Protect your spine and your vision!

If you’re a member of the “terrible posture group”, you might like this next gadget, the Visomate USB Vision and Posture Reminder. It might not fix your posture instantaneously, but it’s probably worth a try. Or you could just stay hunched over the computer your entire life and end up with 20/1,000 vision. It’s your choice.

The little pod-ish device sits on top of your monitor. It will gently remind you to keep your distance, you know, monitors need their personal space just like you. Don’t worry, it won’t beep obnoxiously, spray you with unremovable ink, or turn off your computer. Instead, a simple LED will start flashing. Once you’ve leaned to close, you’ll notice a red LED flashing and sit back. Once back in the “safe zone” a solid blue LED will go on. I just hope you can actually read the text when you realize you’ve been to close to the screen for the past few years. If you’ve got USB ports to spare, why not get this? I mean there’s a possibility it’ll end up helping you. Admittedly, I’d like this a lot more if it had a few more features, namely have a USB hub built in. I thought everything had one of those these days.

$26 will get you the Visomate USB Vision and Posture Reminder. Sure, it’s a tad pricey for something you could do yourself, but unlike yourself, the Visomate won’t forget to remind you unless you unplug it.

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Roboquad - The latest from the WoWee robot stable

WowWee’s new robot, which appeared this year, is called Roboquad and amused people crawling around on its four legs. The robot comes with infra-red sensors and apparently it can be used as guard since it is able to scan for sounds and movements, up to 10 feet away. The manufacturer is claiming that the robot should also be able to identify objects of different sizes, move around furniture and detect the edge of doorways.

The Robotsrule site has a summary of the robot’s features:

• It can identify motion at a distance of about 10 feet. Once identified it can pursue the moving object
• It is a four legged robot with a chassis that is designed to move easily in any direction
• The Roboquad’s main theme is fast movement in nearly any ground based direction and it is capable of 3 speeds of movement
• The Roboquad is react quickly to it’s environment
• It has a strange little head that can sweeps the room with a tightly focused infrared beam
• The Roboquad can even identify the sizes of objects
• It is sensitive enough to detect the fine details in it’s environment like the edges of doorways
• It is expected to hit store shelves in fall of this year (2007) and to retail for a little above $100

Now if you consider the price of those LEGO Mindstorms out there I would not be surprised if the sales for this toy were large, and the best part is that you will not need to assemble tiny parts before starting with the fun!

Via: T3 (video) and Robotsrule

Spy Cameras of the Future!

One limitation of traditional cameras is the fact that they must be long in order to have an optical zoom, which is composed of several lenses that bend and focus light. Digital zoom is available for spy cameras and mobile phones, but such zoom makes the image blurry and with low contrast.

A new technology developed at the University of California at San Diego could solve this problem, though. The technology involves optical lenses folded together like origami. Current prototypes are already producing the same image quality as that of a 6-megapixel camera, despite being much thiner.

Joseph Ford, an optical engineer involved on the project, commented: “Traditional camera lenses are typically made up of many different lens elements that work together to provide a sharp, high quality image. Here we did much the same thing, but the elements are concentric mirrors folded on top of one another to reduce the thickness of the optic (…) our imager is about seven times more powerful than a conventional lens of the same depth”

Just to get an idea of the effects of such technology consider that cell phones using the folded optics technology will be able to focus on objects as mush as eight times more distant than the current maximum.

The performance of spy cameras will follow alike, as you can imagine. By the way if you are looking for some spy gadgets check out the Mini Wireless Spy Camera or the Spy Tie!

Via: LiveScience

Fancy a Cellular Book?

Telecom Italia and Polymer Vision have finally come to an agreement to develop the Cellular Book together. This unique device might look like some form of cellphone at the first glance, but it is actually a mobile device that comes with a rollable display which enables you to read various personal information, newspapers, and even electronic books. Dubbed the Cellular Book, it comes with a special Polymer Vision rollable display technology which offers readability that rivals that of printed paper under bright light.

