Coolest Gadgets

Altec Lansing knows that there is an ever expanding market of iPad owners, judging by the device’s popularity worldwide not to mention its sex appeal across a range of people. What better way to leverage a fast-growing user base than to roll out a peripheral which is capable of enhancing its use? That’s exactly what Altec Lansing has done, introducing the Octiv Stage docking speaker system for the iPad, iPhone and iPod. Before you dismiss this as yet another marketing ploy to have you part with your hard earned money, why not read on and find out what the Octiv Stage is all about? It was specifically designed to significantly enhance center channel voicing for dialogue alongside stereo audio while playing media from the docked device, delivering a charge at the same time to make sure you don’t end up with a net battery loss once you’re done with your docking session. Of course, do bear in mind that non-Apple devices can still be hooked up to the Octiv Stage via the 3.5mm aux jack, but

My last car had a satellite radio in it. I loved how many different stations I had to choose from, and I must say, I got addicted to certain ones, and when it was time to trade her in, I was awfully sad to see her go. Not because of the car, I was going to miss the radio. My new car is so much cooler than that one, but alas, the radio is simply traditional. Amazingly I have found The Carmen Internet Radio Player, a quite simple and affordable way to listen to free Internet radio in your car or boat. With over 40,000 Internet radio stations to choose from, this device is easily connected via USB to either a PC or Mac allowing you to select and record up to 45 hours worth of internet radio programming. The device is then plugged into your vehicles 12 volt power source and voila! Using the empty FM frequency of your choice, your pre-recorded internet programming is played through your radio. The device is small, will easily transport in a purse or pocket, has on board software for ease

by Edwin - on November 15th, 2010 So you own an iPad and use it primarily as an ebook reader. Well, if that is the case, why not make the most of it by purchasing a relevant accessory? We’re talking about the BookBook for iPad, where it will come in Classic Black and Vibrant Red color schemes, retailing for a rather hefty £69.99 a pop, but wait till you hear what 70 quid can deliver. Basically, the BookBook for iPad will offer protection for your iPad in a stylish manner, where it is disguised as a vintage leather bound hardback book. Not only that, when the situation calls for it, it can also double up as a fully adjustable stand, making this one of the classier iPad cases to date instead of those standard rubbery rubbish which we see flood the market these days. Handmade in genuine soft-touch leather with a padded interior and dual zips, it is capable of delivering serious impact/crush protection. Go on now, read your ebooks in style.

Ever heard of Warpia? Perhaps, or perhaps not. Regardless, this is definitely one company that is dedicated delivering single-chip wireless USB solutions to the masses, and they are certainly more than happy to announce the availability of the new and improved Easy Dock Pro. New and improved, eh? That basically means there is a predecessor to said peripheral (aptly named the Easy Dock), with the spanking new Easy Dock Pro enabling users to wirelessly connect to a notebook which in turn will be hooked up to your desktop monitor, keyboard, mouse, and speakers, or to your big-screen TV in HD quality. Want to learn more about the Easy Dock Pro? That’s a snap to find out as all you need to do is head on after the jump. Unlike its predecessor, the Easy Dock, the Easy Dock Pro can display any online content in stunning HD quality. Playing nice with both Mac and PC platforms, it is also full well capable of supporting other monitors as well as displays of up to 25-inch in size with resolutio

For those of us living in the northern hemisphere, we are pretty sure that you have already stocked up on your winter supplies to make sure you remain nice and warm throughout the upcoming frigid, freezing months. Well, wearing a pair of gloves is always handy when it comes to keeping your palms and digits warm, but how about getting a little bit of extra boost from some electrical power? Of course, we don’t mean having to be tethered to a power outlet at all times, but rather, relying on the convenience of batteries in the case of the Battery Powered Hand Warming Gloves. These gloves come with battery-powered integral heating elements which is capable of keeping your hands nice and warm for up to eight hours. The temperature can also be adjusted, while a convenient power switch can be used to turn off the heat entirely. It requires a quartet of AA bateries in each glove, and since both gloves are fully lined with a waterproof, breathable material, they might just come in handy during

Hmmm, the iPad seems to have taken on yet another role – that of a game board. Now that is certainly interesting, as the Yoomi Duo Board Game from Toys “R” Us will rely on the iPad (it doesn’t matter whether you have the Wi-Fi only model or the one with 3G connectivity) as a game board. The Yoomi comes with an accessory which is attached to the iPad’s dock port, partly resting on the screen, and it will take the real deal to figure out how this magical combination works to provide hours of fun and activity within your family. Not only that, since the iPad is extremely portable, it is also travel friendly and can be used to alleviate boredom, coming in handy especially when waiting in transit for flights. It is currently going for $39.99 on the Toys “R” Us website if you’re interested.

