Coolest Gadgets

Considering that practically everything has some sort of technological upgrade, I have always wondered why surfboards have never received one. Believe, it has nothing to do with the fact that they get wet. We have waterproof technology now. After all, don’t you think that it would help to have a gyroscope, accelerometer, GPS, and compass on board? This is what Pukas and Tecnalia have done, and there is a video of their creation after the jump if you want to see it in action. Not to be too much of a spoiler, but the video shows the board moving around on the water, and it looks like its movement is being matched on real-time. This is because the team installed the data and gathering electronics like sensors and hardware into the surfboard to transfer it to the computer. I can see how this would easily improve surfing. Imagine being out on the waves, and a computerized voice tells you that a huge wave is coming, and tells you how you should hit it. Man, the Beach Boys never sang about

Before you start panicking at the sight of this monster, you should know that it is made to shoot only paintballs…for now. This is the Mega Hurtz, and this battle-bot is designed to be piloted by remote control to take out as many paintball baddies as possible. It was designed by Chris Rogers, and it is equipped with video cameras and a remote with an LCD screen. I realize that this photo doesn’t give a good idea of a size of this thing, but it weighs in at 280 lbs. I’m guessing that you’ll need at least a pickup track to haul this guy into battle. Of course, once you let if off the chain, you’ll be able to use the red laser sights, night vision, and shoot opponents at a range of 500 feet. Yes, you would probably dominate driving one of these. Of course, this thing has an Achilles heel. A few precisely aimed paintballs could take out the cameras which would leave the Mega Hurtz blind. The Mega Hurtz is one of those Kickstarter projects. For those who aren’t familiar with Kickstar

Mention VIA and chances are you will think of motherboards first, with LCD displays in a distance. Well, the company does more than just motherboards as you can tell from their new VID series of digital touchscreen displays that were specially designed for action in a wide range of modern interactive kiosks, POI and POS embedded systems, further extending VIA’s position as a total system and embedded component provider. It will come in ruggedized and open frame configurations to suit a slew of environments, where the VIA VID series will range anywhere from 7 inches all the way to 19 inches, delivering excellent compatibility with VIA embedded systems not to mention added longevity support, complete scalability and a robust feature set ideal for commercial and industrial deployment. The VIA VID Series displays that come in a ruggedized configuration will feature IP65 water resistance compliancy as well as being capable of operating in temperatures of -10°C to 70°, which makes it ide

HTC has just announced that their latest HTC Merge smartphone will arrive across various North American carriers from the beginning of spring onwards. Just what does the Merge bring to the table? For starters, it will deliver a full QWERTY slide-out keyboard that is powered by the Google Android 2.2 Froyo operating system, coupled with the highly vaunted HTC Sense experience. Apart from that, it brings along with it a large 3.8-inch touchscreen display and a 5-megapixel camera that will result in a complete mobile experience for those who want a complete smartphone experience. Apart from that, the HTC Merge will also be the first CDMA world phone from HTC that is powered by Android. HTC has taken great pains to create unique solutions which will meet the needs of different customers, and the Merge does just that with features such as a full keyboard and global 3G roaming. HTC hopes that the HTC Merge will be able to deliver a reliable mobile experience with the features and function

Do you happen to do a whole lot of traveling via car or 4WD? Well, if your ride is used to transport a whole lot of stuff, then you might be interested in picking up the Inflatable Roof Rack. This roof rack for your set of wheels is able to inflate within minutes, making it a snap to provide easy transportation of oversized loads. Of course, this looks a whole lot better than the unsightly permanent racks which require tools and time to install and remove, but we suppose there is always a risk of it being punctured – all in the name of convenience. Each of these two heavy-duty rack supports come with inflatable PVC bladders, boasting double straps at all four ends to make sure it remains stable even when tucked into the top of the front and back windows. Sturdy ABS buckles will cinch the straps taut in the car’s interior. The rack inflates thanks to the included 12-volt electric pump, so you need not huff and puff your way through. At $149.95 a pop, it does seem like a pretty decent i

Urbanears has long been a quality name associated with headphones, and their latest foray into this department has resulted in the Bagis. Pretty weird name, don’t you think so? Well, as Deng Xiaoping of China once said, it doesn’t matter what color the cat is, as long as it catches mice. Same goes for the Bagis, call it what you will, but as long as it performs up to par, that should be more than good enough. The Bagis is a compact version of the Urbanears experience, where it boasts earplug construction for direct sound and efficient noise reduction. Not only that, it feaures a rubber housing alongside a combined fabric and TPE cord that helps eliminate distortions caused by friction. This results in each earpiece snapping together so that you can tote it around your neck when not in use. Retailing for $30 a pop, they will come in bright colors such as cerise, navy, orange, red, lavender, grass, white and black. Press Release

