Gadgets And Design

10 Most Funky Gadgets

2012-01-08T12:43:00.000-08:00

1. Wink Glasses Remind Computer Users to Blink.

This does take the cake! Remind us to blink? Well, it's just crazy. But then you do forget to blink while concentrating too much, especially while playing computer games. Hence, a Japanese company has developed Wink glasses to remind computer users to blink ever so often to avoid eye strain! A sensor detects how long you go without blinking, then, after five seconds the right lens fogs, obscuring your vision until you blink again. Cool! The glasses can hold eight hours of charge and can even be plugged into a USB outlet .This gadget is available for $150.

2. Shaking Hip USB.

This hot USB-powered Shaking Hip does nothing but shake. Wow! This funny bootie-shaped device is a perfect stress reliever and it comes in four bikini variations of Blue Stripes, Yellow Stripes, Pink Dots, and Yellow Dots! This sure is a hot product!

3. ILounge Toilet Paper Dispenser.

Atech's "iLounge hybrid toilet paper dispenser/iPod dock" supports all iPod models that have a dock connector and has an integrated USB slot for the Shuffle. Speakers are hidden in the dispensers arms with navigation buttons located conveniently on top for easy access. Well, now you will not miss a song while in the bathroom!

4. The Growing Ring.

Can anything be weirder than this growing ring? It is a ‘mix of jewelry and plant’ and puts a bit of nature on your finger! These molded silver rings have a tiny plant growing inside them and is available in both rectangular and round shapes. You will have to water it occasionally and this is easily accomplished whenever you wash your hands. The plant should also grow pretty well as most people spend a good part of their day in the light, whether it’s artificial or natural. Whatever! The Growing Ring is available for $179.99.

5.The Bra Keyboard.

How about a keyboard that can be worn? Sure, this bra keyboard has 85 keys and measures at 350mm wide and 135mm long. It has USB connection, so that you can plug-and-play the bra computer keyboard with all computers.

6. USB Flower pot speaker.

Want to brighten up your computer table? Then there is just the solution for you! An USB flower pot speaker! These speakers come from the same manufacturer as the USB heating gloves and the heated slipper. Enjoy your flowers!

7. iLogic Sound Hat.

Check out this fun accessory- the iLogic Sound Hat, which will keep your head warm while you are listening to your favorite tunes this winter. The iLogic Sound Hat features a pair of built in speakers which can be placed over your ears when you wear the hat. It connects to your iPod, iPhone or Mp3 player by a 3.5mm audio jack. Moreover, it comes with a 98cm wire, which can be extended from the internal lining to your desired exact length ! Awesome! These sound hats are available in 3 cool colors- , black, white and pink and costs apprx. $ 25.

8. Nokia 888 Concept Cell Phone.

This concept cell phone from Nokia does look so very cute! It is perfect for youngsters and the user can easily change the shape according to their needs .This phone has liquid battery technology in it and flexible touch screen display. You can roll it or bend and put in your clothes like clip or you can carry it around wrist.Well, this Nokia concept gadget sure does look awesome!

9. Portable Toilet Speakers.

A truly funky accessory for your iPhone or iPod! As the name suggests, these fun speakers are shaped like a toilet, and powers 2W. These speakers measures 185 x 45 x 8mm and weighs in at just 74g.Have fun carrying around your portable toilet speakers and be prepared for loads of amused glances!

10. Wrist Keyboard.

This small computer keyboard has a curved back and provides a secure and comfortable placement on the wrist. The keyboard layout is optimized to provide alphanumeric entry.The Wrist keyboard comes with an optional wrist strap as well. Moreover, this keyboard is completely sealed and thus it can operate in the rain and in other harsh environments.

10 Most Weird Real Gadgets and Gizmos

2011-12-28T13:35:00.001-08:00

1.Grassy Charging Station.

2.Cheese! Police!

3.Control Your PlayStation With Massage.

4.EyeSeeCam.

5.LED Umbrella.

6.Robot Lawnmower.

7.Solar Bikini.

8.Rover Cam.

9.Self-Propelled Suitcase.

10.Beauty and the Geek Jeans.

16 Geeky Gifts for Christmas 2011

2011-12-14T04:15:00.001-08:00

1.Voice Activated R2-D2.

2.Remote Controlled Beverage Cooler.

3.Joystick-IT.

4.Molecular Cuisine Starter Kit.

5.Star Trek Enterprise Light Up Feeding System.

6.Doctor Who Ride-In Dalek.

7.50-Foot Snowball Launcher.

8.The Alkindus Perfume Distiller.

9.Recycled Lego Necklace With Swarovski Crystal.

10.Star Trek Cufflinks.

11.Corn Dog Maker.

12.Wi-Fi Detector Shirt.

13.Doctor Who's Sonic Screwdriver (Actual Screwdriver).

14.Rubik's Cube Alarm Clock.

15.Hydro Powered Clock.

16.Giant Swiss Army Knife.

10 Geekiest Christmas Trees

2011-12-13T08:02:00.001-08:00

1.Star Wars Christmas Tree.

2.Super Mario Christmas Tree.

3.Nightmare Before Christmas Tree.

4.Facebook Christmas Tree.

5.Book Christmas Tree.

6.Knitted Christmas Tree.

7.iPhone Christmas Tree.

8.World's Largest Lego Christmas Tree.

9.RAM Memory Christmas Tree.

10.Stormtrooper Christmas Tree.

Cool Laser Projection Keyboard

2011-12-08T12:25:00.000-08:00

Celluon Magic Cube is an innovative mobile input device that projects virtual full-size keyboard onto any flat surface.

It is compatible with iPhone, iPad, MacBook, and other smartphones, tablets, and laptops that have Bluetooth. Small. Light. Charges via USB.

As an added bonus, it also doubles as a multi-touch computer mouse.

Awesome Paper Gadgets

2011-11-19T04:41:00.000-08:00

10 Strange Kitchen Gadgets

2011-10-24T13:36:00.000-07:00

1.Cordless Warming Tray.

2.ButterWizard.

3.SensorFreshQ.

4.Musical Cake Slice.

5.Pepper Pro Automatic Peppermill with Light.

6.Thermador Freedom T36IT70PNS Refrigerator.

7.Zero Gravity Magnetic Spice Rack.

8.Digital Timer w Removable Remote Beeper.

9.Melitta Smart Mill & Brew 10-Cup Coffeemaker.

10.Hog Wild Twirling Spaghetti Fork.

10 Bizzare Travel Gadgets

2011-09-27T06:47:00.000-07:00

1.Customized Airline Seat Cover.

2.Traveller's T-Shirt.

3.One inch Camera.

4. Talking Luggage Scale.

5.Flying Pasties.

6.USB Air Conditioned Shirt.

7.Underwear Stash.

8.Travel bidet.

9.Heated Pet Car Seat.

10.Wi-Fi Network Detector T-shirt.

10 Awesome and Weird Hybrid Gadgets

2011-09-08T07:35:00.000-07:00

1.iLounge: toilet paper dispenser + iPod dock.

2.Hammacher Schlemmer's Toaster: radio + roaster.

3.The Spacesaver: washing machine + sink.

4.Eurocopter: airplane + helicopter.

5.Zike: scooter + bicycle +stair-stepper.

6.McCar: car + scooter.

7.VN-CX1A: mouse + VoIP phone.

8.X Mark I: mouse + calculator.

9.Fossil FX2008: palm + wristwatch.

10.Escopetarra: AK-47 + guitar.

Cool Piezoelectric Shoe That Charge Your Phone While you Walk

2011-08-28T15:20:00.000-07:00

We all know that we make a lot of kinetic energy just by moving around, and we all need energy to power our mobile devices.

This is why researchers at the University of Wisconsin in Madison are working on a harvester that stores all the energy that we create by strolling, running, or walking.

Tom Krupenkin, a UW-Madison associate professor of mechanical engineering, says that human beings generate a kilowatt of power while sprinting. That is more than enough to power laptops, flashlights, and mobile phones.

This technology that you see in the sole of the shoe here uses reverse electrowetting. It is the process by which the energy of moving liquid is converted into electricity, and the energy generated through walking is about 20 watts of electricity.

The developers of this technology created a company called InStep NanoPower, and envision their first product as the “Walk and Charge”. I suppose that we are looking at a future where we connect our devices to our shoe when we get to where we are going and work on our laptops, cellular phones, and other devices. According to my Source, this makes a cell phone battery last 10 times longer.

Of course, there is a problem with the cord connected to one’s shoe. Perhaps there could be a removable battery pack on the sole, but it might smell funny when placed on the table.

World's first electronic glasses

2011-04-29T15:06:00.000-07:00

They may look like an ordinary pair of spectacles, but these glasses are at the forefront of a revolution in eyewear.

Part of a new line of electronic eye glasses called emPower, they allow bifocal wearers to switch between different prescription settings for reading and more distant viewing.

emPower spectacles contain the world's first electronic focusing lenses.

The lenses contain a thin layer of liquid crystal that changes its alignment when prompted, thereby changing the strength of focus.

People who wear bifocal glasses know all about how the distorted view they get when looking downwards at the ground.

All the emPower wearer needs to do is tilt his head downward or manually touch the frame and the reading prescription is activated - and vice versa.

emPower manufacturer PixelOptics promises the new glasses will be 'fabricated in all prescriptions... and will be available in numerous high-fashion styles, shapes, sizes and colours'.

The glasses were unveiled last month during the International Vision Expo East in New York and are set for a U.S. release this summer.

Each eight-hour battery charge allows for two-to-three days of switching between focus settings.

The frames have three settings - automatic, manual on and manual off - allowing the wearer to remain fully in control.

One potential drawback is their cost - a pair will set you back between $1,000 and £1,250, although that includes the frames, lenses , coatings and charger.

PixelOptics has been developing its emPower glasses for 12 years and has filed 275 patents in the U.S. during the process.

12 Cool Steampunk Gadgets

2011-04-05T08:37:00.001-07:00

1.Steampunk Mouse

2.Nokia Steampunk Cellphone

3.Steampunk Superheroes

4.Steampunk Xbox 360 Mod

5.Steampunk Camera Mod

6.Steampunk Game Boy Mod

7.Steampunk Dr. Who Dalek

8.Cigar Box Steampunk Lamp

9.Steampunk Etch-a-Sketch

10.Steampunk Guitar

11.Steampunk Watch

12.Steampunk USB Jump Drive

LG Optimus 2X first dual-core smartphone

2011-02-22T12:31:00.001-08:00

LG pulled the covers off their Android-powered Optimus 2X smartphone, revealing the first handset to pack a Tegra 2 chipset—featuring a 1 GHz dual-core processor—under its hood.

The added processing power apparently allows the Optimus 2X to playback 1080p video with no lag on its 4-inch, 800×480 screen, and can supply visuals to larger displays thanks to HDMI mirroring. And you can even use the HDMI connection to play Android games on a larger screen, still using the phone as a controller. Toss in 8 gigabytes of internal storage, along with front and rear cams (8 megapixels and 1.3 megapixels, respectively), and you have yourself a seemingly solid handset.

