Hacks and Gadgets

Mionix Concept PX Inductive Charging Wireless Gaming Mouse

2014-01-10T22:03:00.005+05:00

Gamers fed up of having to change batteries in their mouse every few weeks or even recharge it by connecting it or docking it with a recharging station. Might be interested in a new inductive charging wireless gaming mouse that has been unveiled by Mionix during this years CES 2014 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The new Mionix inductive charging mouse builds on the technology used in its Naos mouse design and has been codenamed the Concept PX.

Mionix assures us that their Mionix Concept PX inductive wireless gaming mouse is not just a silly fad or research and development tool but is definitely making the jump from concept to production very soon. The Navy concept is a mouse and mouse mat combination that allows you to use your wireless mouse without the need to ever charged it again. As the mouse mat provides a continual inductive charge that enables you to continue playing indefinitely. The mouse has also been designed to run off AA batteries providing it with around 20 hours of useful life or via a cable if preferred rather than carrying the mouse mat with you.

Unfortunately no information on pricing or worldwide availability has been released as yet by Mionix for their Concept PX inductive wireless gaming mouse, but as soon as information comes to light we will keep you updated as always.

Source: Toms Hardware

JUMP Backup Battery with Charging Cable and Organizer

2014-01-09T19:52:00.001+05:00

Need a lightweight and compact way to charge your smartphone on the go? Take a look at JUMP, the backup battery with charging cable and organizer may be a suitable solution. The JUMP is a practical and portable backup battery that measures 1.96 x 1.96 x 0.53 inches and weights 40g.

As we can see from the images, the backup battery features ultra compact design, and comes with a 800mAh backup battery in order to provide up to 3 hours and 50 minutes of additional talk-time, moreover, the backup battery also features an integrated charging cable to charge your smartphone and the built-in backup battery, and using its AutoCharge technology the USB charger is able to detect when the battery inside your smartphone is full, and automatically redirect the power to charge the backup battery. Apart from that, built-in cable organizer prevents the charging cable from getting tangled for easy carrying.

At present Native Union is raising fund for JUMP via Kickstarter. Pledging $40 will let you own the backup battery with charging cable and organizer for iPhone or micro-USB-enabled smartphones. If you’re interested, jump to Kickstarter official site for more details.

ASUS ZenFone High-Value Smartphone Line Announced

2014-01-09T19:49:00.001+05:00

At CES 2014 ASUS has announced ZenFone, its latest high-value smartphone line that contains ZenFone 4, ZenFone 5, and ZenFone 6 at present. If you’re curious, let’s go on checking. ZenFone 4 is a 4-inch smartphone that features an Intel Atom Z2520 1.2GHz quad-core processor, two built-in cameras including a 5-megapixel rear camera.

ZenFone 5 sports a 5-inch IPS display with ASUS PenTouch and GloveTouch technology, an Intel Atom Z2580 2GHz quad-core processor, 2-megapixel front facing camera and 8-megapixel PixelMaster rear camera with IS, BSI sensor and f/2.0 lens. Moreover, ZenFone 6 smartphone highlights a 6-inch HD display, Intel Atom Z2580 2GHz quad-core processor, 2-megapixel front camera and 13-megapixel main camera with ASUS PixelMaster technology. Apart from that, the three Android phones run Google Android 4.3 Jelly Bean mobile operating system, come with 1GB RAM and custom designed ZenUI interface.

ASUS ZenFone Android phones will be available starting at $99 USD. If you’re interested, jump to ASUS official site for more details.

ASUS PadFone Mini Smartphone with Tablet Station Announced

2014-01-09T19:46:00.001+05:00

ASUS has also announced its new hybrid smartphone with tablet station – PadFone mini. If you don’t need to use your smartphone and tablet at the same time, the hybrid Android phone may be suitable for you. ASUS PadFone mini is a sleek 4-inch Android smartphone along with a dedicatedly designed tablet station.

