Gadgets Blog

While I was at CES last January, I had a chance to view The Sharper Image’s new product line for their comeback for the fall, and the Rotating Speaker System was one of them.

Contrary to what its name implies, the Rotating Speaker System is not designed as an apparatus that spins your speakers, but is a speaker system for the iPod or iPhone.

So what does rotating have to do with it? Well, let’s say you have an iPhone, and you want to watch a movie on it. At the touch of a button, the Rotating Speaker System will turn the iPhone ninety degrees on its side so you can watch it in the proper format.

I had a chance to try it out for myself, and it does produce the “full, rich sound” that the box advertises. The illuminated controls are good for advancing or going back on playlist tracks, volume control, and play/pause. When the Rotating Speaker System is turned off, it starts charging the iPod/iPhone. This dock came with inserts for the iPhone 3GS, the iPhone 3G, the iPod touch (2nd generation), and iPod nano.

All in all, the Rotating Speaker System is a good system if you need an iPod or iPhone dock. The Sharper Image Rotating Speaker System should be available on October 15, wherever Sharper Image products are sold for a price of $79.99.

One of the problems with solar power is the sun. Yeah, it’s got this thing, where it just isn’t out all day, you know?

Okay, that was a bad intro, but you know what I’m talking about. I’m sure that you have seen all those solar-powered chargers before, but they are a lot like those electric screwdrivers that take an hour to charger for only five minutes worth of use. Not only that, you have to put the charger in some place out in the sun.

It makes sense to put a solar charger on a window blind, doesn’t it? After all, it is a blind’s job to keep out the sun, and it faces the sun every day, right? This is the initial concept behind the Some Shine Solar Energy Storage System.

All you need to do is put up the blind and pull it down to plug it in to the battery pack base. As the sun beats down on the blinds during the day, all that formerly wasted energy will be stored for later use.

Then, right before the night falls, you pull up the blind and plug in your mobile devices into the battery pack base. They will be all charged by the morning, and you can pull down the blind and the process begins anew.

Sadly, this Some Shine Solar Energy Storage System is merely concept for now, but it really should be out now. Then again, what do you do if it is cloudy?

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I’m sure you all remember the classic scene in Aliens where Sigourney Weaver enters the room wearing that bulky, yellow, and yet powerful Power Loader suit and heroically exclaims: “Get away from her, you b___h!” Man, did that make the Mother Alien say: “oh, s__t!”

I remember reading a screenwriting book that talked about how awkward that scene would have been if that Power Loader not been given proper introduction in an earlier scene. In fact, when that movie first introduces the Power Loader, I knew it was going to work its way into the film much later.

After all, it was too cool not to. It appears that a company called Activelink, a Panasonic subsidiary based in Kyoto, Japan, has created one in real life. There is a video of it after the jump.

This Power Loader (named after the once-imaginary construction equipment/armor from James Cameron’s classic) has 18 electromagnetic motors that allow its user to lift 220 pounds. Unfortunately, it actually weighs 500 pounds, and moves slowly on its hydraulic feet.

Activelink expects to have this Power Loader out helping relief crews soon, but not until 2015. Hopefully they will have a less bulky model by then, but I don’t think it will be in construction yard yellow like Ripley’s. I’m liking the silver color on this Power Loader.

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If you have a love of expensive technology, but are a parent of young children, the two combined can sometimes cause major issues.  After all, kids are clumsy and then on top of it, they do like to throw things.  Yes, you can usually get the throwing to stop at some point.  However, when it happens around your expensive TV, you just have to hold your breath and pray.  Pray that the object flying through the air doesn’t harm the fancy TV you just invested in.  Well to give you  more of a piece of mind, you can now pick up something to protect that TV.

With this you won’t have to worry quite so much about your costly LCD or Plasma TV.  This ¼ inch thick acrylic cover is optical-grade.  That way it won’t take away from the quality of the image.  Then to hold it steady it uses Velcro straps.  It’s not something that most people would think to use, but Velcro will do the job.  These kits will cost you anywhere from $69 on up to $289, all depending on the size of your TV.

Source: OhGizmo

I think it’s about time that Coolest Gadget got a bit (or a lot) of a face-lift. The site has had this look for just over 4 years and it’s looking pretty dated, so it’s time for a change.