The Optimus 2X, slated for a 2011 release in Asia and Europe, will ship with Android 2.2 (Froyo), but of course, a 2.3 (Gingerbread) update will follow. There’s been no announcement about a U.S. release yet. Specs below:

Key specifications:
1Ghz Dual-core Processor (NVIDIA Tegra 2)
4-inch WVGA screen
8GB memory (up to 32GB via microSD)
1,500 mAh battery
8 megapixel rear camera and 1.3 megapixel front camera
HDMI mirroring
1080p MPEG-4/H.264 playback and recording

5 Cool Awaited Tablets of 2011

2011-01-30T12:34:00.000-08:00

1.Motorola Xoom

The first Android tablet from a big manufacturer after the Samsung’s Galaxy Tab, the Motorola’s Xoom is a 10-inch device that will run Android 3.0 (Honeycomb). Even if these are just rumors, we are mighty impressed by the tablet’s specs, which include an Nvidia Tegra 2 processor, 2MP and 5MP front and back cameras respectively, a gyroscope and 32GB of internal storage along with support for microSD cards.

2.Apple iPad 2

The device that sparked the tablet revolution will definitely see a new version this year what with Apple’s tradition of annually updating their handheld devices. Of course, Apple has kept the iPad 2’s development a complete mystery so we have to rely on rumors flitting around the Internet. One such rumor states that the iPad 2 will be powered by a 1GHz dual core Arm Cortex A9 processor. Also, the iPad 2 is supposed to have a more improved retina display, the same display that’s currently on the iPhone 4. The iPad is also supposed to get dual cameras and much better speakers.

3.RIM PlayBook

RIM was taken by surprise when Apple and Google stormed into the smartphone segment and has subsequently lost plenty of ground to them. With the PlayBook tablet RIM is getting into the tablet market early and as far as we can tell, the PlayBook should do quite well for itself. RIM has certainly cut no corners with the tablet as can be seen in its 1GHz dual core ARM processor and dual cameras, one of which can even record 1080p HD video. To top it all off and to make the PlayBook a viable alternative for business users, the PlayBook has productivity features such as HD videoconferencing and strong wireless data security.

4.Notion Ink Adam

The homegrown Adam tablet from Notion Ink has certainly got everyone excited and not without reason. It has a 10.1 inch Pixel Qi display that greatly improves the readability factor of fonts and is powered by a dual core Cortex A9 processor along with an Nvidia Tegra 2 graphics chip. Performance is also taken care of by 1GB of RAM. The Adam will also run a custom hybrid version of Android Gingerbread and Honeycomb.

5.Asus Eee Pad EP121

While the Asus tablet may not have generated as much excitement as the Apple and Android tablets, it’s an interesting device since it is the only one in the list running a full desktop OS in the form of Windows 7 Home Premium. It’s also larger than the other tablets with a 12-inch display and has an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, making it a device that’s closer to notebooks than tablets.

12 Pieces of Geek Jewelry

2011-01-18T02:42:00.000-08:00

1.For The Geeky Engaged Couple: Ethernet Plug Wedding Rings

2.For The Music Geek: Vinyl Record Jewelry

3.For The Mathematically Inclined: The Pi Necklace

4.For The Computer Lover: Computer Parts Jewelry

5.For The Shark Week Geek: The Jaws Ring

6.For The TwiTard: Crochet Vampire Bite Necklace

7.For The Multitasking CEO: Jewel Encrusted Bluetooth

8.For The Gardening Geek: The Greenhouse Ring

9.For The Classy Star Wars Fan: Storm Trooper Helmet Cufflinks

10.For The Apple Fanatic: Macintosh Power Button Jewelry

11.For The Pretentious iPod Lover: Diamond Encrusted Earbuds

12.For The Fallout Series Fan: Radiation Measurement Dosimeter Necklace

10 Funny Gadgets

2011-01-14T13:14:00.001-08:00

1.Willy Desk Fan

Willy is ready to cool you off with his…fan. Push the Willy Desk Fan‘s nose to turn him on. Although by the looks of things, he’s already turned on. Willy creates quite the strong breeze for such a compact size. Guess it’s true, size doesn’t matter! That’s what she said.

2.Giant Ice Cream Cone Lamp

This lamp looks delicious. What kid wouldn’t want a Giant Ice Cream Cone Lamp in their bedroom? It’s 26 inches tall and comes in vanilla or strawberry. That’s a major problem right there because I would want, no rephrase- I DEMAND a chocolate version! Also one with sprinkles. OKthxbai.

3.Heart Jello Mold

When you care enough to give the very most anatomically correct body parts. I really heart this Heart Jello Mold. It’s shaped just like a real heart. This plastic mold is ideal for lovebirds, med school students, and aspiring cannibals. Or lovebird cannibals in med school like my friend Mikey.

4.Sushi Slippers

There’s nothing fishy about these Sushi Slippers. Take off your shoes and get comfy in a delectable set of salmon (orange) and tuna (red) rolls. Handmade from plush fleece with extra-cushy batting and no-slip, water resistant soles. Truly comfort food for the sole. Sole, get it? Just make sure you don’t put any wasabi on them before going to bed.

5.Emergency Inflatable Brain

You never know when you’re going to need a spare brain so it’s always a good idea to carry one with you. But with space in your bag at a premium, you should get an Emergency Inflatable Brain so you can keep it deflated until you really need that brain. The vinyl brain inflates to 6″ x 4″ x 3-1/2″ . Great gag gift for your friends who are a little bit slower in the old noggin.

6.Elephant Dung Photo Frames

Made from actual elephant dung! Doesn’t smell. Great for displaying pictures of the inlaws (lol). Handmade of recycled elephant waste in Thailand. Each frame fits one 4×6″ photo. In four patterns (from left to right): Jaguar, Zebra, Tiger or Giraffe. $15 each from Uncommon Goods.

7.Charlie Brown Christmas Tree

Christmas is a happy time for everyone except poor old Chuck. For Charlie Brown has a sad little pathetic Christmas tree. And lots of back pain from trying to kick that football and having it taken away at the last minute each time. Now you can have your own 18” replica of the tree featured in the film that makes a nostalgic decoration for any room or office cubicle. The Charlie Brown Christmas Tree is guaranteed to make your own tree look even better when placed nearby.

8.Singing and Dancing Chili Pepper

This one hot chili pepper! Watch him sing and dance and move his fiery mouth to the blazing sounds of Hot Hot Hot. This Singing and Dancing Chili Pepper really brings the heat when he shakes his maracas. Feel the burn, baby! That’s a spicy pepper!

9.Wee Tree Light Up LED Car Air Freshener

“Spruce” up your car with a light up Wee Tree LED Car Air Freshener. It hangs from your rear view mirror like a normal air freshener tree but instead of giving off a questionably pleasant smell, this one twinkles like a Christmas tree. Technically it does have a smell- the fresh smell of natural cardboard. Yum. It’s time to replace those fuzzy dice.

10.Hose Nose Goo Candy Dispenser

This is just gross. Unless the candy tastes good, in which case it’s grossly delicious. The Hose Nose goes over your nose and drips down gooey candy into your mouth. Nasty.

15 Weirdest gadgets

2011-01-05T08:40:00.000-08:00

1.Movable Bench

Ever wished to have a moving bench that can be moved to different places in your garden in the back yard? This bench comes with a wheel making it comfortable for you to move it around under a tree or sun or shade.

2.Modern Ladder

This modern ladder is the coolest way to climb up. Surely it may need some practice to really start using it.

3.Waiter’s Tray

No more dropping of trays. This anatomically designed waiter/waitress trays holds firm in your palm leading to safe carriage of food on it. Hopefully it is as comfortable as the present designs.

4.Traveller’s T-Shirt

This traveler’s t-shirt is a better way to communicate with the natives of a foreign land. Those who travel often to places where you can’t manage with the language you know, here comes a phrase book t-shirt. You can point to the pictogram you need and point a couple of times at the question mark which means Where is it. Surely this is an easy way to communicate for basic necessity in a new place.

5.Crime Scene Towel

Want to get noticed at the beach? Well, this crime scene bath towel can catch the attention of folks there. Let your next beach holiday be different with this extra ordinary bath towel.

6.Illuminated Car Slippers

The cosy car shaped shoes let you move in the dark comfortably. These extra ordinary slippers light up the floor up to 30 feet on your way with the bright LED lights. This extremely comfort wear allows you to get a bottle of water with ease in a dark night.

7.Infant Pillow

It is quite irritating when the baby wakes up the moment when you lay him on the bed. For those dads and moms here is a way to make the baby feel that he is still in your hands. This infant pillow must surely be a creation of a mother who is tired of trying out different ways to keep the baby asleep on the bed. Named as Zaky, the ergonomic infant pillow mimics the size, weight, touch, and feels of a mother’s hand and forearm to help her baby with comfort, support, protection, and development.

8.Laser Scissors

Fed up with irregular shaped ends of papers? Cutting a straight line is no longer a strenuous job. Aim the pin point laser and follow the line to get a smooth cut. This laser scissors never let you to mess up with the perfect cutting. The scissor blades made out of stainless steel have a micro serrated edge, providing a commendable finish to cut edges.

9.Penguin Tea Bag Dipper

Making a hot cup of tea is now easier than before. Here is a Penguin that does dipping the tea bag into hot water in your cup. What you need to do is just set the timer for how long you want the tea bag to be in the water. Turn the timer dial and the beak goes in. Once the time is up, the Penguin raises its beak taking out the tea bag. This must find a place at your desktop allowing you to have a hot tea in between hectic work.

10.One Click Butter Cutter

Stay healthy by having exact amount of butter. Just click at the handle of this butter cutter and you will get one standard pat of the butter.

11.Save Banana

Those who love to have a banana break while travelling must try this Banana guard. This is designed to protect your favourite banana from getting damaged due to stress and awful weather conditions. Surely your kids will now love to carry banana to school.

12.Lock Your Cup

This is a boon to every coffee/tea lover in the corporate jungle. Quite often your coffee mugs may get misplaced or lost. By locking your cup with a unique key you can enjoy a sip of hot coffee in your coffee mug everyday. This cup has a hole which prevents others from using it. And you hold the key which can seal the hole. Doesn’t that save your coffee mug?

13.Transparent toaster

While you are rushing to get things done, you may end up with a burnt toast. The transparent toaster lets you have a right toast. This amazing toaster works with transparent heating glass technology which allows you to see the bread while toasting. Now you can easily turn off the toaster once the bread has turned moderately brown.

14.Cookie Cup

Ever wished to have a better way to hold biscuits (other than your mouth), when your hands are occupied with the cup and newspaper? This smart cup can hold your cookies in the cup itself making your life simpler. This wonder cup is suited for both left handed and right handed.

15.Day Clock

This is the weirdest of all – a day clock. Who on this earth will need a day clock right? People when on vacation tend to forget which day it is. This day clock is best suited for laid back fellows who lose track of the day.

Waterproof MP3 player

2011-01-04T12:14:00.001-08:00

Do you think that the world is obsessed with superlatives? Otherwise, why would there even be an almanac known as the Guinness Book of World Records that sell by the millions annually? The longest, fastest, fattest, thinnest, tallest, smallest, biggest, you name it, they’ve got it. The UWaterG2 waterproof MP3 player intends to go along the same vein, being touted as the smallest 100% waterproof MP3 player and earphones in the world, although we haven’t really put their claims to the test – yet. It is certainly an interesting claim, and since we don’t listen to music while we swim, it would be hard to verify just how waterproof this puppy is. More on the UWaterG2 in the extended post.

Boasting a Twist & Lock Jack that delivers double protection for the device, this micro-sized MP3 player can be clipped onto a pair of goggles or even fastened onto a headband, armband, or belt. We don’t think those who are practicing their lap times might want to have this, as the tradeoff from having your favorite DJ spinning his/her tracks against the additional resistance (negligible, some say) might not just be worth it. We’re thinking this will target the more casual swimmers, or even those who want to spend some time by the pool but without having to worry about their iPod getting sloshed.

