Hi Tech Gadget

Energy Generating Pavement

Joe Li — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:54:03 +0000

A paving slab that generates energy from footsteps may be coming to a high street near you soon. Made from recycled materials, including rubber from old tyres, Pavegen paving slabs have recently been trialled in East London and will continue to be tested in other locations around the UK.

The slabs, which move 5mm under each footstep, covert the kinetic energy to electricity which is then stored under the slab. The slabs glow when stepped on indicating that power is being generated, though this uses only 5% energy. Installing Pavegen slabs at locations such as pedestrian crossings could make pedestrians more visible and improve road safety.

In a busy shopping precinct or train station the slabs have the potential to generate significant levels of energy. This power could then be used to illuminate lights, signs and shops in the area. Each Pavegen slab has an estimated lifetime of 20 million steps and, depending on foot traffic, the payback period for a slab could be as little as one year. What a cool way to recycle waste!

reNEW your Solar Battery Charger

Joe Li — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:12:57 +0000

The reNEW solar battery charger is a unique vertical charging and storage device that is able to stick or hang from a window. The device, which is made from biodegradable plastic and felt, is both practical and sustainable, providing an easy way to store and sort your batteries whilst charging them for free with sunlight. Aesthetically pleasing, it blends in with gadgets you expect to find in the modern home, whilst keeping your rechargeable batteries together and tidy. Batteries are dropped into the reNEW charger from the top and released via a lever from the bottom when fully powered. The charger was a recent Gold Award winner at the 2009 Lite-On Awards, an event known as the â€˜Academy Awardsâ€™ of industrial design that recognises the green industrial revolution now sweeping the globe. We think its a fantastic way to reuse and recycle your batteries.

Is using a comparison site to compare broadband packages a good idea?

Joe Li — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 16:02:49 +0000

Let’s face it, with pretty much any service it pays to shop around before signing contracts. You wouldn’t, for example, simply take the first car insurance quote without at least comparing it to other companies now would you?

So when it comes time to renew your broadband contract, should you simply pick the first one and hope it’s a good deal? No, of course you shouldn’t!

Broadband Comparison sites are a great way to check various providers, but how can you be sure they are offering you the best deals?

One way is to compare broadband deals using a website that is approved by ofcom. Ofcom actually have a scheme in place to accredit trusted comparison websites that have met stringent tests.

Broadband choices, for example is one such site. They provide a great service that means you simply enter your postcode in their search box, hit go, and their website will do the rest!

Because they have ofcom approval, you can be sure you can trust the results they give you.

Solar Sphere Lantern

Joe Li — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 16:38:19 +0000

Fed up of using tea-lights and throwing the remains away? This nifty eco-gadget may be for you. The solar sphere lantern charges during the day and then gives 8 hours of light during the night. Using a solar panel and rechargeable NiMh batteries the glazed ceramic sphere gives the impression of holding a candle and is safe to use indoors and out.

The feature we like most is that the sphere turns on when itâ€™s dark outside and gives eco-friendly light throughout the night â€“ no matches necessary! It comes without any of the problems of a lighted candle, like keeping it away from pets and children or remembering to blow it out at the end of the evening.

The sphere gives the soft glow of a candle without the risk of burning your house or conservatory down. All thanks to clean solar power.

The essentials of an ideal projector

Joe Li — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 16:39:25 +0000

If you want to buy projector you need to be sure of the following. Firstly, you need to be clear about your requirements regarding a projector. Since there are various types of projectors available in the market you need to find one that is the best suited to your needs. For instance, if you need a projector for business presentations you should select a LCD or Liquid Crystal Display projector. LCD projectors tend to magnify a clear image and hence they are ideal for power point presentations. Apart from this, you need to be sure about the projection area, color, VGA properties, contrast, resolution and compatibility. Nowadays you even have the choice of buying projectors that come with in-built speakers and remote operation. You also need to make sure that the projector is easy to carry so that you do not have to face the hassles associated with weighty projectors.

