Gadgets Blog

If you’re still planning a camping trip before the summer ends and don’t like the idea of roughing it, you might want this mattress.  Yes, not only will it keep you from lying directly on all those sharp pointy rocks, but it also tosses in a set of speakers to sweeten the deal.  Basically, it’s an air mattress to take camping for people who hate camping.

I’m not sure why there is a trend lately with overly high tech air mattresses, but for some reason they keep showing up.  Not too long ago there was the air mattress that actually inflated to raise up so you could sit at an angle on it.  The built-in 4D QuickPump will deflate and inflate your mattress hands-free.  To keep that part powered you’ll need 4 D batteries.  Then it also has a built-in amplifier and a set of speakers that can connect to an MP3 player.  You can purchase the mattress in both queen sized and twin.  The queen mattress will cost you $50 from Amazon.

Source: GadgetGrid

If you aren’t familiar with Russian Designer Art Lebedev, then perhaps you have heard of the Optimus Maximus, the keyboard with a screen for every key.

It would appear that the innovative designer is working on another device that has become common: the GPS device. His “Navigarius” uses a round display as opposed to the traditional square models. It also includes touchscreen controls, USB connectivity, a microSD reader, as well as a cigarette lighter adapter.

I can think of other features that my source does not list off. For example, voice recognition. However, that’s starting to become a standard on many GPS devices these days, especially with those cars with it built-in.

At the risk of gadget-gushing, I will have to say that I love it. Personally, I think this design will probably be picked up, and quite soon. In fact, I think that its design is so revolutionary, that I could easily see it on every dashboard in the future.

So are we looking at an age where we see a GPS device with a rectangular screen and say: “oh, that is so quaint”. Do you remember just ten years ago, when all of our computer displays were huge and square. Flatscreens changed all that, and I see the same potential for the Navigarius.

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Nintendo has certainly kept itself busy the past few years with the amazing success of the Wii, and word has leaked out that a new accessory that beats the WiiFit, hands down.

As you can see, the user can attach their Wiimote and Nunchuk to the cushion, and this can somehow simulate the effect of riding a horse, or something. Not much else is known about this other than that, but this is starting to become a laughing stock on many a gadget and video game blog.

Perhaps Nintendo is trying to get a jump on this new fad in video games that seems to require some odd accessory or peripheral, like Tony Hawk’s Ride. So maybe what we’re seeing is some sort of way that the player can feel Link riding his horse in the next Zelda game.

Of course, I can think of one thing that will prevent sales of this product: it looks ridiculous. It isn’t cool like the instruments of Rockband, and doesn’t seem to have the practicality of a Dance Dance Revolution pad.

Clearly, more research is needed, as this “Figure 4″ is just an illustration on an online patent page. I can’t help but wonder what figures 1-3 looked like.

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What you seeing here is not a training bike for the Lightcycles of Tron, but a possible design for bicycles of the future. Designed by Chris Boardman, who is an Olympic cyclist, he has added a lot of tech to what was once a human-powered endeavor.

In fact, it appears that this future bike (which does not have a fancy name as yet) has a solar powered motor, so that uphill climb isn’t as hard as it used to be. It can also “play music”, and one can only assume that it has some sort of MP3 Player built-in, or something.

Did I mention a calorie counter? The bike has it, as well as a fingerprint recognition so that only the real rider can ride it. I suppose the theory is that a crook won’t steal a bike that he or she cannot ride. By the way, the whole bike is made of carbon fiber, and the tires are puncture-proof.

Of course, this bike is merely a concept now, but Boardman believes that it will be ready in 20 years. Personally, I’m thinking that it will probably take that long, because I just can’t see how you could fit all those features in the picture that you see here.

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This, in my opinion, is one of the better portable tripod designs I’ve seen.  There are a great deal that make carrying a tripod a lot more convenient, but they’re ones you’ll have to remember to grab.  These go for a different approach.  Each one has a goofy design on the front, making them something you might actually enjoy carrying around and showing off.  When it’s not in use you could toss it on a keychain or a camera bag.  Then it’s always handy when you need it most.

