Your's Web Tech Power Blog's: Jul 15, 2011

Friday, July 15, 2011

Latest Posts on Coolest Gadgets

Bergmonch scooter can strap to the back
Plick is a new kind of building block
Jawbone’s Up wristband tells you that “you need to be on a diet”
Petron Fun Hand Bow
X2 Water Blaster
FINIS introduces AquaPulse Heart Rate Monitor
Sony HD-PG5 external hard drive
Spotify Launches in the US And We Have Some FREE Invites

Posted: 14 Jul 2011 12:09 PM PDT

I’ve been wanting to take a bike up a mountain for a while now. Of course, I am out of shape, and probably won’t do those uphill pedals very well.

Fortunately, this Bergmonch (German for “Mountain Monk”) has got my back. In fact, it can fold up and be put on my back like a pack. So if there is a hill that the bike can’t climb, it can just go on the back. I suppose that I could walk it up, but the terrain might not allow that.

Granted, this Bergmonch does create a burden on my back that could be worse than Christian’s from The Pilgrim’s Progress. By the way, the Bergmonch isn’t really a bike, as it is technically a scooter.

Despite the heavy load, it would be very fun to scoot down a mountain after the long hike is over. Devices like these make me want to adopt one of those “Extreme” lifestyles that you see on TV commercials. Since I am not a skater, bungee jumper, or surfer, this set of wheels might be my only option.

Of course, I don’t think I can afford this, as it costs about $2,150. Hopefully, I have some money for a hospital bill should the worst happen.

Source

Conference Calendar – The global conference and expo finder.
[ Bergmonch scooter can strap to the back copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Plick is a new kind of building block

Posted: 14 Jul 2011 11:23 AM PDT

This is the Plick, and they are a building block toy that are quite electronic. Similar to the Lego Mindstorms NXT, Plick allows the user to build mechanical toys like a functional robot.

You can watch a video of it after the jump, and you can see that it has these stretchy connector things for powering engines and sensors. The stretchy connectors act as rubberbands so you can strap them to all kinds of things.

For example, the Plick bricks (for lack of a better word) include an engine that spins like a propeller, an LED light, a sound sensor, distance sensor, and much more, I’m sure. These different bricks can be linked together to create all kinds of contraptions. It is a great way to teach about how electronics work.

I don’t know how hard it is to learn this particular toy, but it definitely beats Lego as it can work with more than just its own brand of brick. After all, the video shows the Plick can be strapped to wooden toys, for crying out loud!

So far, there isn’t any word on when the Plink will be released to the market. Considering the building block competition it has, I hope that it has a lower price.

Source

Introducing Foolish Gadgets because not all gadgets are cool

[ Plick is a new kind of building block copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Jawbone’s Up wristband tells you that “you need to be on a diet”

Posted: 14 Jul 2011 10:45 AM PDT

I’m sure that you’re probably familiar with Jawbone, makers of some quality Bluetooth headsets like the ERA. This particular wristband is made for those who want to lose weight.

Simply known as the Up, this wristband is filled with sensors, and it is designed to be wirelessly connected to a smartphone App on either iOS or Android so you can track sleeping, eating, and other activities thanks to its accelerometer.

The App allows the user to take pictures of his or her meals, and I am guessing that it counts calories. I’ve heard of healthy Apps that can do that, but I can’t vouch for their accuracy.

Apparently, the user is supposed to wear this wristband all the time, but I don’t have any word about how to recharge it. It had better not require to much charging, or it will be too inconvenient for the user. Of course, isn’t that the definition of a diet?

According to my Source, Jawbone has been working on this Up for the past two years. I wonder if they originally made it as a waistband. I mean, if you are going to make a gadget for watching your weight, you should put it where it counts: around the belt.

Source

Cool Gift Idea: Digital Picture Frames, check out our reviews.
[ Jawbone’s Up wristband tells you that “you need to be on a diet” copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Petron Fun Hand Bow

Posted: 14 Jul 2011 08:45 AM PDT

I never get tired of watching Braveheart over and over again – that is just one movie that is worth diving into, with all the love, passion, intrigue and well, for the more bloodthirsty audience, battles. No pansy pilot-less drones bombing targets who wield nothing but sticks and stones for protection – here is what unbridled testosterone is all about, with the Petron Fun Hand Bow.

Archers of yore were useful in cutting down an advancing army in size, but when the line of defense gets breached, archers are in deep trouble – unless you’re Legolas who is also a skilled close quarter combat participant. Well, relive those Braveheart moments with the £11.99 Petron Fun Hand Bow, where it relies on lightweight plastic arrows to hit the target. These projectiles will feature suckers on its tips, which means it ought to stick onto most smooth surfaces without missing a beat.

Tech Cult – We cover the latest tech news, but always with a funny twist.
[ Petron Fun Hand Bow copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

X2 Water Blaster

Posted: 14 Jul 2011 08:45 AM PDT

Since we are right smack in the middle of summer, surely the rising temperatures will send you to cool off somewhere at a retreat, or perhaps for you to take up the sport of swimming, and even chilling out at a nearby waterfall. For those who have kids who do not want to go out and smell the flowers, but prefer to remain cooped up at home, enjoying the latest video game, here is the £9.99 X2 Water Blaster to help entice them to do so.

