Friday, February 12, 2010

Latest Posts on Coolest Gadgets

Latest Posts on Coolest Gadgets


Ultraslide: For speed skaters, golfers, and extreme exercisers

Posted: 11 Feb 2010 03:06 PM PST

My wife loves to watch The Biggest Loser, but I really can’t stand it. I suppose that I should cheer these obese people while they lose weight, but like most reality shows, The Biggest Loser has so much unnecessary drama.

The Biggest Loser also does a lot of very obvious product placement. On one episode, one of the trainers walks up to the contestants and talks about how Extra Sugar Free gum can curb their appetite. I didn’t see the episode where they showed the Ultraslide Slide Board, but it is a product worth giving a spotlight to.

You can watch the video of it in action after the jump, and you an see how the user has to make sideways speed-skating movements. This is good for “deceleration, rotation with a lateral push and energy system development for golf”.

In short, this Ultraslide exercises some muscles that may or may not be getting some good use in your exercise routine. That, or for training to be the next Eric Heiden. Who’s Eric Heiden? The man who set four Olympic records and one world record at the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics, resulting in 5 gold medals for the United States. I can understand why you might have forgotten that name, as it did happen 30 years ago.

My source doesn’t have a price on this particular item, but I heard that you can customize the Ultraslide with the logo of your favorite sports team.

Source



Check out the Coolest Gadgets 2008 Gift Guides, Christmas shopping made easy.
[ Ultraslide: For speed skaters, golfers, and extreme exercisers copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]


Germ Guardian Air Sanitizer

Posted: 11 Feb 2010 02:00 PM PST

Despite that this looks more like an antidote that you keep around should you get bitten by a zombie, this is actually an air sanitizer.  This quiet little sanitizer will kill off all of those germs that make it into your home.  Which is a huge bonus if you have school age kids that tend to get the entire family sick every single time the flu goes around at their school.

This will kill 99.9% of flu viruses.  The powerful fan circulates the sanitized air back into the room.  Giving you cleaner air to breathe.  You could either use this at home or even use it in your office if you’re worried about catching something.  The Germ Guardian claims to be the first to tackle airborne germs in the home or office.  You can purchase it for around $150 through Amazon.

Source: GadgetGrid


Introducing Foolish Gadgets because not all gadgets are cool :)
[ Germ Guardian Air Sanitizer copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]


LED Color Changing Shower Head with Remote

Posted: 11 Feb 2010 01:18 PM PST

It’s not enough to have a hot shower, no, it’s time to take things up a notch.  No, instead you need your own personal light show to go along with your off key shower singing.  It’d be like your own personal spotlight, making you feel all important.  Even if the rest of your household gets a serious headache every single time you take a shower.

This fancy shower head even comes with a remote so that you can change the coloring from outside the shower.  Despite that the remote was created to go with a shower head that will pour out water, they don’t actually specify if it’s waterproof.  There’s no need to hook the shower head up to a power source and the color changes according to the temperature.  You can purchase one for $12.94 through Chinavasion.

Source:  Crunchgear


Cool Gift Idea: Digital Picture Frames, check out our reviews.
[ LED Color Changing Shower Head with Remote copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]


Trapdoor checkers

Posted: 11 Feb 2010 01:16 PM PST

I remember watching a Saturday Night Live fake ad for Wilson brand trapdoors. This ad showed how superior Wilson brand trapdoors were to other leading brands (I’m going to assume that there aren’t any trapdoor distributors in real life). Their slogan was “with Wilson, it’s out of sight”. To punctuate this, the ad ended with the Wilson Logo underlined, and then the underline split down the middle like a trapdoor.

I wish I could find that sketch on YouTube, and I suppose the trapdoor is one of those things from movies or television that just isn’t in real life. Still, it is often romanticized by James Bond villains and the like. So why not put it in Checkers? I don’t see why not.

Except that it might change the traditional rules of the game. You can forget your dream of having a trapdoor on every one of the 64 squares, as Trapdoor Checkers has just 8 trapdoors. Each player starts his or her turn by spinning a spinner. and that decides whether he or she will move a piece, or activate one of the trapdoors.

