Nokia X7 set to rock and roll

 

Nokia’s market share when it comes to cell phones and smartphones might be declining at an alarming rate (the huge war over the smartphone arena has certainly heated up, with so many players entering the fray, and nobody giving Symbian any love), but that doesn’t mean the Finnish cell phone manufacturer is throwing in the towel. No sir, in fact, they have just announced their every intention of staying till the end with the Nokia X7′s announcement.

The Nokia X7 will come in a candybar form factor with a generous amount of footprint dedicated to its touchscreen display so that it will be able to keep up with the times (and the Joneses, in terms of physical design anyways). I think that this closely resembles that of the Sony Ericsson Xperia range, but that is just a personal opinion – what do you think? More on the Nokia X7 in the extended post.

Lift’n Buddy saves your back

For those who work in industries where you need to carry and transport heavy packages from one place to another using your hands, chances are you would have seen a chiropractor before to make sure those slipped discs are put back into their rightful position. Aching backs, sore muscles – those could be prevented or turned into a thing of the past with the Lift’n Buddy.

Basically, this will blow the performance of hand trucks, two-wheelers and lifting devices out of the water, since this mobile lifting device will merge the best of a standard two-wheeler’s durability and functionality alongside automatic lifting and lowering capabilities. Folks who have had previous experience with hand trucks will definitely find this electric hand truck to be a boon.

The Lift’n Buddy is tipped to ship with multiple attachments and options, where being highly customizable for proper ergonomics and safety, there is a configuration for just about anyone who needs in in their particular line of work.

Music Echo concept

 

If you would have noticed by now, there would be a bunch of product design students attached to the University of Dundee who have to come up with a final year project, and they are busy pinging gadget and design blogs all over the place to pimp their design, hoping to gain as much accolade and bouquets as possible. Jennifer Crossley has come up with a rather interesting Music Echo concept, where she intends for this device to help those out with hearing impairments.

The Music Echo intends to help hearing impaired folks enhance their enjoyment of music, where it is able to take just about any song, vibrating the music through a range of interactive beads to clarify it further. All you need to do then is wrap those beads around your hand, or place them in your pocket, and you will experience a new dimension in music. Since it is highly portable and stylish, you will be able to wear the Music Echo in just about any situation without feeling out of place. Anyone wants to turn this into a real world product?

Electric/Hybrid Car comes with a scooter in the back

This is the McCar, and before you crack the most obvious Mcjoke that you are thinking, it is built by Geely, the same Chinese company that owns Volvo.

The McCar is presently on display at the Shanghai Motor Show, and it is both a car and scooter at the same time. I suppose that you could call it a “cooter”, but I don’t like the implication.

The purpose of the car and scooter combo is so the user/driver is able to use the scooter to get to where he or she is going if the place is far away from where he or she had to park. For example, let’s say you park in a huge parking lot at the mall, and instead of walking the city blocks to get to your favorite store, you unload the scooter from the back and drive there.

Personal Cooling Collar

Feeling hot under the collar? You might want to have something to help you out when the hot summer arrives with the Personal Cooling Collar. As the name of this gizmo suggests, it is something personal that will produce a cooling breeze across your neck, making sure you have a cool head to think with even when the situation gets out of hand. The collar is capable of holding up to 4 ounces of water, and with an internal fan that generates evaporative cooling right across the back of your neck and base of your head, you will more or less be guaranteed that you can make level headed decisions under all circumstances.

We wonder whether this is capable of holding its own in the desert environment with all the dusty action going on, but at $39.95 a pop, we must say the hope of this lasting a long time might be shortlived. The collar’s interior is lined with aluminum which will conduct a cooling sensation onto the back and sides of your neck. Tipping the scales at less than 1 pound, it boasts of a couple of spring-loaded hinges so that it can rest gently and yet securely against your neck. Boasting a two adjustable fan speeds which won’t wake up the dead, an AA battery will power it for up to four hours of non-stop cooling. Just make sure there is adequate water left inside to let it work its magic.

Aquastar

Remember the scooter craze that happened around a decade ago? Yeah, where kids as well as adults alike start traveling around on those highly portable two-wheelers, letting those who commute using their legs primarily zip around in double quick time. Well, it seems that the idea has been brought forward to the underwater world in the form of the Aquastar – of course this model will not come with wheels since it won’t have any need for those when you are submerged, but at least you can bring a date along with you with this.

The Aquastar AS2 two-seater scooter is a reality after going through intense design and engineering moments, and the fact that you have someone to accompany you underwater at the controls ought to do away with any fear of drowning in the deep, leaving you and your partner undiscovered for centuries. The AS2 is touted to be the perfect form of “transport” for couples who want to explore underwater wonders in an extremely safe environment, as both riders are free to dismount, swim around and climb back aboard.

