Latest Posts on Coolest Gadgets

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• Jewel Rose and Jewel Skull Earphones
• I-FAIRY Robot at CES 2010
• The new ID of the future?
• The Penguin Emperor Lamp
• Interactive Toy Concepts Skeet Shooter
• Arduino Weather Clock keeps you informed on weather
• The USB Esc Keypress Light
• USB Esc Keypress Light
• Skill Assessing Children’s Piano Tutor
• Stereo Neckphones prevent you from getting run over
• USB Lightsaber Lamp
• Targus unveils new line of laptop chargers
• Palm Pre Plus and Pixi Plus recently announced
• Netgear Push2TV unveiled
• MSI releases new concept designs
• LG Crystal Review
• Gadget Thumbnails for 11-Jan-2010

Jewel Rose and Jewel Skull Earphones Posted: 12 Jan 2010 02:00 PM PST If you’re into earbuds that attract a great deal of attention, then these will work out great.  You get to choose between a set of earphones with roses on them or a shiny pair of skulls.  Either way it’ll be hard to overlook this pair.  Of course if you’re into that sort of subtle understated business, then this is probably not going to work out too well.  At least they manage to appear unique in comparison to the rest of the earbuds out there. For those of you that have a girlfriend to shop for this Valentine’s day, this would be an affordable gift.  That is provided that she’s heavily into her audio gadgets and these are her style.  Since these do only cost you $12.99 through, they make for one of the most affordable Valentine’s Day gifts you could possibly think up.  You can find these 3.5mm stereo earphones through Gadget4all. Source: ShinyShiny Check out the Coolest Gadgets 2008 Gift Guides, Christmas shopping made easy. [ Jewel Rose and Jewel Skull Earphones copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

I-FAIRY Robot at CES 2010 Posted: 12 Jan 2010 01:38 PM PST There were a lot of robots on parade at CES this year, and this one was the I-FAIRY from Kokoro Co. According to my source, this robot can be “programmed with the user’s voice and accompanying body gestures that give the I-FAIRY a more natural feel when used for museum guide work”. I have an attached video after the jump that shows it doing nothing of the sort, but rather sitting in one place and occasionally moving to the beat of rock music. I guess someone’s finally invented a robot that slacks off, eh? No, just kidding. The I-FAIRY was developed in conjunction with Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, and I have no doubt that it can do everything that it says as far as being a museum guide. After all, do we really need to pay some human being to walk around a museum and show us things when a robot could do it far more interestingly? By the way, the I-FAIRY is also designed to do corporate presentations. Seriously? Now I have heard just about everything about robots today. Actually, I just heard some interesting fact about robots today that is more related to the Adult Entertainment Expo that is held next door to CES every year. Apparently, someone has invented Roxxxy, a very pleasurable fembot. However, I’m not going to bother to report on that. Do your own research if you want to hear more about that. Source Coolest Gadgets UK – For all your UK centric tech and gadget news. [ I-FAIRY Robot at CES 2010 copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

The new ID of the future? Posted: 12 Jan 2010 01:19 PM PST One of reasons why I go to CES is to see the newest gadgets. Some of these new devices are definitely planned to be out this year, and some will be out years from now. Watch the video of the RFID card reader with the OLED display and see which category that falls under. Essentially, it is an ordinary card reader for reading an ordinary ID. As soon as the card goes over the reader, an OLED screen comes alive, and gives a 3D view of the face. I don’t think that the 3D effect is true 3D, but it is enough to let the user see a face at many angles like a mugshot, and even a close-up. There are those who find this technology “creepy”. I believe my source says this puts the “eep” in “creep”. In all honesty, I believe that this is where the future is headed when it comes to ID, no doubt about it. If we really want RFID, OLED, and 3D tech, then this is what we are going to get when it comes to personal identification. Did we really doubt otherwise? I mean, it would be like inventing the camera and being surprised that photos appear on our driver’s licenses. The only thing that really scares me is that the ID card says “Specimen”. Excuse me? I thought that this is a human being that we are seeing in the picture here. Maybe that’s what is freaking everyone out. Thanks to Netbook news for the source of the story! Tech Cult – We cover the latest tech news, but always with a funny twist. [ The new ID of the future? copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