Are you a true blue health buff? Then chances are you will have involved yourself in a variety of sports, where among them include swimming, cycling and running, classic triathlon motions which most people will find comfortable with. Well, Velocomp has decided to help you out in this department with their new iBike Dash Cycling Computer. This is a lightweight wireless bicycle computer system which is capable of turning any iPhone or iPod touch into your own personal fitness trainer – without breaking the bank, of course. Priced at $199, the iBike Dash CC might just kick start an entirely new category of interactive cycling devices, capable of enhancing the cycling experience in a whole lot more intimate, intuitive and fun manner than ever before. Perhaps this might be the way to achieve your New Year’s resolution of keeping slim and trim, never mind that we’re already about to enter March. Each purchase of the iBike Dash Cycling Computer will include a free iPhone/iPod touch Bike Ap

Forget about regional launches – Fujitsu has just announced its Stylistic Q550 slate PC around the world, where it offers executive class performance with high-security in mind to cater for the requirements of mobile enterprise computing. These slate PCs will arrive in a couple of months’ time (that is April just in case you happen to lose your bearings on a calendar). To maintain Fujitsu’s long heritage of creating tablet PCs for professional and executive users, the Fujitsu Stylistic Q550 slate PC comes with built-in security from the ground up, letting it comply with the most stringent ICT security requirements of governments and businesses. It will definitely cater for enterprise mobile computing demands, and won’t find any problem integrating itself seamlessly into existing ICT infrastructures. After all, consumer-class smart phones and tablets tend to be rather lax in security compared to corporations which might result in security breaches, Fujitsu has decided to take an alte

It has been a while since I reported on a futuristic concept of a city or building, but I like this particular one by Vincent Callebaut. This utopian eco village, or Callebaut’s Coral Reef, is an artificial pier resting on seismic piles in the Caribbean Sea. I believe that the vision of this is to create new housing projects for people of Haiti that have been left devastated by the earthquake. Of course, that is pretty high price housing, and who knows who is going to fund this. Still, the housing is modular and each family is to have a plot of land to grow their individual food. See what else my Source’s Source says about it after the jump. A canyon flows between two rows of housing and is filled with a tropical ecosystem for the local fauna and the flora. Aquaculture farms and grey water recycling plants filter and process the water before sending it into the sea. The entire complex is carbon neutral and powered via a number of different renewable energy sources. Power would be ge

A while ago, we covered a Robot Hummingbird created by a Japanese researcher named Hiroshi Liu, and it was intended to have a camera. That article was written a year ago, and I don’t have any idea if this Nano Hummingbird is related to that aforementioned Robot Hummingbird, but it does have a video camera. This tiny aircraft has a wingspan of 6.5 inches and weighs in at 19 grams. I have no idea what powers it, but it carries its own energy source and has flapping wings for propulsion and control. I’m not certain if you know about this, but hummingbirds are one of the most maneuverable aerial animals. They are like the helicopters of the avian world, and they are the only birds that fly backwards. The Nano Hummingbird can climb, descend, as well as fly left and right, forward and backward. It can also rotate clockwise and counter-clockwise, and have an airspeed of 11 miles per hour. So, is this the next generation of flying cameras? It could be, provided hummingbirds are a common s

Imagine getting behind the wheel of your car, and no hands were required on the wheel. This is the technology of BrainDriver which is under development at Freie Universität Berlin by professor Raul Rojas. BrainDriver uses a head cap with 16 sensors that allow the driver to have control over the wheel. This is electroencephalography in action, and it is technology that is getting better every day. We have reported on computers that can do this, and all BrainDriver does is create a system for guiding the steering wheel. There’s a video after the jump so you can see how it works. You will note that they aren’t testing this on the real road with real traffic yet. You’ll also notice that the driver seems quite young. The first thing I thought was “I am surprised he has his license”. Speaking of thoughts, I’m not certain whether or not thought driving is such a good idea. I mean, when I drive, I think an action and then I do it. This Braindriver had better be able to discern when I am thi

Do you happen to love the great outdoors while zipping up and around on your bicycle? That’s a cinch with the iPhone Live Rider, where this £69.99 contraption will also deliver essential information as to whether all that workout of yours is making you any slimmer, burning away the love handles that have long plagued your waistline since the holiday season. After all, exercise bikes in the gym are super boring – and they don’t let you feel the breeze of natural, fresh air going past your face, although their main advantage would be having extremely detailed information feedback on your body and how it is doing. With the iPhone Live Rider, the same thing can happen to you – although you will be literally on the road. Before you use it though, make sure you have at least an iPhone or iPod touch that is mounted on the handlebar. With a sealed wireless sensor located near to your rear wheel, it will detect your bike’s speed and pedal cadence, sending such data to a dedicated application

