Thursday, October 11, 2012

Posts from Coolest Gadgets for 10/10/2012

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Oct 10, 2012 12:30 pm | Alison

Natural iPhone Amplification

Remember the Flintstone's phone? I always wanted one as a kid. And the moment when my mom explained that I would not be able to talk to people through a cow (or in Fred's case a dinosaur) horn I was crushed! But seriously the horns provide the perfect acoustic shape. Hammacher Schlemmer thinks so too.

Made in Italy, the Natural Acoustics iPhone Amplifier, $499.95, provides a contemporary look with quality sound to project your iPhone or iPod audio. The great thing is the unit uses passive amplification – meaning no power is required. Through the natural horn design and the quality of the slip-cast ceramic your iPhone or iPod tunes or calls will be naturally amplified.  Just insert your iPhone (4, 4S, 3G, 3GS) or iPod touch (1-4th Gen) into the cradle and the sounds will resonate out of the horn. The stylish look means it can fit in the most formal or casual environment. And it is a perfect solution for the back yard or anywhere that a power source may not be prevalent. So if you seek premium acoustics for your  iPhone, but want something different or power free I invite you to visit Hammacher Schlemmer for more details on this unique gadget.

[ Natural iPhone Amplification copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]


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Oct 10, 2012 12:00 pm | Alison

Your Phone's Camera = Microscope

Phone and tablet cameras are lifesavers! We snap photos of people and places we enjoy but if you are like me you also use it to capture things like take out menus or where you parked at the mall. Or it can even serve as a rudimentary scanner in some cases. Popular Mechanics decided to publish another use for these cameras which we think you will enjoy.

Hall Davidson, a former math teacher, decided that tablets and phones provide a perfect vehicle for a microscope. Davidson, an employee of Discovery Education, decided to visit his local hardware store and come up with the necessary components to create magnification. A rubber grommet and a jeweler's mini microscope glued to an iPad did the trick. Popular Mechanics slightly revised his solution to avoid glue on the device. So here you go, straight from the article – a microscope for your phone or tablet for less than $10.

Supplies:

A) Case: Look for a thin, hard case for your device. iPad cases are available online for as little as $5.
B) Half-inch rubber grommet: available in hardware stores for under $1.
C) Jeweler’s mini microscope: Also known as a currency microscope, this tool is commonly used to detect imperfections in jewelry. Look for a unit that incorporates an LED; the cheapest ones cost around $4.
D) Superglue

Instructions:

1) Before gluing, center the grommet on the case over the camera lens opening.
2) Got the position right? Apply glue to half the grommet and attach it. Assuming you’re using an iPad, the glued part of the grommet should be opposite the curved edge of the device. (The grommet will not be completely flush.)
3) Once the glue dries, insert the eyepiece into the grommet.
4) Open the camera app and turn on the scope’s LED to start exploring the microverse.

TIP: Zoom from inside the app, and also adjust the view by sliding the eyepiece in and out of the grommet.
[ Your Phone’s Camera = Microscope copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]


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Oct 10, 2012 08:25 am | Julie

Wireless Smartphone Photo Printer – Great Pictures, No Ink!

I like to consider myself a fairly serious amateur photography. I love taking pictures. I do find that I end up taking more shots than I thought I would with my iPhone. I mean, the iPhone isn’t really meant for real picture-taking, but sometimes the phone lets you get a shot you would have missed altogether, and it is a handy item for those “about town” shots with your friends. Now if there was a fun and convenient way to print those pictures out…

Well, our friends over at Hammacher Schlemmer must have been listening, because they are introducing the Wireless Smartphone Photo Printer. Connecting over a WiFi network, this small, relatively portable photo printer connects to almost any iPhone or Android-powered smartphone and prints amazing, vibrant color photographs.

The Wireless Smartphone Photo Printer will enable you to print photos taken with your smartphone from just about anywhere in your house, with no pesky cables, cords or wires. This convenience alone will encourage you to start actually printing pictures again, instead of simply sharing them online. I can’t remember the last time I actually held a photograph!

The pictures are printed on special patented paper which is embedded with yellow, magenta, and cyan dye crystals, (no ink!) the process produces rich, vibrant photographs that are waterproof and also resist fingerprints, dust, and scratches. What’s better than that?

The Wireless Smartphone Photo Printer comes with a paper cartridge for 10 prints and it is compatible with all iPhones,  iPads, and iPod Touch models running iOS 3 and up and Android-powered devices running OS 2 and up. The Smartphone Photo Printer is available from Hammacher.com for under 220 bucks. Santa? Are you listening?

[ Wireless Smartphone Photo Printer – Great Pictures, No Ink! copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]


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Oct 10, 2012 06:30 am | Edwin

Brainfreeze lets you throw the coolest parties

Pardon the obvious pun in the title, but when you have an ice bucket that comes in the form of a human skull which has been hollowed out to carry nothing but ice and your favorite bottle of bubbly, you know for sure you are in for a good time the whole night long. Obviously, the poor sod must have had too much cold drinks that night he died, resulting in the inspiration for this £19.99 Brainfreeze.

This is one skeletal serving bowl that is perfect for an ice bucket, or those who want a little bit more variety can always use it as a private punch-bowl. Heck, since we are all in the Halloween mood, why not turn it into a stylish spot where you are able to stash away some sweets? The Brainfreeze Bucket itself is made of thick, crystal-cut glass and has enough capacity to hold around one and a half litres of liquid. Molded handles ensure you can transport this from one place to another without sending it crashing to the floor, while a solid base ensures stability even if you feel that you are all at sea after having a wee bit too much to drink.

