Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Latest Posts on Coolest Gadgets

Latest Posts on Coolest Gadgets


SkyScreamer at Six Flags St. Louis takes you for a real ride

Posted: 23 May 2011 04:10 PM PDT

Now that summer is here, I’m sure that people will be heading to amusement parks in droves. The SkyScreamer at Six Flags St. Louis should bring a crowd.

There really isn’t anything fantastically new about the SkyScreamer, it isn’t like it incorporates some virtual technology or anything like that Harry Potter ride that Universal has in Orlando. It does take the swing ride to a whole new level with 236 feet of height and a speed of 43 miles per hour.

Yeah, this makes me want to get on the swing ride all over again. I think it has been at least ten years since I have been on something like this, and I like the fact that the swings are built for two.

By the way, the company that made this particular ride has actually made a taller swing ride. They created the 384-foot StarFlyer in Vienna, Austria which sounds like it would be the current record breaker.

I still wonder what could possibly make make the most amusement park ride even more thrilling. Perhaps someone will finally make that experimental technology that I already discussed last week. The one that makes the ride more thrilling as the user gets more scared. Well, we’ll see on that.

Source


Introducing Foolish Gadgets because not all gadgets are cool :)
[ SkyScreamer at Six Flags St. Louis takes you for a real ride copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Related Posts:


Kobo’s Announces the New Touchscreen E-reader

Posted: 23 May 2011 03:33 PM PDT

I’m still not on the e-reader train just yet, but Kobo has just announced their new Touchscreen e-Reader.

I have reviewed enough e-readers to know that most of them are pretty much alike, but what makes this Kobo one interesting is that it has a touchscreen, and it is affordable.

I will get to the price in a moment, but it has the same Pearl display that is on the Kindle. It also has a Wi-Fi reader and new search tool with virtual keyboard and highlighting, as well as a built-in Merriam Webster dictionary.

There is an interesting feature that allows the user to open a PDF, as well as zoom in and scroll around. Other features include a Zeforce infrared touchscreen and the freescale i.MX507 allows for better page turning.

I have to admit, I like the way that this e-reader is structured, there is the one button functionality, and a touchscreen. I seem to recall a certain device that changed everything with that pragmatic simplicity. In case you don’t know what I mean, the device starts with “i”.

You should be able to get the new Touchscreen E-Reader for about $130 in June at Borders and Best Buy. If you want to buy the predecessor, you can spend less at $99.

Source


Introducing Foolish Gadgets because not all gadgets are cool :)
[ Kobo’s Announces the New Touchscreen E-reader copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Related Posts:


Shell to build massive floating juggernaut

Posted: 23 May 2011 02:40 PM PDT

So what do you do if you are Big Oil and need to get a little more oil before all the oil runs out? You build yourself the largest floating object in the seas!

This is the Prelude FLNG, and Shell Petroleum is building it off the coast of Australia, to be completed sometime in 2017. In case you are wondering about the materials that would be needed to build this, then let me start by telling you that it requires 260,000 tons of steel.

In comparison, the Sydney Harbor Bridge needed about one fourth that amount of steel to make. Dang. Just to let you know, the ship has a displacement of 600,000 tons.

Shell designed this vessel to sit above oceanic natural gas fields, and it can refine the gas and cool it down to -260 degrees Fahrenheit for storage. I wonder if other oil companies will be trying to get in on this type of technology.

In other words, we could be looking at an interesting future where Shell, Exxon, and other Big Oil companies will have their little islands floating around the sea. Just to let you know, Shell’s Prelude FLNG can withstand Category 5 cyclones, so you don’t have to worry about natural disasters flipping these things. At least I hope so.

Source


Coolest Gadgets UK – For all your UK centric tech and gadget news.
[ Shell to build massive floating juggernaut copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Related Posts:


Sony Smart AR brings integrated Augmented Reality to the masses

Posted: 23 May 2011 06:30 AM PDT



Sony’s Smart AR will deliver integrated Augmented Reality to the mass market, where it is capable of capturing visuals via a device’s camera (a smartphone is a good example), where this technology will allow additional information to be displayed on the device’s screens including virtual objects, in addition to images and texts which cannot be identified by visual perception alone.

