Your's Web Tech Power Blog's: Dec 17, 2011

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Latest Posts on Coolest Gadgets

REV360 for the iPad Family
Bodyguardz offers protection for the Amazon Kindle Fire
Texting Glove for the hearing impaired
Quad Lock Case announced
Archos 35 Home Connect unveiled
Verbatim USB 3.0/USB 2.0 Universal Card Readers and USB 2.0 Pocket Card Reader

Posted: 16 Dec 2011 06:30 AM PST

Some of you might remember when we reviewed the iPad Handstand, a way of putting the iPad on a frame so it can be held with one hand and easily rotatable. As I recall, this Handstand might not have been available for the iPad 2, but the REV360 is made for both models.

Like the Handstand, it has a rotating disk that allows you to spin at 360 degrees with some clicking action, to easily go from portrait to landscape.

In addition to this winning feature, the handle is so constructed so that when the REV360 is on the table, it is at an angle. This is good for typing on it, or watching a video.

Another feature is it has a hard back cover which is perfect for protecting against scratches. Did I mention that it is eco-friendly, being that it is made with 100 percent recycled plastic and resin? It is.

You should be able to purchase the REV360 for the iPad and iPad 2 at the Hub Innovations site for about $49.95. They come in several colors including white, black, pink, orange, green, blue, copper, gray, navy, and red. There are even more diverse options like animal print, carbon fiber, and digital camouflage. It is also available with a Smart Cover compatible option.

Check out the Coolest Gadgets 2008 Gift Guides, Christmas shopping made easy.
[ REV360 for the iPad Family copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Bodyguardz offers protection for the Amazon Kindle Fire

Posted: 16 Dec 2011 06:15 AM PST

I have seen a a lot of interesting ways of protecting mobile devices. Some are simple screen protectors for the touchscreen, and others surround the mobile device itself, such as ZAGG’s Invisible Shield to really protect from dents and scratches.

Despite the fact it is getting some negative criticism, the Amazon Kindle Fire is finding its place in the tech community. It stands to reason that there would be protectors for them. BodyGuardz is now offering its protection for the Amazon Kindle Fire in several ways.

It has two kinds a scratch-proof screen protectors to provide protection from outside elements. As with most clear skin protectors of this type, it is custom-made for Amazon’s low-key iPad competitor. The ScreenGuardz not only provide protection, but stop glare as well. The Clear Skins also provide protection but are “optically clear to preserve its beauty and design”.

In addition to this type of screen protection, the company also has a Carbon Fiber Armor. This is made from strong PVC based film, and it is both “stylish and smooth to the touch”. The Armor reminds me of the Carbon Back Skin by id America that we reviewed before.

The Screenguardz are available on the Bodyguardz website for $15.95. The Clear Skin Screen Protectors are also available on the Bodyguardz website for about $29.95. The Armor Carbon Fiber for the Kindle Fire is available here for pre-order for the same price in three different colors of Black, White, and Red.

Cool Gift Idea: Digital Picture Frames, check out our reviews.
[ Bodyguardz offers protection for the Amazon Kindle Fire copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Texting Glove for the hearing impaired

Posted: 16 Dec 2011 06:00 AM PST

What you see here in the picture is exactly what you think it is. The Texting Glove is essentially a device where you can use sign language to create a text message.

This device was introduced at Google’s Developers Day in Tel Aviv, by designers Oleg Imanilov, Zvika Markfield, and Tomer Daniel. It uses a gyroscope, an ADK Board, Lilypad Arduino, finger sensors, and an accelerometer.

There is a a video after the jump so you can see how it works. It looks like it has to be calibrated to work with individual hands.

When I first saw this, I thought it was a good idea, but then I thought: can’t the hearing impaired just send a text message with their hands? Then I had to think: I would love to use speech-to-text software.

As it is, speech to text isn’t quite as good as I want it to be. I would imagine that one day, speech to text will be just as good as real speech. Shouldn’t the hearing impaired have this same right? With the Texting Glove, that can happen.

Besides, the texting glove is good for texting and signing words, not just the tapping of letters. I wouldn’t be surprised if the hearing impaired could sign a text message faster than typing it. If so, then I see a good future for the Texting Glove.

show&Tell glove – introduction from sarohm on Vimeo.

Source

Coolest Gadgets UK – For all your UK centric tech and gadget news.
[ Texting Glove for the hearing impaired copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Quad Lock Case announced

Posted: 16 Dec 2011 05:30 AM PST

Annex Products has announced the rollout of its Quad Lock Case, which is touted to be the ultimate multipurpose mounting system for your precious iPhone. Just what is the Quad Lock Case capable of? For starters, this is touted to be a safe and easy mounting solution which is capable of mounting itself to just about any surface, ensuring that your iPhone remains in a convenient position regardless of either it being in a portrait or landscape mode, letting you view your favorite photos, enjoy movies and read news, hands-free.

The Quad Lock Case Mount comes in an ultra slim form factor, where it is made up of tough polycarbonate plastic in order to help protect your iPhone’s back during everyday use. You know what they say – the simpler something is, the more beautiful it becomes, and that is exactly the case (pun not intended) with the Quad Lock Case Mount. Featuring a built-in holder which enables it to snap securely on to any of the Quad Lock Mounts, you need not worry about your iPhone’s safety any more even though it might seem as though it is hanging precariously from some other place.

