Oh! Gizmo

By Andrew Liszewski

I’m not quite convinced that video games will be the downfall of society, but at the same time, sitting on a couch all day with a controller in their hand isn’t the best way to foster a child’s mind. So the GameDr is another device designed to limit just how much time your kids can spend playing video games every day.

It locks onto the power cord of any video game console, or really any electronic device that plugs in by the looks of it, and features an easy to set countdown timer that will essentially ‘pull the plug’ when the time runs out. It also has a set of warnings at the 10 minute and 1 minute intervals so your kids have plenty of time to save their progress. The maker claims the GameDr is “tamper-proof” though they’ve apparently never heard of a little device I like to call a hammer. But if your kids are resorting to random acts of destruction to fulfill their gaming lust, you’ve got bigger problems than the GameDr can deal with.

The GameDr will be available sometime in June from DigitalInnovations.com for $29.99.

[ PR - Maintain Healthy Limits on Children’s Video Game Time with the GameDr® Video Game Timer ] VIA [ The Red Ferret Journal ]

By Andrew Liszewski

A weight scale can only tell you so much when it comes to your general level of well-being, but the Body Check Ball can fill in the rest of the details. You just hold the ball in your hands, and a pair of electrodes will read your body fat, bone density and muscle ratio, displaying the good or bad news on a backlit LCD screen. The ball supports up to 10 different user profiles, and I assume it will keep track of past measurements for comparison. It also doubles as an alarm clock, and you can pick one up from the Japan Trend Shop for $39.

[ Body Check Ball ]

By Andrew Liszewski

There’s no question that CPR saves lives, however, Sudden Cardiac Arrest still accounts for some 350,000 deaths annually in the US alone. And that’s because the average rescuer is only able to perform effective chest compressions for about 2 minutes before tiring, which is far shorter than typical emergency response times of 8 to 10 minutes. But the LifeBelt, developed by Thomas Lach of Deca-Medics Inc., is a compact, lightweight device that allows CPR compressions to be performed with about half as much force, meaning a rescuer can do them for longer, increasing the likelihood of resuscitation.

The LifeBelt attaches to the victim in less than 15 seconds, and it includes an intuitive readout that warns the rescuer if the compression depth is too deep or too shallow, so they know they’re doing it properly. At the moment the LifeBelt appears to only be a fully-functioning concept, as it won the grand prize in the 2008 Create The Future Design Contest, but hopefully that success means it will eventually be a real product available to the public.

[ Deca-Medics - LifeBelt CPR ] VIA [ Medgadget ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Wristbands designed to monitor your exposure to harmful UVA and UVB rays are nothing new, but I particularly like the UVSunSense bands because they’ll also let you know when it’s time to re-apply your sunscreen. You see, when you first apply sunscreen, you actually apply it to the UVSunSense band as well. Once you step outside the band will turn purple in the sunlight letting you know it’s been activated, and when the purple color fades, you’ll know it’s time to re-apply.

There’s also an “APPLY SUNSCREEN TO THIS SIDE” note on the band, and when those words are no longer visible, it’s actually recommended that you get out of the sun completely. Now unfortunately the bands are one time use only, but a 7-pack from Amazon is just $5.87.

[ UVSunSense Wristbands ] VIA [ Cool Hunting ]

By Andrew Liszewski

There are already plenty of watches that will monitor your heart rate and can keep track of the calories you’ve burned while exercising, but the T4C from Suunto is the first I’ve seen that uses that data to create a custom workout regime. You simply select a date that you’d like to train for, like an upcoming marathon, and the watch’s Coach software let’s you know how long and how intense you should train each day to reach your goal. And if you decide to slack off or even over do it one day, the T4C will automatically adjust your ten-day workout cycle accordingly to compensate. You can order one from Amazon for $219, since the Suunto website seems to have mysteriously vanished.

[ Suunto T4C ] VIA [ Uncrate ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Once a privilege only enjoyed by kings, presidents and software magnates, electric toothbrushes have come down in price over the years to the point where you can now pick up a basic model for around $10. However, those looking to pimp out their bathroom with the latest in high-tech gear will be happy to know that there are still electric toothbrushes on the market that cost well over a Benjamin. Like the Oral-B Triumph for example, which currently sits at the top of the heap when it comes to consumer-level dental care. But is it worth the investment? Check out my full review after the jump for those answers, and more!

Read the rest of this entry »

By Andrew Liszewski

Stationary exercise bikes have definitely improved over the years, but a company called RealRyder is hoping to take things one step further with the ABF8. In addition to pedaling, which is where most exercise bikes draw the line, the ABF8 allows the rider to steer, lean and most importantly, balance, thanks to its unique articulating frame. So if you use a stationary bike for training purposes, not only will your legs, upper body and core muscle groups get a workout, but you’ll actually be improving your balance all from the comfort of your exercise room. The downside? The ABF8’s $1,995 price tag.

[ RealRyder ABF8 ] VIA [ Uncrate ]

By Andrew Liszewski

While the CellScope looks like a monstrous cameraphone zoom lens that you could only order from a website like Brando, it’s actually a clinical-quality microscope with a magnification of 5-50X. It was designed by Daniel Fletcher, the associate professor of bioengineering at the University of California at Berkeley, and the goal of the CellScope is to bring modern diagnostic testing to remote areas who don’t have access to a lab or facilities with the proper equipment.

And because the CellScope is designed to be used with devices like cellphones and even camera equipped netbooks & laptops, it allows images captured by health care workers to be sent to larger medical centers for detailed examination by experts. The hope is that the CellScope will be used to more effectively diagnose diseases in rural areas to not only save lives, but also serve as an early warning for possible epidemics.

[ Telemicroscopy for Disease Diagnosis ] VIA [ Crave ]

By Evan Ackerman

It’s nice being clean. It’s a shame, then, that being clean is just so much damn work. Like, you get in the shower, and then you’re supposed to STAND there. Stand! And you have to be rubbing soap on your body and shampoo in your hair, and if you try and do that in opposite directions at the same time, it’ll make you fall over and you’ll crack your head open and die. And that would be bad.

The automatic human washing machine takes most of the dying out of showers by not only giving you the chance to lie down while getting clean, but also by doing all of the actual cleaning for you. You stick yourself inside the washing pod and command it to go, and it will wash you with soap and water, use infrared light to steam heat you, pamper you with sound and aromatherapy, and then finish up with a seaweed wrap and some body lotion. Then you get out, and the machine sterilizes itself to get rid of all the nastiness you left behind.

I have no idea how, or how well, the automatic human washing machine (aka the “Santelubain 999″) actually performs its numerous cleaning tasks, but the website assures us that “the automatic human washing machine has been recognized by various people through coverage by different medias.” Ah, okay, very good then. There’s no price listed, but the company seems interested in OEM resellers.

[ Avant ] VIA [ TrendHunter ]