Latest gadgets of this week

New cloth self-cleans by killing bacteria

2011-10-27T22:04:00.000-07:00

Tossing clothes into the wash when dirty is so last year, thanks to a discovery by chemists out of the University of California at Davis. Near-ordinary cotton may simply need be exposed to light to get busy killing bacteria and breaking down toxic chemicals such as pesticide residues.

Ning Liu, a doctoral student at UC Davis, worked with textile chemists Gang Sun and Jing Zhu to develop a method that incorporates a compound (2-AQC) into cotton fabrics. When exposed to light, it produces reactive oxygen species such as hydrogen peroxide that kill bacteria and break down toxins.

While Liu says 2-AQC is more expensive than other compounds, it is difficult to remove from cotton due to strong bonding, and cheaper equivalents should work, too.

"The new fabric has potential applications in biological and chemical protective clothing for health care, food processing, and farm workers, as well as military personnel," she says.

The team reported on its findings in the Journal of Materials Chemistry last month, shortly before another study out of the University of Iowa chronicled the vast presence of even drug-resistant disease-causing bacteria on hospital curtains.

Source

Razer introduces Synapse 2.0

2011-10-26T21:58:00.000-07:00

Razer also wants in on the cloud bandwagon with their latest release for gamers and gamers only – if you’re looking to stash all your extra files from your hard drive online, look somewhere else. We’re talking about the Razer Synapse 2.0 which is touted to be the world’s first application for storing your personalized peripheral settings in a cloud environment, so that your gaming settings are always accessible to you just about anywhere and anytime. This is clearly a vast improvement compared to the late 1990s when I carried around my Quake config file on a 3.5? disk so that I need not re-bind all the relevant keys with each new computer I use.

Glad to know that the next iteration of Synapse is an improvement over its predecessor, where that proved to be the world’s first onboard memory feature for gaming peripherals which was introduced half a decade ago. Basically, with version 2.0, you are now able to store gaming macros, key binds, and profiles directly to the cloud – letting you gain full access to your entire repertoire of peripheral hardware settings. Just make sure that there is a decent Internet connection in the vicinity before you are able to harness the power of Synapse 2.0, of course.

Turn Any Pair of Glasses into a Heads Up Display

2011-10-25T21:44:00.000-07:00

Putting vital performance stats where they're always visible, the Sportiiiis adds a simple heads up display to almost any pair of glasses so an athlete doesn't have to glance down at a wrist monitor or smartphone to know if they're keeping pace.

The HUD easily straps to the arm of a pair of glasses, positioning a thin boom just below the wearer's right eye. And instead of using a complicated, cluttered stats display that's projected onto the lens, or even directly into the eye, the Sportiiiis has a simple set of seven colored LEDs that light up and flash to indicate an athlete's performance.

Fun and funky i Block Stereo Speaker Dock for iPods

2009-08-03T21:54:00.000-07:00

Do you want a real fun and funky dock for your iPOd? i Block Stereo Speaker is what you need.

i Block Stereo Speaker design is inspired by toy building blocks for extra novelty appeal.

It features powerful stereo speakers with an Active Bass enhancement system to provide an excellent way to amplify any MP3 player.

The iBlock Speaker Dock is battery powered so you can take it with you wherever you go, or it can be powered by a 12V adaptor (not included).

Looking great on any desktop or shelf, this speaker is a fun alternative to the usual boring, conventionally styled electronics accessories that most people have.

i Block Stereo Speaker Features:

It’s compatible with iPods (1st-5th generation, Classic), iPod Nano (1st-4th generation), iPod Mini, iPod Touch (1st generation) and also the iPhone, iPod Touch (2nd Generation), iPod Shuffle and other MP3 players via the 3.5mm jack output.
iPod recharging via dock

The price for i Block Stereo Speaker is £39.95 and is available at Gobaz.com.

Source[http://www.gadgets-club.com/fun-and-funky-i-block-stereo-speaker-dock-for-ipods/trackback/]

samsung-go-n310-13gb-10-1-inch-midnight-blue-netbook-9-hour-battery-life

2009-08-02T21:46:00.000-07:00

Another Netbook ideal for travelers. With 9 Hour Battery Life. The N310 is one of the lightest netbooks in its 10.1" class, weighing just 2.8 pounds, but packed with the latest communications technology for maximum mobility and productivity on the move.

So you can carry less, but do more.

An integrated 1.3-megapixel digital motion camera makes it easier than ever to keep in touch with friends and family, using video-conferencing or live messaging.

It features a smooth rectangular-shaped isolation keypad design giving you an attractive first impression. Its ergonomic design and optimized key spacing make working and communicating a much more pleasurable and productive experience, with fewer errors and faster typing speeds.

Uses Silver Nano Technology to coat the keyboard with incredibly small, nano-sized silver ion powder, which makes it impossible for bacteria to live and breed. So when you need to stay in touch, but want to make a good impression the N310 makes complete sense.

10.1 diagonal WSVGA (1024 x 600) Widescreen SuperBright Gloss LED Display Built-in. 1.3 Megapixel Webcamera Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950 High Definition. Audio Built-in Stereo Speakers (1.5W x 2). 802.11b/g Wireless LAN Bluetooth. 2.1 + EDR 10/100 Ethernet LAN. 3-in-1 Card Reader – SD, SDHC, MMC.

Samsung LED technology for the 10.1 display results in 33% brighter and uses less power than traditional LCD screen.

Unique anti-bacterial keyboard eliminates 99.9% of bacteria within 24 hours. Ports – 3 x USB 2.0, Headphone out; Microphone-in, VGA, RJ-45

Approximate Unit Dimensions – 10.3 (W) x 7.3 (D) x 1.1(H). Approximate Unit Weight – 2.8 pounds.

