Your's Web Tech Power Blog's: Jul 23, 2011

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Latest Posts on Coolest Gadgets

QuickSmart Stroller folds into backpack
QUMA action figure made for 3D graphics
Star Wars themed Xbox 360 unveiled at Comic-Con
BlueAnt ready to rock and roll with first wired headset, the Embrace
Pix-Star digital picture frame
John’s Phone brings communication back to the basics
Tie Knot Water Balloon Filler

Posted: 22 Jul 2011 11:18 AM PDT

Some of you might be thinking: so QuickSmart invented a stroller that turns into a backpack. So what?

Clearly, you have never been a parent. When you have a young one who needs a stroller, this young one can suddenly get fussy and want out of the stroller. Then you have to watch the young one and the stroller. However, if you could just put the stroller on your back, it would be much easier. (Of course, the young ones usually want back in the stroller at an inconvenient time, but that is a separate issue that QuickSmart can’t solve.)

This also comes in handy when you are taking the stroller through some tough terrain. Say you are at the park, and you want to take a trail. The young one is going to have to do some walking, but the stroller is safely on the back. It weighs about 9 pounds, and I imagine that the parent can access whatever is in the stroller as well.

What is really interesting is that the stroller is pretty advanced with a 5-point harness, canopy, padded seat, footrest, and built-in shopping basket with side pockets.

Now let’s get to the price, it costs about $160 to $194.

Source

Coolest Gadgets UK – For all your UK centric tech and gadget news.
[ QuickSmart Stroller folds into backpack copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

QUMA action figure made for 3D graphics

Posted: 22 Jul 2011 10:48 AM PDT

As someone who has worked with 3D graphics before, I never really got around to posing human characters. I suppose that I could have done better if I had the QUMA (pronounced Cooma).

As you can see, the QUMA is essentially one of those small wooden posing statues from art class with a bunch of sensors on it. It is good for when you want to put your 3D digital characters in positions that are tough to model. Provided they are human.

There is a video of it after the jump, and you can see how the digital modeler can create some basic action poses. It looks like the 3D video footage can be turned into 2D, so maybe this will be a tool used for comic books.

I wonder if this is how Pixar does their animations, when they are doing movies about humans and not cars. Speaking of which, have you seen the preview for the Pixar film Brave, coming next summer? It looks pretty good, and dramatic as well. It is about time Pixar pulled out of their sequel funk that they have been mired in for the past two years.

This QUMA is really just one example of how we have to figure out how to put 3D interfaces on 2D computer screens. At least until we have touch-sensitive holographic interfaces, at least.

Source

Tech Cult – We cover the latest tech news, but always with a funny twist.
[ QUMA action figure made for 3D graphics copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Star Wars themed Xbox 360 unveiled at Comic-Con

Posted: 22 Jul 2011 10:04 AM PDT

A while ago, we reported on the rumored new version of the Xbox 360. I think that we all know that a new version is coming, but it wasn’t unveiled at E3 this year.

However, a special edition of the Xbox 360 was just unveiled at the next geek-fest after E3, Comic-Con. I guess that’s as good a convention as any to debut the Kinect Star Wars Limited Edition Xbox 360.

This special edition bundle comes with a console box that looks like R2-D2, and the controller has a gold look like everyone’s favorite protocol droid, C-3PO. It also comes with a white version of the Kinect, but I don’t see the Star Wars influence there. Oh, and it also comes with the new Star Wars Kinect game, as well as Kinect Adventures.

Yes, George Lucas has just made even more money on a Star Wars merchandise. This Xbox has a 320GB hard drive, and it makes some interesting R2-D2 sounds when a game is put in.

For those who are really into Star Wars, then there is an Xbox for that. You can pre-order it for about $449. So far, there isn’t any word if Sony or Nintendo are going to give their consoles the Lucas treatment. I say why not?

Source

Introducing Foolish Gadgets because not all gadgets are cool

[ Star Wars themed Xbox 360 unveiled at Comic-Con copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

BlueAnt ready to rock and roll with first wired headset, the Embrace

Posted: 22 Jul 2011 07:30 AM PDT

BlueAnt’s signature is their range of wireless devices, more often than not using Bluetooth technology to have them “talk” to other compatible devices while eliminating the presence of wires in your life. Well, perhaps the boffins over at BlueAnt figured out that there is a market for wired devices, which is why the Embrace headset that has already started shipping is the first BlueAnt wired device.

First of all, the Embrace stereo headphones are said to reproduce the full audio detail and range faithfully as the artist intended, without having to manipulate or enhance the bass and treble. According to David Hogan, CEO of BlueAnt, “Enhancing our customers’ mobile entertainment and digital lifestyle experience is our highest priority. We are breaking new ground by leveraging BlueAnt’s heritage in voice-centric products to bring the highest audio quality at an affordable price to the world of stereo headphones. Whether at home, at work, at play or in-transit, EMBRACE is the perfect companion for users wanting versatility and the absolute best sound.”