This terminal will first be presented to the world at the 3GSM World Congress that will be held in Barcelona, Spain, next week so drop by if you’re in the vicinity. Unfortunately, the technology might be able to expand a display which is larger than the handset itself, but the lack of a backlight greatly diminishes its usability. Hopefully future iterations will see a change for the better. I like the idea of having a personal reader device that has a decent amount of reading space, unlike most of the other e-book readers that are available on the market.

It is also revealed that later versions will incorporate color and a moving image capable display. In the meantime, those who pick up the Cellular Book will be able to receive books and entire newspapers delivered via TIM’s mobile network. These information are stored inside the Cellular Book’s internal memory itself, with capacities that start from 4GB upwards. Additional capabilities include the ability to download and play music, audiobooks, and podcasts. There is no word on pricing or availability at press time.

Source: Ubergizmo

Taser C2 delivers shocking surprise

You can never be too safe these days when walking around, which is why it is prudent to get this Taser C2 for the lady in your life. It looks like a shaver at first glance, but when one’s eyes glaze over the lightning flash symbol, it definitely spells trouble. The Taser C2 is touted to be the next wave in citizen defense, enabling you to stop a threat that is up to 15 feet away to keep you and your family safe. In case you are assaulted, the C2 can also be used as a contact stun device to repel the assailant.

Additional features include an Anti-Felon ID system that deters misuse as it performs a computer background check on the would-be purchaser beforehand, while the integrated LED light at the bottom works great as an impromptu torchlight in emergencies. The lithium power magazine is good for 50 firings, so be prepared to use it wisely instead of recording a home video edition of Jackass which will be uploaded later onto YouTube. The Taser C2 retails for $300, while the model with a laser targeting system will set you back by an additional $50. Laws in certain states in the U.S. prohibit the sale of the Taser C2. Shipping will begin this April.

One of the misgivings I’ve always had is the fact that the assailant could easily knock the Taser C2 out of the victim’s hands and turn the tables on the victim instead. Perhaps future iterations would include a biometric reader of some sort that activates the taser only when the fingerprint matches.

Source: Ubergizmo

BMW Inflatable Bubble Tent

Could this be the way BMW drivers go camping in the future (actually have BMW drivers even heard of camping), the BMW inflatable bubble tent.

The unique item attaches to the back end of the car, allowing campers to make use of the inside of the car, and is inflated is by a low-voltage fan hooked up to the car’s cigarette lighter. All-in, the Air Camper can accommodate two people.

Credit to Winding Road & Get Outdoors.

Concept Phones - Snaked Aura!

Apparently the latest trend to generate publicity around a brand is to launch futuristic, sometimes weird-looking product concepts. The mobile phone manufacturers are in fact investing heavily into concept models.

Asus recently announced its concept mobile phone called Aura. The device comes with a 3.9 inch LCD screen, a QWERTY keyboard, a 2 megapixel camera and microSD slots for memory expansion. The most amazing feature of this phone is its the slim frame and the fact that it supports GSM, UMTS, HSDPA, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth!

LG also unveiled a new concept phone very similar to the iPhone. The mobile handset was created from a partnership with Prada, the Italian fashion house. The phone packs a 3.0 inch wide touchscreen, a 2 megapixel camera, microSD slot and bluetooth connectivity. The biggest appeal of this phone comes from the special leather case, ringtones and themes that come preloaded on the phone.

Finally, BenQ-Siemens is also revealing some very creative (to say the least) models. There is one model called “Snaked” that is targeted at the female segment. The mobile phone, instead of being carried, is tangled around the wrist or around the arm. Apart from working as a traditional mobile phone, “Snaked” has multimedia functionalities and it can also monitor the heart beat and other physical conditions of the bearer as he works out.

Microsoft focuses on Immortal Computing Concept

If the thought of sending e-mail from beyond the grave sounds a little too sci-fi, think again. Microsoft is working on a new technology that'll let you send e-mails long after you've kicked the bucket. The project is being referred to as "immortal computing" and it's a way of storing and sending data to future generations, be it through e-mail or interactive holograms.