I’d like to ask for suggestions on how you think the new revision should look, what extra features you’d like to see and if there is anything else we can do to improve your experience here. We’ve already hired a great designer who will welcome your input.

Thanks to everybody who shares their opinions here (we’ll also hand out some random prize to the best suggestions).

For those that often find that they have far less office supplies at the end of the day than they should, might want to find a way to slow down moochers.  Although this little safe isn’t something you’d use to hide highly important documents or valuables, it will work for stashing office supplies.  With this drawer installed within your PC, you’ll likely have a few less issues with running out of paper clips and pens.  Yes, they could get around the lock, but it would take them a lot more work.

By the time they would have popped this open, it would have been far faster to just snag some office supplies off of someone else.  The drawer itself is meant to fit within unused media slots.  You can stash office supplies, personal items and up to 24 CD’s.  It claims you can use it as a hidden safe, but it’s questionable as to how effective it would actually end up being.  Each of the drawers has two horizontal dividers and two vertical dividers, as well as one CD post.  You can purchase one of these drawers for $9.95.

Source: CraziestGadgets

Interestingly enough, while we’re thinking about how to cut down our energy consumption, did we ever pause and give thought to just how much juice cell towers require around the clock so that you are always within reach of a signal? That’s where the Helix Wind Turbines comes in, offering an alternative source of clean energy to keep your cell towers going round the clock without emitting any additional carbon footprints onto our ecosystem. The use of this will help reduce cell tower operating costs and lower the CO2 impact of cellphone use, coming in an elegant yet unobtrusive design. They’re naturally quiet, and are able to pay for themselves within half a year by generating enough energy. Trials will start from this November in the US and Africa, so hopefully the rest of the world will catch up as well.

Source: Inhabitat

Love spending time in the kitchen? The SmartMeasure Cup ought to be your cup of tea (no pun intended), where it is pretty much self-explanatory.

The first digital measuring cup and scale combination. The unit measures in weight and volume as the recipe dictates.The 3890 digitally weighs dry ingredients as well as liquid ingredients. Preprogrammed to convert weight to volume for water,milk,oil,sugar,and flour. The weight capacity is 4.4 Pounds (2kg). The volume capacity is 1 liter. The unit weighs in increments of mililiters,cups,fluid ounces,grams,and pounds. The plastic measuring cup runs on one long life Lithium battery(included). The easy to read LCD readout is in the molded handle.

You can now pick it up for $30, and even though Mother’s Day has long passed us, you can always purchase this as an impromptu gift for mom (or anyone else who gets a whole lot of delicious cooking done for that matter).

Product Page via Gadget Review

Dell has just announced the Latitude Z notebook, touting it to be the thinnest and lightest 16″ notebook in the market which will target those who want to make a fashion statement regardless of which station in the corporate ladder they are at at the moment. The Latitude Z is a purpose-engineered product, where it will measure less than 1″ thin while tipping the scales at 4.5 pounds, accompanied by a standard 4-cell battery. You will find the following features in the Dell Latitude Z :-

• Lean tapered design and soft-touch Black Cherry finish
• Wireless docking and inductive charging
• Dell EdgeTouch
• Spacious multi-touch touchpad and silky-touch backlit keyboard
• High-definition (1600×900) WLED display
• Two megapixel camera featuring Dell Capture technology
• Dell FaceAware Lock-Out
• Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity

You do have the option of throwing in a 3G mobile broadband component if your wallet permits. Expect the Dell Latitude Z to be readily available worldwide, with prices starting from $1,999 upwards. Between this and the Adamo, which model would you choose?

Press Release

Are you a big fan of Indiana Jones? Well, why not spruce up your work area with a plethora of Indiana Jones stuff which will surely make your cubicle the hang out place of choice for Indy fans. They’ll come in various forms, ranging from the The Holy Grail Paperclip Holder to the Fertility Idol Pen/Pencil Holder and the Ark of the Covenant Business Card Holder.

The Holy Grail Paperclip Holder
A sacred item guarded through the centuries by the most holy of knights. In addition to the possibility that it grants everlasting life, it has a second secret attribute â€" it makes a freakin’ sweet paperclip holder! With a magnet built into its base the Holy Grail stores paperclips better than any old coffee mug.

