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DVICE ARCHIVE FOR July 2007
Every summer we hear horrible stories about some poor kid dying inside a locked car and wonder how any parent could be quite so tragically thick headed. While it seems logical to brand them all as unfit to care for...
POSTED Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Military minds at DARPA are figuring out ways to replace cumbersome satellites with groups of mini-spacecraft that are easier and quicker to launch, are more versatile, and best of all, that cost a lot less than their oversized big brothers....
POSTED Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Some of us are still waiting for an alternative to the boring little chunks of plastic everyone seems so fond of holding to their ears. Personally, I'd rather have a little badge on my chest that I can tap...
POSTED Tuesday, July 31, 2007
There are a lot of pretty crazy concepts out there for ways to generate power more efficiently and without relying on foreign resources, but few of them match the pure insanity of tornado power. Yes, tornado power. The idea...
POSTED Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Planning to do some traveling? Let me give you a little piece of advice if you're going to be flying to your destination: don't pack your carry-on items in a box designed to look like a bomb. It's just...
POSTED Tuesday, July 31, 2007
OXO is a company loved by chefs for designing better versions of old kitchen staples like the carrot peeler. The company's stable of inventors may have outdone themselves with their latest kitchen innovation: the ergonomic corn stripper. Get your...
POSTED Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Who needs laundry detergent? It's expensive and is probably not great for the environment. That's why we're pretty excited about the new Haier WasH2O washing machine. It's the first detergent-free washer, needing no soap at all to get your...
POSTED Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Apparently, "Oxygen Therapy" is a hot trend in Japan, with people shelling out their hard earned money to lie in a chamber being pumped full of pure Oxygen for 15 minutes. Sounds luxurious and useless! Well, we all know...
POSTED Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Have you tried diet and exercise, but still don't get results? No? Yeah, I hear you. Dieting is a total drag, a form of self-torture in which you deny yourself what gives you pleasure. And exercise? Please. I try to...
POSTED Tuesday, July 31, 2007
OLEDs are a hot topic these days, with it being a display technology that allows for super-thin and flexible full-color displays. They aren't perfect, however, often running too hot to be placed inside of devices. Rather than trying to...
POSTED Tuesday, July 31, 2007
If you're looking for the ultra-swank kitchen, you'll be interested in this Siemens built-in coffeemaker, crafted of stainless steel and recessed right into your wall. Part of Siemens' high-end avantGarde collection, it takes up nary an inch of counter...
POSTED Monday, July 30, 2007
It's time to face facts: you don't exactly smell like a bed of roses. No offense or anything, but all those hours sitting at your computer and eating take-out isn't making your desk smell all that great. You could...
POSTED Monday, July 30, 2007
There are few odors that are more offensive than stinky feet and shoes, but most of the common solutions like Odor Eaters seem so 20th century to us gadget freaks. Japanese people never wear their street shoes inside the...
POSTED Monday, July 30, 2007
Initial D, a popular manga/anime series from Japan, is bringing the world of illegal Japanese street racing into arcades — and in no small way. Instead of the usual wheel-and-pedal setup most racing arcade games use today, Initial D...
POSTED Monday, July 30, 2007
Privacy is an important thing, and not everyone pays attention to those "do not disturb" signs you can hang on your doorknob. If you really want to send a message, The Doorknob Condition is tough to miss. It's a...
POSTED Monday, July 30, 2007
We may be decades away from eating meat that's been grown in a lab, but we should be starting to benefit from lab-grown skin in the very near future. Scientists at L'Oreal have invented a product called Episkin, which...
POSTED Monday, July 30, 2007
Nothing goes hand in hand quite like wine and snobbery. There's just something about the boozy grape juice that makes people into snooty experts, making them say things like "I detect a hint of plum in the bouquet" and...
POSTED Monday, July 30, 2007
Before the robot hordes rise up and kill us all, we best get them to do our bidding for a while longer. Instead of going gigantic, scientists have been working to bring automatons down to size, and the researchers...
POSTED Monday, July 30, 2007
Car accidents can be intense, and cutting down on how much you have to worry about when you're in one is what the Clarion DriveEye sets out to do. Installed inside the upper portion of your windshield, DriveEye lies...
POSTED Monday, July 30, 2007
Now you'll have no excuse for shirking your work, even if you're out in the middle of nowhere. This Earthtech Solar Laptop Charger's 150-watt portable power system keeps you going whether you like it or not, harnessing the sun's...
POSTED Monday, July 30, 2007
A new Series 3 HD TiVo went on sale this week — it's a pared down version of the first HD DVR that TiVo started selling last year, and sells for $300 instead of $800. The critics are convinced;...
POSTED Sunday, July 29, 2007
Let's say you're my kid brother, who never experienced the wonders of Transformers in the 1980s. And let's say you walk into RadioShack and see this Bumblebee Stomping Action Figure. Its eyes light up, it makes loud crashing noises,...
POSTED Saturday, July 28, 2007
The Lomak (Light Operated Mouse and Keyboard) is an ingenious design for a computer that could be used by people disabled and unable to use a regular mouse and keyboard. A pointer that's either controlled with a hand or...
POSTED Saturday, July 28, 2007
Start with an umbrella. Add a network connection and a blinking LED, and it's a weather forecaster. Get yourself a truck. Add a laser cannon, and you have armored vehicles from the future. Start with a Blu-ray player. Add...
POSTED Friday, July 27, 2007
I don't know what kind of stuff you could have to hide that you'd need this level of security, but if you're an insanely secretive person, the IronKey might be right up your alley. Billed as the world's most...
POSTED Friday, July 27, 2007
Why should people learn new technologies when they can just stubbornly stick to using antiquated devices? The computer-averse who are married to their typewriters are missing out on a lot, but with the 22 Pop Email Typewriter at least...
