Latest Posts on Coolest Gadgets

Hands on with the DXG-A85V Pro Gear Camera
ASSET camera can bust you for five moving violations in five seconds
Hands on with the iPhone Horn Stand
Toast and Jam Bodywash Set
Award Winning Nesting Spheres Puzzle
Kingston announces SSDNow V100 solid state drive
Trimble has next generation of Nomad outdoor rugged handheld computers
The Intel Reader – Point, Shoot and Listen
Gadget Thumbnails for 07-Nov-2010

Hands on with the DXG-A85V Pro Gear Camera

Posted: 08 Nov 2010 03:59 PM PST

I had a chance to review the DXG-A80V a few months ago, and I was fortunate to review what looks to be the follow-up, the DXG-A85V.

The cameras certainly look alike, and they are both 1080p video-capable with a 3 inch Touchscreen display. One of the upgrades is that the DXG-A85V has a 12X Optical Zoom instead of the 5X that the A80V has. Both are capable of 1080p at 30fps (frames per second), but the A80V can do 1080i in 60fps, while the A85V can do 720p at that 60 frame rate.

The A85V has a very advanced Manual Focus System and allows focusing by tapping on the touchscreen. I had a hard time making this feature work, but I will say that the camera is very good at catching whatever I wanted to focus on.

The DXG-A85V also has Dual Capture Mode for “recording video and pictures simultaneously”. The camera itself includes an HDMI cable, and it can support SD cards up to 16GB. It is also compatible with a remote, but it doesn’t come with one.

All in all, it is a good camera. I’m not certain whether or not DXG is making a killing in the camcorder market, but with cameras like the DXG-A85V, it really ought to. You can purchase it for about $319.99 off the DXG site.

Coolest Gadgets UK – For all your UK centric tech and gadget news.
[ Hands on with the DXG-A85V Pro Gear Camera copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

ASSET camera can bust you for five moving violations in five seconds

Posted: 08 Nov 2010 03:29 PM PST

It seems like technology always finds a way to police us, and this camera system known as ASSET (Advanced Safety and Driver Support for Essential Road Transport) will more than likely increase the number of moving violations more than red-light cameras.

It has 3D cameras with two lenses that can detect speeding violations from 50 yards away, and it can also check out possible tailgaters. Another 3D camera on the ASSET can also detect a seatbelt on a driver, and even photograph it for evidence in a court case. I wonder if it can detect whether a toddler is wearing the proper seat harness. I see that law being violated all the time.

Special aerials are designed to transmit pictures to the police, and there is a number plate recognition camera to detect whether or not the license tabs are not expired, not to mention the insurance information.

All of these citations are possible within about five seconds from when the ASSET notices you. Yes, Big Brother is watching the road!

I am not certain how much it would cost to have an ASSET on every corner, but it is currently being tested in Finland. The current plan is to bring ASSET into other European countries, and possibly even the United States.

Source

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[ ASSET camera can bust you for five moving violations in five seconds copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Hands on with the iPhone Horn Stand

Posted: 08 Nov 2010 02:59 PM PST

Today I received the Bone Collection iPhone Portable Amplifier Horn Stand in the mail. The Horn Stand is designed to increase the volume of your iPhone by 13 decibels without the use of batteries.

That is probably because there is nothing electronic or even metal in this amplifier. I heard of this product a few weeks ago, and I assumed that it was made of hard plastic. As it turns out, it is made of rubber, and smells kind of funny when you put your nose up close.

So does it increase the sound? Perhaps on an iPhone, yes. I tried it out on my iPod Touch, and I could barely hear a sound increase. I hope the effect on an iPhone would be equivalent to the iPod Gramophone or PhonoFone II.

As the name implies, the Horn Stand also works as a stand for the iPhone. So for those who like watching movies on your iPhone screen in portrait mode, this is for you.

When it came out to the box, I found the horn was on the wrong side. The YouTube video I was watching was upside-down and the button was also on the wrong side, but fortunately, the horn part is detachable and reversible.

You can get the Bone Collection iPhone Portable Amplifier Horn Stand for about $24.95 from Cyberguys. It comes in other colors besides White, as I received the green horn.

