e-Tech Gadget

Boot and shoe dryers are definitely convenient, but they only work for your shoes.  It seems like a waste of money to spend your hard earned money on a gadget with only one function.  Instead you need something like this Universal Drying Apparatus.  Instead of just drying just your shoes it can handle other things like your clothing or even your umbrella.  It’s definitely a must have gadget for the rain filled season we’re about to begin.

The device has adjustable arms that allow for it to work in more ways than one.  Adjust the arms and it holds your umbrella, move them around again and the dryer will hover over your shoes.  Not only does it dry off your clothing, umbrellas and accessories, but it also can dry out seeds and berries.  It’s definitely a more useful gadget to have around.  This design by Olga Kalugina is unfortunately still in the concept phase though.

Source: Ubergizmo

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Universal Drying Appartus for shoes and more

There are times I genuinely feel sorry for teenagers these days.  Usually a lot of people grumble about all the new electronics that kids get to use, that they never got to have as kids.  Personally, I really have no desire to be a kid in this day and age.  When you’re in high school you’re going to cause a certain amount of mischief.  I was one of the many that enjoyed driving fast down back roads.  Had my parents had this device I’d have never had any fun.  Now that being said, it’s an awesome day and age  to help parents make sure their kids aren’t up to anything.

This SafeDriver Wireless Vehicle Monitor is easy to install and has a tamper-proof pin number.  The device records the highest speed traveled on their trip, plus it keeps track of any sudden braking.  It’ll also let you know the distance traveled, so you know if they did any extra driving that they weren’t supposed to be doing.  You can purchase it for $69.99 through Think Geek.

Source: ChipChick

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SafeDriver Wireless Vehicle Monitor

Normally I don’t report on anything that STIHL does, as I’m not big on leaf blowers. However, the ad department came up with a very interesting ad campaign: a calendar that peels itself off.

You can watch a video of it after the jump, and it works by simply ripping out the book binding thread that mounts the pages together. As you can see, the pages fall like leaves. I’m guessing that you probably want to keep a garbage can, recycling bin, or compost pit underneath this wall calendar.

So far as my sources reveal, this looks like it is purely a concept. I’m guessing that it probably wouldn’t be economically feasible to market a calendar that is only good for the fall with some sort of battery-powered motor to do the whole leaf-falling thing.

There would have to be some kind of timer thing to control the falling of leaves, right? What happens if this malfunctions? I would hate to get up and find that my three-month calendar is scattered all over the floor and needs to be raked up.

That, or perhaps the timer starts dropping the leaves in fast motion, like it shows at the end of the video. That just reminds me of montage scenes in movies to show the passage of time, or the last few seconds of the Bangles “Manic Monday” video.

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This is your life and its ending one leaf at a time

Okay, I usually like to have a still shot of what I’m reporting, but could only find this video. However, a picture wouldn’t say a thousand words on this, and this video speaks volumes.

These are the pixel-bots, which remind me of that supposedly top secret MIT project with the swarming robots that I reported on a while ago. Granted, the individual units here don’t exactly fly, but the designers create what is clearly the next best thing. I’m certain that these Pixel-bots are just as conceptual as that MIT one, but since they made this cool video, you might as well watch it.

As you can see, the group of ants come in from somewhere and gather together on the wall to form a screen. I think it is fitting that the screen is showing Finding Nemo, which depicts a school of fish working together to form shapes, just like the Pixel-bots.

What really makes it weird is how the Pixel-bots branch off to give reminders of who to call, what meetings to attend, and even where the lost keys are. You’ll notice how the screen goes off like puzzle pieces with each task. Then they show the screen splitting into two smaller screens. Um, if it can split into smaller screens, why doesn’t the screen just become smaller when it branches off?

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Pixel-bots will rock your world

I realize that most of you cannot stand it when someone’s cell phone rings during the theater, but imagine watching a film that was dependent on having a cell phone call from an audience member during the film.

This is the technology from Last Call from 13th Street, an interactive horror film. Sometime, during the movie, an audience member’s cellular phone will ring, and it is up to this audience member to give the character on screen directions.

You can watch a video after the jump to see how the startled damsel in distress from Last Call tries to escape from the mad slasher. Yes, she actually calls an audience member during the film, and his or her voice commands tell her to go left or right, up or down, and so on.

The technology of vocal recognition is limited, but it is enough to apparently change the plot of the movie (think Choose Your Own Adventure book). Of course, in order to get this to work, each member of the audience must send 13th Street their mobile number. However, this is all taken care of with flyers given to the audience members with instructions that are carried out before the previews show.

Of course, what if the movie calls, and no one picks up. Does that mean the movie takes an even darker direction as no one will help the poor main character? By the way, this photo is from When a Stranger Calls, something that will probably need to be remade again with this new technology.

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Last Call movie uses an audience member’s cell phone for even more horror

For some reason strange mishaps tend to happen around me.  I stumble over invisible objects and usually if someone is casually tossing anything, it will definitely come in contact with my head when I’m not looking.  Which means I’m also one of those people that collides with others as I round the corners of buildings.  Thankfully, it actually appears that I’m not the only one.  Especially since someone designed a gadget that is made to alert people of someone else’s presence before they collide.