Love watching birds, and listening to them even more? For folks living in the UK, we’re not talking about the female equivalent of human beings, but rather, the real deal which are our feathered friends. Instead of camping out at some uncomfortable marsh, getting bitten by mosquitoes all over, why not listen to your favorite birds chirp away in the comfort of your own home? The Complete Bird Songs Audio Book is an oversized audio tome which plays the songs and calls of every breeding bird in North America, which amounts to 747 of them in total, and they are all recorded in the field by the renowned Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Basically, this is the most comprehensive book of avian species ever published for North America, hands down. It might just spark curious novices to deepen their love for our singing and chirping friends, while helping dedicated birders to differentiate between songs and calls to identify each species’ unique audible characteristics. Powe

MobiWire has recently announced a new range of secure business phones which come with embedded security for voice, SMS, data and on-device encryption. We are pretty sure that this would have business associates high up sit and take notice – after all, the secure voice phone and secure data smartphones would be among the first of their kind in the world, delivering fully integrated protection against stolen terminals, eavesdropping of voice and SMS, and data theft through attacks via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections. Powered by the Android operating system, this secure phone solution was co-developed with secure communications specialists ERCOM following a strategic partnership that was announced last December. Needless to say, these devices will cater mainly for corporations and government organisations, where they form part of a full security solution which delivers secure data access to corporate servers, where among them include email, intranet and file servers. There is also a “T

GammaTech has been known to be one of the more famous names in the rugged device market, and this time around they do not disappoint with the Durabook S15C notebook that delivers portability as well as features which are seldom found in notebooks in its class, that is, designed for rugged environments. According to Jen Chen, GammaTech President, “Just because an individual works away from an office and uses their notebook computer in a harsh environment is no reason for he or she not to enjoy the benefits of a notebook computer with a brilliant screen and powerful graphics. Our new rugged S15C has a very generous 15.6” display with high-definition resolution and its many other terrific features make the S15C the perfect choice for such users.” Let us read more about the GammaTech Durabook S15C in the extended post. The S15C notebook was specially engineered and designed to GammaTech’s renowned tough standards, boasting a magnesium alloy case which is 20 times stronger than ABS plas

Another day, another projector, and this time around we have the Epson PowerLite X9 that will target the education market without breaking the bank. Yes sir, this new projector is capable of delivering up to 2,500 lumens of color and white light output alongside XGA resolution for just $599 – making it a suitable addition as well to any small or medium sized conference rooms. It is no surprise that many states in the US are already experiencing budget cuts, and one of the sectors to be hit pretty badly is the education segment, so it makes perfect sense for companies who deal with educational equipment to do their bit to help America out of the pit they’re in by lowering their profit margin and charging schools less for equipment – and we believe the Epson PowerLite X9 projector is one of such an instance. Among the convenient features of the PowerLite X9 that will light up (no pun intended) the classroom and boardroom are :- USB Plug ‘n Play Instant Setup: Instantly pro

This is a prototype for camera phones known as the Pelican Imaging’s array camera. Pelican’s array works on the same principle as those antennas that work together so that they can see things light years away. Have you ever seen photos of the VLA (Very Large Array)? If you’ve seen movies like 2010 , Contact , and Terminator Salvation , then you have seen at least one of the 27 giant antennas in some form. Now imagine this VLA technology miniaturized in what Pelican Imaging calls the plenoptic camera. You can see the 25 ball-shaped lenses, which all work together all of the small images to create a larger one. I have a video of it after the jump that demonstrates this tech in action. If this technology was somehow mass-produced, it would lead to thinner cameras, which would invariably lead to thinner phones. Hopefully, the pictures don’t look like the usual shotty ones that often appear on camera phones. It seems like camera phone technology is constantly improv

Want to prepare your kids for the coming summer as they run around the garden, having some fun with water pistols and the like? Well, there is a spanking new Super Soaker Scatter Blast that might just make your little ones more than happy – after all, who doesn’t want to be top dog in the neighborhood? Available to pre-order where it will ship from the beginning of next month onwards, the Super Soaker Scatter Blast will retail for £12.99 and can blast up to 5 streams simultaneously – that ought to prevent anyone from ambushing you without suffering from any consequences. Of course, adults too, could have some fun with the Super Soaker Scatter Blast, as they have some couple fun to cool down during those sweltering summers. Just make sure you have enough energy left at the end of the day to slide the pump forward to load the chambers, pulling back to fire at your opponents. With such a potent tool in your hands, you surely cannot miss no matter how bad your aim is!

