Coolest Gadgets in Town

Waterproof Chobi Cam WP camcorder is world's smallest way to record the great unknown

2010-06-15T00:59:00.000-07:00

Whether you're diving for sunken treasure or just exploring the great expanses of your kiddie pool, waterproof cameras are great. But, swimming freestyle is a little difficult when you're lugging around pounds of photographic equipment. Enter the Chobi Cam WP: a device that is about the same size as cigarette lighter and, when enclosed in its GoPro-style case, is waterproof to 20 meters. It can record VGA footage to microSD, take JPEG photos, and even capture mono audio -- which we figure will sound something like "gurgle gurgle gurgle." It's available today for 12,800 yen -- about $140, which is a bit dear if you ask us, so don't let it get washed away.

Amazon Kindle for PC( no Kindle needed , bring your own PC)

2009-10-23T13:26:00.000-07:00

Amazon's Kindle is thought to be as a slim piece of hardware like a very thin book.

In fact, Kindle is also a piece of software that displays digital books on any device Amazon chooses. Today, the Seattle online retailing giant unveiled a Kindle version for computers. The application was part of Microsoft's Windows 7 operating system launch event in New York this morning. Expected to be released in November, the program will also run on Microsoft's earlier operating systems, Windows XP and Windows Vista.

Dubbed Kindle for PC, the free software will let readers view full-color photos and use touch screens to browse books, turn pages and adjust font sizes for digital books purchased at Amazon's online bookstore. Amazon has released a version of the reader for Apple's iPhone and iPod Touch devices.

Amazon's announcement came days after rival bookseller Barnes & Noble said it would start selling its own device, the nook. Due to ship in November, the $259 reader features the same gray-scale E Ink screen as the Kindle, but also has a separate color touch screen. Nook owners also can share their books with their friends for up to 14 days at a time.

In contrast, the Kindle 2 and the Kindle DX, two devices sold by Amazon, has only the gray-scale screens and don't allow users to "lend" digital copies of their books to others.

By releasing Kindle for PC, Amazon is expanding the audience for its digital books beyond just readers who can afford to buy its $259 device to about 1 billion of the world's PC users.

Source

Mystery Gadget as a wedding gift

2009-10-23T12:13:00.000-07:00

There’s only one spot on Earth to open this wedding gift.

It comes in a small, carved wooden box — equipped with a GPS circuit — that won’t unlatch until it’s taken to a pre-set mystery location.And the recipient has to figure out where that is.

It sounds like something from “Mission: Impossible” or a James Bond movie, but this is a real gift made by software engineer Mikal Hart for a friend who was getting married and moving to France.
And it has to rank as one of the most mysterious, geekiest and most delightful wedding presents of the year.
“I’ve always been fascinated with puzzle solving, and I thought something fun could be done with GPS,” said Hart, 46, who works for computer-chip maker Intel Corp. in Austin, Texas.
He bought the box, festooned with a carved elephant, at a World Market store. A little digital screen, push button and GPS chip were mounted on the lid. Inside went the rest of the electronics and a little motor for the latch.

Wedding distance The box was delivered with no instructions. When the button is pushed, a message comes on the screen giving a distance in kilometers. It also shows the number of button pushes — the maximum allowed is 50.
Hart hopes that his friend, who received the box last month, will figure out that the distance on the screen is a GPS-derived calculation of how far he is from the target spot in France. With three clear readings, he could triangulate to find the goal.
Here’s hoping he’s not reading this — it’s the Ile-de-Brehat, a small island off the coast of France where the couple met. Upon arrival, the motor will automatically turn on to free the latch.
“What would be better than to get in a boat and go to the island to open the box,” Hart said.
The gifts inside had to be small to fit — they’re mostly gift cards. But if it’s the thought that counts, this gift is priceless.
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How Strong Are Your Passwords?