Fanbrella provides both shade and wind

The umbrella is one of humanity’s oldest inventions, and there is evidence of it in Ancient Egypt. I would imagine that back in Egyptian times, it didn’t get used for blocking the ran, but sunshine.

Most of the times in present-day America, the only time that I see an umbrella is when it rains. Very few Americans use them for shade, but for those that are mocked for doing so, the Fanbrella can do more than just block out the rays of the sun.

The Fanbrella keeps you cool with a built-in fan that spins at 650 rpm right underneath the canopy. This enables the user to stay cool with a handheld air conditioning, so if anyone is laughing because you’re using an umbrella for shade, then don’t let them stand underneath it.

In case you are curious, the fan blades will collapse when the umbrella is folded in. I’m sure that you also might be wondering what powers the fan blades, and it needs six AA batteries for five and a half hours of spinning.

What I don’t know is if the spinning fan blades can get caught in your hair. Usually, the frame of my umbrella catches my hair, and I would imagine that spinning fan blades might make it worse. If you’re willing to risk it, then you should be able to purchase it for about $79.95.

Electric Unicycle

This is the briefcase-sized electric unicycle that keeps a rider perfectly balanced at all times with gyroscopic sensors. Equally suited for urban commuting and suburban recreation, the unicycle requires a rider to merely stand on its two folding feet pads; gyroscopic sensors detect a rider’s subtle feet movements while accounting for a shoulder-slung backpack or bag for its center-of-mass calculations. Forward leaning results in steady forward acceleration without jolting, while leaning backward brings the unicycle to a slow, steady stop.

Karlsson Projection Clock

Projection clocks are nothing new, but there are new iterations from time to time – although you would not expect the technological jump to be as drastic as that of a computer or smartphone. The Karlsson Projection Clock that comes in either black or silver shades are now available for pre-order (shipping commences a couple of days later) for £69.99 each, and what can you expect out of them?

Never mind about wall clocks – a clock wall is what you need, and the Karlsson Projection Clock will fill up this gap without missing a beat. This will be a mains-powered timepiece (obviously, considering the amount of juice you need to get it going) and will beam an analog clock face, alongside a sweeping second hand for that added touch of reality. Capable of working up to 8 meters away, it has an LED life of 40,000 hours.

That translates to slightly more than 4 years of non-stop running – not too shabby, eh? Of course, a solitary AA battery can also be used to power this, but we would prefer to have it hooked up to the mains at all times so that you won’t inadvertently run late should the AA battery run out.

ThinSink

Novel Concepts really live up to their name, as the company has come up with what they tout to be the thinnest forced convection (fan cooled) heat sink in the world. This successful development has patents pending for it, and you will be surprised to hear just how slim it is. Ready? Take out your wallet from the back pocket, and check out your stack of credit cards. Those are quite thin by any standards, right? Well, the ThinSink is thinner than that just to give you a better idea.

This low-profile ThinSink will boast of a volumetric cooling efficiency that is 25 times greater than today’s best microprocessor heat sinks, and to put it in layman’s terms, it will cool 25 times more heat per cubic centimeter.

Bang & Olufsen BeoVision 4 plasma 3D TV

Bang & Olufsen joins the 3D TV revolution with their latest release, the BeoVision 4 that sports 85″ of viewing goodness. Yes, you read that right – a whopping 85″ for your eyes to crawl all over the place, drinking in all the detail that you would care to. Touted to be revolutionary as it delivers what some might claim to be the best picture experience of any plasma screen on the market, you can expect your eyes to enjoy Full HD images, razor sharp details, rich-lifelike colors and smooth movement of objects.

Not only that, the BeoVision 4 will also ship with a patented Bang & Olufsen Automatic Color Management technology that is capable of countering the effects of age, making sure it will deliver exceptional picture quality at a high level of performance year after year.

Fujitsu hybrid notebook

I have always envisioned a world where there is a portable device that works like a laptop, but has the portability of a cell phone.

I believe I have shared my story of how I tried to report from CES 2011 on my Droid X. The smartphone is just too small a device, but I don’t like lugging around a laptop or notebook.

Fujitsu might just have the solution to this dilemma with this hybrid notebook/tablet that can fold into quarters. Somehow it works without a hinge, and it has a laser-projected keyboard.

