Your's Web Tech Power Blog's: Oct 18, 2011

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Latest Posts on Coolest Gadgets

Cirago’s Bluetooth 3.0 High Speed Adapter
Kensington KeyFolio Pro Universal Removable Bluetooth Keyboard for 10-inch Tablets
Raytheon-Sarcos prototype is for heavy lifting
Research In Motion says “Sorry” with free premium apps
LG DoublePlay released by T-Mobile
Frolicat Sway Magnetic Cat Toy
Ice Speed Chess Set

Cirago’s Bluetooth 3.0 High Speed Adapter

Posted: 17 Oct 2011 08:30 AM PDT

What you are seeing here next to the two bits is the Bluetooth 3.0 High Speed Adapter from Cirago.

Cirago boasted in the product’s Press Release that this High Speed Adapter (BTA7300) is “one of the only such devices on the market to combine the latest in Bluetooth 3.0 technology with 802.11n Wi-Fi capability on the same device”.

I got a chance to try out this Class 2 mini adapter, and I found that my computer recognized it after a few minutes. I’m not certain if most laptops have Bluetooth as a standard feature, but if your computer does not, then Cirago’s new device might be just what you want. I used it to pair with my new Kensington KeyFolio Pro Universal Removable Bluetooth Keyboard for 10-inch Tablets (check my last post to get the lowdown on that gadget).

Just so you have the specs, the device has a Bluetooth data speed up to 24 Mbps and a Wi-Fi speed up to 150 Mbps with zero interference between the two signals, at a range of 33 feet. The Bluetooth V3.0 + High Speed adapter is backwards compatible, which means that it allows users of Bluetooth 2.0 devices to be used by this device.

You should be able to purchase the Bluetooth 3.0 High Speed Adapter at major retail outlets for a price of about $39.99.

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[ Cirago’s Bluetooth 3.0 High Speed Adapter copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Kensington KeyFolio Pro Universal Removable Bluetooth Keyboard for 10-inch Tablets

Posted: 17 Oct 2011 08:15 AM PDT

I always like to know what Kensington Technologies is up to, and I got a chance to try out their KeyFolio Pro Universal Removable Bleutooth Keyboard for ten inch tablets.

After all, why should the iPad and iPad get their own Folio keyboards while there are some pretty decent 10-inch Android tablets out there. It is designed to pair with just about any Bluetooth device, really.

It uses sets of StrongFit corners that can provide a custom and secure fit for large and small tablets, and they will Velcro in place. Think of it as a picture frame with adjustable edges, just designed for a tablet or phone. You have to see it to believe it.

This KeyFolio Pro uses Velcro mounts with an adjustable stand for viewing angles from 70 degrees to 22 degrees. The keyboard, although small, is ergonomic and can set up on a flat surface, and can even be removed from the device entirely. Speaking of a flat surface, when the KeyFolio is folded up, it has a elasticized band to hold it together.

I found that the KeyFolio Pro is very leather-y, but I am not certain what it is made of. You should be able to get it soon on the Kensington site for about $99.99.

Check out the Coolest Gadgets 2008 Gift Guides, Christmas shopping made easy.
[ Kensington KeyFolio Pro Universal Removable Bluetooth Keyboard for 10-inch Tablets copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Raytheon-Sarcos prototype is for heavy lifting

Posted: 17 Oct 2011 08:00 AM PDT

What you are seeing here is a modified Ditch Witch from Raytheon-Sarcos, and it is essentially the top half of a Power Loader from Aliens.

As you might have guessed, it gives a user’s upper arms superhuman strength. In case you think you might need crane operator training to operate this, you are wrong. All you need to do is use your own arms, and the metallic arms match.

You can watch the video after the jump, and it shows how easy it is to use. I have no idea how heavy those sheets of metal are, but I’m guessing that you don’t want to haul them without some machinery. I have to admit that I didn’t see the comparison between the movie Real Steel and this, but I would pay to see two of these robot arms fighting it out in real life.

In addition to the operation of virtual arms, the designers hope that an operator could operate the device from a distance. So if you need to clean up radioactive water at a nuclear site, you can operate these arms from a non-irradiated zone.

I don’t know whether or not you would have the same feeling as operating it from a distance. I would like to see these on construction sites now, holding steel girders under one arm and a rivet gun in another. Oh man, I love what science fiction robot movies have shown us.

Source

Check out the Coolest Gadgets 2008 Gift Guides, Christmas shopping made easy.
[ Raytheon-Sarcos prototype is for heavy lifting copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Research In Motion says “Sorry” with free premium apps

Posted: 17 Oct 2011 06:30 AM PDT

If you are a BlackBerry user (or one who follows tech news rather closely), you would definitely have heard about the BlackBerry outage that happened for a good three days or so across different continents throughout the earth. I am not quite sure just how many businesses were disrupted in terms of communications, especially companies that issued BlackBerrys to employees as the standard communication tool of choice. Were you affected? I can just imagine the amount of frustration that you had, but nice to know that everything is back up and running now – with Research In Motion (RIM) being man enough to say “I’m sorry.”

Of course, apologies mean nothing if there is no action to show off the feeling of remorse, and I must say that I am quite impressed with RIM as they announced that they will be making available a selection of premium apps that are worth more than $100 in total for free. These apps will be released to customers in the coming weeks via the BlackBerry App World route, and will be up there for download until the last day of the year.

