Archives for September 2009

Childrens GPS Tracker Watch

lok8u-num8-children-gps-tracking-watchThe GPS tracker watch is designed for children to be worn so that their parents can keep track and know where they are. It might be classed as an invasion of privacy for children, but at the same time it could also protect a child if something unfortunate was to happen.

The watch is named the “lok8u num8” which I guess is in the txt-msg style that some people use and actually means “locate you” – “new mate”. The watch side of the device is just your standard watch that tells the time. Inside a GPS tracking chip and locator is found that has an accuracy of up to 3 meters which isn’t bad at all. The device works similar to how latitude works from Google in that the system uses a mobile phone network to send GPS coordinates to which then an authorised user can look at the location. [Read more…]

Roomba Art

Roomba-ArtRoomba Robot Vacuum cleaners normally have the job of cleaning the carpets of your home and then docking to charge ready for the next scheduled task of cleaning your carpet again. Well, that’s what I thought till I came across this funky flickr group who use long-exposure photography to capture their vacuums randomly roaming around their carpets.

It appears like LED’s are attached to the vacuum cleaners and small piles of dirt thrown on the carpet to create some unique imagery and circles. Check out the pictures below (after the jump). [Read more…]

HTC Hero Update for Orange UK Users

htc-hero-ukOrange in the UK have rolled out a new ROM update for HTC Hero users. The new update includes speed increases for navigation through the phone as well as a new feature for the camera that includes a touch-to-focus feature.

The updates for the HTC Hero have been available for about a week now, but both Orange and T-Mobile users were unable to install the update until now. [Read more…]

CZC C9 Netbook – New Worlds Thinnest

CZC-C9-NetbookThe CZC C9 netbook is built by Zichuang Technology who claim it to be the worlds thinnest netbook. The netbook measures just 5 millimeters in thickness (0.2 inches) and weighs just 750 grams.

The CZC C9 has an ARM11 based processor and has an 8.9″ screen with a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels. Also included in the netbook is 1GB or RAM, 8GB of storage (flash based), 2 USB ports and a VGA port. [Read more…]

Bluetooth Bracelet Lets you Know when People Call

bluetooth-braceletThe Bluetooth bracelet is designed to be worn on your wrist. When someone calls your mobile phone the bracelet vibrates to alert you of an incoming call. This comes in handy if your phone is ticked away in a bag where you can’t hear it.

An LCD display on the front of the bracelet lets you know who is calling and when your phone goes out of range it also alerts you that the link has been lost. [Read more…]

Asus Eee PC 1001HA gets Textured Look

asus-eee-pc-1001haAsus are launching a new Eee PC named the 1001HA. The 1001HA comes with either Linux or Windows XP installed or you have the option of no operating system installed. It has the usual Intel Arom N270 processor inside as well as 1GB of Ram and a 160GB hard disk.

The screen on the Asus 1001HA measures 10.1″ and has a resolution of 1024×600 pixels. It weighs 1.45kg and measures 266 x 191.2 x 28.5mm. The main downside of this netbook is that it only has a 2200mAh 3 cell battery which will probably only provide a few hours of charge at the most. [Read more…]

aXbo Sleep Phase Alarm Clock Review

aXbo-Alarm-Clock-LightWaking up in the morning is perhaps one of the most annoying parts of the day. Nobody likes to wake up at the wrong time feeling like they just need that few minutes extra sleep. The aXbo Sleep Phase Alarm clock was designed to tackle that problem by analysing your sleep patterns through the night and waking you up at a time where you are not in the middle of a deep sleep. By waking up at the right time it prevents the groggy feeling you get sometimes in the morning.

We were given an aXbo alarm clock to test for a couple of weeks to see how it performs and if it works as well as it claims it does. In short, it seems to do what it says on the box in that each morning I woke up I never seemed to wake up in the middle of a deep sleep. Lets take a closer look though to see how it actually works and what it actually does to prevent the groggy mornings. [Read more…]

Bluetrek X3 Bluetooth Rugged Headset Review

Bluetrek-X3We recently received a Bluetrek X3 bluetooth headset for review to test how it performs. The Bluetrek X3 is described as being splash proof, shock proof and dust resistant. It is designed to be rugged allowing it to be used in various weather conditions and still function correctly. Included in the box is the ear piece it’s self which comes with a clip that goes around the ear. Several other sized clips are also provided so you can pick the most comfortable one to use. A USB wall charger can be found along with an in car lighter charger as well as a short and slightly rigid USB cable for charging on your computer or connecting to the lighter charging unit.

There are just 3 buttons on the device to make it function. On the front of the headset is a button which you hold down to enable bluetooth to pair it with your phone. On the top side is a volume up and on the bottom side is a volume down button. Other than that, there are no other controls on the headset. [Read more…]

Cradlepoint CTR500 Mobile Broadband Router

CradlepointMobile broadband this last year has started to become quite popular. The ability to put a SIM card in a compatible laptop, or use a USB dongle has allowed people on the move to connect to the internet where ever they can pick up a 3G mobile phone signal. The Cradlepoint CTR500 takes things a step further by allowing a number of computers to connect to it and share the connection. This comes in handy for people on business trips or maybe even groups who want to work together sharing the same connection.

The CTR500 connects up to EVDO and 3G networks and creates a wireless network for other computers to connect to it. You do need to connect a USB model to the device to connect to the web but once connected it allows up to 32 people to share the connection wirelessly. [Read more…]

Palm drops Windows Phone

palm-drops-windows-mobilePalm have confirmed that Windows Phone (Windows Mobile) will not be used on any of their phones from now on. Instead, it will be working with it’s own webOS only. This was confirmed by the Palm CEO Jon Rubinstein who said there will be no more devices with that OS installed from them.

All development in the future will now focus on creating a better webOS. It also indicates that no other OS will get a look in either as Jon said… “Which means that going forward, our roadmap will include only Palm webOS-based devices.” [Read more…]

Blur iPhone Tripod

blur-tripodMobile phone cameras can be awkward to work with and unless you hold very still you often get a bad image. Mobile Mechatronics are wanting to tackle this problem and have created the Blur Tripod for the iPhone.

The tripod comes with a tripod adapter, and a mini tripod and also requires that a $0.99 application is downloaded to the iPhone that ads a shutter delay mode allowing you to run in to the shot. The tripod and adapter cost $14.99 making the total just shy of $16. [Read more…]

Epson Postcard Printer

EPSON-Postcard-PrinterAccording to Akihabara News, Japanese folk love postcards… a lot. For this reason a number of manufacturers create postcard printers designed to just print postcards. Epson is the latest to create one and have made the Address Expert E-800 and the smaller E-600 printers.

Each printer is compatible with ether a PC or a Mac up to Windows 7 and OSX 10.6. They each have a resolution of 5760 x 1440 dots per inch and they have a 7″ LCD on them. [Read more…]