Your's Web Tech Power Blog's: Dec 18, 2010

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Latest Posts on Coolest Gadgets

Sega Toylets is a video game for the urinal
Hands on with the Belkin Conserve Valet Energy-Saving USB Charging Station
World Lens App can translate words inside of an image
Remote Controlled Grappler
Razer Scarab does the mousepad thing
Vizio has new 3D TV for the masses
Huey the Color Copying Chameleon Lamp
Gadget Thumbnails for 16-Dec-2010

Sega Toylets is a video game for the urinal

Posted: 17 Dec 2010 04:37 PM PST

I saw postings on this subject in the middle of the week, and I thought, “surely I have better things to post about than this”.

It is Friday, which means that most of my sources don’t really have much to report about before the weekend. Without further ado, here are the Sega Toylets.

Yes, it’s name is a joke, and the bathroom humor is going to abound when you hear what this is about. The Toylets make a video game out of urinal. There is a video after the jump if you want to see it in action. Don’t worry, it is not NSFW, because there is a statue of a cherub taking a whizz instead of a guy.

I believe that the point of the game is to aim on a certain spot on the urinal, and your point value will increase as you…flow. I believe that there is one level where peeing in the right place raises a woman’s skirt. This would be an easy spot to insert a joke about what happens when you raise up the woman’s skirt entirely. That would be NSFW.

I believe that there is a multiplayer edition. Do you really want to hear the obvious joke about a pissing contest? Enough of this bathroom humor! Have a good weekend.

Source

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[ Sega Toylets is a video game for the urinal copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Hands on with the Belkin Conserve Valet Energy-Saving USB Charging Station

Posted: 17 Dec 2010 04:30 PM PST

Just to let you know, this isn’t another one of those wireless chargers like the Powermat, Wildcharger, or that one from Energizer.

No, this Conserve Valet Smart USB Charging Station from Belkin is full of wires, but at least it puts all the wires in the right place. You can’t see the back of this, but there is a cord that plugs into the wall, and three USB ports on the back. The device comes with two USB to mini-USB ports to plug and charge appropriate devices.

If you are charging an iPod or other device that has a USB charging cable, you can wrap it around the Valet device, poke the cord through the notch, and rest the device on the slip-resistant surface there.

According to the official site, you can do 4 devices at once, but the actual surface is only big enough for two mobile devices like iPods or mobile phones. I was able to fit three Bluetooth headsets, though.

I guess the Conserve Valet is named as it can conserve energy. Unlike other chargers, that charge as soon as a device is connected, this one has a button on top that won’t start the devices charging until it is pushed. I guess it is greener power.

You should be able to get it on Amazon for about $39.99.

Source

Cool Gift Idea: Digital Picture Frames, check out our reviews.
[ Hands on with the Belkin Conserve Valet Energy-Saving USB Charging Station copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

World Lens App can translate words inside of an image

Posted: 17 Dec 2010 04:06 PM PST

I generally report on end-user consumer devices, and usually do not report on cool Apps on this site. Otherwise, I would constantly fill this blog with the cool Apps that come out everyday. Maybe we should have a separate blog known as Coolest Apps.

However, there are times when Apps show us how far we have gone with technology, and Word Lens from QuestVisual has exploded over the tech blogosphere with what it can do with its Optical Character Recognition technology.

Word Lens is the product of two and a half years of work from John DeWeese and Otavio Good. You can see a video of how it works after the jump, but I have no idea if it works as well as you see in the vid.

I mean, I have seen augmented reality apps do some pretty cool things before, but to translate English to Spanish (as well as Spanish to English) in realtime is pretty amazing. It doesn’t even require a Wi-Fi or mobile connection!

From what I hear, it doesn’t work this smoothly. The video makes it look like the guy in the movie who is reading something in a foreign language, and it suddenly turns English (in the same font) so the audience can understand what the character has read.

If you want to see this App for yourself, it costs about $4.99 on the iTunes store.

Source

Tech Cult – We cover the latest tech news, but always with a funny twist.
[ World Lens App can translate words inside of an image copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Remote Controlled Grappler

Posted: 17 Dec 2010 02:58 PM PST

Wonder what little Jimmy is going to grow up into? Well, perhaps you might want to pique his interest in being a young construction foreman with the Remote Controlled Grappler. This rather cute little superstructure of sorts is capable of rotating 360º (with beeping to boot), extending its arm, raising and lowering it at the same time, coupled with its twin-jawed grapple that opens and closes. All that movement is controlled with a remote which looks like the same kind found in real life large earth moving equipment. As for the grappler itself, it can move forward, backward, left, and right on two treaded tracks. The grapple comes with five interlocking rubber-tipped teeth which can secure small objects including pencils, balls, or action figures. When idle, just give the ignition key button a go and watch it get jolted into action. Interestingly enough, it even comes with a horn that warns other imaginary workers in the vicinity that you’re about to let her rip. Nice to know that all sounds can be muted just in case other adults are irritated by it. Powered by seven AA batteries, the Remote Controlled Grappler is suprisingly affordable at $49.95.