2009-10-21T14:12:00.000-07:00

The Mandylion Password Manager is a secure, convenient and cost-effective device built specifically for generating and protecting your passwords. Tested and matured for 3 years in real warfare environments, it is now available for commercial use. Built as a small keyring device, it can securely manage up to 50 logins, safe combination, security codes, etc. that can be individually generated to meet the composition requirements of any login policy. Passwords can be any length up to 14 characters or name spaces. It can create passwords based on your settings for various criteria (such as length, alpha-numeric, special characters, etc.) and prompt you to change your passwords at preset time intervals (90 days, 1 year, etc.) Also, all data is stored in permanent memory, so it is unaffected by battery life or loss of power. Tamper-resistant features have been employed both inside and out, making the device a superior choice to storing passwords on your PDA, PC or worse, writing them down.

Using the device is very easy. There are 5 buttons used for navigation and data entry. The device is activated by entering a unique button sequence that is user-defined. Totally self-contained and air-gapped from any system, passwords are viewed on the token's LCD display which has a limited viewing angle to prevent shoulder surfing. There are also user-defined lockout settings, including a self-destruct feature for high risk scenarios. The device will also indicate failed activation attempts (with a "Tampered" message displayed upon successful activation.) Included Policy Master software makes describing the login policy (length, expiration, composition) for each login record and configuring the token a snap. The token does the rest.

This little unit has been designed to meet U.S. Military standards for secure creation and management of passwords (use authorized under Army Regulation 25-2 IA.) This device helps creates a strong security policy for your work environment (so naturally you can brag to the boss about it) and provides cost savings in the form of reduced help desk support and password changing downtime. When used for personal password management the personal password manager eliminates having to remember all those annoying passwords and usernames.

Has these great features.

* Manages up to 50 login records simultaneously
* Generates cryptographically strong passwords
* Complies with all DoD, Govt. & Industry Password Security Policies
* Multiple tamper-resistant features and lockout alarms
* Manages Root and Group passwords
* Cradle connection via USB
* Kit containing: token, a configuration cradle, Policy Master Configuration Software (Windows only)
* Device and software not Mac compatible (sorry)
* Dimensions: Approx. 2.5" x 1.5" x .375" (65mm x 45mm x 10mm)
* Takes a CR2032 battery (replaceable)
* One-year warranty
* Download Driver (13 Megabyte file)
* Installation Instructions

Source

Coolest jacket in town

2009-10-21T14:02:00.000-07:00

Comfortable, Casual, Efficient

When ever i go for jogging and hiking ...i always wonder why i have to carry so many things in bag???I hate it.....i like my hands free ......so that i can enjoy every bit of it.
Today i came across with a wonderful Jacket(Hoodie).It has so many pockets in it that you cant forget anything and the best thing is that the weight distribution system.You wont feel a this...Isn't it Cool!!!
This hoodie has 13 pockets that use SeV's specially-developed weight management system to keep you from looking bulky. Most of the pockets also are integrated into the Personal Area Network (PAN) system so that your headphones stay right where you need them, untangled. And some interior pockets are clear so that you can control your devices (including those with capacitive touch) without removing them.

SeV Cotton Hoodie in charcoal grey, 100% cotton jersey. Machine washable.

Rain Rain everywhere

2009-10-19T13:55:00.001-07:00

Ok so it was raining the whole time and everyone needs an umbrella to avoid getting themselves wet.It is one of the coolest umbrella I have seen. With a push of a button, the shaft lights up, illuminating you and your path. Now, even in the darkest of nights, you're a lot more visible to the cars on the street, making your long walk home through the rain a lot safer.

Available in black with white LED's, and red with red LED's! Uses 3 AAA batteries, included.

Multi-Color LED lightbulb

2009-10-19T13:38:00.000-07:00

Cool for Halloween.This new Multi-Color LED lightbulb is a nice small but have really nice bright color that can make your party awesome.
It is a super bright LED bulb that can transition through dozens of color and brightness combinations and is compatible with a standard lightbulb socket. The included IR remote can select an individual color or brightness level or choose one of four different transition effects. Great for mood lighting, decorating, parties or special lighting environments.

