Your's Web Tech Power Blog's: Jan 21, 2011

Friday, January 21, 2011

Latest Posts on Coolest Gadgets

RoboCar ZMP gets an upgrade or Knight Rider is now a Smart Car
San Francisco’s MUNI Bus System has Video Game Equipped bus stops
GPS Backpack to control dogs
Death Star Cookie Jar
Cordless Staircase Vacuum
Cisco ups home networking ante with E4200 router
Gadget Thumbnails for 19-Jan-2011
VTech completes your home with all-in-one communication system

RoboCar ZMP gets an upgrade or Knight Rider is now a Smart Car

Posted: 20 Jan 2011 05:05 PM PST

It has been about six months since we reported on the RoboCar MEV from ZMP. At the time, it was a little robot head on a car frame that came off as cute.

Clearly, the Robocar MEV has grown up a little, and looks more like a real car! Well, a Smart Car, at least. It is definitely following the Knight Rider model as it is self driving! Since it is electric, it is a gentler, more eco-conscious KITT.

So how does it drive on its own? It uses GPS as well as front and rear sensors. According to my Source, it sounds like you can actually buy one now. What? A self-driving car that isn’t some concept car for a future date? Check the prices out after the jump. By the way, check out the video as well. You might want to mute the music, as it is really bad rip-off of the James Bond theme.

The simplest version, Type A, is about $35,000, and it only has speed control. Type B is at $59,000 and has steering control as well as speed. As for type C, it has automatic braking control as well as imaging and inertial sensors for a price of $84,000.

All of these are available in about two months, in Japan. I’m not certain what use you will find for them. Something tells me we are still far away from the era of the every-car-is-an-automated-limo.

Source

Coolest Gadgets UK – For all your UK centric tech and gadget news.
[ RoboCar ZMP gets an upgrade or Knight Rider is now a Smart Car copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

San Francisco’s MUNI Bus System has Video Game Equipped bus stops

Posted: 20 Jan 2011 04:39 PM PST

I’m sure that you have waited at a bus stops before, and most of us have had little to occupy our time while we wait.

Fortunately, if you live in San Francisco, that isn’t the case. Right now, many of the bus stops on the MUNI line are set up with touch-capable video screens that are designed for games like puzzles and trivia. This service for 20 stops in the Bay Area is sponsored by Yahoo.

Not only is this designed to keep the would-be passenger occupied, but these screens are actually linked to each other. That means that those who are waiting can play with others who are waiting.

By the way, the social networking aspect is actually an official competition rather than another way to kill time. You see, the player is allowed to enter in his or her neighborhood of choice, and if he or she wins, it is worth 100 points. On January 28th, the neighborhood with the most amount of points will attend an exclusive party with the band OK Go on February 5th.

Now here’s a good question: why aren’t all bus systems in all major cities as hooked up as this one is in San Francisco? Man, it is almost enough to make me want to ride the bus for a change.

Source

Cool Gift Idea: Digital Picture Frames, check out our reviews.
[ San Francisco’s MUNI Bus System has Video Game Equipped bus stops copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

GPS Backpack to control dogs

Posted: 20 Jan 2011 04:06 PM PST

What you are seeing here is a dog backpack developed at Auburn University, and it can control a canine from miles away.

I thought that this was inhumane when I first saw this, but the apparatus on the dog’s back isn’t made to harm man’s best friend. Apparently, it has vibrating side panels combined with tones in order to direct them without the use of electric shocks.

This backpack has a high resolution GPS system and a radio modem that can send a dog’s precise location to a computer, and then the user of that computer can direct a dog to a specific location.

I believe that the purpose of this particular device is to send dogs away on certain rescue missions. Sort of like how we send certain robots to do certain tasks from a distance. Apparently, dogs are better at figuring out how to get around obstacles better than robots, who would constantly run into them.

It certainly looks like someone’s high-tech version of fetch. I can only assume that instead of training the dog to retrieve a stick, he or she will be saving lives. Soon every dog will be like a St. Bernard without the barrel of brandy around the neck.

Source

Coolest Gadgets UK – For all your UK centric tech and gadget news.
[ GPS Backpack to control dogs copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Death Star Cookie Jar

Posted: 20 Jan 2011 05:30 AM PST

The Death Star is a symbol of the Empire’s power in the Star Wars universe, and often brings with it a sense of dread to all inhabitants on planets of which comes into the purview of the Death Star. Nice to know that the wonders of miniaturization has resulted in this rather delicious looking Death Star Cookie Jar, where this officially licensed ceramic sculpture will hold as many of your favorite cookies as it possibly can within its 12″ diameter of a body. While all the energy stored in those cookies will be unable to blow up a planet, at least it will send your appetite to the dogs once you’ve stuffed yourself with a few hundred grams of your favorite cookies. At $49.99 a pop, it is far cheaper than building an actual Death Star, and we would recommend to keep this out of reach of children lest their clumsy hands send it crashing down to earth.

