By David Ponce

Jeremy Gutsche is the founder and CEO of one of our favorite sites, Trend Hunter. And he’s written a book called “Exploiting Chaos” that explores how periods of uncertainty can and have become the fuel for creativity, innovation and opportunity.

As bestselling author Daniel Pink notes, “EXPLOITING CHAOS is a rousing battle cry for the kind of creative, risky thinking that is most needed in times of change and disorder. Whether you’re a CEO trying to stay ahead of the curve, a daydreaming teenager, or a wannabe trailblazer, this bold guide is the shake-up you need to check your assumptions, get inspired, and turn business-as-usual totally upside down.”

The book launches on September 1st, but in partnership with Trend Hunter, the link below will allow you to download a sneak preview.

Check it out.

[ Exploiting Chaos Sneak Preview ]

By Andrew Liszewski

While I suspect the Naturmobil was actually designed for the sole purpose of making ‘one horsepower’ jokes, I guess Iranian engineer Hadi Mirhejazi’s invention is also an eco-friendly way to get around. It’s powered by a single horse tethered to a treadmill inside, which charges the battery on an electric motor and allows it to reach speeds of up to 28mph. To keep the horse comfortable it wears a jacket of cold water, and to keep the passengers comfortable it also wears a colostomy bag to deal with the vehicle’s ‘emissions.’

[ The Guardian - The Naturmobil is the ultimate green car ] VIA [ Inhabitat ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Let’s be honest, I’d give a six-year-old kid better odds at figuring out how to use a regular digital photo frame than a forty-year-old adult, so the only reason I can see them needing a ‘kid-friendly’ digital frame is durability reasons. The KidiLook from VTech is designed for children aged 3 to 6 and can store up to 100 digital photos synced from your PC via USB. And while it includes a series of buttons for scrolling through the photos, kids can also just shake the device to advance the slideshow thanks to its built-in motion sensor. $24.99 from the VTech website.

[ VTech KidiLook Digital Photo Frame ] VIA [ 7Gadgets ]

By Andrew Liszewski

For you clumsy yet eco-conscious types, Transcend has just released a new USB flash drive called the JetFlash V70 which fully meets the U.S. military’s drop-test standards (MIL-STD-810F 516.5—Transit Drop) thanks to its durable eco-friendly silicone rubber housing. The drive is also splash and dust resistant as a result, and even features a hard to lose tethered USB cap. I assume the drives are available now, or sometime in the near future, and will come in 16GB (red), 8GB (orange), and 4GB (purple) capacities.

[ PR - Transcend Releases JetFlash V70 Rugged USB Flash Drive ] VIA [ Fareastgizmos ]

By Chris Scott Barr

I’m always on the lookout for cool new Star Wars merch to decorate my place with. It’s what we geeks do. I’m not a big fan of the Trek, but I know that some of you are, so I thought I’d pass along this little gem. It’s a record player that’s shaped very much like the classic USS Enterprise from the original Star Trek TV show.

It really makes perfect sense, as the whole front of the ship is shaped like a giant disc. This is one of those creations that inspires facepalms from people saying “why didn’t I think of that?” For now this would seem to only be a concept, but I’m sure that some enterprising fellow could actually produce a few of these and make a mint.

[ StarTrekMovie ] VIA [ GearFuse ]

By Chris Scott Barr

I’ve tested and used several different GPS units, and found my favorites to be from TomTom. The software on the two that I’ve used have seemed to be a little more intuitive than some of the others. Needless to say, I was happy to see the company finally release a GPS app for the iPhone. Of course it only took a few seconds to realize that I would never in my right mind buy it.

Why would I take such a firm stance without even digging into the details? Because I only needed to see the $99 price to realize that they were out of their minds. I have a TomTom One Third that I paid around $120 for earlier this year, and over at Best Buy I could get a brand new TomTom One 125 for $100. The software might have a few niceties to it, but why would someone pay that much just so they can drain their iPhone battery faster? Oh, and don’t forget that you’ll need to buy a kit to mount your phone in the car, adding even more to the cost (which TomTom is happy to sell you). Sorry TomTom (and the other equally expensive GPS app makers), it’s just not worth it.

[ TomTom ] VIA [ Crave ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Yesterday Microsoft announced a new version of their LifeCam webcam known as the Cinema which boasts an ‘HD’ resolution of 720P, or 1280×720 at 30fps. With a price tag of $79.99 it’s definitely not the discount bin webcam you’ll find at your local computer shop, but for that money you get an aluminum housing, a real glass lens that’s harder to scratch than plastic, auto focus, a noise-cancelling mic and a Windows Live call button making it extra friendly with Windows Live Messenger.

And since HD video does require a bit of horsepower, the minimum requirements for the LifeCam Cinema is a dual core 1.6GHz processor system, though they recommend 3GHz, and 2GB of memory. But since it’s not scheduled to hit store shelves until September 9th, you’ve got plenty of time to upgrade.

[ Pocket-lint - Microsoft LifeCam Cinema goes 720p ] VIA [ SlashGear ]

By Andrew Liszewski

If you’re looking to take your golf game beyond that tricky windmill hole, the X-Force Swing Trainer from Callaway Golf is designed to help you develop “the feel for the pendulum sensation of a proper golf swing” since the club is about twice as heavy as a standard driver. So not only do you develop muscle tone while swinging the club on a regular basis, but the extra weight also makes this club particularly effective for dealing with rats, snitches or anyone who owes you money. The X-Force trainer also has an ‘impact feature’ which simulates the feeling of a ball strike, and is available from Dick’s for $119.99.

[ Callaway Golf X-Force Swing Trainer ] VIA [ Uncrate ]

By David Ponce

If you’re one of those people who actually uses an off road vehicle off roads, then something like this little device from Uxsight might come in handy. Attach it to your dash with the self adhesive bottom and be constantly aware of your vehicle’s tilt and roll. You can even enter maximum values as per your vehicle’s handbook and be alerted of impending doom or whatever it is that happens when you do stuff with your car you really shouldn’t be doing in the first place.

Since it’s all of $18, don’t be surprised that there’s no real carbon on the device; it just sort of looks like there is. Barely.

[ Product Page ] VIA [ Ubergizmo ]