Your's Web Tech Power Blog's: Jul 6, 2011

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Latest Posts on Coolest Gadgets

Life-sized Pin Pressions makes it even more fun
Change your bike’s gears, with your mind
Sony HDR-PJ50 is both a camcorder and projector
Skype 5.2 update for Mac offers group screen sharing
Virtual Cane helps the visually impaired to get around
Bitterness Eliminating Coffee Maker makes life sweeter
Road Kill Toys

Life-sized Pin Pressions makes it even more fun

Posted: 05 Jul 2011 03:01 PM PDT

I’m sure that a lot of you have one of those Pin Pressions things at home, so you can press your hand or face to it and get a metallic and pointillist view of your own body parts.

Just imagine yourself being able to go life-size with this type of technology. This is what has been done by Lulu Guinness, who created a giant pin art display, and encouraged people to “Be a Pin Up”. I must admit that is a clever pun that I wouldn’t have thought of.

She had this on display as part of Clerkenwell’s Design Week, at the St. John’s Gate in Central London. This was over a month ago, and I’m sad that I wasn’t in London for it. This looks like something that is a whole lot of fun, and I could probably press myself for hours.

By the way, I notice that the life-sized pin pressions look like they are wearing no clothes. I guess a life sized version eliminates a lot of detail than the face-sized one on your desk. I wonder if smaller pins could be used, but that could get a little painful.

Also, how do you reset this thing? Do you have to get a few people to hold it and then tip so the pins go back to where they were? Leave a comment if you were there and know how they do it.

Source

Coolest Gadgets UK – For all your UK centric tech and gadget news.
[ Life-sized Pin Pressions makes it even more fun copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Change your bike’s gears, with your mind

Posted: 05 Jul 2011 02:36 PM PDT

Lately, I have been teaching my son to ride a bicycle, and it reminds me of my days of awkward bike riding. I remember that I had a hard time with changing the gears, but what if I could do it with my mind?

Parlee Cycles is apparently working on a concept bicycle made of carbon fiber that does just that. It is part of Toyota Prius Projects, and it uses a helmet equipped with neurotransmitters to read a wearer’s brainwaves. A wireless transmitter attached to the bike’s seat post gets the signal, and changes the gear.

As you might of guessed, this is still a concept. In fact, the developer hasn’t quite got the brain control working and still using a smartphone for the controls. I have heard of neuro-controls being used before, but I am guessing the technology isn’t quite as good as Bluetooth.

Still, I am wondering if putting a brain control on a bike’s gears is putting too much technology where it doesn’t belong. If we are going to electronically make a way for a bike to shift gears, then can we not create an automatic bike or something? Perhaps I am over-thinking this, but a brain-shifting bike doesn’t look under-thought.

Source

Tech Cult – We cover the latest tech news, but always with a funny twist.
[ Change your bike’s gears, with your mind copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Sony HDR-PJ50 is both a camcorder and projector

Posted: 05 Jul 2011 11:24 AM PDT

When I saw this pic of the Sony HDR-PJ50, I was not surprised. After all, it isn’t the first time I have seen a projector on a camera. Nikon did this with the Coolpix S1000pj, and 3M did this with Shoot and Share camera as well.

The projector of the HDR-PJ50 is able to project an image of 60-inches on any flat surface, but you are probably going to have to be in a very dark room.

Then there is the usual feature of a 1920 x 1080 HD video and an unusual feature of a built-in 220GB hard drive. As you might have guessed, it is good for memory sticks or SD cards. It also has a built-in 220GB hard drive, so you can catch a lot of video.

Other features include a 12X Optical zoom, and stills that can be captured at 7.1 Megapixels. Audio is captured at Dolby Digital 5.1, and it has a stereo camera mounted microphone.

I’m not certain how successful the Sony HDR-PJ50 will be, as I have heard that the Coolpix S1000pj didn’t do so hot as far as sales are concerned. However, I could be wrong.

I also don’t see any reason why a camera shouldn’t have a projector, but it definitely has to be at a price that consumers can afford. In this case, the HDR-PJ50 is about $1,201.95, which is a little out of my price range.

Source

Conference Calendar – The global conference and expo finder.
[ Sony HDR-PJ50 is both a camcorder and projector copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Skype 5.2 update for Mac offers group screen sharing

Posted: 05 Jul 2011 09:59 AM PDT

Sharing is caring, or so they say. Skype, the VoIP giant that was purchased by Microsoft, has not missed out on that particular adage, hence leading up to Skype 5.2 update for Mac which will deliver group screen sharing – something its predecessor failed to deliver. This new update would mean group communication being made easier than ever before, since you can share your display during a group video call. This is the perfect situation whenever you have something to troubleshoot, and since a picture is worth a thousand words, doing so over the screen is easier than combing through lines of fix-it text.

