Daily Digest Coolest Gadgets for 01/22/2013

The latest and coolest gadgets daily digest Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. Jan 22, 2013 10:30 am | Alison Control Your Lumens via Phone with Philips Hue Philips, a global leader in lighting solutions, launched Hue at the end of last year which proves to give a whole new take on lighting automation. Usually when we think of home automation we envision complicated computer systems built into the wall. But in reality, with the growth of smartphones and tablets, wi-fi and home networking are enabling more remote control of everyday items. Philips Hue looks to provide personal lighting to meet your changing needs – wirelessly via your home network and smartphone/tablet. After the launch of Hue we received a set to evaluate. The light in our lives has never been the same. SETUP: The Hue system packaging elicits thoughts of color variety with a functioning color wheel, which doubles as easy set-up instructions on the inside of the box. Each set contains three LED bulbs and the controller/hub – the brains of the system – and run for $199.95. Additional bulbs are available at $59.95 each. Note that bulbs are standard Edison type ("screw-in", E26 or E27). Double check the sockets where you intend to use Hue as you may have to get a converter. Using the included hub power cord and network cable, hooking the controller to the home router was a piece of cake but yes, that does mean you need an available port on your router. Before you go further, download the necessary control app. We easily loaded it on both an iOS and Android device. Syncing with the hub was a simple push of a button. Another step you may want to take before getting started is the remote access. Log in on the Hue website to enable the feature. You still control lighting from your device, but remote access gives permission for you to adjust your Hue system from anywhere in the world. APP & FUNCTIONS: Scenes within the app Philips built in more than a dozen 'scenes' in the app, which migrate the bulbs to specific color combinations that prompt memories of environments. "Relax" and "concentration" give you what you expect. But others like "ski" (bright whites and blues) emulate the lighting you could encounter in those situations. Hundreds more scenes have been created by Hue users and are available on their website when logged into your account. A very creative app feature is the ability to produce and save scenes based on photos. Check your library to find a favorite moment. Hue will analyze the photo and bring out the colors in it. So if you are in a nightclub having a great time with friends take a photo and emulate that environment when you get home. Scenes were easy to call up and create. And setting an alarm for a scene to turn off or on was just as easy – whether on the network or away from home. For example, I found it helpful to have the office lights turn to bright orange about the time I was due to fall asleep on my keyboard. It made me get up and leave. And yes, we have managed to mess fellow CG staffers while away from our network. Believe it or not the toughest thing to do on the app was simply assigning a color to each bulb. Although we eventually figured it out, making all the lights red or yellow or color of our choice proved not quite as intuitive as using or creating scenes. Philips did think ahead on the technology and made Hue open platform. Anticipate developer details later this year which may lead to options like strobe or rotating colors. Imagine having rotating red and green during your Christmas party! LIGHT: The light exhibited from the LED bulbs was worthy of mention. Each gives off 600 lumens and uses about  7.5W. Conversely, the equivalent lumens in an incandescent would require approximately a 50W bulb. So you will save by simply using LED.  The color combinations are as endless as LEDs allow. And when turned off at the source the Hue bulbs return to white light which proved better than our bulb predecessors. Up to 50 Hue bulbs can be controlled per hub. CONCLUSION: Philips is not the first to get in the wireless-ly controlled bulb game. But with their expertise and resources they will certainly make the biggest splash. Do we need a $200 set of bulbs that change color? Perhaps not, but with the mounds of research showing how our moods and work is impacted based on our surroundings, there does exist plenty of reason. Plus, it is fun! If you enjoy mood lighting, travel (and want to deter mischief) or simply like to control your life through your phone/tablet pick up a Hue system via Philips, Apple, Amazon or other retailers. [ Control Your Lumens via Phone with Philips Hue copyright by Coolest Gadgets ] Read More Jan 22, 2013 09:35 am | Alison A Different Sort of Foot Powered Skateboard Skateboards seem like such a practical method of travel, especially if you live by the beach or in an area with good pathways. Some of us uncoordinated people in the world weren't meant to travel by skateboard. Steering is all about finding your balance and being comfortable. Pushing off the ground for power should be easy. But klutzy people like me struggle. At long last. I think I found the perfect skateboard for those of us who struggle or for anyone wanting an easier skating experience or an eco-friendly method of motorized travel. Straight from a beach-side city in California comes the ZBoard.  