gizmos vs gadgets: August 2011

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Neptune Canada is one big undersea experiment

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Studying the sea is very important to more than just biologists, and the Neptune Canada is the “world’s largest cabled undersea observatory”.

It isn’t just called Neptune because it is under the sea, but it is a very clever acronym for North-East Pacific Time-series Undersea Networked Experiments. Whoever thought of that acronym is a complete genius. The Neptune has sensors located in Western British Columbia, through the Juan de Fuca tectonic plate, and stretches out over 530 miles.

There are six nodes spread out at various locations, and I believe that one of them is seen in the image here. It has 250 instruments in between these nodes, and it has collected 10 terabits of scientific data since December of 2009.

All of this amounts to sensors that measure and record still and video images as well as scientific data such as microbe samples, temperature, pressure, salinity, and current flow. All of this data is available to the public for free a tthe official website.

As you might have guessed, this system costs $106 million to install, and needs $12 million to maintain its services. I wonder if we have discovered any valuable enough data to justify this expense, or else this product will just be abandoned at the bottom of the ocean.

Source

Cool Gift Idea: Digital Picture Frames, check out our reviews.
[ Neptune Canada is one big undersea experiment copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Hyper Flying Duck

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Own a dog who loves playing nothing but fetch? A game of tug, going swimming, or performing basic obedience commands don’t quite cut the mustard for ol’ Fido – and nothing gets him going like a game of fetch. To make things more challenging for you as the owner, he can be at it for hours on end literally, but look on the bright side – at least you get to practice your throwing arm, right?

How about a little help from the £8.99 Hyper Flying Duck? Yes sir, this unique device will be able to launch the Hyper Flying Duck at a range of up to 100 feet, where the only kind of effort you would need to expend would be using your thumb to flip the trigger. To make sure the Hyperduck takes a decent flight, hook your thumb under the beak and pull back the tail rope with your other hand. Aim and release accordingly, and see Fido fly after it with gusto!

Good thing the Hyperduck is made out of tough suede and woven material so that it won’t get worn out too fast – but will instead clean and strengthen your dog’s teeth as you play. Neat, no?

Coolest Gadgets UK – For all your UK centric tech and gadget news.
[ Hyper Flying Duck copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Panasonic Lumix GF3X announced

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Panasonic’s range of Lumix digital cameras have been successful ever since they were launched, and the latest model in the family that is ready and raring to go would be the Panasonic Lumix GF3X, which currently is touted to be the company’s smallest compact system camera to date that will feature a completely new retractable power zoom Lumix G X Vario PZ 14-42mm lens.

Just what makes this lens so special? For starters, it will boast of a retractable design that delivers a whole new level of mobility alongside stunning photo quality, making sure you can tote your beloved GF3X around with you to take great looking photos without the bulk of a DSLR. Of course, don’t expect the range of controls and quality to measure up to a DSLR, but if you’re one who can compromise, then the GF3X seems to be a pretty good bet.

Also known as the H-PS14042 lens if model numbers are your thing, this particular lens will feature electric-powered zoom operation, measuring around 26.8mm in length, while tipping the scales at around 3.35 ounces. Your eyes will be privy to the versatile zoom range of 14-42mm (35mm camera equivalent: 28-84mm) which makes it suitable for a wide range of scenes, ranging from dynamic landscape to portraits.

Apart from that, there is also another Lumix X lens that was announced – the Lumix G X VARIO PZ 45-175mm/F4.0-5.6 ASPH./POWER O.I.S. that delivers superb image rendering for lifelike textures, crisp edge-to-edge contrast, a unique Nano Surface Coating that will achieve a minimal level of ghosts and flaring in natural settings without sacrificing on transparency.

This partnership between the Lumix GF3X and its new lens allows it to achieve Light Speed AF of approximately 0.1 second – making it one quick shooter. As for the new 14-42 PZ lens that also comes with POWER O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer), it is a whole lot easier even for beginners to capture clear and sharp photos in conditions where lighting is less than satisfactory.

If you want to have more control over your shots, then manual focusing is also available thanks to the manual focus lever that delivers even more precise control. You can pick up the Lumix GF3X in a black body and black lens or a silver body and silver lens kits options from October onwards, retailing for $749.99 a pop. As for the Lumix G X VARIO PZ 14-42mm/F3.5-5.6 ASPH./ POWER O.I.S. (H-PS14042) lens, that is available for $399.99.

Press Release

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[ Panasonic Lumix GF3X announced copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Charge a phone while you walk

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We all know that we make a lot of kinetic energy just by moving around, and we all need energy to power our mobile devices.

This is why researchers at the University of Wisconsin in Madison are working on a harvester that stores all the energy that we create by strolling, running, or walking.