Product Features and Technical Details

1.6 GHz Intel Atom Processor
1GB DD2R RAM
160GB Hard Drive
Windows XP Home, Up to 9 Hours of Battery Life (6 Cell 8850mAh)
10.1" wide LED-backlit LCD display

Processor, Memory, and Motherboard

Hardware Platform: PC
Processor: 1.6 GHz Intel Celeron
Number of Processors: 1
RAM: 1000 MB
RAM Type: SODIMM

Hard Drive

Size: 160 GB
Type: Serial ATA

Cases and Expandability

Size (LWH): 1.1 inches, 10.3 inches, 7.3 inches
Weight: 2.7 pounds

Source[http://www.gadgets-club.com/samsung-go-n310-13gb-10-1-inch-midnight-blue-netbook-9-hour-battery-life/trackback/]

Garmin Forerunner 405 GPS Enabled Sport Watch

2009-08-01T21:43:00.001-07:00

What is so special about it?

During a run, this slim, sleek watch accurately tracks distance, pace, calories, and displays it all on the easy-to-read screen. Tap or slide a finger around the innovative touch bezel to change information without fumbling for a button.

The optional foot pod can also be used to gather speed and distance information indoors. ANT+Sport wireless technology automatically transfers workout data to and from your computer when your device is within range.

No cables, no hookups, the data’s just there. Users can upload data to Garmin Connect, a web-based application that lets them analyze, share and store workouts. Zone training, heart rate zone training, supports 5 heart rate zones Compatible with GSC 10 speed/cadence bike sensor – monitor pedaling cadence and wheel speed.

Garmin Forerunner 405 GPS Enabled Sport Watch features

time of day (12/24h),
dual time zone, (day/date),
daily alarm Training and
motivational features – Virtual Partner, courses, workouts, goals
GPS features – mark waypoints, back to start, save location
ANT+Sport wireless technology lets you automatically transfer information back and forth between the watch and the PC
Unit-to-unit – transfer workouts and locations to other Forerunner 405’s
Dimensions – 45.75mm x 70.5mm x 16.4mm Weight – 2.11 ounces (60 grams)

Source[http://www.gadgets-club.com/garmin-forerunner-405-gps-enabled-sport-watch/trackback/]

Sexy iPod Shuffle Speaker From Creative

2007-10-27T11:35:00.000-07:00

Here’s a different looking iPod Shuffle speaker dock from Creative.

Looking like a steel wallet, the TravelSound i50 is certainly compact. There are four precision microdrivers and a digital amplifier to produce the sound and a single charge of the lithium-polymer rechargeable battery will give you a generous 21 hours of playback.

A mini-USB port is featured for charging your player and the speakers, as well as transferring music. A mini LED display will let you know when the battery is full. It comes with a protective sleeve for the Shuffle, hand strap and USB cable.

This is as cute a wee iPod speaker as we’ve seen and, although the volume on something this small won’t be blowing off any socks, knowing Creative the audio quality should be decent enough.

Video eyewear - RelaxView 5.0 Dental Pack

2007-10-27T08:54:00.000-07:00

Going to a dentist is a nightmare for most of the patients. They prefer an anesthesia doze when the treatment is on to prevent a painful experience.

relaxView 5.0 Video Eyewear Dutch-based RelaxView has release the RelaxView 5.0 Dental Pack, a light-weight video eyewear, to distract dental attention of the patients without side effects.

The extremely portable and comfortable device includes HMD and has the capacity to showcase a cinema screen of 1.4 meters on a distance of 3 meters that offers a resolution of 640×480 and full color viewing angel of 32 degrees.

According to Dr. Rob Roef, dentist in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, “It is all about focus. Patients that, only occasionally see, hear, taste and smell the things that happen in dentistry tend to become very sensitive even for the more simple procedures. The pain that people experience should not be minimized. Some people are so frightened that they require anesthetic treatment, or they simply don’t seek necessary treatment until it is too late. Facilitating and helping to get the patients’ focus away from pain to pleasure pays off for both the patient and the dentist.”

This new dental Pack comes with the latest premium pair of video glasses, together with a portable DVD player, model Discman and a disposable hygiene set, for the patient to relax.

The dentist will allow the patient to wear only one earphone so that they can interact while the treatment is in process.

Video eyewear can also be hooked up to iPod video and other PMPs such as Archos, Creative (Zen Vision) and Microsoft Zune as well as Mobile telephones, TV sets, PC, Laptops and gaming console that includes PlayStation (2, 3), Xbox (360), GameCube and Nintendo Wii.

RelaxView has designed the relaxView 5.0 especially for dental use.

Moo power to run laptops

2007-10-27T04:49:00.000-07:00

We all know how the One Laptop Per Child Project (OLPC) is supposed to make computing accessible to everyone, regardless of their race, creed, religion, or economic status. While the majority of us take electric power for granted, take note that there are still places on this earth that do not have electric power yet, hence having to rely on more natural sources to keep themselves warm during the night. Looks like the One Laptop Per Child Project is currently considering a novel source of biological power for its extremely cheap XO laptops

Pillete, the new concept of Bluetooth headset

2007-10-25T18:45:00.000-07:00

Pillete, the new concept of Bluetooth headset is so tiny, it’s almost invisible to the untrained eye when you are wearing it. So you don’t have to worry anymore about looking like Robocop when walking down the street with it, but you have to consider the possibility of people starting to think you’ve lost your marbles and you’re talking to yourself.

The downside is the fact that people have different sized ears and the device might be to small and slip out or to big and not fit. People who often use earphones will tell you I’m right. But once they’ll figure out a way to make the Pillete adjustable, this design will be the future of all headsets.