Latest Gadgets, Tablets and Smartphones
How about a nice triangle of Swiss cheese to use as a door wedge? This cheesy door wedge is just that, although it is just made of plastic rather then cheese. The wedge is flexible and can squeeze under any door to keep it open when needed. I have to admit that there isn’t anything gadgety about a cheesy door wedge, but I thought it looked cool so thought I would share 😉
The cheesy door wedge will set you back jut £3.95 in the UK over at IWOOT.
Via: Gadgets-Club
The iPhone screen transformed the way we interact with our mobile phones. The multi touch interface and very quick screen response made the iPhone a very usable device. HowStuffWorks have created an interesting article which breaks down the iPhone multi touch screen and shows in detail how it all works.
When touching an iPhone screen it can sense exactly where and what needs to be done. Due to the screen being multi touch it also allows for even more interactivity such as zooming in to photos by placing a thumb and finger on to the screen.
Some touch screens use light, and when an object it placed in the way it detects where the object was placed. Another version of this uses a capacitive touch screen which detects where contact is made by the way of an electrical charge which changes and sends the signal back to the CPU. However, the iPhone is different as it can detect 2 fingers on the screen at the same time. I recommend reading the full article over at HSW as it goes in to very good detail on how the whole screen and touch system works and makes a very interesting read.
Via: Fosfor
Cuff links often come in different shapes and sizes from basic metallic squares, to spirit levels and now over to Lego bricks and Storm troopers. The Lego versions are 2×2 Bricks which come in a variety of colours.
The pins are silver plated making your shirt cuff’s look different to the average guy next to you. The Lego cuff links are available from Etsy and cost just $14.99.
The Storm trooper versions feature a storm trooper helmet attached to gold-plated pins. These should definitely be used by those of the dark side although don’t worry if you are not in that category as no one will stop you buying them 😉 The Storm trooper cuff links are also available over at Etsy and cost $19.99.
Via: Geeky-Gadgets and GeekAlerts
The Magic Brain Calculator was a device used many years ago (mabye 1950’s) to solve maths problems. It requires you reset it to all zero’s to begin with and after a bit of practise you can solve many types of mathematical calculations. Clearing the device is just a matter of pulling the metal bar at the top of the machine and pushing it back in. Calculations of up to 8 digits can be performed such as addition, subtraction and multiplication. There are no details on if this device can divide although I am sure the brainy ones among you could work that out. The system works by using the stylus to drag the columns of numbers either up or down depending on the calculation you are performing. By doing this, and in the right order the numbers at the top will eventually give you the answer you need.
I am unable to find if the Magic Brain Calculator is still available although with a bit of hunting I bet you could track one down. It was built in Japan almost 60 years ago so good luck!
Via: Computer Museum
The Mooftronic Electric Organ measures just 3cm by 1cm and it built around a 24 pin integrated circuit holder. A small stylus is used to play 8 notes in just one octave in the key of C. As well as creating those 8 notes, it has a small antenna which makes crazy noises too when picking up interference from the speaker. To generate noises the miniature organ uses an 08M micro controller built by Picaxe.
One funny thing to note in the pictures below is that the power source to keep this thing running is actually a lot bigger then the miniature organ it’s self. It will probably work with a smaller button cell type battery, but for ease of use I can see why the creator used a 9V battery due to the ability to just clip the connector on the battery. It’s not a bad idea although potentially it could be difficult to play due to the small size.
More images and a video of the Mooftronic can be found below.
Via: Etsy
If you struggle to impress your date with your ease of ordering up a foreign meal, then a restaurant using Deli Touch might be your better option. Deli Touch is a device which uses wireless technology to connect to the restaurants kitchen. When ordering, you touch the pen on to the menu on the items you wish to order. The pen has a camera which scans the codes and the wireless features transmit this data to the kitchen. Once the order has been placed a voice confirms that all is OK and a few minutes later your food arrives.
Apparently this technology has been around in Japan for a while, but this new version has more user friendly menu’s that cater more towards the elderly. The system comes with 1 server, 30 pens and a printer and costs 45000 YEN a month for rental which equates to about $416 which is not bad at all. That is actually cheaper then a waiter although they would need a robot to bring the food out to you. Maybe that’s next year.
Via: kilian-nakamura
A pyramid is not something you see often, other then when in Egypt. However, this pyramid does not stand still for a few thousand years. The Pyramid car can actually drive around by battery power. 80 batteries keep this thing powered and running at speeds of up to 45 MPH and it can run for 80 miles. It also has built in solar panels to help with the charging process. It weighs 8000 pounds too which makes it no light weight (3.5 tons).
Costing $60000 in supplies to make, it’s not one of the cheapest cars to build although it was done as a labour of love. This version is Mk1 and they are looking for backers to fund a second prototype which they hope will reach 500 miles on a single charge.
I have to admit that it’s not the most normal of shapes to choose when building a car, but for laughs this would be cool to cruise around in with a nice sound system. Maybe the prototype 3 model can work on acceleration. Wouldn’t it be cool beating some kid off the mark on a road.
Via: SlipperyBrick
We have written about a couple of Steampunk gadgets before. These were the Steampunk Nerf Maverick Gun and a Steampunk Furnace Mouse. Both look cool and this next one is no exception. I have to admit that it’s not something I would ever wear to a party, but it is still quite cool to see.
For those who are not familiar with what Steampunk is, it is the process of building a modern day gadget type object with a Victorian look and normally made or brass, wood and other materials commonly used in that era.
Via: Flickr
A rather strange combination of computer hardware has just become available. It mixes a 7-in-1 card reader with a floppy drive. This allows you to quickly (as quick as floppy drives work) transfer files from your old floppies over to memory card. The problem I have is that any floppy disks I have now do not work any more, and if they did, I still would not have a use for them as I haven’t tested them for maybe 8 years now.
Although I do like the converging of gadgets, I just do not get the point of mixing something this old with something a lot more modern.
Via: Redferret
I can’t say I have ever in my life written about a prayer gadget before. However, this is now changing as I came across this prayer device which uses RFID technology. In some churches there is a tradition of lighting candles during a prayer. This device is named “for this we pray” and has RFID technology that lights up a wall mounted shrine which is modelled around a stained glass window effect. Several prayer cards can be chosen from and when you swipe one past the prayer gadget a light lights up. As more prayers are read out and swiped past, the more lights are then lit up.
Below is a video of the prayer device in use.
Ghostbusters is a film that most people will remember from the 1980’s. One of the popular items the ghostbusters used was the ghost trap which captured ghosts such as slimer so they could take them back to HQ and store them safely. This item above lacks a bit of information, but from what I understand it’s connected to a long cord and works as a speaker housing. It must rank as one of the most bizarre looking speakers I have ever seen.
Via: Flickr
The Hercules laser has a ridiculous amount of intensity. As a comparison you need to picture a huge magnifying glass above the earth which would focus all the sun’s light to one grain of sand. That would almost represent what the Hercules laser is capable of. The Hercules laser takes up several rooms and contains 300 terawatts of power (which is 300 times the capacity of the US power grid). I personally found the TechLasers laser pen a tad crazy and not practical for every day use although it is very cool. So, you might be wondering what you would do with a 300 terawatt laser. It is able to focus it’s beam on to a 1.3 micron speck which is tiny. This may be capable of being used for medical reasons such as better ways to treat cancer and other complex things.
It works by using a titanium sapphire laser then bounces off a lot of mirrors and gets refracted, reflected and what not till it can focus the beam in to such a tiny space.
Via: SparkingTech