Microsoft has even admitted to working on a new form of storage device that would involve no movable parts and use alternate means of energy. They wouldn't say how far into the project they were, though hopefully these holograms won't crash mid-message!

Source: E-mail from the Grave?

VAIO VGN-UX17GP - A Class Apart

Ask yourself this: Should computing products suit your lifestyle, or should you alter your lifestyle to suit your computing products? More often than not, the blasted machine forces the latter. Wouldn’t you rather have the Windows you’re used to and its myriad connectivity options, instead of some stunted operating system when you’re traveling? Or be able to carry your complete mailbox or your movies with you, without having to compress or decide what you’ll carry with you every trip.

A computing impracticality, eh? Not any more, with the first truly pocketable device to run a full install of Microsoft Windows XP – the Sony VAIO VGN-UX17GP. No scrimping here – you get a fully working Windows XP Professional installation, with full support for all Windows XP compatible applications (not Table Edition, so handwriting recognition is missing). Expect a few gasps as you whip out this machine in public – the diminutive size misleads most people to mistake it for a handheld gaming console. When you boot it up, the 4.5 inch (diagonal) widescreen display springs to life as you take in (with awe) that Windows can be starting up on something this tiny.

The screen’s fine – 1,024 x 600 pixels resolution does mean most users will be in for a lot of squinting – icons and text are tiny, though Sony has provided a zoom button to zoom into parts of the screen as required. The display isn’t really meant for hours of poring over spreadsheets, though you can, if necessary. It suits the occasional e-mail/web surfing.

Video however, rocks on this display, which redeems it in part. Plus, the display is touch sensitive, letting you use your finger or the stylus to navigate around like you would with a mouse.

Inside, the UX includes a 1.2 GHz Intel Core Solo processor, 512MB of DDR2 memory, a 30GB hard drive and Intel GMA 950 integrated graphics, which are adequate to run almost anything you throw at it, including the odd game. If you’re not doing anything intensive, you get two and a half odd hours of battery life – and as little as one and a half hours if you’re giving it a serious stick.

The VAIO UX is equipped with two MOTION EYE cameras, making it easy to communicate through images instead of just words. Wherever you take your VAIO UX, if there’s a scene you like, you can take snapshots or shoot movie clips and store them on the hard disk drive. It’s literally a huge album of pictures and videos that you can always carry around with you. And if you have an Internet connection you can email those images to friends and family, or upload them to your blog for the whole world to see. Naturally, you’d have a story to tell for each image, and VAIO UX makes it easy to input text with its built-in keyboard. When the need to communicate is immediate, you can count on its Bluetoo

th® technology for real-time mobile communication like VoIP for video chatting. As they say, “wish you were here”, and if go-anywhere communication is what you want, the VAIO UX is where you can find your solution.

Is this the famed laptop killer then? Not yet – while the UX is great for web browsing and viewing movies, or storing/editing pictures on the move – it has its share of quirks – including a mildly prohibitive cost of just under $2200 (Rs. 1 Lakh). Good things have always come in small packages, and this certainly is the shape of things to come.

Rating: 7/10

URL: http://vaio-online.sony.com/prod_info/vgn-ux17gp

Apple iPhone

Apple Computer has just introduced its much hyped iPhone at MacWorld 2007. True to its word, the iPhone combines three products: the iPod, a mobile phone, and a breakthrough Internet communications device with desktop-class email, Web browsing, searching, and maps; into one small and lightweight handheld device.

The iPhone introduces an entirely new user interface based on a large multi-touch display and pioneering new software, letting users control it with just their fingers. According to Apple, iPhone ushers in an era of software power and sophistication never before seen in a mobile device, completely redefining what users can do on their mobile phones.

Launching the iPhone, Steve Jobs, Chief Executive Officer, Apple, said, "iPhone is a revolutionary and magical product that is literally five years ahead of any other mobile phone. We are all born with the ultimate pointing device - our fingers - and iPhone uses them to create the most revolutionary user interface since the mouse."

iPhone is a revolutionary new mobile phone that allows users to make calls by simply pointing at a name or number. It syncs all of the contacts from any PC, Mac, or Internet service such as Yahoo!, and one can easily construct a favorites list for the most frequently made calls, and easily merge calls together to create conference calls.

