As we inch closer to the promise of a wireless world, the holy grail of cutting the cords, wireless power, still eludes us. WiFi, Bluetooth and cellular technologies have replaced network and other cables, and while they’re not perfect, they continue to improve every year. But truly wireless power, like being able to walk into a room and have your devices start charging automatically, is still something you only hear about in laboratories and R&D facilities. So for the time being inductive charging systems, like those offered by Powermat, are the best ‘wireless’ power solutions that consumers can actually get their hands on.
The idea is pretty simple. An induction coil on a ‘base station’ plugged into the wall uses electricity to create an alternating electromagnetic field, while another induction coil on a device converts that same electromagnetic field back into electrical current which charges the battery. The technology only works across a very short distance, but it does away with the need for a direct electrical contact, meaning you don’t have to physically plug anything in, just place the devices near each other. While it’s not exactly the wireless power solution everyone dreams about, it’s still a far more convenient alternative to charging cables. The technology is still in its infancy though, at least in consumer-ready products like those from Powermat, and there’s still a few speed bumps that will have to be overcome before they become a must-have accessory in my opinion.
You may not be interested in gardening, but this high flow garden nozzle from Nelson Industrial should make anyone who ever dreamt about being a fireman jump at the chance to do some watering. Like with most nozzles it features an adjustable spray pattern, but it’s the large metal shut-off handle that will appeal to most people, letting you control the flow of water from a gentle shower to a raging monsoon. In fact the nozzle is claimed to provide up to 300% more water flow, which translates to 300% more plant damage if you’re not careful, which could result in 300% more getting in trouble. It’s available from Amazon for just $23.95, and all I have to say is daisies… you get to drink from the FIREHOSE!!!
In what is easily the best use of the iPhone/iPod Touch’s hardware interface to date, New Potato Technologies has created a dock, which they refer to as an ‘appcessory’, that turns your phone or MP3 player into a miniature one-armed bandit. While the Jackpot Slots dock will set you back $39.99, the accompanying app is a free download from the App Store. It includes realistic graphics and sounds, online play letting you compete in tournaments around the world, and even the chance to win a trip to Las Vegas after you’ve earned 50,000 credits playing the game.
Instead of just passing a black light over the bill to illuminate its anti-counterfeiting features, the HT CD-100 Euro Detector goes the extra mile by detecting the thickness, density and the ink used to determine if the bill is real or not. It looks like using it is as easy as sticking a note face up into the device and pulling it through, and it’s able to test all denominations of both U.S. and Euro currencies. A set of lights glow red or green to let you know if the bill fails or passes, though it would be nice to have a more specific indication of why exactly a bill failed if it was fake. Interestingly enough the site mentions that the detector “does not check out the North Korean version of Super fake U.S. dollars” so if you were hoping to pick one up I’d recommend paying* with those.
We’ve covered quite a few ‘smartpens’ over the years, but the Pulse from Livescribe was easily the leader in that market. Until today that is, since it’s just been knocked off the top of the podium by its successor, the Echo. Notable updates include a new rubber finish and a much needed size and weight reduction (though it’s still larger than even a fountain pen) the inclusion of a standard 3.5mm headphone jack, 4GB and 8GB models allowing up to 400 or 800 hours of recording respectively, as well as new software allowing you to share your ‘notes’ on popular social networks or email. There’s also a Paper Tablet application coming out sometime in the Fall that will let you use the Echo as a tabletless stylus, though it requires the pen to be tethered to a PC via a USB cable which isn’t the most convenient way to use it.
The new 4GB and 8GB Echo smartpens are available now for $169.95 and $199.95, while the original 2GB Pulse smartpen has seen a price cut to just $129.95.
Few people enjoy Mondays, and those that do generally need to have their heads checked. Since you likely need any sort of pick-me-up that you can get today, we’re going to kick off a special giveaway. The prize is the Warpia Wireless USB A/V Adapter Set that we told you about back in January. Having one of these in your possession means that you can send audio and video wirelessly from your PC to your TV.
We’re changing up the rules a bit on this giveaway. You’ll still enter by commenting, but not on this article. We like to reward our active readers, so we’ll be selecting a comment from a random post published between now and July 31st. You can comment on as many posts as you like (thus increasing your chances to win), but keep in mind that we’ll be making sure that the winning comment is constructive and relevant to the post. Also, the contest is only open to US residents. Good luck!
Last week we showed you a review of some AA batteries that could be recharged by using a USB port on your computer. While it’s great to not need a special charger for your batteries, wouldn’t it be great if they could recharge themselves without being hooked up to another power source? That’s exactly what Brother is trying to do with these Vibration-Powered Generating Batteries.
Essentially the technology inside these batteries is similar to the flashlights that can be powered by shaking them. Since both the battery and generator are both packed into a AA-sized enclosure, the output is very minimal. Currently they can only produce around 100mW of unsustained power. While that may not seem like much, it would be perfect for TV remotes, which generally use less than 100mW. This could mean having a remote that never needs the batteries changed. I’m down with that.
Normally we’ll stick a video of something near the end of a post, but this time it’s coming first since you really can’t appreciate this robotic ChouChou Butterfly without seeing it in action.
It’s eerily realistic, particularly if you ever had a jar with a caterpillar inside that did the whole the metamorphisis thing. But you can enjoy this imprisoned butterfly for as long as you want, without ever feeling guilty about not letting it fly free. Available from the Japan Trend Shop for $75 starting September 1.
Last week we brought you a story about how American fast food chains were having a bit of trouble in Japan, and in an attempt to attract customers, Burger King had introduced a special booth that let you listen to your own music without disturbing others. But that seems like just another cheap gimmick when compared to what Subway is doing at their Marunouchi Building restaurant across the street from Tokyo Station.
In the middle of the store is a glass enclosed hydroponics garden where lettuce is grown and harvested for the restaurant’s sandwiches. Now unfortunately the garden doesn’t produce nearly enough lettuce to fulfill the store’s daily needs, in fact it’s only about 5%, and if you want the healthier alternative on your sub it will cost you a premium too. But it’s a start, and for a company that encourages you to ‘eat fresh’ a glowing garden in the middle of their restaurant is a far better mascot than a clown, colonel or a king.
Related Tags: iPhone, Reviews, Wireless power
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