Gadget Innovation: 2008

Sunday, June 15, 2008

The 3G iPhone Is Official, July 11th Starting at $199

Twice as Fast at Half the Price

SAN FRANCISCO, June 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Apple(R) today introduced the new iPhone(TM) 3G, combining all the revolutionary features of iPhone with 3G networking that is twice as fast* as the first generation iPhone, built-in GPS for expanded location based mobile services, and iPhone 2.0 software which includes support for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync and runs the hundreds of third party applications already built with the recently released iPhone SDK. In the US the new iPhone 3G is priced at a stunning $199 for the 8GB model, and just $299 for the 16GB model.** iPhone 3G will be available in more than 70 countries later this year, beginning with customer availability in 22 countries — Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK and the US — on July 11.

Night Vision Glasses makes driving at night much easier

Darknessnot only removes light from the scene when you’re driving, it also takes out contrast, leaving a night driver with the bright spotlight cast by the car’s headlights, and any other place where light is cast by streetlights, a full moon, billboard lights, etc. It’s a light/dark world with no degree of shade or contrast. High-end sports watch maker Tag Heuer has recognized that the ability to see varying degrees of light and dark can add that contrast and have created a pair of Night Vision glasses to help drivers to see – even when no light is cast. Here’s how they work:

MonoTracer Jet Bike Hits The Streets

This is the MonoTracer motorbike, designed to reduce drag, keep you dry and drastically reduce the number of splattered insects on your visor.

The futuristic looking ‘enclosed’ motorcycle is not a concept anymore, but the real deal with a 130hp BMW engine capable of 0-100kph is under 5 seconds and a top speed of around 250kph. The company boasts that the bike has extremely low drag and ‘sensationally low CO2 exhaust emissions’.

A true computer desk

The term “computer desk” generally refers to a desk that was made for people using a computer, right? You’ll see things like a keyboard drawer, maybe a monitor riser and perhaps even some CD holders. However, the designer of this desk has taken the term in the literal sense, and created a desk that is also a computer.

In the 1982 science fiction classic Blade Runner, there is a scene where Deckard (a much younger Harrison Ford) is chasing a Replicant across futuristic city streets. If you listen closely, you can hear the crosswalks speak in a monotone voice, demandingly repeating “Cross now” or “don’t walk”. There was something really dystopian about seeing people follow these machines like electric sheep.

Youcan't buy these little gadgets yet, but Intel certainly hopes that starting this summer, you'll buy them in droves.

The gadgets in question are what Intel calls "mobile Internet devices," built upon the diminutive Atom processor that was the star of the chipmaker's IDF Shanghai event this week. Pictured here is a prototype MID from Asus, best known these days for its Eee PC.

Mixko Whippy Light makes me hungry

I usually dislike how fluorescent lights look in lighting fixtures, however, this little pendant is one exception. The witty little light makes the bulb look as if it is part of an ice cream cone, which in the hot summer weather sounds really good. Then again, having a light hanging around reminding you of something cold on a hot day when you’re all out of icecream just seems cruel and unusual. You could torture your kids and hang this in their room. Of course in turn you would get pestered constantly for icecream.

Emotion Mask

These days, nary an emotion is shared without the aid of an emoticon. It’s just the way things are becoming. We’d much rather type our emotion then show it face to face. We’re somehow less vulnerable when we have a display separating us from our true feelings.

The future of human emotion might be in a state of evolution. Technology could forever change the way we process our feelings. Our lowest lows and our highest highs. The Mask Of Emotion exchanges facial expressions for digital emotions. If you weren’t easy to read before, now people should have no problems discerning your emotion.

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Saturday, February 16, 2008

Ferrari FXX Pedal Car

Berg Toys Ferrari FXX Pedal Car (Images courtesy Autoblog)

It’s got a seven speed transmission, an on-board computer, disc brakes and even semi-slick racing tires with Enzo inspired hubcaps. The exclusive version even has a racing-style bucket seat with a four point harness, a leather steering wheel and an aero kit to keep drag down while you’re roaring down the street at 10mph.

Handheld Lightning Reaction

More pictures: Product description

For shocking fun on the run, get Handheld Lightning Reaction! All the fun and fear of the original game, has been distilled into this portable new version.

New R/C Car Is Powered By Hydrogen Fuel Cells

H2GO

What kid doesn’t like a remote controlled car? This H2GO car is about as green as toys come. It is powered by a hydrogen fuel cell which needs only water and solar energy to power the car.

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Lite-On Moldable Mouse

Moldable Mouse

The Lite-On Moldable Mouse has guts made out of soft modeling clay encased in a nylon polyurethane fabric cover.

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TV Remote Watch

World Time Zone TV Remote Control Watch (Images courtesy Vavolo)

Enter the World Time Zone TV Remote Watch that looks like your typical Ironman-esque sports model, but also includes an IR emitter for controlling a wide range of TVs, VCRs and DVD players.

