September 7, 2000

Gotta Have It!

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BACK TO THE FUTURE

Although a television without a tape-player is not very useful on Cornell’s ‘unwired’campus, the Philips 13PT30L TV ($249) is probably the greatest looking thing a student can have in their dorm room.

With a 13-inch crystal clear display in an enclosure that is reminiscent of something from a 1950’s depiction of the future — Philips has turned television into art. Built into the machine is an analog clock which has an adjustable ambient light that eerily glows late at night as you get ready to go to bed. (Philips, www.philipsusa.com)

OVER-THE-TOP

The Catch-A Blood Alcohol Detector ($69.99) is a great conversation piece and must have for every college student’s keys. Not only is the Catch-A a very large keychain (insuring you’ll never lose your keys again), but it serves as an interesting “Health Class Experiment.” The Catch-A is not the most accurate machine (it measures up to 0.9% BAC), but it is definitely a good illustration that even one drink can be too much to get behind the wheel. (www.igadget.com)

LATE-NIGHT

Red Bull. Say these words to anyone who has been abroad to London over the last four years and you’ll see the look of desperation in their eyes. “It’s not legal in the United States. I can’t get my fix,” was the common reply — until now.

Red Bull ($1.99/can) is an extremely sweet carbonated drink which supposedly increases ones alertness and heart-rate by using “taurine,” a synthetic stimulat which is derived from a bull’s bodily fluids. The United States has slowly adopted it since the FDA originally claimed that the stimulating effect could be considered a drug. It was later found, however, that it merely acts as an extreme version of caffeine. And thus the flood-gates have opened and Red Bull can now be found at the Collegetown Deli, Ruloffs, and other establishments in Ithaca and New York state.

What makes Red Bull so special is the ‘culture’ that surrounds it. Red Bull was very big in the European rave scene during the mid-1990’s. Since coming to the United States it has been adopted into the trend-setting crowd, with Red Bull and Vodka quickly taking over Rum and Coke as the drink of choice. For the straight-edged student, Red Bull uses can be enormous for those late nights with the books. (Red Bull, www.red-bull.com)

Archived article by Ryan Silbert