Folks living in the UK will definitely know that it can get really, really gloomy on certain days with plenty of rainfall. Well, that means carrying around an umbrella is a must, but what happens when you get gale force winds coming your way as well? Enter the Automatic Wind Beater Umbrella from Firebox, and its name says it all. For £21.99, the Automatic Wind Beater Umbrella does resemble a standard lightweight folding umbrella when it isn’t being used to shield you from the elements, but when you press the open button, it transforms into a totally different beast altogether. In fact, that button press turns it into a massive golf-style umbrella, where it will deliver a whopping 123cm of rain-repelling coverage. Since it is so large (and you’re not grossly obese at Guinness World Record levels), why not invite a friend under the umbrella as well? Who knows, it might just spark off a new relationship? The secret to its wind beating technique? An interesting double canop

Some of you might remember when we reviewed the Aluratek AUH100F USB to HDMI 720p Adapter. I received another adapter recently from Sewell called the HD Deck that is also a USB to HDTV adapter, and found it quite similar. I’ll go ahead and start with the similarities. The Sewell HD Deck is a small box that can be connected to a computer and then an HDTV so what is on the PC is now on the screen. I was never able to get the screen to be a perfect match, and I think it has to do with resolution on both. I was able to have my TV set Mirror my PC screen, or make it a secondary monitor. By the way, the HDMI to HDMI cable is not included. I’ll get to the differences between the Aluratek and Sewell devices after the jump. The Aluratek was able to go to 720p, but the Sewell model goes up to 1080p. I seem to remember that the AUH100 had to be plugged into the wall, but the Sewell model had a power cord that required another free USB port. That was quite helpful, actual

OLED displays do not come cheap, you know, but that doesn’t mean they cannot be even more expensive – especially after you consider what Mitsubishi has done with their OLED display this time around. Using ISE 2011 as the perfect platform, the Japanese consumer electronics giant decided to roll out a curved OLED display under the Diamond Vision brand. Having a radius of 917.15mm with a pixel pitch of 3mm, this display sports a resolution of 1920 x 256mm. According to Mitsubishi, this is a prototype at the moment, but they obviously want to introduce it to the mass market within a few months’ time. One advantage that this OLED display has over the other regular LCDs would be boasting of a far higher than your regular LCD display by up to 2 times, making it suitable for high ambient light areas including shopping malls and passenger terminals. With an 80-degree viewing angle, regardless of whether it is horizontal or vertical, you can be sure that when this arrives, it will

There is nothing quite like the feeling of building your own computer from scratch – of course, we aren’t referring to you churning up everything from its components to the nitty gritty, but getting all the essential parts from a reputable store and piecing everything else together in your garage (or room, whichever you’re more comfortable with). Yes, the type of processor, memory, storage space solution are all extremely important, but do remember that piecing all of those into a suitable casing/chassis is also equally important. This is where the Core 3000 comes in, as this puppy will be able to offer a whole bunch of cooling options to make sure everything inside runs fine and dandy even when you crank it up. Boasting up to 7 fans of various sizes which can be installed, you might be surprised to find the inside run relatively cool compared to other similar configurations in a different chassis. The front panel itself is easily removable and will come pre-fitted with

The Joy Factory – ah, that name itself should evoke a smile on your face, after all, who would want to turn down some bling? Well, the company knows that you treasure your iPad a whole lot (although that affection will most probably be transferred over to the iPad 2 when that arrives later this spring), and has just unveiled a Swarovski Crystal-studded, special edition Arc-PurpleRomance iPad case and stand. This is part of a product suite of lifestyle-driven digital companion accessories that will target smartphone and tablet users, where the versatile Arc boasts of a deep violet hue and will most certainly complement the lifestyle of the stylish, sassy woman. According to Sampson Yang, president of The Joy Factory and consumer electronics veteran, “This chic release suits the tech savvy woman on-the-go. Swarovski—known for their precision-cut luxury crystal—adds the perfect accent to the already stylish Arc. This slim, light-weight and durable Arc case and adjustable st

