Gadgets Blog

When your child is teething, it’s never a happy time for anyone involved.  They gnaw through the tip of their bottle if you don’t happen to give them something to chew on in the knick of time.  Then there is always the screaming, because all that teething does hurt a bit.  All around, there isn’t a person in the household that won’t pay for it.  You could go out to the store and pick up your average teething ring, but that’s not the true geek way.  No, you have to stand out and do something in true geeky fashion.

Which is exactly what Corey Jones did.  Being a true iPhone fanatic he created something for his kid to chew on that he could be proud of.  He handed over a wooden replica of his beloved iPhone.  No, this isn’t a laser etched job either.  He actually hand carved this out and from the looks of things did a great job at getting the details perfect.  Perfect just in time for his child to put teeth marks in it, but at least it started perfect.  You can check out his brilliant photoset on Flickr that gives at least some idea on how this was done.

Source: DaddyTypes

Accent lamps and lighting are usually things you think of indoors, but not always outdoors.  Yes, we have our string lights and lights that are sticking out of the ground, but no accent lamps.  Well if you have a living area outdoors, you might as well give it the same love you would the inside.  Which means giving a little more creative lighting for your deck.  This firefly would show your love of summer nights and still give a soft glow while you’re outside enjoying the evening.

Of course this would be better suited in a closed in deck, because it does have to be plugged in with a regular cord. That also means although it would look cute outside, it’d work for inside easily as well.  It uses up to a 12 watt bulb, but they suggest if you want to add to the effect, put in a flickering bulb.  Then it would appear as if your firefly flickers just like the real thing.  Maybe it’ll even attract a second Firefly Accent Lamp.  You can purchase the lamp for $24.95 from Signals.

Source: NerdApproved

I feel confident in stating that a very large portion of the general public considers CDs to be an outdated technology.  So with that in mind, that’d make something like this, in which case the only function is to play CDs doubly outdated.  After all, although some of us still have a CD or two lying around, they could at the very least toss in an FM radio.  Instead though, they bank on that someone not willing to give up on their CD collection will be drawn in by the chic look of this CD player.

After all, this does look plenty chic, as far as looks go, I really can’t complain.  It mounts to a wall and plays your music through the speakers.  The volume and search controls are located at the very top of the CD player, which keeps the face of it nice and clean.  That is besides that it shows the CD, which would give you a way to proudly show off your favorite music.  Sadly though, this CD player gets even more ridiculous.  To purchase it, it’s going to cost you $178 from Muji.  I can’t see many being willing to pay that for a device that’s already plenty out of date.

Source: Gizmodiva

“Not another handheld console!” might be the exact words when you come across the GP2X Wiz Game System from Gamepark Holding. Well, this offers nothing new in terms of portable gaming, although it seems to skew more towards computer-based hardware, with a Linux-based operating system and 1GB of internal memory which can be further augmented by an SD memory card slot. The GP2X Wiz is the sequel to the GP2X, where it boasts multimedia support for that added dimension to portable entertainment, while the 533Mhz 3D accelerator plus flash engine support handles all its games with aplomb. Each purchase will come with 12 games already preloaded, and some of these are demos of future titles. We wonder how the touchscreen display function is going to be exploited by developers for new, engaging titles to be released. Do you think the asking price of $179.90 is a wee bit too high?

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Since I am male, I have this thing about not wanting to ask for directions. It would appear that a German research group known as the Institute of Automatic Control Engineering has created a robot that asks directions for them.

In fact, the Autonomous City Explorer, or ACE, is completely dependent on directions to get to where it needed to go. This robot was recently let loose off campus from a University in Munich, and it was programmed to get to a landmark 1.5 kilometers away. Check out the video after this jump.

ACE used no remote control or GPS navigation, but literally followed people’s pointing gestures. The robot would approach a pedestrian, and then display a touchscreen asking if he or she was willing to help. If the pedestrian agreed, then he or she could point, and even select a path for ACE from a list of options.

It took 5 hours and 38 interactions with people before ACE finally arrived at its destination. Granted, that time wouldn’t win The Amazing Race, but this direction-taking robot, slow as it may be, is one small step that could help robots “interact with humans more naturally”.

Well, as you can see by the balloons that I put on the source photo, you know where I think this is going. Let’s just hope no one gives Ah-nold or the T-1000 directions when they show up and start asking about Sara or John.

Source

It’s that time of the week where we can while away a bit of “work” time looking at what’s cool gadget wize around the web (vote and leave a comment for a chance to win a $50 Amazon voucher).

Amazon Kindle DX

What do you do when you’ve made the leading product in the market, you’re onto your second version and you’ve sold an estimated 500,000 units? Make it bigger of course! And throw in a host of extra features including being able to view PDF files - surely you’ve now got the perfect electronic reader to replace newspapers and textbooks?

The full post can be found on Zath Hi-Tech Gadgets.

Mini RC Race Track

The Mini RC Race Track is perfect for those small RC cars that became popular over the last several years. When normally using a mini RC car you end up aimlessly driving around your office desk. This race track aims to give more purpose to the madness of mini RC cars.

The mini RC track allows you to design it in many different track layouts. It comes with 19 track sections along with a checkered finish line. The track is smooth and perfect for small wheeled RC cars

The full post can be found on GadgetVenue.