The Penguin Emperor Lamp Posted: 12 Jan 2010 12:55 PM PST Alright so a penguin lamp might not be the most classy lighting solution out there.  However, if you’re a fan of penguins then this lamp would definitely appeal to your tastes.  Plus despite its novelty appearance, it does actually manage to be a fairly practical lighting solution.  It also comes in a huge variety of colors, which means you could easily find a color that would fit in with the rest of your décor. The penguin has an adjustable head and is constructed of ABS and polycarbonate.  It also has an integral safety transformer.  It does use low voltage light though, so if you were hoping for a bright lamp this one probably won’t work.  To be specific it uses no more than a 20 watt bulb.  As I stated before it does come in plenty of colors, which include grey, blue, satin green, clear orange, black and saga green.  All of which have a white stomach.  You can purchase the lamp for $113 from Eco-Lights.  At least it isn’t sitting at its original price of $226, it almost makes the new price seem reasonable.  Almost. Source: NerdApproved Coolest Gadgets UK – For all your UK centric tech and gadget news. [ The Penguin Emperor Lamp copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Interactive Toy Concepts Skeet Shooter Posted: 12 Jan 2010 12:48 PM PST Some of you may remember when we reported on that interactive Duck Hunt game at CES last year. Well, you’ll be happy to know that Interactive Toy Concepts was back in action for CES 2010, and they brought a Skeet Shooter game. Some of you may remember the Skeet Shooter game that was sort of a game-within-a-game for Duck Hunt. I remember it because I found that it was more difficult to play that Duck Hunt. Even though the targets were small, at least that dog didn’t laugh at you. The Skeet Shooter is able to launch 3 plastic discs, and the player has to hit them with an infrared mini-rifle. These plastic discs are designed to break apart when they are “hit”, and then can be easily reassembled for more fun later. Believe it or not, the Skeet Shooter is designed to be an indoor toy. I’m guessing that its something you want to be doing while the commercials are airing during the last season of Lost this year. Or maybe its a toy that you want to play with while the Super Bowl commercials are not playing. Unfortunately, this toy won’t be available until Christmas of 2010. We don’t really have a price as yet, but there are some other products from Interactive Toy Concepts that are just as cool such as some great remote control helicopters. But I’ll report on that later. Source Tech Cult – We cover the latest tech news, but always with a funny twist. [ Interactive Toy Concepts Skeet Shooter copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Arduino Weather Clock keeps you informed on weather Posted: 12 Jan 2010 11:32 AM PST Basically all of the weather machines out there have zero personality.  They have their fancy screens to give you all of your weather alerts and your important weather information.  However, most of them lack personality.  Well this homemade job is packed full of personality.  It may not warn you about severe weather, but it will let you know what to expect before you step outdoors. The Arduino weather clock was created by Sean Carney.  They used an old clock and then swapped out a mechanism for one controlled by an Arduino chipset.  It manages to confirm the weather outside through the Environment Canada website.  It will check the website every 15 minutes for weather updates and then change the hands of the clock as need.  If you’re interested in making your own, you can learn a bit more about the clock by going to Carney’s website. Source: Gizmodiva Check out the Coolest Gadgets 2008 Gift Guides, Christmas shopping made easy. [ Arduino Weather Clock keeps you informed on weather copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

The USB Esc Keypress Light Posted: 12 Jan 2010 11:16 AM PST If you’re going to keep a small USB lamp next to your computer, then it might as well be a computer-themed lamp.  This Esc key does exactly that.  It plugs into your computer and offers a little subtle lighting to help you see while you’re working in dim conditions.  Although it won’t point light directly at any paperwork, it’ll at least add to the lighting you already have. The Esc key works by just pressing down on the key to turn it off or on.  It’s pretty basic stuff.  Then to keep it powered, you just plug it into your USB port on your computer.  As you might have guessed it uses an LED light to make it slightly more energy efficient.  It measures 150 by 130 by 75 millimeters, so it is a decent size.  While being small, it’s probably not small enough to make it travel friendly.  You can purchase the light for $16 through USB Brando. Source: ChipChick Tech Cult – We cover the latest tech news, but always with a funny twist. [ The USB Esc Keypress Light copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