The on-ear Embrace will still give users a healthy degree of control, as they are able to choose and adjust EQ settings over their personal compatible device to match their preferences. The Embrace is said to come with an integrated in-line remote control that makes music playback volume control a snap, while the microphone enables you to switch between listening to music or watching a video to attending to an incoming call – hands-free, of course.

With conforming ear pads thrown into the mix, you more or less get a noise-isolating seal that will block out unwanted background noise. Since it has a standard 3.5mm audio jack, it ought to play nice with most portable media players out there. Apart from that, the headphones will also be accompanied by an OMTP adapter, where it further expands support for the microphone and remote.

Each $199.99 purchase of the BlueAnt Embrace will come with a 1-year limited warranty. Any takers?

Press Release

Introducing Foolish Gadgets because not all gadgets are cool

[ BlueAnt ready to rock and roll with first wired headset, the Embrace copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Pix-Star digital picture frame

Posted: 22 Jul 2011 07:00 AM PDT

Pix-Star is back with a spanking new digital picture frame for the masses, and just before you ask where were you all this while as you never heard of the name “Pix-Star” before, bear in mind that they pioneered the concept of “the frame with an email address”. They’re back with a spanking new model, which is the Pix-Star FotoConnect HD (PXT510WR02) – being the latest member of the Pix-Star FotoConnect family. It will sport a relatively large high-resolution 10.4″ LED LCD display with a 4:3 ratio, so forget about watching those widescreen movies on this.

This particular model will sport an 800 x 600 resolution, and as mentioned, the 4:3 aspect ratio isn’t good for movies, but it is perfect for digital camera photos – which was what it was created for in the first place anyways.

The FotoConnect HD has been slapped with a $189 price tag, where it is touted to deliver more features compared to its rivals in the market at the same price bracket. Using Wi-Fi connectivity, it is able to access the Internet – and for good reason, too, as it has an e-mail address of for itself so you can always snap a photo and e-mail to it directly without having to go through a computer.

To sweeten the deal, the e-mail address hosting is free – without any monthly fee to budget as well. Pix-Star is also proud to announce that this is the only Wi-Fi frame that sports a built-in email filter and spam blocker, preventing unsolicited pictures (from the mistress, in particular) to be sent to this family oriented digital picture frame.

The Pix-Star will also be able to access online albums from over 20 providers directly – among them include Picasa, Facebook, Smugmug, Shutterfly, FlickR, and MobileMe amongst others. It is also the first of its kind to support UPnP-DLNA, letting you display photos from a Mac, PC or compatible NAS server (UPnP) without the need to go through the hassle of an image transfer, now how about that?

Press Release

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[ Pix-Star digital picture frame copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

John’s Phone brings communication back to the basics

Posted: 22 Jul 2011 06:30 AM PDT

Take a look at the smartphone in your hand today, and think back of the handset which you used to use over a decade ago. There was no camera obviously, the screen is a one-liner affair (hello, Ericsson and Motorola!) in monochrome glory. Oh yeah, text messaging was considered to be a high end “feature”, and you certainly can’t play your CDs or cassettes on the phone! John’s Phone rolls back the years, as this back-to-basics handset which comes in white, black and gold shades for £59.99, £69.99 and £84.99, respectively, comes with a pen and book for your contacts.

Yup, that’s right – it is back to the analog road, and your battery life is conserved to do one thing and just one thing only – make and receive calls. There isn’t even a display on this, so just make sure you dial the right number and you’re good to go. Oh yeah, it comes unlocked and will work with just about any SIM card worldwide. If you want your kids to hate you for life, get them the John’s Phone instead of an iPhone.

Conference Calendar – The global conference and expo finder.
[ John’s Phone brings communication back to the basics copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Tie Knot Water Balloon Filler

Posted: 22 Jul 2011 05:58 AM PDT

Since summer is in full swing, it makes perfect sense if your little ones want to get involved in some outdoor activity – which is what you would want them to do anyways, instead of being cooped up in front of the idiot box, video gaming their time away on an activity that promotes dormancy instead of burning those calories outdoors. Water balloon fights can be fun, and the team which can fill up and tie their water balloons fastest should, on paper, win.

How do you achieve that then? Trust Thinkgeek to come up with the $9.99 Tie Knot Water Balloon Filler, where it allows you to fill up and tie a water balloon in under half a minute. It might take a while to get the hang of it, but once you’re able to use it even with your eyes closed, your team will definitely appoint you as the official water balloon “manufacturer”. Hopefully you won’t bear the brunt of the attacks from the opposing team after a few rounds!