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Magic Box

Apartment In A Box

That is a little 31″ x 47″ box in the above picture. What’s in the box? Oh, just an armoire, a desk, a height-adjustable stool, two more stools, a six-shelf bookcase, and a bed with a mattress, all of which can be moved in and assembled by 2 people in 10 minutes without tools:

Send Text Messages Using A Pen

D:Scribe Pen

The D:Scribe is a pen that recognizes your handwriting, and sends SMS messages that you scribble down.

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Solar Powered Handheld Nintendo Emulator

Solar MP4 (Images courtesy Chinavision)

This little device actually has some impressive features. Besides being able to play MP4 videos up to 320×240 in size on its 3.5 inch TFT screen, it also has built-in emulators for NES, GameBoy and GameBoy Color games. It of course requires you to use ROMS loaded via an SD card, but anyone already interested in classic gaming emulation will know where to find those. It can even function as an e-Book reader with the ability to read aloud any text file as long as it’s written in English or Chinese.

Are you looking for a universal remote control system that can replace all your other remotes? The MX-980 is a powerful remote control designed for your audio/video home theater system by the aptly named Universal Remote Control company. If you want a remote control that can handle the complexities of your home theater system, then this is it.

Underwater Digital Camera Mask

Photo Scuba Mask

This underwater digital camera mask from Liquid Image is waterproof to a depth of 30m (about 100 feet), which is about as deep as you’re probably going to go in the course of a normal dive.

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MIT’s RoboScooter

MIT Media Lab RoboScooter (Image courtesy Smart Cities)

The RoboScooter from MIT’s Media Lab has a much better chance at replacing the automobile, particular for people who commute or who live in crowded urban settings.

Mini Solar Charger Cell Phone Strap

Going green is all the rage, so imagine how happy treehuggers will be when they find out Strap-Ya is releasing a cell phone charm that also works as a solar cell phone charger! And this eco-friendly charm is not only great for those of you concerned about the environment but also for frugal types who would rather steer away from battery-operated chargers currently in the market.

Sign of the Apocalypse #2: Hello Kitty AR-15

There is a teeming culture of all things Hello Kitty. I’m not sure when Sanrio created the Hello Kitty franchise back in 1974 that they knew how large of an impact that this seemingly innocent kitty would have on the world. They have products with the Hello Kitty moniker on them ranging from foods and clothing to computers and cars and passenger jets, and in Japan, its popularity has penetrated every aspect of Japanese Kitty merchandise. daily life. In addition, there are many stores selling only Hello

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Hello Kitty AK-47

I guess if there are HelloKitty guns and HelloKitty Armoured Personnel Carriers, it really shouldn’t come as a surprise that something which is supposed to exude love and friendship would be found on a AK-47

Yes, we already know that Hello Kitty has a things for gunsincluding AK47sand ArmouredPersonnel Carriers so it’s really no surprise that she would come out with another assault rifle

Flying Stick Cam

Everyone either made a whirlybird out of paper or had a wood/plastic toy version when they were a kid. The concept was pretty simple. Rub the stick body of the whirlybird between one’s hands and toss it up into the air (the paper version was merely dropped from on high). Using auto-rotation, the whirlybird would land under its own control anywhere from a few feet to several yards away. It was a fun toy for the helicopter pilot in all of us. Now, (thanks to our friends at Yankoo Design) one

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Saturday, February 2, 2008

The Meade MySky: exploring strange new worlds is the “aim”

It may look like a phaser (well, only vaguely), but it’s the coolest stargazing aid to come out this year. The Meade MySky allows you to explore the heavens simply with a point and shoot. It’s database comes with 30,000 objects in the night sky and also can show cool multimedia astronomy presentations. And thanks to its 12-channel GPS receiver, there’s no complicated alignment either. It’s all automatic, which is something previous attempts at a handheld observatories have been woefully lacking at.

World Slimmest Waterproof Mobile

F704i from Fujitsu

You have always wanted a waterproof mobile?

Be happy! Fujitsu F704i mobile is the world slimmest waterproof cell phone - just 1.8cm thick.

Fujitsu-F704

World’s Smallest Mobile Phone

SMS M500 Mobile Phone Watch

Now SMS is back with a new version of the original, the M500.The watch is a fully functional GSM quad-band mobile phone, along with all the features you’d expect in a modern cell phone.

Fujitsu Lifebook U the worlds smallest laptop

Fujitsu Japan has announced the super compact Lifebook U lappie which rightfully earns the title of 'the world's smallest and lightest notebook'. With a footprint of 171×133×26.5 - 32mm only it weighs a mere 580 grams. It is powered by Intel A110 processor at 800Mhz and Intel 945GU Express chipset which has an onboard graphics processor. Specs include Wi-Fi, Ethernet, Fingerprint sensor, 1 x USB 2.0 port, CF and SD card slot, Ethernet and VGA out. The Lifebook U runs on Windows XP Professional or VIsta Business. Watching movies wont be fun on the 5.6 inch (1024 x 600) display but you can surely send emails and make the cost sheet. The LCD doubles as a touch screen and can be rotated and twisted.