It has multiple brightness level settings and four transition effects (long pause on each color, short pause, slow fade between colors, faster fade). The light is generated from a 5 Watt LED.
Access to 16 specific colors (including White, Green, Blue, Light Blue, Red, Orange, Yellow, Turquoise, Purple).Fits into a standard lightbulb socket (E27). Input voltage: 110-240V AC, 50-60Hz

Twitter co-founder's 'Square' comes into focus

2009-10-18T13:47:00.000-07:00

Well, we finally have a glimpse at "Square," the new mobile payments venture coming from Twitter co-founder and chairman Jack Dorsey. As expected, it's a little hardware add-on that can turn an iPhone into a credit card reader.

The funny part: Details about the small-business-oriented project have been on the Web for months. It was just that nobody had put two and two together until some eagle-eyed folks at Engadget realized that a URL on a screenshot of the "Square iPhone Payments Venture" first reported by Coolhunting matched a domain registered to Dorsey.

Dorsey, who stepped down as Twitter CEO almost exactly a year ago, is headquartering the company in New York, though we hear he already has employees in both Gotham and San Francisco. Its Web site will likely be located at SquareUp.com. Currently, that site is a collection of links to a smattering of businesses, including Sightglass Coffee, a new San Francisco coffee shop in which Dorsey has invested. (Wanna bet they're testing Square out there?)

From Coolhunting:

The innovation is in a small, plastic card reader that fits in to the headphone jack of an iPhone (or iPod Touch) and transfers the credit card's swipe data to the app. After the employee enters the amount to charge, the customer confirms by scrawling their signature with their finger and then either one enters the customer's email address to send the receipt to.
The payment is processed by Square for a small percentage plus a fixed fee; the funds are transferred directly to the store's bank account, cutting both time and complexity on the processing side. The customer's receipt includes a map showing the location of the transaction which is handy for those who record, sort and file such things.

We heard that the venture is being called Square rather than "Squirrel," its originally reported name (according to TechCrunch's MG Siegler, this is because it looks kind of like an acorn) due to some unclear legal-copyright-licensing-whatnot issue.

Funding a hardware venture is typically more expensive than a Web-based one for obvious reasons: the up-front cost of production and manufacturing.

But two sources with knowledge of Square's logistics said that Dorsey believes he can keep production costs extremely low, possibly manufacturing a "square" at a cost of about 40 cents apiece. The company may then even give the devices away for free, making money instead on transaction fees. That's the old Gillette razor business model--make the razors cheap or even free, but replacement blades more expensive.

Regardless, we hear Dorsey has been working on a funding round.
Source

Save your fingers

2009-10-17T15:15:00.000-07:00

If you have just started cooking or If your little ones are expressing an interest in cooking, you can always make them your “sous chef” and get them to cut up the veggies. I know, I know, what are you nuts? Give our kid a knife to cut carrots? Well, with the Safe Slice, they’ll be as safe as watching you cut them.

Safe slice is a rubberized like vise grip which holds veggies in place while you chop from the other side, thereby keeping your fingers safe from the knife’s edge. Soft finger grips allow the user to move the vegetable forward as you chop, while giving a comfortable hand hold. Made of plastic and rubber, Safe Slice dishwater safe, and compact enough to fit in any kitchen utility drawer.

I think this is a great gadget for getting kids interested not only in cooking, but also in vegetables. Studies show that when kids are involved in cooking their own food, they are more likely to try vegetables that they would otherwise resist. And with Safe Slice’s ability to prevent accidental cuts on tiny fingers, it’s an ideal tool for teaching them proper knife skills.
Just remember this though; more cuts happen from dull knives than sharp ones. So keep that knife sharp! Cost is about $7.00.

Tripod that can be use for notebook

2009-10-16T21:23:00.000-07:00

A tripod which can be used as a nootbook deck.......Surprised? yeah it is the new thing in town.Professional photographer often like to see pictures on big display so usually they carry notebook with them.
But if the site is rocky or environment may not be suitable for resting a laptop on the ground or on rocky surfaces. In such cases, the Tallyn laptop deck may come in handy.