The Android phone measures only 6.3mm at its thinnest edge, weights just 116g, and runs Google Android 4.3 Jelly Bean mobile operating system, moreover, PadFone mini is powered by an Intel Atom Z2560 1.6GHz processor, and comes with 1GB DDR2 RAM, 8GB internal storage, 4-inch TFT LED backlit WVGA IPS+ display with 800 x 480 pixels resolution, 2-megapixel front-facing camera and 8-megapixel radar camera with BSI sensor and f/2.0 five-element lens. Most importantly, the smartphone features a detachable tablet station with 7-inch TFT LED backlit WVGA IPS+ display with 1280 x 800 pixels resolution so you can simply insert your PadFone mini smartphone into the docking station, and turning it into a 7-inch Android tablet.

ASUS PadFone mini will be available worldwide from Q2 this year, but the pricing hasn’t been unveiled. If you’re interested, jump to ASUS official site for more details.

Nikon D3300 DSLR Camera Announced

2014-01-09T19:44:00.003+05:00

Nikon has announced a new entry-level DSLR camera. If you want to bring your photography to a new level, their new D3300 DSLR camera may be suitable for you. Nikon D3300 is a professional entry-level DSLR camera that measures 4.9 x 3.9 x 3.0 inches and weights 15.1 oz.

The DSLR camera features a high-resolution 24.2-megapixel CMOS sensor with a new EXPEED 4 image processor and a wide 100-12800 (expandable up to 25600) ISO range in order to capture high quality photos, even for low-light scenes. Moreover, the DSLR camera also comes with an eye-level pentamirror single-lens reflex viewfinder, built-in flash, 3.0-inch TFT LCD monitor, and WiFi connectivity for sharing photos with ease. Apart from that, the entry-level DSLR camera is kited with a new compact AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR II lens.

Nikon D3300 DSLR camera with kitted lens will be available in early February this year for $649.95 USD. If you’re interested, jump to Nikon official site for more details.

Element Case Soft-Tec Pro Wallet iPad Air Case

2014-01-09T19:42:00.004+05:00

Element Case has applied the gorgeous design on their latest protective case for iPad Air. Need a stylish ABS reliable protection for your iPad? Let’s go on checking Soft-Tec Pro Wallet iPad Air case. The Soft-Tec Pro Wallet is a well-designed and practical folio-style protective case designed for iPad Air.

As we can see from the images, the iPad Air case features sleek modern design, and consists of a semi-flexible impact resistant TPU bumper chassis and a front protective cover in order to protect your iPad Air from shocks and scratches, and the removable Tech Grip cover doubles as an iPad stand that supports three standing positions including viewing, vertical and typing, while built-in magnets activate iPad Air’s auto sleep/wake up feature, moreover, its ergonomic shape provides a comfortable grip, and sound boost system enhances your iPad’s audio, apart from that, the iPad Air case ships with a shoulder strap.

The Soft-Tec Pro Wallet iPad Air case is priced at $79.95 USD. If you’re interested, jump to Element Case official site for more details.

DIY 1MW Pulse Laser Gun

2014-01-08T22:17:00.003+05:00

This custom pulse laser gun is packed with a 1 Megawatt laser capable of destroying a multitude of materials. The 1 MW laser is able to be battery powered becuase it only pulses on for a fraction of a section to burn through plastic (and even wood) instantly.javascript:;

The handmade pulse laser gun took 70 hours to build and has a brass and aluminum finish with a bit of plexiglass. At just 32 cm long, it’s compact and light enough to carry. The batteries can fire 50 shots on a single charge of its Li-ion batteries. While there aren’t any build details available, you can check out our other DIY laser projects for inspiration.

Gerber Myth Kit

2014-01-08T22:13:00.003+05:00

When you're out in the field hunting game, you need every tool at your disposal if you want to do your best work — and the Gerber Myth Kit ($500) has you covered. With over a dozen tools, this kit includes everything you'd need for caping and dressing a range of game, for all locations and seasons.

