Logitech iPad Joystick

In addition to its new folding QWERTY iPad 2 keyboard and case, Logitech has also unveiled a new joystick designed for iPad gaming. The neat little joystick is equipped with a couple of suction cups which allow it to be positioned anywhere you require on an iPad screen, and should be able to be used with any touchscreen tablet device. Providing a thumb-stick style game controller you can use with just about any game with an on-screen joystick or d-pad.

       The design looks very much like the Ten One Fling joystick which was launched back at the beginning of 2011 and had a patent pending at the time of release. So it will be interesting to see just how this new addition to the iPad joystick market pans out.

The Logitech iPad Joystick is available to purchase for $19.99

Trek Light Cycle Push Bike

 

Tron has clearly has an influence on “geek culture”, and I don’t see why someone hasn’t made a push bike that looks like a Tron light cycle.

       It appears that Trek designer Ryan Callahan has created a Tron scooter with the Trek Light Cycle Push Bike. Yes, that is its full name, as long and drawn out as it is. My Source does not have much information on this, but you will note the blue lights in between the wheels. I wonder if this is battery powered or if the wheels in motion power these lights. I don’t know if it has the feature, but I know that it does not have the ability to make a wall behind it as it rides. 

Pac-Man Moneybox

Looking at the world’s economy, it makes perfect sense to start saving up from a young age. Well, what better way to make sure your little one is taught the value of saving up for a rainy day than to give him/her a coin box? The standard issue ones which you get from banks or the store are pretty boring, and they hardly respond – in fact, the best sound it makes would be when the porcelain porcine figure is smashed on the floor so that you can retrieve the fruit of your labor some time down the road.

       Well, with the £14.99 Pac-Man Moneybox, things have changed – for the better, I might add. Who doesn’t know Pac-Man? This iconic arcade character from the 1980s is more than happy to have you drop your collection of loose change inside, where each coin dropped will see him respond his trademark “wakka-wakka” sound bite. All you need to do is make sure there aren’t any of those nasty ghosts around, waiting to swoop down on your coin collection when you’re not looking! Needless to say, make sure there are three AAA batteries inside if you want the Pac-Man Moneybox to respond accordingly. 

VooMote One available in the US via Zero1.tv

Zero1.tv has just announced that they will make the highly-anticipated VooMote One available in the US, selling it over various retailers – virtual or otherwise, such as Amazon.com, BestBuy.com, B&H, and BrandsMart amongst others. Just in case you were wondering what all the fuss surrounding the VooMote One is all about, this particular device will “mate” with your iPhone, without letting your iPhone look as though it was some sort of badly designed device. No sir, your iPhone will look sleek – in fact, sleeker than ever before with the VooMote One slipped over it.

       This particular device will be able to work in tandem with a free app that will convert your iPhone and/or iPod touch into an intelligent universal remote control, delivering features that you won’t be able to find on the market in devices from other manufacturers. 

QWERTY Premium Leather Wallet

Most of us would think that the only device that has a QWERTY keyboard imprinted on it comes in the form of a smartphone, but ThinkGeek has something different this time around to tease you. We’re talking about the QWERTY Premium Leather Wallet, and you can tell by its name that “investing” $39.99 in it would make you own one of the geekiest money holding equipment in the market!

      This premium leather wallet will feature embossed keyboard keys, sporting half a dozen slots for cards, a couple of folding money pockets, in addition to two hidden pockets. The red lining inside does resemble that of a typewriter ribbon for old times’ sake. There is also an “All work and no play…” quote embossed on the inside of this wallet, slowly nudging you to make purchase decisions with whatever money you have left inside to make sure you don’t end up as the dullest boy in class – or at the office. 

Celluon virtual laser keyboard

I never thought that I could get used to those laser-powered virtual projection keyboards. While I think it would be handy to pair a device with something that would create a keyboard on any flat surface, I need the haptic feedback of the clickity-click of the keyboard. 