POSTED Friday, July 27, 2007
I'm in the market for a new cell phone, which pretty much means I'm preparing to voluntarily submit myself to the 21st-century version of the rack. Sure, many people (especially females under the age of, oh, 19) love to...
POSTED Friday, July 27, 2007
There's free energy floating around everywhere. The trick is figuring out how to harness it. Some smartypants at MIT are working on a special floor that harnesses energy from footsteps, turning your walking into lighting above your head. The...
POSTED Friday, July 27, 2007
Who wants to use their HDV camcorder as a playback deck? It's a sure way shorten the life of your expensive cam, and is a real hassle to always connect and disconnect to your TV. Come September, fans of...
POSTED Friday, July 27, 2007
We all know about using magnetic levitation (that's maglev, yo) for transportation, but a Korean company is bringing the technology to you desktop. Embotec has created a maglev keyboard that actually floats the keys, using magnetic force to provide...
POSTED Friday, July 27, 2007
If you love nothing more than playing bar games on those touchscreen machines you find on the bar at establishments likely to also be equipped with Big Buck Hunter and a few TVs showing ESPN, you know that your...
POSTED Friday, July 27, 2007
According to Ambient Devices, you'll never get caught in the rain if you have the Ambient Umbrella. The Ambient Umbrella alerts you to upcoming rain by illuminating the umbrella's handle with different lighting patterns that predict the weather. If...
POSTED Friday, July 27, 2007
If there's one thing I feel like my apartment is missing, it's the atmosphere of an underwater palace. I mean, having white walls and a white ceiling are kind of boring, no? Why not spice it up a bit...
POSTED Friday, July 27, 2007
Another Electronic Entertainment Expo, the annual trade show for the video game industry, has come and gone. Unlike last year — when the focus was on the launch of two video game consoles — this year was more about...
POSTED Thursday, July 26, 2007
The Fujifilm FinePix S8000fd camera, styled like a digital SLR model, boasts such a complete suite of features that film buffs might be swayed to keep their rolls in the fridge — if only for a little while. The...
POSTED Thursday, July 26, 2007
If your mom tells you that you spend too much time playing video games and you need to get outside, there's not much you can do. She's your mom, after all. So if you get your Xbox unplugged and...
POSTED Thursday, July 26, 2007
LightCam combines an LED flashlight with a flash-based camcorder, and it also illuminates the area with infrared so you can practically shoot footage in the dark. Made of anodized aluminum, this appliance might be popular with night watchmen who...
POSTED Thursday, July 26, 2007
Nothing beats a really unique piece of lighting. It can completely transform a space, making your boring old apartment look like something out of a movie. Or just a boring old apartment with a weird light in it, but...
POSTED Thursday, July 26, 2007
Sure, you hear a lot about electric cars these days, but what about electric airplanes? Not so much. That doesn't mean they aren't out there are and a viable alternative to the status quo! Just take a look at...
POSTED Thursday, July 26, 2007
Digital cameras can see a broader spectrum of colors than we can. Kameraflage is a technology that takes advantage of their superior vision by printing or projecting messages and images that can only be seen through a digital camera...
POSTED Thursday, July 26, 2007
OK, this "going green" business is getting out of hand. We're all for developing eco-friendly engines for cars, but building the chassis out of wood just might be going too far. Good thing that this Wooden Supercar seems to be...
POSTED Thursday, July 26, 2007
If you're still looking to get on board with HD DVD despite the fact that it's the popular bet to be the loser of the high-def format war, good news! Microsoft has gone ahead and dropped the price of...
POSTED Thursday, July 26, 2007
Wind power is a proven renewable energy source with a track record that goes back centuries. Yet some ecologically myopic people hate the sight of them. Enterprising inventors offer a solution: Take wind power to the skies! Sky WindPower...
POSTED Thursday, July 26, 2007
Sure, glowing watches might not be the latest technological advancement, but I'll bet you're pretty psyched they're around. After all, if you want to know what time it is, it doesn't matter how dark it is, you just want to...
POSTED Thursday, July 26, 2007
Imagine that you're walking down the street one day and come across a giant screen where little triangular avatars are blasting one another à la Battle Tank. On the sidewalk are cheering men, posh women, grannies and kids, all...
POSTED Wednesday, July 25, 2007
United Airlines stepped up its level of service in Business Class, adding lots of gadgets and a 6'4" "lie-flat" seat that's 23.5 inches wide to its list of creature comforts. Leapfrogging rival American Airlines' video players on board, United...
POSTED Wednesday, July 25, 2007
If you ever had any doubts, let me remind you of something very, very important: don't mess with the high-tech branches of the U.S. Army. They've just hired Boeing to develop some truck-mounted laser cannons to explode and burn...
POSTED Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Toshiba has just unveiled a new set of ultra-portable laptops that they claim are the lightest and thinnest in the world. And at a scarily-light 1.73 pounds on the R500-S5003, I think they might just be right. Slimming things down...
POSTED Wednesday, July 25, 2007
While my method of determining if meat has gone bad — the ol' snifferoo — is usually pretty reliable, it might be prudent to back it up with something for when I have a cold. Time to say hello to...
POSTED Wednesday, July 25, 2007
If you thought the initial price for first-generation Blu-ray players were exorbitant at $1,000, you're not going to like Denon's new "high end" offering. It clocks in at a whopping $2,000, which is basically twice as much as any...
POSTED Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Been waiting on the sidelines of the HD-disc war between Blu-ray and HD DVD? If so, you may have been noticing that your regular DVDs don't look so good compared to HD broadcasts on that new HDTV of yours....
POSTED Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Canadian researcher Louis Michaud has spent the last 40 years crafting an idea that would give us free energy from those wind vortices that would rather send you flying to Oz than light your home. His schemes calls for...