Do you tend to forget what has been spoken to you over the phone, especially when it involves capturing medical instructions, legal processes, and financial advice? Then the Telephone Consultation Recorder might just be your cup of tea. After all, this recording device will make sure every spoken word between professional services and a client (that’s you) is captured for posterity. The recorder will issue a clearly audible beep to make sure both parties are aware that their conversation is being recorded. It must be plugged into your phone via the included splitter cable before it can kick into action, while its sensitive internal microphone will capture every detail of a consultation. With dual automatic gain control and adjustable recording levels, you will get superior sound quality. All consultations will be saved in the MP3 file format onto any SD memory card (up to 32GB in capacity), and to get an idea on how long that is, a 4GB SD memory card can already hold up

If there is one thing that I have noticed about Hammacher’s products, it is the use of adjectives. While some of them might sound out of this world (as our readers have pointed out in the past via comments), surely they haven’t gotten slapped with a lawsuit before for false advertising, which means their claims are legit? Here we are today with another device – known as The Most Convenient Bluetooth Headset. Why is it called that, you ask? Well, apparently it will remain charged in a car and automatically reconnect with your cell phone. The headset will juice up from a base which plugs into your 12-volt DC adapter, hence doing away with the need to charge up your headset inside every time. The moment you enter the vehicle, the headset will automatically reconnect with your paired cell phone, which isn’t different at all from the automatic reconnection of a built-in hands-free system. You will be able to enjoy crystal clear conversation since the headset boasts noise sup

ID8-Mobile is a name that most of you would be familiar with when it comes to accessories for mobile connected devices, and the company has started to open up pre-orders for its MoGo Talk XD2 for the iPhone 4. Of course, anyone with an iPhone 4 who wants to go the hands-free route when driving (it is going to be more cost effective than paying for a ticket many times over, trust us) will definitely want to check out the clean design and high performance that comes with the new XD2. Touted to be the world’s first “never lost” Bluetooth headset, the MoGo Talk XD2 is currently the thinnest and only high-performance Bluetooth headset with a protective case system which will stores and charge on your iPhone. After all, with it picking up the 2011 International CES Innovations Design and Engineering Award recently in the wireless handsets and accessories category, you surely can’t argue with such pedigree, can you? The MoGo Talk XD2 for iPhone 4 will come in a new, sleek ind

You know that saying, “If it’s too loud you’re too old!” Well, hopefully you won’t find the £179.99 Center Stage PA System too loud for your tastes, or you could always hand it down over to your teenage son who would love to rock his room to a pair of these, being oblivious to all that is around him (as well as irritating your neighbors to no end). The full on PA here is definitely taking a different route from all those compact docks and tiny portable speakers, so you can more or less be sure that it boasts a bite that is as powerful as its bark. This is no less a complete sound system, where the Center Stage PA System comprises of a couple of full-range 50W speakers, a sturdy stand, built-in mixer and microphone. Heck, there is also a cradle for your iPod just in case you want to enjoy your tunes from that super famous portable media player. With a bunch of input and output options, this relatively compact offering is no slouch when it comes to sonic performance.

It is rather nice to see gaming hardware companies like Razer roll out new releases once in a while, similar to model changes in European car manufacturers that do not happen every year, but after a particular length of time. This just goes to prove how timeless those designs are, and make sure the reliability of the device will be able to last for that particular time period. The Razer DeathAdder is no exception, where it is now available as the Razer DeathAdder Black Edition. While the original was introduced in 2006, that model helped prolific gamers to crush their opponents with ease, and it was soon whispered among gamers as the standard of gaming excellence. Five years later, the DeathAdder has gained so much traction among gamers that it is used by more professional gamers than any other gaming mouse. To commemorate this momentous achievement, the Black Edition is a commemoration of this glorious collaboration between every single gamer and their never-failing, t

You know how sometimes an idea is just so great that you are certain it’s too good to be true? Well, I’m dancing on air and I know somewhere deep inside I am waiting to be disappointed. Best Buy has just launched a technology buy-back program where you can hand in your not yet super old tech, for gift cards allowing you to purchase the newest and coolest stuff. For someone like me that always gets the first generation thing-y, this is like proving there is a Santa Claus! For a limited time, Best Buy is offering many items with buy back protection for free, eventually they will charge for the abilty to trade up, but for now, go crazy with yourself! I can’t tell you how many times I have suffered in silence having jumped too quickly on the wrong phone, or the 1st edition of something that got sooo much better with the 2nd go around. Let’s not kid ourselves here. Items must be purchased at Best Buy, and you’re not getting anywhere near all your cash back, if you’re lucky i