The technology will make use of the markerless approach, where you will not need any special markers such as 2D barcodes. The camera will capture the object, where it is quickly recognized and can be tracked at high-speed along with the movement of the camera, with all of it displayed over the actual 3D space.

AR technology has been around for quite some time already, but interest in it has picked up again recently, where it will see new applications in advertisements, promotions, games, and information searches. Sony did have their first foray into AR research all the way back in 1994 with two-dimensional barcodes recognition (marker approach), and in 1998, they came up with the VAIO “PCG-C1″ personal computer range that were equipped with software which automatically recognized ‘CyberCode’.

Smart AR technology will merge object recognition technology (markerless approach in which no special markers are required) for recognition of general objects including photos and posters, relying on Sony’s own proprietary 3D space recognition technology. This technology is capable of facilitating the expression of AR information over an extended space, hence resulting in a dynamic, large-scale AR experience.

In addition, all information can be acquired or navigated through the simple touch of the AR information which is splashed across the smartphone’s (or relevant device) screen, hence ending up with an intuitive and seamless user interface that is unique to Smart AR.

Sony hopes to continue experimenting with Smart AR technology, hoping that services and business applications such as advertising and games will be able to achieve added value in the long run. What are some of the implementations of AR that have you impressed?

Press Release


Conference Calendar – The global conference and expo finder.
[ Sony Smart AR brings integrated Augmented Reality to the masses copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Related Posts:


Xi3 ChromiumPC Modular Computer

Posted: 23 May 2011 06:00 AM PDT

Love being in front of the technologically savvy line always? Well, you might want to take into consideration the Xi3 ChromiumPC, which is touted to be the first desktop computer in the world that is powered by Google’s Chrome operating system.

The PC chassis itself looks very different from what we’re used to seeing, and although it is still squarish in nature, the fact that it comes with a chrome finish makes it one of the more bling versions in the market. Relying on the patented Xi3 Computer Architecture, the ChromiumPC computer boasts of a tiny form factor, and comprises of a low-power (20Watts) dual-core modular computer which is highly adaptable in any environment to have it run other operating systems if you so desire, or to perform specialized functions.

According to Jason A. Sullivan, president and CEO of Xi3 Corp., “The Xi3 Computer Architecture is designed to support any x86-based operating system, including Windows, Linux, Unix, and other open source-based operating systems. Although we’ve been promoting, discussing and working on modular computers for some time, we feel the market is now ready for a desktop computer with a cloud-based operating system like the one offered by Google. If someone chooses to switch their ChromiumPC to run a different operating system, it’s as easy as swapping out one of the three boards inside the computer.”

Individual Xi3 Modular Computers like the ChromiumPC will boast of an aluminum chassis which holds a trio of small but interconnected boards (or modules), where they are the Processor Module, the Primary I/O Module and the Secondary I/O Module.

It will veer away from traditional computers since the Xi3 Computer Architecture makes it a possibility for the Xi3 Modular Computer to change its “personality”, where all it takes it a replacement of the I/O Module. Currently, the ChromiumPC will run on a dual- or single-core 64-bit, x86-based processor, where it is housed in a chassis that measures 4.0- x 3.656- x 3.656-inches, and you even have multiple colors to choose from.

Press Release


Introducing Foolish Gadgets because not all gadgets are cool :)
[ Xi3 ChromiumPC Modular Computer copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Related Posts:


Swiss Advance Retractable Fork and Knife

Posted: 23 May 2011 05:30 AM PDT

Go covert the next time you pack your lunch from home – with the Swiss Advance Retractable Fork and Knife that will certainly bring out the James Bond in you. Never mind about your plastic picnicware that you are used to love to loathe, and neither do you need to tote around clunky metal cutlery. Swiss Advance, masters of the compact tool market, has just released their Swiss Advance Retractable Fork and Knife.