The included case unsnaps at the top, folding out letting you easily access your tools. Elastic lipped pockets hold each of the tools, including a field dress kit, a pocket folder, a folding saw, a drop point knife, a sheath knife, several lights, and more.

Retrotechtacular: Tube Amplifiers

2014-01-08T22:10:00.002+05:00

It’s hard to beat this vintage reel for learning about how vacuum tube amplifiers work. It was put together by the US Army in 1963 (if we’re reading the MCMLXIII in the title slide correctly). If you have a basic understanding of electronics you’ll appreciate at least the first half of the video, but even the most learned of radio enthusiasts will find something of interest as they make their way through the 30-minute presentation.

The instruction begins with a description of how a carbon microphone works, how that is fed to a transformer, and then into the amplifier. The first stage of the tube amp is a voltage amplifier and you’ll get a very thorough demo of the input voltage swing and how that affects the output. We really like it that the reel discusses getting data from the tube manual, but also shows how to measure cut-off and saturation voltage for yourself. From there it’s off to the races with the different tube applications used to make class A, B, and C amplifiers. This quickly moves onto a discussion of the pros and cons of each amplifier type.See for yourself after the jump.

Controlling Cheap, Awesome Christmas Lights

2014-01-08T22:04:00.003+05:00

[James] was wandering around Walgreens after Christmas and found something very interesting – RGB LED Christmas lights that were individually addressable. At $6.50 for a strand of 15 lights, he just had to buy a few and figure out the control protocol. After all, who can turn down a big, cheap, controllable RGB LED strip?

The packaging for these lights – apparently manufactured by BriteStar - includes a ‘try me’ button that cycles through different light patterns. This button is what initially tipped [James] off to the fact the lights on this strand could be individually controllable. Opening up one of the lights, he found exactly what he wanted: an epoxy blob, two wires for power, and three wires for the signaling.

After checking out this light with a scope and logic analyzer, [James] realized there was a very, very simple protocol going on. Essentially, the entire string functioned as a gigantic shift register, taking the values for one light and pushing it down the string. In looking at the protocol, [James] also discovered] these lights support 16 levels of brightness. Yep, RGB LED Christmas Lights with PWM for under $7. Can’t beat that.

[James] wrote an Arduino library to control these strings and put it up on Github. While your local Walgreens has probably already hidden these lights away in the back of the store, it might be worth asking around to see if they have any left.

Homemade Polariscope is Super Easy to Make

2014-01-08T22:03:00.001+05:00

[Abhimanyu Kumar] was watching YouTube videos one day when he came across something called a Polariscope — After learning how it worked, he discovered you can make your own using household items!
First off, what is a Polariscope? Well, put simply, it is a device that can show you the photoelasticity of a clear specimen, which can reveal the stress distribution in the material! And it is actually really easy to make one.

All you need to build your own is:

A polarized light source (any modern LCD monitor)
A transparent specimen (plastic cutlery, glass statues, plastic you can bend, etc)
A circular polarizing filter (the cheap 3D glasses you didn’t return at the theater)

Then just place the objects in the order shown in the diagram and start snapping some photos. This would be really cool for checking stress concentrations in a project — provided you are using some Lexan or acrylic!

Paintball Pistol Turned Sniper Rifle

2014-01-08T22:01:00.001+05:00

There’s a huge price discrepancy between paintball pistols and paintball sniper rifles. So the [Fresh-Prints-of-3D] decided to print himself an sniper upgrade kit. He started with the classic Tippman 98 Custom pistol , which is a tried and true industry standard when it comes to reliable paintball guns. Using Sketchup he designed a side loading hopper adapter, a fixed stock, a magazine adapter, various brackets, and even a bipod fore-grip.

He then printed the parts out at his local hackerspace; Innovatrix Labs, which is in Northeastern Pennsylvania. A Portabee 3D printer was used for some of the first prototypes but the final parts were all printed on a large MendleMax2 which has a build area large enough for the entire fixed stock! The best part? He’s only been using SketchUp for a few months. Once the design and build is completely finalized he might release it under a CC license.

