Gadgets Blog

I have the tendency to strongly dislike novelty switch plates.  They usually are ridiculously cheesy and don’t blend in with the room at all.  The only alteration in a switch plate I usually appreciate is when they are a slightly different shade so that they blend in with the room even better.  I honestly don’t even like the wooden ones, so the fact that I like these switch plates is a little surprising.  However, I can’t help but appreciate the geek appeal and that even in a non-geeky room it’d add almost an antique look.

Sadly, if you aren’t very crafty then you’ll be disappointed that these aren’t actually being sold somewhere.  I’d far prefer to pay a little bit and have one ready-made for me.  On the up side though, there are instructions on how to create one of these for yourself.  There are a variety of types for these all varying in how difficult they would be to make.  So if you like you can create a switch plate that is simple or dive in and go for something incredibly complex.  You can even incorporate a candle holder on the switch or a spot to hang your keys.

Source: CraziestGadgets

Man, iHarmonix has been squeezing all the life they can out of the RockBand franchise. After a recent announcement of the Beatles version, the company is now teaming with MTV, Warner Brothers Interactive, to create Lego Rock Band.

That’s right, someone wants to make version of Rock Band with Legos. All I have to say to that is: why not? I mean, Rock Band already allows you select characters to be the drummer, singer, and guitarist, so why not build them from a Lego minifig model? I have heard that players will play at “local venues, stadiums, and other fantasy locations”, but I say that players should be allowed to build their own stadiums from Lego bricks.

Another contributing company to this game is TT Games, who have created a lot of successful Lego games based on franchises such as Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Batman.

Those games were designed for a younger audience, and it would appear that this Lego Rock Band is for the younger crowd as well. Some of the songs on the playlist include tunes like “Song 2” by Blur, “The Final Countdown” by Europe, and “Kung Fu Fighting” by Carl Douglas. I’m guessing the rest are “family friendly” tunes so that the game will receive an E rating rather that RockBand’s usual T.

Lego Rock Band is due to arrive for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Nintendo DS sometime before the holiday season. I really hope they make a Wii version.

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It seems like only yesterday that I was discussing trackpad issues with the SmartTrack Neo. Actually, it was yesterday.

It would appear that Sharp has created a netbook with a trackpad like no other, as the Mebius PC-NJ70A trackpad is also an LCD. This four-inch screen has a resolution of 854 x 4850, and it can be used as a secondary display.

The LCD trackpad has a lot of cool things to do: like a paint program, a calculator, a piano keyboard, and a very interesting bowling game. As for the other features, the Mebius has 160GB HDD, 1GB of RAM, a 1.6GHz Atom CPU, as well as a three USB ports, a multicard reader, and WiFi capabiltiy. The big (or should I say bigger?) screen is at 10.1 inches, with a resolution of 1024 x 600.

No doubt the Sharp Mebius is designed to compete with the rumor that Apple’s newest MacBook will come with a glass touchscreen. It doesn’t look like Apple is going to make that particular MacBook model, so Sharp stands to make a huge profit on this one.

There is no word on when this particular netbook will be released, but it is rumored to have a relatively high price at $817.

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Speakers are typically made out of unattractive plastic.  It’s rarely anything special and they’re more meant to blend in than to stand out.   Of course that’s fine, because not every gadget you own needs to become a focal point. Although, these Japanese speakers aren’t meant to just stand aside in your home not to catch a second glance from any guests you might have.  Even if you get the version without LED lights, the clear glass would be eye catching enough all on its own.

There are two different types of these speakers, there’s the type without lighting and then if you pay a little extra you can get one with white and blue LED lights.  Of course no gadget would be complete without the option to make them glow.  Especially blue, for some reason it seems like every gadget connected to my computer (including the computer), is capable of shining in bright blue.  These SP0001 speakers only have 10W per speaker, so you might not be thrilled about the 100,000 Yen price tag that converts into about $1,000.  So far though these are only sold in Japan anyway.

Source: GeekyGadgets

What is it with these common, everyday devices with “smart” at the beginning of them? Case in point, the SmartFaucet, which is a spigot that knows who you are.

The SmartFaucet has some sort of face-detection technology that can see who a user is, and then will automatically adjust to the water temperature and flow. I’m guessing that you will have to pre-program it, of course.

Not only can it do the whole face-detection thing, but the SmartFaucet comes with a touchscreen interface so the user can check his or her email, calendar, or view anything else online, I would imagine.

I have included a video of this product after the jump, but it is not in English. It shows just enough of the product, and even shows the cool light effect that comes out with the water.

So, are we looking at an age when every faucet will be a SmartFaucet? That would be pretty amazing, but my faucet is located at the end of my tub, and I don’t want to be constantly bending over to surf the web. I wonder if I could get Hulu on this thing, and watch my favorite TV program while in the tub. Clearly, there are a lot of unexplored possibilities here.

As for now, this SmartFaucet looks like a concept for now, but one that I would hope to see very soon.