This flamboyant poster with the tiny robot man is an ad for the Ningen Gakki. The Ningen Gakki is made by Takara Tomy, and the name translates from the Japanese to “human instrument”. It is named this because that is what it does: turns your flesh into something that plays music better than you can. It can be used by four people, and it works by having each of the players pinching the silver parts which are actually electrodes. This makes the entire body a musical instrument, and touching the skin creates activates a contact and very musical sound. You should definitely hit the jump if you want to see this. The Ningen Gakki has several modes. One is a performance mode, which allows the user a chance to play a pre-programmed tune with a vibrato sound. Then there is the drum mode which enables the user ability to play a tuneless percussion by beating different parts of the body. By the way, beating different parts of the body harder does not mean the sound gets l

We have reported on some cool weapons made from DIYers before. For example, there was that actual Star Trek Phaser with the beam that really works. Here is another weapon that is created by DIYers at J&M Special Effects, and I would love to see it in any movie and in real life. I have a video of this after the jump, and the man looks like Pyro from the X-men movies, without any of the mutant powers. You will note that there are many hoses and cables that don’t look very safe. Not that making a flame thrower would fall under anyone’s definition of safe, of course. Apparently, J&M Special Effects is working on a more compact version of this flamethrower. I suppose that this would be good for when you want to conceal your flamethrower. Granted, I cannot think of a situation other than espionage where you would need a concealed flame thrower. Then again, I don’t know much about flame throwers. Usually, I see them as big backpacks that require a gun which need

I’m not certain why Hewlett-Packard chose to unveil these new computers after the hubbub of the Super Bowl, but they have a definite plan for these new style of computers. The HP TouchSmart 610 Consumer PC and the HP TouchSmart 9300 Elite Business PC have the unique design that you see here, which enables the user to recline and dip the curved screen at a 60-degree angle. Each of them have a 23-inch 1080p HD display with a multitouch screen. Hit the jump to find out more specs about each of the models. The 610 has Intel or AMD and Intel processors with Hulu, Netflix, Rhapsody, as well as Twitter. It also features 16GB of RAM, 1 TB of storage, Blu-Ray optical drive, and Beats Audio Speakers. There is even a model that includes R.U.S.E., a strategy game by Ubisoft. As for the 9300, it has Intel Sandy Bridge processors, Windows 7, 160GB solid-state drive, and 2 Megapixel webcam. My Source also says that the 9300 Elite is made for “hospitality, retail, and health ca

I am always searching for the next cool thing for my daughter, I always hear people complaining that kids just don’t want anything that’s not battery operated or available online… So how about something decidedly low tech, kinda like a message in a bottle, but with the high tech spin kids crave? Enter Flipoutz a cool new interactive fashion accessory that consists of a bracelet and tradable coins. So kids can wear their Flipoutz band, load it with cool and colorful themed coins, and then trade them with their friends. Using the serial number on the on the coins, kids register them on Flipoutz.com, create their own “Owner Profile Page” and a distinctive “Coin Profile” page, and then watch as their coins travel the world with each successive trade or “flip.” It all starts by buying a Flipoutz starter pack. In that pack, you get a Flipoutz bracelet and a single Flipoutz coin. Create a Flipoutz profile and you are ready to enter your new coin’s serial number and create a co

If you’re looking to buy a new eReader our friends over at Gizmos for Geeks have put together a great report listing the pros and cons of the most popular eReaders currently on the market. Each reader is compared based on price, battery life, dimensions, supported formats and much more. The most popular readers are: Amazon Kindle Barnes and Noble’s NOOK Kobo eReader from Borders Sony Reader Digital Book Apple iPad To download the free report head on over to Gizmo for Geeks. If you already have and use an eReader please let us know in the comments which one and are you happy with it?

Are you looking for a compact digital camera to bring along with you to capture impromptu moments, without being weighed down while having some money left over at the end of the month as well? Samsung might have answered your prayers, perhaps not with Micro Four Thirds technology that offers pretty close performance to DSLR shooters, but with the PL20 and ES80 compact cameras. Both of these stylish point-and-shoot cameras will be able to capture clear, sharp images for most folks, unless your hand shakes excessively, of course. The PL20 will come with a 14-megapixel sensor, a 27mm wide angle and a 5x optical zoom, in addition to a staple these days – HD movie recording, while its Li-ion battery ensures you need not look for rechargeable AA batteries in lieu. As for the ES80, this model is another smart point-and-shoot option for those who want a balance of affordability and value. Boasting easy-to-use features like an internal charging system that makes sure you won’t l