It just goes to show that 3D printers are really breaking down various markets of overpriced plastic components — 3D printers only print trinkets? Pfft.

[Via Reddit]

Clever Reed Switch Catches Thief

2014-01-08T21:57:00.002+05:00

When [Abhimanyu Kumar] noticed money going missing from his small bookshop, he decided to set up a little trap to catch the thief. The problem was that the bookshop’s money was stored inside a cupboard in their house (back end of the shop), which meant that the culprit was likely one of their own employees. They already have a CCTV system installed in the actual store, and although he could simply add another camera in the house, [Abhimanyu] didn’t really want to do that.

He instead devised a simple security trap: dubbed the Jugaad Security System. In Hindi, Jugaad quite literally means “hack”. He added a small magnetic reed switch to the cupboard where the money is stored—well, was stored—which is then linked directly to an intervalometer. This then connects to an inconspicuous DSLR sitting on one of the work benches. He aimed the camera at the cupboard and, in case the lights are out when the system is tripped, set it to an extremely high ISO.

Three days later, during an especially busy day at the store, the camera snagged a few images of their would-be thief. Unfortunately, it was one of their own employees. A quick call to the police later and the thief confessed, returning the stolen money. Needless to say, they fired him.

Porting Contiki to the TI MSP430 Launchpad

2014-01-08T21:55:00.000+05:00

For many years Contiki has been one of the main choices when it came to choosing an IPv6 over Low power Wireless Personal Area Networks stack (aka 6LoWPAN). It is developed by a world-wide team of developers with contributions from Atmel, Cisco, ETH, etc… and is open source. As most platforms to which Contiki has been ported are quite expensive, [Marcus] decided to bring the operating system to the TI Launchpad. For our readers that don’t know, the latter is based on a msp430g2452/2553 microcontroller, which only have 256/512 bytes of RAM and 16kB of ROM. As a side note, Contiki typically requires 10k RAM and 30k ROM.

[Marcus] therefore had to remove several features from Contiki: queue-buffering, energy estimation and regrettably uIP. His test setup (shown above) uses the TI CC2500 radio that can be found for less than $2 on Aliexpress, for which he wrote radio drivers from scratch. He also coded his own radio duty-cicling layer, as the one included in Contiki was too big.

Mooshimeter: The ‘Why Didn’t I Think Of That’ Multimeter

2014-01-08T21:49:00.001+05:00

Despite how useful multimeters are, there are a lot of limitations you just don’t think about because they’re the way electronic measurement has always been done. Want to measure voltage and current simultaneously? Better get two meters. Measuring something in a dangerous, inaccessible, or mobile place? You could rig up a camera system to show the meter’s display on a monitor, you know.

Mooshimeter is the better way of doing things. It’s a multichannel multimeter that communicates with your cell phone over a Bluetooth connection. With two channels. the Mooshimeter makes it easy to graph voltage against current to plot a beautiful IV curve on your smart phone.

Being a wireless multimeter means you can stick the Mooshi inside a robot and get instantaneous feedback of how hard you’re driving your motors. Far from being a two-trick pony, the Mooshimeter is actually a pretty good multimeter by itself. It can handle 600V and 10A with 24 bits of resolution. Here are the complete specs. The Mooshimeter is available for preorder here for $100 USD.

Superb Open Source CNC Laser Cutter

2014-01-08T21:47:00.000+05:00

The Open Source movement sets another fine example with this superb 2-axis laser cutting/engraving station. This is version 2.0 which has a more compact size measuring 12” x 20” x 4”. The DIY laser cutter/engraver has a manual vertical axis but you can opt-in for a digitally controlled one.

The electronics as well as all moving metal parts have been designed keeping simplicity and strength in mind. The neat thing about this laser cutter and engraver is that it could give commercial CNC machines a run for their money.

What’s really handy is that Open Source machine has a large community behind it. Head to the Buildlog.net blog and join the forum to view all drawings, schematics, build instructions, and source files that are available for free.