The Twist & Lock earphones jack will ensure that it seals water out completely, but there is also another function behind the idea – to provide crucial long term protection against corrosion, a problem which is more often than not associated with damage to other devices through the use of regular jacks. Right now, the UWaterG2 will retail for $59.95 as part of its promotional price, so get it sooner rather than later if you don’t want to pay the full amount. Oh yeah, what better way to remain fit and trim after the year end festivities and gorging than to go swimming with your favorite tunes?

7 Cool Anatomy Gadgets

2010-12-27T12:02:00.001-08:00

1.Canon 5D Mark II Anatomy

2.Playstation 3 Controller Anatomy

3.Turntable Anatomy

4.Xbox 360 Controller Anatomy

5.PS3 Anatomy

6.Apple iPod Anatomy

7.Toaster Anatomy

Razor Dirt Bike Rocket MX 350

2010-12-26T13:28:00.001-08:00

Have more than 300 quid to spend this Christmas but do not know where to redirect that fund? Well, what if we told you that £329.95 will be able to net you some dirt bike action in the form of the Razor Dirt Rocket MX 350? This off-road ride will be the perfect introduction for those who are not afraid of the dirt, where it is a scaled down, electric powered dirt bike which offers a fun way for younger riders to live out their off-road fantasies. Boasting a high torque motor, large, knobby tires, and capable of hitting speeds up to 14 miles per hour, you know that no pathetic dirt hill is going to stop you in your tracks. Too bad there is only a blue color to choose from, otherwise those who have a softer side to them might want pink as well. As long as you don’t weigh more than 65kg, the Razor Dirt Rocket MX 350 is good to go for you.

PS3 created for the military

2010-12-22T09:02:00.001-08:00

Our men in green are there to make sure that they keep the peace – not only back in the homeland, but around the world as well. After all, if there isn’t a world police, don’t you think we would have all obliterated one another by now in a shower of nukes due to retaliatory attacks? Of course, in their tour of duty, it is safe to say that these brave men and women would have undergone plenty of stress and seen untold horrors – so how are they going to destress in the midst of the battlefield? Taking drugs and booze are definitely two of the wrong choices, but it is a good thing there are healthier alternatives out there – such as playing video games. Then again, you can say that video game consoles aren’t all that tough, and in the event of enemy fire, you might as well kiss goodbye to your saved games whenever a grenade goes off nearby. Ben Heck, modder extraordinare, has come up with a spanking new mod of the Sony PS3 – one that has been ruggedized enough to withstand the rigors of the battlefield.

Ben Heck pays tribute to our troops with a military-grade portable gaming system that was specially designed for a married couple working with the military overseas, and although we would have liked the army to commission a slew of these modded portable PS3s, we don’t think that is possible due to the amount of work required in each individual mod, and no factory is going to change their production line just to make it a reality.

Let’s get back to the lucky couple – Ben’s latest work is the result of a personal request from civilian unmanned aerial vehicle pilots in Afghanistan, Erica and Kris Kokkeby, where this ultimate portable gaming system sports a Sony PlayStation 3 stored within an iM2600 Pelican Storm Case that was specially constructed to withstand extreme gaming situations. The Kokkebys intend to take up gaming as their hobby, where this hardy console will help them pass time and boost morale in-between maneuvers. We definitely look forward to see what else Ben Heck has up his sleeves for future console mods – will a new Xbox 360 that is much more compact roll out? Only time will tell, but keep ‘em coming, Ben.

Top 10 Electronic Gadgets of 2011

2010-12-21T13:56:00.001-08:00

1.Consumers will be going after energy-efficient gadgets. As people become more concerned about the environment, and technology for such products increases, the proliferation of energy-efficient and green products will increase tenfold. Solar technology has been growing by leaps and bounds lately, with such products as solar-powered battery chargers, and solar cell phone batteries. Solar panels can even be seen on bags, or the windows of buildings!

2.Blu-ray will slowly but steadily get closer to becoming mainstream in the home theater market. More and more catalogue titles are being released every day, and price reductions have enabled unit shipments to increase rapidly. 2011 will finally be the year when Blu-ray will take the place of DVDs in the mainstream market.

3.HD gadgets will grow in popularity. These days you can buy a 720p television for under $500. Camcorders with 1080p capability are becoming the new standard for home video. Trends indicate that most consumer video gadgets will soon be high-def.

4.The advent of 3D television will not gain as much traction as their developers would like; since manufacturers are pushing for it more than consumers. With very little 3D content currently available, and given that only a handful of 3D TV’s are on the market, it’s better to wait and decide whether 3D will go down in history as a gimmick, or rise up as the wave of the future.

5.Projectors will continue to grow in popularity. Technology for projectors has made it preferable to choose a home theater projector over a television, when it comes to filling up space. Despite the economic downturn, projectors have been selling hotter than ever. The reason? Probably because no one wants to spend 10 dollars on a movie ticket anymore!

6.Google Android, the internet search giant’s foray into the mobile device operating systems market, has been steadily gaining momentum, and will continue to rise in popularity.

7.Tablet Computers will gain in popularity- many large manufacturers are already coming out with their own take on Apple’s iPad, which has already sold 60 million units.

8.Solid State Drives will increase in prominence. This technological trend is accompanied by an annual 50% decline in raw flash material costs, while capacities continue to double at the same rate. As a result, flash-based solid-state drives are becoming increasingly popular in markets such as notebook PCs and sub-notebooks for enterprises, Ultra-Mobile PCs (UMPC), and Tablet PCs for the healthcare and consumer electronics sectors. Major PC companies have now started to offer such technology.

9.Apps! In 2011, you won’t be able to turn the corner without bumping into a device that supports apps. More and more smartphones, eReaders, televisions, Blu-ray players, and other consumer products are utilizing apps. What started out as an iPhone gimmick will soon change the way we perform most electronic tasks.

10.Streaming multimedia and interconnected devices will be ever-present throughout 2011, from wireless-enabled home theater components to DVD players that support mobile TV broadcasts. As such, dozens more potential distribution channels just opened up to businesses, as did the opportunity to extend the life and reach of any viral video marketing piece.

Top 8 Cool Gadgets for Pets

2010-12-20T07:11:00.001-08:00

1.Dog Self Serve Water Fountain

2.The Doggy Treadmill

3.Canine Twitterer

4.Pet Porte Microchip Cat Flap lets in your cat only

5.Pet back-pack

6.Automatic Pet Dish

7.Doggie Cages for Car Doors

8.GPS Pet Tracking

Password Vault helps your failing memory

2010-12-19T13:04:00.001-08:00

You know how it is these days – there are just way too many passwords to remember what with numerous user accounts of various social networking sites, emails and what not. Not only that, no longer can you just use “password” as your password, as many sites require a minimum length of characters as well as a healthy mix of numbers and letter. Well, the Password Vault will definitely come in handy, as this smartphone sized device is capable of holding account information for website addresses, usernames, passwords, and ATM PINs securely, storing them for immediate retrieval.

It will work differently from password information that is stored on a computer, since your passwords are stored offline in the vault’s memory. This makes sure that sensitive information within can never be compromised – not unless someone close to you nicks it away and uses brute force hacking to figure out its content. The Password Vault comes with a slide out keyboard, where you can also key in additional text notes and accounts after, surprise surprise, entering an initial password. Capable of storing up to 400 account records, it will certainly do its bit in mitigating the risky practice of leaving passwords on notes under keyboards or using a master password for every single account in your possession.

Buttons can be used to scroll between accounts for display on the LCD screen. Just in case you happen to have your precious Password Vault misplaced, lost, or stolen, all it takes are five unsuccessful attempts to access your accounts and the device will lock itself for 30 minutes, making sure your passwords remain safely protected. Pressing the reset button does exactly what it says – all data within will be permanently erased, so hopefully there is some sort of fail safe procedure there that requires you to key in yet another password to confirm the reset, otherwise the itchy fingers of an inquisitive kid might just do in your entire password collection.

At least it sports a built-in flash memory that ensures all of your passwords are retained in memory even when the CR2032 battery required is dead and has to be changed. At $49.95 a pop, this is certainly shaping up to be a pretty neat Christmas present for anyone who uses the computer a whole lot!

Kensington Pro Fit Washable Keyboard

2010-12-17T06:13:00.001-08:00

Whenever I get a chance to try out a keyboard to review for a post, it is my tradition to write the article about it on the keyboard itself.
Most of these keyboards are all alike, and this one isn’t wireless like the Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard K750. It is USB and PS2 compatible, and it is good to go if you want to wash it. When I say washable, I mean that you can run the keyboard under a running faucet with soap, disinfectant, or bleach, and then air dry it. It’s all good, just keep the connector out of the water.

I would imagine that this would be the perfect keyboard to have around in a medical facility, where germs and other bloodborne pathogens are a job hazard. It even has built-in antimicrobial material for “continuous microbe resistance”.

I do have one complaint about the 104-key layout. The right Shift key is quite far away from where I normally rest my pinky finger. I suppose that I could adapt to that, but I don’t know how long it would take.

The device has a PS2 adapter, so you don’t have to worry about investing in one if that is your thing. You should be able get the Kensington Pro Fit USB/PS2 Washable Keyboard for $39.95 right here.

Bruce Lee USB Flash Drive

2010-12-16T14:42:00.001-08:00

Do you remember Bruce Lee? He sure do remember you, anyway, since they have now turned the legendary martial arts Hong Kong actor into a USB flash drive.

The USB 2.0 compliant data storage device is designed to look like Bruce Lee did in the famous warehouse scene in the film “Game of Death” from 1978, were he was wearing the iconic yellow tracksuit with black stripes.

The Bruce Lee USB Flash Drive has a 4GB memory and it’s compatible with these OS: Windows 7/Vista/XP/2000/ME, Mac 10.x and Linux 2.4 and above.

Tron Legacy Skatecycle

2010-12-16T08:31:00.001-08:00

We covered the Skatecycle before, an interesting skateboard with its wheels large enough to put the feet in.

I’m very certain that we also covered Tron Legacy before, as it has quite a lot of merchandise like gaming controllers and the Zero G Light Cycle.

I guess Alon Karpman felt combining the two would be a good idea, which is why the Brooklyn Workshop created this Tron Legacy Skatecycle. I suppose that it is a good idea, because the skatecycle certainly looks like an ankle-high version of the light cycle from the Tron franchise.

It was probably easy to create the colors and glow in the dark effects that are customary in the world of Tron. It’s enough to make Jeff Bridges wish he really was a young man so that he could try it out. Not the Tron Legacy computer generated version that they created.

This is a DIY project, and there doesn’t seem to be a plan to market this. I’m sure that if Tron Legacy is a hit of Avatar proportions, there will be a demand for something like this. As it is, the film could absolutely flop and no one will want to see Tron on anything, ever again.