It must be noted that this is a spin-off of what has been available for some time already – screen sharing within a one-to-one Skype call. Apart from troubleshooting, there are numerous other reasons on why group screen sharing is cool – imagine making a document presentation to colleagues who are separated by thousands of miles, or to share holiday photos with friends and family?

Sounds too good to be true? Well, since there is no such thing as a free lunch in this world, the same applies to Skype 5.2 update for Mac. If you ever want to take advantage of group video calling and group screen sharing, at least one of the call participants will need to have a Skype Premium subscription. Those who are curious can always give the classic free seven-day trial a go.

Multi-tasking folks during a video call will definitely fall in love with the introduction of video in the call control bar. Imagine being in a video call, but you need to attend to another program urgently – just make the switch, and the person whom you’re talking to can still be seen. Other functions such as hanging up or muting the conversation can be done from the call control bar.

Anyone downloaded Skype 5.2 update for Mac already? How do you find it?

Source

Tech Cult – We cover the latest tech news, but always with a funny twist.
[ Skype 5.2 update for Mac offers group screen sharing copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Virtual Cane helps the visually impaired to get around

Posted: 05 Jul 2011 09:50 AM PDT

Remember Daredevil from the comics? Well, he is one superhero who might be blind, but due to a freak accident, has gained superhuman sonar abilities that allows him to combat crime whenever he clocks out of the office as a lawyer. Yes sir, being sensitive as a bat certainly does have its benefits in impressing the ladies, but he can’t tell the difference physically between Megan Fox and a plain Jane if both are placed before him in broad daylight. Still, there is much more to life than wine, women and song, right?

Enter the Virtual Cane from Hebrew University, where it is already very close to being commercialized. The Virtual Cane is actually a handheld device which relies on a type of sonar that makes it capable of recognizing physical objects within a 10 m (39 ft) radius. This is made possible as the Virtual Cane emits invisible focused beams towards objects that it is pointed at, where it will then determine just how far away they are. For the user to receive feedback, such information will be relayed via a series of vibrations by “playing” on the intensity levels.

Dr. Amid Amedi from HU’s Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada (IMRIC) is the main man behind the whole Virtual Cane team, and when produced, it will do its job of helping a blind person assess the arrangement of surrounding physical objects. The future might see additions such as facial recognition capability, helping it tell the difference between a smile and a sad face.

Does the advent of the Virtual Cane signal the end of the classic white can? We don’t think so, since you ought to have a backup on hand all the time, not to mention the virtual cane being unsuitable for whole day use with a 12-hour battery life. Initial impressions of the cane have been nothing short of positive, and early estimates point towards a $100 price tag should it finally be realized.

Source

Coolest Gadgets UK – For all your UK centric tech and gadget news.
[ Virtual Cane helps the visually impaired to get around copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Bitterness Eliminating Coffee Maker makes life sweeter

Posted: 05 Jul 2011 09:40 AM PDT

When it comes to coffee, this is one drink that plenty of us cannot make do without. Just as there are different kinds of beer around that you gulp down the night before, so too, you greet the morning with a variety of beans to suit your palate. Most coffee can be said to be bitter to a certain extent, letting you overdose on sugar if you can’t take the bitterness and yet still want your caffeine fix? Enter the Bitterness Eliminating Coffee Maker, where the name itself is pretty much self-explanatory.

This coffee maker will brew at 200ºF, which would be the brewing temperature preferred by baristas, where it eliminates bitter tastes and extracts rich, flavorful coffee. Why is this model different from the rest? Well, it heats all of the water to 200º F before it starts the brewing process, helping maintain the temperature throughout the whole process to help do away with bitterness.

No idea on how effective this $149.95 device will cost, but the proof of the pudding is in the eating. Anyone given it a go, and does it really work? If no, it might end up to be a bitter purchase experience…

Tech Cult – We cover the latest tech news, but always with a funny twist.
[ Bitterness Eliminating Coffee Maker makes life sweeter copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Road Kill Toys

Posted: 05 Jul 2011 09:31 AM PDT

Everyone knows that road kill is not pretty at all, but somehow, the folks over at Firebox have managed to find a quirky way to talk about death to the younger ones, thanks to the Road Kill Toys. These have already had their souls gone over to teddy heaven, but the physical visage left behind which is none too pretty remains. At £24.99 a pop, you can forget about getting a fluffy bunny or huggable bear – instead, you will end up with a squashed, pancaked critter that some might even say be beyond recognition.

You will be able to choose from Twitch the raccoon, Grind the rabbit, Splodge the hedgehog and Smudge the squirrel. All of them have seen the headlights of an oncoming car, and failed to take the necessary evasive moves, meeting their end under some rubber. Made using extra squidgy material for the organs, as well as mangy-effect fur, you can be sure that they’re works of art that deserve to be appreciated.

Conference Calendar – The global conference and expo finder.
[ Road Kill Toys copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]