Coolest Gadgets UK – For all your UK centric tech and gadget news.
[ Hands on with the iPhone Horn Stand copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Toast and Jam Bodywash Set

Posted: 08 Nov 2010 01:35 PM PST

Fancy some toast and jam? Well, the one here from Firebox is not of the edible variety, and instead of leaving sticky marks all over your body, it is meant to cleanse off the day’s dirt and grime. Why, you ask? Well, this £6.99 purchase is actually a gift set that comes with a pot of bodywash (which looks almost too good to eat) and a toast-shaped sponge – letting you lather yourself all over with a smile on your face. After all, how many other people have this in their bathrooms? The Toast and Jam Bodywash Set is also a good reminder that it is time for a quick bites, especially when your mind has been pre-occupied with so many things at the office that you can’t even remember whether you had breakfast and lunch or not. This makes for a suitable gift or stocking filler for anyone in the family, although we’re not sure whether they’re willing to share its use in the communal bathroom or not….

Tech Cult – We cover the latest tech news, but always with a funny twist.
[ Toast and Jam Bodywash Set copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Award Winning Nesting Spheres Puzzle

Posted: 08 Nov 2010 01:30 PM PST

Challenge your youngling’s brain power with the Award Winning Nesting Spheres Puzzle – after all, it ought to provide hours of entertainment without having to take on the role of the idiot box. This will definitely impart better qualities in children, since it forces them to think in multiple dimensions, apart from helping build up spatial awareness while developing motor skills in the process – nothing the TV is able to deliver, although the latter does seem far more enticing at first. The Nesting Spheres Puzzle was picked to be the Winner of the 2008 International Design Excellence Award, where it will come in a quartet of color-coded layers which nest within one another.

Children are forced to turn each piece just so to fit it through the outer sphere’s fixed opening, which will certainly make the puzzle progressively harder as they “level up” from one sphere to the next. The puzzle comprises of 21 pieces altogether, forming a 3 1/4″-diameter sphere when completed. While it is slated for those aged 5 and above, we’re sure mom and dad won’t mind giving this $29.95 toy a go just for the sake of curiosity (and to see whether they have the smarts as well or not). Imagine what a spot you will be in when your kid asks you to solve it and you walk away defeated…

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[ Award Winning Nesting Spheres Puzzle copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Kingston announces SSDNow V100 solid state drive

Posted: 08 Nov 2010 01:22 PM PST

Kingston wants to boost its solid state drive credentials with the SSDNow V100 which hails from the SSDNow V Series family of solid state drives (SSD). Targeting mainstream consumers, the Kingston V100 SSD is touted to offer the best performance for your buck, being the most cost-effective upgrade path for desktops and notebooks without having to go through the hassle of a total system replacement. Just what kind of performance figures can we wax lyrical about? Well, you can check it out in the extended post if you want to kill the cat.

The V100 is an expansion of the V Series line, bringing in another 256GB capacity drive. Of course, if you feel that your budget cannot fit 256GB worth of storage space, there are always smaller alternatives in the form of 64GB and 128GB capacities. Kingston’s new V100 also comes with Windows 7 TRIM support, featuring an optimized controller and advanced NAND Flash technology that will increase read and write performance. Folks who are looking forward to extending the life cycle of their current system will be able to see that installation of the V100 will result in quicker bootup and application load times, not to mention a faster overall user experience with the new V100.

The SSDNow V100 drives will ship as either a stand-alone unit or as an upgrade bundle kit. If you opt for the desktop bundle kit, that will include the SSD, cloning software, cables (SATA data and power), and 3.5-inch″ hard-drive mounting brackets and hardware. As for the notebook bundle, it will include the SSD, cloning software and a 2.5″-inch external enclosure that lets the replaced hard drive to be used as additional storage – gotta love the idea of recycling, eh? Certainly doesn’t put anything to waste. All purchases will come with a three-year warranty and round-the-clock live technical support. Other features and specifications of the Kingston SSDNow V100 include :-