Digidudes are a brand new design, so new that they aren’t even out just yet.  Don’t worry, you can actually purchase them, they’re just still working on getting them all ready to ship out.  To use them you take off the cap and screw it onto your camera.  They suggest you add a little bit of lead in the boots if you’d like the tripod to be a little more sturdy.  Plus on non-flat surfaces you could screw holes in the boots making it possible to attach clamps.  It gives the product a little versatility, but in all honesty, it’d be nice if they did those things for you.  However, you can’t complain much when these are only going to cost you $19.99 a piece, plus the shipping is free.

Source: ChipChick

D-Link is a trusted name when it comes to networking products, and we bring you news of a new shipment from the company, where the Wireless 150 Router and USB Adapter can be found at a good computer store near you. This device will be based on Draft 802.11n technology, where the D-Link Wireless 150 home networking is touted to offer a much improved and speedier performance where transmission of wireless signals are concerned, capable of hitting (theoretically) up to 4X the speed of standard 802.11g. In addition, other advantages include better reception and expanded coverage for those who do a fair bit of sharing, be it high-speed Internet, files or printers.

The D-Link Wireless 150 Router (also known by its model number DIR-600) is the perfect solution for those who want to hook up a bunch of computers without breaking the bank. This enables one to set up a secure Wi-Fi network in a jiffy, and where used in conjunction with the D-Link Wireless 150 USB Adapter (DWA-125), you will be able to connect both notebooks and desktops as long as said machines come with a free and available USB port. The D-Link DIR-600 and DWA-125 will be accompanied by an Installation Wizard CD which will help the user through an easy step-by-step installation process that even a novice is able to set up a wireless network within minutes without breaking a sweat.

If you’re interested, the D-Link Wireless 150 Router and USB Adapter can be purchased from brick and mortar stores as well as other online outlets. The DIR-600 router is going for $69.99 while the DWA-125 USB adapter is a wee bit more affordable at $49.99. Needless to say, with each machine that you want to hook up to the Wireless 150 Router, you will need to get another DWA-125 USB adapter.

Press Release

Marantz has released a couple of new Blu-ray players which will feature DivX HD 1080p playback. Both the BD7004 and BD5004 Blu-ray players are readily available in the US and Canada, enabling users to playback their 1080p DivX HD videos in a jiffy. DivX format videos boast the advantage of offering a superior media experience without taking up an insane amount of hard drive space, where a full length high definition movie is able to fit onto a standard DVD instead of the usual Blu-ray disc. No idea on pricing of the BD7004 and BD5004 Blu-ray players, although if you’re willing to invest good money in them, they ought to offer a decent playback experience especially if you’re an avid Torrent downloader - just keep a close eye on your door for RIAA officials to bust into your pad and arresting you for illegal downloading activities. Don’t say you have not been warned!

Press Release

StarCraft II is not yet out despite being in development for such a long time already, but we guess that fans don’t really mind since they know that Blizzard is a perfectionist game developer who would not rush a product to the market just to satisfy a rabid horde of fans. Well, the game could still be some ways off, but Razer has decided to jump the gun by releasing a range of StarCraft II gaming peripherals including a quality tournament-grade mouse, keyboard and headset that aims to maximize the StarCraft II gameplay experience. These were designed ground up to cater to the StarCraft II community, taking advantage of Razer’s expertise in design, ergonomics, technology and professional gaming peripherals.

Press Release

eMed-ID is the first emergency medical device franchise in the world, and the company has recently announced that they have rolled out the eMed-Alert. The eMed-Alert is but a next-generation personal assistance voice dialer that will target seniors who might need assistance in summoning help whenever they are in an emergency. After all, there are more than 11 million Americans who are aged 65 and older living alone currently, making the eMed-Alert useful to offer a way to maintain their independence without having to worry about getting help should they get themselves in a tight spot.

