spices

Mortar and pestle meets grater and slicer

Kitchen gadgets come in all shapes and sizes, but it's the ones that try harder that stick out. The importance in that can be found in what they try to do. Sometimes it makes sense: think food processors with differing blades and stand mixers with attachment collections. But occasionally one comes along that tries to integrate two seemingly disparate tasks into one package. Yet, when an everyday gadget gets paired with a not-so-everyday task, everybody wins.

The Mastrad Mortar and Grater Combo ($80.00) is a kitchen tool perfect for some, less so for others, but curious all around. … Read more

The 404 1,108: Where we're not looking from behind (podcast)

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

Crazy tape on Olympians: Does it work?

Fair or foul? Experts split over whether Pistorius has advantage.

U.S. Speed Suits could make all the difference.

World records set despite ban on high-tech suits.

Are humans or technology breaking Olympic records?

Creepy Weknowyourhouse.com scans your tweets to publish your address.

Bathroom break video: Some of the best LifeHacks ever.… Read more

Stack and grind spices

Creativity in the kitchen can be found in many forms, and that includes building blocks.

No, not the foundation you might build by sauteing onion, celery, and carrots, but rather from a different type of aromatic: spices. Properly prepared food goes a long way in making meals delicious, but when it comes to truly adding flavor, spices take whatever is on the menu up to the next level.

Offering six stackable and interchangeable compartments, the Mastrad Spice Grinder features a vertical orientation and is a clever way to explore the most basic of spices. Each container can store its own … Read more

Motorola announces XT531 for Asian, European markets

Motorola Mobility announced a new, "budget friendly" Android smartphone for Asian and European markets this week with the XT531. Powered by Android 2.3 Gingerbread and an 800MHz processor, the touch-only handset features a 3.5-inch display and a 5-megapixel camera. Additional specifications include a front-facing VGA camera, a microSD card slot, and support for 3G, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n) and GPS.

The XT531 will launch in China later this month as a single-SIM card model. A second, dual-SIM version is expected to arrive later this fall for select Asian markets.

Consumers will find that … Read more

Stack and grind your spices

A certain brand of building blocks has inspired generations of children to explore the possibilities of creativity. Those brightly colored plastic pieces that have been transformed into everything from landscapes to moonscapes click together with an ease of use that encourages fantastic results. Creating combinations in the kitchen might not be as easy as building, say, a five-story Lego pirate fort being attacked by space aliens, but that doesn't mean it can't be just as fun.

The Stackable Spice Grinders won't turn your budding architect into the next Frank Lloyd Wright, but the next Mario Batali? Maybe. … Read more

Magnets make spice storage fun

Spices are like building blocks in a way. Both combine with other like (and sometimes unlike) elements to create something new and fascinating. In the case of spices, that means better-tasting food, a surefire plus in anybody's book. Something we have all read on practically any spice label is to "store in a cool and dry place." But it turns out there is another element to storage that spices apparently adore: a magnetic field.

The Grant Howard Magnetic Spice Jar Set features a fun, stackable design that allows one to truly customize the spice cabinet. The set … Read more

3D cell phone from India sells for sub-$100

There are quite a number of mobile phones from India that don't make it to the rest of the world. Here's a new one that has a 3D display and costs less than $100. The QVGA screen on the M-67 from Spice Mobility shows a 3D image or video without glasses, much like the upcoming Nintendo 3DS game console.

3D screen aside, the M-67 is a 2.5G phone with two SIM card slots, a 2-megapixel camera, and an FM tuner. It's available only in India, so we don't expect to test it out any time … Read more

3D cell phone

Links from Monday's episode of Loaded:

Barnes & Noble gets set to launch Nook Kids aimed at ages 3 to 8

Microsoft gives some indication that Windows 8 will be along in about two years

A 3D cell phone launches in India

Amazon.com is going to allow book lending on the Kindle

Google admits to gathering e-mail addresses, passwords, and URLs when collecting Street View images

Google adds new languages to Voice Search for Android

And Google adds World War II imagery to Google Earth

Ustream is going to allow pay-per-view broadcasting

The Sony Walkman cassette player is no more… Read more

Buzz Out Loud 1279: Seven keys to rule us all (podcast)

If the Internet breaks, the Tribe of Seven's secret library cards will re-start it. Also: Running your fingers through Princess Leia's hair... mmmm. And: Toss your zombie cookies now! Special guest: Dr. Kiki!

Buzz Out Loud 1270: MP3: the gateway drug (podcast)

On today's show, Buzz Out Loud gets you a tiny bit high ... using a sine wave. Could it be!? Also, we continue our long slog through the Story that Wouldn't End: the iPhone 4 antenna issue. Press conference tomorrow! Also, will the Droid X self-destruct if you try to mod it? Maybe, maybe not. But it seems like the phone world is all about picking your poison these days.