This device is actually a 2-in-1 blaster – not only does it send streams of water at your target, it will also be able to shoot foam darts. The working range for foam darts stand at 35 feet to soften up your opponent from afar, while it also has a 30 foot range for its jet of water. Splat or splash – it really depends on how merciful you are feeling that particular day, just make sure you have good aim.

Too bad there are only four foam darts to play with, and you have got to collect them once they’ve been fired. Best to just stick to the water option which comes in a removable water clip.

Tech Cult – We cover the latest tech news, but always with a funny twist.
[ X2 Water Blaster copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

FINIS introduces AquaPulse Heart Rate Monitor

Posted: 14 Jul 2011 08:30 AM PDT

They say that swimming is one of the better sports to get yourself involved in – after all, there is no impact on your joints, and you get a total body workout. Even better is this – you will end up as hungry as a horse right after your exercise since you’ve burnt up so many calories in the process, making you look slim and trim in no time at all. For those performance enthusiasts who want to make sure that they maximize their fitness regime via swimming, FINIS might have just the thing for you – the AquaPulse Heart Rate Monitor.

This is an interesting device since it is an audible version of a heart rate monitor. Small enough to fit into your goggle strap, all you need to do is attach the soft rubber clip to your earlobe, and take to the water like a duck. The infrared sensor is able to pick up your heart beat via your earlobe by capillary activity. Such information will then be relayed to you in real time audibly, now how about that?

Just how does the AquaPulse Heart Rate Monitor do so? For starters, it will rely on bone conduction technology. Heard of that before? Surely – after all, you must have seen the Aliph Jawbone Bluetooth headset before somewhere. The AquaPulse Heart Rate Monitor works on the same principle, doing away with the need for chest straps or ear buds. Even better is, you need not stop whatever you are doing to check your heart rate, as the AquaPulse Heart Rate Monitor will do the job on your behalf.

There is an Instant Heart Rate Button that will let you hear the last recorded heart rate reading, while Heart Rate Fluctuation Monitoring will deliver audible updates at selected time increments. Just in case you are wondering whether the function still works because there was no update, this is because your heart rate did not change. Of course, since you are supposed to wear this while swimming, it is waterproof – and not just water-resistant.

Product Page

Check out the Coolest Gadgets 2008 Gift Guides, Christmas shopping made easy.
[ FINIS introduces AquaPulse Heart Rate Monitor copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Sony HD-PG5 external hard drive

Posted: 14 Jul 2011 08:15 AM PDT

To hear the name Sony associated with the world of external hard drives is something not everyone has come across – in fact, many of us would be wondering, just what the heck is Sony doing in the world of portable storage? Sure, they have had their fair share of fun with the Memory Stick range, but apart from flash memory, what else do they have on offer?

The order of things seem set to change as the consumer electronics giant has started to bring its first external hard drives to the market in the form of the HD-PG5 series, where these drives are compatible with the BRAVIA TV range as well as other devices from Sony’s catalogue. To know more about what the Sony HD-PG5 is capable of, you can always check out the extended post.

The new Sony HD-PG5 series will have on offer another 500GB of storage space at your disposal – while it is still a far cry from the 1TB and above models that you see on offer by other manufacturers, at least it is a start. Heavy torrent users would definitely welcome this additional space, although I believe that they will fill it up far too easily with the amount of content available these days.

Using USB connectivity, the HD-PG5U will be able to hook up to compatible BRAVIA models, which means you can directly record HD TV programmes from the TV’s tuner or connected cable/satellite service – sounds like the perfect gift for dad who keeps on missing his shows, no? Another advantage is this – there is no need for you to experience a steep learning curve.

Apart from that, the included USB adaptor cable will also pave the way for easy 'PC-free' transfers of video footage from compatible Handycam camcorders with Direct Copy function, where among these include the new DCR-SX21E and DCR-SR21.

You can choose from black or white finishes, where the Sony HD-PG5 will be a snap to tote around at just 180 grams. Placing them beside your PC, BRAVIA TV or PS3 doesn’t matter, it will still look as though it was part of the consumer electronics ecosystem. No idea on pricing as at press time, but it will arrive in the UK, France and Germany from the middle of this month onwards.

Press Release

Tech Cult – We cover the latest tech news, but always with a funny twist.
[ Sony HD-PG5 external hard drive copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Spotify Launches in the US And We Have Some FREE Invites

Posted: 14 Jul 2011 07:53 AM PDT

Spotify has been something of a music phenomena in Europe, it lets you stream and listen to music legally and for free. It’s catalogue of tracks totals over 15 million with more being added constantly and we are happy to report it is now available in the USA.

You can use Spotify via an application on your PC or on your cell phone (there are dedicated apps for iPhone, Android, Symbian, Windows and Palm), though you will need to go for a paid subscription to use the mobile service. You create playlists of your favourite tunes and can listen to and share them via services like ShareMyPlaylists.com and expand your music repertoire by playing playlists created by people with similar tastes.

Presently it is in an invite only beta in the US but happy to say we have 48 invites to give away, if you’re US based and would like to start using Spotify leave a comment ~~on our facebook page or~~ down below and we’ll get an invite out to you.