Gadgets Blog

Nature is a beautiful thing, so I suppose it’s understandable that some people might want to rise every morning to those sounds as opposed to the extremely loud beeping noise that you usually hear.  This sphere alarm clock may look like absolutely nothing you’d find in nature, but it does actually play nature sounds.  It does all of that while giving off some color changing lighting too.

When you go to check out the clock on the manufacturer’s website, you can actually hear the specific nature sounds that they play through.  They all sound very electronic, but at least they have a variety of sounds.  You can choose between 6 different sounds, things like the wind, sea and even farm animals.  The first two in my experience are things people play to fall asleep, not wake up. It also cycles between 7 different colors.  To keep the clock running it uses 3 AAA batteries and it will only cost you $16.

Source: CoolBuzz

Hammacher is a great site to go to in order to discover items you need that you never knew you needed. Yes, we’ve pretty much all slept on one of those obnoxious inflatable mattresses at some point in our lives. I’ve never met a single person who has anything good to say about the experience either. Every mattress promises to stay inflated for the entire night and yet without fail you’ll wake up with your tail bone bruised from it resting on the hard floor or ground. Well Hammacher has a new air up mattress for you and this one even has an incline on it.

It claims to be the absolute only of its kind, which I fully believe, since I’ve never seen anything even remotely like this. Hopefully with its massive base you wouldn’t be stuck waking up with a less than squishy surface underneath you. The bed will deflate in four minutes (that’s when you want it to deflate) and will hold up to 450lbs when it is all full of air. The back rest raises up by turning a dial that inflates a different section on the mattress. This is thankfully not your average air mattress. You can purchase it for $199.95.

Source: GadgetVenue

Recently, I’ve been seeing a lot of video games that require some peripheral in order to make them work. Now, when you go to your local retail giant like Wal-Mart, you will see entire shelves devoted to Rockband and Guitar Hero. The most recent game that depends on an accessory is Tony Hawk: The Ride.

Then there are other games, such as Mario Cart for the Wii which have a steering wheel accessory that is nothing more than a piece of plastic. Sometimes I question how video game company decide how to package their peripherals with their games.

Especially when the new edition of Modern Warfare 2 comes with night vision goggles. I can’t help but question why. Granted, I’m not familiar with the original Modern Warfare game, but it doesn’t sound like the Night Vision goggles are required to play this game.

What really isn’t required is this casting of a human head that comes with it. What is this, something to smack around if you can’t defeat the game?

The price of Modern Warfare 2 Prestige Edition has not been named. However, night vision goggles tend to be pretty expensive. Think of that kid in Jurassic Park who found a pair in the tourist vehicle. As I recall, the blood sucking lawyer said: “Are they heavy? Then they’re expensive. Put them away.”

Now, if there was a way to connect the goggles to the game and make the gameplay more fun, that would be something!

Some of you might be too young to remember when the Nintendo Entertainment System tried to sell the world the Power Glove. I guess they thought people would want to wear something on their arm and look like a cyborg, but it didn’t sell that well, even with the not-so-subliminal ad in the movie The Wizard.

I believe that the Power Glove was one of the first attempts at motion control for video games, but motion control has made some leaps and bounds quite recently. A company known as AthroTronix has recently made some interesting motion control advancements with the Acceleglove.

The Acceleglove isn’t designed for video game entertainment, but it is more for robotics. You can watch the YouTube video after the jump if you want to see a “hands-on” demonstration.

As you might have seen, that freaky looking robot arm moved as the user flexed his fingers. It didn’t take a lot of flexing to make it move in its preprogrammed direction either.

The Acceleglove works out-of-the-box, and comes with open source SDK so the user will be able to connect it to anything that he or she wants. Perhaps Nintendo needs to adopt the Acceleglove to make Power Glove 2.0. Maybe they should use it as a control for R.O.B., the Robot Operating Buddy from the NES Deluxe Set.

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I would appear that we are quite far away from the holographic society that we see in Star Wars and other science fiction movies, but we are making baby steps toward it. Some of you remember when we covered CNN’s hologram of will.i.am, and the Holocube.

Another impressive step into a fully-functioning holographic society has recently occurred at the International Stationery and Office Products Fair in Tokyo, Japan. It was here that Epson presented their two-dimensional hologram.

I realize that two-dimensional holograms sounds like an oxymoron, but this is probably the only way we can achieve a holographic effect, for now. A rear projector beams a video presentation onto a 0.3 millimeter thin slab of glass cut into the shape of the subject matter.

