Your's Web Tech Power Blog's: Latest Posts on Coolest Gadgets

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Latest Posts on Coolest Gadgets

The Bionic Cockroach
The Pebble Smartwatch – Your Watch, Your Way
Milkmaid Milk Jug – Honey… I just got a Text from the Milk
Seidio OBEX case for the Samsung Galaxy S3
JVC Procision DLA-X95R home theater projector
Telephoto Kitchen Timer

Posted: 10 Sep 2012 10:43 AM PDT

We bring this to you from the "it sounds weird, but sure the applications would be numerous" bag. Researchers at North Carolina State University figured out how to remotely control an actual cockroach. No the objective was not related to extermination of bugs – but rather creating a wireless biological interface. The mechanics consisted of a basic microcontroller, transmitter and receiver. By attaching the device to the pest's antennae, a sensory organ for them to help evade predators, the team was able to send commands to trigger their need to move and avoid trouble. The video below shows researchers controlling the path of a Madagascar hissing cockroach using the device.

What the heck does steering a cockroach do for the good of society? Well, cockroaches are pretty tough. Applications thought to potentially exist include deploying the little guys to collect information from disastrous or hazardous environments like nuclear facilities or war zones. So who knows, maybe cockroaches will one day help us rather than hinder us.

Thanks: Engadget

[ The Bionic Cockroach copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

The Pebble Smartwatch – Your Watch, Your Way

Posted: 10 Sep 2012 08:31 AM PDT

It seems as though a good number of us are addicted to our smartphones. I know I’m at a complete loss if I forget my phone, I actually feel completely lost and unproductive, but at the same time, if I have the phone, it always seems to be in the way of something… although I have gotten really adept at doing lots of things with only one hand, there has got to be a better way to integrate the almighty smartphone into my life.

Well, it seems as though I’m not alone. The Pebble Smartwatch has the distinction of being THE most funded Kicksarter project to date. With its beginnings set at a hundred thousand dollar goal, the Pebble Smartwatch passed a million dollars in funding the very first day! Using a fabulous E-paper display, this water-resistant watch connects via bluetooth to your Android, or iPhone and allows you to fully customize your watch and its features.

You can change the watch face, add apps and set-up all kinds of message notifications. Bikers and runners can rejoice, using your phones GPS ability, you can get time, speed and pace data directly to your wrist, and couch potatoes can get mellow with a music control app that lets you play, pause or skip tracks, right from your watch. Golfers can use their Pebble as a rangefinder, or to get weather alerts and check incoming calls without ever having to look at their phones.

The Pebble Smartwatch has a wide array of timers and alerts, even allowing for vibrating notifications, imagine checking Facebook or your e-mail by simply looking at your watch, pretty stealthy huh? The Pebble Smartwatch comes in 5 different colors, Black, Red, White, Orange and Grey and is available for pre-order at getpebble.com for only 150 bucks.

[ The Pebble Smartwatch – Your Watch, Your Way copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Milkmaid Milk Jug – Honey… I just got a Text from the Milk

Posted: 10 Sep 2012 08:27 AM PDT

How many times have you woken up in the morning and yawned your way into the kitchen and filled a giant bowl with some Nutty-O’s or Fruity Pebbles, opened the fridge door and saw that you didn’t have enough milk? or worse, that the milk you did have had expired the day before! Begrudgingly you attempted the sniff test and while it seemed a little “off” you tasted it anyway. I hate those mornings… and the taste test only seems to go well about 1 out of 10 times.

Welcome the Milkmaid Milk Jug, a quart size glass container that you pour your milk into, and keep in the fridge. The Milkmaid utilizes specialized PH sensors that can not only tell if the milk is spoiled, but it can tell you how soon it will spoil if you don’t use it up! Unique temperature sensors even let you know if your moo juice has been left out too long and the jug also comes with a weight sensing base that measures just how much milk you have left.

All of this milk information can be accessed easily via a free iPhone app or you can enable the base to contact you at a pre-selected number for all your urgent milk messages. Currently, the Milkmaid Jug is only in its prototype stage, with a few of the products being tested by the masses as we speak, obviously if it garners enough attention and some nice reviews by the testers, the Jug may actually become a reality. Is this a useful product ,or simply a fun-for-a minute novelty? If you’d like to have one someday, check out quirky.com and let them know. I have to go, my milk is calling.

[ Milkmaid Milk Jug – Honey… I just got a Text from the Milk copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Seidio OBEX case for the Samsung Galaxy S3

Posted: 10 Sep 2012 06:30 AM PDT

If you are part of the Samsung camp and have a healthy respect for Apple although you do loathe some of the tactics that Cupertino exhibits in the courtroom, then chances are you also own a smartphone from the South Korean consumer electronics giant – with the flagship Samsung Galaxy S3 being at the forefront of most people's minds. Well, since you are already in possession of such a fine looking handset, why not make sure you go the whole nine yards and make sure that the smartphone itself is properly protected against the usual – knocks and drops, as well as water? This is where the Seidio OBEX case comes in handy.

