There’s no denying that Apple’s iPad has stirred up a lot of excitement about tablet computing. That’s not to say that everyone is in love with the iPad itself, rather, they like the idea of what tablets could be. Many eyes have been looking to Google, as their Android platform has been a successful rival to the iOS. Fresh rumors are pegging a Google tablet as being released on Verizon November 26th.
The most unfortunate part of the rumor is that the tablet is going to run Chrome OS, rather than Android. This could be a deal-breaker, as many potential buyers would be more attracted to the already-established Android platform and all of the available apps for it. With the impending Android 3.0 being tablet-friendly, this does sound like an odd move.
Designed to replace the blades on a standard ceiling fan, the Purifan enclosure features a 5-stage filtering system that cleans and circulates over 2,000 cubic feet of air every minute. So in an average 20′ x 20′ x 8′ room that means a new supply of fresh and clean air every 90 seconds. The hanging enclosure apparently puts no more load on the ceiling fan’s motor than a standard set of blades, though you can also purchase the Purifan with a motor of its own that provides more RPMs for larger rooms.
But what I like most is the fact that the blades are completely enclosed. As a chap who’s slightly on the taller side I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been getting dressed and accidentally reached up too high, whacking my fingers on a ceiling fan. And as a kid, let’s just say ceiling fan incidents weren’t always accidental. The Purifan isn’t cheap though. The enclosure with a mounting kid is $399.95 and a replacement set of filters is $42.50 or $52.50 if you’re dealing with smoke odors as well.
Oh and if there are any aspiring web designers reading this, the Purifan website is a perfect example of information overload. Seriously, it’s like an infomercial teleprompter exploded sending shrapnel of useless facts and quotes all over the place.
A limited edition R2-D2 paint job is probably not enough to get loyal iPhone users to switch to Motorola’s Droid 2, but now they don’t have to. Available exclusively from the StarWarsShop.com this sculpted hard case for the iPhone 3G & 3GS will give any iPhone user (who hasn’t upgraded yet) their daily artoo fix. When it’s available sometime in October the case will sell for $29.95, but you’re welcome to pre-order one now sight unseen, since that’s actually just a concept image of how the case will look.
I’ve got a bit of a soft spot for pico projectors, but having reviewed a couple of AAXA’s offerings in the past I’ve noticed that the price tags haven’t exactly been dropping over the years like I’d hoped. And I have to assume that AAXA feels the same way since today they introduced their new P1 Jr. pico projector which currently sells for a very reasonable $119.99.
It’s billed as the “world’s smallest LCOS pico projector with onboard MP4 player” and from the product shots it definitely looks the part, but keep in mind that the old ‘you get what you pay for’ adage applies the same to pico projectors as it does to everything else. The 10 lumen LED light source means you’ll really only be using it in a dark room, and given the size of the projector, the compact rechargeable battery inside is only good for about an hour of use. Still, it’s got an SD card slot allowing you to natively load up and play back multimedia files and breakout cables allow you to connect it to an external AV source like an iPhone or a DVD player.
Utilizing solar power to reduce the amount of money you’re spending on electricity is a great idea, at least in theory. However, costs associated with purchasing the equipment, installation and even finding the space for the panels can deter one from actually following through with such a plan. One company is hoping to change this by offering a metal nanopartical spray that would turn your windows into solar panels.
The spray would add a slight tint to your windows, which if you’re like me, is actually a bonus (at least for the bedroom window). You would even be able to coat the outer walls of your building to essentially turn the whole house into a giant solar panel. They are making progress on this design, and hope to have it on the market sometime in 2016.
Apparently today’s kids can’t even enjoy something as simple as a rubber ball tethered to a wooden paddle with a piece of elastic. Noooo, they need some kind of interactive gimmick before the paddle ball concept seems interesting, and that’s exactly what the Bop-It! Bounce gives them.
The elastic tether is gone, though the core idea behind paddle ball is still there, namely trying to see how long you can keep bouncing a rubber ball. But thanks to 3 x AAA batteries the ‘paddle’ now talks to you, shouting out specific challenges like “how many times can you bounce the ball in 30 seconds?” or “how high can you bounce it?” And I assume it keeps track of the number of bounces for you, since asking kids to count for themselves would probably be an instant turn off. $19.99.
Once again the bar has been raised when it comes to smartphone functionality, but the lastest salvo doesn’t come from the Apple, HTC or even RIM camps, but from a German company whose H’andy sana 2010 phone includes a built-in heart rate monitor. Targeted towards persons with cardiovascular disease who should be having an ECG more frequently than others, the phone simply requires the user to press two fingers against its edge for 30 seconds for a heart rate reading to be taken. The data can then be sent to a hospital or doctor for interpretation. Not only does it save a patient from having to make frequent trips to a hospital or medical facility, but there’s a greater chance of catching a problem or complication before it becomes a serious life threatening issue.
As for the phone, well it’s your standard touchscreen affair with a 320×240 pixel display, a 1.3 megapixel camera, a microSD card slot facilitating its multimedia capabilities like MP3 & video playback and most importantly, a heart-shaped icon on what I assume is the home button. Certainly makes the rounded square on the iPhone’s home button seem downright cold! And while I’ve no idea where you can get one, or if you have to buy it outright or can get it subsidized through a carrier, the H’andy sana 210 is supposed to be available starting this month.
I can’t say I’m that big a fan of guns, but even I find it hard not to crack a smile when I see this miniature Airsoft M134 minigun literally shredding its way through a newspaper filled cardboard box at about 45 seconds into that video. If you’ve got the aluminum machining chops you can make your own thanks to a plethora of technical illustrations and tutorials on Kuba T1000′s website, and while I’m sure some of you will complain that it’s not accurate since the barrels don’t spin, I think you can cut the designer some slack since the gun is capable of firing anywhere between 300 to 6,000 pellets a minute, and is fed by an impressive custom made ammo box that can hold 16,000 rounds.
Remember the SeatBuddy? It was a silicone case with a couple of straps that allowed you to hang your iPhone on the back of a car seat and enjoy it hands-free. Well it’s pretty clear the people at Griffin Technology remember it since their CinemaSeat is essentially a larger version of the SeatBuddy designed for the iPad. On the back you’ll find an adjustable strap designed to wrap around a head rest which is secured by a “grippy hook-and-loop closure” or ‘velcro’ for those of us not fearing litigation. The iPad compartment is padded to protect it against bumps and jostles while driving, and there’s a stretchy mesh pocket on the back for holding miscellany. $39.99 available directly from Griffin Technology.
Related Tags: 
Permalink | 
No Comments