In this case, it is an attractive spokeswoman. I’m guessing that she doesn’t have much room to move if the glass is cut precisely into her shape, but if all she has to do is stand and speak, how much of a holographic effect do you need?

Still, I would pay money to see this lady say “help me Obi-Wan Kenobi”. However, the shape probably wouldn’t hold when she squats down to turn off the Artoo unit.

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If you’ve ever considered how to take better, more professional looking pictures, you’ve likely debated ways to rig a flash diffuser.  It’s one of those easy things you can do that makes a big difference in the pictures you take.  I have heard of cheap ways, like fastening a piece of paper at an angle in front of the flash.  However, it’s a bit difficult to pull that trick off.  In the end it’d be far easier to buy something affordable to solve the issue.  Well Brando has two different types of blow up diffusers that will work no matter which type flash you’re using.

Brando sells a diffuser for those that just have a normal pop-up flash and then for those that have put money into a larger non-pop up flash.  It’ll be easy to store, since it is inflatable.  You will look a little on the goofy side blowing up your diffuser, but it’s cheap and it would work just fine.  There’s actually only a dollar difference between the two different types.  The diffuser for a larger flash will cost you $12 and the smaller for a pop-up flash will cost you $11.  At that price it’d be worth giving them a try.

Source: Gearlog

Don’t you just love technology and all the fringe benefits that come with it? The WoodStation offers something totally familiar and yet packaged in a different manner - it is an electronic device made out of wood , although there is a built-in motion sensitive LED clock/weather station, where the former actually activates whenever you wave your hand over it. This is quite some piece of carpentry as it comes with a luminous display that works well even when under direct sunlight, boasting important details such as barometric pressure, indoor relative temperature and indoor relative hygrometry data alongside weather prediction for the next 24 hours. Choose from maple or walnut finishes for £89.95 a pop.

Don’t get a migraine from thinking about the number of digital media set-top boxes and let the good people at ThinkGeek help by offering the Mvix Ultio 1080p Bit Torrent Media Player. This device basically comes with the industry’s kitchen sink, accompanied by the following features that
will definitely make you extremely tempted to part with $169.99 for this bad boy.

• Native 1080p video output at up to 1920×1080 resolution
• Incredible variety of video and audio codec support including MKV
• Built-in BitTorrent client for sharing and downloading video files
• HDMI, composite or component video output
• Optical SPDIF 5.1 Channel Dolby Digital audio output
• Takes up to 1.5 Terabyte STAT hard drive
• Built-in samba server with UPnP implementation

Just make sure you have your own 3.5″ SATA hard drive to get things going before you start since the Ultio obviously isn’t accompanied by one of these thingamajics.

Blockbuster Inc. has teamed up with Samsung Electronics America, Inc., where their partnership is aimed at bringing more benefits to consumers at home. With their forces combined, they plan to enable consumers to access Blockbuster’s vast and growing library of premium digital entertainment through a range of new Samsung HDTVs, home theater systems and Blu-ray players. These new services will be available out later this fall, where millions of folks throughout America can expect to gain access to Blockbuster’s digital library of movies right in the comfort of their living room. In addition, as part of the agreement, Blockbuster OnDemand will have priority positioning on the Blu-ray interfaces.

What’s this service all about? Well, the BLOCKBUSTER OnDemand service offers comprehensive on-screen search and browsing capabilities, in addition to full details, ratings, trailers, and other information about individual movies straight on your TV screen, doing away with the need for for customers to manage a viewing queue on their PC. This translates to experiencing the wonders of instant viewing, as once a customer rents or buys a movie, all they need to do is press Play and they’re good to go, courtesy of Blockbuster’s adaptive streaming technology that guarantees quality viewing with immediate and uninterrupted playback for added convenience.

This strategic alliance will also entail the sale of Samsung Blu-ray players that boast the integrated BLOCKBUSTER OnDemand service at Blockbuster’s thousands of participating corporate-owned stores and franchise stores and online at blockbuster.com, all the while taking into account the numerous existing brick-and-mortar retail channels from Samsung. It is expected for all new Samsung Blu-ray disc players and HDTVs to incorporate the BLOCKBUSTER OnDemand service by this fall. For those who are owners of selected 2009 Samsung Blu-ray players and home theater systems, Samsung LCD and Plasma HDTVs Series 650 and above, and Samsung LED HDTVs Series 7000 and above, will be able to gain access to the BLOCKBUSTER OnDemand offering for free simply via a firmware upgrade.