USB Esc Keypress Light Posted: 12 Jan 2010 11:00 AM PST Want to express your geek credentials at the office and at home? That can be easily achieved with this $16 USB Esc Keypress Light from Brando. Designed to represent a really huge Esc key, it lights up whenever you press it down, and pressing it down again will turn it off. Having one of these around makes me feel as though I was transported back to the 1980s, and am a contestant on “One Million Dollars Chance of a Lifetime” which had me hooked back when I was a young ‘un. Cool Gift Idea: Digital Picture Frames, check out our reviews. [ USB Esc Keypress Light copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Skill Assessing Children’s Piano Tutor Posted: 12 Jan 2010 10:45 AM PST Music lessons can be mighty expensive as many parents would know, but the joy of seeing your child develop his/her musical skills to become the next Taylor Swift (or maybe not) is priceless, something that money cannot buy. If you happen to be tone deaf and yet want to do your part by being a responsible parent who makes sure that your little one puts his/her piano lessons to good use, then the Skill Assessing Children’s Piano Tutor sounds (no pun intended) like the perfect tool. This is the only interactive piano tutor for children that assesses a child’s skills by detecting wrong notes and rhythms. A former Juilliard instructor leads children through over 100 lessons that cover the basics of finger placement and learning notes and more refined skills such as reading music and playing songs. After playing a song, the software will score the performance, indicating when a wrong note or rhythm was played. The software includes an animated keyboard and videos that illustrates exactly where fingers should be placed. Fifteen interactive games reinforce the lessons. Thirty-one songs come with the software, including Jingle Bells, Mary Had A Little Lamb, and Pop! Goes the Weasel; the tempo of each song can be adjusted to suit learning speed. Includes a 49-key electronic keyboard with built-in speakers and keys sized for children that plugs into a computer with an included MIDI cable. Software requires a PC running Windows XP/Vista/Windows 7 or a Mac. What’s another $99.95 if you have already invested a few thousand to date for those piano lessons as well as a brand new piano sitting in your living room? Check out the Coolest Gadgets 2008 Gift Guides, Christmas shopping made easy. [ Skill Assessing Children’s Piano Tutor copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Stereo Neckphones prevent you from getting run over Posted: 12 Jan 2010 10:30 AM PST Do you want to listen to your favorite tunes without being fully immersed so that you know what’s going on around you? The Stereo Neckphones will come in handy, although jogging around with it isn’t that advisable as you might end up with a sore neck after a lengthy and uncomfortable run. This is the slender, lightweight dual-speaker system that rests around your neck and allows you to listen to music while you remain aware of your surroundings. It plugs into any portable audio device with a standard 3.5mm plug (compatible with iPhone and iPod Touch) with its 36″ cord. Its dual 1″ speakers offer a frequency range of 20Hz-20,000Hz for high-quality sound and are positioned to project sound up to your ears. With built-in volume control. The system only weighs 7 1/2 oz. and has two flexible sections on either side of the frame that enable you to adjust them for optimal comfort. Powered by a couple of AA batteries that are able to keep on going anywhere from 15 to 30 hours of non-stop audio playback (that’s a pretty huge range, making me wonder how they tested its battery life), the Stereo Neckphones is going for $129.95. Coolest Gadgets UK – For all your UK centric tech and gadget news. [ Stereo Neckphones prevent you from getting run over copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