I had a friend of mine try out Psyko Audio’s gaming PC Headset at CES last January. He told me they were “the best headphones that he had ever seen”. You can imagine what kind of a set-up that is for a review. Either I am going to be really disappointed, or I’m going to agree with him. One thing I can say is that I am not disappointed. The Pskyo 5.1 isn’t designed to be headphones, but a headset system for gaming. The system creates 3D sound like a room system, with 5 speakers in the bridge plus a sub-woofer positioned at each ear. It is created so that a gamer can hear exactly where a sound is coming from. By the way, just because they aren’t designed to be regular audio headphones doesn’t mean they can’t be used as them, and they work rather well in that capacity. The Psyko Audio also has an extremely unique aesthetic quality. The ears are made of transparent plastic, and are easily adjustable. There is also a terrific removable microphone. The Psyko 5.1 PC Gaming headset require

QNAP Systems knows that times are hard, so the company has done its part to make sure that you get the best bang for your buck whenever you are looking for some Network Attached Storage capability (NAS), and this time around they have your bank balance in mind with their latest TS-x19P+ range of Turbo NAS servers which will primarily target home and SOHO users. These new models in the range will take advantage of Marvell’s new 1.6GHz embedded processor while throwing in 512MB of DDR3 memory and Gigabit LAN ports, capable of hitting transfer rates that exceed 100MB/sec while delivering a unique blend of performance and features without breaking the bank. Among the new models would include the 1-drive TS-119P+, 2-drive TS-219P+ and 4-drive TS-419P+. Depending on the model you choose to bring home, you are able to enjoy up to 8TB of networked storage, where the TS-x19P+ series NAS servers will bring together an attractive industrial design, outstanding performance, consumer-friendly fea

Anyone who has had experience with childrens’ toys that require batteries to run would be all too familiar with the name eneloop if they’re budget conscious and have a heart for the environment. Why? Sanyo’s eneloop batteries have long been the standard for rechargeables that are ready to rock the moment they’re unboxed, and can be recharged over and over again for umpteen years before you spend more money for a new pack. Well, Sanyo isn’t a company that rests on their laurels, which is why they have come up with a new generation of eneloops which will come in AA and AAA sizes. We shall look at the changes in the extended post, eh? First of all, these updated eneloops will see changes made within, although the exterior would just be cosmetic improvements. What’s more important, after all, would be the inside, and these rechargeable batteries have been augmented with the ability to charge approximately 500 more times compared to its predecessors. Since they are already charged and rea

Hmmm, let’s say that creditors have knocked on your doors for the umpteenth time, and they decided to take nearly everything you own so that your debt can be paid off. You of course, did the best bargaining act of your life to make sure your flat screen TV stays with you, never mind the fact that they have already taken away your couch, leaving you with the cold, hard floor to sit on while you get your daily TV fix. What are you to do in such a case? If you happen to have $29.95 lying around in your pockets, then you might want to consider Brookstone’s universal remote control pillow for your home. At least while you’re not using it to flip channels and control the volume with its sewn-in fabric buttons, you can always get some shuteye without leaving your head on the cold, hard floor. Powered by a couple of AAA batteries, this is one interesting conversation starter to have in your home – of course, you would have far more colorful stories to tell if you’re already on the verge of ban

I can’t begin to tell you how many times I’ve sat in front of my computer trying to pay my electric bill and a few credit cards and realize with horror that it’s due by midnight, it’s 11:59 and I can’t remember the password. Some sites require a capital letter and at least one number and others do not, so my brilliant, albeit, not very secure idea of just using the same darn password for everything has come back to haunt me more than it has helped. Available on November 19th is the Password Memory Keeper, a little handheld device that easily fits in your pocket or purse that lets you store your usernames, PIN numbers and passwords for up to 50 accounts. I like it better than the numerous downloads available to keep track of passwords, because I never know what computer I’ll be using in order to take care of business. With the Password Memory Keeper on hand, I can take care of my bills anytime, anywhere. All I am required to remember is one password and I have access to everything I w

It seems like skateboarders are always finding a way to make their sport more extreme. Things like the Flowlab, which has fourteen wheels for easier turns. Then there are motorized examples like the Vertrax skateboard with a tank tread and the Flyrad, which is a motorized unicycle combined with rollerblades. Like the two aforementioned examples, the MXB Shocker that you see in the photo is electric powered. It is more of a dirtbike than it is a skateboard, as it has two wheels with some treads that can go over a lot of great terrain besides concrete and asphalt. You can watch a video of it after the jump. The MXB Shocker has a 1,500-watt, 48-volt brushless electric-powered motor which is capable of 5 pounds per foot of torque at around 43 amps. This motor can recharge in two hours, and can propel the board at over 35 miles per hour. Judging from the photo, it looks like it only has front-wheel drive. Or is it rear-drive drive? You will note the wired controls that looks like the

I was fortunate enough to have Fantasma Toys send me the Anti-Gravity Web Runner, but I want to make certain that my wife and kids knew I had it. Why? Have you ever seen a spider scurry across your floors, walls, or ceilings? Now imagine that spider about 10 times its normal size. I would hate to have my wife or kids have a panic attack at the sight of the big arachnid that you see in the photo. The Web Runner is a remote control spider that can not only go across the floor, but up the walls and even on the ceiling with 360 degrees of motion. It does so with its own patented air suction technology. Its legs will move in a creepy way, and its eyes glow an eerie red. It is powered by six AA batteries that are stored in the remote control, which has a tiny cable used to charge the spider. I found that on a full charge, the spider could climb up on a wall pretty well, but the more it was played with, it became weaker. It could only go down walls or stay still after that. The Anti-Gravi

