Gadgets Blog

On Christmas Day, I had a dog disappear on us, prompting me to spend most of my holiday putting up “have you seen this dog?” notices all over the neighborhood. Notices which did absolutely no good whatsoever (the woman who found him called the number on his tag two days later). After he left us to go to that great puppy farm in the sky, we got another dog who proved to be every bit the escape artist as his predecessor. So, believe me when I tell you that a small GPS tag like the SNOOPER PET TRACKER GPSS is of great interest to me and every other dog owner who’s spent many a late night driving around neighborhoods whistling like a crazy person.

The Snooper uses global positioning satellites (GPS) in concert with GPRS and GSM technology to locate the precise position of your pet within about 2 ½ yards any time of the day or night. The GRS and GSM features also allow you to use your cell phone (with the Google maps application installed) as a locator to find Fido as well. All you need to do is call Snooper’s phone number and it will send you a text message with the GPS coordinates via SMS text message. And the best part is … no monthly fees! Snooper’s built in rechargeable battery provides up to 15 hours of continuous monitoring and runs a hefty $279 USD. Then again, that’s a bargain if it finds Fido on Christmas morning.
Hat Tip â€" Travelizmo - http://www.travelizmo.com/archives/002406.html
http://www.snooperuk.com/products/spt_200_pet_tracker/index.html

Picnics and pot luck dinners share something in common - plastic utensils and paper plates. Not the kind of equipment if you’re seeking to make the dining experience a little more classy. Fundraising dinners, for example, which don’t have the budget of a political campaign can’t really make an elegant impression and still keep the costs low. Enter Snap and Dine

With a design that rather reminds me of a snap kit plastic model car, Snap and Dine uses a single plastic injection mold process to create a complete, yet recyclable, table setting to make such culinary endeavors a little more elegant and yet, provide for the convenience of a portable or temporary meal. It offers a complete 3-course setting with a very ornately designed plastic plate and recyclable plastic cutlery designed to look like elegant silverware.

Snap and Dine is not only an affordable way to make an impression on a date or fund-raising benefactor, but is both easy to use and dispose/recycle at the same time and reintroduces a disposable society into the notion that dining can be an elegant experience now matter where the table is set.

I don’t know why someone didn’t think of this sooner.

Hat Tip â€" Tech Blog

If you have a Bluetooth device with music on it that you’d like to play out loud, Sony Ericsson has a new accessory that would work out great.  The iPhone is able to play music through the speakers, but it’s never very loud or the greatest quality sound.  It does the job if you’re desperate, but if you’re hoping to enjoy your music a bit more loudly a separate speaker would be a nice accessory to have around.

The Bluetooth has a range of 32 feet and it makes it possible to control the device directly from the speaker.  That way you can have your musical device tucked safely away and only the speaker sitting out.  That feature makes it especially convenient since due to this speaker being splashproof you could take it with you to the beach or pool.  It runs on AA batteries that will give it up to 5 hours of play time.  You’ll be able to choose between the black and orange color scheme shown here or the white speaker trimmed with pink.  It’s not available just yet and there is no pricing info, but hopefully that will be coming soon.

Source: OhGizmo

If you’re a sucker for cherries or just want to make some cherry pie, then might we suggest enlisting the help of the Cherry Chomper? This gizmo offers a safe, quick and clean way to pit cherries. It boasts a plunger design action that helps push pit and residual juice into the bottom container. Something like this could get awfully dangerous should you experience a slip, which is why the protective ‘tooth’ makes sure certain safety standards are adhered to. Definitely a bargain at $14.98, especially when you have an enthusiastic kid or two who want to help you out in the kitchen.

You are all the time moving around a miniature arrow with your mouse, so you might as well make the mouse an arrow too.  It’ll leave far less room for confusion that way too.  After all, you might forget what your mouse is used for and that would put a damper on surfing the net.  With this mouse you’ll always know exactly where you stand.  Of course you might start getting confused when the arrow changes into a different symbol, but not every idea is perfect.

This affordable mouse has 800dpi and the usual scroll wheel.  It claims to be ergonomic, but frankly I’m just not seeing that aspect.  The USB mouse could work with either your main PC or would work great as a travel mouse for your laptop.  The USB cord retracts and extends, at its shortest it is 7cm, at the longest it’s 75cm.  You can purchase it in either red or black, sorry there is no white mouse for those that prefer the mouse to look identical to the pointer on their screen.  You can purchase this for $12 through USB Brando.

Source: ChipChick

How many of you are extremely particular about how your eggs are cooked? Well, with the BeepEgg timer, you can’t really go wrong as it not only cooks your eggs to perfection, it does so in an entertaining manner. Depending on the beeping and various melodies played, it will indicate various levels of hardness. For example, folks who want soft eggs will stop when they hear ‘Killing Me Softly’, but for those who prefer medium, ‘I Wish I Was a Hen’ would be where the bus stops. The beeping will begin once the water touches approximately 45 degrees Celsius, and you can pick one up for £14.95.

If you are going to build a robot that looks human, why not make it into a fashion model? This is exactly what Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology did when they unveiled the HRP-4C.

As you can see, it is 5 foot tall, weighs about 95 pounds, but I don’t know her bust/waist/hips measurements. They made her to look lifelike, and I thought she was real at first glance. She reminds me of Faith from the Mirror’s Edge video game.

It would appear that this HRP-4C is going to have a test run as it is going on the runway during Tokyo’s five-day fashion show. I wonder how it will walk with a book on its head.

