For the true-blue and hardcore geek no other country in the world would be the destination for a pilgrimage more than Japan and when in Japan, the geek will naturally gravitate towards Akihabara, like a pigeon sensing magnetic north.

Akihabara is the flashiest district in Tokyo and covers practically everything the geek will have any interest in. Akihabara is considered the technological district of Tokyo and with good reason. It is located in the eastern part of Tokyo and just a two stops away from the northern section of the main Tokyo Station. For the uninitiated, Akihabara is commonly known as Electric Town — a throwback from its earlier reputation as the center of electronics and home appliance retailers. But even though the area is littered with a wide range of shops that offer all of the gadgets and electronics you can think of, it has also acquired a new, much deserved, reputation as the place where geeks can go see the things that interest them.

Name the geek pursuit and Akihabara will most probably have it. What makes Akihabara a geek paradise is that it actually caters to all the kinds of geeks out there. Oh yes, there are many types of geeks and they have different pursuits, passions and obsessions.

One of the most common type of geeks are the gadget freaks that absolutely must have the latest and greatest gadget out there. Akihabara is the perfect place for these geeks because it enjoys a “pioneer” reputation for getting technologies and gadgetry fads way before it becomes popular or even hits the rest of the world. You will often see gadgets and electronic equipment there that will only catch the world’s attention after a few years. Just the thought of getting a gadget before everyone else boosts your bragging rights and makes you the ubergeek of your neighborhood.

Anime and manga geeks will also find their Shangri-la in Akihabara. The Tokyo Anime Fair is held near the area and there are many merchandising shops in the district that sell anime stuff — from OAVs, plush toys, replica weapons and action figures. Beware though, the hentai anime figures are also quite ubiquitous in the area so be vigilant if you’re going to visit with youngsters.

Of course, for geeks from the West, Akihabara has become synonymous with a particular geek pursuit — gaming. Electric Town is where you can find shops that sell all manner of gaming consoles (you can even get lucky and find the discontinued console you’ve been looking for). You’ll also find a dizzying array of games for sale for absolutely all kinds of platforms. Even games from discontinued platforms (even those that’s more than a decade old) will usually be available there. And the most insane thing is that they’re housed in huge places. You’ll find stocks in stores that are contained in several floors. All manner of games are represented in Akihabara. You’ll be amazed at the sheer number of games that have been developed in Japan that never got to see the light of day in the West — from RPGs to shooters to hentai type sex games.

Geeks that love music and movies will also find many interesting places to visit and shop in at Akihabara. Shops that sell second hand and brand new CDs and DVDs proliferate around the area. For non-music loving geeks here’s an interesting piece of information — Japan-pressed CDs have gained a reputation among audiophiles for having the best audio quality. Additionally, Japan-pressed albums usually contain additional tracks that are not usually available in CDs pressed in the US or the EU. These are the factors that make buying CDs in Japan a very interesting proposition.

Cinephiles will go nuts over the selection of Japanese movies that are the rage among movie lovers. From the wide array of horror movies to thought provoking dramas and in-your-face action — Japan offers films that are worth watching and collecting.

Akihabara is a wonderful place to explore. If you’re a geek there is just so many things to do and explore there that you’ll get lost in your own mind just looking at the dizzying array of products and things that cater to your every desire. But non geeks will love it too because Akihabara is the perfect reflection of what Japan is — a place steeped in history and culture that is not afraid to embrace the new. Go book hotels in Japan and don’t forget to visit Akihabara.

Ah, now I don’t know how to react on this. I mean on one hand I “kinda” liked they’re merging technology for convenience… at least for smokers. But on the other hand, it’s an odd combination, isn’t it? A lighter and a watch all as one? Hmmm… next thing you’d probably think is that the watch will take an alarm when it’s time for you to smoke! LOL.

Not sure if I’m happy to NOT see it into production, I could imagine some harm in combining a watch and a fire starter. Ah, the horror stories for those who travel often if and when this is commercially sold. We’ve had hard enough time in airports, let’s not make life a little harder, eh?

This gadget is part of the odd gadgets collection of retrothing.com . Nope, not on sale anywhere at all. Thank goodness!

Proud owner is Shea Connolly who says “I picked up this unique watch/lighter at a garage sale as a teen in the late 80s for $2 (price tag remains on box). I’ve never seen another one like it. Always thought it was an interesting combination. I have a small collection of vintage novelty watches, and this is my favorite.”

Thanksgiving isn’t thanksgiving at all without the day-after tradition of Black Friday. In the USA we’re flooded with TV/radio/print ads full of coupons and special markers telling us all to fall in line real early. Shops nationwide are opening by 5am to welcome customers in. I’d expect the lines to build up at 11pm-1am. You have to be there to get decent products, otherwise it’ll all be gone.