Being self-explanatory, they are made out of a combination of stainless steel and plastic, which means they are not only light, but tough and ought to be good servants for years to come. Perfect when it comes to outdoor events like picnics and camping, they’re a snap to stash away once you’re done eating – leaving you to wash them only when you’ve arrived back home. You can choose from red or blue sets, where individual utensils (replacements, most probably) will retail for £7.99 while a pair is slightly cheaper at £14.99.


Coolest Gadgets UK – For all your UK centric tech and gadget news.
[ Swiss Advance Retractable Fork and Knife copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Related Posts:


Gadget Thumbnails for 22-May-2011

Posted: 22 May 2011 10:01 PM PDT

Gigantic Inflatable Climbing Iceberg

Posted: 23 May 2011 05:00 AM PDT

Iceberg ahead! Sound the alarm bells! That would be the normal procedure for ships of yore, as they start performing evasive maneuvers to avoid colliding with one of nature’s behemoths. Well, if you are the type who loves to scale challenges head on, the Gigantic Inflatable Climbing Iceberg might just be your cup of tea for some summer fun outdoors to get those troop of kids tired so that they don’t bug you in the evenings, but will instead go to dreamland the moment their heads touch the pillow.

This 14′ tall inflatable iceberg is capable of offering 3,920′ cu. of waterborne climbing and sliding – and best of all is, it won’t melt even in the sweltering heat of the summer. There is a total of one hundred and two handholds which are carefully spread over three sides of the floating mass in order to help climbers reach the summit quickly, or in some instances, to claim territory on the two ledges.

The fourth side of the iceberg will not come with any handholds, as its main objective would be to provide a slick slide so that climbers are able to descend quickly from the peak. Constructed from commercial grade 28-oz. PVC fabric bonded with industrial, heat-sealed seams, the iceberg is not only forgiving to climbers’ bodies but is durable, capable of withstanding years of vigorous play – who are we to say your kids won’t outgrow this?

There is one problem for the masses though – the asking price of $6,000 is out of reach for most of the general populace, pay raise or not.


Coolest Gadgets UK – For all your UK centric tech and gadget news.
[ Gigantic Inflatable Climbing Iceberg copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Related Posts:


WorldTV 1.0 – Your 15 Minutes of Fame Awaits

Posted: 22 May 2011 08:02 PM PDT

WorldTV is a web application that enables its users to create, manage and operate their very own TV channel for publishing to the web or to television. Now being a TV star is an option for all of us, because almost anyone can be a TV broadcaster with WorldTV.

WorldTV is a new platform that enables any individual or company to create their own TV channel that can appear on the web or on television. As you guys already know, there are a new breed of televisions that connect to the Web, and as these ‘connected’ or ‘smart’ TV’s become more commonplace, the need for a platform that can actually publish to these televisions becomes crystal clear and currently, WorldTV is the only self-serve platform dedicated to publishing to TV.

Users can create collections of videos from websites like YouTube or Vimeo, or they can add their own videos to a cloud-based collection. They can publish a full screen web TV channel… traditional TV channels that are viewable on Smart TV’s. The developers tell us that managing the various outputs is remarkably easy with WorldTV’s intuitive interface.

“For too long the world of TV broadcasting has been closed to individuals and businesses. With the new advances in connected, ‘smart’ TV’s, the prospect of anyone being able to readily broadcast their own linear TV channel to the world, is finally becoming a reality,” said Alx Klive, Founder and CEO, WorldTV.com.

The basic WorldTV service is free, additional features are added at low cost through an innovative ‘pay per use’ model. More details at www.worldtv.com

I’m ready for my close-up Mr. DeMille…

 

 

Press Release

 


Check out the Coolest Gadgets 2008 Gift Guides, Christmas shopping made easy.
[ WorldTV 1.0 – Your 15 Minutes of Fame Awaits copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Related Posts:


0 comments: