Monthly Archives: May 2011

nice idea... May 18, 2011 posted by

Sighted wheelchair could bring new freedom to the vision impaired

Having a wheelchair that can sense its surroundings would give those with vision impairment freedom to be more mobile. Researchers at the Lulea University of Technology, Sweden have successfully tested just such a “sighted” wheelchair. Developed by professor Kalevi Hyyppa and his team at the LTU division EISLAB, this electric wheelchair is outfitted with a navigation laser scanner that provides virtual 3D maps of the surroundings, sending feedback about any obstructions to the user via a haptic interface. This lets…

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Sighted wheelchair could bring new freedom to the vision impaired
Gadgets May 18, 2011 posted by

Clingo Parabolic Sounds Sphere

If you really like the white IKEA style, and want a good way to acoustically amplify your tunes, you may want to look into the Clingo Parabolic Sound Amplifier. This will help push the sound from your iPhone speakers out much further, and the bowl around it will protect the screen from ambient light. It looks a bit like someone took a mixing bowl and an ash tray to make this thing, but if it works, that’s all that matters,…

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Clingo Parabolic Sounds Sphere
Awesome May 18, 2011 posted by

RcSuperhero will make your kids believe that flying is possible

It’s a bird! It’s plane! No, it’s not Superman. However, if you want to give the neighborhood children something to cheer at, then you’ll love this RcSuperhero. This strange craft is shaped just like a fully grown adult, measuring in at 75-inches long. This flying superhero is extremely lightweight at only 3 pounds. Combined with 6lbs of thrust, it can do a vertical takeoff with no problem at all. What makes this more or less appealing (depending on your point…

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RcSuperhero will make your kids believe that flying is possible
Eco Friendly May 18, 2011 posted by

Philips unveils the world’s first LED replacement for 75W incandescent bulbs

Going green or being energy efficient can sometimes be really difficult because it is often times expensive. In the home, one of the first ideas you will have about being energy efficient is switching over to light bulbs that aren’t the regular old incandescent ones. The main problem with this is that the more efficient CCFL or LED lights have a strange light color, and the bulbs are terribly expensive. Philips has announced the world’s first replacement bulb for the…

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Philips unveils the world’s first LED replacement for 75W incandescent bulbs
Gadgets May 18, 2011 posted by

Social Network Cufflinks – do you like or no like?

So you’re in a bar and someone is being obnoxious. What to do? Well why not shoot out a cuff with the relevant link and let them know exactly how you feel? Waddya mean you’re not wearing a shirt? Buy one. Immediately. Or at least get some sleeves on. Sheesh! $50.00 a pair.  Grant yourself the ability to set your mood via your cuff. Featuring the “like” button on one cufflink and the sometimes very necessary “dislike” button on the…

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diy May 18, 2011 posted by

Tiny Skee Ball Machine brings out the kid in you

Going to places like Chuck E. Cheese’s and Mr. Gatti’s as kids always meant a good time was on its way. Running around and playing games to win fantastic prizes for a few hours made our lives as children that much more magical. As adults, we look back on those days with fondness, but don’t think we can really fork out money to go to the adult Chuck E. Cheese’s known as Dave and Busters. Simply because we have to…

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Tiny Skee Ball Machine brings out the kid in you
Bookmark This! May 18, 2011 posted by

What is Hang? – freeware tracks down your problem Windows programs

There’s nothing more annoying than being the victim of an aberrant Windows program which hangs the whole system at random moments. What is Hang? is a very useful little free utility from the prodigious Nirsoft, which tracks down errant programs and gives you the chance to sort out the problem. Sure, you’ll need to be a little bit geek to grok the language, but hey, nothing in life is completely free, right? One for the toolbox.  Sometimes, Windows or a…

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Awesome May 18, 2011 posted by

Lost Type Co-Op – pay what you can for gorgeous fonts

The brand new Lost Type Co-Op is a gorgeous font factory which offers professional quality fonts at whatever price you can afford (including $0). It’s a magnificent gamble on behalf of some top class font designers, and deserves our support.  There’s only a small selection of fonts to start with, but they are top class, and with our patronage the list should grow and grow. Ace! [Via]  The Lost Type Co-Op is a Pay-What-You-Want Type foundry, the first of it’s kind….

