GM OnStar High Speed Pursuit Preventive Technology

October 15, 2007 by Leave a Comment


A prototype technology has been introduced from GM named OnStar. It allows the police to send a signal to your car which automatically reduces the power of your vehicle and gradually brings you to a full stop. Although I have seen similar technology in Europe, I do not believe any one uses a system like this yet. I just wonder if every car eventually has this, how do they pin point which car slows down… or will every car around the police car come to a halt.

I am kind of for this technology as all police chases are crazy. However, if I was just forced to stop for a routine check then that would be frustrating.

Via: Open Banter

Filed Under: Cool Gadgets

Driverless Pods ferry you around Airport

October 15, 2007 by Leave a Comment

prt_system
A new system has been created which is targeting the problem of traffic around Heathrow airport among others. A network of 18 driverless pods will carry passengers between the car park and terminal. PRT (Personal Rapid Transport) systems are not new although Heathrow airport will be the first to actually test the system. If the system looks like the picture above then it appears like several passengers and baggage could be carried at a time. In my opinion it seems like 18 might not be enough at Heathrow due to how many passengers fly each day. Time will tell though.

Via: Link Notes

Filed Under: Tech News

Buffalo Wireless Mouse

October 14, 2007 by Leave a Comment

BLMUW24YM_wireless_mouse
The latest wireless mouse comes from Buffalo. It has an 800dpi laser sensor and a scroll wheel. The mouse is wireless and works on the 2.4GHz band. To connect it to your PC you need to use the USB receiver which is stowed away inside the mouse when travelling. The receiver is good for 10 metres which is suitable for most applications. The device is powered by 2 AA batteries which should power the mouse for about 160 hours.

Costing $70 it seems a little on the high end for a fairly regular mouse.

Via: DeGadget

Filed Under: Computer Gadgets

Water Powered Phones around the Corner

October 13, 2007 by Leave a Comment

Water Powered Phones
An interesting device has been created by Samsung which is a micro-fuel cell. What makes this fuel cell different is that it runs on H2O. It works by water!! By mixing metal with water and oxygen it should be able to get three watts of power which is around 10 hours of use. The main problem right now with this is that the hydrogen cartridge needs to be replaced regularly. No doubt, future versions will be easily topped up with just water with out the replacement every few days. This is a nice step forwards as I suspect a lot of places with many mobile phone users will probably (luckily) have access to water to power it.

Via: CrunchGear

Filed Under: Cell Phones

Casio Blogging Camera

October 12, 2007 by Leave a Comment

casio_exilim_ex_v8
Bloggers, or vloggers (video bloggers) now have a camera to choose from which has Youtube features built in. The Casio Exilim EX-V8 has a setting to optimise your videos for Youtube at just the right resolution. Uploading is simple with the YouTube up loader which you run and will automatically upload the videos you have made. It is a nice small addition to the excellent Exilim range of cameras and I am sure will be welcomed by those who utilise YouTube for their vlogging activities.

On the technical side, the V8 has a 7x optical zoom lens and the camera has some nice features such as anti shake and face detection technology. For those wanting a quick way of taking pictures with anti shake in youtube format then this is well worth checking out.

Via: DigitalRev

Filed Under: Cool Gadgets

Robotic Self Healing Chair

October 12, 2007 by Leave a Comment


This self healing chair has the ability to collapse on demand and then build it’s self back up by tracking it’s parts, lining it’s self up and then attaching together. I think it will make for a cool prank on someone in a restaurant who is annoying you.

Filed Under: Cool Gadgets

Gun Mouse – Cybergun

October 11, 2007 by Leave a Comment

cybergun
The Gun mouse adds a bit more realism to your shoot-em-up games with it being obviously… in the shape of a gun. To perform a left click you pull the trigger and for a right click you push a button on the hand grip. First impressions seem to indicate it works like a joystick, but a close look indicates it might actually just slide around life a mouse but with a gun attached to the top. It costs ‚¬10 and appears to be available now in France I believe.

Product Page Via: Games and Geeks

Filed Under: Computer Gadgets

Playstation 3 Eye

October 11, 2007 by Leave a Comment

Playstation Eye
The Eye Toy for the PS2 was a cool camera which you stuck on your TV and played games by jumping around in front of the screen. It was a toy which some hate and some love. The PS3 version named just the Playstation Eye, is due out soon which is a low res camera used for games and video chats over the TV. Costing $39.99 it boasts a few more features then the Eye Toy for the PS2. It now works in low level light areas, has 2 zoom levels and can capture video at a lower resolution up to 120 frames per second. At the 640 x 480 res it can do 60 FPS which is still cool. A built in microphone is also included allowing conversation, or voice commands in games.

Via: Fosfor

Filed Under: Computer Gadgets

Samsung SPH-P9200 UMPC

October 11, 2007 by Leave a Comment

samsung_SPH-P9200-umpc
I came across this UMPC (Ultra Mobile PC) over at DEGadget today and first impressions it looks like an interesting device. It is white and features a full QWERTY keyboard with a large 5 inch WVGA screen. The keyboard is the main part that got my attention as it is split in the middle allowing it to fold and then the screen also fold in making a more compact device to carry around. It runs Windows XP for an OS and has a 1GHz processor. On the memory side it has 512MB which isn’t bad at all and should be plenty to run the XP operating system. Built in is a 30GB HDD allowing for plenty of storage space while on the go.

Connectivity seems quite good too as it sports GSM/GPRS/Edge and HSDPA. Wi-Fi is built in at 802.11g. USB ports are also built in allowing connectivity with wires. Battery life is not too bad at 2.5 hours with the standard battery although it is possible to jump to 5 hours with an extended battery.

Overall it seems like quite a nice package if you are wanting a replacement for a laptop, but the benefit of a nice sized keyboard.
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Filed Under: Tech News

Large Human Powered LCD Screen

October 11, 2007 by Leave a Comment


Well, it had to be done. A crowd of people at an arena have formed themselves in to a human LCD. No doubt it is all pre rehearsed, and they cannot display things “real time” as they happen. But still, fairly cool to see. At this time I have no idea where this is located, but from the symbols they create and the symbols at the bottom of the stand, it seems to be out Korea, China or somewhere that way.

Filed Under: Crazy Gadgets

Super Cool Candle Holder

October 10, 2007 by 1 Comment

pupill
I never expected to say a candle holder was super cool, but in this instance the Pupill candle holder gets that title from me. This candle holder will take all sorts of various candle sizes. By twisting the collar of the holder the two heels move together and grab the candle. It gets it’s name because of the holder looking like a pupil of an eye. It is built in Sweden and costs $60. It will be available in a few hand picked stores over in Sweden soon.

pupill

Via: GeekAlerts

Filed Under: Cool Gadgets

Google Maps Street View in 6 More Cities

October 10, 2007 by Leave a Comment


Google has recently added six more cities to the line up on Street View at their maps website. You can view street level images of Chicago, Philadelphia, Pittsburg, Phoenix, Tucson and Portland.

Via: LinkNotes

Filed Under: Tech News