Thursday, March 21, 2013

Daily Digest Coolest Gadgets for 03/20/2013

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Coolest Gadgets

Mar 20, 2013 09:55 am | Alison

Add Tunes to the Picnic

We take tunes everywhere these days. Tunes wake us up and we get tunes in the shower, tunes on the bus or in the car, tunes at the desk, and tunes at the gym. Technology enables us to take our favorite music wherever we choose. And that applies to more than music. Include podcasts, streaming radio, live sporting events and other audio too. This of course means we need to become more creative with those places where sound was formerly not found.

Taking a hike in nature used to be a peaceful thing but does not have to be anymore. Likewise, stopping off to have a picnic now does not require silence or a huge boom box. Get a Speaker Blanket, £34.99 at spinninghat.com. Find your favorite grassy spot and unfurl the blanket. The center of one end contains two speakers a pocket for your music device and a 3.5mm headphone jack. After putting in two AA batteries just plug your device in, sit back and enjoy. No need to bring a separate speaker unit. When done, simply fold up the blanket under the vinyl speaker/pocket section. Technically, spinninghat.com is out of stock but they will email you when available. Hopefully in time for your first picnic of the year.
[ Add Tunes to the Picnic copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

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Mar 20, 2013 06:30 am | Edwin

Snow Cone Maker

So, you are one who is noted to know how to prepare for any eventualities in the future, according to the best of your ability? Surely you have summer plans all lined up for you and the family by now, knowing just where you will go, with resort bookings made and all. Well, summer time is fun with the long days and all, but it also takes a toll on the body because of the sweltering heat. Good to know that you have the £54.95 Snow Cone Maker in mind, as you know what is going into your own snow cones, without having to worry about the non-organic sugar that they slather all over when you purchase it from somewhere else.

Forget about ice cream, especially when you have this Snow Cone Maker, letting you enjoy something that is altogether more chillin'. This fantastic machine will let you create your very own snow cones in under a minute, where it will result in perfect sized shaved ice that are able to soak up any juice or syrup that you want to add to it. Heck, go nuts by making your fair share of slushies and cocktails, you deserve it!

[ Snow Cone Maker copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

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Mar 20, 2013 06:00 am | Edwin

Kegzie Beverage Cooler

Being prepared is a quality that everyone should have, especially when you consider how one can never tell just when Murphy would strike and things start to go wrong. On a sweltering summer day, you know that there is nothing quite like a refreshing, ice cold Coke from your fridge, but the thing is, unless you pour it out to a glass with ice cubes in it, it is not going to remain cold for too long. Holding a cold can in your hand might not be such a good idea too, as the freezing low temperature and condensation on the outside creates quite a mess, so this is where the $9.99 Kegzie Beverage Cooler comes in handy.

It is a beverage holder that basically resembles a miniaturized keg, where it can hold any kind of standard sized can of beverage, be they alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages. Made out of comfortable, foamy material that does its bit to keep the coldness in, cleaning it is a snap as all you need to do is hand wash it with a damp cloth and some mild detergent.

[ Kegzie Beverage Cooler copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

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Mar 20, 2013 05:30 am | Edwin

IRIScan Mouse certainly brings the best of both worlds together

With a company name like I.R.I.S., you can be sure that it has something to do with optics – in fact, a whole lot of it, where they have been noted to be a leading innovator in optical character recognition (OCR) software. Well, software is not all that they have under their umbrella either, as their latest device to roll off their production lines would be the IRIScan Mouse, and judging by the name itself, this functions as an all-in-one mouse scanner with OCR technology which enables it to convert text from scans into editable documents in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, etc.).

As explained by Jean-Marc Fontaine, Director of Sales and Operations, Americas at I.R.I.S., "IRIScan Mouse users can turn any printed documents into editable, digitized scans with a click of the mouse. The IRIScan Mouse is the perfect solution for anyone looking for a simple way to scan anything into their computer. In just a few mouse swipes, a signed contract, excerpts from a book, pictures, receipts and more are instantly recreated on your computer screen without ever removing your hand from the Mouse. The IRIScan Mouse is an incredible time saving tool."

You would most probably adapt to the IRIScan Mouse in no time at all, considering how in all aspects, it works like a traditional computer mouse. The thing is, it has a built-in scanner, allowing it to scan any type of document in 400 DPI with but a single swipe of the mouse, making scanning a snap. All you need to do is click on the scan button, swipe the mouse in the direction of your choice over a document or a photo, and the corresponding text and images will appear instantaneously on the computer screen. The software is smart enough to stitch the entire image together, and you can also have the software's OCR technology recognize text within the scanned image which in turn can be dragged and dropped into Microsoft Office (Word, Excel®, Outlook®, etc.) for editing purposes.