Press Release

Everyday life can take a toll on even the most effective person, and for numerous home-based professionals who are currently juggling between the unique challenges associated with their particular work environments along with their personal life, the Signature Series Silent Touch Receiver Watch is here to help. What makes this device so speical? Well, think about it for a second - what does a home-based professional do during a conference call when the doorbell or house phone suddenly rings? With the Signature Series Silent Touch Receiver Watch, you will be able to be alerted to the presence of visitors. More details to be available right after the jump.

This special device will use pulse vibrations and a digital icon which illuminates the watch’s display, helping the Silent Touch Watch alert its wearer to visitors, calls and emergencies as long as they remain within a 250-foot proximity. The Signature Series Silent Touch Receiver Watch was originally designed for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, but some smart alecks at the company has decided to program the Silent Touch Watch to interact with phones, doorbells, smoke detectors, fire alarms, smoke alarms, and sound monitors, including those in a baby’s room for added peace of mind. In addition, the watch is also compatible with other Silent Call Signature Series 418 Mhz transmitters.

According to George Elwell, president of Silent Call, “In the past, Silent Call has served a very specific target market, but our Silent Touch Watch is applicable to almost anyone. The Silent Touch Watch is perfect for home-based professionals, or those who don’t want to be strapped to the house but need to know what’s going on inside it. This could be someone who spends hours in the yard doing lawn work or simply relaxing by the pool. There’s no doubt the Silent Touch Watch is a safety product, but it’s also a convenience.”

The Silent Touch Watch even comes in handy to deep sleepers who can’t wake up even in the event of an air raid, but are able to respond to a vibration. This doesn’t mean you need to wear the watch in bed though as it comes with a docking-station charger which will sit on a nightstand, where the bed vibrator can then be plugged into it. Different vibrations can be assigned to the mattress to account for various alerts supported. All you need to do is to check with the watch to check out the details of the alert.

Press Release

Internet routers are generally pretty boring, yeah they may have a few flashing lites but that’s about it. That could all be about to change thanks to London’s Goldsmiths University, who have created 4 pretty unique routers:

The first (pictured above) is the Route O’Clock, which uses colored lites to show the strength of the connection throughout the day.

This 24-hour clock creates a picture of the varying signal strength throughout the day, so people can make the most of their internet connection.

We have tons of juicy data about your experiences online. For example, we know the best times to connect to the web throughout the day. As demand for bandwidth grows, this information becomes increasingly useful. So, what better way to bring the subject to life than through our beautifully designed Rout O’clock? Complete with twenty-four glowing segments, the display indicates signal strength as time passes. In future, our customers could be able to choose the very best times to enjoy bandwidth-hungry activities like watching internet TV, or playing online games.

Next is the Energy Saver, this is a combination of router and key rack. It works by automatically turning the router off when the last set of keys is removed (assuming everybody has left the building and the Internet connection is no longer needed).

The other two routers are more about the design than function, the Hybrid and Jelly Fish. You can find more information and videos over on Future Routers, do you think routers like this could be the way of the future?

Phones are just about all the same thing over and over.  Yes, the high end phones have some cool features, but it’s the same type feel.  Not many really shake things up and make an attempt to really change things up.  This watch could never be defined as classy and it’s definitely not going to have as cool of features as your iPhone, but at least it is a little different from the rest.

No, I’d probably never rush out and purchase one, but you have to appreciate the manufacturers that don’t just release the same thing over and over.  This phone has a built in 1.3MP camera along with being able to tell the time.  Alright, so it being able to tell the time is a pretty obvious function.  It also has an FM radio, Bluetooth, an MP3 player and a 1.3-inch touch screen.  You can purchase it for $137.70 from i-Pmart.  It does ship clear from China though, so you can expect it to come with some hefty shipping fees.

Source: Coolbuzz

Considering the number of 3D movies in the theaters this summer, as well as those coming this holiday, one can’t help wonder if we are entering into a 3D era that will not end as abruptly as it did in the fifties.

Fujifilm has now announced that they are putting out a camera that can take 3D images. At first I thought that this was a camera that could produce prints that would be 3D, with certain glasses, but apparently, I was wrong.

