|
Posted on 03.16.06 @ 12:05 am
By David Ponce So this is the plan. First, get filthy rich. Doesn’t really matter how. Go hunting for treasure if you have to. Point is, first, you have to have some serious dough. Then, go to company CalSpas and order yourself a bitchin’ spa, with features like a 42″ auto-rising plasma TV with DVD player, CD-playing surround sound speakers with subwoofers, LED lights, exercise equipment, lounge seats, LED waterfalls and exclusive adjustable Therapy systemNow, of course, I say you have to be rich, but I’m not sure to the tune of just how much. No price seems to be listed anywhere on the site, but that in itself is a sign. Still, I imagine it’s nice to know how… some people are living. [The CalSpa GX49] VIA [New Launches] Filed under: Furniture Comments: 2 Comments |
|
Posted on 03.15.06 @ 11:36 pm
Ars Technica has just posted a review of the AlphaGrip AG-5 keyboard and mouse alternative. It uses a trackball to take care of cursor movement (and scrolling) and a myriad of strategically placed keys and rocker buttons for the alphabet and function keys. While it looks complicated to learn the manufacturer claims with only a month of practice users can achieve a respectable typing speed of 30-60 words per minute. Overall the Ars Technica reviewer liked the AlphaGrip, giving it a 7 out of 10. (Mostly because there was no other device to compare it to.) Learning the unique keyboard layout didn’t degrade their standard Qwerty typing skills, which can sometimes happen when learning Dvorak. The biggest advantage of course to its handheld design is that it allows the user to comfortably recline while still using all the functions of their PC. At $99 the AlphaGrip AG-5 is competitively priced against most higher-end keyboards and is currently available directly from AlphaGrip Inc. [AlphaGrip AG-5] VIA [Ars Technica] Filed under: Hardware Comments: 1 Comment |
|
Posted on 03.15.06 @ 11:34 pm
In an effort to get revenge by turning Americans into lazy gluttons, Eiji Morikawa has set out to Periborg everyone! He’s a 28 year old electrical engineer that has designed a range of, well, stuff, for gamers. He calls the range Periborg - part peripheral, part cyborg. They are designed to make the gamer’s life easier.Check out his arsenal: 1) Obacha-Break-an airhorn that will destroy an opponent’s hearing, rendering you the winner at anything with voice commands. 2)Cocolo-Con-a heart monitor that will let your parents tell whether or not your stinky, stinky corpse is alive or dead after a 86hour game-a-thon. 3) Ore Commander-[Already featured here. -Ed.] not pushing the A button fast enough in Track & Field? This baby will cyberize you to a 20 click per second rate. 4) Shock-C-this actually useful ditty will let you eat without leaving any grease on the controllers. And the best for last Not currently available. Filed under: Gaming and Technology Comments: 2 Comments |
By Bruce Eaton|
Posted on 03.15.06 @ 11:17 pm
By Bruce Eaton Coming in from the land of rainbows and sausages, Germany, is the next thing that parents will blame for the downfall of little Johnny: the PainStation. The ultimate in force-feedback, the PainStation employs electric heat/shocks and lashings to In Germany this game platform is definitely a sideshow item but imagine the possibilities if it caught on in American arcades. 1 on 1 Soul Calibur 3 with REAL BLOOD! Talk about truly PW|\|3D opponents. [PainStation] VIA [Pink Tentacle] Filed under: Gaming and Unusual and Hardware Comments: 3 Comments |
|
Posted on 03.15.06 @ 11:10 pm
Forbes has a review of “The 20 Most Important Tools Ever,” covering gadgets and inventions that have had the most impact on society. A panel of experts created a candidate list, which was then voted on by Forbes’ readers and editors. So which item came out on top? The knife. It was ranked very highly across the board for its impact on human civilization. However, one of their experts acknowledges that it is “nearly impossible to rank the many types of tools in importance.” Check out Forbes for the full list. [Forbes] VIA [Technorati] Filed under: General and Hardware and Technology Comments: None |
By Stephanie Pakrul|
Posted on 03.15.06 @ 11:07 pm