Two models of ZBoard ,the Classic and the step-up Pro, provide weight sensing technology tied into a front and rear footpads to help you control your speed. As you step on the front (acceleration) or rear (braking) pad the board communicates your force to the on board computer and the electric motor speed adjusts accordingly. Want more speed? Press harder. Want to lightly brake? Lighter pressure should do. You can achieve max speeds of 15 or 17 MPH, depending on model. You can take on small to medium sized hills, and you can completely brake even on a steep hill. On a full 110V charge (220V available upon request) the Classic will take you 5 miles and the Pro – with its Lithium Iron Phosphate battery – will carry you 10 miles. Each battery is rated to 250 and 500+ cycles respectively and replacements will be available. With the regenerative braking and minimal power usage the ZBoard is carbon footprint equivalent of up to 1500 miles/gallon. Crazy.  Can you just push and ride? Sure, but expect to move slowly. ZBoards began shipping in October and are currently on a 10 week waiting list, which means you can get it just in time for Spring cruising. The Classic runs $649 and the Pro $949. So whether a skateboard expert or an uncoordinated person like moi, ZBoard provides a weight sensing alternative to standard skateboarding and an eco-friendly way to travel on those shorter jaunts. [ A Different Sort of Foot Powered Skateboard copyright by Coolest Gadgets ] Read More Jan 22, 2013 05:30 am | Edwin Desk Pets announce BattleTank Desk Pets International Limited might sound familiar to some of us, as it is the manufacturer of interactive and action-packed micro-robotic toys and gadgets, where some of them include the CarBot, SkitterBot, and TrekBot among others. Well, the latest device from them would be known as the BattleTank, where it comes in the form of a palm-sized robotic tank which is said to be fully controllable regardless of whether you are using an iOS- or Android-powered device. Smartphones and tablets alike, as long as it runs on the right operating system, you can carry out your theoretical war games right there and then on the spot. The BattleTank will arrive equipped with a couple of navigation modes that enable the tank to roam freely or charge into action to race and battle in multi-player mode. Desk Pets is said to unveil the BattleTank alongside its other released toy lines as mentioned earlier at the Toy Fair 2013 in New York City sometime next month. For the moment though, we will take a closer look at what the BattleTank is able to do, as it comes equipped with a range of play modes, sounds and maneuvers to engage you. BattleTank sports a personality of its own, and in free-roaming mode, the BattleTank will take the helm, acting under its own direction and make quite a din with its engine-revving noises. If you want to (and most probably will, we humans absolutely love to be the captain of our own ship), you are also able to take control of the BattleTank in order to chase down an autonomous drone tank (which can be purchased separately of course), or to perform a re-enactment of your favorite tank battles with a friend. Each successive hit from your opponent will slow down your tank, but it is a good thing that there are no shrapnel to worry about, and when you're slower, it makes you more of a sitting duck than anything else, so if you can pull off a victory from there, it would certainly make even General Rommel, the Fox of the Desert, envious. Each BattleTank will retail for $24.99 a pop. [ Desk Pets announce BattleTank copyright by Coolest Gadgets ] Read More Jan 22, 2013 05:00 am | Edwin Lenovo ThinkPad X131e Chromebook The traditional chalk and blackboard is still a staple in most of the classrooms around the world, although those living in emerging countries and more backwater areas might not even have a classroom with four walls to call their own, but will instead have to settle for a shack or even in an open air environment. Some of the private schools in tropical countries, on the other hand, have superb facilities and include air-conditioning all year round, now how about that? Well, for areas where learning online is starting to pick up, the notebook would be an essential tool for kids to bring to class, and with over 1,000 schools using Chromebooks these days, it opens up the door for teachers and students alike to take advantage