This is just a reminder that there are only a couple days left to win yourself a fancy HTC Inspire 4G Android smartphone from the good people at AT&T. All you have to do is enter is visit our original contest post and leave a comment. We’re even happy if you leave a new comment every day to better your chances, we just request that you limit it to one a day. The contest ends Friday evening at midnight, so if you haven’t entered yet, what are you waiting for?
When we reviewed Jawbone’s JAMBOX a couple of weeks ago we were more than impressed by what the compact wireless speaker was capable of. In fact, we feel it’s created a welcomed new niche market, namely small portable speakers that don’t sound terrible. And since there’s nothing wrong with a little competition, we’d also like to extend a warm welcome to the foxL v2, even though the original version probably existed well before the JAMBOX was unveiled.
But those details aside, the foxL v2′s biggest selling feature seems to be that it was developed by a bona-fide rocket scientist, Dr. Godehard Guenther, a former NASA engineer with a passion for audio. Like the JAMBOX the foxL connects to your audio source over Bluetooth (though a non-wireless version is also available) and has been engineered to provide a good balance between loudness, audio fidelity and bass, given its compact dimensions. It’s also got a rechargeable battery good for about 5 hours, though it can be plugged in as well. And if the bass just isn’t doing it for you, the speaker even has an output for connecting it to a powered subwoofer. $199 for the Bluetooth version, $169 for the wired.
Sony’s 11-inch XEL-1 OLED TV made for an impressive in-store demo when it debuted a couple of years ago, but even the most ardent supporter of bleeding edge technology was hesitant to shell out $2,500 for a tiny 720P display, no matter how amazing the contrast levels were. And while OLED displays have still yet to supplant LCD or plasma TVs in the consumer market, it’s nice to see Sony introducing the technology into their professional broadcast gear.
Their new 17 and 25-inch TRIMASTER EL broadcast quality monitors feature a full 1080P OLED display, and a host of inputs including the more common HDMI and DisplayPort, as well as more professional connections like 3G-SDI, SD-SDI and HD-SDI. Not surprisingly these new monitors continue in the tradition of large-format OLED displays coming with large price tags, with the 17-inch version selling for ~$15,600 (¥1,312,500) and the 25-inch coming in at ~$28,700 (¥2,415,000).
Oh lighter than air vehicles… will you ever capture the public’s heart? My guess is no. That whole Hindenburg incident a few years ago was a real PR nightmare, and since that day the most exciting applications we’ve found for blimps have been advertising tires or MetLife insurance. And in a time when kids can get a living room-friendly remote control helicopter for like $30, I think you’re going to be hard-pressed to sell them on a larger, slower, helium-filled alternative.
But surely blimps that look like marine life will get kids excited right? That’s the working theory behind these new Air Swimmers which are essentially remote-control helium-filled mylar balloons that look like a shark and a clownfish. I’ll award them a few points for originality since they actually use the back and forth motion of their tailfins to propel themselves through the air and steer, and as you can see in the video below they move at a pretty fast clip.
Buuuuuuuuut… they’re still blimps. And if a gigantic one drifting over a stadium isn’t enough to hold my attention for longer than 4 seconds, I have my doubts a smaller home version will do much better at keeping me entertained. Available sometime in July for $39.99.
Exercise is less effective when you’re not properly going through the motions, and there’s even the risk of causing bodily harm when dealing with things like weights if you don’t have the proper technique. But at the same time, not everyone can afford a personal trainer to monitor and provide feedback on their exercise routines. So as part of the ‘FitForAge’ initiative sponsored by the Bavarian Research Foundation, researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute have developed an Electronic Fitness Trainer that’s available to anyone with access to a smartphone, computer or even just a TV.
The system is a combination of a customizable app and a sensor equipped suit that’s able to track the wearer’s position and movements while they’re exercising. The routine they follow is initially setup by a trainer or a physical therapist who ensures that it’s tailored to their needs and capabilities, and that they’re performing the various exercises properly. After that the app takes over, showing a virtual 3D avatar of the person in the suit and providing feedback when their motions or position don’t quite match up with what the trainer had specified. The system allows for trainers to be of assistance to more clients, while not requiring them to always be around during their actual routines, and ensures that the exercises they’re doing are as beneficial and effective as they can be.
This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Sunbelt Software. All opinions are 100% mine.
By David Ponce
The anti-virus/anti-malware space is certainly crowded, with Symantec’s Norton the ubiquitous elephant in the room. And elephant is a particularly good analogy in this case, as most anti-virus programs suffer from inevitable bloat. As generations of software pass, it seems as though features are bolted on and on and on, making the final product a resource hog and transforming your PC into a sluggish carton of metal. Not to mention that products get increasingly complicated, confusing the end user with what to buy by fractionalizing their offerings in an effort to artificially drive up prices.
Well… competition is rarely a bad thing and VIPRE Antivirus software from Sunbelt Software claims to have developed their anti-malware program as a one-stop-shop shield against viruses, spyware, rootkits, trojans and more.
To put their money where their mouth is, Sunbelt Software commissioned a report (which you can download here (PDF)) that concluded “[VIPRE] consumes up to 38% and 45% less memory, and offers up to 2.6x and 3.6x scanning speed compared to Symantec and McAfee.” Also, “VIPRE has been VB100 and ICSA certified, which means you get world-class protection.”
Well, at the very least, VIPRE sounds like it’s worth a try… and if you’re so inclined, why don’t you enter to win a 1-year license (a $30 value)? Like always, say something in the comments and we’ll randomly select a winner in one week from now.
Got an extra $200 kicking around and want to look totally badass? adidas Originals now has an updated version of Jeremy Scott’s JS Wings 2.0 shoes we originally brought you back in July of last year that now feature NBA Jam-esque “He’s on fire!” flames coming off the sides. The sneaks come complete with matching yellow to orange gradated laces and have made me realize that my shoe budget is woefully underfunded…
A steady supply of electricity is definitely something a lot of us take for granted, but in many parts of the world that’s a luxury. And while you might panic during a blackout that the mayonaise in your fridge could go bad, imagine the risk of losing thousands of dollars worth of life-saving medications and vaccines. That scenario is what prompted a company called True Energy to develop their special ‘Vaccine Refrigerator’ which is able to maintain a constant temperature of below 10˚C for up to 10 days without a drop of external power. Even if the temps outside hit 43˚C.
The refrigerator employs the company’s Sure Chill technology which is a combination of a built-in rechargeable battery powered either by the grid, a solar panel, or a combination of the two, as well as some heavy-duty insulation. And thanks to something they refer to as their “innovative phase change material” and some intelligent temperature monitoring, the fridge is able to make adjustments on the fly, keeping a constant stabilized temperature even when warmer items have been added. As an added bonus, so as not to be a load on an already taxed grid when power is available, the Vaccine Refrigerator runs on less than 5 hours of electricity when drawing it from the grid, which also serves to keep costs down.
At the moment True Energy’s Vaccine Refrigerator is already in use by the World Health Organization and Unicef, but the company is exploring more commercial uses given how energy efficient the technology is.
Nerf guns seem to satisfy that part of us that wants to go around shooting people. Not because we want to kill them, but there’s nothing quite as excited as a good old-fashioned shootout. Well if you’re looking for the gun that’s going to give you an edge in the foam-dart arena, this Nerf Dart Tag Swarmfire might just be what you need.
Since this is one of the battery-powered offerings, you’ll need only squeeze the trigger to unleash a round of 20 darts into your foe. Expect a little more heft to this one, as it requires a stunning six “C” batteries. I can’t honestly remember the last time I bought some of those. Look for this to hit shelves this spring for $30.
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