Gadgets Blog

When cold weather hits, you get heated blankets, space heaters, hot packs you can slip in your gloves and heated USB gloves.  Yet when summer hits you get miniature fans and on occasion a light misting thrown in with the fan.  As far as gadgetry goes it seems that cooling down isn’t as much of a priority.  However, for those with hot flashes or just can’t stand the heat, fans just don’t cut it.  Thankfully there is this Handy Cooler that does more than just give you a room temperature breeze.

I am usually frozen extremely easily, but even I think it’s a little unfair that those that get hot easily don’t have as many items to cool off with.  After all, you can only take off so much clothing, especially in an office type setting.  This Personal Evaporative Cooling Fan is the first of its kind and is completely portable.  It will actually cool down the air by up to 30 degrees.  It also has a soothing humidifying effect.  Within the device is a sponge that you get wet and the fan uses that sponge to not only cool things off, but to humidify the air.  The Handy Cooler comes in three different colors, black, sky blue and soft pink.  You can purchase one for $39.95, you could also purchase the baby stroller upgrade kit for an extra $34.95.

I’m certain that a lot of you are seeing some science-fiction vision just by just looking at a picture of a robot on a motorcycle, but it is not what you think.

The good news is that this is not some artistic vision, or concept gadget, but Flossie the robot has been built, and is in use right now. Yes, I realize that Flossie is the worst name for a robot since “Robbie”, but you have to admit, it is as skinny as dental floss.

Anyway, Flossie was developed by technicians at Castrol, and is designed to test out throttle response, gear shifting, and clutch drag. She (should I call it a she?) does this on a stationary bike, mind you, so she doesn’t ever go on the open road. Catch a video of it after the jump.

So you can relax, because you won’t be seeing any robot motorcycle gangs, yet. Besides, everyone knows that robots use rider-less motorcycles, like the type seen in Terminator Salvation.

Of course, this does raise the question of is it possible to teach a robot the balance necessary to ride a bike. Well, if you’re going to do that, then you’d better give Flossie a head with some cameras, or something.

Source

When Polymer Vision first announced their flexible e-paper Readius, it definitely caught the attention of those attending Mobile World Congress of 2008. Unfortunately, it failed to appear in the market before its projected November 2008 release date.

Sadly, Polymer Vision went bankrupt on July 7th, and they have recently laid off over 50 jobs at their Southampton location. I’m not certain that we have the economy to blame for all of this, as e-readers such as the Kindle and their recent versions have been dominating the e-reader market.

It is certain that the Readius, with its scrolling effect, would have made quite a splash on the e-reader users, but the price for it might be more than they would be willing to pay.

However, there is hope. Karl McGoldrick, President of Polymer Vision, says that he is not giving up, and that the product shall live on. He is looking for new investors, and he wants to “re-start and get our technology and product into the market, where it should be”.

Personally, I think there is a lesson to be learned from the Readius. That would be one of perseverance, of not quitting simply because the odds are against you. In the case of the Readius, I think the public might like this e-book reader, so don’t give up, Polymer Vision!

Source

Pocket camcorders have definitely come some ways to what they are today, although there is still the issue of audio quality. The Zoom Q3 hopes to usher in a new age of pocket camcorders by including a couple of directional microphones which can be focused just like how a lens zooms. Unfortunately, this comes at the expense of video quality - the resolution maxes out at a mere 640 x 480 pixels, a far cry from 720p that is currently on offer by other models on the market. Supported audio formats include 44.1/48kHz 16/24-bit Linear PCM WAV or MP3 up to 320kbps, and features comprise of a 2.4″ LCD display and an SDHC memory card slot. A couple of AA batteries will power the Zoom Q3 as it ships this September for $250.

Source: Gizmodo

It might seem odd for someone to design a household product after an onion, especially a product that is meant to sanitize the interior of your home.  However, that’s just what one designer, Yun Li, did.  As to what possessed them to create an onion shaped UV light, I have no idea.  No matter what the shape of the gadget though, it will sanitize your home.  The best part is that it does this in an eco-friendly manner, which is always a bonus.

The UVonion has a built-in solar panel with a rechargeable battery.  Not only does it sanitize, but it also gives a nice warm glow.  Which would make it nice to make dark closets a little less foreboding.  Since the LED lights don’t let off any heat, you won’t have to worry about fabrics rubbing up against the light and being damaged from it being too hot.  Sadly, this is still a design, but it would make for a great gadget to have around.  I still have hopes that if it did ever reach the product stage that it would be created in some shape besides the onion shape.

Source: TechChee

This next device is, without question, still a concept. However, it is not one that I want to see made into a reality, unless motorists want to increase the number of accidents.

The IPSE (my source does not tell me what this is an acronym for, or if it is an acronym at all) is sort of a “virtual windshield” that can scan outside objects, and then “translates [them] into virtual objects and living things”. You will note that the setting in the photo is “Underwater World”.

A driver in Underwater World will see other vehicles as sea creatures. I wonder what they will see for the road, a channel? I believe there is a setting for “Natural Forest” so the driver doesn’t see cars or asphalt, but beautiful natural surroundings.

Surely this technology is just plain unsafe. You think your car has a blind spot now, just wait until all of your car is completely cut off from the real world. This technology does remind me of an episode of Sliders where Quinn and his alternate reality gang go to an Earth that has perfected its virtual technology. On that episode, everyone wore VR goggles and would see what he or she wanted to see.

I do give designers Jeongche Yoon and Hoyoung Kihl points for originality and trying to make something mundane like driving a bit more fun. Still, I think that IPSE technology best belongs in amusement parks rather than the real world.

Source