About three years ago, I reported on the Hyper Dash game from Wild Planet, and it has received an “extreme update”. Hyper Dash is a simple game that is designed for children of all ages. The game unit is battery powered to give the player vocal commands on what thing to smash. Its game unit has special sensors so it knows what it is smashing. The difference between Hyper Dash and the Extreme version is that the former version had discs to smash, while the Extreme version has these dumbbell shaped ones. As you smash one, it stores it in the game unit. Smash another, and the one that you smashed before shoots out. I suppose this is what makes it extreme. The game can be played four ways. The first is Hyper Dash Extreme, which is about tagging the correct target as fast as possible. The second is quick dash, which is all about tagging all 5 targets in numerical order. Mathema-Dash is about solving addition, subtraction, and multiplication problems to “beat the clock”. The last is the

For the Chinese, there is nothing quite like setting off a trail of firecrackers during Chinese New Year to usher in what is hoped to be another annual cycle of prosperity, health and wealth. As for those celebrating Christmas, why not add a twist to the traditional firecrackers with the Christmas Cracker Orchestra? This box will hold eight Christmas crackers which will pop open to reveal one of eight plastic whistles that have been specially tuned to individual notes for playing along to a traditional holiday song as an ensemble. This has been a renowned English Christmas tradition since their invention in 1847, as individual crackers make a safe, festive “pop” when pulled apart at either end by two celebrants, only to reveal one of the whistles. Nice to know that each whistle will be accompanied by a numbered card that corresponds to a numbered, sequenced part to be “tooted” along with one of 21 Christmas carols, where among them include favorites such as Jingle Bells, Good King Wenc

In San Diego there’s a gym, that in and of itself is nothing unusual, I’m sure San Diego has a bunch of gyms… but theres a place in particular called the Greenasium that is using a special stationary bike called the visCycle. Manufactured by Resource Fitness, the visCycle and other similarly capable machines generate electricity that is routed back into the power grid of the facility, offsetting some of the power usage, like lights, fans and the computer. Pretty cool, and now the visCycle is available for your home or office. visCycle’s revolutionary plugOutt technology makes the equipment “plug and play”. Other “green” alternatives require you to install an expensive inverter and rewire the equipment that you already have. Resource Fitness provides a complete and affordable solution. The Resource Fitness website states that “typical users will be able to sustain between 50 – 150 watts during their half hour workout and depending on your physical condition you may be able to generat

The iPad has certainly taken off in a big way, and there are so far a thousand and one ways to make use of it, with many more ways yet undiscovered. Well, why not add another one to the list with the Wallee iPad Case? Available in black and clear versions, this £39.99 purchase will be able to turn the elegant iPad into a wall mounted solution, letting you use it as some sort of glorified digital photo frame. All you need to do is click your iPad into this glossy hard shell case, screw the backplate which comes with it while interlock the X-mount to the wall, and voila! You’re good to go, with the iPad clicked and locked properly in either portrait or landscape position. Of course, if you don’t want to mount your iPad with the Wallee iPad Case, you can always use it as a regular case on your travels to make sure it offers adequate protection against everyday knocks and bumps.

I LOVE soup, its like the perfect food. The problem is, I’m guilty of eating a bunch of canned soups, which with all the salt and fat in them it kind of negates just how wonderful soup can really be for you. I was reading about the Cuisinart Soup Maker which has been available in the UK for a little over a year now, this nifty countertop device is an all in one appliance allowing you to make fresh, hot soup right on your counter, in all of about 20 minutes. Already a favorite with cooks in the UK, this soup maker has quite a following, with consumer blogs, a Facebook page and a plethora of recipe sharing sites. The Soup Maker is actually a blender, with an integrated heater that has three different settings allowing you to saute, boil, heat and simmer fresh ingredients right inside the carafe. When your soup is done, the Cuisinart Soup Maker’s powerful 1000W motor blends the hot soup mixture to the desired consistency and keeps it hot for you. The Cuisinart Soup Maker will also make

The Segway proved to be a rather interesting personal transportation device for the less abled, and even Steve Wozniak managed to turn it into a sport (Segway polo, anyone?). Well, not everyone can afford one, so for those who are on a tighter budget, what are some of the alternatives available to you? Roll in (pun intended) the Electric Personal Transporter, where this four-wheeled electric personal vehicle is capable of hitting a top speed of 20 mph while running in an effortless, smooth manner across paved paths, driveways, or sidewalks. Of course, if you’re an able bodied person and prefer to use this for quick, easy errands or leisurely rides through the park, we would advise against it and go for a real walk instead as it would be a pity to not maximize the use of your legs while you still can. A couple fo 700-watt electric motors are located within the hub of each 16″ drive wheel, delivering both forward and reverse motion. Balance and steering are controlled via two trailing 4