USB Lightsaber Lamp Posted: 12 Jan 2010 10:15 AM PST This is different from the Lightsaber Lamp that we saw in the past, and it is also another variation of the USB Lightsaber Lamp that we came across a few years ago as it seems to be way more refined, as though crafted by a master Jedi instead of a bungling padawan. Measuring over a foot long, it can be set in its base, where it will automatically juice up while emitting a soft, blue glow that ought to introduce some Zen-like Jedi moments at the office. It retails for $25.99 a pop, but too bad it cannot be used to cut down annoying co-workers. Coolest Gadgets UK – For all your UK centric tech and gadget news. [ USB Lightsaber Lamp copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Targus unveils new line of laptop chargers Posted: 12 Jan 2010 10:08 AM PST Targus is back with a bang this new year by unveiling a new range of laptop chargers that were specially designed to be versatile as well as eco-friendly. When coupled with the Tips from Targus program, these chargers are able to be upgraded so that they can play nice with a range of other mobile devices within the household, as well as future laptops that you bring back at no additional charge (although shipping and handling fees do apply). Apart from that, Targus looks into the future with a next generation technology design that will dramatically reduce its size while providing a flexible, modular platform for a range of usage modes and charging needs. One strong point with their range would be doing away with the AC cord that further reduces bulk when traveling, while keeping the power adapter to be out of the way whenever you are using your machine at home or at the office. Requiring just 40% of the original materials to build and package current adapters, it also fits the eco friendly category quite nicely as well. Targus is touting the fact that one device replaces a half doze, making them the lightest, most efficient and most compact device of their kind on the market. Without further ado, they are the Targus Premium Laptop Charger (AC/DC), the Targus Compact Laptop Charger, the Targus Netbook Charger and the Targus Mobile Laptop Charger. The Targus Premium Laptop Charger (AC/DC) is half the size and weight of typical AC/DC charger, while offering nine laptop tips to help you get started right out of the box. Apart from that, you get one mini-USB tip and one iPhone/iPod/iTouch tip. A separate DC charger is also thrown into the mix, where you can hook it up straight to a cigarette lighter while juicing a couple of devices simultaneously. You can pick this up for $149.99 a pop. As for the Targus Compact Laptop Charger (AC), it is suitable for majority of laptops out there as well as low-power devices, with the APA6911US playing nice with most HP, Compaq, Acer, Asus, Gateway and Fujitsu laptops. As for the APA6922US, this one caters more to Dell, Toshiba, Sony, Lenovo, IBM and Panasonic laptops. Both models will include a mini-USB charger that caters for low-power devices including your BlackBerry or Apple products. Expect these Compact Laptop Chargers to retail for $89.99. The Targus Netbook Charger (AC) on the other hand is touted to be the “most versatile netbook charger on the market today”, where you can bring this $89.99 puppy home if you happen to own a netbook from the following leading manufacturers – Acer, Asus, Compaq, Dell, HP, IBM, Lenovo, MSI and Samsung. Last but not least, the Targus Mobile Laptop Charger (DC) targets those who are always on the go, being the lightest and most compact DC charger available at point of publishing. You can use this as an additional charger whenever you’re on the move, as it comes with eight laptop tips and one mini-USB tip. It is going for $79.99. Each purchase will come with a 2-year limited warranty for added peace of mind. Guess regardless of what kind of user you are, there seems to be a laptop charger for everyone from Targus. Press Release Cool Gift Idea: Digital Picture Frames, check out our reviews. [ Targus unveils new line of laptop chargers copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Palm Pre Plus and Pixi Plus recently announced Posted: 12 Jan 2010 09:46 AM PST When Palm’s Pre was announced at the last CES alongside their webOS platform, the world was abuzz at what could possibly be an iPhone killer. Unfortunately as time has proven, while the idea was great, the execution wasn’t done properly, which was why the Palm Pre (and its follow up, the Pixi) failed to make that much of an impact around the world despite it being a really great handset to use. Well, CES 2010 sees Palm coming back with a vengeance with the announcement of two more Palm handsets that are based on the webOS platform – the Palm Pre Plus and the Palm Pixi Plus, where they will be made exclusives over Verizon Wireless’ network this coming January 25th for a yet undisclosed price. To know just what new stuff Palm has thrown in, kindly head on to the extended post. At first glance, the Palm Pre Plus looks the same like the original Palm Pre, where you are greeted with a large, vivid touchscreen display, a high-performance processor and a slide-out keyboard. While the keyboard is still easy to use and makes for quick typing, the navigation button has been removed, making that the most glaring difference. You will get double the memory with 16GB of storage space, while it already comes with the Palm Touchstone Back Cover that makes it Touchstone Charging Doc-ready right from the get go. As for the Palm Pixi Plus, Palm addresses the Pixi’s greatest weakness by throwing in Wi-Fi support. Yes, at long last you are able to go online from various hotspots without suffering from such indignation amidst a slew of other smartphones that have long supported such a feature. Apart from that improvement, we also have word on the all-new Palm mobile hotspot. This webOS app allows you to create a personal Wi-Fi cloud that can support up to 5 other Wi-Fi devices, which means there no longer is any need to purchase software like Joiku and the ilk. Would all the improvements stated above make you want to open up your wallet and go all out to bring home either Palm device, or are you much more of an iPhone or Android fan? Press Release Check out the Coolest Gadgets 2008 Gift Guides, Christmas shopping made easy. [ Palm Pre Plus and Pixi Plus recently announced copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Netgear Push2TV unveiled Posted: 12 Jan 2010 09:17 AM PST Netgear has long been a staple name when it comes to networking solutions, and this time round they are no different with the announcement of their Netgear Push2TV device which might be small in stature and size but big on performance. What does the Push2TV do? Well, it basically allows you to display your notebook or laptop display onto a big screen HDTV. Now, before you pooh-pooh this effort as it can be easily done with just a single HDMI out or VGA cable, the Push2TV does so sans wires. Yup, that’s right – you no longer need to fear tripping over wires and the like with this, and with the Push2TV being a wee bit larger than a deck of cards, the missus shouldn’t complain about your gear taking up more space in the living room. This basically turns your notebook into a media center, if you will, letting you playback your favorite movies or videos on the big screen TV. Great for those full HD downloads onto your machine, and if you want a larger monitor to work with, this pretty much gets you off on the right footing. Setting up such a configuration is a snap, as all you need to do is point and click. Using the easy and intuitive interface, it makes for a protected connection that does away with all the networking complexity that one would encounter in a currently available solution. Being so easy to set up, even your grandad is able to do it without summoning the help of a resident family geek! The entire Push2TV solution comprises of the Push2TV device connected to the TV alongside an Intel Wireless Display preloaded on new-generation notebooks. The latter is able to capture fully rendered display frames in real-time, sending compressed video and audio straight to Push2TV through Intel’s My WiFi technology, which in turn creates a protected short-hop high-bandwidth wireless connection between the laptop and Push2TV. Each purchase of the Netgear Push2TV solution comes with a one-year warranty and will hit the US market later this month. You can pick it up as a standalone device or a bundle, where prices start from $99.99 for the former and $899.99 for the latter. Press Release Cool Gift Idea: Digital Picture Frames, check out our reviews. [ Netgear Push2TV unveiled copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