Any takers for the $79 IRIScan Mouse?

Product Page
[ IRIScan Mouse certainly brings the best of both worlds together copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

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Mar 20, 2013 05:00 am | Edwin

Wacom Cintiq 13HD announced

When it comes to digitizer tablets, surely the name Wacom would resonate with many of you out there. After all, they have been in business for what seems to be an eternity, and you can more or less say that they have managed to gain quite a following with their range of digitizer tablets that digital artists have come to love working on. Well, their latest model to be announced for the mass market would be the Wacom Cintiq 13HD, which is their latest pen display that combines a 13-inch HD display, where it will be accompanied by an adjustable stand and an improved Pro Pen for a digital workflow which would have you feel as though it is similar to drawing or painting using traditional media.

The Wacom Cintiq 13HD is said to offer a natural experience, where it can be integrated in a jiffy into any environment, essentially turning it into an ideal tool to support creativity and enhance productivity. At first glance, you would find the Wacom Cintiq 13HD to be compact in nature, sporting a slim design and is a snap to set up on either Mac or PC platforms. In order to ensure your maximum comfort, the Wacom Cintiq 13HD's stand has been specially optimized so that you can use it in flat, 22°, 35° and 50° settings.

It does not matter if you are a professional artist, a graphics designer or a photographer, the Cintiq 13HD ‘s best-in-class screen is capable of showing off 16.7 million colors that ensures crisp color quality. Not only that, thanks to its wide-format HD LED display’s 178° viewing angle and 1920×1080 resolution, your eyes would definitely thank you for it. If you are interested in picking up the new Wacom Cintiq 13HD, it will cost you $999.95 a pop from early next month onwards. [Press Release]
[ Wacom Cintiq 13HD announced copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

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In This Issue

Recent Stories

Let Your Car Talk To Your Phone
Google Chromebooks hitting new countries
Toa Mata Band is the first LEGO band ever
+10 Electronic Dice Barbarian Gauntlet
Pivot Power Flexible Power Board
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Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Daily Digest Coolest Gadgets for 03/19/2013

The latest and coolest gadgets daily digest Is this email not displaying correctly?
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Coolest Gadgets

Mar 19, 2013 10:03 am | Alison

Let Your Car Talk To Your Phone

Do you know where your OBD port is on your car? All cars in the US (since 1996) and EU (since 2004) are required to have On-Board Diagnostics port enabling the car to point you or your mechanic in the right direction when something is awry. Maybe it will identify a Transmission problem or maybe an emissions issue or something else. Some smart people finally realized that with today's mobile technology and this OBD port your iPhone can now help communicate car problems – and more

Automatic Labs, Inc. are producing Automatic Link, a device for your car to communicate with you via your smartphone. Plug the gadget into your OBD port and download the Automatic App to your phone. Between the link and its low energy Bluetooth® connection, the app, your phone and its GPS you will enable a number of activities. First, if something goes wrong with your engine and the 'check engine' light comes on Automatic will tell you via push notifications. The app even shows diagnostic codes which will help when calling your mechanic. If the issue is minor you can even clear the light. If the Automatic Link accelerometer detects a crash it will contact 911 (where accessible) with your whereabouts and name. It will also text 3 people of your choosing. Automatic Link and App also help you drive. How? It helps you track your mpg and identify things that may help improve it like rough braking, speeding and rapid acceleration.  This friend is tapped in to local gas prices to show what you are spending too. And of course if you can't find your car Automatic Link and App will guide you. Link units in multi-driver cars can support each person, but each car needs its own device. You can place a pre-order for Automatic Link on their website for $69.95 – a bargain considering what some onboard systems cost to do the same thing. Initially launching in the US, iPhone 4S and 5 versions ship in May with Android options shipping this Fall. Perfect timing as a thoughtful gifts for Mother's Day, Father's Day, birthdays or Christmas or just to treat yourself.
[ Let Your Car Talk To Your Phone copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

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Mar 19, 2013 08:30 am | Edwin

Google Chromebooks hitting new countries

I am not quite sure about you, but have you actually taken a Chromebook out for a ride before? And by that, I do not mean a ride in your car or motorbike, but rather, whether you have used it before, doing some work as well as surfing mindless sites for images of kittens in weird poses. You know, nothing heavy duty, as the Chromebook was not meant to be a high powered computing device in the first place. Well, as we all jolly well know, the mid-range tier of products and its intended market tend to be the largest segment in most bell curves, and hence the Google Chromebook would fall under this category nicely. It is nice to know that if you happen to live in places like Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands, you should be able to pick up a Google Chromebook.