They say that good things come in twos – any parent to a pair of twins will surely echo that sentiment, and Sprint has taken heed of such advice to introduce the new Kyocera Echo which takes a totally different route when it comes to form factor and features for a smartphone – we’re talking about having a couple of displays here instead of your usual one-screen handset. Yeah, I do think that this is a ruse to steal some thunder away from the upcoming Verizon CDMA iPhone 4 that is said to arrive next week, since the Echo is a pioneering device where cell phones are concerned with its two displays. Powered by the Android operating system, there are no demo units available as at press time for us to look at, although future updates are already in the offing. Most folks who are not that tech savvy might mistake this for the Nintendo DS that is notorious for having dual displays, but the Kyocera Echo intends to help you be more productive instead of spending your time playin

So you’ve just gotten that spanking new iPhone 4, but are wondering just how the heck are you going to keep it protected and safe from all harm, drops and accidental knocks? Well, surely getting a case has been on your mind for some time already, but just which model will you choose? Let Ballistic serve you with the AT&T iPhone 4 Ballistic HC Series Case. As its name suggests, this will work only with the AT&T version of the iPhone 4, so if you happen to own the Verizon Wireless model, you’re out of luck (for the moment, that is). Engineered with five layers of protection, they include a built-in screen protector, an integrated holster to deliver security from drops, fingerprints, scratches, dust and any other potential mishap. The 180 degree rotating belt-clip makes it easy to tote around, where it can be yours for $29.99. Surely that is worth the money to protect your phone investment?

You know that damning feeling in the pit of your stomach as you realize your toddler is no longer with you, and also out of sight. Panic sets in, and you run around like a headless chicken while saying a silent prayer that your little one has not been kidnapped. That wouldn’t have happened if you had the Mommy I’m Here Kid Tracking Device – all you need to do is clip the bear receiver to your child’s belt or shoe, press the button on your keychain and hear the bear beep. Of course, should your child actually roam more than 25 feet away from you, said keychain will also alert you so that you can stop browsing through tonight’s dinner at the moment while getting back to the task at hand – being a responsible parent. This audible child locator is capable of emitting sounds of up to 90 decibels, so don’t worry about not being able to hear it just like how some modern phones are so soft despite having their volume levels cranked up to the maximum.

I was thinking, with all the high tech stuff I have, why is it that I still have one of those alarm clocks that starts my day with a decidedly low tech “click” followed by the dreaded, increasingly louder “beep beep beep”? I mean seriously, shouldn’t I be able to do better than that? Today I am chucking that thing out the window and getting Insignia’s Infocast, the coolest thing to hit your nightside table since, well, that’s not really any of your business is it? Anyway, Infocast allows you to instantly access your favorite Web-based content without the hassle of a computer. You can check your Facebook updates, view a slideshow of your favorite pictures, view and share photos and videos with friends and family (that also have a Chumby powered device) and you can choose from over 1,500 Web apps for news, weather, sports and games. The Infocast also lets you listen to your favorite music, from radio stations around the world or even podcasts from a number of different s

When I saw this picture of the shaving helmet, I couldn’t help but think of the beginning of Full Metal Jacket which showed the several men getting their head shaved for the army. All I could think of was how easy it would be for multiple head shavings with this shaving helmet. It can actually turn a head with some hair into a cue ball in about 20 seconds, without cutting the cranium. This shaving helmet has four blades mounted on Teflon-coated aluminum rails that can slide up and down. The head gets a bath of shaving cream before the harvest of hair begins. You should be able to see this in action in a video after the jump. I don’t know what’s going to happen to someone who has long and big eighties hair and you put the shaving helmet on. Will it actually take out the hair, and where will the hair go? Imagine if you take off your shaving helmet and all the hair just falls off. I think that what we have is sort of a proof of concept, but I don’t see any word

Love the BlackBerry smartphone that you can’t get enough of its keyboard as well as blinking red light which keeps you occupied for most of the day? Well, good thing you aren’t residing in the UAE where the country has apparently banned the used of BlackBerry services due to the government demanding for RIM to allow them access to all messages sent and received, with RIM not budging (good for them). Well, those living Stateside can still have their healthy, daily dose of BlackBerry, this time round with Cricket delivering the BlackBerry Curve 8530 whcih will be accompanied by a pocket friendly 3G BlackBerry plan, now how about that for helping subscribers out during times of economic hardship? Cricket will be offering the BlackBerry Curve 8530 for $299.99, where it will come with Cricket’s true rate $60 BlackBerry Plan. For $60, what can you get? For starters, we’re talking about unlimited nationwide talk, text, email, web browsing, picture mail and even international te