10 Craziest Solar-Powered Gadgets

2010-12-16T01:25:00.000-08:00

1.World's Smallest Solar-Powered Movie Theater

2.Solar-Powered Plane

3.Solar-Powered Scooter

4.World's Largest Solar-Powered Boat

5.Solar Light Up Skull

6.Solar-Powered Bikini

7.Solar-Powered Refrigerator

8.Solar-Powered LCD

9.Solar-Powered Holiday Lights

10.Solar-Powered eTomb

Pajamas Warming Pouch

2010-12-14T14:27:00.000-08:00

Since winter is upon us, there is nothing quite as heart warming as a warm pajamas during a cold night. Heck, if you happen to work from home, then you can also wear your pajamas all day long until lunch time, who is there to find out? Of course, most, if not all, pajamas do not come with some sort of heating element, so how else are you going to slip on something warm and toasty? The answer lies in the Pajamas Warming Pouch. Yes sir, this pouch will feature built-in heating elements that reach 118º F and a thermal satin interior that retains heat, which results in toasty warm pajamas after waiting for just 10 minutes. The heating elements will automatically maintain the temperature regardless of what’s inside, while the unit consumes only 50 watts of juice, which is less than what most other light bulbs suck up. Your pajamas will not be the only thing that is warm, since this 19″ x 15 1/2″ pouch also accommodates towels, hats, or gloves. Should you need to stash it away for your travels or storage, just fold it into half and you’re good to go. The Pajamas Warming Pouch can be yours for $39.95.

Dynamic Eye works on LCD sunglasses

2010-12-14T14:21:00.001-08:00

Sunglasses are not only meant to help you look cool in the sweltering heat just in case you haven’t realized, but they play a very important role – which is to make sure your eyes do not get more UV rays than they need especially when you are in the great outdoors. Of course, wearing a pair of shades that are well designed will also add to your stylish looks, but that’s besides the point. Till now, how many sunglasses do you know off that boast LCD technology? You can stop cracking your head already since Dynamic Eye is the first in the industry to roll out LCD sunglasses.

The company has recently completed the technology verification testing stage of its electronically controlled glare reduction sunglasses, where Dynamic Eye’s LCD sunglasses will deliver active glare control which is completely unlike and superior to today’s passive technologies – letting your eyes see what you need to see, nothing more, nothing less.

The sunglasses will darken only a small spot on each lens instead of the entire lens, which results in glare sources being dimmed dramatically, while everything else remains easy as pie to be seen. This unique pair of shades will merge sensors, miniaturized electronics, and liquid crystal displays (LCDs) in an effort to increase comfort and safety in glare conditions.

Too bad there isn’t a commercial release of the product just yet since more work and money is required before it can roll off any factory production line. The commercialization stage itself will need additional funding and development, where Dynamic Eye hopes to be able to offer the sunglasses to the consumer market at a competitive, premium sunglasses price, followed by a price reduction when the technology used matures. According to company founder and CEO Dr. Chris Mullin, “Our products let users see more in glare situations than ever before, because they reduce direct glare ten to one hundred times more than any other sunglasses. On the technology side, we have a compelling application for the nascent plastic LCD industry because the application itself requires the lightweight, shatterproof, and bendable characteristics that distinguish plastic from glass.”

Swarvoski Covered Luxa2 M4 Laptop Cooler

2010-02-19T08:18:00.001-08:00

Typically when you’re looking at laptop coolers, most of what you’ll see will also double as a lap desk. Which is good for some, but it’s not necessary for everyone. If you’d like something a little more minimal, this one is the way to go. It would be far easier to fit inside of your laptop bag too, which is a serious bonus.

They look like nothing more than a set of portable speakers. When in fact they’re laptop coolers crafted with Swarvoski crystals to add a little more elegance. Although it seems odd to add crystals to something that’s going to be underneath your computer, you might like the added sparkle. These are completely USB powered and can be purchased for $49.99. Which for having the added crystals isn’t a bad price.

Universal Network Cable

2010-02-19T08:16:00.001-08:00

Don’t you just love international standards? After all, it is those that prevent the world from being a complete mess as you will be able to use a USB cable (for example) regardless of which country you are at. Well, the Universal Network Cable sure sounds as though it will come in handy, especially when it allows you to alter the wiring standard with but a single click without having to worry about going from straight through to crossover. There are five cable types in total in a single connector – all you need to do is rotate the center to the cable that is required at that point in time, and you’re good to go. Among the cable options include rolled, crossover, straigh-through, loopback and T1, all going for a mere $24.99 a pop.

G-Spot Mouse

2010-02-19T07:59:00.000-08:00

Look at this mouse image from top! The G Point Mouse looks like a real vagina, the scroll button and the quick access button combine to take the place of the... well you know. Currently only a concept piece. The G-Spot Mouse designed by Andy Kurovets.

The World’s Most Expensive iPod -The ipod SUPREME

2009-12-18T13:39:00.000-08:00

Katherine Hughes from StuartHughes, has designed the world’s most expensive iPod. The iPod Touch SUPREME’s body was re-formed using 149 grams of solid, 22-carat gold, with a rear Apple logo from 21 grams of gold that houses 53 VVS1, color F diamonds. The front outer section has been set with 300 VVS1 diamonds, also color F. The main navigation buttons has 12 diamonds of the same quality set in 16 grams of gold, all of which surround a single cut pink 2.10-carat diamond, color G-H.

The box is created using white lacquered wood, with inners made from Porsche Nappa leather. The ipod SUPREME is a limited edition masterpiece , with only 2 others to be made. The retail price is £139,995 ($231,776).

Skateboard Computer Keyboard-Skater in Geeks

2009-10-21T03:58:00.001-07:00

Skateboards have been the single most important symbol of pop culture that is rooted in youth, health and preference for sunny climates; however, with the growing geekish lifestyle, the days of sun, fun and skateboarding seem to have been replaced with long hours in front of the laptop or the desktop. Thus, the keyboard has almost replaced the skateboard in a figurative sense. Thus, artist Tobias Leingruber has created the Skateyboard, which is a skateboard that looks like the computer keyboard, in fact with all the keys.

I am not really sure if one can actually balance on this and I am not aware if this piece of artwork has hidden ports to which you can connect to the PC. Either way, it seems like a keyboard that you can’t use, and a skateboard that you can’t ride on. However, it certainly underlines the importance of fun and frolic in an otherwise dreary lifestyle that we have come to live.

Perhaps the Skateyboard would encourage all the geeks out there to get off their bottoms and start rolling on the boards, while enjoying sun, adrenalin pump and excitement. You could also take a look at Jud Turner’s Tribute to the Fallen Skater, which is also an artistic representation of how skating has slowly started to fade away from popular culture, and how it needs to be brought back in a big way!

Awesome Transformers Chess Set Game

2009-10-21T03:55:00.000-07:00

Transformers fans who are interested in a challenging game of Chess would be happy to hear about the new Transformers Chess set that was introduced.

Unlike the fictional Mac Vs PC Chess, this is a true Chessboard that comes out with all the continuing Transformers hype of the two movies, a third perhaps on the way, and in addition to all the newest Transformers toys released already.

The Transformers Chess Set includes 32 pieces and allows you to have a battle of Chess representing the Do gooders Autobots with Optimus Prime as leader or take the Evil route with Megatorn and the Decepticons. Whichever you choose, you must know what ccharacters are on your side:

Autobot characters include Ironhide, Jazz, Bumblebee Transformer and Ratchet
Decepticon pieces include Starscream, Blackout, and Bonecrusher

The pieces are not made of real pewter, and you would have figured it out already by seeing the inexpensive price tag of only $20.99, but it would still be a great gift idea for Transformers geeks across the globe.

If you got your hand on this Transformers Chess set…which side would you fight for? The Autobots or Decepticons?

iTwin allows for easy file-sharing

2009-09-18T17:23:00.001-07:00

What you see in the picture here is the iTwin. It isn’t a thumb drive with two USB connections, but a way of transferring your files from one computer to another.

Sure, you could just set up a mainframe network, send a file as an attachment, or just put the file you want on a thumb drive and plug it into another computer. Yes, there are a lot of ways to do file transfers from one computer to the other, but iTwin makes the process a lot easier.

Here’s what you do. The iTwin comes apart into two equal parts. You stick one USB thumb into one part, then the other thumb into another computer. From there, you can drag and drop files from one computer, and it will automatically appear on the other computer.

Yes, the iTwins are connected wirelessly via the Internet, just like the bond between two twins. At least the ones that are psychic.

The creators of the iTwin hope to have this out on the market sometime early next year for a price of $99. You might think that is a lot to spend for this file-sharing device, but you should ask yourself how much you would spend to make your life easier.

Elecom Soap Mouse won’t clean hands

2009-09-15T16:52:00.001-07:00

When one hears of a soap mouse, most would just figure it’s some geeky mouse shaped soap. After all, there have been a few different mouse shaped soap bars that have hit the market. Well this mouse is the exception to the rest, it’s a mouse made to resemble soap. You might be wondering why someone would create a mouse that looks like soap and it’s a valid question. Although, finding out just where this mouse is being sold, pretty much explains everything.

Yes, this is another strange product straight out of Japan. To be a touch more specific, these are coming from Japan’s Elecom. This USB mouse won’t make your computer gadgets sanitary, but it does function just like any other normal mouse. It appears the design is actually pretty new, so there isn’t a whole lot of purchase information out there. Even if there was pricing info on it though, it’d be difficult to get your hands on if you’re living outside of Japan.

Toilet paper roll plays horrifying sounds

2009-09-15T16:49:00.001-07:00

Some of you might remember when I reported on that Japanese horror novel that was written on toilet paper. It would appear that some company has come up with the perfect audio track for reading that novel with toilet paper roll holder that can play zombie sounds.

Yes, I don’t know why they made it either, except for some cheap Halloween gag. Can’t get enough of those.

Still, you got to admit that would be a Punk’d episode to talk about. Perhaps Ashton could rig up these zombie sounds for George A. Romero the next time he sits on the toilet.

I’m not certain what type of zombie noises that this makes, but I imagine that there is a lot of moaning involved. I would think that zombies work more as a sight gag rather than sound.

While I’m on the subject of zombies, I will have to say that I don’t really see the point of zombie films. I mean, there are armies of undead coming at you at slow speeds, and you can’t simply outrun them? You can then take out a few from a safe distance, and by the time you have gone half a mile, the whole army of undead will be down to nothing.

Still, I like the idea of toilet paper rolls that makes sounds. Maybe they should make one with an microSD slot.

World's Smallest Pac-Man Arcade Machine

2009-09-15T16:37:00.001-07:00

This Pac-Man arcade machine, built by Samuel Seide, just might be the world's smallest. It's powered by a Jakks/Namco 12-in-1 TV Games and boasts an LCD display from a portable DVD player. Continue reading to see it in-action.

Remote control that lets you change the channel and dim the lights

2009-09-10T18:49:00.000-07:00

It is the remote control for the couch potato who finds coping with lots of buttons out of date or just too complicated.

The new uWand developed by Philips allows users to switch the channel, adjust the volume or contrast with the flick of the wrist.

While the technology can even be used to run the entire living room, whether it is dimming the lights or moving an image from the TV to a digital frame on the mantlepiece.

The remote control has many similarities to Nintendo's Wii game controller, which is now familiar to millions of children and adults.

The uWand contains a small infra-red camera which links to two beacons that are either built into the TV set or a detachable bar that sits beneath it.

The wand then creates a cursor on the set that is used to swipe through a TV channel menu or access the settings such as sound and colour.

Effectively the remote control has been turned into a flying computer mouse that can be waved in the air rather than tracked across a mouse mat.

Clicking on a channel will call it up on to the screen. Turning the uWand to the left or right will adjust the sound or colour.

TV broadcasts and the internet are increasingly being married together, delivering the ability to watch a favourite channel or surf the web through either a TV set or home PC

The computer chip company Intel has developed technology that allows TV sets to be used as home computers and, potentially, control appliances around the home.

In the future, for example, the uWand could be used to turn on the kettle in the kitchen by clicking on an icon on the TV set.

Photographs uploaded onto the home PC can be watched on the family TV set, while the uWand has the ability to drag them to appear on a digital picture frame in the room.