Better late than never, or so the saying goes, and for folks living in the US, you might have noticed that the Samsung Chromebook has remained at the top of Amazon's best-selling laptop list for 149 days ever since it was launched, and for folks who live across the pond, Dixons claims that Chromebooks comprise of over 10% of laptop sales in Currys and PC World stores.

From today onwards, you will be able to pick up Chromebooks from the likes of Acer, HP and Samsung, especially if you happen to stay in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands. Not only that, Google wants to do their bit to improve computing for organizations, as the Internet search giant is rolling out its fair share of Chromebooks to businesses and schools alike, too.

Folks living in the US have something else to look forward to – the Chromebooks will be introduced to more than 1,000 Best Buy stores nationwide, which virtually doubles the number of stores Chromebooks are presently sold in, although this is set to happen within the coming fortnight and not immediately. Any potential Chromebook owners reading this?

Press Release
[ Google Chromebooks hitting new countries copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

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Mar 19, 2013 07:52 am | Edwin

Toa Mata Band is the first LEGO band ever

The power of imagination certainly has no boundaries. When you give a kid a box of Lego bricks, leave him or her alone, and after some time, you would most probably end up with something totally new and never thought of before. Recently, I saw an ad that went somewhere along the lines of "boys will never grow old of their toys", but rather, they just change them. Italian music producer Giuseppe Acito is no longer a boy, but he still has use for Lego bricks, and his ingenuity has come up with what he has called the "Toa Mata Band", where it is comprised of a handful of small, robotic Lego figures that have been programmed to play a range of musical instruments, no less.

You can more or less say that each “member” of the band has been constructed from Lego Bionicle pieces, and these have been rigged with rubber bands as well as pulleys. Their arms were controlled by an Arduino Uno that has been hooked to an iPad that runs Nord Beat, which is a MIDI sequencer app. These small robots will be able to "perform" a MIDI sequence as they go around hitting the instrument that they face whenever prompted.

Acito has managed to use a range of different synthesizers and drum machines to date, where among them include a fair number of vintage equipment to eke out tunes that will help you shake your booty. The way the bots have been set up allow them to perform a pre-programmed song, or to even play live with a human operator that is capable of sizing up the situation, before throwing in more commands to the MIDI sequence in real-time.

Unfortunately for the rest of the world, Acito has come up with just a single prototype at this point in time, making this truly a one-of-a-kind.

Source
[ Toa Mata Band is the first LEGO band ever copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

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Mar 19, 2013 05:30 am | Edwin

+10 Electronic Dice Barbarian Gauntlet

DId you grow up playing RPGs (Role Playing Games), or some of those Fighting Fantasy books that used a pencil, and eraser, a couple of dice, and of course, plenty of your imagination as you make an attempt to complete a particular quest in the book? Surely you would be familiar with some of the workings of RPGs as well as book-based games like the Lone Wolf or Fighting Fantasy series. Having a +5 or +10, with 2D6 being familiar terms to you, here is something in the flesh that might just make you shed a tear or two of nostalgia – with the $69.99 +10 Electronic Dice Barbarian Gauntlet.

I guess you can call this the invisible dice, where it relies on barbarian magic (or rather, modern technology) that lets you roll electronic dice with but a flick of your wrist. After all, your wrist wears the +10 Electronic Dice Barbarian Gauntlet, and you can opt to roll 1 or 2 dice simultaneously, choosing from d2 to d4, d6, d8, d12, d20 and d100. Not only that, the +10 Electronic Dice Barbarian Gauntlet will also come with stopwatch, timer, dual counter, and clock modes. The "magic" stops when it runs out of all 4 AAA batteries.

[ +10 Electronic Dice Barbarian Gauntlet copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

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Mar 19, 2013 05:12 am | Edwin

Pivot Power Flexible Power Board

While I strongly hold on to the belief that all men are created equal, surely not all extension cords are equal. Case in point, the £29.99 Pivot Power Flexible Power Board. Most of the power extensions that we know of either come in a straight row with a long cable, or it is one of those roll-'em-up models, with just one outlet. Well, the Pivot Power Flexible Power Board works differently, as it is fully flexible and comes with half a dozen outlets, allowing you to maneuvre it into tight places, letting you fit a large plug in each outlet to boot. No longer do you need to worry about larger plugs that certain devices have not fitting in a row.

As for the cable of the Pivot Power Flexible Power Board, it measures a good 6 feet in length, and is accompanied by an easy off/reset button. You also need not fret about the safety of your devices, since it is accompanied by a surge protection of up to 672 joules. Measuring 44cm x 3cm x 7cm, the Pivot Power Flexible Power Board might just be the ideal purchase for the geek in your life who wants something unconventional.

[ Pivot Power Flexible Power Board copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

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In This Issue

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