Thursday, April 15, 2010

Latest Posts on Coolest Gadgets

Latest Posts on Coolest Gadgets


SteelSeries offers R.U.S.E.-branded peripherals

Posted: 14 Apr 2010 05:05 PM PDT



SteelSeries has partnered with game publisher Ubisoft to bring R.U.S.E.-branded peripherals to the market, making one look stylish without sacrificing on a performance advantage. The SteelSeries Xai Laser Mouse R.U.S.E. Edition is touted to enhance performance with its superior technology and a preconfigured profile setting which optimizes game-play. You will be able to take advantage of the preloaded R.U.S.E. profile which was created with input from Ubisoft, letting one gain quick access to the R.U.S.E. and HQ Menus, while preset macro buttons are able to take the player from the bird’s eye view of the war to the heart of the battlefield in but the blink of an eye. As for the SteelSeries QcK Limited Edition (R.U.S.E.) mousepad, you will find graphics from the game printed on it, while enjoying a smooth and consistent glide – when working in tandem together, gamers are supposed to enjoy a complete and immersive R.U.S.E. experience.

R.U.S.E. is currently in open beta, where players will attempt to manage their troops using a clever combination of strategy and bluffing tactics, making sure their nation’s army during the World War II era is able to wheel and deal its way through. You will need both speed and range of movement in the game, hence the demand for gaming peripherals which are able to deliver superb levels of precision and accuracy – resulting in the SteelSeries Xai Laser Mouse R.U.S.E. Edition and the SteelSeries QcK Limited Edition (R.U.S.E.) mousepad.

As mentioned earlier, SteelSeries will pre-load a R.U.S.E. profile to get you started right out of the box, but that’s not the end of it. Pro-gamer recommended R.U.S.E. profiles for users are also available for download when the game becomes available to the masses from June onwards, and you can always check out the latest profile to download on the SteelSeries web site itself. Among the interesting features on the SteelSeries Xai Laser Mouse R.U.S.E. Edition include :-

  • Ambidextrous shape with a 10.8 megapixels/second sensor processing 12,000 frames/second at 5,001 Counts Per Inch (CPI) with movement speeds of 150 inches/second
  • Unique SteelSeries sensor innovations including SteelSeries ExactAim, SteelSeries ExactRate, SteelSeries ExactSens, SteelSeries FreeMove and automatic lift distance calibration deliver exceptional levels of personalization
  • Up to 5 stored profiles including a preconfigured R.U.S.E. profile created with input from game publisher, Ubisoft
  • 7 Programmable macro buttons with up to 200 strokes per button
  • Full customization via LCD menu system on the back of the mouse stored by the hardware – eliminating the need for drivers and providing configuration capabilities on-the-go.

You can expect to fork out $89.99 and $14.99 for the SteelSeries Xai Laser Mouse R.U.S.E Edition and QcK Limited Edition (R.U.S.E.), respectively.

Press Release


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[ SteelSeries offers R.U.S.E.-branded peripherals copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]


Mertz active vision robotic head from MIT

Posted: 14 Apr 2010 04:58 PM PDT

I have seen realistic robot heads like the Mertz active vision head robot before, and they are usually designed to see what it would be like if robots could display facial expressions.

In that case, you might wonder why someone would design this robot head to look like a freaky baby head rather than a handsomer face.

Actually, the purpose of this robot isn’t to test how a human will respond to it, but how the robot will react to humans. Check out more on this MIT experiment after the jump.

According to my source, Mertz is “built to recognize and react to faces and expressions, aiming to research socially situated learning which is similar to an infant’s learning process”.

In other words, it is a robot that is able to “learn” just like my baby son is learning to recognize facial features, and learning to speak by parroting those around him.

So how much emotional expression is it capable of? Well, I once heard that humans have thousands of forms of expression on their face, and I believe that Mertz is capable of 13 degrees articulation in its neck alone. Who knows what its eyes and mouth are capable of.

This robot is the creation of Lijin Aryananda and Jeff Weber at the MIT Media Lab. I hope this experiment works, but if it does, it proves that machines can learn. Whoa, not certain that I’m ready for that one.

Source


Coolest Gadgets UK – For all your UK centric tech and gadget news.
[ Mertz active vision robotic head from MIT copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]


Toshiba Tecra M11 business laptop

Posted: 14 Apr 2010 04:50 PM PDT



Toshiba has a brand new business laptop for the masses, where it comes in the form of the Tecra M11 Series which offers a high level of performance and was specially designed to meet the demanding needs of mobile professionals. You will find that its cosmetics has been enhanced to include a unique textured finish in Charcoal Black which will go a long way in reducing the number of fingerprints on it, helping you achieve the balance between performance, durability, security and style in a single package. After all, mobile professionals should and deserve all the conveniences of the office regardless of where they are, and hence cannot place productivity on the altar as a sacrifice as it just doesn’t make good business sense to do so, resulting in the birth of the Toshiba Tecra M11.