Fertility Idol Pen/Pencil Holder
This was almost impossible for ThinkGeek to acquire. Our monkeys had to brave bottomless pits, giant spiders, poison darts, and a giant boulder to retrieve this item from the depths of the jungle. It is unknown what the Idol’s intended purpose was, but it is the perfect size to hold all your pens and pencils.

Ark of the Covenant Business Card Holder
We at ThinkGeek believe that we are pretty awesome, and we think you are just as awesome for shopping with us. We also know the perils that come with being as awesome as we all are. Namely, when people’s faces melt just from handling our business cards. Don’t you just hate that? It makes such a huge mess! Luckily, the Ark of the Covenant is JUST the thing to solve that problem. It neatly stores your business cards and prevents them from melting the faces off of people that just aren’t as cool as you.

Thanks to ThinkGeek, the Indiana Jones desk accessories you see here will retail anywhere from $34.99 to $39.99, depending on they holder you pick.

AT&T and Garmin’s partnership looks set to bear fruit from October 4th onwards after a seemingly long delay, where AT&T customers within the US will be able to place an order for the new Garmin nüvifone G60 that day. Make sure you mark your calendars if you’re interested in picking up one of these puppies, considering they’re useful to help you get around to your destination while talking to a friend who lives nearby, confirming all directions through a phone conversation. With the nüvifone G60, you will be able to enjoy one of the easiest-to-use location experiences available since it is currently the only phone in the world that will fully integrate the world’s best selling GPS navigator with voice, data and mobile web.

You won’t find the nüvifone G60 wanting if you are heading off to unfamiliar territory, since it will feature similar core features as that of a high-end Garmin nüvi GPS navigation device, complete with maps and millions of points of interest (POI) for North America. Those who pick up the nüvifone G60 can rest assured they’re thoroughly equipped to use the device as an in-car navigation unit, where it will come with a dashboard and windshield mount. The device itself can be comfortably mounted in the car or detached for portable navigational use whenever you park and decide to take a brisk walk to your destination – also, it prevents tempting folks from breaking into your car at the same time.

The nüvifone boasts a “Where am I?” feature, letting you obtain your exact latitude and longitude coordinates, nearest address, intersection, hospital, police station and gas station with but a single touch of the screen. Apart from that, you can also use the G60 to mark the position of where you parked your car (by virtue of its last removed place from the windshield mount), making it ideal for folks who can’t remember where they parked their car in a sprawling parking lot. Expect to fork out $299 for the nüvifone G60 after a $100 mail-in rebate and agreeing to a 2-year contract.

Press Release

AT&T will partner with TerreStar Networks to bring the latest integrated smartphone mobility solution known as the TerreStar Genus, where it will merge primary cellular wireless connectivity with the ability to connect to a satellite network as a backup, achieving this using a singular phone number on a solitary smartphone device. This integrated mobile communications solution is a two-edged sword, depending on how you look at it. For those who tend to travel a lot and have to traverse through difficult-to-reach areas, the satellite connection will definitely come in handy during an emergency, but for corporate warriors, woe to you if your superior sends the TerreStar Genus as a “gift” to you – it would mean you no longer have any excuse for not being able to receive a phone call or text message due to poor reception in your home.

The satellite part of the TerreStar Genus works Whenever cellular networks are unavailable, with TerreStar’s satellite functioning as a cell site in the sky to provide ample coverage so that you can remain connected while talking. Ideally suited for government, energy, utility, transportation and maritime users, it is useful as a critical communications back-up capability, making it an extremely potent addition to public safety agencies, first responders, emergency services and disaster recovery groups.

The TerreStar Genus smartphone will feature GSM/GPRS/EDGE/UMTS/HSDPA terrestrial wireless connectivity with satellite voice and data capability in a standard smartphone size and form factor. It will be powered by an unnamed version of the Windows Mobile operating system (presumably 6.1, although we do hope it will ship with 6.5), coupled with features including a 2.6” touchscreen display, Wi-Fi connectivity, Bluetooth support and GPS navigation to help you get around easier. There is no word on pricing, although we do know that AT&T will have a package for consumers as well as their enterprise, government, small business customers and corporate liable users sometime in the first quarter of 2010. Ain’t gonna be cheap, that’s for sure.