Genius Ring Mouse

Genius of Taiwan has been working quietly in the background for years now, as their range of computer peripherals have been functional at best without really breaking any new ground. Perhaps it is time for the company to step out of the shadows, and they might have stumbled upon a winner with the Genius Ring Mouse that picked up an iF award along the way. Now available to folks living in North America, the Ring Mouse is an innovative input device that delivers flexibility in an unprecedented manner, letting you wear it on your finger as a ring.

Your thumb will control all of the functions, letting this device deliver the wireless freedom you so crave for during presentations, web browsing, picture and video viewing among others – after all, it will fit snugly and comfortably on your fingers without missing a beat. To know more about how the Genius Mouse Ring works, you will need to read on in the extended post.

Outdoor Inflatable Theater

 

Love watching movies with your family and friends? Well, with summer on its way for folks living in the Northern Hemisphere, then how about letting your next movie watching session be held outdoors? That’s exactly what Hammacher has in mind with their Outdoor Inflatable Theater. The name itself says it all – this inflatable theater system will be able to turn your backyard into a vivid cinema. Of course, you would do well to have some anti-mosquito devices hanging around just in case, no?

The screen comprises of a 72″ bright, white vinyl, where the frame will inflate in under five minutes thanks to the built-in electric pump. Made out of weather-resistant PVC, you can use it near swimming pools or place it outdoors even when it is the rainy season. Forget about Full HD images being shown on this though – the projector that it comes with maxes out at 480p resolution, sporting 16:9 aspect ratio, a contrast ratio up to 600:1, with 900 lumens for optimal brightness.

It is capable of hooking up to various video sources via component, VGA, or HDMI, while supporting USB and SD memory cards. Needless to say, its speakers are water resistant as well, although 5-watts of juice ain’t gonna cut the mustard for more action packed films that you intend to enjoy. At $999.95 per purchase, convince the missus that this can be used indoors as well and she will most probably give her nod of approval.

Fujitsu’s Touchpad keyboard concept

I think Fujitsu’s concept devices have figured out what consumers really want. Last week, we reported on the hybrid notebook/tablet that can fold into quarters, and now this touchpad keyboard.

Clearly, customization is key for this touchpad keyboard. Some users prefer that ergonomic keyboard with the split diagonal setup, while others prefer the traditional method. This allows the user to pick the type of keyboard that he or she wants.

All in all, it looks like something that could help out those who love the numeric keypad but don’t have it on their laptop. It also looks like it would come in handy for when changing language layouts is an issue. Not that I’ve ever had that problem, but in the age of “there’s an app for that” consumers want a lot more freedom on their personal electronics.

Vieria Concept Car actually cleans the air

I think that we all know that nothing contributes to the growing problem of air pollution than the automobile. However, this Vieria concept car is not planning on being a contributor, but it will clean the air.

The Vieria is described by my Source as a water purifier that “takes in dirty and dusty air, runs it through a filter beneath its passenger capsule and returns clean, fresh, breathable air”. Just think of it as the maid to the other vehicles on the road.

That alone would be enough to sell the Vieria in a hopefully eco-friendly future, but it also has another green feature. It has a shiftable scissor-like wheel and axle system, so it can be thinner on the road. Apparently, this can make it easier for the Vieria to go through rush hour bottlenecks.

Fling adds a new dimension to gaming on the iPad

One thing that the iPad is used for by many people apart from being a relatively hassle-free device used for surfing the Internet would be casual gaming. Many hit titles on the iPhone has already been ported over to Apple’s best selling tablet series, where the mechanics of the game remain the same – you will make use of your fingers to manipulate icons or characters on the screen to complete the game’s objective. What if there was a different – and more efficient manner of playing a game? That is what Ten One Design thinks, hence coming up with the revolutionary tactile game controller known as Fling for the iPad. Now, if it doesn’t work for you because you’re too used to your fingers, don’t fling (pun not intended) your iPad against the wall out of frustration. Ten One Design has the pedigree to back up their cause – they are, after all, the creator of the first capacitive touch-screen stylus for the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad.

Batman Money Clip

Batman, or Bruce Wayne rather, ought to know a thing or two about wealth creation and preservation – after all, he is a business tycoon during the night and a masked vigilante at night (or in the mornings if the need arises). Why not hand over something as important as your wealth (a portion of it anyways) to him? This is where the Batman Money Clip comes in handy – it looks like a tiny batarang (better to scare muggers away) that will fold around your precious, hard earned bills for $39.99 in return.

Photosynthesis UV-Sensitive Shirt

When you were back in school, surely one of the more impressionable science topics that you could remember would be the entire process of photosynthesis, where it is a process for plants to consume carbon dioxide and release oxygen into the atmosphere during the day (whenever there is sunlight, that is). If you want to remind the adult populace of this particular process, then what better way to do it than with the Photosynthesis UV-Sensitive Shirt?