        I know that I should just evolve out of this, because touchscreen keyboards are quiet, and I think we are moving away from traditional button keyboards. Fortunately, I can wait a little while to get over my fascination with keyboard sounds as the Cube Laser Virtual Keyboard comes with gesture recognition software so that the user can hear the click to indicate control gestures as well as keystrokes.

iPhone Virtual Reality Viewer

The iPhone is able to do a whole lot of stuff – not just over the screen itself, but you can also use it to control remote controlled helicopters as well. This extreme versatility that had never been seen before in any phone prior to it has made it a hugely desirable handset, so you can more or less expect the frenzy that will surround the iPhone 5′s release. Well, for the moment, you might as well as add another job description to the already long list on the iPhone 4′s resume – the iPhone Virtual Reality Viewer.

       Yes sir, this unique device will work with the iPhone, rolling out immersive, three-dimensional viewing experiences. You will need not spend anything more than the $49.95 asking price since you will take advantage of free downloadable applications that will use the iPhone’s accelerometer, allowing the 3D environments within to move when the iPhone is moved.

       You wear the iPhone Virtual Reality Viewer just like a pair of binoculars, where a couple of finger holes are located at the bottom so that you can access the smartphone’s touchscreen display. 3D movie trailers aren’t the only way to keep yourself entertained with this – you can also use it to play a smattering of interactive games. It will play nice with the iPhone 4, iPod touch (4th generation), iPhone 3G/3GS, and 2nd/3rd Generation iPod touch.

DIY Klingon LED Coffee Table

Since it is the weekend already, why not dust off the table in the basement and indulge in a little bit of DIY action? Fans of Star Trek will definitely love the DIY Klingon LED Coffee Table, where it might even fool some into thinking that this is a true blue, movie-licensed piece of furniture instead of one that was constructed using nothing but love for the series (and the relevant technical know how, of course).

       To make it all the more appealing to the masses, this homemade Klingon LED Coffee Table will even feature lights that help it glow – they’re all located right below the acrylic top sheet, numbering 26 flashing RBD diodes and one blue LED in total. Pine legs are used to keep this table standing securely, while clear acrylic rods will play their role in providing support. Nick Woodrow is the man behind this DIY Klingon LED Coffee Table, and he welcomes pre-orders via email.

Sony digital binoculars

Sony intends to introduce far more interesting optical device than your usual digital camera with the first pair of digital binoculars in the world. Yes sir, we are talking about the DEV-3 and DEV-5 models that will be able to record all that you see in the AVCHD 2.0 format, making them the perfect tools for nature/bird watching. Not only that, these videos that you record are stored in Full HD resolution and stereo sound for added effect, and if you so desire to make things all the more interesting, there is even a 3D mode which will record scenes as thrilling stereoscopic video footage – just make sure you have a compatible 3D HDTV for the playback.

       You will be able to choose the variable zoom on both models in order to scan a wide area at low magnification before you zoom in seamlessly to pinpoint a subject, ranging from birds in a field to some other forms of wildlife on your next safari adventure. You can turn on the digital zoom at magnification settings of over 10x, but of course with digital zoom on, you make a sacrifice in terms of image quality. 

Fancy Water Pistol Umbrella Can Get You In Trouble

In light of last week’s awful rioting, carrying an umbrella with a pistol attached to the handle is a bad idea. Can’t expect the police to be in a jolly mood these days. If you’re wondering how this works, don’t fret. It’s basically an umbrella that funnels water down to the pistol on the handle, thereby allowing the holder to squirt passers by. Take it form us: This will get you in trouble.

        Just imagine squirting some unsuspecting bloke and royally pissing them off. A fisticuff ensues and you go home with a bloody nose, the pistol/umbrella broken in half. While this is mighty entertaining for kids, it’s a disaster for adults considering how infantilized and emotionally immature most ‘grown ups’ are these days.

       The state of modern adulthood aside, further research reveals this umbrella pistol is more of a design project (though not a commissioned design) than a real product. We were actually hard pressed to find a retail price. Oh well, with the likelihood of awful possibilites resulting from a pistol/umbrella in the wrong hands, might as well steer clear from this. If you do happen to be packing a water pistol, it might be good for driving away small feral animals like rabid dogs or zombie squirrels. Better yet go buy a real gun.

Philips Unveils DiamondClean Rechargeable Sonic Toothbrush with USB Charging

Everything is getting a USB port or USB charging today. It used to be that only your MP3 player needed a USB port to charge and then our phones got them and not our Toothbrushes are getting USB charging too. Philips has a new toothbrush called the DiamondClean Rechargeable.