So if your opponent is setting up a major jump, then he or she could be foiled with a trapdoor! Clearly, if we can make Trapdoor Checkers, then we can make a Trapdoor Chess. Of course, the board will have to be a little thicker. As it is, I’m surprised that the board for Trapdoor Checkers is as thin as it is. But you hear me, let’s get trapdoors in every major board game.

Anyway, if you want to try it out, it costs about $29.99 from Goliath Games.

Source


Cool Gift Idea: Digital Picture Frames, check out our reviews.
[ Trapdoor checkers copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]


Rocco, a rocking horse that can generate power

Posted: 11 Feb 2010 12:53 PM PST

First there was the Playpump, then there was the sOccket Ball, and now there is another way to harness all that unlimited energy that young children have.

Designers Aaron Tsui, Irina Kozlovskaya, Jasen Mehta, and Sergio Silva have created Rocco, the energy pal, a rocking horse designed to use the kinetic energy from rocking back and forth, presumably not gently.

When the internal battery on Rocco is full charged, its ears will light up. By the way, these ears are detachable and can be used individually as flashlights. That could come in handy during a blackout, and I imagine that these ears could work as a nightlight in a toddler’s room.

So, I have a question. If we can harness the kinetic energy from a rocking horse, why can’t we do the same for a rocking chair? That way, all the energy from senior citizens rocking back and forth will be used to power…something. Something very small probably. Okay, that was a diss on old people, I admit it. However, if you want to compare the energy output level of a child with the energy output level of a senior citizen, then you are doing the apples to oranges thing.

The Rocco is a concept device for now, but I’ll be darned if it isn’t a useful one. The world needs more ways to get energy from renewable resources. Too bad Rocco will stop being a renewable resource when a kid grows out of it.

Source


Check out the Coolest Gadgets 2008 Gift Guides, Christmas shopping made easy.
[ Rocco, a rocking horse that can generate power copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]


Wild Planet Spy Video TRAKR

Posted: 11 Feb 2010 04:29 AM PST

As a kid you always dream of those ultimate spy toys that allow for you to torture your siblings.  As an adult you might still want them, but it’s doubtful that you’ll feel reassured living with a  kid that owns one of those serious spy gadgets.  This TRAKR would be a whole lot of fun, just as long as you’re the one controlling it.  It’d be pure misery for anyone around you that doesn’t possess something like this.

The Wild Planet Spy Video TRAKR can drive into different rooms and allow for you to see and hear what’s going on in that room.  Then to top it off, there’s a built-in speaker on the car and a microphone on the remote control.  Allowing for you to announce yourself from afar to avoid any pummeling that might follow.  Once this comes out in October of this year it’ll cost you $120.

Source: Crunchgear


Cool Gift Idea: Digital Picture Frames, check out our reviews.
[ Wild Planet Spy Video TRAKR copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]


Gadget Thumbnails for 10-Feb-2010

Posted: 10 Feb 2010 09:01 PM PST

Veho Colourbright Slide/Negative Scanner

Posted: 10 Feb 2010 07:42 PM PST

We’ve seen an old Veho Film and Slide Converter a couple of years ago, but here is an updated version – the Veho Colorbright Slide/Negative Scanner which will inject new life into your catalog of old memories. In fact, it is touted to be a quick and easy method to convert your collection of old photos into versatile digital images.

The VFS-002M will scan your old 110mm and 35mm negative slides and films onto your Mac or PC via USB, providing a quick and easy way to convert your old photos into versatile, digital images. Once transferred to your computer you can edit, archive and print using the photo editing software included. The setup could not be easier as no software is required for installation. What’s more, this new deluxe version comes with multi directional insert tray flaps and faster one touch scanning – just plug and play! The new VFS-002M also includes Colorbright technology that increases the clarity of scanned images by automatically adjusting the back light and colour balance according to the subject matter. Transform your old faded negatives and slides into bright, crisp and clean digital images.