Tom Krupenkin, a UW-Madison associate professor of mechanical engineering, says that human beings generate a kilowatt of power while sprinting. That is more than enough to power laptops, flashlights, and mobile phones.

This technology that you see in the sole of the shoe here uses reverse electrowetting. It is the process by which the energy of moving liquid is converted into electricity, and the energy generated through walking is about 20 watts of electricity.

The developers of this technology created a company called InStep NanoPower, and envision their first product as the “Walk and Charge”. I suppose that we are looking at a future where we connect our devices to our shoe when we get to where we are going and work on our laptops, cellular phones, and other devices. According to my Source, this makes a cell phone battery last 10 times longer.

Of course, there is a problem with the cord connected to one’s shoe. Perhaps there could be a removable battery pack on the sole, but it might smell funny when placed on the table.

Source

Coolest Gadgets UK – For all your UK centric tech and gadget news.
[ Charge a phone while you walk copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Friday, August 26, 2011

Vending machines spit out 3D glasses now

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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.

EX3D is a recently launched brand of Marchon3D, where they intend to make 3D glasses fashionable instead of dorky looking. Well, I guess this is fine and dandy for those who have perfect vision or are wearing contacts, what about the group of people who wear glasses that have bulkier than normal frames? Will Marchon3D be able to provide a decent and yet stylish pair to wear over the glasses?

Movie fans will be spoilt for choice as they can pick from fashion, sport, casual and kids styles in a variety of trendy colors and fashionable shapes. Apart from that, my question above has been answered – EX3D will also deliver smart solutions for prescription glasses wearers such as clip-on lenses. It really depends on the kind of style that you want, as each pair will retail anywhere from $22 to $30, although there is this bunch of limited edition models that can cost you around $70.

Press Release

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[ Vending machines spit out 3D glasses now copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Dell Latitude XT3 convertible is tough as nails

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There are times in life when you need to stamp your authority, being a no-nonsense character – and that might also mean you are prone to flashes of anger that could cause you to throw your notebook against the wall in frustration simply because the software was way too hard to figure out, even with a manual and a call support system. Well, just to make sure your notebook survives the throw, perhaps you could have gotten the Dell Latitude XT3.

The Latitude XT3 convertible tablet PC, however, was specially constructed to aid mobile professionals out – especially those who prefer to work without boundaries with all the productivity, power and functionality of a standard laptop, while bringing to the table the flexibility and dynamic interface of a responsive touch-screen tablet. Needless to say, the Dell Latitude XT3 is not meant for those who love sitting behind their cubicles all day long – instead, it will target healthcare professionals, educators and service personnel, allowing them to work almost anywhere.

The Dell Latitude XT3′s display has been given an upgrade to hit the 13.3″ form factor, boasting of an HD LCD in the process. This delivers bigger landscape and wider viewing angles, letting it be worth looking into in either laptop or tablet modes. Not only that, you also have the option to include an outdoor viewing screen on the XT3 if you tend to work in sunlight for the most part.

Underneath the hood lies a bevy of new Intel Core i processors to choose from, letting it handle just about any computing job that you throw towards it. You can opt to stash up to 320GB of storage space on this puppy, but if you prefer non-moving parts, there is always the choice to include a SSD. Depending on its configuration and programs that you run, the Dell Latitude XT3 can run up to 8 hours, while you can always Latitude ExpressCharge the battery to hit 80% in around an hour, how does that sound for convenience?

Other hardware specifications include a four-finger capacitive multi-touch surface, pen, touchpad, full keyboard (optional backlit functionality) and mouse capabilities. This tough as nails puppy is compliant to MIL-STD-810G testing, thanks to its strong magnesium alloy reinforcements behind each corner and a spill-resistant keyboard.

Press Release

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[ Dell Latitude XT3 convertible is tough as nails copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Zapparel augmented reality clothes

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I have reported on a lot of terrific augmented reality stuff, and this Zapparel is something that is a long time coming.

This is the creation of Zappar and Hybrid Apparel, and there is a video after the jump so you can see how it works. I highly recommend watching it because it looks quite neat.

There are 20 different T-shirts, and there should be more coming out if this is a hit. I’m not certain whether or not people are willing to stand still while another scans them with an iPhone or Android device, but the video shows that the results are worth it!

You can see in the video that there is a space man with robot arms that shoots UFOs. If this is just what one design does, then I can’t wait to see what the other 19 do. What I don’t know is if the man wearing the Zapparel T-shirt has to stand there the whole time. If he walked away, would it be an instant game over?

Zapparel is planned to be launched exclusively at the International Fashion Expo, Magic in Las Vegas on August 22-24. The app is for free on the Android and iTunes marketplaces.

Martian Attack – Zapparel from Zappar on Vimeo.

Source

Conference Calendar – The global conference and expo finder.
[ Zapparel augmented reality clothes copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]