While Philips has developed the device it is not proposing to sell them direct to the public. It says they will be manufactured and sold by partner firms, such as Intel, that are developing the technology and software to turn home TVs into PCs.

Philips said: 'uWand is a new market solution that supersedes the traditional remote control to give users fluid 3D gesture control of electronic devices.

'Consumers sitting on a sofa simply point the uWand in the appropriate direction, click to make selections and move the uWand to interact with screen menus, and manipulate objects such as photos, as if they were actually touching them.'

uWand general manager, Navin Natoewal, said: 'The traditional remote control, with its 50 or more buttons, simply isn’t keeping pace with modern interactive television.

'uWand’s gesture-based control removes the need for all the buttons yet provides a much expanded range of interaction.

'Internet based television services no longer need to be restricted to simple ‘up, down, left, right’ control. Menus can be accessed intuitively, without having to remember the right button, and a whole range of applications are made possible - all from the comfort of the sofa.

'uWand is the control device that releases the potential of lean-back interaction.'

The uWand is to be demonstrated at the IBC technology exhibition which starts in Amersterdam tomorrow. They are unlikely to be available to the public until next year at the earliest.

Flower Webcam with 12 LEDs

2009-09-08T07:33:00.001-07:00

Yes, believe it or not, it’s yet another flower inspired gadget. This time it’s a lotus USB 2.0 web camera that will look great together with the daisy flower baby camera monitor.

This Lotus-Shaped USB Webcam will give you a 640×480 resolution at 30 frames per second. It comes with a built-in microphone and 12 bright white LED lights. This allows you to use the web camera without any problems in low light conditions.

Features:

* Built-in 12 LED lamp and microphone.
* Large Window Capture Size: 640 x 480
* Frame Rate: VGA, 30 frame/second
* White Balance: Automatic
* Exposal Control: Automatic
* Flash Control: Automatic
* Interface: USB 2.0
* Microphone Plug: 3.5mm
* Flexible metal neck for any angle adjustment.
* Separated switch for LED light and bottom suction cup.
* System Requirements: Windows XP, VISTA.
* Cable Length: ~124cm
* Dimension: ~7.6(D) x 20.1(H)cm
* Weight: 260g

The Flower Webcam with 12 LEDs is available over at the Uxsight.com website for $24.69.

Green Machine:Racing Cars Which Run on Vegetables and Chocolates

2009-09-08T07:30:00.000-07:00

A racing car built from vegetables and powered by chocolate is to make its track debut next month, scientists have announced.

The £500,000 Worldfirst - described as the greenest car of its kind in the world - is expected to reach a top speed of 135mph when it hits the track at Brands Hatch.

Built from recycled cars, plastic bottles and off-cuts from aeroplanes, the Formula 3 vehicle has a steering wheel made from carrot fibre and can run on biodiesel made from waste chocolate and stale wine.

Its creators at Warwick University say their invention may be green - but can reach 60mph from a standing start in less than 2.5 seconds.

Project leader Dr Kerry Kirwan said the car was proof that 'green cars don't have to be boring'.

'We'll be disappointed if it doesn't do well,' he said. 'We believe this is the greenest car in its class. It's the first car of its kind built from waste material, recycled material and natural materials, but it has the same performance levels and looks just like a Formula 3 racing car.

'We hope to reach out to future scientists and engineers and give them something they can get excited about and relate to.'

Most of Worldfirst's carbon fibre bodywork started life as aviation industry scrap and plastic soft drink bottles, while the steering wheel was built from the waste of juiced carrots.

Microscopic fibres from the vegetable waste were mixed with a resin and moulded into a wheel

'It's come out purple, but there may have been some beetroot in there,' said Dr Kirwan, speaking at the British Festival of Science at the University of Surrey in Guildford. 'But it's a lovely shade of purple.'

The vehicle is powered by the stripped-down 230 horse power aluminium engine taken from a 2-litre BMW diesel.

It can run on 100 per cent biofuel made from fermented wine dregs and waste from chocolate factories. Chocolate waste is high in fat - and converts well into 'green fuel', Dr Kirwan said.

Although the cockpit and chassis are conventional, they were recycled from an old Formula 3 racing car. However, under the strict rules of motor racing, its tyres had to be made from conventional rubber, the creators say.

They claim that at least half the finished car is made from recycled material or plant waste. When it runs on 100 per cent biodiesel, it is 'carbon neutral' - only releasing carbon dioxide that was captured from the atmosphere in the past few years.

Despite its environmental credentials, it has already reached a top speed of around 135 mph. Its creators say it could reach 170mph. It manages around 35 miles per gallon.

The car makes its debut on October 17 at Brands Hatch, where it will be competing against around 22 other more conventional Formula 3 vehicles.

Worldfirst is an attempt to show that motor racing - a sport hated by environmentalists - can be 'sustainable', Dr Kirwan said.

'The message is that green can be fun and ,' he said. 'It's not boring.'

Toshiba New Camileo Camcorders

2009-09-05T16:58:00.000-07:00

With the world heading full steam ahead into the full High Definition frenzy, it goes without saying that camcorders and digital cameras are next on the list most likely to see full HD standards stamp its authority in that department. Toshiba has announced that three of their new camcorders from the Camileo range will feature full HD resolution, where they are known as the Camileo S20, Camileo H30 and Camileo X100 models. Just to whet your appetite on their standout points, the Camileo S20 is tipped to be one of the slimmest HD camcorders in the world, while the Camileo H30 will bring together functionality alongside ease of use. As for the high end X100 model, you will benefit from a powerful 10x optical zoom.

Measuring a mere 17mm thin, the Camileo S20 will come with a 5-megapixel CMOS sensor, enabling it to capture in 1,920 x 1,080 resolution while its 4x digital zoom lets you get closer to the action than normal. Apart from its super slim form factor and stylish design, it will be accompanied by a rotating 3” display that brings High Definition quality video for style conscious consumers without breaking the bank.

As for the Camileo H30, this robust camcorder merges functionality with supreme ease of use, featuring a 10-megapixel CMOS sensor that is able to snap images in full HD resolution, coming with 5x optical and 4x digital zoom alongside an easy peasy menu system that enables seamless navigation between shooting modes and features. The 3″ LCD TFT touchscreen display also makes it a snap to view captured video. To make your movies even more professional looking, the H30 has video stabilization that assures the quality of all clips and images even when you’re zoomed in via its 10x zoom. Direct YouTube upload functionality does away with the need for a PC to process your captured videos before uploading.

The high end Camileo X100 will come in a stylish black or silver design, offering a 10-megapixel CMOS sensor alongside a powerful 10x optical zoom lens, 10x digital zoom and the ability to shoot 1080i footage at 60fps and WQVA footage (424×240) at 240fps. Of course, it will retain the useful YouTube direct upload function for added convenience. The Toshiba Camileo S20, Camileo H30 and Camileo X100 will retail for ￡119.99, ￡189.99 and ￡269.99, respectively, when they arrive at a local store shelf near you.

Bike Pedal Shoes With Magnets Cling

2009-09-05T16:46:00.000-07:00

This seemed like it might be a good idea at first glance. After all, feet slipping off of your bike pedals is obnoxious. Especially when you’re attempting to get a faster time, your feet slipping is often going to slow you down. Therefore these pedals having magnets built into them that keep your feet fused to the pedal would most definitely help out the situation. However, what’s going to make most people pause and rethink things is how much it’s going to cost to keep your feet on your bicycle pedals.

The biggest catch with these is that you need special shoes to go with the pedals. Those special shoes come from Mavic and Mavic only. Which means little to no chance of finding these any cheaper. The shoes themselves are sold in both male and female forms. Plus the soles of the shoes have been stiffened to make your bike ride a bit more comfortable. The pedals themselves will cost you $60 per pair and then the shoes $90.

Amazing coil Gun

2009-05-22T11:19:00.000-07:00

"Fully semi-automatic, up to 14 shots.
Capable of delivering over 18J kinetic energy, and speeds up to 110km/h! (42 gram projectiles).
It’s a single stage gun, using a 8800uF(4×2200) capacitor bank with max 400v (704J).
Max shot efficiency is 2.8% but reaches almost 4% at lower voltages.

Charge time for 300v (12J kinetic energy 396J capacitor bank) is 8 seconds for the mains connection,

and when using the internal batteries about 90 seconds. It also has a Digital voltage display.

Coil overheat after 14 shots at 300v.
Total weight: 5 kilogram.
Total spend: ~~ 100 Euro
Construction time: ~~40 Hrs"

The eco-friendly Bagalight table lamp

2009-04-01T16:07:00.000-07:00

This is one of those gadgets that I kind of wish they were kidding, sadly, they aren’t. If anyone were to see this on your table, they’d likely think you had a small child that made an attempt at some arts and crafts one afternoon. Although despite the fact that it does look a bit ugly, it is said to be an eco-friendly table light. Actually the people at Liquidesign wanted to come up with an eco-friendly light and that’s how they came up with the idea for this lamp.

The bag is part of an entire series of lighting. Within that series is a pendant light as well, that is made from card and paper, as is the lamp shown here. You can also pick up their desk lamp version of the light. Hopefully the desk lamp version does actually point light directly at your desk. It’s always nice to have eco-friendly lighting. However, it being eco-friendly doesn’t exactly give the designers a free pass to stop caring about the look of the overall design. You can purchase this Bagalight for £29.99 or about $43 from My Deco.

Star Wars Walkie Talkie Watches

2009-02-07T15:00:00.001-08:00

Star Wars fans will soon be available to communicate with each other using a pair of digital watches featuring quite a cheap looking clone trooper soldier style.

Kids will have hours of fun with this walkie talkie watch set. Whether role playing scenes from The Clone Wars or just sharing secret messages, these digital watches are sure to please. Batteries included.

The Clone Trooper Walkie Talkie Watches (set of 2 watches) ships March 2009 and can now be pre-ordered from the official Star Wars Shop for $29.99.

SpyCobra - USB Covert Computer Logging Device

2009-02-07T14:58:00.001-08:00

The brand new SpyCobra USB device is described as “the next generation of computer surveillance” - like a new and improved version of last year’s KeyShark USB Keylogger.

Extremely useful and highly covert, the SpyCobra is perfect for parents that want to keep an eye on their kids’ internet activities, employers who suspect their staff are up to something or private investigators gathering information, the SpyCobra is a covert computer logging device that’s a giant leap forward in spy technology.

What makes this device different is that it doesn’t have to be left plugged into a PC. You plug it into a USB port and within 15 seconds you can install a small piece of software that will log keys, remember websites visited and take screen shots at regular intervals.

There’s no hardware to detect and when you want to retrieve the information gathered, you just plug the SpyCobra unit into the PC again and everything will be uploaded onto it, so you can take it away and examine it later.

The SpyCobra computer surveillance USB device will soon be available from the Thumbs Up (UK) Ltd website. The suggested retail price is £89.99 (about $126).

Speech Bubble Speakers

2009-02-07T14:56:00.001-08:00

Some of you might have stumbled upon these cartoon speech bubble speakers last year when they were “only” one all all those cool concepts that pops up every week. But guess what? These awesome babies have now become reality.

Speak-er are high-qualtiy multimedia speakers that plug directly into your computer or MP3 player.

Construction: Polished white ABS housing with matte black steel grille.
Dimensions: H 4 x W 6 x L 2 inches per speaker.

The Speak-er speakers will be available this year. A pair will set you back $120. You can reserve your set now by sending an email to speaker@thinkofthe.com.

