Latest Posts on Coolest Gadgets

Record-breaking Electric car goes 1,000km without a charge
Mecha Fish and Little Dog, films about real robots!
Multi-colored gloves for gesture-based computing
iDeck iPod Car Cassette Adapter
Tricod Solar Light Pot
Scosche flipSYNC simplifies
PopBox to offer HD 3D content in the near future
Bang & Olufsen unveils BeoVision 8 40-inch LCD in the US
Aerobie Pro Flying Ring
Gadget Thumbnails for 23-May-2010
TickleMe Plant is educational (and purportedly fun)
Dual Cylinder Travel Speaker
Uzi Tactical Pen lets you strike unsuspectingly
Skamper Ramp offers safe way out of a pool
Generator racing does away with batteries

Record-breaking Electric car goes 1,000km without a charge

Posted: 24 May 2010 03:32 PM PDT

I’m not certain of an exact translation of the banner in this picture, but it probably reads: “1000km without a single charge on May 22nd and 23rd, 2010″.

The record was set for an electric vehicle by the Japan Electric Vehicle club, a civic group based in Tokyo. They managed to take their Mira EV 1003.184 kilometers without a single recharge.

Yes, this is a record, and it beats a record previously set by the same Japan Electric Vehicle Club last month. Another electric vehicle drove from Tokyo to Osaka about 555.6km, which is only half the record set a day or so ago.

This new over a thousand kilometer record was made at a driving course in Shimotsuma, Japan, which is the world’s longest. It took about 27.5 hours with an average speed of 40km per hour.

The people that you see in the picture are probably the 17-person team that took turns driving the car. I mean, you don’t think that one driver did this?

It was powered by a Sanyo lithium-ion battery, and it is the power equivalent of about 8,320 cylindrical lithium-ion batteries.

I suppose that this is a landmark for electronic vehicles. I once heard that one of the limitations for electronic vehicles was that they needed constant charging. If charges can be limited, then electronic vehicles could be more common.

Source

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[ Record-breaking Electric car goes 1,000km without a charge copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Mecha Fish and Little Dog, films about real robots!

Posted: 24 May 2010 03:09 PM PDT

I thought you might enjoy two different advancements in robotics for today.

The first is the Little Dog. It really looks more like a beetle, but this DARPA project really shows advancements in robot walkers.

Have you ever seen a dog try and navigate obstacles like big rocks on a beach? Well, it kind of looks like the first video here. The only difference is that a dog trips every once in a while.

Just when you thought Robo-pet day was over, here comes the Mecha-Fish. It looks like someone has coated a koi with metal and then released it into a kiddie pool. The Mecha Fish has something in common with real fish. If a person disturbs the water near it, the fish will dart away.

The Mecha Fish was on display in Warsaw for an event called “Night of the Robots”. As for the Little Dog, I’m not certain if DARPA wants it on display.

Okay, so that’s two robots that could easily replace our pets. I can’t help but wonder what other pets are going to be robotic. As far as I know, no one has ever made a robotic cat. Does anyone want to make one?

Source1 and Source2

Tech Cult – We cover the latest tech news, but always with a funny twist.
[ Mecha Fish and Little Dog, films about real robots! copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Multi-colored gloves for gesture-based computing

Posted: 24 May 2010 02:37 PM PDT

Remember those gloves that Tom Cruise wore to use that gesture-based computer in Minority Report? Yeah, tight fitting black gloves with a cool light on them. Now imagine if Tom wore a pair of these.

Yes, these lycra gloves have 20 irregularly shaped patches in 10 different colors. The pattern is made to be used in companion with a webcam, and you can use many gestures to translate into certain commands.

I have a video on my Source that shows it being used. You can see a user picking up blocks in a 3D virtual world, and disassembling a disc brake.

It sort of reminds me of how Robert Downey Jr. was able to virtually disassemble his prototype armor blueprints in the original (and, from what I’m told, better) Iron Man. Of course, he wasn’t wearing any gloves, not even those cool red ones that shoot repulsor blasts. Again, imagine this Hollywood A-lister wearing these pastel patchwork gloves. Sort of ruins the drama, doesn’t it?