Unlike other services that require a monthly fee, the eMed-Alert system will cost $129 outright. Just in case family and friends are unable to be the contacts, there is the option to sign up for the professional monitoring system for a relatively affordable $19.95 monthly. In order to have the eMed-Alert system kick itself into action, all the owner needs to do is press a solitary button on the heart pendant or on the system’s base in order to summon help through three various ways. Firstly, a siren will be activated on the voice dialer console, where subsequently the personal assistance voice-dialer will be enabled to call up to four phone numbers programmed and play a pre-recorded message to the persons called. Last but not least, the voice dialer will enable each call recipient to “listen-in” through the console in order to get an aural idea of what is happening in the room.

Folks who pick up the eMed-ID package will have to fork out $69.95, where it comprises of the PHR USB device, a quartet of eMed-ID caregiver cards, a couple of eMed-ID In Case of Emergency (I.C.E.) refrigerator cards and a bound report. Bear in mind that eMed-ID is currently the only medical identification product which is able to offer customers an optional legally-binding healthcare surrogate, HIPAA release and living will for added peace of mind.

Press Release

If the Disney Asus netbooks weren’t something you could see your kids using, you might like the Dell Inspiron Mini designed for kids.  These seem to be better suited for an age range slightly older than the Disney Asus.  Plus it will allow for you to not only compare looks between the laptops, but also choose the one you’re going to trust the most.  All the while not having to sacrifice portability, since both are small designs.

The Dell Mini will now has designs based on Nickelodeon’s Signature Slime and shows like SpongeBob SquarePants and iCarly.  Much like the Asus netbooks, these will have extra software to make sure that the laptop is safe for kids to use.   The laptop itself has a 10.1” display, 1GB RAM, 160GB hard drive, an external DVD drive and then various other optional things that can be added to them. The biggest difference I see between this one and the Asus kid-friendly netbook is that Asus was sure to mention durability that would make it alright for a kid to drop the laptop on occasion.  It may be that the Dell is durable enough to handle it, but it is a concern that they don’t really touch on that issue.  These will be hitting store shelves this October and you’ll probably see more pricing information at that time.

Source: Ubergizmo

Netgear is back with a brand new addition to their powerline networking family, unveiling the Home Theater Internet Connection Kit which is also referred to as the XAVB1004 if you prefer to go by model numbers. Just in case you wonder why is the Netgear unveils Home Theater Internet Connection Kit so familiar, that is because it picked up the 2009 CES Innovations Award earlier this year if you happen to drop by Vegas in January. This unique device enables home theater buffs to hook up a handful of Ethernet-enabled entertainment devices including gaming consoles, Blu-ray players, HDTVs and media streaming set-top boxes straight to the Internet as well as the home network simultaneously. This is made possible through the use of a high-speed powerline connection that can hit a theoretical maximum speed of 200 Mbps, making it more than capable of accommodating high-performance applications including HD video streaming, Voice over IP (VoIP), Internet gaming and large file transfers to networked devices in the home theater.

The kit comprises of a solitary Powerline AV Adapter with 4-port Ethernet Switch (XAV1004) as well as one Powerline AV Ethernet Adapter (XAV101). Since it works without external wires, it enables one to use existing electrical wiring within the home to carry high-speed data network traffic courtesy of affordable and simple to install adapters. Not only that, advanced energy management capabilities will offer automatic port- and device-level sleep modes and wake-on-activity functionality so that you won’t be slapped with a hefty power bill at the end of the month which could prove detrimental to your blood pressure and heart.

Each purchase of the Netgear Home Theater Internet Connection Kit (XAVB1004) will come with a one-year warranty and round the clock support. The package will hold one Powerline AV Adapter with Ethernet Switch (XAV1004), one Powerline AV Ethernet Adapter (XAV101), two Ethernet cables, one AC power cord, an installation guide and a set-up CD, retailing for $179.99. You can also add on other Netgear Powerline AV devices in the future for expansion options if you want, where these can be picked up separately.

Press Release