Press Release

Are you a T-Mobile subscriber? If so, and you’re looking for a new phone from the carrier, why not hold on to your horses a little while longer and wait for the Motorola CLIQ to hit the market when October 19 rolls around? After all, who wouldn’t want the honor of being an early adopter of the first Android-powered device from Motorola, which will also feature the innovative MOTOBLUR solution. The pre-order window will start from October 19 and ends on the first of November, giving you the opportunity to be the select few in the US to experience T-Mobile’s latest Android-powered phone that is well capable of synchronizing and streaming social messaging updates, text messages, and work and personal e-mail directly to the home screen automatically. All pre-orders will ship with a complimentary car charger, where the Motorola CLIQ retail for $199.99 with a two-year service agreement.

Want to know more about the Motorola CLIQ? We’re impressed with the device from what we’ve seen so far, despite it being Motorola’s first Android device in the market. Should the CLIQ take off, this might just be the smartphone that revives Motorola’s fortunes in the cellphone division, as it boasts the highly innovative MOTOBLUR solution which integrates your various channels of communications, ranging from work to e-mail and social messaging activity, merged together on the home screen so that you remain on top of all incoming status updates and messages at all times, allowing you to respond faster than ever before while being kept in the loop. This sounds appealing to Generation Now, but for those who want a slower pace of life, they would do well to stick to a standard cellphone without such bells and whistles.

Other features of the Motorola CLIQ include a full slide-out QWERTY keyboard, a 3.1″ HVGA full touchscreen display, 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity, a 5-megapixel auto-focus camera with video capture capability, a 3.5mm headset jack, music playback, a microSD memory card slot and GPS navigation support.

Press Release

Toshiba has just unveiled their latest line of Toshiba Satellite T100 Series notebooks, where this new breed of consumer ultra-thin notebooks were specially designed to meet the demands of everyday mobility with notebook-class performance alongside the capability to provide enough juice to last throughout the entire working day, and without breaking the bank to boot (personal or corporate) with prices starting from a mere $449.99. All the T100 Series notebooks will be no thicker than 1″, and they will tip the scales from 3.49 pounds onwards. Despite being relatively affordable, that doesn’t mean that Toshiba has skimped on the specifications and innards – no sir, the Japanese company will see to it that you will enjoy every computing moment on these devices with Windows 7 as the operating system of choice, coupled with power-efficient Intel ultra-low voltage processors, extremely fast resume from standby times and power saving enhancements which is capable of offering a whopping 9 hours of battery life under conservative use.

You will be able to choose from the Satellite T135 that comes with a 13.3″ diagonal widescreen display, where it will feature Toshiba’s Fusion Finish in Nova Red, Nova Black and Nova White. As for the smaller 11.6″ Satellite T115, this model will feature only the Nova Red and Nova Black colors. Both of them were designed to be stylish within and without, making sure heads turn whenever you pull it out of your notebook bag to get started with work. The Fusion Finish design will also extend inside the notebook, around the keyboard, touch pad and the display.

Powered by Windows 7 Home Premium, you will find other amenities such as spacious hard drives, ultra-fast DDR3 memory, a host of expansion ports, integrated 802.11n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.0 connectivity, the T100 Series notebooks won’t be lacking in any way. What we love most would be the price points, with the Toshiba Satellite T135 starting from $599.99 upwards and the Satellite T115 going from $449.99, where they will be released to the masses this October 22nd.

Press Release

There are two things that are sure in life online: username and password. How much time do we spend a day typing in those things? What if you could just eliminate that part of your day? You could probably save a few minutes per day.

This is what RoboForm 2Go is designed to do. Similar to the IDVault, it can plug into the USB drive and remember what you typed in for your passcodes.

So the next time you go onto your favorite site, all you have to do is approve the RoboForm 2Go’s request to automatically fill in the proper codewords.

It also creates a toolbar on your Internet browser that will remember where you were, so you can click on it like a Bookmark. The Roboform 2Go also has a program that enables you to fill in other forms. It works like a database where you can enter in personal information like name, address, phone number. Roboform 2Go stores this information and will automatically upload it on an online form as you wish.

So if you fill out a lot of job applications or other online forms, you can make your job easier by using Roboform 2Go.

In short, the Roboform 2Go saves you time little by little, so you can have time for other things on your computer. You can learn more about the Roboform 2Go on the official website here.

One thing that has always bothered me about carrying headphones is that they don’t last as well when they’re just tossed in a bag or purse.  They have too many flimsy parts that eventually get bent or broken.  Well Elecom has a set of headphones that would be great for those of you that are always just carelessly tossing your gadgets in with various other items.

