Your's Web Tech Power Blog's: May 14, 2010

Friday, May 14, 2010

Latest Posts on Coolest Gadgets

Judoon voice-changing helmet
Verizon Wireless announces LG Ally
3M MPro150 pico projector review
Personal Television And Theater Amplifier
Suction Foot is very multifunctional
Eton Scorpion keeps gadgets powered
Tetra Nightlight is cord-free
Gadget Thumbnails for 12-May-2010
AirVolt Wireless Phone Charger

Posted: 13 May 2010 06:15 PM PDT

Love all things Dr. Who? You will definitely find the Judoon voice-changing helmet to be something worth checking out, and perhaps, handing over 30 of your hard earned dollars to bring one home. Wearing this will let you speak like the law-abiding Judoon officer from the Dr. Who series. You will find that your stock with the kids will increase tremendously when wearing this, although you will look somewhat like a dork. Best to get a bunch of batteries ready just in case it dies out halfway while you’re having too much fun with it. Come to think of it, anyone who wears this looks like a baleen whale…

Source: Fashionably Geek

Cool Gift Idea: Digital Picture Frames, check out our reviews.
[ Judoon voice-changing helmet copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Verizon Wireless announces LG Ally

Posted: 13 May 2010 05:45 PM PDT

Watched Iron Man 2 already? Well, you would probably have seen LG made an appearance early in the movie when Tony was facing off with Senator Stern, where he hijacked the rest of the video transmission system using his touchscreen, translucent LG handset from the future. Well, many of us won’t mind toting one of those, but too bad it is just a concept at this point in time – perhaps in a decade, we could see an equivalent hit the market. After all, we’re pretty sure that many of us were amazed at the multi-touch interface seen in Minority Report a few years back, and it is nice to know that technology has caught on recently, with a plethora of devices going the multi-touch way. Back to the topic at hand, the LG Ally will arrive at Verizon Wireless Communications Stores from May 20th onwards, making it the first Android device from LG in the US. For those who can’t wait, pre-orders can be placed from today onwards.

What can you expect from the LG Ally when it arrives next week? For starters, how about a stunning ergonomic silver-and-black outer case that holds a large 3.2″ tempered glass touch screen display with touch vibration for tactile feedback? Apart from that, you might be more comfortable churning out that long awaited document by the boss while you’re on-the-go thanks to the full slide-out QWERTY keyboard that will work in tandem with touch screen capabilities at the same time. Need more storage space? Not a problem, since the microSD memory card slot can cater up to another 16GB of memory. Apart from that, you can also stay connected to the Internet thanks to its Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n) connectivity, while Bluetooth 2.1 capability lets you play nice with a bunch of devices and functions without missing a beat. You can also use the LG Ally as an MP3 player, while enjoying speaker-independent voice commands when the situation calls for it.

Apart from that, you can also access the Android Market and access up to 38,000 apps, while its luminous sensor was specially designed to adjust LCD backlight brightness depending on light conditions, helping you save battery power in the process. A proximity sensor will make sure the touch screen remains locked if it hasn’t done so already while talking on the phone, and A-GPS support will enhance location accuracy in addition to turn-by-turn directions from Google Maps. You can snap 3.2-megapixel photos with the Ally or shoot videos with it. Expect the LG Ally to retail for $99.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate and agreeing to a 2-year contract.

Press Release

Coolest Gadgets UK – For all your UK centric tech and gadget news.
[ Verizon Wireless announces LG Ally copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

3M MPro150 pico projector review

Posted: 13 May 2010 05:43 PM PDT

Pico projectors seem to catch on these days, but they aren’t exactly taking over the world by storm. The good people over at 3M has sent us a MPro150 pico projector, and after playing with it for some time, I would like to pen down my two cents’ worth and hope that it will help you decide on whether this is the pico projector for you, assuming you were looking for one in the first place. First of all, I must say that technology has certainly advanced at a crazy pace – ask anyone whether something like this is possible a couple of decades ago and they will probably laugh in your face, thinking that you have escaped from a mental asylum while letting you know that there is as much chance of that happening as with a multi-touch glass display used for computing. Let’s get down to the nitty gritty right after the jump, eh?

First off, the hardware specifications. The 3M Mpro150 pico projector is a looker for a device of its size, and you will marvel at how light it is compared to a regular projector, although they cater to very different markets. This slim and light LED-based projector comes with 1GB of internal memory to get you started right out of the box, while there is a microSD memory card slot which helps you carry a whole lot more files just in case – although I suspect most folks will use this to store their music since the Mpro150 is full well capable of doubling up as a portable MP3 player, although I would recommend wearing a pair of headphones with this since the built-in speakers are literally nothing to shout about.

It has a USB port that allows for USB charging as well as data transfer when hooked up to a computer, while the battery in my tests ran for slightly more than 3 hours when displaying simple, basic documents. It has built-in support for Excel, Word, PowerPoint, PDF, MP3 and MP4 files, so you know just what kind of file formats you can transfer to it before carrying it over to the next room for a presentation without the need for a computer as a middleman.

While it is nice to carry around something this small, be assured that you will need a really dark room with its blinds drawn down and lights turned off if you were to make any headway with its 15 lumens (maximum brightness, adjustable downwards on-the-fly) of brightness. The buttons are rather hard to press IMHO, but they will respond even if there is some lag involved. Texts are displayed crisply, and so are photos (as sharp as VGA resolution at 640 x 480 pixels can get you anyways) despite the latter taking slightly longer for the projector to load. One pet peeve that I have is this – there is no remote control included. If you were to be making a presentation of a PDF or PowerPoint file, then chances are you would do better engaging your audience while being more animated speaking instead of returning to the Mpro150 from time to time to press a button to move to the next page or slide, which is where the remote control works great.

