Latest Posts on Coolest Gadgets

Sony Ericsson Cedar takes on a greener approach
ViewSonic NexTV VMP75 network media player
Line Tracking Robot
Practice Green Putt Returner
Game Streamer, I believe you can get me through the night
Twistdock for the PS3 by Vogel’s
Bot Colony, the game you talk to
RealD creating kid-friendly 3D glasses
USB Brick 4-Port Hub the 2nd
USB Itching Removal Instrument
Gadget Thumbnails for 16-Jun-2010

Sony Ericsson Cedar takes on a greener approach

Posted: 17 Jun 2010 05:45 PM PDT

Companies these days want to be seen to do their part when it comes to keeping the environment around us green, and every slight effort is trumpeted so that their efforts are not lost on anybody. Most recently, we have Sony Ericsson touting their GreenHeart initiative which sees products that fall under the GreenHeart movement to be degrees “greener” than regular ones, with the Sony Ericsson Cedar being the latest cellphone to fall under that category. This handset will target those who want to stay connected to family and friends through phone calls, text messages and social networking sites without breaking the bank while keeping their consciences clear that the phone itself has some green features along the way to leave a better planet for our kids.

With a name like the Sony Ericsson Cedar, you will be able to enjoy an easy-to-use social networking experience with the Widget Manager 2.0, where this application lets you access a bevy of social networking sites through its stand-by screen. Not only that, the Cedar is also a joy to hold and look at, thanks to its human curvature design which is now a consistent feature across the Sony Ericsson portfolio. Other features and specifications are as follows :-

UMTS HSDPA 2100
GSM GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900
UMTS HSDPA 850/1900/2100
EDGE 850/900/1800/1900
Widget Manager 2.0 allows easy access to your favourite social network and applications
Social network applications – Facebook, Twitter and MySpace
Keep contacts close – hassle-free phone book transfer and web backup
Stay organised with calendar, phone book, email
Fast browsing with 3G and direct access to the web browser
EAS Push email and modem connectivity
Connect your headphones on the 3.5mm jack and enjoy music, video on the go
Capture the moment with the 2-megapixel camera and send it by MMS
Human curvature design – fits into the palm of the hand

In a quest to make the whole experience greener, the Sony Ericsson Cedar comes with a host of green credentials including recycled plastics, a low power consumption charger, an e-manual, waterborne paint and compact packaging. You can choose from black/silver or black/red color schemes when the Cedar hits the market this Q3.

Press Release

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[ Sony Ericsson Cedar takes on a greener approach copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

ViewSonic NexTV VMP75 network media player

Posted: 17 Jun 2010 05:30 PM PDT

ViewSonic is more often than not associated with LCD monitors which are easy on the pocket, alongside HDTVs which fall under the cheaper, more affordable range that do not skimp on quality. Well, the company is back this time round with a device that will surely make people do a doule take – after all, what they are offering has nothing to do with displaying moving images on a display on your work space or living room, but it comes in the form of the NexTV VMP75 network media player instead. This network media player is touted to deliver the ultimate entertainment experience to consumers' HDTVs with Full HD 1080p playback from external storage devices, with the option to stream media from home networks and the Internet.

One of the available Internet options on the NexTV VMP75 network media player would be Netflix, which is a leading online movie subscription service that allows members to instantly watch thousands of movies and TV episodes that are streamed directly to your living room. Of course, this would mean having a decent Internet connection so that your movies and TV shows will not be buffered constantly with constant pauses in between.

Apart from that, the NexTV VMP75 also sports the iMedia feature that offers a whole world of Internet entertainment to HDTVs, complete with quick and easy links to media content a host of other websites such as YouTube, Live365.com, SHOUTcast Radio, Flickr and more. It also sports an integrated web browser that lets you surf the Internet without missing your desktop, and you can also set up your favorite RSS feeds to have instant news and world events of interest delivered straight to your living room (or wherever you decide to place the NexTV VMP75 network media player). Social networking sites including Twitter and Facebook are also supported, letting you know what they’re up to anytime, anywhere. Want to shar your latest photo collection with friends who drop by? Stick in an USB memory stick or hard drive via its USB port – that’ll do just fine. No idea on pricing or availability though.