Free Heat Using Pop Cans and Plexiglass

2014-01-08T21:43:00.000+05:00

Using empty soda pop cans, a wooden frame, vacuum hose, and plexiglass you can build your own solar heater that boosts temperatures by 15 degrees!

I decided instead to take advantage of the south-facing side of the garage and build a solar furnace to collect some of that sunshine just bouncing straight off my garage. My dad built one years ago and said he recorded a 110-degree temperature differential between inlet and outlet. And I had enough scrap materials around the basement to do something similar.

Free Electricity? Yep – Build your Own Wind Turbine

2014-01-08T21:41:00.000+05:00

The man who created the Segway (Dean Kamen) pays ZERO dollars a month for electricity. Why? Because he has his own windmill in his backyard. Learn how it’s done with this awesome, detailed, lengthy tutorial!!

Charge Portable Electronics using Sugar

2014-01-08T21:39:00.001+05:00

Juicing up your cell phone or iPod may take on a whole new meaning in the future. Researchers at Saint Louis University in Missouri have developed a fuel cell battery that runs on virtually any sugar source from soft drinks to tree sap and has the potential to operate three to four times longer on a single charge than conventional batteries.

Logitech PRO Keyboard Case for Galaxy TabPRO and Galaxy NotePRO

2014-01-08T21:36:00.001+05:00

Following the announcement of Samsung Galaxy TabPRO and Galaxy NotePRO, Logitech has also released its latest keyboard case for the two Android tablets. If you’re curious, let’s go on checking. The Logitech PRO is a folio-style keyboard case designed for Galaxy TabPRO and Galaxy NotePRO.

The keyboard case measures 304 x 220 x 22mm, weights 495g, and as we can see from the images, the keyboard case features sleek, low-profile design, and comes with an integrated Bluetooth keyboard with Android shortcuts for comfortable typing experience, while built-in tablet stand offers two viewing modes for typing and viewing, and built-in rechargeable battery provides up to three months of battery life between charges.

Apart from that its Essential Protection System and SecureLock system protect your Galaxy TabPRO or NotePRO from impacts, scratches and drops. The Logitech PRO keyboard case is priced at $129.99 USD. If you’re interested, jump to Logitech official site for more details.

Razer Nabu Smart Band Announced

2014-01-08T21:33:00.002+05:00

Razer has also brought their latest smart band Nabu at CES 2014. If you’re curious, let’s go on checking what features have been installed in the smartband. Razer Nabu is a multi functional smart wristband designed to track your fitness and show you various notifications from your smartphone.

As we can see from the images, the smart band features sleek, low-profile design, and comes with two OLED displays including a public icon screen with 32 x 32 pixel resolution and a private message screen with 128 x 32 pixels resolution in order to display notification icons and detailed text. As a fitness tracker, Razer Nabu is able to track your activities and show you activity stats via custom application in order that you can keep a healthy lifestyle, moreover, band-to-band communication technology allows Nabu wearers to meet like-minded people and share their interests.

Apart from that, the smart band works with iOS and Android devices, and built-in rechargeable battery offers 7 days of active time between charges. Razer Nabu smartband has been available for developers, and costs $49 USD. If you’re interested, jump to Razer official site for more details.

Incase Leather Fitted Sleeve iPhone 5 Case

2014-01-08T21:31:00.002+05:00

Need a retro and fashionable way to protect your precious iPhone 5/5s/5c? Take a look at Incase’s Leather Fitted Sleeve, the iPhone 5 case may be suitable for you. The Leather Fitted Sleeve is a well-crafted sleeve-like protective case designed for iPhone 5, iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c.

As we can see from the images, the iPhone 5 case features stylish, hand crafted form fitted design, and is constructed of premium full grain leather plus genuine soft suede interior lining in order to protect your iPhone 5 from bumps and scratches, and leather strap keeps your iPhone 5 securely in place. Moreover, the leather case allows you access to all iPhone ports and functions including camera and flash.

