Your's Web Tech Power Blog's: Jun 10, 2011

Friday, June 10, 2011

Latest Posts on Coolest Gadgets

Replicating Reality at the E3 2011: I feel dizzy
KOR-FX is the neatest thing I’ve seen at E3, and it isn’t just for video games
BGRMods showed off their little video game accessories in a big way at E3 2011
Nyko has three new products made for the 3DS, and one for the Kinect
Panasonic prices their camcorders for the masses
Panasonic prices its new Lumix DMC-FH7 digital camera
Remote Control Flying Spaceman
Magnetic Levitator Classic

Replicating Reality at the E3 2011: I feel dizzy

Posted: 09 Jun 2011 02:32 PM PDT

Just to let you know, that guy sitting in the driver’s seat isn’t me, but I did get to go after him. Man, I am glad that I did.

This was the Fourth Dimensions Displays (ForthDD) booth at E3, and it took me for a ride. I would say literally for a ride, but it was only virtually. In my little Matrix, I was a race car driver. My viewer was in 3D, so objects in the virtual space like my steering wheel and the other cars seemed to be distant. I could turn my head, and it was like I was turning my head in actual reality.

What really sells it is I really felt like I was in motion. In the game, I kept crashing into the other cars, which thankfully resulted in undamaged nudges off the track. I kept going out of control, and I think I know why. Other cars were hitting me from behind. Too bad that I didn’t have any side or rear-view mirrors. That was my only limitation, but otherwise, I felt motion-sick afterward (this is a good thing).

In all honesty, I don’t really understand why we don’t have this type of technology in every home. Part of it has to do with the high cost of the equipment, as that headgear I am wearing costs a whopping $5,000. Still, I seem to recall the early nineties, and I felt like we were promised this virtual reality world that never did come to being. Instead, we got MMO games and social networking.

If you want to know more about Fourth Dimension Displays, check out their official website.

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[ Replicating Reality at the E3 2011: I feel dizzy copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

KOR-FX is the neatest thing I’ve seen at E3, and it isn’t just for video games

Posted: 09 Jun 2011 10:22 AM PDT

While I was browsing the back area of E3, I saw a booth marked Play N Trade, and I didn’t think much of it until I saw this device that you see in the image.

I was then given a demonstration of its power, as this harness-shaped media enhancement device was placed upon my shoulders and plugged into an iPhone. I watched a scene from Jurassic Park. It was the famous one where the T-Rex shows up and the water does that rippling thing. I could feel the footsteps rock through my entire body, and I felt like I was in a 4D experience.

In short, the KOR-FX is nothing short of awesome, and any other extreme adjective that you care to use. I believe that it is the future of mobile technology, and perhaps later models will fold up for more compact use.

But you see my point. We seem to be taking our musical and video experiences with us on our mobile device. Why not make them more intense? I tell you, if the screen had been movie-sized, then my experience with Jurassic Park on the KOR-FX would have been better than when I first saw the movie in the theater.

According the brochure that I received, the KOR-FX is only available from Play N Trade. However, you can pre-order it at this site for about $189.99.

Tech Cult – We cover the latest tech news, but always with a funny twist.
[ KOR-FX is the neatest thing I’ve seen at E3, and it isn’t just for video games copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

BGRMods showed off their little video game accessories in a big way at E3 2011

Posted: 09 Jun 2011 10:02 AM PDT

BGRMods is a company that I never heard of before yesterday, yet they had some pretty interesting gaming accessories at their booth at E3 2011, not to mention Master Chief.

The first I saw is the NO Scope ($4.95), and it is a decal of crosshairs that you stick on your TV screen. It helps with aiming on an FPS game, and it actually took me a few seconds before I realized that the crosshairs were not part of the game.

Second, there is the InstaFIRE that allows and 8-Mode Sleeper Mode for a PS3 ($59.95) to make the R1, R2, and X buttons in rapid fire controllers. The company has a similar design for the XBox 360 controller ($39.95), and these rapid-fire mod kits are completely programmable and easy to install.

