Your's Web Tech Power Blog's: Jul 2, 2010

Friday, July 2, 2010

Latest Posts on Coolest Gadgets

Child creates vacuum cleaner-powered Spider-man suit
Let HERB take care of your household
Gadget Thumbnails for 30-Jun-2010
T-Mobile offers Samsung Vibrant
Magellan GPS unveils ToughCase
Sony recalls VAIO laptops
Self-folding paper straight out of Harvard
Aluminum Sound Tube MP3 Speaker
Emily the Lifeguard Robot

Child creates vacuum cleaner-powered Spider-man suit

Posted: 01 Jul 2010 04:57 PM PDT

When I was a kid, I discovered that I could brace my arms and legs against a door frame and then “climb” to the top. My family called it my “spider-man” trick for lack of a better word.

I never perfected my “spider-man” trick as good as 13-year-old Hibiki Kono. Kono has managed to take two 1,400 watt vacuum cleaners and make it so they really suck up against a wall. The end result is a super suit that is a little Iron Man and Spider-man at the same time.

Kono’s method bears a strong resemblance to these gloves that we reported on a while ago that allow the user to climb walls. It was a demonstration for a BBC science show called Bang Goes the Theory.

Yes, he can climb walls, and I’m guessing that his parents probably don’t let him climb very high ones. I suppose that he’ll probably be working on a way to make it so he can spin web-lines and swing from building to building.

I believe this boy already has a super-hero name of Spiderlad. I hope that he comes to understand that “with great power, comes great technology”. And the Spider-man jokes just keep coming.

Perhaps Kono’s apparatus should be mass produced, and made so kids can try this everywhere. Something tells me that OSHA and other parent’s groups will want there to be mattresses and harnesses so playing Spider-man will be “safe”.

Source

Coolest Gadgets UK – For all your UK centric tech and gadget news.
[ Child creates vacuum cleaner-powered Spider-man suit copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Let HERB take care of your household

Posted: 01 Jul 2010 04:35 PM PDT

My wife can tell you how much I hate to do household chores, and perhaps it is time that we got ourselves a HERB.

The Home Exploring Robot Butler is project in development by Intel, and it is able to do some basic chores like clearing the table, serving meals, and my least favorite chore: doing the dishes.

Yeah, it is too good to be true. Not only that, it is a little slow to be practical, according to my source. Apparently the best it can do is identify anything that you, the owner of HERB wants, and then bring it to you. So like if you wanted a can of soda, for example, you could ask for it, even extend your hand so it would drop it in your palm.

However, I would not mind at all if HERB stayed up all night in order to clean up for the next day. I sure that I would eventually learn to live with it moving about in the night, if I could wake up to a clean kitchen and living room the next day.

Yeah, I don’t really know when we are going to live in that age where robots do all our chores for us. I guess my dreams of having a personal Rosie from The Jetsons are far from coming true.

Source

Introducing Foolish Gadgets because not all gadgets are cool

[ Let HERB take care of your household copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Gadget Thumbnails for 30-Jun-2010

Posted: 30 Jun 2010 10:01 PM PDT

Introducing Foolish Gadgets because not all gadgets are cool

[ Gadget Thumbnails for 30-Jun-2010 copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

T-Mobile offers Samsung Vibrant

Posted: 30 Jun 2010 07:45 PM PDT

The Samsung Galaxy S is one of the more unique handsets Stateside simply because it comes in many variants and is known by different monikers, depending on the mobile carrier which you purchased it from. T-Mobile’s edition is known as the Samsung Vibrant, where this multimedia intensive smartphone is more than capable of combining the whole range of entertainment and communication needs in a single device. For the layman, it could very well be your mobile TV, bookshelf, radio, movie library, gaming system and smartphone all rolled into one. Some of the exclusive entertainment features include the Avatar movie on an included 2GB microSD memory card, as well as an exclusive collector’s edition of a popular game. Not only that, you can continue reading your eBooks thanks to the Amazon Kindle for Android application that opens up the doors to over 600,000 books, MobiTV with live and on-demand TV, and much more.

The Vibrant is equipped with a 4″ Super AMOLED touch screen display that is capable of delivering a vivid, sharp color HD-like viewing experience, regardless of whether you want to play a game, watch a movie or read an eBook wherever you are. Boasting a slim and sleek design, the Vibrant is one of the most portable and accessible mobile entertainment devices currently available in the US, so don’t let Apple fanboys tell you otherwise. Running on the fleet-footed Samsung 1GHz Cortex A8 Hummingbird Application Processor, you also get a six-axis sensor which has been optimized for media and gaming, offering consumers a seamless, immersive experience while reading, watching and playing. It is also compatible with T-Mobile’s super-fast HSPA+ network in areas where there is coverage, just in case you can’t stand waiting for webpages to load.

It will be powered by the Android 2.1 operating system, and it has already been confirmed that Android 2.2 (FroYo) will be released in due time, and judging by the latest news on the Internet, since it sports a 1GHz processor, it ought to qualify for the Android 3.0 (Gingerbread) update which is touted to be released sometime in Q3 later this year. Any takers for the new Vibrant?

Press Release

Coolest Gadgets UK – For all your UK centric tech and gadget news.
[ T-Mobile offers Samsung Vibrant copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Magellan GPS unveils ToughCase

Posted: 30 Jun 2010 07:30 PM PDT

Magellan GPS has just rolled out its latest rugged protective case known as the ToughCase, where it will offer both the iPhone as well as iPod touch full waterproof capabilities – just make sure you have a decent pair of waterproof headphones to go along with it! Targeting outdoor enthusiasts and outdoor professionals, this new ToughCase will not be limited in its release to selected regions only, and what makes it all the more special would be the integration of GPS navigation capability, further enhancing the accuracy of location-based and GPS applications for both the iPhone 3G and iPod touch, all the while offering protection as well as providing unmatched accessibility to all iPhone and iPod touch features.