It has Visual Voicemail that lets users look at a listing of their voicemails, decide which messages to listen to, then go directly to those messages without listening to the prior messages. This service also enables users to immediately randomly access those messages that interest them most.

iPhone includes an SMS application with a full QWERTY soft keyboard to easily send and receive SMS messages in multiple sessions. It also has an elegant touch keyboard, which makes typing messages a much easier task. iPhone also includes a calendar application that allows calendars to be automatically synced with users' PCs or Macs.

The phone features a 2-megapixel camera and a photo management application, wherein users can browse their photo library, which can be easily synced from their PC or Mac,

iPhone is a quad-band GSM phone that features EDGE and Wi-Fi wireless technologies for data networking. Besides, it is a wide-screen iPod with touch controls that let music lovers "touch" their music by easily scrolling through entire lists of songs, artists, albums, and playlists with a flick of the finger.



It has a 3.5-inch wide-screen display that offers the ultimate way to watch TV shows and movies on a pocketable device, with touch controls for play-pause, chapter forward-backward, and volume. iPhone plays the same videos purchased from the online iTunes Store that users enjoy watching on their computers and iPods, and will soon enjoy watching on their widescreen televisions using the new Apple TV.

iPhone lets users enjoy all their iPod content, including music, audiobooks, audio podcasts, video podcasts, music videos, television shows, and movies. It syncs content from a user's iTunes library on his/her PC or Mac, and can play any music or video content they have purchased from the online iTunes store.

Moreover, Yahoo! Mail is offering a new free "push" IMAP email service to all iPhone users that automatically pushes new email to a user's iPhone, and can be set up by simply entering the Yahoo! name and password. iPhone will also work with most industry standard IMAP and POP based email services, such as Microsoft Exchange, Apple .Mac Mail, AOL Mail, Google Gmail, and most ISP mail services.

iPhone also features the most advanced and fun-to-use Web browser on a portable device with a version of its award-winning Safari Web browser. Users can see any Web page the way it was designed to be seen, and then easily zoom in to expand any section by simply tapping on iPhone's multi-touch display with their fingers. The Safari Web browser also includes built-in Google Search and Yahoo! Search so that users can instantly search for information on their iPhone just like they do on their computer.

iPhone also includes Google Maps, featuring Google's groundbreaking maps service and iPhone's amazing maps application, offering the best maps experience by far on any pocket device. Users can view maps, satellite images, traffic information, and get directions, all from iPhone's remarkable and easy-to-use touch interface.

It employs advanced built-in sensors - an accelerometer, a proximity sensor, and an ambient light sensor - that automatically enhance the user experience and extend battery life. Its built-in accelerometer detects when the user has rotated the device from portrait to landscape, then automatically changes the contents of the display accordingly, with users immediately seeing the entire width of a Web page, or a photo in its proper landscape aspect ratio.

Meanwhile, iPhone will be available in the US in June 2007, Europe in late 2007, and Asia in 2008, in a 4GB model for $499 (Rs 22,210 approx) and an 8GB model for $599 (Rs 26,661 approx), and will work with either a PC or Mac.

Nike + iPod

Need to lose weight? Love music? How about the wireless Nike+iPod sports kit? Throw the pebble sized instrument into a pocket inside one of Nike's specially designed shoes, connect the wireless receiver to your iPod Nano and it streams data to the latter!

Pebble placed and wireless receiver attached, you are all set to run. All you have to do is turn on your iPod and click on the Nike+iPod menu item to set the time and distance for your workout. Soon after, you are prompted by a voice to get started. These prompts, along with updates of your progress are repeated at regular intervals and gain in intensity later. In the fitness segment, the Nike+iPod does not meet the mark where precision is concerned. However, if you were to talk about pure elegance, usability and appeal, then this duet sings along comfortably!