Would you fork out £59.95 for this? Needless to say, the scanning part would be an extremely tedious process, but that’s what kids are for right? Pay them a few quid to get your catalog of photos scanned, and you’re good to go. Of course, this doesn’t include the sniggers that come along with them seeing what you wore back in your youth, flared bell bottoms and all.


Tech Cult – We cover the latest tech news, but always with a funny twist.
[ Veho Colourbright Slide/Negative Scanner copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]


AMD rolls out new ATI Radeon HD 5570 graphics card

Posted: 10 Feb 2010 07:36 PM PST



AMD seems to be on a roll lately, releasing the brand new ATI Radeon HD 5570 graphics card that ought to keep gamers who are on a tight budget and yet want something that is game-worthy on their rigs. This is touted to be the perfect solution for end-users who are looking for an energy efficient, low-profile DirectX 11 card that will primarily see action in small form factor PCs. The ATI Radeon HD 5570 graphics card is warmly welcomed into the award-winning family of AMD graphics cards that offer full support of DirectX 11 graphics, in addition to ATI Eyefinity multi-display technology and ATI Stream capabilities.

Apart from the aforementioned ATI Eyefinity and DirectX 11 support, the ATI Radeon HD 5570 is also full well capable of delivering full 1080p HD playback as well as support ATI Stream technology, where the latter will help boost performance for video playback and productivity applications. All of these are made possible while running on a full Microsoft Windows 7 experience – now ain’t that something? We just hope you have a processor that is able to keep up with all of the graphical action. AMD claims that a sleek, energy efficient PC based on ATI Radeon HD 5570 graphics, when merged with the power of its new AMD Phenom II X4 905e processors at 65W and AMD 7-series chipsets, will be able to offer a performance that you can be proud of – powering immersive gaming and vivid digital entertainment. Whether you are a system builder or home theater enthusiast who want Eye-Definition entertainment, the AMD ATI Radeon HD 5570 graphics card is able to offer such an experience.

It is interesting to note that the ATI Radeon HD 5570 is capable of delivering up to a 60 percent performance improvement over the closest competing product in its class. Connectivity options include HDMI 1.3a with Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio support, resulting in a premium media PC experience. Well, have you not shortlisted this already on your shopping list?

Press Release


Tech Cult – We cover the latest tech news, but always with a funny twist.
[ AMD rolls out new ATI Radeon HD 5570 graphics card copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]


Broadcom unveils Bluetooth system-on-a-chip solution

Posted: 10 Feb 2010 07:26 PM PST

Broadcom knows that people want smaller and smaller devices in their mobile products, and have decided to come up with a new Bluetooth system-on-a-chip (SoC) solution which will allow not only cellphones but other devices as well, in order to wirelessly track and monitor health and fitness indicators. Broadcom’s implementation of the Bluetooth Health Devices Profile (HDP) will further expand the Bluetooth ecosystem which will include very low power health and fitness sensors that are enabled by Bluetooth. Basically, Broadcom will be demonstrating its Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology at the Mobile World Congress that will be happening in Barcelona next week.

The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) recently ratified the BLE specification that enables a new wave of Bluetooth applications which will hook up devices with very low power requirements, and among them include monitoring devices which rely on coin-sized batteries. BLE solutions will then enable Bluetooth technology to be utilized in more wireless and mobile products than ever before. Apart from that, the opportunity for BLE solutions could prove to be rather lucrative, building upon Bluetooth, a tried and tested technology which has already been adopted in billions of electronic devices. It also doesn’t hurt that such Bluetooth low energy solutions can be added into cellphones with ease, helping consolidate the market for low power consuming devices around Bluetooth instead of the current mess which includes proprietary technologies.

Broadcom’s latest HDP profile will allow cellphones and other devices to hook up to sensors and monitors conveniently for aggregating and displaying small amounts of data, and this allows users to track the progress of workouts as well as monitor their heart rate through their cellphone display. The firstborn of these BLE offerings will include the Broadcom InConcert BCM2049 Bluetooth combo chip. We hope to see other devices like remote controls and portable media players follow suit.

Press Release


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[ Broadcom unveils Bluetooth system-on-a-chip solution copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]


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