Next was the G4M3R5 TOW3L, which I believe is supposed to be some spelling “gamer’s towel”. It is designed to stay on your leg for when you need to quickly. The HubCap is a Teflon reinforced sticker that is designed to protect the 3cm diameter center of the disk to prevent it from cracking, which could prove useful for DVDs as well. At present, these two items are not available on the BGRMod store, but the Illuminating Thumbsticks are for $24.95. Check it out.

I’m not certain why I have not heard of this company before, but with stuff like this, I wouldn’t be surprised if they were the next Nyko.

Introducing Foolish Gadgets because not all gadgets are cool

[ BGRMods showed off their little video game accessories in a big way at E3 2011 copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Nyko has three new products made for the 3DS, and one for the Kinect

Posted: 09 Jun 2011 09:44 AM PDT

I always like to report on what Nyko is up to, and, as you can see from the image, the video games accessory company had a very significant presence at E3 2011. Nyko has realized the the 3DS is the new iPod, and three of their newest products are similar in design to Apple accessories.

For example, there is the Shock’N'Rock, which is a “battery, sound and feedback enhancement for the Nintendo 3DS”. Think of it as a portable battery and speaker, like the one that you might have for your iPod/iPhone. This is similar to the Charge Base, a “charge stand and high capacity battery kit”, which also reminds me of an iPhone accessory, the battery pack for the iPhone like the ones from Mophie.

Last is the Play Clock, designed to work as an alarm clock with “powered speakers and charging dock for the Nintendo DS”. No doubt you probably have something like this near your bed, designed for your old-school iPod.

Well, I’m sure you see the pattern here as far as 3DS accessories are concerned. Nyko also has the Zoom, a play reduction lens for Kinect. Apparently, some people don’t have the space that the Kinect recommends for motion-controlled games, and this reduces the normal amount of space by about 40 percent.

All in all, Nyko pulled out all the stops once again at E3, and it looks like all of these products are available on their catalog now. The Shock’N'Rock is $39.99, the Charge Base is $29.99, and the Play Clock is $39.99. As for the Zoom, it is $29.99.

Check out the Coolest Gadgets 2008 Gift Guides, Christmas shopping made easy.
[ Nyko has three new products made for the 3DS, and one for the Kinect copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Panasonic prices their camcorders for the masses

Posted: 09 Jun 2011 09:00 AM PDT

Panasonic knows that the right price ought to be enough to entice even the most hardened consumer, and they decided to do something about it by announcing the different prices for their new range of full High Definition mobile cameras and camcorders, where the latter comprise of the HM-TA20 and HM-TA2, with the HX-WA10, the HX-DC10 and the HX-DC1 making up the former.

All of these five new models will arrive at the US market from early next month onwards, at price points that ought to keep most people happy – the HMT-TA20 will cost $199.99 while the HM-TA2 goes for $169.99. Other prices include $349.99 for the HX-WA10; $279.99 for the HX-DC10; and $199.99 for the HX-DC1. With that in mind, you can see that not one of them cost more than $350, letting it fall under the magical $500 impulse purchase limit for most folks.

First of all, a quick refresher course on just what these devices are capable of – the HM-TA20 is a full-HD mobile camera, where it will come with a rugged design which will be able to help you live the active lifestyle, including watersports (but not scuba diving, of course). Waterproof to approximately 10 feet, it is also shockproof if you decide not to let it fall for more than 5 feet, while being dustproof with the Night View Mode helps you shoot exceptional video and photos, even in low-light conditions.

With a tiny form factor that is compact to tote around anywhere, working with a tough exterior, this is the ultimate video camera when you take portability into consideration. Other hardware features include a relatively large, 3″ Touch LCD display, full HD recording capability in MPEG-4 AVC file format (MP4), built-in software that requires no CD to install and a webcam function when connected to your computer.