MSI releases new concept designs Posted: 12 Jan 2010 08:56 AM PST MSI of Taiwan has rolled out a trio of new concepts at the recently concluded CES at Vegas (with a few million square feet of floor space to cover, it can be quite a challenge to check out everything in sight!), where these concepts are touted to help consumers interact with digital information in their homes in a totally new way. We will be taking a look at all three, which are the 3D All-in-One PC, the Sliding Screen All-in-One PC with LED Technology and the Projector PC in the extended post. You should have seen it coming from a mile away with the 3D PC, as everything else has gone 3D this year, it seems. First of all, the 3D All-in-One PC. This machine is the first 3D All-in-One PC in the world just in case you were wondering whether other computer manufacturers have taken up the task to roll out something equivalent. You will need to wear a pair of wireless 3D glasses while using it though, in order to experience life-like gaming and a 3D HD movie experience right in your home over the machine’s 24″ display. I wonder whether typing out Word documents in 3D makes the mundane office life more interesting. As for the Sliding Screen All-in-One PC with LED Technology, this concept was inspired by the jellyfish, where the display slides upwards to reveal a hidden keyboard – pretty much like how a standard slider phone works. Of course, in this form factor, you won’t be able to get a thin form factor as it has to be thicker than normal, but on the other hand you do save in terms of desktop space. Apart from that, the second concept comes with a wireless that can be used like a remote control as well an IP-phone. Last but not least, the Projector PC. This model merges the brilliance of a projector alongside the versatility of a PC, where you get an integrated HD-quality projector that allows you to use it virtually anywhere in the home – as long as there is a decent wall to function as a screen. You are also able to rotate it 90 degrees so that your ceiling doubles up as an alternative movie experience. No idea on when such concepts will ever make it to the market, but they are pretty interesting to look at, that’s for sure. Press Release Introducing Foolish Gadgets because not all gadgets are cool [ MSI releases new concept designs copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