POSTED Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Oh, so not only is a stretch limo not enough for you, but a Hummer limo isn't big and ostentatious enough to be your ride? Well, you're a jackass. And if you want to be a jackass who takes...
POSTED Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Apparently, flying saucers are the future of eco-friendly vehicles. Who knew? While highways being full of hover saucers might not be happening anytime soon, some aeronautical engineers envision airports loading passengers up into flying saucers and sending them off...
POSTED Wednesday, July 25, 2007
First we heard about a projector small enough to slip into the bottom of a cell phone, and now that component is on its way into a Motorola handset. The PicoP, a miniature projector created by Microvision from a...
POSTED Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Laptops are becoming more and more popular, what with them becoming just as powerful as desktop models while staying in a portable and space-saving form factor. The main problem that people switching from desktops to laptops face at this...
POSTED Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Shower radios are great. Once you get used to waking up to music or NPR in the morning during your shower, you'll wonder how you ever made it to work refreshed before you got one. The problem is, most shower...
POSTED Tuesday, July 24, 2007
After much ballyhoo, the public got what it wanted: A cheaper, but still pretty damned nice, version of an electronic product it covets. No, we're not talking about a pared-down iPhone that doesn't require a second mortgage, but rather...
POSTED Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Is your life relatively empty? Do you need to add meaning to your days by filling them with ridiculous crap? Do you have no one to spend money on, so you just spend it on gimmicks that distract you...
POSTED Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Toshiba's Gigabeat was one of the few MP3 players left out there competing with the hard-disk iPods — the ones that give you big capacities in the neighborhood of 30 GB or more. Based on the new Gigabeat U-Series,...
POSTED Tuesday, July 24, 2007
I've said it before, and I'll say it again: we're living in the future. How else do you explain the fact that you can now buy a fully-functioning flying saucer? It can get you 10 feet off the ground...
POSTED Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Losing the remote control is a lot harder if it's strapped to your wrist. That's the idea behind the "Touch Screen TV/DVD Remote Controller Wristwatch," which is, as you might imagine, a watch that can control your TV and...
POSTED Tuesday, July 24, 2007
When you go to the ATM, do you huddle around it protectively and then refuse a receipt because you don't want your friends to find out how broke you are? We don't. We prefer to complain about our near-empty bank...
POSTED Tuesday, July 24, 2007
The days of a GPS system's monotonous robotic voice giving you directions may be numbered, because these vibrating rings can now quietly indicate which way to go. Designer Gail Knight of the Royal College of Art in the UK...
POSTED Monday, July 23, 2007
Today in the neverending battle between man and machine, machine wins again. Programmers at the University of Alberta have shown that Chinook, a computer program they created, can beat any opponent in checkers — or at least score a draw....
POSTED Monday, July 23, 2007
Burj Dubai, a tower under construction in the skyscraper-crazy United Arab Emirates, has now eclipsed the former world's tallest building in height and number of storeys. For those of you keeping track, the world's tallest completed building is still...
POSTED Monday, July 23, 2007
Need a 100-page report fired off in 5 minutes? A laser printer can do it easily. Want a few 8x10s for your friends? That inkjet is up to the task. Got a hankerin' for a 12-foot scroll? The Roller...
POSTED Monday, July 23, 2007
We've seen strange lights before, but this one takes the cake. Designed by Rafael Morgan, The Drop Lights may look like something from a post-apocalyptic future, but are really designed to remind people of water conservation. Unfortunately, these lights...
POSTED Monday, July 23, 2007
Logitech's Revolution VX mouse, which debuted last year, did a decent job of keeping true to its name by bringing some new abilities to the point-and-click table. One of them — hyperfast scrolling, which lets you blaze through a...
POSTED Monday, July 23, 2007
As camcorders have evolved into the high-def arena, it's become pretty clear that most of the media they record to was never designed to hold so much data. After all, HD tapes and flash memory fill up too quick,...
POSTED Monday, July 23, 2007
Are you exhausted by the barrage of iPhone stories out there? Even complaining about them has become cliché. There just aren't many other new gadgets to write about in July (like TV pilots, most gadgets launch in the fall)....
POSTED Sunday, July 22, 2007
Who says you need a bunch of speakers for a surround sound system to function? Sure, logic tells us that in order for you to be surrounded by sound you also need to be surrounded by speakers, but Sony...
POSTED Saturday, July 21, 2007
Sure, it's been a couple weeks, but that doesn't mean there aren't any iPhone-related news stories left for us to cover. This week we saw a way to customize your iPhone, a new patent from Apple than may prevent...
POSTED Friday, July 20, 2007
If you view videogames as not a way to have fun, but a challenge, something that you need to figure out how to do perfectly and then retire from, then I can see why you might like the Guitar Heronoid....
POSTED Friday, July 20, 2007
Among technophiles, there are those who prefer simplicity and functionality, and those who look for attention-grabbing conversation pieces. This conceptual media player from designer Can-Hong Huang looks to be directed squarely at the latter. The latest gadget to take...
POSTED Friday, July 20, 2007
The problem with the iPhone and iPod being so insanely popular is that they aren't just popular with tech lovers, they're popular with thieves as well. The expensive little gadgets are everywhere, and those white earbuds are just begging...
POSTED Friday, July 20, 2007
Is it me, or are we really obsessed with far out timepieces? Clockmakers smart enough to use Nixie tubes from the 50s and 60s, seem to be a big hit lately. We've already seen those that sit on your...
POSTED Friday, July 20, 2007
Are iPhones already too ubiquitous for you? Do you not feel special and unique anymore? Well, that's a shame. It's the whole reason you dropped $600 on a phone, after all. But don't worry: there are ways to make...
POSTED Friday, July 20, 2007
Through the ages, Man has searched for a crystal ball that can tell the future, and now super salesmen/researchers at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) are telling the Pentagon they're working on a remarkable suite of software that...