According to my source, “to view the 3D images, users can put them on a special 3D enabled digital photo frame or print them with a special 3D printing process that needs no glasses to view”.

It can accomplish this wondrous feat using dual lenses that are spaced out just like human eyes. This technology is not cheap, as this 10 Megapixel camera is priced at $600. The digital photo frame for this camera is about $200.

Here’s the real kicker. These three-dimensional prints are at a record $5 each. That’s probably too expensive for the average consumer, but if someone wants a 3-D pic of themselves, this Fujifilm camera could be good as a carnival gag or something.

As I recall, I remember seeing a TV ad in the eighties that featured a camera that could take 3-D images. I don’t remember the company that made it, but it clearly did not catch on. Then again, I seem to remember a barrage of 3D movies back in the early eighties, and that fad quickly died.

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We at Coolest Gadgets love to cover all things Lego around here. Whether it be the Lego USB Hub, the Lego Block Speaker Dock, or even Lego Rock Band, there is no toy that inspired us as children more than Lego!

So it is fitting that we report on the Block Calculator. It isn’t really an official Lego product, but certainly feels like one.

The Block Calculator measures at 5.5 x 2.5 x 1 inches, but I’m not certain if the studs (Lego-maniac’s term for the little bumpy parts) are actual Lego size. In other words, I’m not certain whether you can stick Lego bricks on top the calculator buttons.

I’m also not certain whether you can tear off that screen atop of it. Then again, I don’t know why you would want to. Unless you wanted to stick a screen for one of those programmable scientific calculators, but you probably want to stick on an extra block plate for more buttons.

Personally, I think that regular-sized Lego studs would be too tiny for most fingers. Even though there is nothing to give this calculator scale, the buttons look like Duplo-sized studs.

The Block Calculator should be available in August for about $27, but it can be pre-ordered now in a variety of colors including black, red, green, and blue.

This is by far the most interesting looking laptop cooler I’ve seen around.  Sadly it goes under your laptop, so even though it looks really good, it’s not going to be seen a whole lot.  The odd shape of this USB cooler is inspired by an octopus.  Although I’d say it’s incredibly debatable as to whether or not it actually looks like an octopus.  It does at least draw one’s attention, all the while it keeps your laptop much more cool.

It has a dual fan, so will hopefully be enough for even the laptops that tend to be burning hot.  When it’s not actually in use, it can be folded up for easy storage.  That also means that it will be much easier to slip it into your laptop bag and take it with you when you’re on the go.  To keep the fan up and running, just plug it into the USB port on your laptop.  It’s a pretty basic gadget, but it can make things much easier on you.  You can purchase it for $11.69 from UXSight.

Source: TeeChee

Let me start by saying that I was amazed at the many numbers of comments that we had at the Wrist Watch Tattoo. Several of them said that telling time with an ever-changing digital tattoo on the wrist was a pure hoax, but some were believers.

I recently discovered another way of telling time with some ever changing digits, but this is designed for the wall. The Black & White clock features four separate OLED digits, each of them are on individual power.

I’m guessing that somehow these four numbers are somehow wirelessly synced together, as one number should know its place in the whole. I suppose they could be timed so that the hour number is in sync with the minute number and such.

As you can see, these numbers are black during the daytime, but the designer, Vadim Kibardin, has arranged it so the numbers will glow in the dark. I’m not certain how they mount on the wall.

Right now, this Black & White clock remains only a concept for now, but the designer is currently hoping for a mass distributor. Considering how pragmatic and aesthetic this clock is, it probably won’t be long before the Black & White Clock adorns the walls of mansions.

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Items that simplify our gadget addictions are always a beautiful thing.  Frankly, without them it can get a little chaotic in the wires department.  Well this gadget does exactly that, it simplifies that mess of gadgets that you need to keep fully charged.  It also looks extremely good doing it too.  This charge kit has a nice sleek black look that will compliment the look of a lot of gadgets.

On top of the glass disk, you can charge a total of 4 different gadgets.  It’s slightly different than some charging stations out there, in that you don’t run your current charger through it and attach it to some hidden power strip.  No, this has very small connectors that come with it, that have absolutely no wires.  So you’ll just have one cord running to the outlet.  It comes with a total of six adapters, Nokia, Nokia Mini, iPod, Mini USB, Sony Ericsson K750 and a PSP connector.  You can purchase the Messless Gadget Charge Kit for £69.99 or about $113 from I Want One of Those.

Source: GeekyGadgets