According to Justin Doucette, Director of Product Marketing for Magellan GPS, “The ToughCase is the ideal solution for all outdoor users. From kayakers to golfers, mountain bikers to construction workers, it provides a level of protection and performance previously unavailable in other cases. The ToughCase protects against harmful elements such as dust, rain, mud, water and snow.”

As mentioned earlier, this unique case design will pave the way for full and unhindered access to Apple’s revolutionary Multi-Touch user interface, where users will be able to receive and place calls without compromising on the device’s protection. Since it is more than capable of meeting IPX-7 waterproof standards, this means you will be able to use the device underwater for up to half an hour, as long as you do not exceed 1 meter in depth. Guess snorkelling is fine with this, alongside swimming, but anything more than that is a no-no unless you have the budget for a new iPhone. Boasting a built-in 1840 mAh battery, it ought to double your battery life, while the integrated high sensitivity SiRFstar III GPS chipset delivers up to 3 meters of accuracy. Expect to pick up the Magellan ToughCase for $199.99 a pop.

Press Release

Introducing Foolish Gadgets because not all gadgets are cool

[ Magellan GPS unveils ToughCase copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Sony recalls VAIO laptops

Posted: 30 Jun 2010 07:19 PM PDT

Sony has announced in conjunction with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission that they will be recalling at least 233,000 laptops from various VAIO ranges simply because these run the risk of overheating due to a faulty chip inside. Currently, Sony has already received 30 reports of units overheating resulting in deformed keyboards and casings, but thankfully that there were no injuries reported to date. The recall will affect the VPCF11 Series and VPCCW2 Series laptops, where they come in all sorts of colors with the word “VAIO” on the front outside panel. If you’re wondering where to find the model number, it is located at the bottom of the machines.

Tech Cult – We cover the latest tech news, but always with a funny twist.
[ Sony recalls VAIO laptops copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Self-folding paper straight out of Harvard

Posted: 30 Jun 2010 07:18 PM PDT

Hopefully you’ve had the pleasure of paper folding with origami, and you might want to check out this project from Harvard’s Robert Wood and team.

Wood has somehow managed to put tiny actuators onto pieces of origami paper, which will allow it to fold itself into many shapes. I have included a video of it after the jump so you can see it miraculously fold into a boat or a plane.

Okay, I’m guessing that this is some technology that you develop just to prove that you can do it, usually to prove that you can make something else. I honestly don’t have any use for paper that folds itself. Yes, I could use it for origami, but having origami paper that folds itself sort of takes the fun out of it. It would be like having a jigsaw puzzle whose pieces crawled together to form the picture on the box.

I believe that the team that developed this technology said that they wanted to use this for personal applications, such as resizing a cup of coffee for the amount of hot beverage it will hold. So if you wanted a small coffee, the large size cup would fold down to adjust for it.

So, that’s what were going to use this advanced tech for, coffee cups? There has got to be a better reason to have tech like this around. Normally I like concept technology like this, but I’m really racking my brain trying to think of what to use this for.

Go ahead and put in a comment if you can think of anything.

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[ Self-folding paper straight out of Harvard copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Aluminum Sound Tube MP3 Speaker

Posted: 30 Jun 2010 07:12 PM PDT

ThinkGeek has just introduced their latest $39.99 Aluminum Sound Tube MP3 Speaker for the masses, where it might not look as though it amounts up to much, but surprisingly enough, it will function similarly to a full size speaker, being really loud when it needs to be for those who love to crank it up. Who would have thought that such a design could result in a booming speaker? This is definitely a different speaker from all that you’ve seen so far, with the addition of an integrated MP3 playback and a rechargeable battery. You can opt to hook it up to your iPod or choose to bring it along with your speaker, although others will even try to hook it to their bicycle handlebars and make a menace of themselves in the neighborhood.

Coolest Gadgets UK – For all your UK centric tech and gadget news.
[ Aluminum Sound Tube MP3 Speaker copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Emily the Lifeguard Robot

Posted: 30 Jun 2010 06:44 PM PDT

Imagine being out near the edge of the ocean, and you suddenly encounter a Portuguese man of war. It’s stinging tentacles paralyze the whole right side of your body, and you are unable to swim.

Suddenly, you see this red thing approaching you. Don’t worry, it isn’t a shark, but Emily, the Emergency Integrate Lifesaving Lanyard. You could call Emily your own personal lifeguard robot. Just think of it as a combination of David Haselhoff’s finest television shows: Baywatch and Knight Rider.

Emily is made to be tossed into troublesome waters from the beach, from a ship, or even from the air. It then swims away by remote control to rescue swimmers in peril at speeds of 28 miles per hour, and it has a battery life capable of 80 miles on a single charge. It even has speakers for two-way communication with a real lifeguard.

Emily measures at about 54 inches long by 16 inches wide by 8 inches tall, and weighs 25 pounds. It was developed by Hydronalix, a maker of maritime robots, based on a robotic boat they were developing for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for health checks on sea life.

It is possible that you might see an Emily patrolling the beaches of San Diego soon, and it is currently pulling a shift at Malibu’s Zuma Beach. There are reports that Hydronalix will have a fully autonomous version of Emily available by 2011.

Source

Coolest Gadgets UK – For all your UK centric tech and gadget news.
[ Emily the Lifeguard Robot copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]