Tech Cult – We cover the latest tech news, but always with a funny twist.
[ Remote Controlled Grappler copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Razer Scarab does the mousepad thing

Posted: 17 Dec 2010 02:45 PM PST

When it comes to serious, hardcore gaming, many gamers are extremely particular about the kinds of hardware they use. Most of them would want to settle for nothing but the best, and when it comes to gaming peripherals, surely the name Razer will strike a chord with you? After all, that brand has rolled out more than just a handful of high quality gaming products in the past, especially with their mice and more recently, mousepads. Yup, no point having the best mouse in the world if your playing surface is awful – it is somewhat similar to Arsenal visiting Old Trafford and complaining about the poor pitch condition after that. Yes, I know that I’m biased because I support the Gunners, but that’s an example for us fanboys to visualize!

Back to the main event – Razer’s in the limelight today because of their latest mousepad, the Razer Scarab. This next generation hard gaming mouse mat will take off where its predecessor, the Razer Destructor, left. Boasting a Razer Fractal 2.0 surface that is coated in light grey, this long-awaited sequel will take superior tracking to an explosive new level.

According to Robert "RazerGuy" Krakoff, president of Razer USA "With this sequel, we focused on enhancing the Fractal surface coating so that gamers will improve their game even further. It's all you need to win in life. And in PC games of course. The Razer Scarab is for gamers who prefer hard surfaces, high performance areas, effortless swipes and absolute tracking."

Some other luminaries in the professional gaming scene like Alexey "Cypher" Yanusheuski of Team Serious Gaming, world champion in Quake Live, and Olga "Pachella" Pak, Counter-strike 1.6 world champion with Team Mousesports, are looking forward to this mousepad up their frag count. Guess this will cater more towards FPS gamers compared to those who are knee deep in RTS, but it is a mousepad to be enjoyed by all walks of life.

Razer's Fractal 2.0 surface coating will establish a highly responsive and uniform tracking system that is perfect for optical and laser mice sensors. It's been finely-tuned to balance between speed and control, letting you acquire targets more accurately. It doesn’t matter whether you reside Stateside or across the pond, either way, it retails for 39.99 in the local currency.

Press Release

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[ Razer Scarab does the mousepad thing copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Vizio has new 3D TV for the masses

Posted: 17 Dec 2010 02:30 PM PST

This year’s CES certainly saw the introduction of 3D TVs from major manufacturers, and somehow, we are not surprised at all that among all the big players, there are also smaller manufacturers who want a piece of this potentially lucrative pie. Vizio is among one of them, consistently churning out quality stuff without breaking the bank, and they’re back with their 65″ Theater 3D Edge Lit Razor LED LCD HDTV alongside support for Vizio Internet Apps.

Vizio’s incorporation of their own Theater 3D technology will deliver a superior alternative to conventional 3D by utilizing battery-free, affordable and lightweight 3D glasses. The use of such glasses results in less eyestrain compared to current power-consuming “Active Shutter” technology – something to think about if you have a heart for the environment.

Also, the 65″ XVT3D650SV holds the distinction of being Vizio’s largest HDTV to date, and will arrive in time for the holiday season, so you can wow family and friends who drop by your pad with 65″ of viewing goodness. As mentioned earlier, the Vizio Theater 3D technology will produce clear, flicker-free 3D images that are noticeably brighter than conventional 3D, while helping you save cost from purchasing bulky 3D eyewear which requires batteries or charging. Nice to know that this 65″ XVT series Theater 3D HDTV will be able to deliver cinema-style 3D experience right in the comfort of your living room with a quartet of 3D glasses inside, allowing you to share the 3D goodness with others right from the get go.

Not only that, the XVT3D650SV will also support the widest selection of 3D formats, making sure it is compatible across Blu-ray, broadcast, cable, satellite, and gaming platforms. In addition, support for SENSIO Hi-Fi 3D is thrown into the picture, where this high quality, visually lossless 3D format will allow 3D content to be delivered over 2D infrastructure as well as RealD’s patented side-by-side format. Built-in Wi-Fi N connectivity makes navigating through Vizio Internet Apps a breeze, where you can access online content such as Amazon Video On Demand, Facebook, Flickr, Netflix, Rhapsody, Pandora, Twitter, VUDU and Yahoo! TV Widgets. At $3,499.99 a pop, this is shaping up to be a pretty sweet deal.

Tech Cult – We cover the latest tech news, but always with a funny twist.
[ Vizio has new 3D TV for the masses copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Huey the Color Copying Chameleon Lamp

Posted: 17 Dec 2010 02:15 PM PST

Have you watched Disney’s Rapunzel just yet? For those of you who live Stateside, that isn’t the name of the movie, as you might be more familiar with Tangled. Either way, it is the same, and who could forget about Pascal, the name of the super cute chameleon? Well, a similar idea has been incorporated into the real world, which is Huey the Color Copying Chameleon Lamp. ThinkGeek’s latest $29.99 offering is actually an electronic glowing chameleon lamp which can dynamically match the color of whatever he sits on.

Yup, that’s right, place Huey down on top of a green notebook and he will match the color with his unique, glowing skin after giving him a loving squeeze. He doesn’t do this via magic, but two white LEDs located underneath which relies on a sophisticated optical sensor will determine the right color, where he will then adjust the shade of numerous multi-color LED’s imbedded in his body. Who would’ve thought that something like this would actually exist, eh?

Cool Gift Idea: Digital Picture Frames, check out our reviews.
[ Huey the Color Copying Chameleon Lamp copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]