Since these fold so well, you won’t have to worry about the band having issues.  Plus these headphones come in a wide range of colors to choose from.  The band itself on this bends and then wraps around the headphones to keep them safe.  If you’re just not that great at remembering to be careful, this would be one way to protect your headphones from, well, you.  You can purchase a set of these for Â¥ 5,100.00 or about $57 from Geek Stuff 4U.  They aren’t out just yet though, they will ship out at the end of October.

Source: GeekyGadgets

One of the problems with the keyboards made for HTPCs (Home Theater Personal Computers) is they tend to be too big and bulky. Unless you have a Logitech diNovo Mini, you might want to look at this very intriguing Wireless Keyboard and HTPC remote.

Yes, that is what this is, not some new version of BlackBerry or some prototype version of the Palm Pre. This is a wireless keyboard that works via wireless dongle, and that “screen” that you see is a touchpad.

According to the official sales site, it can be used for many applications in presentation including: changing slides, selecting screen options, writing on a projected image, as well as emphasize words and objects with dynamically inserted lines.

In addition to its ability to help presentations, it can be used on the Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and Nintendo Wii. It is also good for those for those who love to watch internet TV on their PC.

In addition to being a HTPC remote control, it is an IPTV remote control, or CarPC remote control. I suppose this makes it a double 3-in-1, as it is a keyboard, mouse, and touchpad.

If you want to get this one, feel free to go to this particular website and get it for $40 in black and white.

Source

It’s never good when you manage to drop something down in a crack that’s impossible to get into.  It always seems like it happens in a very dark area that’s close to impossible to get at.  Then to top it off, you had to drop something expensive and irreplaceable.  It’s just the way it works.  Well Now you can have an Alligetter Grabber LED Tool to save the day.  It’ll make sure that nothing ever stays out of your reach for long.

Not only will it grab things out of those hard to reach places, but it lights the way as well.  It has serrated teeth to make sure it can grip things even better and a spring-loaded trigger to grab them.  The handle itself can fold away for easy storage.  It also comes with a flap spreader to make it easier to grab things out of the garbage disposal.  The tool itself is 15” long and takes 4 button batteries, which are included upon purchasing the item.  You can pick it up for $19.95 from The Wireless Catalog.

Source: NerdApproved

It has been a while since we covered anything by VholdR, the “big little camera”. The company has recently announced the ContourHD 1080p, and it appears to be made for those that want to strap a camera on their head.

It certainly is light enough at 4.3 ounces, and records video footage on microSD cards. The battery life is sufficient for 2-3 hours per charge.

Believe it or not, it shoots in five modes, to remember them, use the simple acronym FTACF:

• Full HD – 1080p (1920×1080) at 30fps
• Tall HD – 960p (1280×960) at 30fps
• Action HD – 720p (1280×720) at 60fps
• Contour HD – 720p (1280×720) at 30fps
• Fast SD – WVGA (848×480) at 60fps

Just to let you know, the camera is not as waterproof as this rafter in the photo is illustrating. It has an aluminum body that is weather and dust resistant, but you’ll have to buy the waterproof case separately if you want to take it on the water.

So for all those who want to wear a camera on their head to record their awesome life for all to see, then surely the VholdR Contour HD 1080p is for you. It even has a big red button to start recording, and you presumably push it to stop.

You should be able to purchase the camera come mid-October for about $329.99.

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When it comes to conserving energy and your electronics, sometimes it’s easier said than done.  It would be fairly easy to just flip a switch on your surge protector to power everything down.  However, when it’s way underneath the desk, it takes a lot more effort.  That shouldn’t matter, but in all honesty, it does end up making it so that you power everything down less often.  Well Belkin has come out with a solution that’s not only convenient, but it’s affordable as well.

This has an automatic timer that will turn off all of the electronics plugged into the surge protector after they’ve been running for 11 hours.  There are a total of six outlets that will shut off at that point.  What’s really great is that there are two that will stay on.  Which means although everything else is shut down, your computer can stay up and running.  It’d be great for businesses that need to cut down on their power consumption.  There is also a button that can be placed on the desk that will turn those items back on or off.  You can purchase the surge protector for $34.99.

Source: OhGizmo