This is what you get when you take an enterprising dude with a wacky idea and lock him up in a basement for a while: the “London Calling Mobile Phone”. It’s the brainchild of one Matthew McNear, who, uninspired by today’s traditional cellphone designs, decided he could do better… all on his own. And, since he read someplace that traditional phone booths are quickly becoming obsolete due to the increased use of mobile phones, he thought it’d be neat if you could, well, combine both. So that’s what he set out to do, without a plan, without much of a budget or even any regard for all those things that are traditionally assumed to be absolutely necessary in the creation of a modern cellphone. And what he created is this decidedly original (if not entirely pretty) cellphone. Specswise, you get an unlocked tri-band GSM unit, which features a 65k color TFT screen, full SMS and MMS functionality, polyphonic ringtones, and GPRS/WAP 2.0. You can set your wallpaper to display one of fifteen different iconic images from merry old England. Plus you can select from Rule Brittania, God Save the Queen, or one of twenty other ringtone melodies. London Calling measures 102mm by 43mm by 21 mm, and weighs approximately 100 grams. And yes, it’s up for purchase, at something like $130. Kind of reminds me of the PEZ MP3 player. [London Calling Cellphone] VIA [Gizmologia] Filed under: Cellphones Comments: None |
By David Ponce|
Posted on 03.15.06 @ 10:50 am
Do you have an anger problem and throw things (sometimes digital players) and later regret when you see your precious MP3 Player with the inside pieces on the outside? No need to fret because we have the perfect solution to your problem. And no, it’s not anger management classes (though that ain’t a bad idea either). Meet the new “semi-indestructible” MP3 player called the Monolith MX7000. It so indestructible that it can withstand BB gun Bullets (I swear, I am not making this up), a car running over and can be tossed around too (rugby, anyone?). It has decent design with an edgy aluminum finish. It comes in 1GB and 2GB capacity and sports features like FM recording, 19-hour playback time, line-in recording and support to various audio formats. It’s available now and carries a price tag of $200 and $260 respectively. VIA [Stuff Magazine] Filed under: Portable Audio Comments: 1 Comment |
|
Posted on 03.15.06 @ 6:47 am
Here’s a simple idea that results in a very eye-catching piece of furniture. Through the use of carefully molded acrylic this Essey Side Table creates the illusion of an invisible table with a clear plastic cover thrown over it. Handmade in Denmark the Essey Illusion Table comes in white or clear PMMA acrylic and is currently available from TheMagazine.info for $235. [Essey Illusion Side Table] VIA [Uncrate] Filed under: Furniture Comments: 1 Comment |
By Andrew Liszewski|
Posted on 03.15.06 @ 12:54 am
By David Ponce I like robots. Especially freaky amphibious snake-bots from hell. Like the ACM-R5, a radio controlled robot whose entire purpose is to frighten young children by submersing itself in water and swimming about like a real snake. Its internal lithium-ion battery allows it to slither around (or swim underwater) for up to 30 minutes per charge. Sadly though, instead of dead rabbits and old baseballs, its innards contain such mundane things as an intricate sensor system (attitude/torque), a small-sized camera and a 32bit micro controller. Not sure if it’s commercially available, since the page is (you guessed it) Japanese. Maybe we can be enlightened? Filed under: Robots Comments: None |
|
Posted on 03.15.06 @ 12:28 am
By David Ponce How’s an air-shower grab ya? Well, that’s exactly the sort of fun you can choose to subject yourself to if you happen to live in the Riche Tamagawa Riverside complex located in Tokyo’s Ota-ku. Located near the entrance, this “air-shower” system is meant to remove pollen, dust and other allergens from your person before you enter your immaculate sanctuary. It’s 2 meters tall and 90 centimeters wide, and contains 12 nozzles that pump air all over you for 20 seconds, presumably enough time to fluff you up real good. An official of Mazya Housing that developed the condominium complex said that the apartments in the structure are selling well.I’m not sure how well this would sell in the US, but if there a $4billion market for pet products, there’s got to be some love left for something like this. [MDN Article] VIA [Gizmologia] Filed under: Household and Technology Comments: 3 Comments |
| previous posts » |