I believe that the plan is to use this in video games for picking up and moving objects, but isn’t Mircosoft already working on this with Project Natal?

Well, I would imagine that this would be quite an awesome, if this concept should ever become reality. Once again, we have to imagine every person wearing these funny gloves.

Source

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[ Multi-colored gloves for gesture-based computing copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

iDeck iPod Car Cassette Adapter

Posted: 24 May 2010 02:00 PM PDT

I remember jamming an adapter into my tape deck years ago to make it possible to play CDs in my beat up first car. Of course I had the really bad portable CD player, the one that whenever you hit a bump it made the song skip. Now if you own a car that doesn’t have a CD player, you can still use that old tape deck for good. Just plug in the iDeck and instead of tapes you’ll be listening to your iPod as you go down the road. Luckily unlike the very old portable CD players you won’t have to worry about your driving causing the music to skip.

I’d say that this isn’t likely to get picked up by a whole lot of iPod users, since surely they’d have a better stereo in their car that wouldn’t require this. However, my 1999 vehicle has only a tape deck, the thing doesn’t even have a CD player, so I understand the need. If you want to pick up one it’ll cost you $39.99 through Amazon.

Source: OhGizmo

Coolest Gadgets UK – For all your UK centric tech and gadget news.
[ iDeck iPod Car Cassette Adapter copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Tricod Solar Light Pot

Posted: 24 May 2010 01:00 PM PDT

Alright so you’re all set with lighting to go all aroung your garden and show off your house, but you need a little something extra for your patio. This Tricod Orange Solar Bubble Light Pot would look great sitting out on your picnic tables. It has the same look as a terra cotta pot, but mixes in a little bit of a whisical look with the cute bubbles cut out of it.

With it being meant for the great outdoors, it is of course water resistant. Which means it can handle rain, but probably won’t do so well being dunked in the pool. It has a solar panel to keep the included rechargeable Ni-Cd AAA battery up and running. There is an on/off switch, when it’s on it will only kick on once it senses darkness. To pick it up it’ll cost you $16.99 through Amazon.

Source: Envirogadget

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[ Tricod Solar Light Pot copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Scosche flipSYNC simplifies

Posted: 24 May 2010 12:12 PM PDT

Along with all of your favorite little gadgets comes a huge tangle of cords to go with each and every one of them. Then to make it worse, in some cases there are multiple versions of your charging cords. There are the outlet chargers, USB and then finally car chargers. Thankfully Scosche has made charging your iPod and iPhone a little bit more simplistic with a device small enough to dangle from your keychain.

This looks like nothing more than a car remote while it’s attached to your keys, but it hides a USB plug and a plug for your iPod and iPhone. With this small device you could easily keep your cord with you no matter where you go. This Scosche flipSync won’t cost you a small fortune either, you’ll just need $19.99 and to head to the Scosche website.

Source: EverythingUSB

Introducing Foolish Gadgets because not all gadgets are cool

[ Scosche flipSYNC simplifies copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

PopBox to offer HD 3D content in the near future

Posted: 24 May 2010 06:30 AM PDT

PopBox has come to an agreement with RealD Inc., where the latter is a leading 3D technology provider for cinema, home and professional applications, which means the fruit of this partnership will result in PopBox equipping all of their devices with the ability to display high-definition 3D content – now how about that! This would make PopBox the first over-the-top set-top box that supports the stereoscopic RealD Format for the delivery and display of high-quality 3D content. You will be able to enjoy stereoscopic 3D capability right out of the box, so make sure that your HDTV is 3D-ready, otherwise you will lose out on the next generation of entertainment while the Joneses go on and on about how immersive the new season of National Geographic is, while getting bored of watching Avatar in 3D for the umpteenth time.

After all, PopBox clearly believes that content created in 3D should be enjoyed in 3D, so this partnership has allowed them to leverage the RealD format’s technology to bring the community a new dimension of HDTV entertainment right out of the gate. With PopBox, they hope to make it simple and affordable to play all the movies, music, home videos, and photos from your home PC and network-connected devices, and content streamed from the Internet, right on your HDTV itself. For those who can’t wait, it will be here soon, where you can place a pre-order at Amazon.com with the PopBox going for $129.99, while the PopBox Wireless is a wee bit more expensive at $149.99.