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Sometimes when you’re working too many hours at work it gets harder and harder for you to wake up in the morning.  It’s not necessarily that you’re lazy, but eventually it is possible for your mind to block out that your alarm is going off.  This alarm clock has so many different ways to get you to rise in the morning that you’d be covered no matter how tired you are.  If you’ve noticed one way doesn’t work with the alarm, you can add a function to your morning routine.  It is also entirely possible for you to set it up so that the alarm does all of this silently.

One way is to turn on the bright LED lamp, it flashes when it’s time for you to get up in the morning.  You can also set the volume and a low or high frequency to the tone that wakes you up.  Then there is also the included bedshaker that can go between mattresses or just under your pillow.  If that doesn’t work the alarm can make your phone ring too.  Either way, you’re getting up in the morning.  If you’re worried about losing power, this alarm has a 9V backup battery as well.  You can purchase it for $84.99.

Source: Newlaunches

We’ve seen and heard about the MSI Wind Top AE1900 in the news for quite some time already, but at long last we have confirmation of this computing equipment making its way to the US in all of its 18.5″ glory as an all-in-one PC. Features of the Wind Top AE1900 include :-

• Intel Atom 230/330 processor
• 18.5″ touchscreen display at 1,366 x 768 resolution
• Integrated Intel GMA950 graphics chipset
• 2GB RAM
• 160GB/250GB hard drive
• 4-in-1 memory card reader
• Dual-layer DVD writer
• Wi-Fi and Ethernet connectivity

1.3 megapixel webcam

Prices start from $529 upwards, depending on which configuration you settle for. This looks like a pretty good candidate for a starter PC for any college going kid or student.

Source: Engadget

You’ll be able to find a wide variety of items on eBay, and we managed to uncover a new variant (that is unofficially sanctioned by Microsoft, of course) of the Xbox 360 gaming console as it comes with a transparent case complete with Master Chief laser-etched on it, lighted up with a blue LED for that uber cool effect. This specially modified console will retail for $400 which is roughly the equivalent of what you will need to pay for a brand new console from the stores, but hey - nobody else in the world will be able to lay claim to having such a unique console in the living room, right? Best of all is, this will come with a 120GB hard drive within so you ought to be able to get your gaming on without a hitch right from the get go assuming you place the winning bid.

Source: Craziest Gadgets

Belkin is an old hat at iPod accessories, and here they are with yet another two more devices that ought to keep your iPhone/iPod juiced up especially when you’ve embarked on a long road trip. The iPod- and iPhone-compatible Micro Auto Charger and Dual Auto Charger from Belkin are not only highly functional but affordable as well, with the former boasting a compact design which comes with a lip for easy removal, being placed nearly flush with a car’s dashboard. It will feature 1 amp charging and come bundled with a Charge and Sync Cable for iPod and iPhone for $20 this May, but you can also pick it up as a standalone device for $5 less. As for the Dual Auto Charger, this charger comes with two USB 2.0 ports where one of them offers fast charging at 1A while the other is at 500mA. Each $30 purchase will be accompanied by a three-foot charge and sync cable for the iPod and iPhone.

Source: iLounge

Sigma is on a roll in the digital slr world. Seems like after 20 plus years of languishing as a third tier lens manufacturer, the value base glass maker has come across a series of designs that has even Photography magazine buzzing almost every issue. So when they recently came out with a 200-500mm f2.8 lens, the reaction should have been a predictable one. Until the size became apparent. It’s HUGE.

Weighing in at nearly fifty pounds, this Sigma lens is not for anyone with a steady hand and a regular gym membership. In addition to covering the popular 200-500mm range at f2.8, it can double the focal length and still clock in at f5.6 â€" which isn’t too bad if one has a beefy tripod to hold it still. This Big Bertha like lens would be very popular for astrophotography, sports and wildlife shots thanks to its low dispersion glass elements for image correction. The multi-layer coating reduces glare and ghosting, and it’s specially designed lens hood blocks out annoying ambient light. There is also a built in LCD panel for live view when not looking into the camera’s SLR viewfinder or LCD. The lens is powered by a single dedicated lithium ion battery (BP_21) for auto focusing and zooming operations which would make holding this mammoth a heck of a lot easier.

But the cost is equally heavy at a hefty $28,000.

Hat Tip â€" The Giz

Lie Detection. Apparently, it is the latest thing. Just last week, we reported on the Truth Wristband, a device that can detect a user’s galvanic response to a question, and will glow in a proper color if he or she is telling the truth.

It would appear that Spion has created a Portable Lie Detector that works by detecting the tension in the suspect’s voice. The degrees of vibration are enough to reveal whether or not a suspect is calm when answering interrogation questions.

All you need to do is ask the Spion device three yes or no questions to record the voice and “establish a baseline”. Once you have that, you can have the suspect on his or her lies. The display devil’s nose and horns will grow when a fib is told.

Believe it or not, the Portable Lie Detector can be attached to a telephone, and you can actually ask your truth-revealing questions from a mobile phone as well.

I have heard that this device is not 100 percent accurate, but it is apparently more accurate than the polygraphs that the FBI uses. I believe I mentioned this before in the Truth Wristband article, but I’m not certain how accurate those wired polygraphs are.

If you want to find out how accurate the Spion’s Portable Voice Lie Detector is, feel free to go over to the Brick House Security Web site and lay down $79.95.

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