By Andrew Liszewski

Improved graphics and a 3D screen might have made the latest of version Nintendogs + Cats for the 3DS seem a lot more realistic than the original 2006 version, but it certainly can’t compete with the 3D effect of Activision’s upcoming pet sim title, Wappy Dog. Like with Nintendogs + Cats, you get to interact with a virtual representation of Wappy Dog, who looks like a kid-friendly version of Sony’s AIBO. But the hook is that the game also comes with a real-life version of Wappy Dog that includes touch sensors, a mic and is able to wirelessly communicate with the 3DS. So you can interact with it via the game, or in real life.

The goal, like with all these pet sim games, is to improve Wappy Dog’s mood by taking care of it with regular feedings, cleanings and playing games. Five different mood states are expressed through the colors of its light-up cheeks, covering everything from unhappy to stubborn to happy and content. Players can also talk to Wappy with more than 18 different voice prompts being recognized, and it will respond with one of 350+ evolving barks that are translated via the 3DS. And because the whole point of the 3DS is to be a portable gaming system, Wappy Dog offers two modes, Home & Travel, that allow you to keep playing with the dog while you’re away from it. And when you return, your dog’s progress will be synced back to its physical counterpart. Available sometime this Holiday season.

[ Wappy Dog ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Until Star Trek IV‘s promise of transparent aluminum comes to be, titanium will remain one of the coolest metals available here on Earth. It’s light, strong, non-corrosive, is used in the construction of stealth aircraft and can now be used to protect your iPhone 4. Snow Peak’s simple iPhone 4 case is made in Japan, pressed from a single piece of titanium to protect your device without ever feeling like it’s being weighed down. We’re talking a weight of just 0.6oz! Rubber protectors on the inside prevent the iPhone 4 from getting scratched while it’s inside (there is metal on metal contact after all) and the case is expected to be available sometime this month for $119.95.

[ Snow Peak Titanium iPhone 4 Case ] VIA [ High Snobiety ]

By Andrew Liszewski

If you’re looking to upgrade the less than amazing white earbuds that came with your iPhone or iPod with something that costs in the neighborhood of 10X the price of your device, a Japanese company called Final Audio Design will happily take your money. In exchange for ~$2,700 (on the high end) you’ll have your pick of one of the four different earbud types in their Piano Forte X-VII series. Besides a massive 16mm driver which is going to produce an impressive amount of sound, the Piano Forte earbuds are actually made from milled metals, designed to mimic the performance and sound of a horn shaped loudspeaker.

You have your choice of copper with gold or ion plating (the X-G & X-CC models) stainless steel with a polished finish (the IX) or brass with gold plating (the VIII) with each producing slightly different sound characteristics based on your personal acoustical tastes. While I’m not sure how comfortable it would be to stick metal buds in my ears on a cold Winter’s day, according to the Final Audio Design website it’s a better alternative to soft silicon pads which can “introduce tiny vibrations that distort sound.” I have no doubt these earbuds sound great, but I’m finding it hard to believe they could ever sound amazing enough to justify their asking price.

[ Piano Forte X-VII Series Headphones ] VIA [ Fancy ]

By David Ponce

It’s no secret that consumer electronics manufacturers will take design cues from whatever seems to be working well in the marketplace. In this case, Apple’s MacBook Pro is still turning heads these days, so it’s no surprise to see Dell orient its XPS 15z to look somewhat similar. But make no mistake, this is no overpriced piece of technology (*cough Apple* cough). In a sleek aluminum case that’s barely one inch thick, the XPS 15z can come with either a Core i5 or i7 processor an as much as 8 GB of RAM. Even the lower configuration comes with 6GB and 500GB HDD. Perhaps even more importantly, the XPS 15z distinguishes itself from the previous Adamo line of products in that it comes with a discrete NVIDIA GPU; in the case of the Core i5 config you can get the 1GB GeForce GT 525M, while the Core i7 will have the 2GB GeForce GT 525M.

