24 May, 2012

Latest Posts on Coolest Gadgets

Latest Posts on Coolest Gadgets

Sphero – more fun than Angry Birds?

Posted: 24 May 2012 06:30 AM PDT

Have you got enough of flinging a flock of angry birds from their perch to pop some green pigs that seem to have eaten something nasty, hence turning into such a shade? Well, I guess for those who feel that they are sick and tired of such casual games on their iOS or Android powered smartphones can always give the Sphero a go. We first took a gander at the Sphero a couple of years ago, and here we are with the real deal that is ready for purchase – the £99.99 Sphero has been touted to be one of the most keenly anticipated UK releases for this year, debuting at CES last year to rave reviews.

This might seem like a normal ball at first glance, lacking any buttons or interactivity of any kind, but the moment you shake it (and infuse it with kinetic energy), it will start to glow. Place it on the ground and start a free app on your smartphone, where the Sphero will then adhere to your commands sent via the smartphone. Basically, you now have a remote controlled ball robot. Use this to play a game where you try to evade a ball-mad dog or cat, it will definitely be far more fun than Angry Birds.

[ Sphero – more fun than Angry Birds? copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Fitbit Aria WiFi Smart Scales

Posted: 24 May 2012 06:00 AM PDT

Man, does everything have to be so hi-tech these days? The ordinary bathroom scale has been turned into something different after being infused with modern day technology. No longer is there an analog dial to let you know how many pounds you have put on over the past couple of months, but rather, the £99.99 Fitbit Aria WiFi Smart Scales will feature a digital display, meausring your exact weight. While doing so, it will also send a small (and obviously harmless) electrical pulse through your body, where doing so will allow it to track your body/fat ratio. When you merge this with the Fitbit's current exercise, sleep and diet tracking process, there should be no excuse whatsoever to not adhering to your fitness program.

The elegant looking 'floating' glass surface might seem brittle at first glance, but rest assured, it is solid enough to handle even those massive WWE wrestlers. A quartet of load-cells are incorporated for precise weight measurement and ITO electrodes for bioimpedance analysis, which basically measures your body fat ratio in plain English. All information gathered will be automatically uploaded to the Fitbit website over a Wi-Fi connection for your future reference.

[ Fitbit Aria WiFi Smart Scales copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Honda Unveils Seated Indoor Transport Vehicle

Posted: 24 May 2012 05:44 AM PDT

 

You will all notice a pattern developing here. I just don’t care for exercise, I always drive by joggers, speed walkers, and bicyclists on the road and think to myself, where the heck are they going? In fact, I’m only up for hiking somewhere, if I’m going to see something pretty awesome, that I can’t drive to or fly over. Heck, I wish I had a little Segway I could tool around the house in…

Wait! Honda just came out with The UNI-CUB, an all-electric, self-balancing vehicle much like a small Segway, that utilizes a saddle instead of standing. The UNI-CUB cruises at about three miles an hour, for about 3 miles, and it can fold up for easy storage when not in use.

This new personal mobility device is guided by weight shifting and an odd little wheel that protrudes out the back. It was designed to be used to get around the inside of large buildings like airports and museums and it is pretty much  based on Honda's other personal transport device, the U3-X, which was unveiled three years ago.

This small, saddle-style transport vehicle makes it easy for any rider to control speed, move in any direction, turn and stop, all by shifting their weight. Because of the enhanced maneuverability and it’s minimal width, riders can quickly and easily make their way around tight corners and zip around objects and other people.

So if this small footprint, handsfree transportation method seems like something you could use, please visit Honda.com for more information, to sign up for product updates or to see additional photos and video. Do these things come with a cup holder? 

 

[ Honda Unveils Seated Indoor Transport Vehicle copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

iFrogz Boost – Now you all Can Hear It!

Posted: 24 May 2012 05:40 AM PDT

Sure were all in love with our Smartphones. I really can’t get to far away from mine without feeling moderate pangs of panic. Is the Smartphone perfect? Does it perform they way we would like in all situations? No, as with any relationship you take the good with the bad, and if you’re lucky, you find some nifty gadgets that help you compensate, like this next item.

Check out the iFrogz Boost Near-Field Audio Speaker, designed to pick up where your iDevice leaves off this handy little gizmo boosts the sound of almost any media device, iPhone or Android, and all without pesky wires, pairings or synching. Just put nearly any smartphone or digital media device on top of the Boost (with the external speakers playing) and your new Boost will magically amplify the sound.