E-book readers have been around for some years already, and the amount of progress in that department hasn’t really caught on as fast as we would like to have. After all, we are finally about to take the plunge into the world of color e-readers after some time, which is pretty sad considering how other devices such as cell phones have long adopted the color feature for some time already. Perhaps there really isn’t a need for color in an e-reader, but times might have changed as well. After all, e-readers are meant to be lightweight and consume as little juice as possible so that it can complement the digital page turners that you have already uploaded unto it. Hanvon jumps aboard the color bandwagon with their new e-reader, thanks to technology from E Ink, whose black-and-white displays are used in 90 percent of the world’s e-readers, including the Amazon Kindle, Sony Readers and the Nook from Barnes & Noble . Why the E Ink screen? Well, it wins over LCD in two sections – they s

First, for the people who don’t know (and I was among you only minutes ago) Geocaching is a relatively new, worldwide, high tech game of hide and seek. Using a handheld global positioning device, players attempt to locate hidden treasures almost anywhere. Sounds like fun huh? Enter Apisphere Geomate Jr. the quickest, easiest, and dare I say least expensive way to enter the world of geocaching. Apisphere Geomate Jr. has only one button, that’s right, one. That being said, even I can do this. Turn it on and it communicates with satellites that give you directions, in the form of distance, height and direction, to the closest geocache. It also lets you know the terrain, difficulty level AND the size of the geocache you are searching for. It has ability to save your start point, so you can easily find your way back to where you started. The neatest thing about the Geomate Jr is that it comes pre-loaded with about 250,000 geocache locations all over the United States and with the optional

Since the holidays are coming, there are a lot of kids who will want toys from last summer’s big blockbuster, Iron Man 2 . Fortunately, Hasbro has Iron Man toys in droves, and if your young kids don’t want an Arc-reactor for their heart, they can have this Iron Man 2 helmet for their head. The Iron Man 2 helmet comes with a flip-up face, so you can raise it up and say: “The truth is…I am Iron Man”. Of course, if you want an automated voice to say that, you can have that too. There are three buttons on the side that say some pretty random things. Sometimes it sounds like Iron Man, and sometimes it sounds like Jarvis, the computer from Iron Man . Neither of these voices are from the movies. In case you are wondering if this bug-eyed Iron Man mask is made just for kids, then I would have to say the answer is no. I was able to wear this, and it covered my face down to my chin. The only problem that I had as an adult wearer of this mask was the back part of this helmet never really fi

I’ve had a chance to try out the DYMO LabelManager 360D, and I just got finished trying out the LabelManager 260P, which is sort of a one-handed version of the 360D. The 260P uses DYMO D1 labels in 1/4″, 3/8″, and 1/2″ widths, and is capable of two lines of text. It is also a Portable and Rechargeable Label Maker, and has a battery that can be recharged at the wall via cord. The user can choose from 3 fonts and six text styles, and can highlight the text with 8 box styles or underlining. You can also save 9 labels in case you need to use the same text again. I will have to say that the only improvement I would make is the keyboard. It is not a QWERTY, and so all the keys are in alphabetical order. The number keys are these thin jobs that hover above the letters, and the punctuation and special symbols are two buttons that often require the arrow keys to find what you need. I actually would have preferred a model with smaller buttons, QWERTY keyboard, and individual symbol keys. Ho

In case you ever wondered if diva pop stars are “for real”, this one certainly isn’t. At least, not in the sense that Britney Spears and Beyonce are real. No, Hatsune Miku is a hologram. She (or should I say it) is created by Japan’s Crypton Future Media, and she is essentially a 3D avatar come to life for the stage. You can watch the video after the jump. In all honesty, I didn’t think we had technology like this now. I don’t see anyone trying to touch Hatsune Miku, and having their hand pass through them. You know what this reminds me of? Jem. Yes, that eighties toy that was also a cartoon. If I remember her backstory correctly, the reason why she was truly outrageous, was because she was a hologram. Actually, Jem was sort of a holographic cover for Jerrica Benton, which was her alter go. Yes, she had a computer named Synergy that could make a hologram of anything. In fact, her backup band was named the Holograms. Can you ever believe that a cartoon with su

The tablet market is certainly heating up, and AT&T will be carrying the Samsung Galaxy Tab as well (not to mention most of the other major carriers Stateside), where they have slated November 21st to be the launch date – making it arrive more than a month before Christmas, perhaps in anticipation of a mad rush for this during the Christmas season? You will have to dig relatively deep though, as the Galaxy Tab is no impulse purchase at a $649.99 price point. Of course, what good is the Galaxy Tab if you do not have a corresponding data plan to go along with it? Good thing AT&T has a couple of plans up their sleeves for you to mull over – a $14.99 pay-as-you-go plan for 30 days with up to 250MB of usage and a $25 pay-as-you-go plan for 30 days with up to 2GB of usage. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out which one is more worth your buck, and don’t worry about overage fees since all you need to do is purchase another pay-as-you go plan if you reached your data limit before 30