Described to be the "epitome of ultimate protection for the Samsung Galaxy S3", we do wonder just how far such a superlative claim is able to go. Sure, Seidio might be a leading manufacturer of premium mobile technology accessories, but are they really that qualified to deliver a protective case for your precious new Samsung Galaxy 3 to warrant such a description? We will only be able to find out this coming October, but in the meantime, why not let me sit you through the specifications and feature of the Seidio OBEX case so that you are more familiar with it?

David Chang, CEO of Seidio, said, "The OBEX is a game-changer in smartphone protection. We carefully designed this case with the best materials available in order to ensure the [Galaxy] S III would be protected against even the harshest conditions without losing the phone's functionality. After rigorous testing, we are confident the OBEX lives up to its name in every way."

OBEX is actually Latin for "barrier," and it will get to work by absorbing shock thanks to its combination of Polycarbonate and Thermoplastic Polyurethane materials which make up a two-piece structure. This is touted to be the ideal design to deliver protection for the Galaxy S3 from rough, daily use and drops from extreme heights. So far, the OBEX case did far exceed the requirements set forth by the MIL-STD-810G test which evaluates the case from 6-foot drops at multiple angles.

Not only that, the David Chang, CEO of Seidio will also prevent the Galaxy S3 from outside elements such as water, snow, mud, dust, and sand amongst others, as it provides a seal at critical points of the smartphone, making sure all possible entries remain blocked to any unwanted particles or liquids. Meeting the IP68 criterion, it is capable of keeping your Galaxy S3 working even when it is completely submerged for up to half an hour in water that is one meter deep. The waterproof membranes guarantee that external matter will be unable to penetrate the phone's speakers or microphone without losing sound quality.

There is still no word on pricing, but we do look forward to the OBEX case's release next month. How about you?

Product Page

[ Seidio OBEX case for the Samsung Galaxy S3 copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

JVC Procision DLA-X95R home theater projector

Posted: 10 Sep 2012 06:00 AM PDT

No, what you read above is definitely not a typo. After all, I would suppose that it is a bunch of creative brains behind the JVC Procision DLA-X95R home theater projector that has called it so – merging the words "professional" and "precision" together. Having said that, is your interest not piqued that you want to find out more about the JVC Procision DLA-X95R? I sure do, so why not let us take the plunge right after the jump to read more about it?

The JVC Procision DLA-X95R home theater projector is one of the new, expanded range of home theater projectors which is touted to deliver significant improvements in picture performance and upgraded e-shift technology. Just what does that mean in plain English? Well, we are looking at the upconversion and scaling of 2D content to a 4K signal. Known as e-shift2, this technology is available in seven of the new JVC projectors, with the DLA-X95R leading the way. Apart from that, you will also be able to benefit from a host of other performance-enhancing features that include a new illumination system as well as a new polarizing wire grid that works in tandem with e-shift2 for higher native contrast.

This particular home theater projector is also 3D-enabled, and your eyes will definitely not be bowled over. After all, you will be on the receiving end of stunningly detailed image with minimal aliasing artifacts that are normally found in standard HD displays. You will get higher native contrast in combination with a new polarizing wire grid engine. Proprietary JVC algorithms will see action here, replacing a two-band filter with an eight-band filter in order to apply additional correction to more areas of the image. This would, right away, let you experience a noticeable improvement with any compatible 2D signal. In order to optimize performance for different content, this Multiple Pixel Control offers five preset modes plus Off.

3D performance has also been given a kick in the butt, thanks to the inclusion of new circuitry and a new optical engine that helps reduce cross talk, resulting in a more natural, clear and brighter image. It also boasts of a new lamp and power supply which is said to deliver a significant improvement in brightness over the life of the lamp, sporting a lamp warranty of one year or a thousand hours, whichever comes first.

The asking price for the DLA-X95R? It definitely ain't cheap, as we are looking at a cool $11,999, but at least you can be sure that this will not be obsolete the moment you remove it from its box.

Press Release

[ JVC Procision DLA-X95R home theater projector copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Telephoto Kitchen Timer

Posted: 10 Sep 2012 05:30 AM PDT

In life, you can be darned good at what you do, but it you lack focus, all of that skill will not amount to much, really. Well, the $13.99 Telephoto Kitchen Timer does seem to put things into focus, reminding you to make sure that the stove is on, and it is extremely dangerous to leave a fire unattended. Well, you might be a fantastic multi-tasker, but there is no harm done in having a device that helps remind us that it is time to attend to the chicken so that it does not end up overcooked, all the while you keep on stirring the porridge.

Not only that, it is also a subtle reminder that you should, if time and opportunity permits, to be able grab a DSLR nearby and shoot a few photos of what's cookin' (even if you are not The Rock). In order to activate the Telephoto Kitchen Timer, all you need to do is twist the base in order for the red arrow to pass the 55 minutes mark, then twist the very same arrow back to mark your desired time. This will result in you creating more or less the perfect meal each time.