       The brush can be plugged into the wall in the bathroom. But, if you need to charge on the go at a hotel or the office, you can charge the toothbrush from the USB port of your computer. The toothbrush has a battery that will brush your teeth 42 times per charge.

       The thing also promises to remove 100% more plaque than a normal brush and whiten your teeth too. It comes with a carry case and two toothbrush heads. The brush has five cleaning modes. You can pick on up for about $220.

DIY Shuriken USB Gratifies The Ninja Fanboys

Indeed, the world is full of ninja fanboys. They obsessively watch Naruto and fantasize about embarking on a suicide mission someday for a noble cause–like avenging their sworn enemies.  Ever heard of the shadowy assassin who attacked an Apple store under cover of darkness by ramming his car through the glass plate window? Actually, that’s old (read: stale) news but we were trying to make a point.

       Yes, points. This Shuriken has more than a couple of them. Four pointy edges total and a flash drive. The real attention grabber is what’s seen above is a DIY project. It’s also made of foam cored poster board. That means it’s non lethal and can’t be used on genuine stealth missions. Still, don’t try throwing this around once it’s in your possession. Someone might lose an eye.

       Keep in mind, however, that this is not the first Shuriken USB ever made. An earlier Shuriken USB was featured here a couple years back. That was nice too and came in a fancy box, if you ever wanted to gift one.

If you plan on bringing these along when you travel, we suggest not. Remember what happened to Steve Jobs when he tried to bring home Shurinkens after a Japan trip? Okay, so that’s being dismissed as an ugly rumor, but knowing Steve he probably did try to bring home a couple.

Diesel SBA Black Out Watch Looks Like It Can Survive An Atomic Bomb Blast

That’s even if the person wearing it is reduced to radioactive cinder. When it comes to engineering large complex wristwatches, no one comes as close to total awesome as Diesel. They put more dials in a watch than most airplane manufacturers put in a cockpit. Okay, that was a little exaggerated but our point was Diesel watches usually look much better suited for tasks other than telling time.

       The Diesel SBA Black Out is water resistant up to five atmospheres and looks like it can be run over by a tank without serious damage. Needless to say, it’s a tough cookie. You can probably bash hipsters with it. Not that we’re advocating violence; just keep in mind Diesel is a brand that is best suited for those who perceive themselves as bad asses.

       It doesn’t say on the product page if it shoots lasers, but if it does, that would be real sweet. The SBA Black Out is currently selling for a generous $250.

Epidermal Electronic System: A Cyborg Future For Humanity

 

Call it EES for short. Since the near future is shaping up to be a mix of Blade Runner, the Matrix, Terminator, and Brave New World, it comes as no surprise that engineer-scientists are hard at work melding electronic parts unto human flesh. Seen below is a viable prototype of the EES, which could pave the way for biologically integrated gadgets.

        No, not gadgets, since there won’t be a physical object to hold anymore. If the EES is fully operational, then we are the gadget. Gadgets even, considering how a non-proprietary feature could open these electronic upgrades to a variety of apps.

       The two most prominent engineers working on EES are John Rogers and Todd Coleman, both of whom could barely contain their excitement over the EES’ possibilities.

According to Rogers:

     "Within the realm of biomedical applications, one can imagine providing benefits to patients with muscular or neurological disorders like ALS. For example, in the Sciencearticle, our research group used the device…to control a computer strategy game with muscles in the throat by speaking the commands."

Un-Stylish Millennium Falcon Coffee Table Looks Heavy

What the humble coffee table does have in spades, of course, is the potential for endless modifications. At the hands of various designers, coffee tables have acquired all sorts of drawers and themes. Such an open-minded approach to the living room fixture elevates the coffee table experience to a fashionable exercise. It’s always nice to have a compelling coffee table sitting between plush (beer and pizza stained) couches.

       Seen above is an unofficial Millennium Falcon inspired coffee table that has a model of the Han Solo craft underneath its glass top. Since this isn’t official Star Wars swag, the fastest ship in the galaxy isn’t as detailed but the basic form is there.

