-powered search engine Diaroogle is up to the task. It'll help you find the nearest toilet based off its user-generated database. Like Mizpee, which does the same thing but with a much cuter pretense, it's got user ratings for general cleanliness, the rules of gaining entrance, and occasionally even pictures snapped by users to show how good or … Read more
For some unfortunate reason, companies seem to think that waterproof speakers have to blend in with toiletries. A few, in fact, seem practically indistinguishable from shampoo bottles.
What's particularly disappointing about this latest model on the Japanese market is that it comes from Pioneer, which isn't a name usually associated with personal effects in the bathroom. The pink, blue, and white nursery colors don't help either. But we supposed it'll do the trick for around $40, with a waterproof "pouch" large enough to hold an iPod or other average-sized MP3 player, which connects to … Read more
Internet & Media
Apple
Technically Incorrect
Internet & Media
Technically Incorrect
2kFacebook Likes
2kTweets
114Google Plus Shares
202Comments
Still haven't made the jump to HDTV? Or are you looking to upgrade? See our best-reviewed TVs, starting at just $300.