The Leather Fitted Sleeve iPhone 5 case comes in two colors, each one is priced at $49.95 USD. If you’re interested, jump to Incase official site for more details.

Samsung Galaxy NotePRO Android Tablet Announced

2014-01-08T21:26:00.002+05:00

In addition to Galaxy TabPRO, Samsung also announced another Android tablet line – Galaxy NotePRO. If you’re curious, let’s go on checking what features have been lacked in the Android tablet. The Galaxy NotePRO is a 12.2-inch high professional Android tablet that measures 295.6 x 204 x 7.95mm and weights approx 750g.

The tablet runs on Google Android 4.4 KitKat mobile operating system, and features Snapdragon 800 2.3GHz quad-core processor, 3GB RAM, 32/64GB internal storage, 12.2-inch QWXGA display with 2560 x 1600 pixels resolution and 16:10 aspect ratio, 2-megapixel front-facing webcam and 8-megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash as well an included S Pen for extra and enhanced input.

Moreover, other specs include WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, USB 3.0, GPS+GLONASS, and microSD card slot as well optional 3G & LTE. Samsung Galaxy NotePRO Android tablet line will be available starting from Q1 this year. If you’re interested, jump to Samsung official site for more details.

Sony Xperia Z1s Android Phone Announced

2014-01-08T21:23:00.000+05:00

Sony has also announced two new Android phones at CES 2014, including Xperia Z1s and Z1 Compact. Now let’s go on checking their new flagship smartphone Xperia Z1s at first. Sony Xperia Z1s is a high professional, waterproof phone that measures 5.74 x 2.91 x 8.55mm and weights 5.71 ounces. The Android phone features gorgeous ultra-thin design, and the front and back panels are made of durable tempered glass, while its waterproof casing allows the smartphone to be kept under 1.5 meters of freshwater for up to 30 minutes. Moreover.

Sony Xperia Z1s runs on Google Android 4.3 Jelly Bean mobile operating system, and comes with Qualcomm MSM8974 2.2GHz quad-core processor, 2GB RAM, 16GB internal storage, 5-inch full HD TRILUMINOS display with X-Reality picture engine and 1920 x 1080 pixels resolution, and its rear camera also features 20.7-megapixel camera with 1/2.3″ 20.7-megapixel Exmor RS image sensor, f/2.0 27mm wide angle lens and BIONZ mobile image processing engine in order to bring you high quality phones. Apart from that, other specs include WiFi, Bluetooth, NFC, microSD card slot and 2300mAh rechargeable battery.

Sony Xperia Z1s will be available exclusively at T-mobile. The version without contract costs $528 USD. If you’re interested, jump to Sony official site for more details or check out the following demo video first.

httpv://www.youtube.com//watch?v=7HT3jzknQ-g

Samsung Galaxy TabPRO Android Tablet Series Announced

2014-01-08T21:19:00.002+05:00

Samsung has announced multiple brand-new tablets including Galaxy TabPRO series. If you’re curious, let’s go on checking the latest Android tablet series. Samsung Galaxy TabPRO is a high professional Android tablet series that contains three different models including Galaxy TabPRO 8.4, 10.1 and 12.2.

As we can see from the images, the three Android tablets feature same gorgeous ultra-thin design, but sport different screen sizes, including 8.4-inch WQXVGA Super clear LCD display with 1600 x 2560 pixels resolution, 10.1-inch display and 12.1-inch display.

Moreover, three TabPRO Android tablet run Google Android 4.4 KitKat mobile operating system, and all feature Snapdragon 800 2.3GHz quad-core processor, 2GB RAM (3GB RAM for 12.1 model), 16/32GB internal storage, 2-megapixel front-facing camera and 8-megapixel rear autofocus camera with LED flash, apart from that, other specs also include WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, USB 3.0, GPS+GLONASS, microSD card slot for up to 64GB, and optional 3G & LET network.

Samsung Galaxy TabPRO Android tablet series will be available in Q1 this year. If you’re interested, jump to Samsung official site for more details.