       The wood and bronze model isn’t supposed to be used as a toy, so don’t try pulling it out and pew-pewing hapless guests. Upon sight of it, the people who drop by your place are supposed to go ‘Hey, it’s a Millenium Falcon! Kewl!’

       This coffee table wills set you back a pile of money and on the product page it’s priced at $1,500.

SpyNet Night Vision Mission Video Watch

Do you happen to feel a little bit like James Bond at the moment, and want to make sure that you have the gear to go along with your spying adventures in the future? Well, ThinkGeek might have just the device for you – the SpyNet Night Vision Mission Video Watch. It looks like a kid’s toy at first glance, although this is the real deal (of course, it won’t be as good as what the guys in SEAL Team 6 have), featuring built-in night vision capability to boot.

       To put it in a nutshell, the SpyNet Night Vision Mission Video Watch works as claimed. It will be able to record not only video but audio as well, and if you so desire, you can have it shoot stills – in either the regular manner, or you can always opt for the time lapse mode. To sweeten the deal, this puppy even comes with downloadable spy missions, games and apps to get you started right out of the box!

       There is the Snake Cam add-on that you can get if you want to take your covert operations to the next level, as it allows you to check out blind corners without revealing your position in such an obvious manner. How about having it snake through your button hole on your shirt’s sleeve?

       The SpyNet Night Vision Video Watch will cost you $69.99, while the Snake Cam add-on is another $29.99.

Dell Vostro V131 business laptop

Dell makes another splash in the business laptop market with their latest addition – the Dell Vostro V131. Just what the heck makes the Dell Vostro V131 so special? For starters, it will come with up to 9.5 hours of battery life, which is pretty decent in this day and age – placing it on par with those long-lasting netbooks. After all, many of us these days are extremely mobile, and it isn’t always convenient to find a power outlet nearby when you need one, so getting all the help you can from a long lasting battery is always appreciated.

       Apart from being powerful, it is also thin and sleek in design, being one of the lightest and thinnest laptops from the Vostro range. It’s main target would be small business customers, where the Dell Vostro V131 can stash away an Intel Core i3 or Core i5 processor inside makes sure that you won’t be found wanting when processing power is required. 

Vending machines spit out 3D glasses now

Aren’t you glad that 3D glasses are something that you wear across the front of your face, and not as personal as a pair of earbuds? Good thing this makes it easier to use 3D glasses in movie theaters, never mind that a gazillion other people have also worn the same pair of glasses before you did. Well, the next time you want to catch the next big 3D flick, how about bringing your very own pair of glasses along so that there is no more need to share with anyone else?

       Marchon3D is the brains behind this idea, where they have teamed up with Cinemark and UltraStar Cinemas in San Diego and Huntington Beach to deliver the first in-theater, self-service vending machines of its kind. Needless to say, these vending machines won’t deliver popcorn for you – but rather, it will spit out Marchon3D’s line of patented, curved RealD 3D compatible glasses known as EX3D Eyewear.

Portal 2′s robot ball Wheatley comes to life as a complex puppet

I have played the Portal video game before, but I haven’t tried out Portal 2 as yet. I have heard that it has some interesting robots that look just darling. One of them is Wheatley, a robot ball that is quite animated, and it has now come to life by username TRP-Chan.

       The puppeteer also does an amazing job of working out all the expressions on this little guy. Actually he isn’t little, but 12 inches across. There is a hole in back, and there are wires snaking all through the Wheatley ball to make it move. 

       I have a video of it after the jump if you want to see it in action, and I highly recommend that you do. Even though it is limited to a lap, this Wheatley is quite lively. 

Vuzix Wrap 1200 3D Video Eyewear

I always like reporting on what Vuzix has to offer its consumers, even though I am not certain whether or not the mainstream market will ever accept video eyewear.

      Their new model of video goggles is the Wrap 1200, and it boasts a 16:9 widescreen display that is the equivalent of a 75-inch screen viewed from 10 feet. There are convenient on-screen display controls like brightness, contrast, hue, and color saturation.

      It is compatible with all sorts of devices like game consoles, media players, phones, tablets, and DVD players. As far as power is concerned, two batteries are good for about 3 hours worth of video playback.