Video file format support is lacking, doing only the basic MP4, where it does not even come with the capability of handling 16:9 aspect ratio, which means you’re stuck with 4:3 all the time. There isn’t any chance to forward or rewind your video either, which basically gimps its video playback capability. At least there is an adjustable tripod for you to get started without having to rely on books or other everyday items to prop up the MPro150 when you’re doing some playback on it!

The built-in fan will also kick in after a few minutes of operation, but it doesn’t make that much of a noise to distract you from your presentation or movie. One interesting way of getting a secondary display would be to hook it up to your computer and extend its display, letting your kids enjoy their favorite YouTube video on the wall in a far larger view while you work on your noteobok. Expect the 3M MPro150 to retail for around $400, which is pretty pricey, hopefully the next iteration will be a whole lot better, weeding out the weaknesses while moving on to the next level. Get this only if you want something basic and do not have a wide range of file formats (especially video) to play back.

Cool Gift Idea: Digital Picture Frames, check out our reviews.
[ 3M MPro150 pico projector review copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Personal Television And Theater Amplifier

Posted: 13 May 2010 05:33 PM PDT

Hmmm, it looks as though you might want to pump up the volume level in your apartment when you’re watching your favorite action movie, simply because you can’t afford to go to a cinema repeatedly to enjoy blockbusters, unless you’re filthy rich. Well, for those at home who can’t afford a home theater system and are looking for something even cheaper, there is still hope – just don’t let your friends and family know unless you don’t mind being sneered at. The Personal Television And Theater Amplifier supposedly amplifies sound from a TV, radio or theater by up to 50 decibels, coming in the form of a wireless rechargeable earpiece. It features a directional microphone that amplifies high- and low-frequency sounds to produce rich, easy-to-hear tones – hopefully this means you can hear your wife clearer whenever she nags yo to get around the house chores. Its lithium-ion battery supposedly powers the earpiece operates for up to 18 hours after a four-hour charge. Hammacher is carrying the Personal Television And Theater Amplifier for $29.95.

Check out the Coolest Gadgets 2008 Gift Guides, Christmas shopping made easy.
[ Personal Television And Theater Amplifier copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Suction Foot is very multifunctional

Posted: 13 May 2010 03:00 PM PDT

Truthfully I thought this was the greatest thing ever discovered purely for the female aspect of shaving legs. As it turns out it’s also sold for other…activities that one might perform in the shower, you know for those times when you have company. The funny part about it is that it’s sold for double the price when it’s sold with the intention of being used for extra curricular activities.

Should you need this for shaving your legs it would make it easier to shave in showers that lack a ledge to prop your foot on. I suppose the same could be an issue for the other activity you might perform. At least you can legitimately say it’s for shaving your legs, even if it is used for more. In addition to shaving your legs, you can use it to prop up your foot and make it easier to scrub the underside of your feet. You can purchase these for $9.99 through Taylor Gifts.

Source: CraziestGadgets

Coolest Gadgets UK – For all your UK centric tech and gadget news.
[ Suction Foot is very multifunctional copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Eton Scorpion keeps gadgets powered

Posted: 13 May 2010 02:00 PM PDT

This would probably best be suited for the great outdoorsman type, but it would also work great for an emergency kit as well. It manages to get power in an eco-friendly way, which means it’d be great to have around while the power has gone out in your home. Plus in addition to that it has a couple of other life-saving add-ons like a bottle opener. Hey, in an emergency beer is very important.

It also has an AM/FM tuner, NOAA weather band radio and then finally a flashlight. In order to get power to your gadgets it has a crank lever and a solar panel. It also has an AC adapter for those times when you want to charge it before heading out for camping. Then in order to charge your gadgets it has a USB port. The best part is that it’s built rugged and is splash resistant. This is just now available as of this month. To pick one up it’ll cost you $50 through Eton.

Source: SlipperyBrick

Tech Cult – We cover the latest tech news, but always with a funny twist.
[ Eton Scorpion keeps gadgets powered copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Tetra Nightlight is cord-free

Posted: 13 May 2010 01:07 PM PDT

With absolutely no cords attached to this light you can put it anywhere you like. You won’t be restricted by the location of outlets within your home. Just find a dark corner that you’d like to brighten and leave it there. It’s actually made for a child’s room, but it won’t discriminate between adults and children. It’d be happy to offer light to all ages.

This looks like an odd little milk carton, so it’d be even more cute if your child has a toy kitchen of some kind. To turn it on you just press the button that’s directly on the bottom. You won’t have to worry about it hurting anyone, because it doesn’t have a single hot spot on the light. In order to keep it powered you just need 3 AAA batteries. The Tetra Nightlight will cost you $42 through Etsy.

Source: BLTD

Coolest Gadgets UK – For all your UK centric tech and gadget news.
[ Tetra Nightlight is cord-free copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Gadget Thumbnails for 12-May-2010

Posted: 12 May 2010 10:01 PM PDT

Coolest Gadgets UK – For all your UK centric tech and gadget news.
[ Gadget Thumbnails for 12-May-2010 copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

AirVolt Wireless Phone Charger

Posted: 12 May 2010 05:30 PM PDT

With a whole lot of other computing equipment taking the wireless route, how about your phone charger? Well, ThinkGeek is offering the AirVolt Wireless Phone Charger which is going for $49.99 each, where all you need to do is slide your handset into the included receiver case, place it on the power tray and you’re good to go. It is as efficient as your standard charger, although it will definitely lose out to those quick chargers. Another good thing about the AirVolt Wireless Phone Charger is it will power off automatically once your handset is completely juiced up, boasting an additional USB power port just in case you want to make sure your Nintendo DS is ready for the long road trip.