POSTED Friday, July 20, 2007
California researchers are using electromagnets to make nanoparticles gush a whole rainbow of colors. This, they say, may provide more brightness in flat-panel displays than existing LCD technology. It might also give birth to a new kind of electronic paper....
POSTED Friday, July 20, 2007
This animated explanation of global warming from An Inconvenient Truth claims all of our problems can be solved by dumping large ice cubes in the ocean. It's not the only way ice can help save the planet — several...
POSTED Friday, July 20, 2007
Sick of wasting time switching your hand between your keyboard and your mouse? Well, you've got a couple of feet that aren't being used, don't you? You might as well enlist them in your fight for efficiency. This foot...
POSTED Friday, July 20, 2007
One of my coworkers is celebrating a birthday this weekend. Not a birthday for a living person, but rather a birthday for his 100-year-old house. Granted, there are a few problems like small closet space and a basement that...
POSTED Thursday, July 19, 2007
We just can't seem to get enough objects that are floating in midair, such as that floating clock and picture frame we've shown you here before. Now here's one that tops both of those, a stylized black Planet Earth,...
POSTED Thursday, July 19, 2007
In what could be great news for a few people and terrible news for the rest of us, Apple has applied for a patent for a karaoke iPod. Yes, an iPod that tells you the lyrics of the song...
POSTED Thursday, July 19, 2007
The researchers at Carnegie Melon University have constructed a robot whose movements imitate that of the green basilisk lizard, otherwise known as the Jesus lizard for its ability to walk on water. According to the researchers, "a legged robot...
POSTED Thursday, July 19, 2007
In my experience, playing cards have a short lifespan. I am generally drinking some sort of alcoholic beverage when I play cards, and as the game progresses and more drinks are consumed spills tend to happen. And is there anything...
POSTED Thursday, July 19, 2007
Florescent lights aren't exactly a stylish way to light your home, but that could change with the introduction of SystemX Interlocking Florescent Lights. A series of interlocking light fixtures that can be arranged in a number of ways, SystemX...
POSTED Thursday, July 19, 2007
Why did it take do long for someone to come up with this idea? Peter D'Alessandro's "Waste and Want" cutting board aims to make food prep a neater experience with a practical upgrade: removable metal scoops on either end....
POSTED Thursday, July 19, 2007
Apparently, getting your hand and arm cold for a couple seconds while you reach into a cooler full of ice is a problem that's big enough to require its own gadgety solution. It's called the Cooler Scoop, and it...
POSTED Thursday, July 19, 2007
One of the reasons a lot of pro and high-end consumer camcorders still use tape it that the capacity is so high. Those furlongs of magnetic tape add up to substantial storage, and it's tough for hard disks and...
POSTED Thursday, July 19, 2007
The TiVo Series 3 is a pretty hot piece of equipment, probably the finest DVR out there and one that any HDTV-owning TV lover would appreciate. The problem? It's really freaking expensive. That's why the rumors of a cheaper...
POSTED Thursday, July 19, 2007
If you don't mind walking around looking like a cross between a pirate, a cyborg soldier and a member of the Borg hive, this DataGlass HMD head-mounted video display might be for you. Hook it up to your portable PC...
POSTED Wednesday, July 18, 2007
It seems that Sony has completely given up on trying to compete with the iPod with its Walkman or any other portable music player. How else can you explain the company selling iPod docks? If you can't beat them,...
POSTED Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Tick off another science-fiction idea that's entered the science-fact column: A dog in the U.K. just became the world's first to receive a prosthetic limb. The pooch, named Storm, developed a tumor in his leg earlier this year and needed...
POSTED Wednesday, July 18, 2007
There's too much waste in electronics packaging. TVs, for example, come packed with so much Styrofoam that you could kill off an entire endangered species with each purchase. Why throw all that material away? You might as well use...
POSTED Wednesday, July 18, 2007
There are few things worse than losing a hand, especially a dominant hand. Fortunately for those stuck in such a lousy situation, technological advances in prosthetics have made leaps and bounds in recent years, culminating in devices like this...
POSTED Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Has desk lighting design peaked? Not according to Lee Suk Woo and Byeon Dong Jin, who created a lamp called Hurdle Lighting. No jumping necessary — the name stems from its edgy appearance when it's lighting up material beneath...
POSTED Wednesday, July 18, 2007
You can never have too many screens, that's what I say, which is why I like this kind of crazy dual-LCD setup. It looks like some kind of fancy laptop, but it's just two screens and a laptop built...
POSTED Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Sure there are solar powered street lamps in some cities, but they don't hold a candle to the new Sharp LN-LW3A1 and LN-LS2A1 solar street lamps currently deployed in Japan. The lights can generate 1,800 lumens of light, and...
POSTED Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Big talkers are going to think this GE Flip Universal Remote is a cellphone, but science fiction fans will think it vaguely resembles a Star Trek prop, a cross between a Type 1 phaser weapon and a communicator. While you...
POSTED Wednesday, July 18, 2007
What makes a laptop a laptop? Is it the portability? Or is it just the foldable form factor? If you answered the form factor, then the new Samsung Desknote G25 is a laptop. If not, well, then it's just a...
POSTED Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Anyone who's tried to navigate the Web on his mobile device can tell you that it's often a pain in the rear. Sure, there's a world of content that's been configured for handheld devices, but it's limited, and so...
POSTED Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Maybe you haven't noticed, but world oil production is peaking and renewable energy sources are heating up along with the planet. Any improvement in solar (and wind) power is a big deal. So let's hear it for the latest...
POSTED Tuesday, July 17, 2007
How'd you like to own your own island? It'd be pretty sweet, right? And sure, while owning a beautiful tropical island would be nice and all, think about the logistics. You'd be pretty far from civilization, and you'd need...