Just how does the Tecra M11 laptop measure up against the rest of the competition? Well, it comes with a vibrant 14″ diagonal high definition LED backlit anti-glare display to make it easy on your eyes while you view it, helping bring presentations to life with bright and crisp colors as well. Powered by Windows 7 Professional, with the assistance of the all-new 2010 Intel Core processors, you will find yourself humming as you crunch numbers on it. It doesn’t hurt that Toshiba has also thrown in ultrafast DDR3 memory, high-speed hard drives and discrete graphics (you can also opt for a dedicated video card if you want to) in order to offer the level of performance necessary in order to experience maximized productivity.

Tipping the scales at slightly over five pounds, the Tecra M11 measures less than 1.5″ thin, and comes with smart features which are just perfect for conducting business out of the office. It will come with Toshiba's eSATA/USB combo port with Sleep and Charge, letting you juice up a device which is connected to the USB port without having to turn on the laptop, while eSATA lets you experience file transfer up to 5 times faster than a regular USB port. Other specifications include advanced wireless connectivity, an integrated webcam and microphone. Depending on the specifications thrown in, the Tecra M11 starts from $899 upwards.

Press Release


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[ Toshiba Tecra M11 business laptop copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]


Laser Alignment Putting Trainer

Posted: 14 Apr 2010 04:40 PM PDT

So Tiger Woods is human after all at the recent Masters, with Phil Mickelson wearing the Green Jacket in the end. Well, that doesn’t mean you can now quit your day job and become a professional golfer, can you? The Laser Alignment Putting Trainer could help you there though, as it is also used by by professional tour players and endorsed by golf analyst, Jerry Foltz. This putting trainer relies on a laser to show you when your putter is aligned optimally before you make that putt. An L-shaped mirror is attached to the toe of your putter in order to reflect a laser beam generated from a module which sits opposite the mirror. There are three bars on the module’s display to show whether your putter’s blade is perfectly square and level with the ground at the moment of impact or not. You will need a pair of AAA batteries for this to work, and it will set you back by a mere $59.95. Small price to improve your game, eh?


Introducing Foolish Gadgets because not all gadgets are cool :)
[ Laser Alignment Putting Trainer copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]


Bring TIM! time management clock

Posted: 14 Apr 2010 04:36 PM PDT



They say that time is money, so why not let the bill ring up right in front of your eyes with the Bring TIM! time management clock? After all, this unique timepiece will display the total cost of everyone’s time with each second that passes by, and once the cost is clearly displayed and impressed upon people’s minds, all discussions are supposed to become brief, topical and productive. Of course, it could have the other effect of prolonging a meeting simply because people attending it are too puffed up in their heads that they think they’re worth so much. Doubling up as an office clock, this makes a great gift to any boss! Bring TIM! retails for $24.99 a pop.


Coolest Gadgets UK – For all your UK centric tech and gadget news.
[ Bring TIM! time management clock copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]


Festo AirMotion Ride Simulator

Posted: 14 Apr 2010 04:29 PM PDT

According to my source, the Festo AirMotion Ride Simulator is designed to simulate what it feels like to drive a fancy car, like a Ferrari or Lamborghini.

However, look at the picture in front of this lady behind the wheel. Does that look like a fancy sports car to you? No, it looks more like a bongo submarine from Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. Of course, that could always be a part of some other exhibit, and it isn’t wise to get information from a picture.

However, I checked out the source of my source, and discovered that the AirMotion Rid driving simulator is also a flight simulator. I can’t find any information about it simulating a sub ride, but it has polymer tubes capable of lifting the seat with 1,500 Newtons of force.

In other words, I don’t see why you couldn’t use this guy for simulating some sort of unusual vehicle.

It even has a 5.1 surround sound system so both sound and sight are simulated here. All in all, that adds up to one of the fanciest simulators for car, airplane, or whatever that I have ever seen.

I’m sure that all of this is pretty expensive, but you’re probably not planning on buying one of these for the rec room, are you?

Source via InventorSpot


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[ Festo AirMotion Ride Simulator copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]


Nautilus VAS Luxury Submersible

Posted: 14 Apr 2010 04:05 PM PDT

Nothing I love to report about than mini-submarines. Perhaps because I will probably never afford one.

I’ve reported on Richard Branson’s underwater plane, the Nymph, and just two days ago, we reported on the Marion Hyper-sub powerboat, a sub made for the yacht club.

As you can see here, we have a mini-submarine that looks more like a traditional submarine. It is even called the Nautilus VAS Luxury Submersible, and I believe that Nautilus was the name of the submarine captained by Nemo in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

It has military-grade construction, which means that it is probably bullet-proof. It also has a mini-bar and a stereo inside.