With today’s coupon from LogicBuy, you can get the Core i5 XPS 15z for $1,099 after a $238 rebate and the Core i7 model for $1,499 after $438 off.

[ Dell XPS 15z ] VIA [ LogicBuy ]

By Andrew Liszewski

There are obvious benefits to using an exercise machine on a regular basis. All that health and fitness stuff. But a company called SportsArt has created a machine that can actually save you money too. Well, in the long run at least. Their S770 Pinnacle Trainer comes with a pretty steep $8,499 price tag, but besides getting you in shape it’s also able to harness the energy you’re putting into exercise and convert it into usable electricity.

The machine has a built-in heart rate monitor and on-board computer for tracking your progress, which are all powered by the trainer itself. There’s never any need to plug it into a wall. Unless your home is setup to allow devices to feed electricity back into the grid, since the S770 features an external power inverter that generates electricity from your workout. Apparently up to 2,000 watts during a rigorous session, which can potentially save you thousands of dollars on your power bills if you stay dedicated to using the machine throughout the year.

[ SportsArt S770 Pinnacle Trainer ] VIA [ Inhabitat ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Even though it snap pics with a measly 1.3MP resolution, is completely lacking in any kind of usable zoom and forces you to squint at a 1.4-inch LCD display, there are some very good reasons why you should consider this Underwater Digi Cam available from Photojojo.

1) It’s cheap. Like $35 cheap. If you’ve ever thought about doing underwater photography and have bothered to price a waterproof housing for your DSLR or even your P&S, you’ll appreciate how affordable this is.
2) You’re not going to be doing as much underwater shooting as you think you are. If you’re a professional sealife photographer, then you won’t bat an eye at spending thousands of dollars on waterproof cases since you’ll probably be in the water every day. But if you really think you’ll be in your backyard pool day in and day out capturing priceless underwater moments of your kids, you’re kidding yourself. For the occasional vacation to the tropics though, it’s perfect.
3) It’s cheap. Sorry to keep mentioning this, but even if it manages to grab one decent set of photos before succumbing to the pressure of being 100 feet underwater (its promised depth) you’ve more than gotten your money’s worth out of it.

[ Photojojo - Underwater Digi Cam ] VIA [ Wired Gadget Lab ]

By Andrew Liszewski

While not particularly new, yesterday’s 100+ degree day (where I live at least) has gotten us thinking about ways to beat the heat. And Electrolux’s Powermix Silent blender will not only come in handy for mixing up smoothies and other frozen drinks, but it also does it in a way that’s 10X quieter than your standard blender. Now referring to it as ‘Silent’ is a bit of a stretch since it still produced about 80dB of noise, similar to being inside a car at 50MPH. Compared to 90-95dB of a regular blender which is more like the roar of a motorcycle.

The quieter performance is thanks to the blender’s patented ‘Sound Reduction System’ which incorporates reduced vibrations and better airflow around the motor. But as far as blending goes, it also apparently improves on older models there too with a triangular jug design which better creates a vortex effect, pulling materials down to the blades. Unfortunately though, like a lot of products under the Electrolux brand, it’s only available in certain parts of Europe.

[ Electrolux Powermix Silent Blender ] VIA [ Fancy ]

By Andrew Liszewski

I guess I’m partly to blame for writing about them in the first place, but when we first brought you the iCorkz a few months ago I secretly kind of hoped the idea of aftermarket port protectors would just fade away. But, I was wrong. Instead of quietly disappearing, they’ve apparently become a fad. And even worse, a novelty!

While the iCorkz at least looked subtle and functional, these Plugys come in six ‘adorable’ different designs including bolts, a dripping faucet and even a wind-up toy key that are far too cutesy for my tastes. The plastic stem slides into your device’s headphone port so you can pretend that you’re protecting your expensive toy from dust and debris, but you’re not fooling anybody. They’re available from Strapya World for just $4.90 each, plus the cost of your MP3 player or smartphone’s dignity.

[ Plugys Earphone Jack Accessories ] VIA [ InventorSpot ]