POSTED Tuesday, July 17, 2007
If you liked Katana, you're going to love its daughter, the Katana DLX by Sanyo (not to be confused with DreamAuthentics' game console. Available from Sprint, the Katana DLX has newer and better ways to receive multimedia content: There's...
POSTED Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Picture by Donna Coveney / MIT News Regular spacesuits don't give astronauts much range of motion, what with the huge bulk that their gas-pressurized nature require. People who travel through the cosmos in scifi shows and movies always have much...
POSTED Tuesday, July 17, 2007
The Mules is a newly designed autonomous helicopter-type ambulance designed to rescue wounded soldiers that are in harms way. Swooping in to areas too dangerous for human medics, it can fit a supine soldier and then tote them away...
POSTED Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Often, I reflect on how I can make my apartment look more like a supervillain lair, so when I heard about the FogScreen, I was intrigued. The idea is pretty straightforward: using a thin curtain of "dry" fog to...
POSTED Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Ever since Steve Jobs announced the coming of the God Phone in January, industry analysts started taking bets on which cell-phone manufacturer would meet the Apple challenge first. My money has been on Samsung, the new electronics leader in...
POSTED Tuesday, July 17, 2007
When insects manage to make their way into your house, there's nothing more satisfying than smashing one up against the wall as punishment for upsetting your domestic bliss. But then, when you remove your hand, you often have a...
POSTED Tuesday, July 17, 2007
It turns out that the only thing better than a good old collapsible beach chair may be half a beach chair. Designer Larry Laske figures that the point of the beach chair is to provide back support, not to...
POSTED Tuesday, July 17, 2007
If there was ever a time to jump in and buy an HD camcorder, it's now. Samsung's just announced their SC-HMX10 camcorder, a svelte HD device with a whopping 8GB of built-in flash memory. No tapes are necessary with...
POSTED Tuesday, July 17, 2007
You pay a monthly fee for your cell phone, cable, and for Internet access, but what about for your computer? Zonbu has created a neat little Linux-running desktop computer that it claims is so energy efficient that it'll save...
POSTED Monday, July 16, 2007
Here's a hands-free video camera concept by industrial designer Johan Frossen that's worn around the neck or head, and its video is transmitted via Wi-Fi to a cellphone capable of editing its footage. Using a fisheye lens, the camera...
POSTED Monday, July 16, 2007
Why settle for a boring old plasma screen TV when you can go super high-tech and get a TV that's transparent when you turn it off? That's what the new transparent rear-projection screen is, and it works by having...
POSTED Monday, July 16, 2007
The Nintendo Wii is clearly the game system of choice for more social gamers. Sure, it doesn't have the guts to play amazing shooters like Gears of War, but who has a party centered around a game like that?...
POSTED Monday, July 16, 2007
Oven doors… who needs 'em? Not you, bub. Not that the Gaggenau BL 253 Lift Oven is here, at least. It's an oven that lowers your food down from underneath, making reaching into a 400-degree oven a thing of...
POSTED Monday, July 16, 2007
There's lots to like about the Gyration Ultra R4000 remote control. First and foremost, there's the sweet gesture-sensing technology that the company's known for, letting you wave the remote like a wand to control your gear. While that may not...
POSTED Monday, July 16, 2007
Where would America be without caffeine? It's the drug that gets millions of office workers through each day, waking them up in the morning via coffee and then keeping them trucking along 'til 5pm with sodas. But what happens...
POSTED Monday, July 16, 2007
Leave it to the Australians to figure out the connection between throwing gang signs and getting your television to obey your every command. Sitting atop your television, the all-seeing camera can recognize seven hand gestures that can start the...
POSTED Monday, July 16, 2007
It's a design idea that may be a bit too clever for its own good: The Magic Bulb is a alarm clock shaped like a light bulb, made by Korean company 10 x 10. Great idea, right? 'Cause, like,...
POSTED Monday, July 16, 2007
The Q-Bean-ST by LTB audio claims to be my PC's new best friend. Well, at least it'll have one, since my computer and I are rarely on speaking terms. Having gotten that off my chest, the Q-Bean is a...
POSTED Monday, July 16, 2007
T-Mobile launched its HotSpot@Home service a couple of weeks ago, but because of all of the recent iPhone mania, reviews are only coming in now. The service costs $20 a month on top of the cost of your normal...
POSTED Sunday, July 15, 2007
Once in a while I just want to drive my gigantic, gas-guzzling SUV into a lake. Not to sink it, no sir. No, to drive right across the open water, tearin' up waves and ruining the day of as...
POSTED Saturday, July 14, 2007
Common objects that have secret functions? Everyday-looking stuff with powers and abilities beyond those of their "regular" brethren? Gadgets that are more than meets the eye was certainly a recurring theme this week, as we spotted everything from pens...
POSTED Friday, July 13, 2007
Here's the Datamask H.U.D., a personal dive computer that takes the self-contained part of SCUBA diving to the next level by placing all the information about your dive right there in front of you in a head-up display. Originally...
POSTED Friday, July 13, 2007
Sometimes, I worry that my pencils aren't providing me with the aromatherapy I so badly need. Sure, they write and erase well enough, but what about soothing my mind? Where are they when I need help there, huh? Fortunately,...
POSTED Friday, July 13, 2007
Digital photography is all the rage these days, so it's too bad that the standard photo-editing software, Photoshop, runs close to a thousand dollars. It's not exactly something your mom will need or want to crop and edit photos...
POSTED Friday, July 13, 2007
There's a whole lot more programming coming to satellite-TV customers this fall from both DirecTV and the Dish Network, including a whole slew of new HD content. First, Dish is adding eight HD sports channels and seven national HD channels...