Press Release

Coolest Gadgets UK – For all your UK centric tech and gadget news.
[ ViewSonic NexTV VMP75 network media player copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Line Tracking Robot

Posted: 17 Jun 2010 05:21 PM PDT

Want to have a nifty little robot around your home, but do not want to spend the thousands required to get one? Well, purchasing a robot pretty much follows the law of getting what you paid for, and in this case, $19.99 will net you a Line Tracking Robot that will follow a line drawn by you. What’s so entertaining about this, you ask? For starters, it will be a learning and building toy which will target tween geeks who want to learn more about robotics. Assembling the robot requires a bunch of simple tools, where we’re talking about screwdriver, pliers and cutters, and thankfully, there is no soldering involved so you won’t need to worry about your trembling hands screwing up a whole piece of circuit board. Powered by two AA batteries, we do wonder what happens when the robot gets confused with all the lines criss-crossing each other.

Tech Cult – We cover the latest tech news, but always with a funny twist.
[ Line Tracking Robot copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Practice Green Putt Returner

Posted: 17 Jun 2010 05:09 PM PDT

If you’re the only one in your household with a love for golf, then you might want to check out the Practice Green Putt Returner since it will definitely help raise your game without requiring any assistance from your family. After all, with over 150 PGA tour professionals using this, you surely can’t go wrong, can you? This robotic ball return is capable of retrieving practice putts on your behalf, fitting nicely into any standard- or practice-depth golf hole. Whenever a putt drops into the hole, it will activate the device’s miniature catapult, which nicely returns the ball approximately 14′ (depending on green speed). Making allowance for a two-or three-fold increase in putts, the ball return will further help you practice more efficiently, while reducing the amount of back strain which results from repeatedly stooping to pick up balls. Each $59.95 purchase comes with a ball guide to redirect errant putts to the hole, making sure they are returned also. Powered by a quartet of AA batteries, the Practice Green Putt Returner is good for 12,000 putt returns before a battery change is required.

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[ Practice Green Putt Returner copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Game Streamer, I believe you can get me through the night

Posted: 17 Jun 2010 04:18 PM PDT

I case you don’t get the title, it is a reference to a song “Dream Weaver”. You really should know this song, but look it up if you don’t. In the case of Game Streamer, this could get me through the night, and the day.

Game Streamer is “an iTunes for games”. It is an online service that allows its user members to log on to their site, and browse from a bunch of PC games. They have many of the latest ones available, and some of the old games as well.

These games are presented in a facing-front bookshelf format, much like the e-reader on the iPad. Users can select and pay, and the downloading begins. In some cases, the user can actually start to play the game as it is downloading. I am serious about that last feature. Think of it like a YouTube video that you are watching as it is streaming in.

The best part about Game Streamer is that the games can be played from anywhere with an Internet connection. Say you downloaded Bioshock on your home computer, and you have played up to a very critical point. You are actually able to go over to a friend’s spot, user his or her comptuer, and play directly from that saved game. This applies to Internet ready HDTVs too.

Keep an eye out for Game Streamer, as their business model is something to watch for. In the future, they hope to have all their gaming “in the cloud”, so to speak. It will be exciting when that happens.

Source

Introducing Foolish Gadgets because not all gadgets are cool

[ Game Streamer, I believe you can get me through the night copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Twistdock for the PS3 by Vogel’s

Posted: 17 Jun 2010 04:03 PM PDT

There were many video game accessories at E3, and one of the most useful I saw was the Twistdock for the PS3.

Twistdock is able to solve a problem that most gamers have when it comes to video game clutter. All video game systems require the unit to be visible, but only the slot is really used after it is installed. The Twistdock keeps it out of the way, and its Lazy Susan spinning mechanism allows for easy access to the back ports.

The Twistdock is also a convenient place to charge the controllers. The user must put some adapters on the controllers, and they stack up nicely in the back. Indicator lights on the front of the unit show that it is charging, and glow green when fully charged.

The Twistdock is also designed to connect to the user’s Playstation via USB, and then attach to the wall outlet. It has an on/off switch for powering down it all, and gives the user access to much more USB ports than ever before.

I spoke to the company at E3, and I hope to see more versions of it for all consoles. They could have one for the Wii, Xbox 360, and maybe a Twistdock that does all three. I think that last one might have been my suggestion.

Perhaps in the future. In the meantime, the Twistdock for the PS3 will be available in summer 2010 with Q4 availability in the United States.

Source

Coolest Gadgets UK – For all your UK centric tech and gadget news.
[ Twistdock for the PS3 by Vogel’s copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

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Bot Colony, the game you talk to

Posted: 17 Jun 2010 03:44 PM PDT

E3 had many expected surprises. I realize that this sounds like an oxymoron, but I think we all knew before it began that Microsoft would have its Kinect (formerly Project Natal), Sony would have the Move, and Nintendo would have the 3DS.