Watch leaves and roots grow out of the formula whenever the shirt is exposed to UV light. Your eyes might just catch a whiff of the leaves and roots in a very faint manner whenever you are indoors, but once you’re under the sweltering summer sun, things will change for the better. Printed on eco-friendly 100% certified organic cotton, the Photosynthesis UV-Sensitive Shirt will come in male and female sizes at $13.99 a pop.

The Cool Watch without a Face

This is the watch that tells time with liquid crystal displays built into the band. Blending seamlessly into the watch’s stainless steel links, the four disguised LCDs are only detected when they illuminate to form red digital numbers at the press of a button. The top row displays the hour and the lower row the minute; the press of a button switches the view to month and day.

WeWood Chrono Watch

While many of us use our phones these days to tell the time, there are others who still prefer the more traditional method of wearing a watch. Of course, such a timepiece might be made out of classic metal, but how about getting closer to nature with the WeWood Chrono Watch from ThinkGeek? This unique timepiece is made out from 100% natural wood, helping you feel better after you decide to fork out $119.99 for this, since WeWood has pledged to plant a tree for every watch purchased. Talk about a proactive method of changing the world into a better place. Hopefully this isn’t something that is easy to catch fire, but on the other hand, if a push comes to a shove, you can always keep your family nice and warm by tossing this into the fire as fuel when the apocalypse descends on us.

Wireless Speed Wheel for the Xbox 360

 

 Considering all the things that Microsoft has already announced at E3 with the Kinect, you would think that they were “through for the week”. However, images of this particular racing wheel have been appearing on tech, gadget, and gaming blogs everywhere.

Just to let you know, it is an official annoucement, but there is no word in the Press Release about it being motion-controlled. I don’t know if that was just left out, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t be. I’m going to be on the E3 convention floor later today, so hopefully, I will get a chance to see it in motion. I will leave a comment here if it is, and something tells me that motion-contol will be a go.

It would appear that Microsoft wants to bring about a better steering wheel than the plastic attachment for Mario Kart. You’ve got to admire how it has all the buttons of a regular Xbox 360 controller, so I am guessing it could be used with a racing game or any other game.

Batarang Controllers coming to PS3 and Xbox 360

 Right now, I am anticipating the opening of E3 video games show, but “official” announcements just keep leaking out. One of them is these Batman-themed controllers.

As you might have guessed, these Batman controllers are designed to accessorize the imminent release of Batman: Arkham City. For those who aren’t aware, Batman: Arkham City is a sequel to Batman: Arkham Asylum, a very popular video game. I’m sure that you have noticed by now that they bear resemblance to the Batarang, the main weapon of the caped crusader.

These particular controllers come with reverse analog sticks, dual rumble motors, as well as black rubber grips. They even have some LED highlights, like the AFTERGLOW controllers from PDP that we have reported on in the past.

Atom Watch

 Have you watched X-Men: First Class already? If your answer is no, I would suggest you have a go at it – after all, it isn’t every day that a superhero story is played back, showing off the more human side of things while concentrating more on relationships and their dynamics mixed with ideology instead of just plenty of adrenaline pumping special effects. So what if you aren’t a mutant – that does not disqualify you from picking up the Atom Watch.

This $119.99 timepiece will showcase the building block of all matter, where it is now available in a cool looking wristwatch form factor. With a 3D design that represents each component of the atom, you have hour and minute hands that will follow the path of orbiting electrons, while the second hand will originate from the nucleus. Might be something that will help remind your kid of an atom’s make up even in the exam room, no?

Swissvoice ePure Telephone

Want to make a fashion statement in your home? You won’t go wrong with the Swissvoice ePure Telephone, that’s for sure. What looks like an icon of a telephone from the side, it will also help you keep in touch with your family and friends in style. You will be able to choose from single or twin models, where either one will come in either black or white shades. Single purchases will cost you £69.99, while a twin set is nearly double the price at £119.99.

This modern phone is based on a 2D computer icon that is inspired from an old-fashioned phone, looking timeless and yet high tech at the same time. This handset will help you live out the wireless lifestyle, where it will sit comfortably against your shoulder whenever you need both hands to multitask. Apart from that, it will also boast handy features such as a backlit display for use at night or in dark conditions, in addition to customizable ringtones.

Logitech Optical Gaming Mouse G400

Logitech has been well known for their range of video gaming peripherals, so it makes perfect sense when they take what they have and improve it even further – even when you originally thought that there was no way of improving it. The device in question? The Logitech MX518′s successor, of course. Many might figure out that the best selling mouse from Logitech to date might need no improvement, but guess again – the Swiss masters know that there is always room for improvement, which is why they went back to the drawing board and came up with its successor, the Logitech Optical Gaming Mouse G400.