of the web's vast educational resources. Having said that, Lenovo has just announced a Chromebook that will be based on their popular ThinkPad laptop range, and have dubbed it the Lenovo ThinkPad X131e Chromebook. Since all classrooms possess unique hardware and software needs, the Lenovo ThinkPad X131e Chromebook intends to deliver the hassle-free experience of Chrome OS alongside the ThinkPad's rugged design, where there will be specialized features such as a rubber bumper located around the top cover for added protection, stronger corners, reinforced hinges and hinge brackets, and a high definition (HD) LED anti-glare screen. All of the above mentioned seems to make the Lenovo ThinkPad X131e Chromebook well armed to handle the everyday rigors of a classroom, and thanks to a battery that Lenovo claims is able to last up to 6.5 hours courtesy of its latest-generation Intel processor, the ThinkPad Chromebook ought to have more than enough underneath its hood to handle even the most active students and teachers. The new Lenovo ThinkPad X131e Chromebook will hit the US for a mere $429 each from February 26th onwards, and schools are then able to add management and support from Google for a one-time cost of $30 per Chromebook. Press Release [ Lenovo ThinkPad X131e Chromebook copyright by Coolest Gadgets ] Read More Jan 22, 2013 04:30 am | Edwin Hot Tub Boat You know you've got it made when you live in a lovely mansion with perhaps a pool out in front, have a couple of supercars in the garage alongside a luxury sedan or two to get around, a beautiful model wife and three kids – oh yeah, and perhaps, a dog. Of course, life gets better when you realize you earn more money than you could ever spend in this lifetime and the next, not to mention having a yacht by a marina somewhere. Well, perhaps not everyone is able to attain such living standards, but for those who have more or less made it in life and want for nothing, you could check out the $42,000 Hot Tub Boat as your next gift to yourself. The Hot Tub Boat is an electric boat with a hot tub that has been built into its deck. Engineered and built in Seattle by a marine carpenter who specializes custom house boats, this puppy comes with a Vinylester hull that is topped with a slatted deck handcrafted from African teak. The hot tub measures 8′ x 4′ x 24″, and will remain on the boat’s center of buoyancy, so that it delivers exceptional stability. It will draft at only 20″, never mind when it is filled with its maximum load of 2,100 lbs. of water and half a dozen adult bathers. There will also be a waterproof stereo system which will playback music from your MP3 player via a couple of flush-mounted 50-watt speakers which pop-up from the deck. A quartet of ice chests are there to offer ample chilling capability for your preferred libation, and there are also additional storage compartments at the fore and aft. There is a cheaper option though – the HotTug that we talked about before Christmas, but that seems to be more “Forever Alone” than anything else. [ Hot Tub Boat copyright by Coolest Gadgets ] Read More Jan 22, 2013 04:00 am | Edwin Swivel Tub Seat You know, not everyone has a bathtub at home, and it is always better to use a shower instead of a bathtub if you have a heart for the environment. After all, spending a short time in the shower stall uses up a whole lot less water than preparing a bath, and it is a whole lot easier to clean and wash up a shower stall compared to scrubbing the bathtub. Having said that, it is not a crime to own a bathtub, and sometimes, it comes in handy when you want to bathe dirty children or wash your dog. However, finding the optimal seating position then might prove to be rather tricky, so it is a good thing that we have stumbled upon the $89.98 Swivel Tub Seat. You could say that the Swivel Tub Seat is one of the safest methods of getting in and out of a bathtub, far decreasing the risk of you slipping and falling all over the place. The multi-function swivel tub seat will allow you fast access without the need for assistance, where this sturdy seat swivels side to side or locks in place, and there is also a support rail thrown in for stability, while a textured no-slip surface ensures that you remain steady. It will mount securely to the tub lip with a pair of hidden brackets, making it the ideal seat for bathrooms with limited space between the sink and tub. [ Swivel Tub Seat copyright by Coolest Gadgets ] Read More In This Issue Control Your Lumens via Phone with Philips Hue A Different Sort of Foot Powered Skateboard Desk Pets announce BattleTank Lenovo ThinkPad X131e Chromebook Hot Tub Boat Swivel Tub Seat Recent Stories DIY Endangered Species Gadgets Lexani Motorcars' customized Toyota Sequoia is the bomb Flexibility = Versatility in this Stand Future courts could feature this cool looking LED floor

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