Ouku Night 3G Android-powered tablet

The iPad and its sequel, the iPad 2 have certainly caused ripples in the industry what with their stunning design and ease-of-use, basically giving the whole tablet market a huge wave for other manufacturers to ride on. Of course, being iOS-powered, this is the only one of its kind, but what about the iPad’s rivals? The majority of those tend to run on the Android operating system, hailing from a gazillion manufacturers, but none of them have truly managed to be declared as an “iPad killer” to date.

       Well, this does not mean they don’t stop trying. No sir, there are still new Android tablets being churned out each day, where the latest among them would be the Ouku Night 3G. We are rather surprised that it runs on the Android 2.2 Froyo operating system – which is seen to be rather outdated, as most phones already have Android 2.3 Gingerbread running on them, while tablets are supposed to come with the tablet-optimized Android 3.0 Honeycomb version. Perhaps reading on about the Ouku Night 3G after the jump might change my perspective on it.

       The Ouku Night 3G will feature a 7″ capacitive touchscreen display as well as 3G connectivity (as long as you have a working 3G SIM card inside, of course), in addition to front and rear facing cameras to shoot photos and make video calls. With the 7″ form factor, it is small enough to tote around in just one hand ala HTC Flyer, making it feel as though you’re carrying a paperback book with far more multimedia capabilities.

The Ouku Night 3G allows you to surf the Web, watch 720p HD videos, enjoy your favorite music, read your downloaded e-books, play Android platform games, send emails, check Facebook and stay up to date with Twitter. It currently retails for $227.69 a pop which is dirt cheap, and it might prove to be a decent introductory tablet to those who are still mulling over whether to get their feet wet with yet another device or not. The Qualcomm MSM7627 800MHZ powering it is not the fastest and neither does it have dual cores, but it should be able to get the job done.

Fast concept car is very flaky

This is the Flake project, a concept car that even the designer does not expect to work, but solely designed for inspirational purposes.

       The “flakes” on the car are carbon fiber microspoilers, and they are programmed to shift around during the drive to enhance speed and performance. As you might have guessed, the flakes go flat when it is time for a burst of speed. Turning causes the flakes on one side of the car to stand up, which “locks” the car to the road.

There is a video of it after the jump, and I can assure you, that although it may look real, it is CG. You may also notice that unusual lack of tires, which the designer calls D-Wheels. These extendable legs allow for an adjustable contact surface.

       Is it just me, or do all the cracks and flakes in this car make it look like one of the Transformers? If I ever saw this Flake Project coming down the road, shifting its hide, I would probably expect it to unfold into Bumblebee.

       It also reminds me of some nineties TV show called Viper which featured a shape-shifting car. Does anyone remember that show? I don’t think I ever watched an episode, but I seem to have a vague memory of a morphing car.

 

Check the video below:

 

The Zike, world’s first hybrid scooter

If you are too old for a trike, and love to ride a bike, maybe you would like a Zike. I realize that intro sounds like something Dr. Seuss would write, but the Zike is a real product, and is the world’s first hybrid scooter.

I suppose by “hybrid scooter”, the company means it is the first product to successfully combine a scooter, bicycle, and stair-stepper together. Inventor Nathan Scolari was “compelled to combat the childhood obesity epidemic in the United States”, and this is what he researched and created.

       Zike will introduce four models to the marketplace. The Hotshot is an entry level model for children ages 5-8. The Flyby is the next step up for children ages 8-12, and it has two chains for faster speeds and increased agility. The Slingshot is for children 10 and older, and it has the speed of a BMX bike. The Saber (pictured) is a 7-speed scooter for anyone aged 12 and up. 

Verbatim unleashes Ergo Mouse

Verbatim is more often than not a name which we associate with flash memory as well as portable storage (remember floppies back in the day?), but here we see them branching out into peripherals such as a mouse – specifically speaking, the Ergo Mouse. Verbatim’s Ergo Mouse will take the wireless route to keep up with the times, making sure you do not end up with a tangled mess at the end of the day.

       This is an ergonomic mouse that seems to cater only to right handers as you can see from the image above, so southpaws will have to look elsewhere – or just pester the folks over at Verbatim to roll out a left-handed version! Featuring a convenient thumb support (for your right hand, of course), it offers what Verbatim calls to be “the ultimate comfortable computing experience.” The Ergo Mouse has an ultra-smooth, rubberized grip and scroll wheel that were specially developed with comfort in mind, making you control your computer easily without batting an eyelid.

