Last week’s CGOTW prizes go to…
Posted: 11 Nov 2008 02:00 PM PST
The top three in last week’s coolest gadget contest were as different as they come, we had the pointless, the pretty useful but the winner came in the form of fun, the 50′ Snowball Launcher (though it’s actually advertised as 80′ so that’s 30′ more fun).
This toy blaster makes and launches softball-sized snowballs up to 80′, allowing rapid, long-range assaults during neighborhood snowball confrontations. Simply place snow in the forming chamber and close the lid, and it packs three perfectly spherical snowballs. To blast your mark, place one snowball in the muzzle, aim the launcher, and pull back the slingshot mechanism. Because the blaster is powered by elastomers instead of batteries, it provides uninterrupted, fast-action play.
Congrats to S2999 for finding this gadget beauty.
In second place it was the useful entry, the USB Negative Scanner.
Turn all your old 35mm photos into 5 megapixel digital ones in seconds with this USB negative scanner. It will take old negatives or slides, so all of those embarrassing pictures of your mates can work their way onto Facebook after all.
Finally in third place we have the token bikini babe wearing, GPS Underwear.
This underwear set certainly boosts the confidence of the person wearing it, in addition to the fact that it has GPS support so that your position (as long as you’re wearing it) can be established at all times just in case you get abducted or worse. I think most (suspicious) husbands will probably get this for their wives with less than altruistic reasons behind the gift.
Thanks once again to everybody who took part and spent the time voting and commenting. As usual we have two $50 monetary thank you’s, and the randomly drawn winners are:
Draw for voting and commenting: Keri (keri_bear).
Draw for telling a friend: Justin (again, I think you know the routine).
Thanks again everybody and good luck with the next CGOTW contest on Friday.
Introducing Foolish Gadgets because not all gadgets are cool
[ Last week’s CGOTW prizes go to… copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
Posted: 11 Nov 2008 11:10 AM PST
Sometimes, I will see something that is worth photographing. If I don’t have a camera on me, I take my two fingers and make an L-shapes and frame the subject in question. It’s the same thing you see directors do on television. I always wondered if real filmmakers do that in reality. They probably don’t.
A Japanese designer named Mac Funamizu is currently designing a camera of the future that works on this age-old finger principle. The camera is put in a pair of sunglasses, and what you see here is what the user is seeing through the sunglasses.
Funamizu’s camera works by putting your fingers in the place where you would want to frame your subject. Then you take your picture with a wink. That is a literal wink by the way, as in you shut your left eye, and the picture is taken in your literal hand frame.
Don’t ask me how it works. If I knew that, it probably wouldn’t be concept technology. I’ve even heard that Funamizu has taken his visionary step further by saying that the sunglasses will display information about the subject that you are photographing.
So, when are these photographing shades due to hit the market? Well, I would say some time in the realm of soon. If you really want this, feel free to give a shout out on the Comments section.
Source
Introducing Foolish Gadgets because not all gadgets are cool
[ Hand Camera Concept Design copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
Posted: 11 Nov 2008 10:40 AM PST
Take a gander at this oddly wide airplane with the three engines in back. This could be the method of air travel by the year 2030.
NASA has recently started a little pet project, cooperating with engineers from MIT to create planes that are more fuel-efficient, quieter, not to mention environmentally friendly.
All I can say is “It’s About Time!” I’ve been hearing so much about how our cars need to become hybrids or electric, and they need to be cleaner for Mother Earth, but very little has been said about those jumbo jets. I mean, they are one of the least-fuel efficient vehicles that we have, and they are as loud as…well, a jetplane.
In other words, I am all for anything that will improve air travel technology, especially when it comes to saving the planet. Let’s hope that this “wide load” look will also make aisles wider, so you don’t have to compete with that inconvenient drink cart when you want to use the bathroom.
Who knows when this plane will roll off the assembly lines at Boeing or other major aeronautical corporation, but if this is the concept plane of 2030, this is quite a while. So let’s ask Coolest Gadget readers, how would you improve airplane travel? Leave an answer in the Comment box.