Let me share with you a few tips just in case you decide to camp-out (say at BestBuy or Target) right after Thanksgiving night.

Tip #1 : Warm clothing : We’re all expecting a low of about 23 degrees in our area and up north of Illinois will definitely be a little colder. So make sure you’re dressed snug warm.

Tip #2 : Umbrella : Just in case it rains or snows. You never know what the weather is like this time of the year. Boots would be advisable too.

Tip #3 : Credit : Make sure your credit cards aren’t maxed out BEFORE you hit the stores. Don’t get blown by overdrafts. Moreso, don’t get denied when you’re at the counter to pay.

Tip #4 : Don’t bring kids : Let them have their decent sleep. They can’t stand long lines anyway.

Tip #5 : MP3 players : bring some entertainment with you to keep you company. Don’t forget your phone too.

Tip #6 : Bring a friend or a relative with you. Would be nice to talk to someone. Good to have a team mate when the store doors open too. Plan and strategize with them.

I took out my big crate of cassette tapes (that maybe carries about 300 tapes), and plugged in an old Pioneer tape deck to my home theater/audio setup at home and went back in time.

The simple act of opening a cassette case, taking out a tape, plopping it into the deck, manually pushing the deck in and pressing play is so old-school but it brings back so many memories. I remember the first tape I bought (a used copy of The Police’s Synchronicity) played on a very small and dinky bright red (it was the 80s!) Sanyo radio/tape recorder with just one speaker. It was a time when I was still getting hits and misses with my blind purchases because you can’t usually listen to tapes first at the stores near my home and I hardly have access to info on many bands (no internet, remember?). I still have those tapes and I still can’t listen to them because the music is just so bad.

I remember swapping tapes with friends and making mix tapes that I listen to in my daily two-hour commute to university and using a very hefty and utilitarian Sanyo tape recorder that I think was the basic model they had then.

A lot of has happened between those analog years and now. But analog will still be there to transport me to those wonderful years.

Ask.com has launched a new version of its search engine. I remember the last time I visited was 5 years ago, and while it was really useful then, you should try looking at what ask.com offers now! First up was an interactive skin option. Check out the “peel me” feature at the upper left corner.

But the meat of all features is how search results are served. The company has said that the new engine now offers better results from more sources around the web. If you remember them through their old “askjeeves.com” interface, and have loved asking questions than inputing search strings, you’d be happy to know that Ask.com is still able to search for you based on a question you will ask. After all, it was the premise by which this search engine was founded on back in 1996. Whoooaaaaa…. flashback!

Ok, now who says we geeks are exclusive to geeky ideas :)

The Shelter Cart is a design by Gregor Timlin (with Barry Sheehan) for the Design Boom Social Awareness award 2006.  With the usual street people in mind, these designers have thought of a great way to combine the cart and the needed shelter.  Homeless folks gathering used empty cans of soda have lesser things to worry about now.  When they’re all through with their day-jobs, they flip the cart and viola (!) emerges their temporary shelter for the night.

What I’m not too sure about would be how clean the innards of the cart is after a full day of collection.  With that behind, at least this certainly raises awareness about street people and the daily challenges of finding shelter.

If you’re a frequent flyer, this is good news for you (according to eweek.com):

Delta plans to offer complete wireless Internet service, including access to corporate and personal e-mail accounts, SMS texting and instant messaging. Delta officials say the Wi-Fi service, supplied by Aircell, will work with laptops, smart phones and other PDAs.

Delta Air Lines officials said Aug. 5 the airline will begin introducing Wi-Fi service in fall 2008 for its entire U.S. domestic fleet, offering wireless broadband connections by summer 2009. The Wi-Fi service will be installed by Aircell, which won an exclusive frequency license from the Federal Communications Commission in 2006 to offer airline wireless services.

This new service, dubbed as “GoGo”, will allow passengers to connect to the Internet through Wi-Fi-enabled devices such as laptops, smart phones and other PDAs in-flight.  Delta will be charging a minimal service connection fee of US$9.95 for flights that are less than 3 hours and US$12.95 for longer flights.  It will be initially offered on Delta’s fleet of 133 MD88/90 aircraft. The remaining Delta domestic fleet of more than 200 Boeing 737, 757 and 767-300 aircraft will add the service throughout the first half of 2009. The airline expects to have more than 330 aircraft wired with Wi-Fi by the summer of 2009.

Not really sure if this will open-up a box of goodies or a box of worms.  Security and safety will be a primary concern.