Sony’s foray into the world of digital cameras has expanded further with the DSC-HX100V Cyber-shot, where this model is the first compact digital camera of its kind that will come with a 27mm Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonar T lens as well as a 30x optical zoom – this is definitely one of the rarer compact digital cameras that boast such a high zoom level – optical to boot. Of course, as with any other digital camera worth their salt, this puppy will also pack in full HD (1920 x 1080/60p) video recording capability. Accompanying that would be a 16.2-megapixel “Exmor R” back-illuminated CMOS sensor that is located inside both cameras, supporting a brand-new Intelligent Sweep Panorama HR (High Resolution) mode. Let’s see how that works in the extended post. All you need to do to activate the Intelligent Sweep Panorama HR mode would be to press the shutter button and sweep the camera, it is as easy as that. Doing so will allow you to capture up to 42.9 megapixel panoramic images wit

Everyone knows that driving around while yakking on your cell phone without a hands-free kit (be it a speakerphone or a Bluetooth headset) is dangerous, not only to you but to other road users as well. After all, having your concentration taken off the road by an iota could potentially lead to a catastrophe down the road, pun intended. This is why getting a hands-free kit is of utmost importance, but which one do you choose? Out this week by C & C Designs Technology, LLC, the patent-pending wedgi can be said to be the most versatile smartphone kickstand and dashboard mounting device available on the market at point of publishing. Of course, that is just PR spin, but we will have to test it for ourselves (or wait for our dear readers to be an early adopter) before coming up with our own conclusion. Why the wedgi? Well, it takes its name from its slim, lightweight design, where the wedgi has been specially designed to be inserted into any seam in a car’s dashboard, r

What you are seeing on the far left is the 3Feet, and it is a stand for a mobile device from iPad to iPhone size. It was a device that I tried out at CES 2011, and got a chance to try out for myself. It definitely did a good job holding up my Droid smartphone. Then again, so did this other accessory to the right of the 3Feet that I got for free. The item in question came from a pizza box. You know that weird plastic thing with three legs that serves no purpose except give your pizza box lid more support on the top? Yes, I masterfully figured out how to use one as a smartphone stand, and it worked. Am I saying that the 3feet Stand is just as good as some plastic you get for free? Absolutely not. I found that I could not do portrait mode on the pizza thing, just landscape. I’m pretty certain that the pizza thing couldn’t hold up an iPad either. Also, the pizza thing couldn’t fold up very neatly and fit conveniently in a normal-sized pocket. In short, I do reco

GoPro is a name that is more often than not associated with wearable as well as gear mountable cameras, and to manufacture those, it also makes perfect sense to have accessories accompany them. Come to think of it, accessories for cameras are somewhat the equivalent of french fries and a Coke to go along with your main burger meal, right? What we will look at today is the LCD BacPac detachable LCD display. The name itself more or less gives it away, as this is a detachable LCD display that will accessorize your HD HERO camera, being the first in a line of expansion modules that is set to hit the HD HERO camera in due time. You will be able to place your order today at GoPro.com, although those who are not in a rush can always wait until it ships to retailers worldwide. The asking price? $79.99. How does the LCD BacPac attach itself to your 1080p HD HERO camera like a barnacle? Well, it will do so via the HERO Port, which in essence is a small expansion port that is locat

Hammacher Schlemmer has had a long, 163-year history that delivers nothing but what they deem to be the best for home consumers, giving you devices and items that are supposed to make life at home more comfortable and convenient. Of course, in the face of ever changing technology, it makes perfect sense for them to deliver up-to-date gizmos and gadgets, and the Camcorder Projector is definitely one of them. The Camcorder Projector is actually a high-definition camcorder which is capable of instantly projecting video or still pictures onto any flat surface as its name suggests. This will, of course, depend on whether the surroundings are dark enough, and whether you have a light colored wall (white is best to maintain the color shown of course). As to whether it will support full High Definition or not, you will need to read on in the extended post. For something so small, it doesn’t do full HD video recording which can be a downside for some, since several other more no

Hammacher Schlemmer has had a long, 163-year history that delivers nothing but what they deem to be the best for home consumers, giving you devices and items that are supposed to make life at home more comfortable and convenient. Of course, in the face of ever changing technology, it makes perfect sense for them to deliver up-to-date gizmos and gadgets, and the Camcorder Projector is definitely one of them. The Camcorder Projector is actually a high-definition camcorder which is capable of instantly projecting video or still pictures onto any flat surface as its name suggests. This will, of course, depend on whether the surroundings are dark enough, and whether you have a light colored wall (white is best to maintain the color shown of course). As to whether it will support full High Definition or not, you will need to read on in the extended post. For something so small, it doesn’t do full HD video recording which can be a downside for some, since several other more no