ORIGINALLY AIRED: 10/13/2004

Ben Browder, Ultra-Portable Laptops, Global Netcams

Episode #2634

Kevin and Alex like gadgets. Especially new gadgets with wheels. Unfortunately, they can’t have this one yet: Segway’s Concept Centaur. If the two-wheeled, 10 mph Segway wasn’t your cup of mojo, then check this hot rod out. It does everything the original Segway did, plus plenty of ATV maneuvers, at twice the speed. Visit the Centaur site to view this highly advanced beast in action.
 
“This could be the first iPod killer!” proclaimed Kevin of the newly announced Zen Micro by Creative. “Everybody says they have an iPod Killer,” noted Alex. But this one might be The One. With great style and non-iPod features like a built-in AM/FM tuner, the Zen Micro may very well give the iPod a run for its money. 

If you ever log onto the Internet (like right now!), you’ve no doubt heard of “The Star Wars Kid.” Another reluctant web celebrity, The Star Wars Kid is the boy who taped his finest light-saber moves – only to see them posted onto the Internet to great, um, acclaim. But it appears he’s finally going to profit off this personal embarrassment as he makes a guest appearance in Tony Hawk’s Underground 2. Go to waxy.org to get instructions and to see a clip.

Call #1: Jodi of Eugene, Oregon just got her driver’s license. She’s planning to go on a road trip, and she’d like to listen to her iPod over her car stereo. What are some ways of doing this?

The first (and cheapest) option is to buy a cassette adaptor, which plugs your iPod into the cassette deck. But as Kevin noted, the sound quality isn’t always good. Next, if your deck is equipped with auxiliary inputs, you can simply buy a cable adaptor with left and right RCA plugs – but if the inputs aren’t in the face of your deck, you’ll have to dig around in back to find them. Then there are $35 FM transmitters (like the iTrip) that plug into your iPod and use FM frequencies to play your music over your stereo; sound quality can depend on how crowded your city’s FM airwaves are, however. Finally, there are iPod cradles that can be installed into your car that not only hook up to your stereo but also recharge your iPod. Here are some examples:

Alpine 2004 Ai-NET KCA-420i
www.alpine-usa.com - $100

Neo iON
www.neocaraudio.com - $240

Dension ice Link: iPod
www.dension.com - $320

Special thanks to Audio 2000 (11567 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90064 / 310-444-0966) for letting us borrow the cradles to demonstrate on the show.

Call #2: Erik of Providence, R.I. wanted to know what other multi-player tactical shooter games he can play with his girlfriend – they’re both bored of Counterstrike.

“He has a girlfriend who plays Counterstrike!” marveled Kevin.

“You’re already way ahead of the game, Erik,” Alex commented.

Beyond the new Counterstrike: Source available from Valve’s Steam service, some options include:

Unreal Tournament 2004
Halo for PC
Rainbow Six 3

Ben Browder, star of the once-cancelled but now resuscitated Farscape series, dropped by to discuss the new mini-series premiering Sunday, Oct. 17 at 9:00 pm ET on the Sci Fi Channel. Alex asked him whether comparisons to Star Trek were apt when it came to the Farscape universe.

“Farscape is the anti-Star Trek,” Ben said. “Our science is terrible. Our show is always run, jump, and handle the exposition later.”

Why did the series get cancelled so suddenly? “Basically, what happened was, the money went right, and the show went left,” he said, explaining that financing for the expensive show ran out in a case of bad timing.

Ben also brought some guns from Farscape onto the set. “This is a gun, but nobody knows which way it points,” he said, hefting a triangular device. “So we called it the Which Way Gun. Never try to go through Customs with one of these.”

Ben said the new mini-series may lead to more Farscape adventures; producer Brian Henson is talking about taking the show to the big screen.

For another talk with Ben Browder, read our Two-Minute Interview.

Microsoft’s Scott Lee (product manager) and RJ de Vera (car stylist) paid a surprise visit to The Screen Savers to show off their cutting-edge Xbox game, Forza Motorsport. Although the racing title is not going to be released until February, they brought a demo of the game and put it through its paces. Working under cover of darkness for over two years, the Forza team has created what may be a Gran Turismo killer. It features 200 cars of all types: muscle cars, sports cars, race cars. Even more impressive, they are completely customizable.

“You can really create a car that’s your own – a one-of-a-kind,” said RJ. Furthermore, your customizations will actually affect the car’s drivability.

With features like real-time damage and Xbox Live support, Forza Motorsport promises to deliver the next level in racing game technology.

Our special guest correspondent Chi-Lan Lieu brought in her list of favorite webcam sites. Check out these webcams and learn about her dark, personal obsessions at the same time!

Beluga Whale Cam

Belushi's Bar Cam in London

Madagascar Hissing Roach Cam

Belgian Chicken Cam

Ghost Cam

Why bother with split-screen multiplayer, when you can hook your Xboxes together via System Link? Managing Editor Robert Heron tells you how.

Related Links:

www.xbox.com
www.dell.com
www.eagames.com
www.linksys.com
www.netgear.com

Watch those Transformers robots dance, dance, dance at wilenkin.com/transformers.