New World's Smallest MP3 Player: MobiBlu DAH-1500

How cute is this MP3 player cube? The new MobiBlu DAH-1500 is a tiny, tiny MP3 Player measuring only 24x24x24mm. The MobiBlu DAH-1500 has a OLED display and sports a 20 hours playback time. It features a FM tuner and the headset plug is also the data connector. This cube style player is smaller than the iPod shuffle in Volume. I4U reader Jason K. sent us the photos and infos. Not sure where he got the information from as the MobiBlu siteis not listing the DAH-1500.

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Top 10: Hottest Gadgets For 2008

Number 10

Sony Network Sharing Camera

Cost: $199.99

Where to get it: SonyStyle.com

What is it? This is a camera built for everyday life; it’s compact enough to take with you, it can shoot up to five hours of web-ready video and it switches to a 5-megapixel digitalcamera with the push of a button. The built-in software means uploading is easy, and you can transfer your videos to the web right away.

Hottest feature: The ability to shoot video and instantly expose it to an internet audience means any budding filmmaker can share his work right after the take.

Number 9

SanDisk Sansa TakeTV Video Player

World’s Most Expensive Laptop : Cheapest Laptop

Small world but huge difference. Today, I was searching about expensive laptops and I found one laptop to have price tag of nearly $350,000. It is Tulip E-Go Diamond. From the name you can rightly guess that it has a touch of diamond.

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Top 5 Strangest Mobile Phones

Techeblog presents alist of Top 10 Strangest phones. We have made a few modifications to the list and compiled our own list of 5 Strangest Mobile phones of all.

5. Telson TWC 1150 Watch Phone

The TWC 1150 is the world's watch phone with a Camera from Telson. It has a 256 color LCD with a scratch proof Sapphire glass. Though it will appeal to gadget freaks please note that this phone does not have SMS. You need to use the included wireless handsfree to talk. Other features include 16 chord Polyphonic ringtones, Stopwatch, Speaker phone,Voice recording and Recognition. Via - PhoneyworldListcontinues after the jump.

Playstation3 VS XBOX

Everyone was expecting Sony to deliver a technological powerhouse with its PlayStation 3 debut here at E3 and Sony sure didn't disappoint.

Everyone was expecting Sony to deliver a technological powerhouse with its PlayStation 3 debut here at E3 and Sony sure didn't disappoint. The PlayStation 3 combines the power of the Cell processor and the Nvidia-based RSX graphics processor to create what Sony Computer Entertainment's Ken Kutaragi calls a "supercomputer for computer entertainment."

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Top 20 Strangest Gadgets and Accessories

20. The Talking Lips

Notyour ordinary speakers, these "Talking Lips" actually have moving lips that synchronize with your mobile phone or online chat conversations (Skype, etc.). They come in three different colors (silver/black/red) and connect to your phone or computer via USB. Fortunatley, there's an on/off switch on the bottom that will come in handy after the few seconds of entertainment are up. [Source]

19. Portable Cardboard Speakers

MUJI,best known in for their innovative yet simple products, has come out with speakers made of cardboard and a few electronic components They ship unfolded in a clear plastic pouch -- fold them up and they're ready to use. Now that's what I call portability. MoMAstore has them available for puchase now at $42 USD. [Source]

18. Talking Japanese Watches

10. Citizen's Memory LCD

Citizen Japan has unveiled a new LCD technology -- called "memory liquid crystal" -- that retains the image even when turned off. Basically, its inorganic membrane and angled orientation keep the crystals frozen without needing power. Practical applications would include watches and mobile phone displays.

9. EyeMove PC

20 best Hello Kitty gadgets

20. Hello Kitty Fujifilm Pivi mobile printer.

zillions more in Japan than here in Europe. This mini printer is the size of a CD case, and connects to your phone via infrared, to print off your camphone snaps. The definition of a gadget that'd sell.

The Hello Kitty Fujifilm Pivi is teensy - about the size of a CD case - and will print off your photos from your phone using a wireless infrared connection. Bit slow to transfer if you've got a high power camera on your phone with large photo sizes, Bluetooth would have been better, but since this isn't actually available over here don't let it eat you up inside. Apparently Fujifilm sells plain photo paper for it, or you can special Hello Kitty or Disney character paper.

19. Hello Kitty Air Purifier.

This healthy gadget cleans the air, and more importantly, ITS BOW LIGHTS UP WHEN IT'S WORKING. It's little touches like this that make the best gadgets, y'know. Don't pretend to look puzzled - we've seen you dribbling over that blue light on your PS3.

She disperses negative ions and can be used with either an AC adapter or a car cigarette lighter adapter. Also, the bow in her hair lights up while she's working. Whatever she does to make the air cleaner, she absolutely makes it cuter. £30.

18. Hello Kitty Solar Swing clock

Forget pendulums. This clock has Hello Kitty's head bobbing around instead, and is powered by eco-friendly solar energy, allowing you to pretend you're saving the world. With gadgets.

the Asus Eee 4G

Computers don't typically get a lot of buzz, but Asus's sneaky Eee laptop certainly has people talking, and with good reason. I haven't seen a computer this downright exciting in years. It's a humble machine, but it's as close as we're likely to get to a "game changing" device this side of the Macintosh.