Source
Introducing Foolish Gadgets because not all gadgets are cool
[ The Shape of Planes to Come? copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
Clique Hue HD Webcams get a serious price break
Posted: 11 Nov 2008 10:02 AM PST
We first wrote up these webcams a little over a year ago. At the time these were going for almost $80 a piece, sometimes for even more than that. Now they are being sold in packs of two for far cheaper than that. The great part is these little webcams are not only cheap, but they’re attractive and interesting to look at. They are far better than the dull gray webcams. These webcams come in six different colors, four of which are bright cheery colors.
The webcams also feature a very bendable neck that will make it easier to position it exactly where you want it. You can also turn it upside down to give your friends a whole new view of you. The cams work with either a PC or a Mac and can record not only video but audio as well. Pick up a two pack and give the other one to your favorite long distance buddy. You can pick the set up for $34.99 in white, black, red, pink, blue and green.
Source: Gearlog
Cool Gift Idea: Digital Picture Frames, check out our reviews.
[ Clique Hue HD Webcams get a serious price break copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
Posted: 11 Nov 2008 10:00 AM PST
Now that it is winter in my part of the world, I am becoming ever-dependent on my space heater. Of course, the ones I buy are the cheap Wal-Mart kind, and they have to be replaced every year. The Vorando TVH 600 is definitely redefining what a space heater should be.
The first feature that makes the TVH 600 unique is the touchscreen on top. Some of you may think a touchscreen on a space heater is a waste of technology when a switch or dial controls would do, but this is the age of the iPhone. Everything needs a touchscreen today.
The second feature that makes the TVH 600 stand out is the remote control. From the remote, you can adjust the desired temperature of the heater, and it will work like a thermostat. In other words, the TVH 600 will heat the room as it detects the temperature going down.
The third feature is safety. The TVH 600 comes with “automatic tip-over protection, a non-glowing heat element, cool touch cabinet, and tight grill spirals that will not burn hands”. Considering that most space heaters are not really safe, and easily damaged when they tip over, the Vornado TVH 600 should be quite an improvement.
Of course, sometimes improvements cost a lot. The Vornado TVH 600 is no exception, as it comes with a $199.99 price tag. You can preorder it from the Vornado website, but it won’t ship until November 21.
Cool Gift Idea: Digital Picture Frames, check out our reviews.
[ Vornado TVH 600 Space Heater copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
Posted: 11 Nov 2008 08:00 AM PST
Candles are great for setting the mood and making a room smell a particular way. However, you get to work and typically you can’t light a candle to mellow yourself out. It’s just frowned upon in a lot of places to keep an open flame on you desk. Luckily, several companies release alternative ways to set a warm and inviting environment much in the same way you would with a candle. They even feature the soft yellow light that you find with a burning candle.
With this diffuser just pick the scent of oils you enjoy and you’ve set your mood. Hopefully though your nearby coworkers have similar tastes in scents, otherwise, you could easily make them miserable. These electronic diffusers from USB Brando do their best to simulate the feel of a burning wick to add to the overall affect. You can run it on either USB power or pop in a couple AA batteries to keep it running. You can pick them up for $25 a piece.
Source: Ubergizmo
[ The USB Aroma Diffuser copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
Silicon Mountain Allio HDTV gets built-in PC and Blu-ray player
Posted: 11 Nov 2008 05:30 AM PST
Most people love the convenience of convergence devices these days - for an everyday example, just take out your cell phone. Chances are it doubles up as your secondary digital camera and iPod, since it comes with both music playback capability and a pretty decent lens to capture impromptu moments. As for HDTVs, well, these are still pretty exclusive in terms of functionality although Silicon Mountain Holdings, Inc. hopes to change things by unveiling both a 32″ and 42″ High Definition LCD TV that not only features an integrated Blu-ray/DVD combo player, it also has a full fledged PC running within. Talk about being high powered!
The Allio HDTV/PC can safely claim to be the first product of its kind in North America (who knows, maybe even the world?), where the flagship 42″ model comes with a built-in PVR to help you record all your favorite shows that you cannot afford to miss. Powered by an Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 processor, the rest of the specifications are equally beefy to help out in its multimedia intensive tasks, including 4GB RAM, a 1TB hard drive to store countless hours of video, as well as the 64-bit version of Windows Vista Home Premium to help you get started. The Allio will not only come with analog and digital audio-video inputs found in most HDTVs, it even boasts wireless and wired networking capabilities with a handful of USB 2.0 ports that will further extend the experience to other computers and peripherals in your abode.