[ Brainfreeze lets you throw the coolest parties copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]


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Oct 10, 2012 06:00 am | Edwin

Zen Wheels Precision Control Bluetooth Micro RC Car

Do you love playing around with remote control toys? Back in the days when there was no such thing as a mobile phone, remote control toys were the bomb. They might not have the kind of clout over kids these days, but they are still interesting to tinker around with once in a while. Thinkgeek has come up with the $89.99 Zen Wheels Precision Control Bluetooth Micro RC Car which is said to deliver "unbelievable proportional precision controls" right in the palm of your hand, and this particular ride might be small, but that does not mean "safety" is compromised, as it comes with fully functional indicator lights and a horn to boot. Toot your way around the home, indicating just where you would want to go with it!

The Zen Micro RC will be controlled via Bluetooth, so make sure you do not go beyond the theoretical 10 meter radius that a Bluetooth "bubble" normally takes up, and with the app ony our iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad, you will be able to zip around the home with the Zen Micro as your "dog-on-wheels", so to speak. Each purchase comes with 10 mini traffic cones and roll-over timing gate for that added challenge when you play with it around the house.

[ Zen Wheels Precision Control Bluetooth Micro RC Car copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]


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Oct 10, 2012 05:30 am | Edwin

Algiz 10X is one tough tablet PC

You know what happens when you lead a rough-and-tumble lifestyle, most of the time, your devices too, would go through some sort of "torture", especially when you love nothing better than roughing it out. Others, however, might not be that adventurous as you, but the nature of their job requires them to toughen it out, which is where carrying sensitive consumer electronics is a big no no. What happens when there is a need for a device like a tablet, and yet you tend to be in extremely harsh environments? This is where the Algiz 10X comes in handy, thanks to the Handheld Group who came up with this particular tablet.

The Algiz 10X rugged tablet PC is a powerful device which is able to shrug off tough weather elements and harsh handling, while you can be sure that your eyes won't end up with a permanent squint while you work on it courtesy of its large, 10.1-inch touchscreen display which is said to deliver the best screen visibility on the market at press time.

Jerker Hellström, CEO of Handheld, said, "The new Algiz 10X is perfectly suited for field professionals who need a rugged tablet computer that is lightweight and built to withstand the harsh conditions that come with all kinds of industry fieldwork, and that can display detailed maps and other visuals even in bright sunlight."

Just how tough is it? To get a better idea, let us use industry benchmarks as an example. The Algiz 10X is IP65-rated and will definitely meet stringent MIL-STD-810G military standards for protection against dust, water, vibrations, drops, extreme temperatures and varying altitudes. Despite sounding as though it graduated from some sort of military academy, it is no heavyweight, tipping the scales at a mere 1.3 kg (2.9 lbs), while measuring just 32 mm (1.2″) thick – not too shabby where rugged tablet PCs are concerned.

Other hardware specifications include a u-blox GPS receiver and WAAS/EGNOS/MSAS capability, Bluetooth 4.0, WLAN 802.11 b/g/n and it is WWAN Gobi 3000-ready. Not only that, there is an integrated 5-megapixel camera with LED flash, a host of connectivity opportunities, waterproof USB 2.0, VGA and RS232 ports. The Intel Atom N2800 dual-core processor runs the show from underneath the hood alongside 4GB RAM, while the SSD disk can be further expanded thanks to a microSD memory card slot. It might run on Windows 7 Ultimate at the moment, but packs the hardware for some Windows 8 action when the latter arrives. Expect to pick up the Algiz 10X from January next year onwards if you are interested.

Press Release
[ Algiz 10X is one tough tablet PC copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]


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Oct 10, 2012 05:00 am | Edwin

T-Mobile announces Nokia Lumia 810 in the US

If you were pretty impressed by what Nokia managed to do with Windows Phone 8 with the recent release of their Lumia smartphones, then you might want to cozy up to T-Mobile, as the mobile carrier in the US has just announced that they will be making available a variant of the Lumia 820 – calling it the Nokia Lumia 810 instead, sporting T-Mobile livery, no less. It does beg the question, how come there does not seem to be any variants of the higher end Nokia Lumia 920 instead? Having said that, let us take a closer look at what the Nokia Lumia 810 brings to the table.

The Nokia Lumia 810 is definitely a thing of beauty, there are no two ways about it for sure. It sports a minimalistic design and industry-leading navigation services, and will come packed with a sharp and gorgeous 4.3-inch OLED screen which boasts of a ClearBlack display. What is ClearBlack all about? Translated to English, it means that your colors will come in an eye-popping array, while blacks remain just as that – deep and dark. It also makes perfect sense if you are a fashionista and want to get the most out of the Lumia 810, as it comes with interchangeable charging shells which will arrive in black and, allowing you to juice up your device without having to mess around with the tangled web of modern day man known as wires.

Not only that, the Lumia 810 comes with an 8-megapixel camera that is accompanied by a Carl Zeiss lens. Should you want to perform video calls, fret not, as the Nokia Lumia 810 alone comes with a front-facing camera which enables you to hold video chats in crystal clear HD resolution. Of course, the smoothness of the video call depends on your network, so don't blame the Lumia 810 for choppy video!

Preloaded software include Nokia Music, where you are able to enjoy free music that is streamed from a collection of more than 17 million tracks, meaning even the most picky person will still be able to find something that he or she likes. There is no word on pricing as at press time, but we will just wait for the end of the month, hoping that T-Mobile would have more concrete information by then.

Press Release
[ T-Mobile announces Nokia Lumia 810 in the US copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]


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