Car-Shaped USB Hub

2009-01-11T00:46:00.000-08:00

Fans of car-shaped USB mice, flash drives and card readers can now expand their collections with a 4-port USB (1.1 only) hub inspired by the classic Beetle.

Beetle Car USB 4-port Hub allows users to connect USB devices via its wheels. Users also can put their name cards or mobile phone on the stand.

Product Specifications:

* 4 ports hub
* USB 1.1
* LED head lights
* Name card holder / Mobile phone holder
* Plug and play
* Size: 148*82*60mm
* Weight: 95g

The Beetle Car USB 4-port Hub is yours for $12.50 from the gadget4all.com website.

Waterproof USB Mouse

2009-01-11T00:43:00.001-08:00

I’m not quite sure who this computer accessory, a 100% waterproof USB mouse, is aimed at. Maybe for those with an excessive hand sweat problem?

Features:

* 5-Button USB Silicone Optical Scroll Mouse
* Mildew and water resistant
* 100% waterproof, washable and hygienic
* Made by high-quality silicone
* Soft-touch, soundless while using
* 800 dpi optical tracking
* Optical sensor stays precise on the most surface without mouse pad
* Compatible with Windows Vista/XP/2000/ME/98SE
* USB interface (USB to PS/2 adapter included)
* Dimension: 130 x 80 x 48mm
* Weight: 172g

The Waterproof USB Mouse is available from the USB Geek website for $17.

Wireless USB Keypad with Trackball

2008-12-30T01:51:00.000-08:00

This wireless keypad features 19 standard keys, 13 hot keys and a high precision 1000DPI trackball. The wireless transfer is done using a 2.4 GHz radio frequency.

Features:

* 19 keys slim link off keyboard
* Built-in trackball for optical mouse
* Resolution: 1000
* Powerful office function with 19 keys and 13 hotkeys
* Operating distance: 10 meters
* Operating frequency: 2.4GHz Radio frequency
* Operating current: 35mA max. (Keybaord)
* Operating current: 15mA max. (Receiver)
* FN: Num lock change function
* Support Windows 2000/XP/Vista
* Dimension: 114 x 134 x 25mm (approx.)
* Weight: 143g

Hot Keys:

* Mouse Left Key, Mouse Right Key
* Num Lock
* Window Magnifier
* www, Email, Media, Power Point, Word, Excel
* Play/Pause, Prev Track, Vol +, Stop, Next Track, Vol

The Wireless USB Keypad with Trackball is available from USB Brando for $37.

Christmas Tree USB Flash Drive

2008-12-26T19:06:00.000-08:00

This Christmas tree inspired USB 2.0 flash drive comes with an 8GB storage capacity and the option to protect your files with an AES-256 bit hardware encryption.

Features:

* Durable Solid Rubber Casing with Bold Colors
* Custom Design Options Available with Nominal Tooling Fees
* Hot Plug and Play; Functions Like Another Hard Drive
* Supports Password Protection
* Supports AES-256bit Hardware Encryption (optional)
* No Driver Needed for Most OS (Windows 98SE Driver Available Online)
* LED Indicates Power, Busy
* More Than 10 Years Data Retention
* Capacity: 8 GB
* Interface: USB 2.0
* Dimension: 63.7 x 26.3 x 15 mm

The 8GB Christmas Tree USB Flash Drive is yours for $13.99 from meritline.com.

USB Cow Speaker

2008-12-24T07:22:00.000-08:00

Fans of small animal inspired speakers, like these previous pig, penguin and sheep models, can now expand their audio gadget collections with this new cow version.

Product Specifications:

* Lovely cow design speaker
* Mini in size and portable
* Can be connected to computer, iPods, MP3 and MP4 players
* Environmental-friendly gadget which embedded a rechargeable Li-ion battery
* Li-ion battery is recharged by USB power
* Battery should be charged at least 2 hours
* Green LED indicator
* On / Off switch
* Volumn control switch
* Size: 85*73*58mm
* Weight: 60g

The USB Little Cow Speaker is available in blue or pink for $14 from gadget4all.com.

49-Foot-Tall ASIMO Robot

2008-12-20T13:56:00.000-08:00

If you thought Asimo falling down the stairs was funny, wait until this epic 49-foot-tall version of Honda's robot falls down during the Rose Parade, crushing dozens of bedazzled dancers.

Yes, Honda made a nearly 50-foot-tall version of its not-so-nimble robotic friend, and it'll be heading down the Rose Parade route on New Year's Day. Also, it will be wearing a big top hat, which is a nice touch.

Honda will also provide the pace car for the parade with its hydrogen fuel cell powered FCX Clarity. There will also be music, dancing and flowers, but you probably knew that already.

Mad Devil USB Flash Drive

2008-12-19T06:36:00.000-08:00

This purple little “mad devil” is far from evil. In fact, he is more than happy to offer you his 4 gigabytes of storage space, so that you can take your important files on the go.

Features:

* USB 2.0
* Plug and Play
* Hot-Swapped
* Capacity: 4GB
* Support Windows 2000/XP/Vista, Mac OS and Linux
* Dimension: 3.5 cm x 4.4 cm x 1 cm
* Weight: 12g

The Mad Devil USB Flash Drive is available from the GizFever.com website for $19.99.

USB Gas Stove Cup Warmer

2008-12-18T07:06:00.001-08:00

We’ve covered a few USB cup warmers here at GeekAlerts, like the the hub and clock one. But if you like to go more retro, maybe this gas stove model will be better suited.

Product Specifications:

* Designed as a classic gas stove
* On / Off switch
* Flame-like LED
* Powered by USB
* Available colors: Orange and Blue
* Size: 140*125*28mm
* Weight: 145g

The USB Gas Stove Cup Warmer is available from the gadget4all.com website for $15.

Talking Photo Frame

2008-12-18T07:03:00.000-08:00

This photo frame won’t hold you favorite digital photographs, but it allows you to record short messages and have them played back to you by touching the glass.

Features:

* 10 seconds Recording time
* Touch a photo to play back
* Photo Size: 10 x 15.5 cm (4″x6″)
* Size: 17 x 21.5 cm
* AAA battery x 3 pieces

The Recording and Talking Photo Frame is yours for $23 from Gadget Brando.

Illuminated Super-Tiny Wireless Keyboard

2008-12-17T12:54:00.001-08:00

Remember the Super-Tiny USB Keyboard that we wrote about a couple of months ago? An illuminated version of this small 56 key computer accessory will soon be available.

Features:

* Low keycap notebook keyboard with 56 KEYS
* Fn/Num lock change function
* Small, lightweight and portable
* Illumination feature
* Slim body that save working place
* Available USB port
* Operating distance: 10 meters
* Operating frequency: 2.4GHz Radio Frequency
* Dimension: 170 x 81 x 15mm (approx.)
* Weight: 138g

The Wireless Illuminated Super-Tiny Keyboard can now be pre-ordered form the USB Brando website for $47. The product will ship at the end of December.

Hemp-Mote: Nintendo Wii Controller Mods

2008-12-16T15:21:00.000-08:00

Modder DHRECK has just finished his first Nintedno Wii controller modifications, an original Wiimote and Nunchuk made with three kinds of 100% natural hemp string.

In stark contrast with the original Wii-mote set, what was once sleek, cold, white and hard plastic has now become a slightly fuzzy, natural, warm and textured concoction. No more bland, branded and boring but mottled, flawfull, rough and a tad sweat absorbing.

The Hemp-Mote is absolutely playable, all buttons, accelerometers and the infrared camera accounted for. Unfortunately its exterior is also quite fragile and prone to degeneration, being in the raw state that it is.

Head over to dhreck.com for more photos and info about the Hemp-Mote.

Love machine: Computer geek too busy for romance builds himself the perfect girlfriend

2008-12-11T01:32:00.000-08:00

If blind dates, speed dating or websites haven't led you to the love of your life, you could always take a leaf out of inventor Le Trung's book - and build your perfect partner.

The 33-year-old has created Aiko - a 'twenty-something' robot who not only looks feminine and sexy but also does household chores and his accounts.

But despite her shiny hair and 32-23-33 figure, Aiko - whose name means love child - is no trophy partner.

She is accomplished too with a talent for maths and a 13,000-sentence vocabulary - in English and Japanese. She can also recognise faces, read aloud from a newspaper and give directions.

Aiko, a fembot made from silicone and A.I. technology, is a genuine labour of love for Mr Trung.

He has taken out credit cards and loans, sold his car and spent his life savings on perfecting the machine - at a cost so far of £14,000.

The former software programmer, from Ontario, Canada, said he never had time to find a real wife but has not built Aiko as a sexual partner - although she is touch-sensitive and reacts if she is shown affection or is hurt.

Mr Trung said: 'I want to make her look, feel and act as human as possible so she can be the perfect companion.

'Like a real female she will react to being touched in certain ways. If you grab or squeeze too hard she will try to slap you. She has all senses except for smell.

'She doesn’t need holidays, food or rest and she will work almost 24-hours a day. She is the perfect woman.'

Mr Trung, who dresses Aiko in different outfits and takes her for drives in the countryside, was a child genius and made his first robot when he was eight years old.

'People have mixed reactions when they meet Aiko,' he said.

'They either love or hate her. Some people get angry and accuse me of playing God. Once someone threw a rock at Aiko. That really upset me. But many people are fascinated by her.

'Women are generally impressed and try to talk to her. But the men always want to touch her, and if they do it in the wrong way they get a slap.'

Mr Trung will spend the next few years perfecting Aiko's software and increasing her range of skills - but not just for his own amusement.

'I suffered a heart attack and I thought that one day I might need 24-hour care in the future,' he said.

'I may need to have Aiko look after me one day.'

Super-Slim Bluetooth Keyboard

2008-12-10T05:19:00.001-08:00

Looking for a small wireless keyboard to bring along when you’re out on the roads? This palm-sized 83 key Bluetooth model might be just what you’ve been waiting for.

It can replace the normal big wire keyboard and users can control and typing away from the PC freely. It is great for lecturers, teachers and businessmen for presentation and for travelling.

Product Specifications:

* Bluetooth V2.0
* 83 keys
* Connect button to connect bluetooth in your PC
* On / Off button at the back
* Max. distance: 15m
* Powered by 2pcs AAA batteries (Not included)
* Size: 140*70*13mm
* Weight: 65g

The Mini Bluetooth Keyboard is available from the gadget4all.com website for $39.

A Green R/C Insect

2008-12-10T05:17:00.001-08:00

MegaStealth Mantis is the name of the latest model to join Insecta, HeliBug, Flying Bee, Mosquito and the other insect inspired radio-controlled toys out there.

Super superior to other insects (RC and not), the Mantis employs both electronic and mechanical gyroscopic stabilization for rock-steady hovering. The tail-rotor is also controlled by a micro motor for true yaw-axis stability. Move forward, turn left, and turn right - this bug can fly anywhere indoors.

Power is supplied by an on-board Lithium Polymer battery pack, which is charged via a quick charger built into the Mantis two-stick transmitter.

The MegaStealth Mantis 2-Channel Electric R/C Insect is currently available for $49.95 over at the Edmund Scientific website.

Monkey USB Webcam with Pen Holder

2008-12-10T05:13:00.000-08:00

This plush monkey will not only allow you to chat with your friends using the built-in web camera, he will also take care of your pens, ruler and and other desktop items.