PopBox intends to build on the success of Syabas' award-winning Popcorn Hour lineup of Network Media Tanks, which are the Popcorn Hour A-200 and C-200. All Popcorn Hour A and C series devices will also be well prepared to ride the 3D wave, as they too will have access to the RealD Format to enable 3D viewing. Of course, this means it is time to make more space in your living room to stash away RealD 3D glasses whenever they are not in use, since those tend to be pretty expensive to replace when broken or scratched. We can’t wait, but will it catch on?

Press Release

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[ PopBox to offer HD 3D content in the near future copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Bang & Olufsen unveils BeoVision 8 40-inch LCD in the US

Posted: 24 May 2010 06:00 AM PDT

Mention Bang & Olufsen and you will have images of some pretty high end consumer electronics going through your mind, as you let out a sigh knowing that the meagre salary you bring home every month isn’t able to bring home one of these puppies even if your life depended on it. Well, nothing has changed with the introduction of the BeoVision 8 40-inch LCD TV that is unveiled in North America courtesy of Bang & Olufsen. This new 40-inch model of the acclaimed BeoVision 8 TV will bring together a technologically advanced home cinema viewing experience thanks to its straightforward elegance and ease of use characteristic of this compact screen concept. Expect to read more on its finer specifications and features right after the jump.

This is the 5th video consumer electronics device from B&O in under a year, and is touted to boost the company’s video portfolio by some distance, offering an extremely flexible solution for both wall and floor placement. Among the new technologies that will be crammed into the BeoVision 8’s body include double frame rate technology, also known as 240Hz (a staple in most HDTVs these days anyways), complete with motion compensation for an overall smoother image. As a result of such technology, the picture refresh rate has also doubled compared to conventional LCD TVs, while significantly reduce the inherent blur of LCD technology. Apart from that, the BeoVision 8 40-inch also comes with contrast improvement technology otherwise known as Dynamic Contrast, where it will optimize the contrast according to the picture content in each scene to give you the best image possible. Not only that, both BeoLink home integration functionality and extra video connections are also accessible thanks to a convenient plug-and-play module.

The BeoVision 8 also sets new standards for compact TVs when it comes to audio standards, since it will come equipped with a down-facing bass speaker that provides a firm foundation for movies and music programs, while the front units have been specially tuned specifically for the reproduction of human speech. Overall, the sound quality is extremely natural and clearly audible, letting you hear as though the voices were heading straight out from the screen itself. Of course, all of those technology would help if your room was acoustically optimized as well. Expect to fork out $5,400 for the BeoVision 8-40 as it hits retail markets this summer, accompanied by a three-year international warranty.

Press Release

Tech Cult – We cover the latest tech news, but always with a funny twist.
[ Bang & Olufsen unveils BeoVision 8 40-inch LCD in the US copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Aerobie Pro Flying Ring

Posted: 24 May 2010 05:30 AM PDT

Most folks who are living somewhere in the northern hemisphere will definitely be looking forward towards the coming summer, where they get to enjoy longer days while spending most of their time outdoors, soaking up whatever sunlight there is to the maximum. Well, why not break out the Aerobie Pro Flying Ring from its package to have some time of bonding with your family? Not only does it looks and flies better, it will also feel a whole lot better should a wayward throw result in it hitting your face (or your dog), since it is made out of some form of soft, rubbery design. This 13″ monster is capable of going as far as 1,333 feet when thrown by the Guinness World record holder. Time to hone your Captain America skills in the coming summer with this £9.99 purchase, eh?