Portable scanners are nothing new, but what about one that not only accepts full-page documents and photographs, it also provides a preview of images thanks to its built-in 2.4-inch color LCD display? This is perfect as it lets you have an idea of what you’ve scanned before saving it to the digital format. An Hammacher Schlemmer exclusive, the Previewing Full Page Portable Scanner is specially built for optimal portability, where it will take up just a foot of space regardless of where you use it unlike its flatbed scanner counterparts which require dedicated counter space. Capable of accepting face-down up to full 8 1/2″ x 11″ documents and photographs (and as small as 3″ x 5″), you can scan them at up to 300 dpi resolution, where the LCD will display previews in 480 x 234 pixel resolution glory. All documents and photographs are quickly converted into an individual, high-quality JPEG digital picture file which will then be saved onto a preferred memory card. It will play nice with SD

So you own an iPad and use it primarily as an ebook reader. Well, if that is the case, why not make the most of it by purchasing a relevant accessory? We’re talking about the BookBook for iPad, where it will come in Classic Black and Vibrant Red color schemes, retailing for a rather hefty £69.99 a pop, but wait till you hear what 70 quid can deliver. Basically, the BookBook for iPad will offer protection for your iPad in a stylish manner, where it is disguised as a vintage leather bound hardback book. Not only that, when the situation calls for it, it can also double up as a fully adjustable stand, making this one of the classier iPad cases to date instead of those standard rubbery rubbish which we see flood the market these days. Handmade in genuine soft-touch leather with a padded interior and dual zips, it is capable of delivering serious impact/crush protection. Go on now, read your ebooks in style.

Joby's GorillaPod Video is an ideal accessory to the pocket camcorder. Joby’s Gorillapod line can turn just about anything into a camera platform. But up until recently, it hasn’t given much other than static ability to camcorders. Now, Joby has the Gorillapod Video, and let me tell you, it’s the icing on the cake. I had a chance to test out the Gorillapod Video, and essentially, the foundation isn’t any different. Users still have those three legs with over two dozen leg joints that bend and rotate 360°. This gives it the ability to wrap around like about anything and turn it into a camera platform. The legs also come with strong, heavy duty magnetic feet which can adhere the Gorillapod to a metal surface. But above the legs, the Gorillapod Video really comes into it’s own. In addition to the stock quick release lock ring, the Gorillapod Video has a machined steel ball joint which allows for 360 degree panning, as well as a metal handle that allows for 135 degree panning and t

Gone are the days where you could fill up your iPod with huge amounts of free content found, however illegally, on websites like the old Napster or Limewire. Fast forward to the future, where you need to look over your shoulder if you are not paying the exorbitant fees required to load up your handheld devices. I for one don’t need the stress of “sharing” my files with the unknown masses, or wondering when my computer will crash from doing the naughty song stealing I shouldn’t have been doing in the first place. Well, now there is another option, iRecord Music, brought to you by the same people who brought you the iPad compatible, iRecord Pro. iRecord Music is the only multifunction USB device that can directly record to an iPhone 4 and other iPhones, all iPods including iPod touch and other portable media players with a touch of a button. No computer or complicated software required. The iRecord Music can also record from CD players, internet radio, cassette players, TV and even c

I’ve reported on Eton’s products before, such as the Solarlink FR360. We’ve also covered the Scorpion, and I got to try it hands-on. The Scorpion is one of those gadgets that you would think would be “seen on TV”, because it comes in a small package, and it can do big things. After all, it has an AM/FM radio, NOAA Weather band, a built-in LED flashlight, not to mention a bottle opener. Best of all, no batteries are required. The Scorpion has a a large solar panel for harnessing the power of the sun, as well as a hand-crank. It also has a USB port for charging USB powered phones. I tried plugging my iPod Touch into it, and I couldn’t see much change on the battery indicator, even after several cranks. According to the instructions, the port is for USB-powered mobile phones, so it may not work on iPods. In spite of that, I found that the Scorpion is probably one thing you want to have around in an emergency situation, such as a zombie attack like on The Walking Dead . The main cha

Bang & Olufsen is a name that has long been associated with superior audio quality, and if you can afford their stuff, then it is rather safe to say that you are flush with cash to spare on big boys’ toys. The latest device from Banh & Olufsen to hit the market would be the BeoSound 8, where this unique docking station will cater for the latest range of iDevices, including the iPod touch, iPad and iPhone. This will be the first product of such of its kind from Bang & Olufsen’s stables, where the BeoSound 8 defies industry standards as it features a distinct two dimensional design, bold form, and a superior sound quality thanks to its custom-made conical speakers and high-performance amplifiers. Not only that, it will be directly compatible with the iPad, so you need not have to grapple with stuff like additional wires and adapters, resulting in a clean, minimalist design that pleases the eye. BeoSound 8’s light and characteristic design results in it being highly flexibl

