Your's Web Tech Power Blog's: Latest Posts on Coolest Gadgets

Friday, August 26, 2011

Latest Posts on Coolest Gadgets

Take a look in the Augmented Reality Mirror
Six-engine Oliver VTOL plane
Scene from 2001: A Space Odyssey used in court case with the iPad and Galaxy Tab
Logitech Joystick for iPad and iPad 2
R2-D2 Ice Cube Trays
Nikon Coolpix S1200pj projects images from Apple devices as well
Nokia 701 brightens up your day in a way you can never imagine

Take a look in the Augmented Reality Mirror

Posted: 25 Aug 2011 08:30 AM PDT

It seems like just yesterday that I was reporting on some advancement in Augmented reality. Actually, wait, it was yesterday.

Today, it is an augmented reality mirror. It involves making a 3D map of your face, so you can make tweaks on your own reflection.

You can watch a video of it after the jump. The first time I watched it, I could not see much of a difference between the image on the left and the image on the right. However, you really have to look for subtleties.

For example, you will notice that the man’s nose is thinner. I believe that the purpose of this augmented reality mirror is to show what the user would look like after plastic surgery procedures.

I would like to see some more interesting work done with this mirror. For example, a way to look at it and see an image of yourself as a Vulcan from Star Trek or one of the Na’vi from Avatar.

I guess that we are not quite “there” yet with the technology, and I am told that these guys want to create a smartphone app for this augmented reality mirror, but that technology is not here yet either, as most smartphones can’t handle the processing power of this mirror.

We will see what the future has to offer. You can check it out at the International Conference on Image Processing in Brussels, Belgium.

Source

Check out the Coolest Gadgets 2008 Gift Guides, Christmas shopping made easy.
[ Take a look in the Augmented Reality Mirror copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Six-engine Oliver VTOL plane

Posted: 25 Aug 2011 08:15 AM PDT

Yes, this cool-looking aircraft doesn’t exist as yet. This is the Oliver VTOL (Vertical Take-Off Landing), and it has six engines instead of the usual three of a jet engine.

Some of you might be wondering how such a vehicle could land. This is because you are seeing it from the front-facing view. If you could see it from the side, then you would know that the “top” and “bottom” propellers are at about the same level as the middle propellers. There are two propellers in the back and two in front that can swivel upward so the plane can take off without a runway.

According to my Source, the six engines are better than even four, as it is safer for when one engine or even one wing section breaks down. This particular plane can fly further, faster, and takes less fuel.

This Oliver VTOL is looking for $12 million in funding in order to make this aircraft a reality. I hope he gets the funding, as I would like to see this plane in reality. I would really like to see how it handles landing and taking off. I guess I am wondering if the transition from air to ground would be smooth.

Source

Tech Cult – We cover the latest tech news, but always with a funny twist.
[ Six-engine Oliver VTOL plane copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Scene from 2001: A Space Odyssey used in court case with the iPad and Galaxy Tab

Posted: 25 Aug 2011 08:00 AM PDT

I suppose that I shouldn’t be surprised that there is an ongoing lawsuit between Apple and Samsung over the similarity between the Apple iPad and the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1.

Apple has stated that “iPad design” which is a rectangular flat computer, is quite like the Samsung Tab, but it is also similar with a device from science fiction.

Specifically, the Stanley Kubrick movie 2001: A Space Odyssey. Some might argue that this movie is out of date, while others can say that it is ahead of its time. You can see in the video clip after the jump that two of the main astronaut characters from the film are using tablet PC technology.

As you can see, the tablet PCs the men are watching have a rectangular shape, dominant display screen, narrow borders, predominately flat front surface, and thin form factor. In other words, they are looking at iPads, or are they Galaxy Tabs?

It is interesting to see a work of science fiction cited in a court case. It also goes to show you that perhaps certain things cannot be patented as the their descriptions are far too vague. I suppose that those tablet PCs that were used in abundance on Star Trek: The Next Generation will be the next exhibit.

Source

Introducing Foolish Gadgets because not all gadgets are cool

[ Scene from 2001: A Space Odyssey used in court case with the iPad and Galaxy Tab copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Logitech Joystick for iPad and iPad 2

Posted: 25 Aug 2011 06:30 AM PDT

They say that all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, so if Jack happens to own an iPad or its sequel, then chances are he should have at least a few games lock and loaded on the iPad just in case he gets all bored at the office or during the long commute to work. Well, for those who feel that those games that feature an on-screen joystick or D-pad could do better with the help of an actual joystick, Logitech’s got your back thanks to the aptly named Logitech Joystick for iPad and iPad 2.

This thumb-stick style game controller will attach to your iPad’s display using suction cups, making it extremely easy to put on and remove when you don’t need them. Not only that, Logitech has thrown in a coiled spring that delivers force feedback so that the joystick will be able to return to the center position automatically.

With this $19.99 device, who the heck needs to plug in an old-school controller ever again? Oh yeah, those who have felt the tinge of regret upon purchasing something like it, and want to make the most of it while looking on at their friends in envy who own the Logitech Joystick.