Chris Peters of Annex Products says, "Most car, wall, and bike mounts require you to remove your phone from your everyday case, insert it into another cradle system, and then remove it from the cradle and replace your case when you're done. The alternatives are the hold-anything style cradles that fit nothing well. If you're like us, you use your iPhone as a GPS while driving and boating, a trip computer while cycling, a list while shopping, a score card while golfing, an alarm clock while sleeping, a recipe book while cooking, a calendar while at the office and we even sometimes make a phone call. The Quad Lock makes all of these tasks easier by providing an easy-to-use mounting system that was designed specifically for the iPhone."

Some of the mounts that are available include the ST Mount that was specially designed to be used under rigorous conditions such as cycling, the Pro Mount that will come with an additional level of security in the form of a spring locking collar that is pushed down to unlock the case. The Quad Lock will be available over at Kickstarter at the moment, where the Quad Lock Case and Mounting System comes in a range of different kits, and depending on your choice, it will be priced anywhere from $25 all the way to $80. I guess it really depends on your needs before you choose the right Quad Lock Case with a corresponding mount.

Press Release

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[ Quad Lock Case announced copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Archos 35 Home Connect unveiled

Posted: 16 Dec 2011 05:00 AM PST

Archos intends to further push the envelope when it comes to technological boundaries as well as innovation with the introduction of their latest device, the Archos 35 Home Connect. This is an Android-powered web radio that was specially designed for the home user. Touted to be the most advanced Android-based web radio in the market (which makes perfect sense after all, since how many web radios that run on the Android OS do you see hanging around store shelves, virtual or otherwise?), the Archos 35 Home Connect is perfectly sized to deliver streaming radio and music anywhere at home, ranging from the bedroom to the kitchen, bathroom or kids room.

Being diminutive in size certainly makes it a whole lot easier to tote around, and the Archos 35 Home Connect will boast Wi-Fi connectivity as well as amazing audio quality, once again lending wisdom to the adage that one ought not to judge a book by its cover – and in this case, the audio quality by its size. Let us take a close look at what the Archos 35 Home Connect is able to deliver after the jump.

If you are one who hates being woken up by the traditional din of an alarm clock’s bells, or do not want to subject yourself to the random rants of the resident DJ at a local radio station, the Archos 35 Home Connect does feature progressive nature sounds to help you get out of the right side of the bed. Of course, the other alternative would be to be in complete control, using your MP3 playlist instead, but for those who prefer to take their chances, tuning in to your favorite web radio station might also be an option.

All it takes is a single click on the touchscreen display and you’re able to stream more than 50,000 web radio stations thanks to the pre-loaded TuneIn Radio Pro application. Apart from that, it doesn’t matter how different each day of the week is – as the alarm clock is highly customizable, you are able to set just about as many alarms as you could possibly want or need. Not only that, there are apps and widgets for you to play around with, let alone download, ranging from real time weather updates, traffic reports, sports news, social networking, movies, music, games and more.

A couple of embedded high definition stereo speakers ought to get the job done on behalf of your ears, and if you do not want to disturb anyone else in the vicinity, you can always don a pair of headphones. Expect to fork out $149 for the Archos 35 Home Connect if you’re interested.

Product Page

Check out the Coolest Gadgets 2008 Gift Guides, Christmas shopping made easy.
[ Archos 35 Home Connect unveiled copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Verbatim USB 3.0/USB 2.0 Universal Card Readers and USB 2.0 Pocket Card Reader

Posted: 16 Dec 2011 04:30 AM PST

Verbatim is no stranger when it comes to storage devices and media, and this time around, they have rolled out a couple of devices which will read your stored data – in the form of the USB 3.0/USB 2.0 Universal Card Readers and USB 2.0 Pocket Card Reader. Both of them will play nice with Windows and Mac platforms, and are 100% compatible with all USB ports. Featuring a sleek, modern design in either model, the USB 3.0 device comes in an eye-catching, silver finish while the USB 2.0 model will definitely attract fingerprints with its classic piano black finish.

Supported memory cards by both the USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 Universal Card Readers include CompactFlash Type I & Type II (CF), Secure Digital (SD), Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC), miniSD, microSD, Memory Stick (MS), Memory Stick PRO, Memory Stick Duo, Memory Stick PRO Duo, Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo, Memory Stick Micro (M2), MultiMedia Card (MMC) and xD-Picture Card (xD). Depending on your needs, I would say go for the future-proof USB 3.0 model – after all, it retails for $10 more compared to the $14.99 USB 2.0 Universal Card Reader.

Those who tend to do a whole lot of traveling can always fall back on the $9.99 USB 2.0 Pocket Card Reader, and as the name implies, it fits into most pockets without missing a beat, and will read just about any memory card format while you’re on the go.

Introducing Foolish Gadgets because not all gadgets are cool

[ Verbatim USB 3.0/USB 2.0 Universal Card Readers and USB 2.0 Pocket Card Reader copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]