This man is Yves Rossy, otherwise known as JetMan or RocketMan, like the Elton John song. A few years ago, Rossy created a personal flyer that enabled him to fly around, and he even did a flight across the English Channel. His most recent stunt was a definite stunt, all right. In fact, it was something that aerial planes have been doing for years: a loop. He is the first to do a loop while wearing a jetpack, and there is a video of his feat after the jump. Rossy, who is 51-years-old, performed this stunt by jumping off a hot-air balloon over Lake Geneva with his flyer, with two wings and four jet engines. He managed to perform the stunt by spreading his arms and flexing his legs, and got his speed up to 200 miles an hour. As planned, he used his parachute at the end. This is one of those times where I am going to eat my words on former report. A while ago, I said that Yves Rossy’s motives “are nothing but pure publicity”. I take back what I said about that, because I really appre

Lava lamps are pretty fancy stuff, and they hardly seem to get old at all. Well, hopefully they will still be around a century from now when we’re all wearing TRON-like suits. If that’s the case, then “investing” in this £2400 Giant Lava Lamp might seem like a good idea – imagine the kind of money it might be able to fetch in the future! Made to order by Mathmos, inventors of the original, generation-defining Lava Lamp, they are definitely jaw-dropping and impressive – be prepared to have your guests walk into the room and be amazed. Standing up to a couple of meters tall and measuring 20cm in diameter, we would definitely recommend keeping running kids away from this lest they accidentally knock it over, spilling more than a couple thousand quid in the process. Mathmos will also coat it in any colour you fancy, which is the right thing to do considering you have forked out a king’s ransom for it. Giant Lava Lamps use a slightly different formulation to their smaller siblings, and must

Thinkgeek knows that microSD memory cards are in abundance these days, so it makes perfect sense to have a device that reads these little small-as-fingernails buggers anytime, anywhere. Not everyone carries a memory card reader with them, but most of us wear watches. Why not use your timepiece to read those microSD cards as well? Enter the microsD card reader watch from Thinkgeek, where it retails for a highly affordable $15.99, sporting a built-in microSD card reader while accompanied by a stainless steel bezel, back cover and buckle. Of course, the more reading you do on it, the faster your watch’s battery will deplete, but that’s just the way life is. Each purchase comes with a USB cable to hook it up to a computer for file transfer. At least it can still tell the time when microSD memory cards are no longer in vogue…

Some of us want to watch videos from our iPod/iPhone on our regular television, and the DEXIM AV Dock Station with Remote Control is one way of going about it. I got a chance to try it out for myself, and I found it pretty easy to set up. Not being too technically-minded, I am assuming that if I can set it up, so can everyone else. I connected it to my flatscreen TV, and then to the dock. The dock had to be plugged into the wall, and then it was time for putting in an iDevice with one of the nine inserts. In my case, it was my 2nd Generation iPod Touch. I managed to get some YouTube videos on my television with some clear resolution. At first it didn’t work, and so I checked the instructions, and it required setting up my iPod as well as using the iDevice itself to access the videos. It eventually worked out really well, but I will have to say that the remote control only worked on adjusting the volume for the video. Perhaps later versions of iPods and iPhones can be more easily con

I have always used a radar detector, not that I’m a big speeder or anything, it’s more that I am always late, and to be honest, usually in a bit of a hurry. I find that how much of a hurry I can allow myself to be in, weighs quite heavily on the reputation and reliability of the radar detector I have at the time. Well, let’s just set the alarm clock for a half hour later as Cobra introduces iRadar, the cool new detector that works in tandem with your iPhone giving you 360 degree protection against speed and red light camera violations. This new technology allows the detector to communicate with your iPhone via a bluetooth connection and app, the system provides you with audio alerts via speaker and visual alerts on your iPhone . The free app syncs your iPhone with the detector and offers up a compass and real time speedometer, radar and laser detection, speed and red light camera warnings, as well as known speed traps and dangerous intersection alerts. Your iPhone display will show

It has been a while since we covered the AirCurve iPhone dock from Griffin Technologies, and I just had a chance to try out the company’s update for the iPhone 4, the AirCurve Play. The AirCurve Play works like the Horn Stand. It is a device designed to increase the volume of the iPhone 4, but without any electronics that are found within most iPod/iPhone speaker docks. The AirCurve Play states that it can increase the external volume by about 10 decibels. At first I wondered if that was going to make a difference, because the Horn Stand says it increases sound by 13 db. I barely heard the difference in that device. In this AirCurve Play, I heard a significant difference, and I don’t even own an iPhone 4. My second generation iPod Touch didn’t fit in the place made for the iPhone 4, but fortunately, there was a rubber cradle thing that could be removed in order to accommodate more thicker iDevices than the iPhone 4. In addition to having a place for an amplified iDevice, the AirCu