The attachment is like a tripod's ballhead and can be fixed to most Manfrotto or Studio Titan tripods. It has an adjustable base to accommodate notebooks of various sizes up to about 7.9 pounds, and the deck can be tilted to facilitate viewing angles.

As with most professional-oriented ballheads, the Tallyn laptop deck doesn't come cheap. It's priced at $84.95 on the Tallyn Website.

SnackBot Feeder, Vending Machine to help researchers.

2009-10-16T10:04:00.000-07:00

OK ....Today we have something special for you. Halloween is here.Its a party time I'd like to introduce you to SnackBot. He is exactly what he sounds like: a robot that brings you snacks. He wanders around a place, say a hotel lobby during a convention, with a tray of sweets.Ahhhh

Its so nice that You are sitting and someone bringing you food. You don't have to wait even in line at the counter for something. Now everything is available on your convenience.
This mobile, humanoid robot--which was created by an interdisciplinary team at Carnegie Mellon University--isn't just a toy. It's a prototype for studying human-robot interaction (PDF) in the real world.
SnackBot is a study platform that aims to answer some of those questions--while bringing us peanut brittle.

Measuring Tape in the form of Cassette

2009-10-16T00:00:00.001-07:00

OK Music Lovers!!!! Something of your interest. If you like to keep something that can show your music loving nature.Here is something for you.
Now you can work while playing with your tools . Your measuring tape is not an ordinary tape now, it has converted into new cassette tape.It means you can work while you are enjoying your passion too.Isn't it a cool deal guys????
The tape measure comes with both inches and then of course metric units as well to appeal to those that like to hop between both methods. This tape measure doesn’t mention if it is able to lock in place or anything. However, it’s pretty obvious this tape measure is only meant for those that don’t really use their tools a ton. That is except for those random household things that come up, like measuring for curtains. You can purchase the Cassette Tape Measure for $8 from Gama-Go.

Spy Camera Clock

2009-10-14T15:58:00.000-07:00

There are all types of spy gadgets out there, the trick is finding the one that blends in the most with your style. After all, if you have top of the line electronics everywhere, a cheap alarm clock is going to stand out. If you have very sparse college room type furniture then a tissue box holder with a camera in it is probably going to raise some eyebrows. Well this tiny clock is just one of the many ways you can spy on people while you’re away.

Some might find it a touch paranoid that you have video surveillance
Going on, but if it helps you sleep at night, then it’s worth the cash. This tiny camcorder is built into the clock and has a built-in rechargeable Li-Battery. That battery will work for up to 2 hours of continuous use. It has 4GB of built-in memory and then is able to use a USB flash drive. It hooks up to your computer to swap out data and charge through a USB cable. It has a switch on and off button that will kick on a light that only briefly twinkles to let you know it’s working. You can purchase the camera for $47 from Gadget Brando.

Apple Working On iPhone Radio App

2009-10-14T15:43:00.000-07:00

According to 9to5Mac, Apple is working on an FM radio App for the iPhone and iPod Touch, and apparently the FM radio application will be for current models of the iPhone and iPod Touch.

It looks like Apple will use the FM transmitter which is currently in the iPhone and iPod Touch, but isn’t used form Fm radio at the moment.
Apple’s iPods and iPhones have been able to receive FM radio signals for some time now. The latest generation of iPhone and iPod touch can even broadcast FM signal, for instance to a car stereo. The ability of the iPhone and iPod touch to receive FM signals has been used solely in the implementation of the Nike+ ecosystem to this point.

As usual this is just a rumor at the moment, so I guess we will just have to wait and see what Apple has up their sleeve for the iPhone.
Source

Black Nintendo Wii-Moto And Nunchuck Announced

2009-10-14T15:35:00.000-07:00

Nintendo has announced the launch of a new Black Wii-mote and Nunchuck, plus a black Wii Motion plus accessory.
All of these new accessories will be available from the 16th of November in the US, just in time for Christmas, I am sure the black Nintendo Wii wont be far behind.

The black Wii-mote will retail for $19.99, and the Nunchuck will also retail for $19.99, whilst the black Wii Motion plus accessory will retail for $49.99.