Instead of getting two TVs, the Allio’s picture-in-picture and split-screen capabilities enables multiple sources of content to operate simultaneously on a single large screen, so you can continue watching your game on the big screen while your other half catches up on her drama series. Depending on system configuration and screen size, prices start from $1,599.99 upwards, which is pretty darn reasonable considering the sheer amount of entertainment options you have at your fingertips.
Cool Gift Idea: Digital Picture Frames, check out our reviews.
[ Silicon Mountain Allio HDTV gets built-in PC and Blu-ray player copyright by Coolest Gadgets]
AT&T releases Quickfire handset for messaging fans
Posted: 11 Nov 2008 05:00 AM PST
AT&T does not want to miss out on the holiday season sales, hence releasing its AT&T Quickfire handset - the last of the four new quick messaging cell phones that were specially designed to cater for those who do plenty of text messaging, albeit allowing them to do so within a much shorter time and easier than ever before. Developed for AT&T by Personal Communications Devices LLC., the Quickfire boasts an interesting form factor, but once you take a look at the specifications, you will realize that this is not a high-end handset due to its feature set (or rather, the lack of it), so if you want a top-of-the-line phone, you’ll have to look out for other candidates.
The AT&T Quickfire comes in a slider form factor, and in addition to the full QWERTY keypad (an essential when it comes to any self-respecting messaging phone), you will also get an interactive touch screen display to help out in navigation of the user interface throughout various stages. The camera is not much to shout about - 1.3 megapixels ought to be enough to capture casual shots, but you can forget about it if you’re planning on using the Quickfire as a replacement for your dedicated digital camera. This 3G world phone allows you to read your messages in either portrait or landscape mode, and with a decent data plan, you are able to download music via AT&T’s 3G network using Napster Mobile and eMusic Mobile. Other features include AT&T Navigator that provides for turn-by-turn directions, although your use of it will be limited to a 30-day free trial, where you are required to fork out more money after that assuming you want to continue using this service.
You can choose from orange or lime and silver colors where the AT&T Quickfire is concerned. It will retail for $99.99 after signing up for a 2-year contract and a mail-in rebate.
Introducing Foolish Gadgets because not all gadgets are cool
[ AT&T releases Quickfire handset for messaging fans copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
Dough-Nu-Matic rolls out mini doughnuts
Posted: 11 Nov 2008 04:30 AM PST
Doughnuts is a staple kid food - I haven’t met a little one who has refused a donut even until today, although there are times when parents who are more concerned with their kids’ dental health turning my free doughnut offer down. Well, for grown adults who have long escaped the clutches of their parents when it comes to eating sugary stuff, here’s a way you can catch up on all those lost years - with the Dough-Nu-Matic.
Serve yourself up a piping hot doughnut in less than a minute! It’s almost as fun to watch the Dough-Nu-Matic as it is to eat the donuts! The Dough-Nu-Matic automatically forms, fries and drains delicious mini-doughnuts in under 60 seconds. After your donuts are finished top with your favorite sprinkles, frosting or powder! Sure you could just go to your local donut shop - but why?… when you can enjoy warm and delicious doughnuts at your fingertips! Just add dough, sit back and relax…. Dough-Nu-Matic’s on the job!
It will retail for $129.99 and comes with easy to use dials, a safety guard lid to keep hands away from oil (handy when in the office) and stainless steel automatic spatulas that turn, cook and deliver doughnuts to the dispensing chute. Yummy!
Cool Gift Idea: Digital Picture Frames, check out our reviews.
[ Dough-Nu-Matic rolls out mini doughnuts copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
Hollow Spy Coins for those on a mission
Posted: 11 Nov 2008 04:00 AM PST
We know that coins can be used to play a prank on others by squirting water, but here is something much more serious. It allows you to store precious information within without giving the game away. Do you have a microSD memory card containing risqué images of your weekend that you do not want anyone else to see, ever? Well, store it within the Hollow Spy Coin, of course! You can use it as a form of currency without being detected or charged for fraud, although that wouldn’t make real financial sense since the nickel alone will cost $30.
Introducing Foolish Gadgets because not all gadgets are cool
[ Hollow Spy Coins for those on a mission copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
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