You might notice that this submarine has a huge transparent window in front, as well as huge windows on the sides. This means that there is lot of room to look at the underwater world when your down below the depths.

I suppose that is the appeal of mini-submarines, isn’t it? It’s the chance to go down into an area where there are relatively few people around. Of course, if everyone had their own mini-submarine, that would diminish the romance of it, wouldn’t it?

Granted, the Nautilus VAS Luxury Submersible costs about $2.7 million, which is clearly more than I can afford at this point in my life.

Source


Tech Cult – We cover the latest tech news, but always with a funny twist.
[ Nautilus VAS Luxury Submersible copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]


Gorenje Fridge with built-in voice recording

Posted: 14 Apr 2010 03:00 PM PDT

If you wanted the most deluxe refrigerator out there, then this is bound to end your search.  Not only does it have all of the usual great features, it even has extras like the ability to record and play voice messages.  It would save you from having to buy any extra miniature gadgets like a radio for your kitchen or something to take voice messages with.  Plus, it keeps stuff cold, that’s always a bonus.

For those of you worried about energy consumption, it comes with an A+ rating.  On the inside it has a nice amount of organization, plus the freezer is located on the bottom.  Personally, the freezer being on the bottom seems much more logical than the other way around.  It features an Eco Mode that helps to conserve energy and child safety locking.  In addition to that it has an interactive touch control screen, a recipe database, and can record messages.  To get all of that you’ll only need $1,930.

Source: Newlaunches


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[ Gorenje Fridge with built-in voice recording copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]


Official Lego LED Light

Posted: 14 Apr 2010 02:07 PM PDT

There is no shortage of love here on Coolest Gadgets for Lego Bricks.  Which is why it’s so much fun seeing all of the different Lego inspired gadgets that have come around.  Sure, they are almost always featured in toy stores or in kid’s sections, but that doesn’t mean that we adults can’t love them just as much (if not more).  Now there’s one more to add to the list.  This LED light may not be enough to illuminate a whole room, but it’ll at least give a little light to a darkened corner.

These cheap little 2 by 2 bricks are cheap enough that you could afford to stack a few of them if you wanted to make a whole collection.  It appears that it comes in red and blue, although I don’t see an option to choose between the two.  In order to keep them up and running you’ll need to toss in a few AAA batteries.  You can purchase one of these for $22.90 through Brando.

Source: Ubergizmo


Coolest Gadgets UK – For all your UK centric tech and gadget news.
[ Official Lego LED Light copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]


Philips Avent Bottle Warmer

Posted: 14 Apr 2010 01:09 PM PDT

The Philips Avent line already has a few different baby accessories for new parents to pick up.  Well this bottle warmer is one more from the series.  Although instead of just warming bottles, it’s actually capable of warming up baby food as well.  Which might not be enough to justify the gadget for some parents, but it could be useful to get you what you need much faster.

It can work on frozen or merely chilled foods as well as liquids.  It will automatically calculate the cycle time required, so there are no guessing games.  It also has an interactive digital display, auto-shut off, sound alerts and easy 2-button operation.  It warms up bottles and baby food in as little as 1 minute and 50 seconds.  You can purchase one of these Philips Avent IQ Bottle Warmers for $47.91 through Amazon.

Source: GadgetGrid


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[ Philips Avent Bottle Warmer copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]


Gadget Thumbnails for 13-Apr-2010

Posted: 13 Apr 2010 10:01 PM PDT

Automated Helicopter is one drug-buster

Posted: 13 Apr 2010 07:08 PM PDT

I heard that the U.S. military had those UAV Predator drones, but this is the first time that I have heard about them having robot helicopters.

Apparently the U.S. Navy has one (at least), and it was on a trail run when “its home base warship detected a suspicious speedboat on radar.” Apparently, the robot helicopter, also known as “Fire Scout”, did a pursuit on this boat.

What eventually happened was a three-hour chase, with the Fire Scout filming the entire thing. When the speedboat met up with a fishing boat, the U.S. Coastguard Law Enforcement Detachment unit from the USS McInerney came in.

The end result was 60 kilos of cocaine, “with another 200 kilos of narcotics presumed jettisoned”. I suppose that we could call this a victory in a Drug War, at least for one of the battles.

This is one of those times where you hear about technology actually helping some sort of interdiction. I was just excited to hear that the military had some robotic helicopters. I mean, robotic helicopters would be just sweet, wouldn’t they? I don’t think that there is some secret project that the military would be working on, or else I wouldn’t be allowed to report on it.

Source


Coolest Gadgets UK – For all your UK centric tech and gadget news.
[ Automated Helicopter is one drug-buster copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]