While I was at E3 in Los Angeles last summer, Disney Interactive had their best game-face on with several of their holiday games on display, including Epic Mickey. Epic Mickey is kind of a dark game from the Mouse House. It stars the big mouse himself as he ventures into a Wasteland with a magical paintbrush. In the game, Mickey must “break free from the Mad Doctor’s clutches, set out in pursuit of the mysterious rabbit Oswald, and defeat the Evil Blot. PDP (Performance Designed Products) is prepared for this game with Epic Mickey video game accessories. You might notice the Evil Blot in the top left photo. This is a Wiimote Controller charger, and it has a collectible design along with a removable Mickey Mouse Figure. The head lights up, and it has its batteries included for giving the Wiimote some added juice. Of course, what use is a collectible Wiimote if you don’t have a Nunchuk? That is what that paintbrush is. It was designed to look like Epic Mickey’s weapon of choice as he

When it comes to super fast performance rigs for gamers, the name Digital Storm would surely ring a bell among others in the industry. What Digital Storm has wrought this time around would be to introduce their Black|OPS gaming system range that will be equipped with NVIDIA’s GeForce GTX 580 running – nay, purring within. With all the additional power underneath the hood, gamers will now be able to leverage the unparalleled performance of the world’s fastest DirectX 11 GPU, leaving you to way to weasel out of a crushing defeat by complaining that your hardware is not up to snuff. Why not check out more of what the newly equipped Black|OPS gaming system range has to offer in the extended post? Let us take a closer look at the GeForce GTX 580 first – this is touted to be NVIDIA’s flagship GPU which is capable of delivering a seamless gaming experience unlike any other. Not only do you experience overall improved performance and an innovative vapor chamber thermal design, the GTX 580 wi

Modular computing is somewhat similar to taking a flight on a budget airline – there are no frills to worry about, and you pay for what you need/want to use. Well, Xi3 Corporation plays on this concept with the Xi3 Modular Computer which intends for you to use the same computer for many years to come, hence helping your household (as well as organization) save money in the long run without having to splash too much dough in the process. Basically, Xi3 Corporation has specially designed the Xi3 Modular Computer to make it (potentially) the last computer you ever need to buy – at least that is what they claim. It was recently showcased for the first time to journalists at the CES Unveiled @ NY Showcase and Networking Reception in New York City, where the Xi3 Modular Computer managed to pick up the Innovations Award Winner in the Computer Hardware category for the 2011 International CES trade show in the process. You will have to see it to believe it – it is really small, measuring no m

I’ve already talked about the Epic Mickey video game peripherals from PDP (Performance Designed Products), and these particular accessories are based on a Disney movie franchise: Tron . Oh, yes, that Tron Legacy is looking like it will be this holiday’s Avatar . It probably won’t make as much money, but just check out the trailer after the jump, and see how cool it is! I got to a chance to try out two of these Tron controllers, and they are a better use of the Afterglow technology by the same company than the Afterglow actually was. The way the controllers look in the dark is nothing short of awesome. If you wave them around in the air, you can make some cool light patterns. They way these controllers are designed, with the light stripes on them, it feels like you are in a Tron movie. Takes me back to 1982. All I can say is that this Tron Legacy had better be as good as the original Tron was. I realize this 28-year-old movie probably looks sick by today’s cinema standards, a

I hate talking about dying, I spend more time than I think is right, wondering about my mortality. In fact my husband and I debate over whether we need a nice luxurious vault, or a quick and easy cremation, and up until now, cremation was for me. I just couldn’t think of a single reason to be stuck in the cold, wet ground. Well, maybe now there might be one, E-Tomb. Seriously. A headstone capable of saving all of your online information from social networking sites, blogs and other website information and dispensing it to your, um, shall we call them guests? Via their smartphone or computer. This solar powered grave marker will connect via bluetooth with a key embedded into the cross on the stone, this connection will allow the headstone to dispense information about your “digital personality” including websites, social networking sites, audio clips, pictures and even videos. Your friends can stop by your stone, and upload their own stuff, adding even more memories to the collage of i

So what is a Woogie, you ask? It has nothing to do with Chewbacca. While we are on the subject of seventies science fiction, the Woogie is not some alien that attaches to your face. The Woogie is designed to face a problem that many Apple mobile users are facing. For some reason, young children love to play with iPhones and iPods, and these mobile devices often come back to the parents either busted or covered in a membrane of sticky goo. The Woogie is a place to put the iPhone/iPod in a huggable shell, so it will reduce the damage by a young child. It is also serves as a speaker. It takes two AAA batteries that are stored in the stuffed animal’s stuffing, and increase the volume tremendously when it is plugged into the headphone jack. I agree with the basic concept behind this toy/iDevice shield, but I would have chosen a shape of something like a teddy bear, and not this odd thing that looks like a green vegetable that your kid would refuse to eat. Again, I would recommend the Wo

Creative is back at the forefront of gaming headsets yet again with their latest model, the Sound Blaster Tactic3D Alpha. This one is touted to be the first of its kind in the world to deliver a true 3D immersive experience, where your ears will be able to hear sound coming from around you, above you and right from below – imagine if we had this kind of audio capability back in the days where we played Alone in the Dark on the PC. Now that would certainly have knocked your socks off by quite a margin, eh? That’s one for memories now, as games have since moved on and 3D video being made the norm these days, so Creative headsets equipped with THX TruStudio Pro would make for the perfect partner for gamers who want a completely immersive, mind-blowing 3D audio and video experience. More on the Creative Sound Blaster Tactic3D Alpha here, as the THX TruStudio Pro Surround will deliver a 360 degree surround sound gaming experience so that gamers are able to hear sounds clearly from the fr

