Friday, December 3, 2010

Latest Posts on Coolest Gadgets

Latest Posts on Coolest Gadgets

Use the Kinect to surf the web!

Posted: 02 Dec 2010 04:27 PM PST

This is one of those posts that might be better if you hit the jump and see the video of it before you read about it.

Apparently, four young gentlemen from MIT’s Fluid Interfaces Group have figured out another use for the Microsoft Kinect. Instead of using your body as a controller in a video game, this involves the user’s body becoming a web browser.

You will note from the video how the user can navigate through open tabs, and then select the proper link. Scrolling and zooming looks like some weird kind of telekinesis.

I realize that this comparison gets overused, but it is a lot like Tom Cruise’s gesture-based interface from Minority Report, without the three-fingered gloves with the blue lights.

My Source mentions that the addition of a virutal keyboard by moving your fingers could help, but that would probably mean learning how to type again. Isn’t there some way we could do a speech to text feature? So if I wanted to say: “Search for Energizer”, it would lead me to the homepage for Energizer.

What these guys have here is definitely a way of surfing the net on your television without a keyboard or mouse. It beats the heck out of those keyboard remotes.

DepthJS from Fluid Interfaces on Vimeo.

Source

Coolest Gadgets UK – For all your UK centric tech and gadget news.
[ Use the Kinect to surf the web! copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

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Augmented Reality, now in candy form

Posted: 02 Dec 2010 04:08 PM PST

We have talked about augmented reality more than once on this site, and usually it is about putting things in front of a webcam to create some interesting 3D graphics that the user can manipulate by moving the object around.

This would be the first time that I have seen augmented reality come in the form of taste and not sight. I’m not certain whether you can call it augmented reality, really, but hey, we might as well use the buzzword.

Keio University’s TagCandy allows the user to put a lollipop candy on some sort of fancy stick, and then connect the stick to a computer. Apparently, the user can control the taste by controlling the vibrations that will come to his or her mouth. Apparently, if you want fizzy soda or crisp apple, that is totally a matter of programming. Check out the video after the jump for more.

Then there are other flavors that aren’t part of the usual flavor wheel including fireworks, with vibrations and “explosions” to simulate a Fourth of July in your mouth, I guess.

I can’t help but feel that this is something that Willy Wonka would make in his giant chocolate factory. I also can’t help but think that this is the future of candy is one particular food unit that we can all control with the power of technology.

Source

Check out the Coolest Gadgets 2008 Gift Guides, Christmas shopping made easy.
[ Augmented Reality, now in candy form copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

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Electro Hub universal wireless charger to debut at CES 2011

Posted: 02 Dec 2010 03:49 PM PST

We have reported on many supposedly wireless chargers before, such as the Powermat and Wildcharger. There was also that one from Energizer that is Q1 certified, so that someday, we will all just lay down our mobile devices on charging pads and we’ll say good-bye to our charging cords forever.

This is the ElectroHub, another wireless charging station to join the club, and is planned to make its shining debut at CES 2011. As someone who is thrilled to see that their invitation to CES has been accepted, I can’t wait to see it.

One thing that is promised to make the ElectroHub unique is that it occasionally doesn’t require the device to have a special case, but actually provides ElectroHub batteries, which come in both AA and AAA. That means that you can take any device that takes those aforementioned batteries, like a Wiimote, and swap it out for an ElectroHub one. As far as the devices with non-replaceable batteries, it does require a protective case that works as a converter to charge the device’s internal battery. I guess we aren’t to the Q1 case-less stage yet.

The ElectroHub is slated to be on sale during the first quarter 2011, and should cost $39. There are other battery sets that can be purchased separately for about $10.

Source

Tech Cult – We cover the latest tech news, but always with a funny twist.
[ Electro Hub universal wireless charger to debut at CES 2011 copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

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Gifts for the Entertainer

Posted: 02 Dec 2010 02:09 PM PST

This is the person that makes everyday a celebration. The more of these friends you have, the more fun your holiday season will be. The following gifts will contribute to a party atmosphere.

Coolest Gadgets UK – For all your UK centric tech and gadget news.
[ Gifts for the Entertainer copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

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Gifts for the Spoiled Brat

Posted: 02 Dec 2010 12:55 PM PST

You know this kid, they might even live in your house. This child has every conceivable toy known to man, and if you give them another plastic playset, one of you is going to scream. I think I can help.

Coolest Gadgets UK – For all your UK centric tech and gadget news.
[ Gifts for the Spoiled Brat copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

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Gifts for the Old Timer

Posted: 02 Dec 2010 10:30 AM PST

Thank goodness for our old-timers. What a wealth of experience and knowledge they have, but what do you get somebody thats been around for a while and has everything they thought they needed, easy, something they didn't know they needed.

Tech Cult – We cover the latest tech news, but always with a funny twist.
[ Gifts for the Old Timer copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

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Gifts for the Chef

Posted: 02 Dec 2010 09:52 AM PST

Let’s face it, your family and friends cook, even if it’s just a little. The following gifts are sure to make good cooks great and bad cooks, well, better. Which can only be a good thing for everyone involved, especially if you’re ever invited to dinner.

Coolest Gadgets UK – For all your UK centric tech and gadget news.
[ Gifts for the Chef copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

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Gadget Thumbnails for 01-Dec-2010

Posted: 01 Dec 2010 09:01 PM PST

Document Extractor – a monitor, printer, scanner concept we can only hope for

Posted: 01 Dec 2010 07:18 PM PST

Every now and then something comes along that wows you with its practicality, something that just feels right. Something that makes so much sense, you have to wonder how it took so long for someone to come up with it in the first place.

The Document Extractor, brainchild of  Byeong Min Choe, marries your printer, scanner and monitor into one potentially perfect device. The monitor, has a touch screen interface that allows you to select and crop the area of the page you wish to print, and the selected area will print from the back to the front of the device, dropping from your computer screen into reality.

Scanning is a similar process in which the user is able to feed the document to be scanned up into the device and Voila! It appears on your display as if you just feed it up behind the screen. The designer reminds us that the Document Extractor is not simply a space saving device, it will also save us time and resources, like ink and toner.

Whatever the benefits of such a device may be to you, we can only hope that someone will actually step up to the plate and create one of these that we can actually buy. Hello Mr. Jobs? are you listening?

Source: www.yankodesign.com

Tech Cult – We cover the latest tech news, but always with a funny twist.
[ Document Extractor – a monitor, printer, scanner concept we can only hope for copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

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Posted by Mohammad khuram shahzad at Friday, December 03, 2010 0 comments  

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