Features:

* 500K pixels USB WebCam
* Capture resolution: Up to 800 x 600
* Frame rates: Up to 30fps@320×240, 20fps@640×480, 15fps@800×600
* Sensor: 90mm
* Focus distance: 5cm ~ infinity
* Adjustable lens to manually control the clarity of your image
* Auto white balance
* Driver free for Windows XP SP2 and Vista
* Support Windows Vista, XP, 2000, ME
* Dimension: 15 x 8.5 x 12.5cm (approx.)
* Weight: 143g

The Monkey USB Webcam with Pen Holder is yours for $25 from the USB Geek website.

Designs of the Year 2009 : stitch-chair

2008-12-08T13:34:00.000-08:00

The shortlist for the Brit Insurance Designs of the Year 2009 competition have been announced. There are 100 designs nominated in seven categories.

The furniture category includes Adam Goodrum's Stitch Chair for Cappellini, an aluminium chair which folds up to less than half an inch thick

The £1m mobile, hand-crafted in solid gold and encrusted with jewels

2008-12-06T12:27:00.000-08:00

The galleries were festooned with works of art specially commissioned to celebrate a phone so exclusive that the company executives refused even to call it a phone. It was officially a 'mobile communications instrument'.

And the price of a hand-made, craftsman-built Vertu Mobile Communications Instrument? Between £6,000 for the basic model and £16,000 for one with a platinum casing.

Yes, it was certainly striking - small, slim and handsome, and made to extraordinary standards from superb materials. The keys worked on bearings made from 4.75 carats of solid ruby and the face was made of sapphire crystal.

All of this finery contributed to the Vertu's weight. If bothered by a mugger - something I estimated you would be within ten seconds of using a Vertu in a public place - you could at least brain him with it.

But as a phone, the Vertu didn't really do much more than make phone calls and send text messages. And anyway, it was a phone, for pity's sake, not a fine Swiss watch.

Even as a writer specialising in the best and most expensive gadgetry, I had to laugh at the ludicrousness of the Vertu. Rather than being made in the home of fine design, Switzerland, or even Japan at a push, the Vertu was being made in, er, Church Crookham, Hampshire.

As politely as possible, I poured scorn on the Vertu while interviewing its designer, a charismatic and super-bright Californian Al Pacino lookalike called Frank Nuovo, who had previously been chief designer for Nokia.

'Just hear the resonance of the ringtone,' Nuovo said after the launch party.

'Can you imagine what it takes to create an instrument in this size that has that kind of high fidelity sound? You can hear the quality in the reverberation. Each of those tones was written for international quality and something that could warn you without interfering with anyone.'

'It's a beautiful phone,' I said, 'if you don't mind me calling it that. But aren't mobile phones one of the most disposable items we own today?'

Most wealthy people I know, I felt I had to point out, buy the cheapest models because they lose them every few weeks.

Not only that, I added, but almost as soon as you've bought a normal person's phone, there's a more interesting and exciting model available. The idea of a phone of such quality that you'd feel the need to keep it for years was surely insane.

Who, after all, would want a mere phone to be some kind of heirloom that you passed down to your firstborn along with the Renoirs, begging him on your deathbed to keep it all in the family, but especially the mobile?

Well, what do I know? Seven years on, Vertu has been a riproaring British success, selling an ever-increasing range of deluxe mobile communications instruments in large numbers around the world - in places like Dubai, Beverly Hills, Singapore, Russia, China, and even in Britain, too.

They've just opened a shop in London's Old Bond Street which is full of customers. OK, there are a lot of oligarchs and sheiks in London, but the phones also sell well in Manchester, Liverpool, York and Leicester.

Celebrities apparently love them, although Vertu are too high class to name any supposed fans. What they do say is that an extraordinary number of the rich and famous try to cadge a freebie Vertu, and they never get one. Not even Paltrow was given one, so they say.

So successful has the Vertu idea been, that there are now more than 300 people working in Church Crookham making them.

They include former watchmakers, goldsmiths and leather workers (yes, some of the phones include intricately crafted leather parts) - people, that's to say, who might well have trouble finding work without Vertu.

And this unpredictable British success is earning steady profits. Not bad going in the kind of times when most of us are thinking twice before buying a cabbage, let alone a phone that costs £2,600 to £25,000 - and more.

Yes, more. To celebrate the first London Vertu shop, Nuovo has unveiled the fanciest Vertu yet, the Boucheron 150, a gleaming slab of solid, sculpted gold that has taken more than 2,200 man hours to make - 1,000 for cutting to shape, 700 for polishing, 500 for assembling.

The Boucheron is meant to be a one-off. But when I asked Nuovo at its launch the other night how much a buyer would need to stump up to take it off Vertu's hands, he and his MD went into a huddle and agreed a nice round £1 million (line rental not included).

If that's not amazing enough - that a serious company, a subsidiary of the hugely successful Nokia, are confident asking between £2,600 and £1m in the middle of a world slump for an item of which a serviceable alternative can be bought for less than a tenner - then consider this.

Not only has the Vertu become the unlikeliest of hits, but it has spawned several competitors. A few doors down from the Vertu shop, for example, at a store called Flawless, you can buy the Swiss-made GoldVish phone. The range runs from £16,000 to £103,000 - plus VAT.

And Goldvish are flying off the shelves in the run-up to Christmas, the manager, Dino, tells me.

Another few minutes' walk, to Selfridges on Oxford Street, and they will sell you a Tag Heuer Meridiist, also Swiss, which is only made from stainless steel (shame!) but does have rubber, leather and alligator bits.

It comes out at a mere £2,650 - a bit of a snip, since buyers don't have to suffer the ignominy of knowing there's another phone in the range that's more expensive.

Take the No10 bus (there is a credit crunch on, after all) over to the Christian Dior shop in Sloane Street, and you can try a custom-made, diamond-studded Dior phone from France. It costs a reassuringly expensive £15,000.

Even work-a-day Motorola are getting in on the mega-phones lark. Their Aura model, due out next year, is expected to cost £1,600 - cheap as these things go, but still the price of some 320 Samsung SGH-B130 phones, which sell from £5.

So what is going on here? What is causing wealthy people in their thousands to spend piles of cash on mobile phones which, for the most part, will live in their deep pockets and probably end up being left in restaurants and nightclubs?

Well, there are a lot of issues here, issues on which Nuovo and the Church Crookham crew have been so resoundingly right, and we scoffers so wrong.

First, taste is just that. It's what some like and others don't, not what the style-Nazis say is tasteful.

So while you or I might think the regular Vertus are pretty nice, but the Boucheron 150 is a bit on the naff side, there are plenty of people, some foreign but many British, who will think the £1m phone is beautiful and find your cool, industrial-looking, gadgety smart phone hideous.

Then there's the question that these luxury phones don't have many features. Most don't have a camera and few the internet.

Well, that may affect us poor donkeys who work for a living, but the richer the person, the less they email and Google, and the more they bark orders on their phones to their subordinates.

What about the problem I pointed out when Vertu started up, of the wealthy always losing their phones?

Interestingly, Nuovo says, this hasn't turned out to be the case. 'I think even very rich people have learned to be careful, partly because they are expensive, but also because the numbers they have stored in their phones are even more valuable than the Vertu itself.'

The remarkable heft of the Vertu - it weighs almost twice as much as the average phone - has also turned out to be a benefit, according to Nuovo. 'It means they slip to the bottom of ladies' bags, so they always know where they are. And men like the feeling of presence the Vertu has.'

One question remains, however. Will even the £1m Vertu be luxurious enough for some people?

Back at that Paris party seven years ago, I got chatting to a would-be distributor for Kuwait.

Turning the (then) £16,000 platinum model over in his hands, he said that while schoolchildren in his country might quite like the Vertu for its novelty value, he was concerned that adult consumers might consider it - how could he say? - not quite ostentatious enough.

I wonder if the Boucheron 150 does it for him at last?

Google USB Flash Drive

2008-12-05T12:42:00.001-08:00

Somehow I get the feeling that this Google USB Flash Drive is not what Matt Cutts and the rest of the team will get for Christmas this year. I hope I didn’t spoil the surprise…

Hammerhead Shark Radio

2008-12-05T12:41:00.001-08:00

If the Love Duck Radio is a bit too much on the cute side for your taste, you could always go for this hammerhead shark FM/AM radio instead.

The splashproof Hammerhead Radio requires 2 x AA batteries and the product is available over at the Red5 website for £12 (about $18 USD).

Spyfire R/C Blaster

2008-12-05T06:18:00.001-08:00

The radio-controlled Spyfire blaster is like an upgraded version of the Wireless USB Missile Launcher - now allowing you to fire it from up to 25 feet away instead of 15.

Not only is it a powerful, battery powered, 4 shot blaster capable of blasting up to 25 feet away - but the handle can separate from the rest of the blaster. You can set the blaster up with its integrated, folding tripod and set it to cover your escape path.

Features:

* Powerful 4 dart blaster
* Stores extra ammo in handle
* Flip-up sight and fold down tripod
* Electronic power-up and firing sound effects with each shot
* R/C range: up to 50 feet
* Shoots up to 25 feet

The Spyfire R/C Blaster measures 3 x 12 x 10 inches and requires 5 x AAA batteries. The product is available from the ThinkGeek website for $29.99.

iPhone Stylus / Stand Combo

2008-12-03T13:00:00.001-08:00

This accessory for iPhone or iPod Touch combines a stylus pen for the touch-sensitive screen with a stand that you can use when watching something in widescreen mode.

Features:

* Mount to any flat surface
* Mount to either left or right side
* As a stand for your iPhone, iPod Touch…
* Detachable
* Comfortable
* No more finger print on your Screen
* More Accurate
* Portable

The iPhone Styles / Stand Combo is yours for $12.99 from the USB Fever website.

Tokyoflash NI Watch

2008-12-02T02:46:00.000-08:00

NI, a stylish watch made entirely from stainless steel with a polished finish, is the latest timepiece from the popular Japanese-based wrist wear importer Tokyoflash.

The slimline case and strap allow this timepiece to wrap comfortably around your wrist and the simple buckle closes neatly to complete the look.

The display moves across the face in a sweeping manner, with the time progressing in the same direction. A single touch of the upper button sends the lights into a sparkling animation before the time is displayed.

Each LED on the lowest line indicates two hours, the line above indicates a single hour, a combination presenting the current hour. Groups of 10 minutes are presented on the centre line and single minutes on the upper two lines. The date can be read in a similar manner with second touch of the upper button. Subtle etched graphics on the face make reading the time easy.

The Tokyoflash NI watch is available in three color variations; all blue LED, all white LED or red and green LED. The price has been set to $144 USD.

White Bread Wrist Rest

2008-12-01T07:46:00.001-08:00

As a follow-up to the Croissant Wrist Support, a bread model has now been released for those who needs a comfy place to rest their hand while working the mouse.

The White Bread Wrist Rest measures 11.0 x 14.0 x 2.0 cm and the product is available over at the Toys Brando website for $6 (or $10 if you buy two of them).

Colorful Teddy Speaker

2008-11-28T08:58:00.001-08:00

This cute and colorful speaker in the shape of a teddy bear works in the same was as the USB Sheep Speaker - simply hook up your iPod or any other portable audio device using the standard 3.5mm stereo audio jack, and you’re good to go.

It will happily sit on your bedside table without ruining the bedroom’s mojo because it looks just like any other teddy bear.

The speakers have been tucked away in the bear’s feet and the battery pack is cleverly hidden inside the teddy, so you’ll barely even notice that this loveable bear houses a great sounding sound system for your MP3 player.