As for the Panasonic HM-TA2, this is also a compact and mobile camera that has all the same features as that of the HM-TA20, although it isn’t waterproof, dustproof and shockproof, so you would do well to be a whole lot more careful when carrying this around.

With so many models to choose from, which one would you choose?

Press Release

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[ Panasonic prices their camcorders for the masses copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Panasonic prices its new Lumix DMC-FH7 digital camera

Posted: 09 Jun 2011 08:34 AM PDT

Panasonic has just announced that it will be rolling out its new Lumix DMC-FH7 digital camera at a price point that ought to be pocket friendly – we are looking at $179.99 here, where the Lumix DMC–FH7 will arrive later next month. Coming in just pure black, this is one digital camera that will feature a slim form factor that has a stylish design, making it a snap to tote around with intuitive touch-controls to get you familiarized with its 3″ Smart Touch Screen.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH7′s Smart Touch Screen will let you take full advantage of Touch Auto Focus (AF), Touch Zoom, Touch Shutter and Intelligent Scene Selector through simple taps on its touchscreen display, while there is also a trio of modes that will offer manual creative control – something that more seasoned digital camera users would be pleased to have before making the move over to the world of digital SLRs.

All it takes is a single touch of a finger for you to perform edits of your shots on the digital camera itself, where among them include Beauty Retouch that lets you retouch faces; while Esthetic will create effects on faces including clearing skin texture and whitening teeth. Last but not least, there is the interesting Makeup feature which allows you color options such as foundation, eye-shadow or coloring for the lips and cheeks.

As mentioned earlier, the Lumix DMC-FH7 is not slouch when it comes to the style department, but that does not mean it is a pushover in terms of performance. No sir, with Leica DC lenses that boast of an impressive 4x optical zoom, this device is capable of shooting high definition video at 1280 x 720p resolution at a smooth 24 fps, with Panasonic’s iA technology making the entire process simple and intuitive.

With the Lumix image uploader, you are able to share your recently taken photos over Facebook, while video can be uploaded to YouTube directly with the camera connected to your computer. Panasonic’s Venus Engine VI image processor is also smart enough to automatically detect outlines, detailed texture areas and soft gradation which results in naturally clear images. Apart from that, this is a multitasking engine that supports a super-fast response time, boasting of a shutter release time lag that is incredibly quick at approximately 0.006 seconds. Anyone up for a new digital camera?

Press Release

Check out the Coolest Gadgets 2008 Gift Guides, Christmas shopping made easy.
[ Panasonic prices its new Lumix DMC-FH7 digital camera copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Remote Control Flying Spaceman

Posted: 09 Jun 2011 08:22 AM PDT

The Space Shuttle program is about to come to an end in the near future, and that would clearly see the curtain fall on one of the most celebrated achievements of mankind, which is to have man step foot on the moon first before anyone else. Well, for those who want to simulate the way a spaceman walks across the surface of the moon can always get the Remote Control Flying Spaceman, where this $29.99 device will gingerly “tread” on the surface of your choice as you expertly control him to “jump” from one point to another. Engineered with advanced ultralite micro components and bright diode lights, this radio controlled spaceman ought to deliver hours of indoor fun, so it doesn’t matter if it is raining like cats and dogs outside.

Cool Gift Idea: Digital Picture Frames, check out our reviews.
[ Remote Control Flying Spaceman copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Magnetic Levitator Classic

Posted: 09 Jun 2011 08:15 AM PDT

I would say that rewind the clock by a couple of decades, and you would find the Magnetic Levitator Classic to be simply magical, as it is touted to be the ultimate anti-gravity spinning device. Retailing for $11.95, this toy will deliver cool kinetic motion of a carefully positioned item at the point of the axle against the clear glass plate. Once you have managed to perfect the smooth spin, all you need to do is challenge yourself and see just how long you are able to keep something spinning on it, making this a better time killer than a desktop computer game at the office whenever you are bored – since there are no Alt-Tab buttons to press.