Best case scenario, the robot walks the walk, and maybe, just maybe, no one will even notice the difference between the HRP-4C and the expressionless runway models that parade about at most fashion shows.

The worst case scenario, the robot malfunctions, and starts killing people. Think Westworld, but instead of robot cowboys, there are robot supermodels.

Okay, now it is time to hear from the readers. If you were some fashion designer, would you want these model-bots on your runway? Is this the beginning of a new age of robo-models? If so, then it will end with the bot-prostitutes seen in AI: Artificial Intelligence. I’m really not ready for that.

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It seems like every day that someone comes up with an alarm clock “like no other”, and we have reported on many here at Coolest Gadgets. One of the most unique that I have seen lately is the Accenda Sunshine Voice Activated Talking Alarm Clock.

The Accenda Sunshine isn’t just an alarm clock that you set before you go to bed at night, and use only when you get up in the morning. This is one that you can use all day. For example, you can record a memo for you or someone else to hear, and then set the alarm to remind you of an event. You can record up to three individual alarms for this personal touch during the day.

The clock also can audibly tell you the time. All you have to do is just say: “what time is it”, and it will tell you the time and day of the week. It also has another bonus feature that will turn on the TV when the alarm goes off.

The Accenda Sunshine Voice Activated Talking Alarm Clock runs on three C batteries, or it can just plug into the wall. You should be able to purchase this product at the Smart Home site for about $69.99.

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Take a look at the Pocket Yoga, as it may be the last time you see it. This device was a concept from Lenovo, but it has been “shelved”.

It is a real shame, because the Pocket Yoga looked like a real wonder. Not only could you open it up and use it as a tiny laptop, but it works when folded up as a tablet with a stylus. It bears a strong resemblance to the VAIO P, only I don’t think Sony’s mini-laptop has the tablet mode.

The Pocket Yoga is also leather bound, and I believe that both screens, the one on the laptop and tablet, are full touchscreens. All this, and it is small enough to fit into your pocket.

I don’t know why anyone would abandon such a project at this. In all honesty, I think this is the direction that mobile phones are going. Why carry a mobile phone and mobile computer when you can have all in one. Perhaps that is why it is called the Pocket Yoga, because it puts peace of mind in your pocket.

So, I am officially announcing the Save the Pocket Yoga project. I will not rest until a Pocket Yoga is in my pocket. Actually, I probably will rest, you know, when I get tired. I think you hear what I’m saying. Chime in with a comment if you want your Pocket Yoga.

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If you’re looking for a light to make your child feel more secure at night, this one is multifunctional enough that it might save you a little money.  It has two lights built-in to both illuminate activities such as reading and then a second light to create a soft glow for the kids that are scared of what might go bump in the night.  Plus it’s in the shape of a furry little fox, even if it does have an irregularly large tale attached to him.

The main light that you’d use as task lighting is within his tail.  When that is shut off you can then flip on the softer glowing light that is located in the fox’s head and use it for a night light.  The lamp comes with an 18-watt bright efficiency bulb that will last about 10,000 hours.  It also claims to create light that is “very close to nature’s own” by using a cool white bulb.  The height of the tail is adjustable and the task light is a soothing white light that will minimize glares as well as increase clarity.  You can pick it up for $28.95.

Source: NerdApproved

It would appear that the giant aircraft maker company Lockheed Martin has developed an actual working exoskeleton. That’s right, one of those wearable strength-booster things plucked right out of science-fiction is now working reality!

Lockheed Martin calls this exoskeleton the HULC. Clearly, it takes its name as homage to the superhero Hulk, but, practically speaking, it reminds me of Iron Man, without the full-body metal suit.

The HULC is a “hydraulic-powered anthropomorphic exoskeleton that provides users with the ability to carry loads up to 200 lbs for extended periods of time and over all terrains”. Note the soldier carrying the bomb. I am assuming that the HULC is taking the weight, and preventing back strain.

As for the power of the HULC, it is completely battery-powered. I have heard that the exoskeleton is quite flexible, and its design is “power-saving”, to save on energy for secret missions.

So is this the age of the super-soldier? Remember in Iron Man how one of the bad guys said that you could conquer Asia with twelve Iron Man suits? Just imagine what an army of HULCs could do.

I don’t really have much information on this, but I’m guessing Lockheed Martin will only market this to the military. Too bad. I could think of a lot of private uses for this.

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Did you ever get those pains in your legs from when you sit too long? For example, say you are on a transatlantic flight, and you’re on the window seat, blocked by two passengers who really hate it when you step over them.

If so, you might want to get the Traveler’s Leg Massager. All you need to do is strap it to your calf or foot, and it will stimulate the leg-bone by expansion and contraction of the leg muscles. It is the same method that hospitals use with compression boots to stop sedentary conditions that will eventually lead to deep vein thrombosis.

In addition to the “throbbing” feature of this device, it has three massage modes that might help alleviate the pressure that comes from an unhealthy habit of sitting around too long, for any reason.

You don’t have to be sitting by a power outlet when you are wearing this device, as it runs on two AA batteries that are good for five hours worth of power.

If you have a life where you sit down way too much, then you might want to invest the Traveler’s Leg Massager for about $149.95 on the ever-so popular Skymall site.

Just one final thought: this Traveler’s Leg Massager looks a lot like one of those ankle bracelets that they put on people who are under house arrest. So when you are flying, and you put on the Leg Massager, the passenger next to you might ask: “Are you sure you should be traveling in your…condition?” Better be prepared with a good response for that one.

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