Radio Controlled Hydrogen Fuel Cell Racer

Joe Li — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 17:16:49 +0000

Radio controlled cars are nothing new, but even these boyâ€™s toys are turning eco-friendly. Horizonâ€™s hydrogen fuelled racer is a mean looking machine. Taking advantage of the automotive technology of the future this radio controlled buggy can be powered by a home refuelling station, allowing owners to obtain hydrogen from water. How does it work? Well, hydrogen is taken from the water by an electrolysis refuelling station and then stored automatically in small cartridges, shaped like batteries. Similar to the full-scale hydrogen cars being developed today, a smaller lithium battery provides peak power, while the hydrogen fuel cell provides power for cruising speed and recharging the lithium battery for prolonged use. The remote controlled vehicle comes as an assembly kit so you get to make this cool machine yourself. The hydrogen refuelling station uses mains electricity or, alternatively, solar power or a wind turbine to produce entirely renewable fuel.

The HP iPaq and the TomTom One

Joe Li — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 01:57:13 +0000

GPS systems are flooding the shelves of department and electronic stores today. For consumers, this can make it very confusing as to which one is best for them. A little insight into the best GPS systems may help! Some of the best devices are the HP iPaq and the TomTom One.

The HP iPaq provides a whole line of GPS systems, each with innovative features to make these handy machines even more useful! Some features included with the HP iPaq include Windows Mobile 6.1, Bluetooth technology, and Wi-Fi connectivity. These features make it the perfect companion for families, individuals, and those who need to conduct business while theyâ€™re on the road!

The TomTom One is the newest addition to the many GPS systems available that TomTom offers. The TomTom One is loaded with features such as an EasyPort mounting system, TMC capability, the latest MapShare technology, and TomTom Home. And to top it all off, the TomTom has a large 3.5â€ screen, but itâ€™s still so small that itâ€™s never been easier to take your GPS with you wherever you go!

For these, as well as many other models of GPS devices, check out Total PDA for the very best prices and value!

Philips gives Cinema 21:9 HDTV a price and release date

Joe Li — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 06:50:19 +0000

We’d already heard during a UK preview show that Philips’ Euro-only Cinema 21:9 HDTV would be priced around Â£3,000 when it launched sometime this Spring, but now we’ve got some more official details to share (and only half of it is good). So, the good news — we’re told that this behemoth will start shipping “as soon as June.” The bad? The 56-inch ultra-widescreen panel will run you â‚¬4,000 ($5,045). Don’t bother turning your head, that’s just your wallet over in the corner wailing. Before you buy, you should always read the 56-inch and 42 inch LCD TV reviews online.

MSI debuts Wind Top All-in-One AE2010 desktop

Joe Li — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 07:57:16 +0000

MSI debuts Wind Top All-in-One AE2010 desktop by Laura June posted Aug 26th 2009 at 4:00PM MSI’s just announced the Wind Top All-in-One AE2010 desktop — a step up from the previous AE1900. The 20-incher boasts a 1600 x 900 touchscreen, an AMD Athlon X2 Dual Core CPU (an improvement over its previous Atom 230 / 330), onboard ATI Radeon 3200 graphics card, 4GB of DDRII 533MHz SDRAM, a 320GB hard drive, 6 USB ports, and a 4-1 card reader. This bad boy has a starting price of $649.99, and will be available next month.

Latest Hitachi LCDs & plasmas take all the thrill out of the Wooo

Joe Li — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 07:54:31 +0000

Look here Hitachi, according to our extensive community college experience “Wooo” is always an indicator of a good time to be had by all, new experiences, possible overnight police station stays and most recently, UWB wireless shenanigans, super slim HDTVs or other examples of display imagination. Following that trend from your Japanese arm, these 5 spec bumped models of XP035 series plasmas (42-, 46- and 50-inch, pictured) and XP35 LCDs (42- and 47-inch) don’t quite live up to the name, while spec bumps over last year’s edition with thorough DLNA and DTCP-IP support and 500GB hard drives with iVDR slots to add even more space might impress some, we’ve come to expect more. Come 2010, we’re looking for super resolution or something else you haven’t done before, don’t let us down this time. Click through for even more detailed prices and specs, we’ll be in the corner checking our CES reservations one more time.