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Free Software May 18, 2011 posted by

Connection Checker saves battery life by disconnecting poor WiFi connections

Smartphones are wonderful devices, since they can do so very many things. Unfortunately they are only as good as their battery, as a dead phone is pretty much useless. You can always get special cases that act as a backup battery, or carry a spare with you, but that can be a hassle. Another method to extend the life of your phone is to find out what’s draining your power, and stop it, using Connection Checker. If you own an…

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Connection Checker saves battery life by disconnecting poor WiFi connections
Fun & Games May 18, 2011 posted by

Rubik’s Coasters don’t need to be solved

The Rubik’s Cube has earned a spacial place in our hearts. For some of us, it’s a quick and easy puzzle. For others, it is all the things that our nightmares are made of, with little to no hope of ever finding a way out of it’s brain-destroying color combinations of doom. If you really love that colored-block style, you may want to look into adorning your tabletop with some Rubik’s Coasters. These four coasters look like a samurai got…

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Rubik’s Coasters don’t need to be solved
Gadgets May 17, 2011 posted by

USB Card Pen combines two easily-lost devices into one

It’s funny how technology changes our lives. Look back ten years ago, and think of how often you reached for a pen or pencil. Nowadays I’m much more likely to reach for a flash drive than a writing utensil. Unfortunately since I don’t use them very often, I do have times locating a pen. So why not have both a pen and flash drive that are one and the same? That’s the idea behind this USB Card Pen. It looks…

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USB Card Pen combines two easily-lost devices into one
Bookmark This! May 17, 2011 posted by

Amazon Used Deals Finder – save money, shop clever…

The Amazon Used Deals Finder is a very clever idea indeed. Add in your wishlist ID numbers and priority score, and the system will track Amazon for the best used bargains for your items and display them in a handy linked list for you to peruse. Some of the savings are massive (we’re talking 88% including shipping costs!) so it’s one of those tools that could rapidly become indispensable. It’s limited to books, music, DVDs and video games, but that’s…

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Cool Web Apps & Sites May 17, 2011 posted by

Facebook adds a new layer of security to protect your account

I’m ashamed to admit how much time I spend on Facebook. In my defense, I’m not wasting my time playing Farmville or anything silly like that. Most of it is communicating with friends who don’t have the common sense to use a decent instant messenger. Even the most technology-challenged people seem to be on Facebook these days, which makes it a target for scammer and the like. So how do you protect yourself? Well the company has finally added a…

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Facebook adds a new layer of security to protect your account
Awesome May 17, 2011 posted by

Hands On With The Samsung Galaxy SII Smartphone – …wow

So the good people at Three sent me a new Samsung Galaxy S2 (or is that SII?) Android powered smartphone to test last week, and I’ve been using it ever since. Ahem…now I realise why Apple has recently sued Samsung. It’s not just about the ostensible copying, this is about a mobile phone (and presumably a family of products) which have the real design and technical specification clout to unseat Apple from its current leadership of the ‘cool’ smartphone pack. Make…

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Awesome May 17, 2011 posted by

VW Camper Van Tents

From 1965 on, you would see hordes of hippies traveling around the US in Volkswagen Camper Vans. The chances of seeing these gas-guzzling giants around are near impossible anymore, especially with high fuel prices. If you still want to travel with all that hippie style, you may want to look into getting the VW Camper Van Tent. This 1:1 scale replica of the 1965 Camper is officially licensed by Volkswagen, and has color choices of red, yellow, or blue. Although…

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VW Camper Van Tents