The whole point of coming up with the G400 was to take everything that was good and right with the MX518, and in a stroke of engineering genius, to make it even better. Logitech were very careful not to change anything that was already perfected, such as the shape, tracking consistency, button layout, and legendary durability. Heck, Logitech even managed to make something better cost the same.

Trioviz allows 3D images on 2D TVs, and more!

I’m not certain how much 3D is really going to change television as we know it, but if you have a 2D television, and you want to play 2D video games, then I have some good news.

TriOviz has some interesting technology called TriOviz for Games SDK (Software Development Kit) which “leverages existing three dimensional graphics information in games to greatly enhance the depth-of-field, geometry volume and position, and the rendering of characters within a scene”.

I got a chance to try out for myself, and played the Captain America: The First Avenger in the process. As you can see, the INFOCOLOR 3D Eyewear glasses are in slightly different colors than traditional red and blue. If used with the SDK software, TriOviz SDK allows the gamer to play 3D games with glasses on a 2D television.

Interactive Story Telling Mirror

It seems like I am always reporting on how the mirrors of the future will be touch-interactive. This Through the Looking Glass mirror takes it one step further.

Designed by Romy van den Broek, this mirror allows children to experience an interactive fairy tale. If you have ever seen one of those interactive storybook iPad apps, then I am guessing that the experience is going to be quite similar.

Right now, they have it set up for Hansel and Gretel, and I am told that two kids can interact with the mirror at the same time. I wonder if they can take advantage of the mirror’s reflective surface, which would be the only difference between this an some sort of storybook app or interactive website.

Polk Audio has new performance headphones for your ears

Polk Audio is a name that is synonymous with great audio quality, and the company has since rolled out a brand new pair of performance headphones specially for your ears. The new Performance Line-Up will make its appearance in retail stores this fall, where the range will comprise of sports headphones and active noise cancelation (ANC) headphones that were specially designed for serious athletes who are engaged in exercise and fitness. Of course, this doesn’t mean it is unsuitable for the average Joe on the street, since it is also well suited for those who travel frequently and want a pair of quality performance headphones.

Polk Audio’s Performance Line-Up will boast a quartet of UltraFit sports headphones which will come in a variety of colors, where you will also find in-ear, on-ear and in-ear canal models thrown into the mix. The headphones are certainly standouts on their own thanks to Polk Audio’s acclaimed audio quality and special attention paid to detail which we will look at in the extended post.

The iPhone Air Guitar

Considering that Guitar Hero is no longer going to be made with new editions, one can’t help but wonder what the future of music gaming is. It would appear that someone believes that the next phase of music gaming is mobile with this Air Guitar Move.

The Air Guitar Move is a combination of hardware and an iPhone, and there is a motion sensing guitar pick for strumming away. As the user strums the connector, he or she uses the iPhone as a fretboard. As you might have guessed, there is an App for it.

So far, this is one of those Kickstarter projects, which means that it needs some funding in order to get it going. The designers, Ronald Mannak and Colin Karpfinger, are building their hardware at the same place where Guitar Hero was built, and have the same engineering team working on it.

Fab Lab Solar Powered Wooden House

Okay, so what are we looking at here? It is the Fab Lab, which one of those awesome environmentally friendly houses.

As you can see, it has what you would expect from these concept homes. First of all, it has a weird shape. In fact, it is so odd, that I don’t have name to describe it. It’s definitely asymmetrical, and a blend of a cylinder, and rectangular solid. I suppose that the best description is something like E.T.’s head.

Then there is the solar powered aspect of it. Apparently, the Fab Lab that “generates more than twice the energy it needs to function”. Seriously, a house that actually gives out more energy than it takes away? Man, that is a good role model for all of us homeowners.

Logitech C615 HD webcam

 

Logitech is back with a spanking new webcam for the masses – the C615, where it will boast of a simple fold-and-go design that comes complete with Full HD 1080p video recording capability. Retailing for $79.99 a pop in the US already, it is expected to arrive in Europe and Asia sometime in September. Featuring a 360-degree full-rotation, tripod-ready base and USB cable extender for video calling purposes as well as the ability to record at any angle, you will be able to make HD 720p video calls on Skype and FaceTime for Mac. Not only that, there is the one-click HD photo and video upload capability to Facebook, in addition to HD video upload to YouTube and Twitter. Sounds like the perfect portable webcam for your summer holidays.