POSTED Friday, July 13, 2007
Been longing for Bose's oh-so-comfy QuietComfort 3 headphones but can't quite justify spending more on your headphones than you did on your iPod? JVC just announced its own pair of noise-canceling phones that cost a good chunk less. The electronics...
POSTED Friday, July 13, 2007
There's nothing worse than getting caught in a downpour. You leave the house in the morning and everything is sunshine and flowers, only to leave your office to discover yourself in a watery hell. It's called planning ahead, dude. You...
POSTED Friday, July 13, 2007
Retro vacuum-tube clocks rock, with their orange glow irradiating making you feel all warm and cozy. We've already seen clocks using upright Nixie tubes, but designer Frank Clewits found some very rare forward-facing tubes turning this model into a...
POSTED Friday, July 13, 2007
Remember that pen-computer thingie from last year that got a lot of attention? You know, the pen that recorded everything you wrote with it, via a tiny built-in camera and software? Yeah, that one. It seems it was a big...
POSTED Friday, July 13, 2007
What could be better than protecting yourself from unwanted particulates while you exercise, and being able to take out your enemies with blaster fire to boot? In an attempt to help cyclists breathe more easily in an increasingly polluted world,...
POSTED Friday, July 13, 2007
No one likes hopping into a freezing cold shower (unless it's like 100 degrees outside), so it's understandable that some people let the shower heat up while they brush their teeth or go to the bathroom. But don't you...
POSTED Friday, July 13, 2007
I'm pissed, and feel more than a little ripped off. I made an assumption, and we all know what happens when you assume. Back in April, I wrote about EMI working with Apple's iTunes to make the EMI catalog...
POSTED Thursday, July 12, 2007
Behold the Logitech MX Air Mouse, a $149 rechargeable cordless pointing device with a gyroscope inside, letting you operate it either on a flat surface or in 3D space. If you want to use it on a desktop like...
POSTED Thursday, July 12, 2007
This flat-panel speaker bar doesn't serve any drinks, but it does deliver room-filling sound from your iPod. The iLive speaker bar (a.k.a. iHT3817DT) will also recharge your iPod as it plays. The actual connector for your iPod is on...
POSTED Thursday, July 12, 2007
Getting people potable water in underdeveloped nations is a difficult and important problem. There are far too many places where people don't have access to clean drinking water, and it's a serious global health crisis. That's why this new...
POSTED Thursday, July 12, 2007
Some people need their speakers to be gigantic, room-filling monsters to let everyone know just how into music and home theatre they are. Other, more reasonable people, want their speakers to be diminutive yet powerful, hiding themselves while packing...
POSTED Thursday, July 12, 2007
As iPod docks go, Samsung's MM-X5 has a few things going for it. Not only is it pretty hot looking, it actually takes care of something that's always nagged me about most iPod speakers — they add yet another...
POSTED Thursday, July 12, 2007
Belkin stopped by New York yesterday to show off its latest new toys, including a pretty cool router and a sweet USB hub as well as some iPhone accessories, shown in the picture above. Notice the empty space in...
POSTED Thursday, July 12, 2007
Nintendo continues to go after the non-gamer market with their super-popular Wii system, unveiling their new Wii Fit controller and game aimed at women and adults. The controller is basically an exercise pad. It senses your weight, and it...
POSTED Thursday, July 12, 2007
Sony's hoping to boost the lagging sales of their PSP handheld by releasing an updated PSP Slim model. While it looks nearly identical to its predecessor, it boasts a body that's 33% lighter and 19% slimmer. It also has...
POSTED Thursday, July 12, 2007
This hotel door alarm might be meant to give you peace of mind as you sleep in some roach motel by alerting you if any robbers or murderers try your door, but I like to think of it existing for...
POSTED Thursday, July 12, 2007
If you have the space and cash to fit a 70-inch HDTV into your lifestyle, Samsung just announced something you might be interested in. That massive LCD panel that came to Korea last moth will be busting into the...
POSTED Wednesday, July 11, 2007
What better application for solar energy than powering a golf cart? There's plenty of sun around, and many golf carts are already using an electric motor, so this Sunray Solar Roof Kit from Cruise Car makes it easy to...
POSTED Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Wired headphones are a huge inconvenience, with the wires getting tangled in everything and causing your precious MP3 player to come crashing to the ground should you venture too far. Wireless, and more specifically Bluetooth, headsets are a step...
POSTED Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Nobody likes wires. They create clutter, they get tangled up, and they get caught on things. People who love having a clean and organized desk see cables as the enemy. Well, for those people there's a new weapon against...
POSTED Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Do you absolutely love the Halo series? Do you not have an Xbox 360 yet for some reason? Great! Both of you who answered yes, I have some good news for you: Microsoft is releasing a special edition Halo...
POSTED Wednesday, July 11, 2007
There are few things more irritating than discovering that you don't get good cell reception in your own home. It's one of those things you don't think to check on when touring an apartment, and then you move in...
POSTED Wednesday, July 11, 2007
For the tech-unsavvy, setting up and using a wireless router is a daunting task. Those faceless grey boxes don't provide much in the way of assistance in their setup, and getting the job done never really goes smoothly. Why...
POSTED Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Is there anything worse than a warm beer on a summer day? I don't think so. However, there are few things better than a really cold beer on a summer day. It's the difference that's tricky. If you're driving somewhere...
POSTED Wednesday, July 11, 2007
It's hard not to like anything that can help couples to rise at different times of the morning without one having to endure the cacophony of the other's alarm. Designer Meng Fandi has attempted to tackle that prickly domestic...
POSTED Tuesday, July 10, 2007
After you've taken your power nap in a cocoon-like EnergyPod, stay semi-reclined and get some power computing done in this Snowcrash Netsurfer, a hyper-engineered chair from the future that's available now. It's designed to keep your display at eye...
POSTED Tuesday, July 10, 2007
It looks like technology is finally catching up to comic books. Well, not all of them: Spidey's web isn't coming anytime soon, nor will you be able to fly like Superman. The protective suit, however is here and ready...
POSTED Tuesday, July 10, 2007
If you have a Motorola SLVR and want to mod it into the coolest retro phone in the neighborhood, you're in luck. It turns out the SLVR is a pretty good fit with a classic NES controller, making the...
POSTED Tuesday, July 10, 2007
With Logitech's Harmony line attracting most of the universal-remote-control buzz these days, it's easy to forget there are still a few other players out there. One of them, the straightforwardly named Universal Remote Control, is injecting a little style...
POSTED Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Mobile YouTube is all the rage these days, what with it coming to the iPhone and LG launching a YouTube enabled phone in the near future. It seems that people want to make it as easy as possible to...
POSTED Tuesday, July 10, 2007
As many learn the hard way, traveling overseas is one big wild card when it comes to cell-phone service. Will your cool new phone work in Europe? Japan? Thailand? Doubtful, but it's a good bet National Geographic's Talk Abroad phone...
POSTED Tuesday, July 10, 2007
You've got to love classy combos of the antiquated and the cutting edge. That's just what this Phonophone is: an iPod dock in the form of an old gramophone. What makes it even more unique is that it requires...
POSTED Tuesday, July 10, 2007
This Taser XREP can deliver a wireless electric shock from over 100 feet away, and from the looks of it, you don't want to be on its receiving end. Its Neuro-Muscular Incapacitation (NMI) is the same disabling effect delivered...
POSTED Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Boeing has just unveiled their new flagship plane, the 787. The monster plane has interiors designed by Seattle's Teague, and they went and loaded the plane up with accoutrements such as opaque skylights and LEDs galore. They even went...
POSTED Monday, July 9, 2007
I can't help but admire the low-tech audaciousness of the I.Dear speakers — tiny cubes that give your iPod a voice. After all, their wood enclosures make them look almost like bamboo dice. But inside each one is a...
POSTED Monday, July 9, 2007
If you haven't bought an iPhone but are still a fan of the design, don't worry. Chances are good that in the not-too-distant future you'll be able to buy an iPod in that slick form factor without needing to...
POSTED Monday, July 9, 2007
If you're looking for an alternative building material that doesn't harm the environment and isn't on the endangered list, then bamboo is the wood for you. OK, so it's technically a grass, but cut it down and polish it...
POSTED Monday, July 9, 2007
I know that powering devices via USB is all the rage these days, but don't you think we're taking it a bit too far when we're using it to power things that didn't need power in the first place?...
POSTED Monday, July 9, 2007
Is there a mode of transportation more emasculating than the Razor Scooter? I'm pretty sure there isn't, save a little girl's tricycle with pink streamers. But when it comes to vehicles made for adults, nothing tops the Razor Scooter...
POSTED Monday, July 9, 2007
The Playstation 3 has taken a lot of heat since its launch, mostly for being much too expensive. At $600, it's much more than the average consumer is willing to pay for a video game system, and the public...
POSTED Monday, July 9, 2007
Last week, I told you I'd let you know if waiting 13 hours in line for an iPhone was worth it. Yes. Oui. Affirmative. Si. Uh huh. Yup. Ja. You betcha by golly. D'UH! Is wicked cool still an...
POSTED Sunday, July 8, 2007
Next time you have a hankerin' to catch some surf, Nixon's Lowdown watch can tell you exactly where to go. Tide information for 200 beaches all over the world is onboard, predicting the best times to tackle those waves....
POSTED Saturday, July 7, 2007
Now that the iPhone has come and gone, we've been relieved to cover such non-Apple-related gadgets as Velcro power outlets, see-through LCD screens, and, well, other phones, honestly. But we still took a little time to reflect on iPhonemania...
POSTED Friday, July 6, 2007
Today's soldiers carry around a lot of battery-operated techno-gear, and the Pentagon is trying to figure out a way to lighten their load. Military brass are offering a million-dollar prize to anyone who develops a wearable electric power system that...
POSTED Friday, July 6, 2007
The Movie Cowboy networked media server/player can play back so many different kinds of media files, it seems like it may not even be legal. Maybe that's why it's not available in the U.S., at least not yet. Unlike...
POSTED Friday, July 6, 2007
360-degree cameras are nothing new, but a 360-degree camera using a new axial symmetrical free curved surface lens that also gives a 45-degree vertical view, is a camera that should cover every possible angle. You might think this is...
POSTED Friday, July 6, 2007
Ever find yourself out and about and you hear a song you fall in love with, but don't know the artist or song title? Yeah, me neither, but in case your car stereo doesn't have song ID, or you...
POSTED Friday, July 6, 2007
I never thought I'd see the day that someone would find a use for Velcro that made no sense, but alas, that day has come. Billed as an energy saver, the Velcro wall socket, from designers Kwei Shan and...
POSTED Friday, July 6, 2007
Do you lay awake nights worrying what would happen if Vice President Cheney's pacemaker battery ran out? I certainly do. Thank heaven British scientists have invented a miniaturized generator that goes places where batteries are hard to replace. Invented...
POSTED Friday, July 6, 2007
The scene: iPhone Day. I was near the end of a 13-hour wait. At around 5 p.m., 12 hours into my iPhone vigil, friendly security guards moved the line east down 58th Street then north onto Fifth Avenue into...
POSTED Thursday, July 5, 2007
Behold the car of the future, a three-wheeled single-seat vehicle using special fuel vapor technology that its maker says gets 92 miles per gallon. Don't let that high mileage fool you, though — this speedster still zips from zero...
POSTED Thursday, July 5, 2007
Having a headset really helps cut down on potential feedback when making VoIP calls, but those pesky devices generally have two problems; mic placement that keeps rubbing against your face, and the wire keeping you tethered to your computer....
POSTED Thursday, July 5, 2007
While fuel cells have to potential to cut the carbon emissions of cars down to zero, they do nothing about the other major concern with automobiles: car accidents. Don't worry, though — defense-research agency DARPA is tackling that one,...
POSTED Thursday, July 5, 2007
Here in New York City, old-style radiators are everywhere, keeping otherwise modern apartments anchored in the past. Just think if they could all be swapped out with Phoebe, an eye-catching heater with a design that's totally Zen. Conceived by...
POSTED Thursday, July 5, 2007
Even though your electronic gadget may be in standby mode, it is still consuming electricity. That can be a lot of energy wasted waiting for you to unplug your fully charged iPhone. The Energy Saving Adapters by Gilles Belley...
POSTED Thursday, July 5, 2007
There's small and then there's small: This Bluetooth dongle is less than a quarter-inch thick. People will have to look pretty closely to see that you've added wireless connectivity to your PC with this little guy. Plugging into a...
POSTED Thursday, July 5, 2007
The slim i425 cell phone, made by Motorola for Boost Mobile, uses iDEN technology (integrated digital enhanced network, multiple communication devices all-in-one) and can thus make the claim of being the slimmest walkie-talkie phone ever made. Less than half...
POSTED Wednesday, July 4, 2007
I'm not sure how practical this is, but it's a neat invention nonetheless. A company called Active, Inc. has developed LCDs that turn opaque at the flip of the switch. That means you could stop using your monitor to...
POSTED Wednesday, July 4, 2007
What kind of range do you need for your Bluetooth to connect your phone to, say, a wireless headset? A few feet? Maybe more if you want to be able to wander around your house? Would 50 feet seem...
POSTED Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Just in time for that zinfandel for your barbecue: The Wine Enhancer by Catania creates a smoother and brighter flavor with a longer finish. It promises to make young wines taste like older ones, while also rejuvenating already opened...
POSTED Wednesday, July 4, 2007
If you don't mind placing an object that looks like an egg beater on your roof, you might someday be able to use a personal wind turbine like this to make your electric meter spin backwards. Ben Storan's design...
POSTED Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Soft-tipped bullets have been developed that, rather than killing the victim on impact, instead explode in a cloud of laughing gas. So instead of dealing with a bunch of people with gunshot wounds, you've got a whole bunch of people...
POSTED Tuesday, July 3, 2007
I get the sense the designers of the Sonic Chair had a lot of roommates. Seeing as the pod-like seat is made to isolate its occupant in a personal sound space, it would be ideal for a music lover...
POSTED Tuesday, July 3, 2007
LG and YouTube have apparently joined forces to create a phone that can stream videos from the popular site as well as shoot and post videos directly to it. The phone will be for Europe only, at least initially, and...
POSTED Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Usually, when I see toys aimed at kids, I don't get all that interested. I'm an adult, after all. I've outgrown my kid phase, or at least the kid phase that enjoyed playing with action figures and the like. But...
POSTED Tuesday, July 3, 2007
While not the first infrared thermometer we've seen — or even the sleekest — William Joseph's pen-shaped temperature-taker is certainly the most affordable. For just $33 (plus shipping) you get the ability to measure the average molecular kinetic energy...
POSTED Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Here's one of those inventions that makes you wonder why no one thought of it before: movable outlets. Don't you hate wanting to plug something in and the only outlet is a few feet from where you want it...
POSTED Tuesday, July 3, 2007
The 4th of July is imminent, and you know what that means: barbecues and hanging out in the backyard. But is your yard up to snuff? Is it stylish enough to impress the neighbors? If you're concerned that it...
POSTED Tuesday, July 3, 2007
As if we weren't already approaching the Blade Runner era with advertisements everywhere, now you can wear your message on your sleeve with his $47 LED badge. Its small rounded form factor has a screen that lets you electronically...
POSTED Monday, July 2, 2007
The HD DVD camp just announced an upgrade to their players that will allow for them to access the web and download exclusive content. HD DVD discs will be able to access the web to grab and stream content...
POSTED Monday, July 2, 2007
The annoying thing about exercise machines is how they always make you put some effort in. Why can't anyone design an exercise machine that lets me work out without actually exerting any energy? I'm a lazy man, but that...
POSTED Monday, July 2, 2007
The Standby Energy Saving Kit is very simple is its concept and execution: Plug these modules into a regular outlet, plug your gear into the modules, and control all your equipment's power consumption via remote control. Now you can shut...
POSTED Monday, July 2, 2007
I've never understood why so many utilitarian devices need to look like they were designed in the Soviet Union during the early 80s. I mean, sure, air purifiers aren't the flashiest products out there, but that doesn't mean they need...
POSTED Monday, July 2, 2007
The Japanese love their giant robots, whether they be Gundam, Macross, Robotech, Transformers, or the one that started it all — Gigantor. The fine people of Kobe, Japan have decided to honor the robot and its creator Mitsuteru Yokoyama,...
POSTED Monday, July 2, 2007
A lamp you can take with you? That used to be called a flashlight, but designer Dorata Kulawuk's Nomadic Lamp goes way beyond portable — the light rings are perfectly suited to be carried, worn as a bracelet, or...
POSTED Monday, July 2, 2007
There was this one time I was playing basketball, and I went up to dunk, and I actually flew. Dude, I flew. I was airborne for, like, 10 seconds at least. Don't believe me? Well, if I had my...
POSTED Monday, July 2, 2007
Few gadgets in history, if any, have commanded the attention that the Apple iPhone has. Lineups that began almost a week in advance, major media outlets upset over getting snubbed by Apple, people who got advance units becoming 5-minute...
POSTED Sunday, July 1, 2007
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Editor: Peter Pachal
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