LEGO can be one of the better investments for your little one whenever he/she yearns for a new toy, since a whole bag of colorful bricks can always be used over and over again to create a new “toy”, depending on the kind of imagination you have. Enter the LEGO Minifig Alarm Clock that is pretty self-explanatory actually, where it comes in the form of a LEGO minifig complete with a digital clock that has been embedded into the minifig’s stomach. You will have to be on the Dark Side this time around since you can only choose from Stormtrooper or Darth Vader designs at $29.99 a pop. You can be sure that Darth Vader will use the power of the Force to help you get out of bed during those cold mornings when you prefer to snuggle under the blanket. As for the Stormtrooper, imagine that he is zapping your ears with some sort of aural laser to keep those sleepy eyelids open! Measuring 8″ tall, this would make for the perfect nightstand companion.

For the Chinese, there is nothing quite like setting off a trail of firecrackers during Chinese New Year to usher in what is hoped to be another annual cycle of prosperity, health and wealth. As for those celebrating Christmas, why not add a twist to the traditional firecrackers with the Christmas Cracker Orchestra? This box will hold eight Christmas crackers which will pop open to reveal one of eight plastic whistles that have been specially tuned to individual notes for playing along to a traditional holiday song as an ensemble. This has been a renowned English Christmas tradition since their invention in 1847, as individual crackers make a safe, festive “pop” when pulled apart at either end by two celebrants, only to reveal one of the whistles. Nice to know that each whistle will be accompanied by a numbered card that corresponds to a numbered, sequenced part to be “tooted” along with one of 21 Christmas carols, where among them include favorites such as Jingle Bells, Good King Wenc

Some of you might remember when we covered the Actroid-F, a robot that looks pretty human. Now, someone has created a chatbot that has fooled a judge to think that it sounds human. For those unfamiliar with a chatbot, it is “a computer program designed to simulate an intelligent conversation with one or more human users via auditory or textual methods”. This is not a picture of a chatbot, by the way, this is a shot from Bot Colony, a computer game that relies heavily on chatbot technology that I encountered at E3 last year. A programmer by the name of Bruce Wilcox designed a chatbot known as Suzette, and it managed to fool a judge after a 25 minute conversation. Wilcox won a $3,000 prize and a Loebner award for his efforts. The test involves something that sounds like the opening scene of Blade Runner , where questions are asked and judges tally how “human” the responses are. It is similar to a Turning Test, or the test of a machine’s ability to demonstrate intelligence.

Disclaimer: There are probably a lot cooler gadgets to report on rather than this. After all, we’ve got robots that look and sound human, for crying out loud! Not to mention all the cool consumer electronics that get released on a daily basis. So why should I consider writing about a three-hole punch made of transparent plastic? Because we flippin’ need one, that’s why! I can’t begin to count all the times that I’ve gone to punch holes in a paper, only to find out that the hole is in the wrong place. And what am I supposed to do, glue the hole back? No, I’ve got to make a print another page and hope that I don’t screw it up this time. I’m glad that inventors Kisang Yoon and Kyubok Lee have made hole-punching simpler by making the top of transparent plastic. This way, you can see exactly where your hole punch is going to land thanks to the red ring viewfinder there. Now all they have to do is make one for a three-hole punch. This is where I really screw up when it comes

Ever wondered how it felt like to be an astronaut, so many thousands of miles above the earth that you get to see the little globe which teems with life? Well, the City Lights Globe could offer a semblance of that experience, as this rotating globe will illuminate to show how the world’s cities look at night from space. It will boasts a true-to-the-view from orbit, glistening in a soft white glow where you will find major metropolitan areas located throughout Eastern Europe and North America, while sparsely lit areas are scattered throughout Africa and Russia. These city lights will automatically illuminate in low ambient light and dim whenever the globe is exposed to light, showing off a multicolor political map alongside topographical shading and place names for major cities, countries, and bodies of water. Measuring 10″ in diameter, this globe will rotate automatically on a mirrored base which reflects Antarctica and the surrounding bodies of water. No batterie

Most folks who play golf are pretty well off, or at least middle class at worst. Well, this means they have a pretty secure and cushy job, coupled with timeshare vacations elsewhere, own a couple of properties with the mortgage fully paid off perhaps, and drive a convertible sports car with an upmarket saloon for more ordinary errands. This would also mean their choice of attire will be branded for most, not to mention having a pretty nice wristwatch with metal straps. Who would have thought that one would wear a GPS wristwatch instead? Garmin’s Approach S1 GPS wristwatch is meant for those who love spending time on the greens, as it is capable of displaying precise yardages to the front, back and middle of greens while boasting more than 14,000-plus courses pre-loaded. The Approach S1 will constantly update information based on a golfer’s actual real-time location, while measuring individual shot distances without missing a beat. Of course, this doesn’t mean it will not b