It does this by lighting up and beeping on the other side of the corner as you’re going around it.  Then if you hear the beep you can slow down or somehow attempt to avert running into a complete stranger.  Unfortunately, it’s a concept design.  Plus, it’s unlikely that cities will spend the amount of cash it would take to get these installed on every single corner.

Source: OhGizmo

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Corner’s Communication prevents collisions with strangers

Western Digital is back with a new My Passport AV portable media drive, where this model was built specially for video storage and playback, capable of delivering a plug-and-play experience for digital media enthusiasts. It will come in just one size so that you won’t need to worry about choosing between various capacities? After all, it isn’t exactly terribly expensive with 320GB of storage space compared to a few years ago, as the Western Digital My Passport AV portable media drive will retail for a mere $104.99 which makes it highly affordable. More details on this highly versatile portable media drive right after the jump.

After all, there is a fast growing number of game consoles, camcorders, TVs, DVRs, Blu-ray players and media players (which includes the WD TV Media Player family, of course) that enables consumers to hook up a USB drive and play the multimedia content straight from the drive on an HD TV without the need to go through the traditional computer middleman. Meant to meet the requirements of this demanding video streaming environment, the My Passport AV portable media drive is capable of delivering the formatting and low-power consumption which assures out-of-the-box compatibility with many leading CE (consumer electronics) devices.

Western Digital has brainstormed with other companies, making their My Passport AV portable media drive to operate seamlessly with the Direct Copy feature offered in Sony’s new Handycam video recorders. The Direct Copy function allows Handycam users to offload and archive HD video straight onto a My Passport AV portable media drive without the need for a computer, where it will free up more space to shoot more HD videos when their Handycam hard drive becomes filled to the brim. All your stored videos can be viewed simply by connecting the My Passport AV portable media drive, and its small footprint makes it a snap to be integrated into any home entertainment ecosystem easily.

Press Release

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Western Digital My Passport AV portable media drive

While Blu-ray players are picking up in terms of popularity and gaining acceptance worldwide, DVDs are still extremely popular. The Boombox Freeview DVD Projector caters for your massive collection of DVDs even if there is no TV around – after all, the built-in projector works just great, projecting a screen size of up to 75″ in size. This swivelling LED-powered projector also comes with an integrated DVB-T tuner just in case you want to catch up on your regular TV shows wherever you go. Other features include CD playback, an integrated FM radio, audio input and integrated speakers. The Boombox Freeview DVD Projector is currently going for £329.99.

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Boombox Freeview DVD Projector

Looks like Sony has finally ceded to the fact that having proper motion controls in their home console is definitely a step forward, instead of having a half-baked one on their original SixAxis. Well, the PS3 finally seems to be taking off in a big way worldwide so many years after the console was originally released, which is a good thing since more competition among Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony would see consumers win out in the end. But I digress – the Sony PlayStation Move motion controller has just been slated for a fall release worldwide later this year, where it will also be released with the PlayStation Move sub-controller that can be used along with the motion controller for intuitive navigation of in-game characters and objects. The entire PlayStation Move platform will comprise of the motion controller, sub-controller, and PlayStation Eye camera. Hmmm, it does look as though gaming has gotten a whole lot more expensive with so many peripherals to purchase and set up before you get your game on – maybe Nintendo’s approach with the Wii is so much simpler and better for some?

The PlayStation Move system will combine the PS3 system and PlayStation Eye camera to detect precise movement, angle, and absolute position in 3D space of PlayStation Move motion controller. This in turn enables users to intuitively play the game as if they themselves are within the game. Capable of delivering unmatched accuracy via its advanced motion sensors which comprises of a three-axis gyroscope, a three-axis accelerometer, and a terrestrial magnetic field sensor, you will also find a color-changing sphere which is tracked by PlayStation Eye camera. Bfast and subtle motion can be detected, so it doesn’t matter whether you are swinging a tennis racket, or painting with a brush. Direct input can be done via action buttons and an analog trigger, and the PlayStation Eye camera is capable of capturing the player’s voice or image, enabling augmented reality experiences. Would this development drive you to the arms of a PS3?

Press Release

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Sony PlayStation Move motion controller announced

Rock Band and Guitar Hero are great rhythm-based games, no doubt about that, but how about upping the ante when it comes to realism? Seven45 Studios has released its guitar gaming controller that boasts half a dozen strings, functioning not only as a regular gaming controller for their Power Gig: Rise of the SixString title, but it also doubles up as an actual electric guitar which can be plugged into an amp. Both the game and guitar will be sold together, where experienced guitarists can go for the option of chording, which in turn is a whole lot more challenging and requires specific finger placement on the strings. Both the Xbox 360 and PS3 platforms will be able to enjoy the game. No idea on pricing yet, but expect a launch later this fall.

Source: Electronista

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Seven45 Studios unveil SixString guitar controller