Coolest Gadgets UK – For all your UK centric tech and gadget news.
[ Death Star Cookie Jar copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Cordless Staircase Vacuum

Posted: 20 Jan 2011 05:00 AM PST

Vacuum cleaners – you think you’ve seen them all? The Cordless Staircase Vacuum is something else entirely, as it will definitely help those who are already suffering from extremely cramped spaces in their homes. This cordless vacuum will merge the mobility of a hand vacuum with the cleaning power of a traditional upright, resulting in easier, more effective cleaning of staircases. Tipping the scales at less than 5 lbs., the vacuum is a snap to maneuver up stairs, while its 36″-long extension lets you clean stairs from a comfortable, upright posture without causing any more additional strain to your aching back. With a powerful motor that generates 150,000g of centrifugal force, it will quickly suction dirt without any loss of power. The inclusion of stiff nylon brushes that spin up to 1,400 times per minute will do their bit to spread carpet fibers and remove deeply imbedded dirt while carbon fiber bristles neutralize static electricity on hard surfaces, helping free up fine dust particles to be suctioned into the removable dustbin. Capable of working for 15 minutes after a 3-hour charge (talk about diminishing returns!), the bagless vacuum will come with at least a HEPA filter. Fancy forking out $299.95 for this?

Coolest Gadgets UK – For all your UK centric tech and gadget news.
[ Cordless Staircase Vacuum copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Cisco ups home networking ante with E4200 router

Posted: 20 Jan 2011 04:30 AM PST

Cisco is the company that created the backbone for the Internet on which you’re on at the moment, and with such pedigree behind them, it is only natural to see the company roll out a best-in-class wireless home router – also going by the model name Linksys E4200 Maximum Performance Dual-Band Wireless-N Router. Meant for optimum home theater performance, the E4200 is more than capable of playing nice with the latest entertainment devices, where among them include the newer generation of Internet TVs, the all pervasive Apple iPad, video game consoles, smartphones, e-book readers, and VoIP devices. This new router is touted to boost performance and range in the home, where it can deliver an industry-leading speed of up to 450 Mbps (on paper, of course) for smooth streaming of video and music and uninterrupted gaming. We do wonder how it will be in the real world performance instead of in theory though.

This router will feature simultaneous dual-band wireless-N, a quartet of gigabit ports, and a 3×3 antenna configuration which will all work together to give it unparalleled speed and range. Apart from that, a combination of internal and external amplifiers coupled with a half dozen antennas help increase the signal strength across greater distances, delivering improved home network coverage and reducing dead spots. Not only that, the E4200 will also feature a next-generation industrial design which is pleasing on the eyes, combining sleek contours with advanced functionality.

The E4200 will also come with a new USB feature that makes it easy to add external storage to the network. After all, with it being an UPnP Media server, consumers are also able to store, share and stream movies, music and games to other devices around the home in a jiffy. The USB port can also be used as a Virtual USB port which will also enable printers to easily connect to the network, letting everyone in the vicinity to print sans pesky wires. The inclusion of Cisco Connect software will deliver simple three-step setup and network management tools such as parental controls and guest access.

How much are you expected to pay for such technology? Well, the Linksys E4200 Maximum Performance Dual-Band Wireless-N Router is now more than ready to hit your homes as long as you hand over $179.99 to Best Buy, Bestbuy.com and the Linksys store.

Press Release

Introducing Foolish Gadgets because not all gadgets are cool

[ Cisco ups home networking ante with E4200 router copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Gadget Thumbnails for 19-Jan-2011

Posted: 19 Jan 2011 09:01 PM PST

Introducing Foolish Gadgets because not all gadgets are cool

VTech completes your home with all-in-one communication system

Posted: 20 Jan 2011 04:00 AM PST

VTech intends to make sure your stay connected (or can be contacted) by family and friends whenever you are at home, thanks to their latest all-in-one, complete home communication system. This entire setup will comprise of VTech’s new DECT 6.0 cordless headset, a base unit and two cordless handsets, where they will not break the $100 price point, now how about that? You will get a push-to-talk intercom and hands-free talking capabilities, where the LS6375-3 package will deliver fast and convenient communication for any household or small office. Of course, if you stay in a one bedroom apartment, purchasing this might be overkill, but for the average home with three or so rooms, why not consider it?

The use of DECT 6.0 technology will reinvigorate your home phones for clear, reliable communication, delivering peace-of-mind against dropped calls and unreliable reception. The $99.95 LS6375-3 package is well equipped with a wide range of special features that will improve the consumer’s experience and features VTech’s cordless headset, also known as the IS6100, where it will offer convenient, hands-free conversations while cooking, working, cleaning or working on other projects. The inclusion of a cordless headset will definitely add mobility wherever you are at home.

VTech’s LS6375-3 will also offer push-to-talk (PTT) functionality that is ideal for home-based businesses, small offices and larger families. Push-to-talk allows instant voice delivery via the handset speakerphone, letting users make announcements or easily have one-to-one conversations with someone else in a different room – which was why we said this isn’t really useful if you’re living in a one-bedroom apartment. Not only that, the LS6375-3 can be further expanded with up to four handsets and one headset, courtesy of the LS6305 accessory handset that can be purchased separately for $19.95.

While relatively cheap, that doesn’t mean the LS6375-3 is ugly to look at – no sir, it is a sight for sore eyes in fact, offering a low-profile handset keypad and chrome finishing with high-gloss black detailing. The thin, curved handsets will also deliver blue backlit LCDs that are easy on the eyes under dark conditions, while a speakerphone helps make communications easier.

Press Release

Cool Gift Idea: Digital Picture Frames, check out our reviews.
[ VTech completes your home with all-in-one communication system copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]