LG Crystal Review Posted: 12 Jan 2010 08:35 AM PST LG are known for their original and creative phone ideas and the LG Crystal is another unique design. This is the first mobile to have a completely transparent keyboard. The phone, not being too dissimilar to the Samsung Tocco Ultra, consists of a touch screen user interface combined with a slide down keypad. The main difference from the Samsung though is that the crystal has a completely touch sensitive keypad as well. There are no separate keys with just a flat, see-through surface with numbers etched in. The main display, as well as being touch screen has a very high resolution 800 x 480 pixels and 16 million colours as well as the actual size of the screen is quite impressive also being 3" diagonal. The features on this phone are also pretty cool such as the ability to draw a character on the screen to access your music, inbox, etc even if they are a slight bit gimmicky. But you can't help but feel that with a price of up to £350 SIM-free LG could have given you something a little more special. One problem that I have found after a couple of weeks of use is that when texting, you have the option of an on-screen QWERTY keyboard which is good and easily accessible but sometimes it locks up and you have to exit your text to unfreeze the phone. Although the transparent keypad looks snazzy and is a great show off at the pub the original and cool design took all of 10 seconds for the novelty to wear off and for the £350 phone to slip into my pocket to be used just as I used my old, reasonably priced one. To conclude, the new LG Crystal is a cool new design that could definitely be developed and the features are all quite neat concepts with a pretty good camera. The only drawback with this original mobile is the massive price tag associated with a phone that doesn't quite give me all I wanted for the money I splashed out. Battery – Standard battery, Li-Ion Camera – 8 megapixel camera (3264×2448 pixels) with LED flash, autofocus and night mode, this mobile phone also has video and a secondary video-call camera Data Features – GPRS Class 12 (4+1/3+2/2+3/1+4 slots, 32 – 48 kbps), EDGE Class 10 (236.8 kbps), Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP, USB and 3G (HSDPA, 7.2 Mbps) Display – 3-inch TFT capacitive touchscreen (16-million colours/480 x 800 pixels) featuring S-Class Touch UI, Multi-touch input method, Accelerometer sensor for UI auto-rotate, Transparent touch-sensitive keypad, Gesture Shortcut and Handwriting recognition Size and Weight – 105 x 52.5 x 13.4mm Networks – 2G Network GSM 850/900/1800/1900 and 3G Network HSDPA 2100 Memory Features – Phonebook and photo-call memory, plus Call records at 40 dialled, 40 received, 40 missed calls, also comes with a microSD (TransFlash) card slot up to 16GB Sound – Vibration alert, MP3 ringtones, Speakerphone, Downloadable polyphonic and Dolby Mobile Other Features • Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional OS • SMS, EMS & MMS Messaging • Email • Instant Messaging • Java MIDP 2.0 • TV-out • HTML, WAP 2.0/xHTML Browser • FM radio • FM transmitter • Games • DivX, XviD, MPEG4 player • MP3, AAC, AAC+, WMA player • Document viewer (DOC, XLS, PPT, PDF) • Voice memo • Organizer • Alarm • Calendar • Notepad • Calculator • Clock • To-do • T9 Introducing Foolish Gadgets because not all gadgets are cool [ LG Crystal Review copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Gadget Thumbnails for 11-Jan-2010 Posted: 11 Jan 2010 09:01 PM PST Cupcake Maker makes mini cupcakes fast Blue Man Group Percussion Tubes Leather Boots with reversible cleats Check out the Coolest Gadgets 2008 Gift Guides, Christmas shopping made easy. [ Gadget Thumbnails for 11-Jan-2010 copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

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