I suppose that the theme of E3 would probably be “Into the Game”, as it would appear that game-makers are doing more to get players off the couch and immerse them into a three-dimensional video game world.

While perusing through the booths, I discovered another type of video game that could have great potential for changing video games. This is a screenshot from Bot Colony, the “First Real Conversation Game Ever”! As you can see, the graphics aren’t exactly state of the art, but I sense that they are only temporary to show the proof of concept. I wouldn’t say that the concept works as yet.

In other words, yes, I can talk to the game, and it can talk back, but it isn’t Knight Rider’s K.I.T.T. just yet. Even though I could use a mic to speak to the game, I chose the traditional typing in my questions.

Apparently, the game can “understand” me, but there were several times where it clearly misunderstood me. Also, I didn’t understand what I was supposed to be doing in this game, so I was sort of at a loss for words. I’m guessing that this game, when it is finally perfected, will be like playing Myst but instead of clicking on things to get further along in the game, you will have to ask the right question. You may have to word it precisely, if this demonstration is any indicator.

However, I can see them pulling off a computer that can talk back like a real person. When it does, will online chatters have someone new to talk to that isn’t actually there? The possibilities are as wonderous as they are horrendous.

Bot Colony will be available to test out on August 16, 2010, and you can sign up for it here. I beleive it is only available for English speakers only, though.

Source

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[ Bot Colony, the game you talk to copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

RealD creating kid-friendly 3D glasses

Posted: 17 Jun 2010 03:00 PM PDT

Just about all of the 3D movies seem to be targeted more towards kids than adults. Now granted there have been a few adult 3D movies and even if they are kid movies, the adults are forced to sit through them as well. However, despite the slant towards kids, the glasses are all made for adult-sized heads. There has been a bit of concern that those too large glasses are distorting the 3D movies for kids. Thankfully RealD will have kid-sized glasses just in time for Toy Story 3.

The glasses are made with the exact same quality level as the grown up glasses, they’ve just shrunk them down a bit. One other change they’ve made is that all of these are individually wrapped for hygienic reasons. Of course, I don’t know about you, but the times that I’ve had a horrible virus that knocks me on my tail are when I happen to pick something up for my toddler aged niece. Maybe we adults are the ones that need protecting here.

Source: Ubergizmo

Tech Cult – We cover the latest tech news, but always with a funny twist.
[ RealD creating kid-friendly 3D glasses copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

USB Brick 4-Port Hub the 2nd

Posted: 17 Jun 2010 02:10 PM PDT

If you weren’t quite thrilled with the first Lego inspired hub that became available, thankfully there is this new one. It’s not all that much different, but it might just be different enough to get you to finally take one home. Honestly, as cheap and as awesome as there are, everyone should have at least two. Of course I don’t have any either, but I’m aware that I should. I’m getting around to it.

These 2nd round models just look a little chunkier than the 1st round. The similar things are that they’re stackable, have 4 ports and look like Lego bricks. The hubs come in a total of 3 colors, including brown, white and yellow. They aren’t exactly the more popular Lego colors of red and blue, but they’ll do the trick. You can purchase one of these for $10 through GizGeek.

Source: TechFresh

Coolest Gadgets UK – For all your UK centric tech and gadget news.
[ USB Brick 4-Port Hub the 2nd copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

USB Itching Removal Instrument

Posted: 17 Jun 2010 01:18 PM PDT

I don’t have even the faintest idea how well an electronic itch remover might actually work, but as many bug bites as I have gotten this year, I’ll try absolutely anything. I have already managed to acquire 25 chigger bites on my ankles and once those finally faded I managed to get some very red mystery bites on my leg. The biting insects are apparently loving me this year. If they’d allow me to see them I’d be sure to show them a little love right back with the bottom of my shoe. Those of you that are feeling particularly itchy this summer, perhaps you’re desperate enough to give this USB solution a try. Hey, it’s worth a shot.

It does mean that you aren’t using any chemicals to get rid of the itch, which is a comforting thought. It has electronic and optical spectrum technology that is supposed to get rid of the itch without any adverse effects on your body. Now should you be away from your USB port, you can also pop in 4 AAA batteries to keep it running. Truthfully it just seems odd to swipe a gadget across those bites, but at $15 a piece it might be worth checking out. You can pick it up through USB Brando.

Source: Crunchgear

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[ USB Itching Removal Instrument copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]