Victorinox Slim and Slim Duo

Victorinox Swiss Army (VSA) has created a lot of USB Flash Memory devices (not to mention cutlery), and they recently have released the Slim and Slim Duo. Both of them have a USB plug that retracts like the famous Swiss Army knife, and the Duo is the one with two USB plug-ins.

       The Slim and Slim Duo are both waterproof and shock-resistant, and is also TSA-approved. Not only are they hard on the outside, but they have “iron-clad protection” with many layers of data encryption as well as password protection. 

       The Slim and Slim Duo are available at many shops like the Swiss Knife Shop, Amazon, B&H, and Datavision. They come in many colors like silver, blue, orange, pink, and green. They have a range of storage needs as the Slim is available in 4GB, 8GB, 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB. The Slim Duo is available in 128GB. The price begins at $39.99 for the 4GB Slim, and $349.99 for the 128GB Slim Duo. 

 

Pack-Away Kettle

When you mention the word “kettle”, what comes into your mind? Well, most of us would think of those high end, stainless steel types which use either the gas stove or electricity to get the water boiling so that you cap sip you Earl Grey tea just the way you like it while having scones and strawberry preserve on the side. What happens when you’re traveling and need hot water? A thermos flask can do the job by retaining heat in your water, but that works only for a certain amount of hours.

       This is where the £29.99 Pack-Away Kettle comes in handy – it will be the perfect tool if you tend to rough it out regularly, and you need not brew your favorite cuppa in a metal mess tin. No sir, the Pack-Away Kettle will do the job, and do it excellently, as it is capable of boiling nearly 1.1 litres of water each time, and when it is no longer in use, just compress it – it will end up flatter than your standard army mess tin, taking its cue from the Swedish masters of flatpacking – Ikea.

       You can place it over the gas, electric or induction stove, it doesn’t matter as the sturdy stainless steel base is capable of transferring heat into the water within. 

Tour bus has detachable bikes

This is the “Bike Guide Concept”, a way of travel that could be the next form of tourism.

As you can tell from the image, the Bike Guide uses bikes attached to the bus itself. The bus has a screen to announce information about the next destination, and then each bike has a screen to share even more. Screens are also used in bus stops, and the user scans their credit card to arrange a bike/bus tour.

 

You can watch a video of it after the jump, and you see that the bus parks and drops off the bikes. The tourists pedal around the attraction, and I believe that there is a timer on each bike to let the rider know when it is time to return them. 

i-handbag

 

No sir, you don’t expect “i handbag” to be some sort of artsy fartsy movie title, but rather, it will have close connotations with Apple’s famous iOS-powered device – yes, I’m talking about the iPhone. Korean designer Jin-Woog Koo from the Nothing Design Group has a new kind of “handbag” which will target the iPhone toting female population for obvious reasons. 

      

First of all, guys don’t carry handbags, unless they’re doing it for their ladies who need to take a leave of temporary absence to answer nature’s call. Secondly, you know for sure the ladies are going to fall head over heels with the i handbag – after all, it will tote around the iPhone in addition to credit cards, your personal ID and others as long as they can squeeze in, into a chic enamel case.

       Thanks to cutouts, you will be able to enjoy some play-through functionality. No idea on whether this idea is going to ever see the light of day, but we will keep our fingers crossed as something this nice clearly deserves a spot as an actual product.

Self-thinking robot can learn by itself via AI

 

  

How many of us look forward to the day where artificial intelligence (AI) rules the roost? Surely AI has already come a long way by now, with many things in our lives being automated in ways we never thought possible before, but there are always new glass ceilings to break, no? Enter this unique robot that is being developed by the Hasegawa Group at the Tokyo Institute of Technology, where it is capable of thinking, learning and acting all by itself, thanks to the power of AI.

       The technology used is known as a self-replicating neural network, or SOINN (Self-Organizing Incremental Neural Network). Basically, it will help the robot think in the same manner as that of humans, especially when it makes an attempt at tasks that have never been performed before. To put it in a nutshell, this robot is capable of making educated guesses and decisions based on what it has gone through in the past as well as its knowledge database.