RIM Co-CEO Mike Lazaridis played his cards right, saying, "Our global network supports the communications needs of more than 70 million customers. We truly appreciate and value our relationship with our customers. We've worked hard to earn their trust over the past 12 years, and we're committed to providing the high standard of reliability they expect, today and in the future."

I guess since all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, it is rather nice to see a fair number of games being made available for free in this effort as well. Just start checking out BlackBerry App World from October 19th onwards for titles such as Sims 3, Bejeweled, N.O.V.A., Texas Hold'em Poker 2, Bubble Bash 2, Photo Editor Ultimate, DriveSafe.ly Pro, iSpeech Translator Pro, Drive Safe.ly Enterprise, Nobex Radio Premium, Shazam Encore and Vlingo Plus.

Not only that, if you happen to be an enterprise customer of RIM, you will be on the receiving end of a month of free Technical Support. As for current customers, the good news does not end there – as you will be given a complimentary one month extension of your existing Technical Support contract. Those who do not have a Technical Support contract will see a one month trial of RIM's BlackBerry Technical Support Services – Enhanced Support being offered – for nothing. Life’s so much sweeter now, ain’t it?

Source

Coolest Gadgets UK – For all your UK centric tech and gadget news.
[ Research In Motion says “Sorry” with free premium apps copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

LG DoublePlay released by T-Mobile

Posted: 17 Oct 2011 06:00 AM PDT

T-Mobile might not be offering the iPhone 4S, but that does not mean the cellular company has nothing interesting for the masses. Here is a smartphone that might just tickle your fancy, especially when you figured out some time ago that having just one touchscreen display is not good enough for you. After all, you are a corporate high flyer, and you were born with “multi-tasking” as your middle name. If only someone came up with a smartphone which had dual displays, you thought to yourself.

I guess sometimes thoughts do translate themselves into reality, where most of the time that happens because of the thinker. This time around, it is LG who will receive the plaudits for rolling out the world’s first smartphone that will feature dual capacitive touchscreen displays, delivering true multitasking capability in the process. T-Mobile would be the carrier of choice here, so if you’re going to rock to what LG deems as “the ultimate multitasking handset”, then you might want to check out just what kind of data plans they’re offering.

This T-Mobile exclusive will boast a split QWERTY keyboard just in case you have yet to get used to a virtual keyboard, and for those who have already ditched a physical keyboard, stop that groan right there. The LG DoublePlay has folks like you in mind with Swype and their virtual keyboard, letting you enjoy the best of both worlds. Good thing a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor is thrown into the mix, so that you can multi-task with ease.

Imagine checking your email in the primary 3.5″ display, while the 2″ sub-display will be used to fire up your Facebook account, allowing you to operate two displays independently or in tandem, now how about that? This is certainly something that has not been done before, and it would be cooler if the processor had two cores, so that it can split the tasks of each display to individual cores.

Other hardware specifications include a 5-megapixel camera with LED flash and the ability to shoot 720p HD video, multiple messaging options, Android 2.3 Gingerbread as the operating system of choice, and being able to customize up to 7 home screens. Anyone interested?

Press Release

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[ LG DoublePlay released by T-Mobile copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Frolicat Sway Magnetic Cat Toy

Posted: 17 Oct 2011 05:30 AM PDT

Cats don’t do fetch unlike your canine friends, and they generally have their own mind and tend to be master over you, the supposed owner. Still, just like Scratch Fury of PVP fame, he might have the brains to rule the world, but toss him a ball of yarn and watch his plans for world domination unravel just like said ball, until he realizes that he has been had – by which the time is too late, as his diabolical plan would probably have been stopped somehow, somewhere, by someone.

If you are wondering just how you’re going to keep your little kitty entertained throughout the day whenever you spend long hours at the office, why not alleviate your guilt with the $14.99 Frolicat Sway Magnetic Cat Toy? All you need to do is attach each magnetic side to opposite sides of a table or shelf, swing the ball and feather and watch your cat go nuts. I suppose whenever you aren’t around, your cat might be curious to give it a few swipes, getting addicted in the process.

No idea on whether it will ever get bored of it though. What do you cat lovers out there think?

Tech Cult – We cover the latest tech news, but always with a funny twist.
[ Frolicat Sway Magnetic Cat Toy copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Ice Speed Chess Set

Posted: 17 Oct 2011 05:00 AM PDT

Sure you have heard of speed chess before, where you not only need your wits about you, but also an extremely high level of knowledge of the strategy game. Instead of not being constrained by the lack of time, speed chess requires you to be accurate and confident of your moves, all the while reserving your memory banks to figure out just what your opponent’s next 10 moves are. This time around, you don’t have a timer that adds to the stress of the game – rather, the pieces themselves will melt in time – unless of course, you’re playing right out in the open when the mercury drops below zero.

We’re talking about the £11.99 Ice Speed Chess Set here, where the entire idea is to win the game before the pieces melt. You can imagine what a potentially messy game this could end up, so hopefully someone can come up with a decent waterproof chess board that has drainage at the sides, where the board itself is not entirely level so that the melted pieces can have their water run off to a pail somewhere. Each purchase comes with two molds to get you started as soon as possible, but I guess they would do better bobbing around in some drink.

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