No, its not a hidden speaker and it is not a pint sized megaphone, the Boost uses a patent pending technology that they’re calling NearFA, which works by syncing with the audio signal and then running it through the Boost’s high quality speakers, letting everyone hear your music, the way it was meant to be heard.

The iFrogz Boost will give you up to 15 hours of super portable play time (and 6 months of standby)when you use 3 AA batteries or it can be powered indefinitely by a Micro USB cord (sold separately). So why deprive your friends and neighbors of your awesome tunes by using earbuds? Get yourself a Boost for under 40 bucks from our friends at ThinkGeek.com

[ iFrogz Boost – Now you all Can Hear It! copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

ConnecteDevice cookoo watch hits Kickstarter

Posted: 24 May 2012 05:30 AM PDT

The next time you wear your watch, you might want to take a closer look at it. Just how does your timepiece affect your everyday life? Apart from it telling you the right time when you need it at a glance, are there moments when you wished that it could have done more – much, much more? I believe the answer comes in the affirmative, and for those who feel that they want something different with their timepiece, here is the ConnecteDevice cookoo watch that has arrived over at Kickstarter as a crowdfunding project.

Just what does the ConnecteDevice cookoo watch do? Well, it should help you live out the Dick Tracy lifestyle, albeit you must admit that talking to a watch seems rather silly when you think about it. The ConnecteDevice cookoo watch basically functions primarily as a timepiece, while it also does the work of reducing the everyday hassles of a connected life by letting you view all the important notifications that your smartphone has received on the watch’s face itself at but a glance. No longer can you make the excuse of missing that call, email or text message, since all incoming notifications can be set to appear on the cookoo’s face, and that too, accompanied by a vibration or audio alert.

Just how does the ConnecteDevice cookoo watch connect to your smartphone? The answer is simple – it does so via Bluetooth, and with this Bluetooth wireless technology, you are able to know what is happening on your smartphone in real time, never mind that the handset is out of sight. After all, you might not be able to have your iOS or Android powered smartphone on hand at all times, so this is where the cookoo watch comes in handy, showing you the relevant information at a glance. It will play nice with the latest Bluetooth SMART READY devices such as the iPhone 4S, new iPad, HTC One X, and Samsung Galaxy S3, amongst numerous upcoming models.

You are able to configure the cookoo watch's COMMAND button according to your preferences thanks to the Connected App, letting you find your phone, check-in on apps like Facebook, tag your location on the Connected App's map, or take a group picture remotely, now how about that?

Expect the cookoo watch to come in a range of effable shades such as black on black, brushed stainless on black, blue on black, white on black, and green on black (special Kickstarter edition). The normal model will retail for $99.95, while blue and white color editions will cost $129.95.

Press Release

[ ConnecteDevice cookoo watch hits Kickstarter copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Holographic avatars in New York City’s airports

Posted: 24 May 2012 05:00 AM PDT

We have been living in the digital age for the longest time already (at least it feels like it), so it would be no surprise to see robots help around the house, in addition to virtual assistants springing up and offering their assistance to whoever needs them. The bustling metropolis known as New York City will see its three main airports receive virtual assistants that will help direct travelers to wherever they are. After all, this is a melting potpourri of people from all walks of life and countries imaginable, so it can get pretty tiring entertaining requests throughout the entire day. Why not let a digital assistant get the job done, who will not complain about the long working hours as well as standing up for the entire day?

This unique virtual assistant is able to answer travelers’ questions just about anything and everything concerning travel – ranging from luggage and gate assignments, to security and arrivals. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey have proceeded with the installation of these virtual babes that are projected on a plexiglass cutout, and they will answer your questions ala Siri. Hopefully it can recognize the numerous accents that are spoken by tourists and those from outside of the city alike!

The cost does get prohibitive, however, where renting these will cost you $180,000 for 6 months’ “work”! Perhaps hiring humans will still be cheaper. What do you think of robots taking over the world in helping us be more efficient? Will there be a robotic revolution, where they become self-aware by sudden one of these days (and in retrospect, we would see that the danger signs are there all along), and start bossing us around? I do not think that a robotic apocalypse will happen, but having these digital avatars help lost tourists and passengers out at massive airports is definitely a good thing – at least they do not lose their cool and have a perpetual smile on their face, but the downside would be them being unable to answer any other questions unless if was programmed into them.

Source

[ Holographic avatars in New York City’s airports copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
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