Atomic Floyd Headphones for Uber Rich

The in ear headphones are made of titanium and the 24 carat gold input jack makes it a very luxurious piece of gadget.

The full post can be found on EliteChoice.

Cryo S: A Cool Netbook Cooler

Like the other devices of NZXT, Cryo S were designed to provide a competitive edge at PC gaming. The Cryo S has two adjustable 120mm fans that provide powerful cooling.

The full post can be found on Trends Updates.

Starry Night Bed

Are you having trouble getting that good nights sleep that you’re needing? Well not anymore why not take a look at the Starry Night Bed. The Starry Night Bed is a great new invention which will revolutionize the way in which you sleep. Not only is this bed stylish and comfy but it’s also a gadget heaven. With this bed you get many added gadgets including anti snore technology, movie projector with speakers, temperature control and many more.

The full post can be found on Tech Styling.

Fugoo - talking gadgets

Fugoo gets all your appliances talking to each other so your alarm clock could first wake you up and then tell the coffee machine to start working whilst checking traffic conditions online to tell you how long it will take you to get to work.

The full post can be found on Decide What to Buy.

Vertex Pyramid Handmade PC Case

If you are looking for something a little different to make your next PC with, then you might want to check out the Vertex Pyramid PC Case.

The Vertex Pyramid PC Case is a handmade PC case, made from aluminium and powder coated in a bunch of funky colours, and it comes with a PSU included.

The full post can be found on Geeky Gadgets.

USB Puppy “Wonderful” Speakers

Japan Trust Technology brings us a pair of cute puppy USB speakers called the “Wonderful Speakers”. As you can see, the speakers are not a matched pair–the left is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy and the right one is a Dalmatian puppy.

The speaker is located on the pup’s belly. Also included, but not shown, is a “guitar-shaped” (bone?) controller for the volume.

The full post can be found on Super Cool Pets.

Lightsaber Umbrella

What better way to make you smile while out walking on a rainy day than to get your Lightsaber Umbrella out, flick its switch and voila… Not only are you now smiling and dry, but you are also instantly a bad ass, mofo…Jedi person.

The full post can be found on Gadgets-For-Men.co.uk.

Retro Mini Handheld NES System

Simply pop in 4 AA batteries and jack in your favorite original NES cartridge. The built in hi-res LCD screen looks a hell of a lot better than your old crappy TV, plus the Retro Mini comes with AV out cables to connect with your newfangled flatscreen if you so desire.

The full post can be found on RGS.

Thanks again to all the sites for their submissions now over to you guys for voting (don’t forget to leave a comment with your reason for a chance to win a $50 Amazon voucher).

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Those who are looking forward to a singing extravaganza session on their Xbox 360 later this year with the Lips title will be able to do so in style when the limited edition Lips microphones are launched, featuring Swarovski crystals all over for that added touch of bling. The look is professionally done thanks to Crystal Roc who is best known for its line of crystal-studded musical instruments, such as those created for divas and celebrities including Jennifer Lopez, Kylie Minogue, Rihanna and Leona Lewis among others. When we said limited edition, we really mean so as there will only be a hundred of these around. Each pair of microphones will feature over 1,000 Xillion Rose crystals, hence the $680 price point.

Source: Born Rich

We all know that as we age, various parts of our bodies will start to go, and our eyesight is among one of those parts that fail to deliver in due time without the help of correctional surgery or prescription (read: glasses). Well, if you’re one who indulges in plenty of reading, sewing, hobbies and crafts (does gaming count?) that require a whole lot of eye-power, perhaps the Hands Free Magnifying Screen might interest you? It is a freestanding 3X magnifier that is mounted on a sturdy, nontip base, capable of rotating 360 degrees for the right angle. The Hands Free Magnifying Screen will retail for $12.99 each.

Electric vehicles will no doubt be more and more commonplace in the future, and you know what this means? More and more gas stations would have to learn to co-exist with these types of vehicles, resulting in each pump offering both electric charging as well as regular fuel. I do think that this isn’t such a good idea after all, since a slight spark in an electrical charging system could result in all that high octane fuel catching fire, blowing up in some Hollywood-style explosion. Well, that could just be my imagination getting the better of me, but what we have here is the first billing system in the world for electric vehicle charging posts.

This ground-breaking tool will be used for monitoring and invoicing electricity drawn from vehicle charging stations, and was recently unveiled at the Norwegian zero-emissions exhibition, EVS 24. Known as the EBConnect, the Elektromotive-developed station makes it a snap for electric vehicle owners to identify its energy consumption, where customers will be able to receive their bills accurately. This new system will see action in over 140 Elektrobay charging stations across the UK as a start.

The EBConnect software will be able to handle a two-way exchange of data via GSM and the Internet, capable of tracking electricity usage and invoice accordingly. While we don’t doubt the efficiency of such a system, there is always a possibility as with the case of technology to screw up along the way, so hopefully the customer service department is up to speed in handling calls and complaints of over-charging by accident. You need not rely on your credit card alone to pay, as this system even throws in a ‘pay-and-go’ service, where you must top up your personalised Elektrobay keyfob with credits before using. Of course, you can also add the costs automatically to your household utility bill if you prefer to consolidate everything into one piece of document.

Source: Gizmag