Tech Cult – We cover the latest tech news, but always with a funny twist.
[ Aerobie Pro Flying Ring copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Gadget Thumbnails for 23-May-2010

Posted: 23 May 2010 10:01 PM PDT

Cool Gift Idea: Digital Picture Frames, check out our reviews.
[ Gadget Thumbnails for 23-May-2010 copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

TickleMe Plant is educational (and purportedly fun)

Posted: 24 May 2010 05:00 AM PDT

Memorizing textbooks aren’t fun at all, but for those who want to make learning sessions all the more fun, the TickleMe Plant could very well come in handy. After all, this makes for a unique gift as it can grow outdoors as well as indoors when the mercury drops. Each order will come with 10 fun experiments and educational activities which can be performed with the TickleMe Plant, which we guess is the polar opposite of the Touch Me Not, or better known as the mimosa. We’re guessing that each touch, or rather, tickle of this plant will send it shivering down its green spine, making it feel and look a whole lot more alive than your regular anti-social cactus.

Product Page

Tech Cult – We cover the latest tech news, but always with a funny twist.
[ TickleMe Plant is educational (and purportedly fun) copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Dual Cylinder Travel Speaker

Posted: 23 May 2010 08:45 PM PDT

While headphones and earphones have been a staple diet for most folks who own a portable audio solution like the Walkman over the past few decades, prolonged exposure at high levels definitely don’t bode well for your ears. This is where the Dual Cylinder Travel Speaker comes in handy, where it comprises of two magnetized halves that pull apart to provide amazing stereo sound. All you need to do is plug into your headphone jack and you're good to go. It can be juiced up through USB connectivity, and despite being this diminutive, it is still able to pump out a whole lot of thumping audio, making the £29.99 price point well worth it.

Coolest Gadgets UK – For all your UK centric tech and gadget news.
[ Dual Cylinder Travel Speaker copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Uzi Tactical Pen lets you strike unsuspectingly

Posted: 23 May 2010 08:30 PM PDT

Love living out the life of a spy? Well, ThinkGeek might have just the thing for you with the Uzi Tactical Pen, where this unique writing instrument can double up as a potentially life saving tool when the situation calls for it. The DNA Catcher which is located on the crown of the pen is very sharp, and hence can be used to deliver a very nasty jab to an attacker that causes not only extreme pain (and an opportunity to bolt away), while giving you a sample of their DNA to use when you go to the police. If you aren’t anticipating any attacks, the crown also functions as a glass breaker just in case you’re stuck in your vehicle. Made out of high-grade aircraft aluminum, it can write upside down or under water. This ought to be one of the few $19.99 pens out there that comes with a 1-year warranty…

Cool Gift Idea: Digital Picture Frames, check out our reviews.
[ Uzi Tactical Pen lets you strike unsuspectingly copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Skamper Ramp offers safe way out of a pool

Posted: 23 May 2010 08:15 PM PDT

Do you happen to have a pool in your backyard? Couple that with a water loving dog and chances are you will have a ball of a time. Well, our four legged friends might find it easy to jump into the pool without a problem, but when it comes to getting out, they will definitely need some assistance if they aren’t strong enough to haul themselves out using their front two paws. The Skamper Ramp is a snap to install, where it is made out of high-tech corrugated plastic which is attached to the side of a pool, walled pond, dock or boat. All relevant deck hardware is also included, where you can choose from the Skamper-Ramp (13″ x 25″, for dogs up to 45 lbs.) and Super Skamper-Ramp (13″ x 41″, for dogs up to 200 lbs.) which will retail for $69.95 and $99.95, respectively.

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[ Skamper Ramp offers safe way out of a pool copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Generator racing does away with batteries

Posted: 23 May 2010 08:02 PM PDT

Whenever you get stuff for your little ones, especially remote controlled toys, chances are the maintenance of said toy will burn a larger hole in your pocket than the original no thanks to it running on batteries. With the Generator Racing, using batteries are a thing of the past since this £39.95 purchase will rely on a manual power generator to generate the required juice for your race car to move around the track. There are 30 pieces of the track as well, letting you create a whole bunch of various racing grounds for you and your competitors. We’re all for greener toys – how about you? This will literally force you to work for your victory, eh?

Tech Cult – We cover the latest tech news, but always with a funny twist.
[ Generator racing does away with batteries copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Tuesday, May 25, 2010