It’s probably not recommended for keeping any real valuables safe, but if you’ve got kids who don’t like their siblings sneaking into their rooms, I’m sure they’ll appreciate this Key Card Alarm Kit. When attached to a door the only way to enter the room without the alarm sounding is to ‘swipe-in’ with one of 2 included key cards, and if you happen to be at school or not around when a break-in does occur, a digital time stamp display on the alarm will let you, and the assigned CSI detectives, know exactly when your room was infiltrated. Fat Brain Toys has it for just $18.99.
Remember Topobo? It was a construction toy created by Hayes Raffle, Amanda Parkes, Hiroshi Ishii and others at the MIT Media Lab which could be programmed to move in any way, without a computer, thanks to a set of special kinetic memory motors. Once your creation was complete you simply had to move its limbs or other body parts any way you’d like, and those movements would be automatically remembered and reproduced, bringing your creation to life. Don’t get it? Well this YouTube video explains it a lot better than I can.
The last time I saw a mention of Topobo was a few years ago, and at that time it was still a research project which meant the public couldn’t get their hands on it. But it looks like they’ve managed to produce a limited number of consumer-ready sets that are now available for purchase from the Topobo website. The basic 100 piece Experimenter Set which includes 2 motors or ‘actives’ will set you back $499, while the 1,000 piece Classroom Set which includes 24 actives is $4,999. Here’s to hoping some toy manufacturer puts these into mass production.
If you don’t have time to use your local pharmacy’s blood pressure monitor, but would like to know just how close you are to blowing a gasket, the Panasonic EW-BU70 provides the same functionality in the comfort of your own home. The inflatable cuff can be easily adjusted by the wearer (you don’t need someone else’s help to tighten it) and is designed to be used on either arm. The unit also features an oversized LCD screen making it easy to read even for the elderly, and a new SD card slot allowing you to transfer data from up to 5 users to your PC (or your doctor’s PC) where it can be managed in your favorite spreadsheet application.
There’s no pricing info at this time, but the EW-BU70 should be available come March 1.
We’ve heard it all before: fuel cells are going to power the devices of the future. They’re going to put out more power for longer and be instantly rechargeable with disposable cartridges. Sounds great… But obviously, this hasn’t happened yet. At CTIA last year, though, we were introduced to a company called Medis, who is producing a portable fuel cell charger that you can actually buy right now. It’s between 25 and 40 bucks on Amazon, and we’ll let you know whether this new technology is worth the money in our review, after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »
No need to be afraid of the dark anymore, with this nightlight in the shape of a sniper rifle. Designed by Jerome Aich and Samuel Misslen, the sniper light is 52 inches long and made out of lacquered metal. It’s only available in a limited edition of eight (and for an undisclosed cost), so you’re not likely to get your hands on one unless you pry it out of the cold, dead fingers of someone way richer than you.
And if that’s not enough in the way of firepower, how ’bout an Uzi? Or a bazooka? Pics, after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I always assumed the most satisfying part of being a birdwatcher was actually seeing the birds with your own eyes, instead of just photos of them in a National Audobon Society guide. So it seems to me like this motion activated bird cam takes some of the ‘sport’ out of birdwatching. Inside the weather-resistant casing is a 1.3 megapixel digital camera that senses motion across a 9×12 foot field-of-view. When a bird enters the frame, the camera can be set to capture up to 20 pictures in 20 seconds which are stored on an included 2GB SD card.
Once mounted the camera can still be panned and tilted up to 15° for the best angle, and there’s even a laser guide showing you exactly where the camera is pointed since it doesn’t have a viewfinder. It’s powered by 4 AA batteries which should keep it running for about 6 months thanks to the camera’s sleep mode which kicks in when no motion is detected, and the fact that it will automatically power itself off at night. Hammacher’s got it for $199.95.
When Luke wrote about this ice sphere mold last May there was no pricing info available, but now it seems like it would have been a worthwhile investment no matter how much they were charging for it. That’s because a California-based company is now selling a “premium ice product” called Glice which are basically perfectly spherical 2.5-inch balls of ice. The Glices are supposedly hand-carved in Canada (sure they are) and delivered in “elegant packaging” complete with dry ice, and are designed to compliment even the most expensive of drinks.
And besides their claims that a sphere is “among the most efficient ways to cool your drink” the company does use purified water to ensure there are no contaminates in the ice spheres to alter the taste of premium drinks or liquors. The whole concept has a sort of ‘Pet Rock’ vibe to it, and I guess until the novelty of round ice wears off, they’re probably going to make a small fortune.
I’m not sure if this spherical video camera is the same one we wrote about in August, but while that one was only available in Korea, this one is available to anyone with a web browser and a credit card thanks to Hammacher Schlemmer. The camera is smaller than a golf ball, but is able to capture up to 6 hours of 320×240 30 fps video and audio onto an included 8GB microSD card. Unfortunately it’s not actually able to record for 6 hours straight on a single charge, but 2 1/2 hours of battery life in a device this small isn’t too shabby. The spherecam connects to your PC via USB for transferring video and image files, or you can watch them directly on your TV thanks to an included video-out cable. The best part though is the included headband allowing you to easily wear the camera during extremely physical activities, or, if you’re like me, as a geeky-looking Borg eye patch.
If you want one just head over to Hammacher Schlemmer where you’ll have to pony up $299.95.
T4 is just around the corner, and since robots have resulted in some of the best toys of all time, you better believe that stores will be saturated with Terminator Salvation tie-ins this Spring. And continuing in the recent trend of novelty hand replacements like the Hulk Smash Hands comes these totally awesome T-600 Terminator fist toys. The details are a big vague right now because of the language barrier, but they’ll apparently feature a fist punching or launching action, and a steep price tag of about $75. And if you’re curious as to what other Terminator Salvation toys will be filling your cubicle in a couple of months, head on over to TOYSREVIL’s I LIKE TOYS blog for a big collection of figures and other T4 tie-ins.
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