Interface: SATA 1.5Gb/sec. & 3.0Gb/sec.
Sequential Speed: up to 250MB/sec. read; up to 230MB/sec for 128GB & 256GB, up to 145MB.sec. for 64GB write
Silent: runs silent and cool with no moving parts
Reliable: less likely to fail than a standard hard drive
Shock-Resistant: no moving mechanical parts so the SSD handles rougher conditions
Supports S.M.A.R.T.: Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology
Supports TRIM: ensures maximum performance on compatible operating systems
Power Specs: Active 6.4W (TYP) / Sleep 1.0W (TYP)
Storage Temperatures: -40 degrees C to 85 degrees C
Operating Temperatures: 0 degrees C to 70 degrees C
Weight: 114.76g (stand-alone unit); 302.91g (notebook bundle); 328.40g (desktop bundle)
Vibration Operating: 2.17G (7-800Hz)
Vibration Non-operating: 20G (10-2000Hz)
Life Expectancy: 1 million hours MTBF

Press Release

Introducing Foolish Gadgets because not all gadgets are cool

[ Kingston announces SSDNow V100 solid state drive copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Trimble has next generation of Nomad outdoor rugged handheld computers

Posted: 08 Nov 2010 01:14 PM PST

Trimble has just announced that they will be rolling out a new generation of Nomad outdoor rugged handheld computers, where the Nomad 900 series will step to the spotlight with the inclusion of a 5-megapixel auto-focus camera with flash, not to mention throwing in other enhancements including better GPS performance and new Wi-Fi capabilities. These new features are now available within its rugged construction and will certainly not put its computing power to waste, making the Trimble Nomad 900 series perfect for mobile workers who are engaged in forestry, public safety, surveying, construction, mapping, field service, utilities, and other outdoor or service-related fields.

Underneath the hood, you will find an ultra-fast 806MHz processor as well as Trimble’s optimized graphics processing, alongside advanced caching and proprietary high-speed journaling file system. This makes the Trimble Nomad 900 series handhelds as some of the fastest Windows Mobile computers on the market today, although we all know that Windows Mobile as an operating system on the whole is more or less dead today. What does the 900 series offer? Apart from top-of-the-line performance with a 5200mAh rechargeable lithium ion battery, up to 6GB of internal flash memory as well as a sunlight visible VGA touch screen display – perfect for outdoor use.

You need not treat this like a new iPhone 4 that is seemingly more fragile in your mind than it looks, as the Trimble Nomad 900 series meets MIL-STD-810F standard for drops, vibration and temperature extremes and comes with an IP67 rating. Not only that, users are able to take advantage of the Trimble Nomad 900 series CompactFlash (CF) and Secure Digital (SD) slots in order to expand its memory capabilities as well as achieve new functionalities such as RFID.

As mentioned earlier, the Trimble Nomad 900 series will feature improved camera and flash, making low light and night images crisp and bright for mobile workers to capture and geotag assets with confidence. Don’t worry about capturing the fine print which is normally associated with an asset, such as a fire inspection tag, as that can be easily read. It isn’t limited to the English speaking world only, as the Trimble Nomad 900 series supports the international user community, thanks to operating system downloads which are available in English, French, German, Japanese and Spanish, as well as Italian, Korean, Brazilian Portuguese and Russian. We can expect to see this hit the market before the year is over.

Press Release

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[ Trimble has next generation of Nomad outdoor rugged handheld computers copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

The Intel Reader – Point, Shoot and Listen

Posted: 08 Nov 2010 08:03 AM PST

There are many reasons kids and adults alike, have difficulty reading. One may be dyslexic, or have poor vision or other reading related issues. The Intel Reader has found a way to transform the printed word so now everyone can "read."

The Intel Reader makes it possible for you to read anything you want, whenever you want to. It is relatively small, portable and with the included earbuds, pretty discreet.

The way it works is simple enough, like a camera, you point the unit at the text you wish to listen to, shoot the page, as you would a picture, and then listen as the text is converted to speech. Similarly, one can use the Intel Portable Capture Station that will allow for the "copying" of large amounts of text, like magazines or books.
The unit has excellent storage capacity and easy to navigate controls that will allow you to take lots of content with you, and still have room to read some work related material and your menu at lunch. Content can also be converted to MP3's enabling you make your own audiobooks that can be played on a handheld device or computer. The Intel Reader is also compatible with some downloadable content like DAISY digital talking books.

With tactile buttons and voice menus, this Reader opens a whole new world to people with reading problems and allows independence at home, work and school. The Intel Reader is available from Amazon for $899.

Source: Intel

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[ The Intel Reader – Point, Shoot and Listen copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]