Product Page

Introducing Foolish Gadgets because not all gadgets are cool

[ Logitech Joystick for iPad and iPad 2 copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

R2-D2 Ice Cube Trays

Posted: 25 Aug 2011 06:00 AM PDT

Who would have thought in a million years that a movie franchise such as Star Wars would end up being super profitable, never mind that the prequels that came out a couple of decades after Episodes IV, V and VI disappointed certain quarters? Well, the merchandise from the Star Wars universe over the years certainly added quite a handsome amount of dough into George Lucas’ bank account, and it seems as though this particular gravy train is not going to stop anytime soon.

The latest to roll out from the Skywalker Ranch would be these R2-D2 Ice Cube Trays, and the name itself is pretty much self-explanatory. These ice cube trays will feature the shape of everyone’s favorite astromech droid, R2-D2, where you will be able to freeze four small Artoos at once in addition to a large version, making it the perfect kitchen utensil to own whenever you want to throw a party for your friends who are absolute Star Wars fanatics.

At $9.99 a pop, surely this is not too much of a burden on your monthly finances?

Check out the Coolest Gadgets 2008 Gift Guides, Christmas shopping made easy.
[ R2-D2 Ice Cube Trays copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Nikon Coolpix S1200pj projects images from Apple devices as well

Posted: 25 Aug 2011 05:30 AM PDT

A phone with a built-in projector? Get out of here – although there was already one released last year by Nikon in the form of the S1100pj, it should be about time a sequel is rolled out to keep up with the times, and Nikon does not disappoint this time around with the Nikon Coolpix S1200pj.

What makes the Nikon Coolpix S1200pj so special compared to the other projector cameras out there in the market? For starters, the S1200pj will be able to work with iOS devices – yup, you read that right, it is capable of hooking up to your iPod touch, iPhone or iPad while projecting images onto a wall or a projector screen, up to 60″ in size. As for its projection capabilities, let us take a closer look at it after the jump.

First of all, specifications concerning the camera part of the S1200pj. It is a 14.1-megapixel shooter with 5x optical zoom, and 720p HD movie recording capability, while a 3″ LCD display allows you to select all the relevant settings in a jiffy.

Surely Nikon has learned from the past, and it makes sense that being the third projector equipped model, the Nikon Coolpix S1200pj will be able to deliver a 40% increase in projection brightness alongside three times the projection contrast, letting you enjoy vivid images at a projection size of up 60″. With the use of a three-lamp (red, green and blue LEDs) projection system, you will get to enjoy a display reproduction of roughly the entire sRGB gamut and a contrast ratio of 200:1 or better. Not only that, the S1200pj can also be connected to an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch courtesy of an included cable, while you can opt to stream content from YouTube if you so desire.

Expect to fork out $430 for the Nikon Coolpix S1200pj when it arrives sometime in September.

Press Release

Coolest Gadgets UK – For all your UK centric tech and gadget news.
[ Nikon Coolpix S1200pj projects images from Apple devices as well copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Nokia 701 brightens up your day in a way you can never imagine

Posted: 25 Aug 2011 05:00 AM PDT

Most smartphones these days come in the touchscreen variety, and it goes without saying that regardless of how big you were a player in the phone industry some time ago, you’ve gotta keep up with the times if you were to survive. Nokia is battling against losing its market share, and in their latest effort, they decided to release a smartphone that has one superlative in it – the Nokia 701, which is touted to have the brightest smartphone display available to date.

This claim by Nokia is made possible thanks to the 3.5″ IPS LCD display that features ClearBlack technology, where it will work in tandem to create a combination of unprecedented brightness as well as contrast. Sporting the highest number of NITs where smartphone displays are concerned, it is also hardy in its own right, with Corning Gorilla Glass covering it so that you need not worry about a single drop shattering it in all ways to Sunday.

Apart from the bright screen, what else can we look forward to for the Nokia 701? How about a 1GHz processor to start off with for instance? With pentaband radio support, you can be sure that this puppy is going to travel around the world without missing a beat, and even more interesting is the fact that it will ship with the latest version of Symbian, that is, Symbian Belle.

A fast processor needs a speedy graphics co-processor to keep up with it, and the Nokia 701 does not disappoint in this department, boasting a faster clock as well as having four times the amount of graphics memory that is found in previous Symbian smartphones.

If you want to capture memories of everyday occurrences, then the 8-megapixel camera will definitely come in handy. This full focus camera will sport a dual-LED flash right at the back, while there is also a secondary camera that is located in front just in case you want to hold video calls from wherever you are.

All your data is stashed away onto 2GB of internal memory, and if you think that is not enough (on second thoughts, don’t think – I’m quite sure it won’t be enough), how about popping in a 32GB microSD memory card instead?

Despite being super bright, this doesn’t mean the battery is going to leave you high and dry – no sir, the Nokia 701′s battery has been rated to last for up to 17 hours of talktime over GSM. If you’re interested, the Nokia 701 will come in steel dark, silver light, amethyst violet, and white colors, where it is tipped to arrive sometime in Q3 this year for around 290 Euros.

Press Release

Cool Gift Idea: Digital Picture Frames, check out our reviews.
[ Nokia 701 brightens up your day in a way you can never imagine copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]