Latest Posts on Coolest Gadgets

The Invisible, Inflatable, Airbag Helmet
The Inflatable Portable Studio (IPS) for photographers
Air-Trekker Jumping Stilts
Dreamoc puts 3D animations on a Coca-Cola bottle
Unhampered Laundry Basket folds up for easy storage
Tipsee Wine Bottle Task Light
Candy Floss Maker
Mini Spring Rim Basketball Hoop
Gadget Thumbnails for 19-Oct-2010
BlackBerry Style 9670 unveiled
Hands on with the Logitech Speaker Lapdesk N550
Model Mirror for some make up fun
Fog Ring Launcher makes room for some fun
Ectaco introduces jetBook mini
CamBall rolls into the US
Lego Mindstorms get solar panels

The Invisible, Inflatable, Airbag Helmet

Posted: 20 Oct 2010 04:17 PM PDT

Whether you know it or not, this lady is wearing a helmet. It is concealed in her scarf.

I realize that sounds pretty unbelievable, as most helmets are pretty hard and cover the whole head. Yet this Invisible Airbag Helmet is crumpled up in the lady’s neck with an airtank, apparently.

There is a video after the jump so you can see how it protects. You will notice how it can somehow detect a sudden impact in a few milliseconds and create this perfect shape of a helmet around the user’s head.

You’ll notice from the video how the helmet can protect the user from all kinds of spills. Think of it as the airbag in the car, designed for your head.

There is clearly some bugs to work out before this is used on real people. For example, how does the helmet know what is a real accident and what is a harmless stumble. In other words, it could go off at any moment. Worse yet, it could not go off when it absolutely needs to.

Well, this is probably going to take a while before we can ride without traditional helmets. Until then, I believe that helmets are required by bicyclists.

Source

Coolest Gadgets UK – For all your UK centric tech and gadget news.
[ The Invisible, Inflatable, Airbag Helmet copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

The Inflatable Portable Studio (IPS) for photographers

Posted: 20 Oct 2010 03:44 PM PDT

I’ve seen a portable photo studio before from ThinkGeek and Hammacher Schlemmer, but this has to be one of the biggest.

Welcome to the Inflatable Portable Studio (IPS), which is perfect those who need that extra bit of space for their photograph developing. It is made of a thin plastic that will block out any external light.

This portable studio comes in two sizes of 12 x 7 x 10 feet or 20 x 12 x 10 feet, and you will need a giant fan or blower thing to inflate it.

It is made to inflate like a bouncy castle, but it doesn’t look like you want any kids to be jumping up and down on the roof. I am guessing that the “skin” of this thing has to be this color, otherwise who would want to do photographs inside this giant…crap?

Still, it is handy to have a portable room that allows you to be sealed off from the rest of the outdoors. I would imagine that it would be very cool in there with the fan blowing.

The IPS is available for $330 for the 12 x 7 x 10 foot version or $350 for the 20 x 12 x 10 foot version. The fan is about $70 or $150, depending on what version of the photo studio you have.

Source

Cool Gift Idea: Digital Picture Frames, check out our reviews.
[ The Inflatable Portable Studio (IPS) for photographers copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Air-Trekker Jumping Stilts

Posted: 20 Oct 2010 03:21 PM PDT

I always thought walking around on stilts would be challenging. After all, a pair of stilettos is challenging enough, much less adding several inches of height. It turns out that stilts weren’t nearly challenging enough for those of you that are overachievers. Nope, you had to go and make me look bad by using Jumping Stilts. Honestly, that’s just showing off.

These Air-Trekker Stilts will add some height, plus the added benefit of making you a very bouncy person. These pro cuffs will hold 176 to 198lbs, so they are made for adults. You can buy them new and used through Amazon, but sadly you will have to pay big money for those big boy toys. To pick up a set of new stilts it’ll cost you $302 or $260 for a used set.

Source: GadgetGrid

Check out the Coolest Gadgets 2008 Gift Guides, Christmas shopping made easy.
[ Air-Trekker Jumping Stilts copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Dreamoc puts 3D animations on a Coca-Cola bottle

Posted: 20 Oct 2010 02:56 PM PDT

I once saw a hologram rendered with an iPad, and it had a glass pyramid shape around it that looked just like this.

This is a similar set up by some company known as Dreamoc, and it is a way of putting 3D animations on something so it is viewable from 200 degrees.

It reminds me of that statue of Holger the Dane. Remember how they were able to project some fairies on the throned guy? I don’t know if they were in 3D, but this Coca Cola bottle certainly has the 3D goods. You can see it in the video after the jump.

This actually looks like something that Coca-Cola would come out with just to promote their soda. I can’t help but wonder where Coca Cola would use this other than a museum.

Perhaps Coca-Cola is paying these Dreamoc people to come up with a new way of advertising their product. Maybe they intend to put these 3D projected bottles in their vending machines, as a plot to bring glass-bottled soda back to the market. Yeah, I guess that is the worst soda conspiracy theory that I could think of.

However, this Dreamoc could be a way of plugging new products. I wonder if I will see this at CES in January.

Source

Tech Cult – We cover the latest tech news, but always with a funny twist.
[ Dreamoc puts 3D animations on a Coca-Cola bottle copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Unhampered Laundry Basket folds up for easy storage

Posted: 20 Oct 2010 02:46 PM PDT

I like having a laundry basket, but I really don’t like the space they take up. I only use those baskets every now and then since I have a laundry shoot, but I still like having that option. Plus, they’re handy for hauling laundry up since laundry shoots don’t exactly go both ways. Thankfully, Quirky now has a laundry basket posted that will store away in very small spaces.

Despite that this will hold quite a lot, including your laundry soap off to the side, it’ll actually fold flat to the point where it’s only 2" wide. Like any other decent laundry basket it has 2 handles and is made to hold a little bit of a load. The mesh pocket off to the side is created to hold your soap and fabric softeners. This would be great for anyone living in a tiny apartment that has to wander down to the apartment’s public laundry room. Right now these only have 141 of the 1040 people needed that are committed to purchasing this. You can add yourself to the list by committing to pay $19.99.

Source: Gizmodiva

Cool Gift Idea: Digital Picture Frames, check out our reviews.
[ Unhampered Laundry Basket folds up for easy storage copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Tipsee Wine Bottle Task Light

Posted: 20 Oct 2010 02:33 PM PDT

Two things just don’t go together, alcohol and trying to function when it’s pitch black where you’re at. That means that pouring that glass of wine is going to get a whole lot more tricky when your hands are unsteady and you can’t seem to spot the rim of your fragile wine glass. Thankfully, Tipsee is a tiny little task light to aid you with your drunken nights.

This will easily attach to the top of your wine bottle and can be removed when the bottle is empty. It features a super bright LED light that will last for over 50,000 hours of usage. Plus, for those of you that still manage to slosh around a bit of wine, this happens to be waterproof. You can pick up your very own for $15.95 through the Home Wet Bar.

Source: Gizmodiva

Check out the Coolest Gadgets 2008 Gift Guides, Christmas shopping made easy.
[ Tipsee Wine Bottle Task Light copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Candy Floss Maker

Posted: 20 Oct 2010 06:00 AM PDT

Everyone loves candy floss, don’t they? That’s the impression that we have here anyways, and it comes as no surprise since the love for candy floss can safely be said to have been “integrated” into our lives ever since we were young. Take a look at all those fun fairs that we bring kids to – isn’t the candy floss a permanent fixture? Well, you can now enjoy your very own candy floss right at home with the £34.99 Candy Floss Maker. This idiot-proof contraption is so easy to use, you will be able to sink your tongue into funfair-style candy floss within minutes. All you need to do is add regular caster sugar and flip the switch on, it is that easy. The magic begins when the machine heats up, spinning the central head to force liquid sugar through its tiny perforations. The moment the threads of sugar come into contact with air, they will cool down and re-solidify, turning into a web of sugary threads. If you’re planning to throw a party for kids anytime soon, the Candy Floss Maker might be something you want to consider.

Coolest Gadgets UK – For all your UK centric tech and gadget news.
[ Candy Floss Maker copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Mini Spring Rim Basketball Hoop

Posted: 20 Oct 2010 05:30 AM PDT

You know how kids have their own fair share of dreams? While some of them idolize sports icons to the max, others prefer something brainier. The former will definitely love to have the Mini Spring Rim Basketball Hoop in their homes, where this mini-basketball hoop will sport a 9″ spring-loaded rim which encourages spectacular dunks. We don’t suppose that kids will be the only ones who would love having a go at it, as those in suits and ties will also find it run to let off some steam after being shouted at by the boss. Meant for office doors or cube walls as well, it comes with a clear, shatterproof 18″ x 24″ backboard and a white square target that has been painted onto its surface for lay-ups and bankshots. As for its rear perimeter, the backboard is reinforced with foam padding to protect doors. Each $49.95 purchase comes with a 5″ diameter mini-basketball to get you started right out of the box. Best to get some heavy duty deodorant action going on there, considering how much sweat you’re going to have when going through a rather intense session.

Coolest Gadgets UK – For all your UK centric tech and gadget news.
[ Mini Spring Rim Basketball Hoop copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Gadget Thumbnails for 19-Oct-2010

Posted: 19 Oct 2010 10:01 PM PDT

Introducing Foolish Gadgets because not all gadgets are cool

[ Gadget Thumbnails for 19-Oct-2010 copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

BlackBerry Style 9670 unveiled

Posted: 20 Oct 2010 05:00 AM PDT

When one thinks of BlackBerrys, one would most probably think of a rather fat candybar form factor with the famous keyboard which is a whole lot easier to hold and type, but it is nice to see Research in Motion (RIM) roll out a different form factor once in a while. The latest model from RIM would be the BlackBerry Style 9670, which is a clamshell smartphone that features a full QWERTY BlackBerry keyboard, while running on the latest BlackBerry 6 operating system alongside a wide range of advanced communications and multimedia capabilities. You still have slightly more than 10 days to save up for it, since Sprint will be offering the BlackBerry Style 9670 on October 31st.

This unique new BlackBerry smartphone will continue to retain their famous full QWERTY BlackBerry keyboard as mentioned earlier, making email, messaging and real-time chats with BBM (BlackBerry Messenger) extremely easy. Not only that, it comes with a 5-megapixel camera with flash and support for video recording, integrated GPS navigation for location-based apps and geo-tagging, Wi-Fi connectivity and extended data coverage, not to mention an expandable memory slot that further expands its internal memory by another 32GB.

The optical trackpad will deliver the way for fluid navigation while boasting a couple of large displays, where the external screen will allow you to quickly view notifications and messages, while a high-resolution internal display will make Web browsing or watching videos a pleasure. You might not have a whole lot of colors to choose from, with only Steel Grey and Royal Purple being your choices, but at least it is better than just charcoal as with many other business-like devices. Of course, most of you would by now be wondering how much the BlackBerry Style 9670 will cost – it will retail for $99.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate, where you can also opt for Everything Data plans at $69.99 monthly. Any takers?

Press Release

Cool Gift Idea: Digital Picture Frames, check out our reviews.
[ BlackBerry Style 9670 unveiled copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Hands on with the Logitech Speaker Lapdesk N550

Posted: 19 Oct 2010 09:50 PM PDT

I realize that Logitech has their hands full with Google TV, but Logitech has their hands in many pies, such as notebooks peripherals.

The Logitech Speaker Lapdesk N550 is billed as “Big-time sound and comfort for your small screen”. Having tried it out for myself, I will have to say that there is a lot of truth in advertising there.

The speakers are two-inch high performance neodymium drivers with 2 Watts power maximum. The Volume control and mute buttons are located conveniently on the side.

The Lapdesk N550 has a netted cushion designed to be a pillow on your lap. There are two tabs on the bottom of the unit that are design to hold the netbook or laptop with a 14-inch screen.

All that is required is that the user plugs his or her laptop/netbook into this unit. Just to let you know, all media files have to be closed before you plug it in. After that, you can play your files in stereo from your DVD player or any other video-playing website. All in all, I would have to say that the sound is good, but generally I prefer my audio or video experience to be private, not on two speakers.

You should be able to get the Logitech Speaker Lapdesk N550 at the Logitech site for about $59.99.

Source

Introducing Foolish Gadgets because not all gadgets are cool

[ Hands on with the Logitech Speaker Lapdesk N550 copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Model Mirror for some make up fun

Posted: 19 Oct 2010 07:53 PM PDT

If you’re going to have a girls’ night out with the rest of your foxy friends, then the Model Mirror might just be something you want to look into. Retailing for £14.99 a pop, it not only lets you see just where your mascara and lipstick is going, it also makes your room look as though you were a diva getting ready for her big night. Not only is the Model Mirror durable, chic and lightweight, it is also stylish to go along with just about any other fashionista. Embedded with gleaming LEDs, it will deliver much needed light whenever you're out and about. Not only that, there is also an additional 2x magnified mirror which allows you to home in on specific areas. Great for frequent travelers who need to touch up even in low light conditions – fantastic!

Coolest Gadgets UK – For all your UK centric tech and gadget news.
[ Model Mirror for some make up fun copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Fog Ring Launcher makes room for some fun

Posted: 19 Oct 2010 07:39 PM PDT

Want to have some fun with your kids? Well, if it isn’t windy at all outside, you can always bring them out and have some fun with the Fog Ring Launcher. This hand-held vortex generator is capable of blasting opponents with perfectly formed fog rings up to 20 feet away. Not only that, these fog rings can be as large as 20-inches in diameter, where the launcher will gently heat up a small amount of non-toxic water-based solution that will fill the barrel with fog. A trigger will eject the fog from the barrel, resulting in a donut-shaped fog ring which will move forward but also circulate onto itself until it gently strikes a target with a harmless puff of air. There is a built-in speed control which makes fast-moving rings to envelop a target within seconds and slow-moving rings which can be experimented with by passing an object through the open hole. The solution that comes with it is capable of generating thousands of launches, where it will be powered by half a dozen AA batteries. The Fog Ring Launcher will retail for $39.95, so it shouldn’t cause too much of a dent in your monthly budget.

Check out the Coolest Gadgets 2008 Gift Guides, Christmas shopping made easy.
[ Fog Ring Launcher makes room for some fun copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Ectaco introduces jetBook mini

Posted: 19 Oct 2010 07:01 PM PDT

Once you’ve taken a look at the title, do not groan and say “Oh no! Not another e-book reader that has descended upon us!”. Well, that might be the case, but you need not worry about Ectaco’s latest offering as the jetBook-mini will be an extension of the world’s leader in portable language learning and translation technology, empowering book lovers everywhere (whether they like flipping through virtual pages or not is another matter) to enjoy digital reading just about anytime and any place. Retailing for a dollar shy of a Benjamin, the new jetBook mini which was recently unveiled at the Frankfurt Book Fair and Consumer Electronics Show in Hong Kong, delivers all the more notable features of the jetBook family such as an ultra crisp 5″ reflective TFT screen technology, instant page turns, multiple language support and portability, all crammed into a body that sports a new look as well as 90 hours of non-stop reading time – all on just a quartet of AAA Energizer batteries. How’s that for longevity, eh? Of course, that makes perfect sense since this e-book reader will not be able to perform other functions that more powerful tablet devices can, making it a decent enough trade-off.

If you’re a stickler for details, then we are proud to say that the jetBook mini should not disappoint at all. After all, it will sport a new feel with a stylish design, and is pocket friendly while coming in a range of colors without weighing you down at just 5.7 ounces. That would mean this is the lightest e-book reader in the world at the moment. You can now read in 4 different directions with notable features which comprise of an option for Line Spacing, Line Breaking, 6 Different Font Sizes and language support.

To get things started, famous science fiction writer Robert Sawyer has graciously contributed his short stories to the mix which will be free for all jetBook owners, now how about that? Ectaco has also invited writers to send in their own written material in order to have a chance for their writings loaded to every jetBook sold.

Press Release

Coolest Gadgets UK – For all your UK centric tech and gadget news.
[ Ectaco introduces jetBook mini copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

CamBall rolls into the US

Posted: 19 Oct 2010 06:46 PM PDT

Personal video camcorders have certainly come a long way since their introduction many years ago, and technologies in such devices have also progressed by leaps and bounds that High Definition recording capability was already achieved a few years back on a pocket-sized device. Well, what else can manufacturers do to up the ante? CamBall, as you can tell by its name, could very well be the next step of evolution for personal video camcorders. After all, it measures roughly the size of a mere golf ball (!) and yet is able shoot video virtually anytime, anywhere. Sure, it will not be able to do High Definition video recording, but that is all right considering the rather miniscule size of the device.

Hitting the US market at long last, the CamBall is touted to be the smallest personal digital camcorder on the market at press time, where it comes jam packed with features. It is wearable, mountable, and waterproof sporting optional motion-activation capabilities, making it perfect for capturing home security and surveillance monitoring video, not to mention water and extreme sports footage. You will be able to choose from a couple of models which would be the CamBall SG-31 and SG-30, where the former adds motion detection to the latter’s standard features. As for their shared specifications, they would be as follows :-

320 x 240 resolution at 25 fps for video or snapshots
Built-in microphone
128MB built-in memory
SD memory card slot for additional storage (up to 16GB)
Battery provides 2.5 hours of continual recording & up to 12 hours on power-saving mode
USB cords for charging and simultaneous recording/charging
Built-in MP3 player to store and listen to music
Free 2GB SD card
Stereo headphones
Quick download to PC
Simple playback on PC or TV
Easy video sharing on YouTube
Adjustable sports band and neck strap lanyard
Desktop cradle

Just like any good marketing team would do, the CamBall will also come with a range of optional accessories, including a CamBall mount for concealed placement alongside a power adaptor extension cord. You will be able to bring home the CamBall SG-30 for $149.99, while the SG-31 that has motion-activation is more expensive by a considerable margin at $199.99.

Press Release

Cool Gift Idea: Digital Picture Frames, check out our reviews.
[ CamBall rolls into the US copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Lego Mindstorms get solar panels

Posted: 19 Oct 2010 05:08 PM PDT

We have reported on the Lego Mindstorms NXT creations before, those awesome yet expensive sets that allow the user/player to make some serious programmable robots with everyone’s favorite building brick.

Normally, the Mindstorms NXT Kit is powered by batteries (6 AA batteries as I recall), but even with rechargeables, that isn’t so good for the environment. So why not create some solar panels for the Lego Mindstorms creations?

This is exactly what Dexter Industries has accomplished, and it looks like it works pretty darn well. Check out the video after the jump if you don’t believe me. By the way, I had no idea the Mindstorms collections had gone so elaborate.

This collection has all the offering panels, batteries, and everything necessary to power projects like some of the Wall-E wannabees as seen in the video.

I have no idea if this is a Lego sanctioned or Lego labeled product, but the basic dSolar 2W System will cost about $90 and has a 9-volt solar panel with “enough juice to power the NXT and a single motor in the direct sunlight (about 250 mA). There is also a four watt system available for $100, as well as capacitor banks, parallel connectors for multiple panels, and more”.

Source

Check out the Coolest Gadgets 2008 Gift Guides, Christmas shopping made easy.
[ Lego Mindstorms get solar panels copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Thursday, October 21, 2010