Features:

* A set of stereo speakers disguised as a huggable, lovable teddy bear.
* The bear is decorated in a striking retro-psychadelic material.
* Hook up any MP3 player or portable audio device using the 3.5mm jack lead built-in to the Teddy Bear.
* Requires 4 x AAA batteries (not included).
* Suitable for ages 3 years +.
* Size: 22 x 20 x 14.5cm.

The Teddy Speaker is available from the IWOOT website for £14.99 (About $23 USD).

World’s Smallest Fire Blanket Comes in a Tin Can

2008-11-27T13:18:00.001-08:00

The Safety Can - a brand new invention by Swedish SpecialDesign AB, the company behind the Triforce Touchscreen Pointer - is the world’s smallest approved fire blanket.

The single use product comes neatly packaged in a retro style tin can, making it easy for you to find a subtile place for it in the kitchen cabinet or on the kitchen fan.

The Safety Can (in Swedish) is available from brandfilt.nu for 249 SEK (about $31).

The Robot that will cheer you up

2008-11-26T15:47:00.001-08:00

Imagine being comforted by a robot when you are in the throes of sadness.

It might sound like an unlikely encounter, but a team of scientists in the UK are creating robots that are capable of growing emotionally, responding to humans and of expressing their own emotional states as they interact with people.

Dr Lola Canamero, of the University of Hertfordshire’s School of Computer Science, who is co-ordinating the European project, said the aim was to develop robots that could grow up and adapt to humans in everyday environments.

'If robots are to be truly integrated in humans’ everyday lives as companions or carers, they cannot be just taken off the shelf and put into a real-life setting, they need to adapt to their environment.

Dr Canamero said instead of being taught everything, robots needed to grow and develop with their human users

'For example, if the human bursts into tears, the robot will gradually learn whether it is better to try to comfort them or leave them alone.'

One of the first robots built in the project exhibited imprinted behaviour - which is found among birds and some mammals when they are born.

These animals become attached to the first object they see when born. It is usually the mother, which makes them follow their mother around.

Similarly, the robot can follow people around and adapt to the way humans interact with it.

Prototypes of the robots, which were built as part of the project Feelix Growing, will be exhibited at the ICT'08 event organised by the European Commission in Lyon next week.

Dr Cañamero said the exhibition would include a baby pet robot learning to control its stress as it explores a new environment helped by a human caregiver; several robotic heads that show facial emotional responses to human faces; humanoid robots that learn to execute simple tasks by observing and imitating humans; and an interactive floor that responds to human touch and movement with different light and sound patterns.

Homer Simpson Talking Doorbell

2008-11-26T15:44:00.001-08:00

The Homer Simpson talking doorbell features a push-button with Homer’s face and the words ‘Ding Dong!’. The receiver comes in the shape of the Springfield dad in his favorite armchair, making sure to let you know as soon someone’s at the door.

Simply attach the Homer Simpson ‘Ding Dong’ push-button using the supplied wall fixings, then all you have to do is wait for someone to come and visit you.

Product Features:

* Official Simpsons branding
* Homer says 5 unique phrases
* Features Homer sculpture sat in an armchair
* Frequency can be received up to 7-8 metres away
* Homer 2 x AA batteries (not included), Doorbell 1 x 23A battery (included)

Homer’s Phrases:

* Answer the door, and put on some clothes and make me a sandwich.
* Ding dong! That’s right, I called you a ding dong.
* There’s someone at the door with a free pizza. Well, a guy can hope, can’t he?
* Oooh, a visitor! Maybe it’s the door to door strangler.
* Someone’s at the door. Maybe this time you can sell them some magazines!

The Homer Simpson Talking Doorbell is yours for £19.99 (about $30) from Drinkstuff.

Firefly Serenity Spaceship Ornament

2008-11-26T15:42:00.001-08:00

If you’re one of those having the Star Trek Enterprise NX-01 Chandelier hanging from the ceiling, this new science fiction ornament might be right up your alley.

The fun and geeky home decoration is designed like the Serenity spaceship featured in the American science fiction television series “Firefly” created by Joss Whedon.

It comes in full color and measures 3 1/2-inches wide x 6-inches long. Included are a display base and a hanging hook. Made of plastic.

The Firefly Serenity Ornament is available from Entertainment Earth for $9.98.

7-Port USB Hub Alarm Clock with Thermometer

2008-11-25T03:29:00.000-08:00

This surprisingly stylish hub combo is equipped with seven USB ports and a digital alarm clock that is capable of displaying the current time, day, month and temperature.

Features:

* USB 7-Port Hub with USB Power Adapter
* Charge and connect any USB device
* Powered by computer USB ports or USB Power Adapter
* Super-size, jumbo reverse LCD clock display
* Alarm with 5-minute snooze and calendar display
* 5-Funtions: Hour, Minute, Day of Week, Day of Month, Month
* 60-seconds alarm auto-stop
* Alarm enable/disable
* 6 operational switiches (with pull-down resistors)
* Alarm tone 4 steps variable with crescendo
* 12/24-clock display format
* Drivers triplexed LCD with PM, Alarm, Chime, Snooze, Day, °C/°F marks
* LED backlight for easy viewing in low-light conditions
* Displays indoor temperature
* Range: 0°C to 60°C (10°F to 140°F)
* Requires 1 AAA batteries
* 1.8M USB 2.0 cable included
* Support Window ME/2000/XP/Vista, Mac OSX
* Dimension: 140 x 72 x 85mm (approx.)
* Weight: 169g

The 7-Port USB Hub Alarm Clock with Thermometer is available from USB Brando for $37. You can choose between two different styles: Metal and Mirror.

Alien Stitch USB Humidifier

2008-11-25T03:27:00.001-08:00

Fans of the Lilo & Stitch films and TV series can now increase the humidity in a room using this USB-powered humidifier, designed to look like the popular blue little alien.

The Stitch USB Desktop Humidifier measures 184 x 130 x 165mm and can alternatively be powered using AC 100V. Geek Stuff 4 U has set the price to a whopping $118.

Boombox Mini Speaker Pouch

2008-11-24T01:59:00.001-08:00

This golden pouch in the shape of a retro boombox doubles as a speaker and connects to portable audio players and other digital products using a 3.5mm stereo audio plug.

The Mini Boombox iPod Speaker Pouch measures 2 x 4 inches and features two water resistant speakers and a a 1400 milliwatt stereo amplifier. The product is sold over at the fredflare.com website for $24.

Traffic Light USB Hub with Voice Recording

2008-11-24T01:57:00.001-08:00

Remember that 3-port traffic light USB hub from last year? A new and improved version is now available, featuring one extra port and voice recording capabilities.

You can leave a 10 second voice message. It also design as a name card/note clipper, you can also put your name card or memo notes on top of the traffic night.

Features:

* 4-Port hub
* USB 2.0
* Shows Red/Yellow/Green light to indicate whether you are Busy/Out for a while/available
* 10 seconds Voice Recording/Playback
* Memo pad / Name card clipper
* Dimension: 65 x 65 x 149mm (approx.)
* Weight: 82g

The USB Traffic Light 4-Port Hub with Voice Recording is available from Brando for $18.

Coffee Cup Gadget Charger for Cars

2008-11-22T12:33:00.000-08:00

This handy power inverter, cleverly designed like a coffee cup to fit nicely in your car’s cup holder, coverts the DC power from your vehicle into two 120-volt AC outlets.

Perfect for powering or charging TV’s, DVD players, game consoles, cell phones, and other portable electronics. This coffee cup also has a USB charging port providing 500mA of power.

Features:

* 200 Watt inverter with 2 AC plugs and USB power port
* Provides 120 Volt AC power from any cigarette lighter socket
* 200W continuous/400W peak
* Fits into standard cup holders
* 18″ cord
* Overload protection and low battery shut-off
* Power 3 devices at once
* One year warranty
* Dimensions: 6″ tall x 3.5″ dia

The Coffee Cup Power Inverter is available from the ThinkGeek website for $29.99

The Neo Rave

2008-11-21T03:13:00.001-08:00

The world of multimedia players enriched a small new: the Rave of the Neo. Can he make us “Raver” as they say in their press release? It will that has a screen AMOLED 2.8 “which allows him to spend less energy and have greater autonomy (28h in audio and video playback 20).

We note especially that integrates technology FFD, a technology
that allows it to play videos without them are first converted to a good format conversion software. As against, it is not compatible with Macs, has no video output, or location for a memory card.

Tragedy: crushed by a rechargeable battery 9V

2008-11-21T03:11:00.001-08:00

Each passing day brings its share of horrors, and Gizmodo is also here to inform you if you entertain. Today, we can not ignore this scene unsustainable held a few days ago. The cool gadgets artists Lenny & Mariel have been able to capture this tragic moment, while relatives of the victim came contemplate the horrible reality.

Elefante - the Elephant Lamp

2008-11-20T11:46:00.001-08:00

Elefante is the name of this playful elephant lamp designed by Sarfors bObles Northern Lighting, a Swedish manufacturer of multifunctional furniture for young and old.

The white plastic lamp will provide you with a nice soft light. The Elefante is available in the PID store and showroom in Stockholm, Sweden for 599 SEK (about $74 USD).

Star Wars R2-D2 and C-3PO Christmas Weirdness

2008-11-20T11:43:00.000-08:00

Did you think the Darth Vader Statue was weird? That’s nothing compared to these two Christmas inspired Star Wars droids that the guys over at Walyou stumbled upon.

This collectible was inspired by the 1980’s Lucasfilm holiday greeting card art by Ralph McQuarrie, the concept artist responsible for much of the look of the original Star Wars trilogy. The set comes with a display base and includes a full-sized holiday greeting card.

You can get the “Star Wars Holiday Edition R2-D2 and C-3PO” from Amazon for $30.85 or over at eBay with the “buy it now” price set to $33.50.

sWaP - Cell Phone Watch with Bluetooth

2008-11-19T15:42:00.000-08:00

sWaP is an analog cell phone watch that actually looks like something you could wear without feeling like a complete moron. Here you will get a watch with phone capabilities, not a cell phone with a strap attached to it.

It not only tells the time, but the wearer can pop in their SIM card to transform the watch into a wrist communicator a la Dick Tracy. And there’s more. Built into the strap is a 1.3 megapixel camera, so you can sneakily snap all of those top secret government documents you keep finding left on the pub table - or you could just take pics of your mates.

The memory card slot allows you to insert a T-Flash card to upgrade the already impressive 128MB memory to a whopping 2GB. With all that memory you’ll have no problem storing all your MP3s and you can even watch MP4 movies on the 1.5 TFT colour touch screen. You can access WAP sites, bringing the world wide web to your wrist and the watch is Bluetooth enabled, so if you’re sick of getting tangled up in your hands free kit you can banish the wires forever.

Features

* A watch and a mobile phone all rolled into one.
* Pop your SIM card into the watch and it’s easy to make and receive calls
* 1.5 inch TFT colour touch screen.
* Includes a hands free kit, Bluetooth headset and a stylus for negotiating the touch screen.
* The stylus is stored in a handy slot built in to the watch strap.
* No need to buy a new SIM card - simply take it out of your mobile and pop it in the watch.
* Receives SMS, MMS and can display recent and missed calls.
* Store up to 300 contacts.
* Built in alarm clock has 5 different tones to choose from.
* Compatible with all networks except 3.
* Record audio using the hands-free kit’s mic and use the craftily concealed 1.3 megapixel camera to take pics and record video.
* 128MB memory can be expanded up to 2GB with a T-Flash card (not included).
* Supports MP3, MIDI, WAV, AAC and MP4 files.
* Requires 650mAh battery (included).

The sWaP Watch is available from I Want One Of Those for £249 (about $374 USD).