Oh! Gizmo

By Andrew Liszewski

Now here’s a serious piece of baby monitoring kit. The Avent DECT from Philips sheds the Fisher-Price-esque appearance of most baby monitors in favor of a more high-tech looking monitor and remote. But it doesn’t just look high-tech, besides the guarantee of zero interference from other wireless devices and privacy thanks to an encrypted connection, the Avent DECT also includes a humidity sensor alerting you to dry conditions that could irritate your child’s throat as well as a temperature sensor to monitor baby’s room for optimal comfort.

The base unit also has a night light and “specially selected lullabies” to help your child fall asleep if restless, and the remote monitoring unit’s rechargeable batteries are good for 24 hours and a range of about 900 feet. But what does this kind of peace of mind run these days? About $150-$200 at various online retailers.

[ Philips Avent DECT Baby Monitor ] VIA [ The Red Ferret Journal ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Last year I wrote about a product called the CarCapsule which was basically a large inflatable bubble made of PVC you could use to protect an expensive sports car. Well a company out of the UK called Carcoon has a similar product, though they also produce a smaller version designed to protect a server when a clean and temperature controlled server room isn’t available.

The Server Shield inflates to about 6 feet tall, and when placed over top of your server (it seems designed to protect a system mounted in a server rack) gravity keeps it mostly airtight while it’s resting on the floor. A set of 4 small ventilators with filters keep air flowing through the Shield, which helps maintain the temperature inside and keep things clean and dry. There’s also a digital temperature readout on the outside indicating the current temperature inside the Server Shield, and special openings that allow quick access to the computer without having to completely remove the cover.

[ Carcoon Server Shield ] VIA [ The Red Ferret Journal ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Created by Kevin Stone, an orthopedic surgeon and inventor, the Rescue Reel provides a better way for upper-floor residents or workers to escape a high-rise building in an emergency. The device is based on a fishing reel of all things, though the Rescue Reel improves on that design with an automatic centrifugal braking system that controls the rate of descent. And in the event that fails, there’s also a manual braking lever as a backup.

Now the most important feature on any emergency escape system is how easy it is to use, and the Rescue Reel only requires the user to hook a Kevlar cord onto a secure object and then climb into a one-size-fits-all harness before they start to rappel through an open window. No mountain climbing training is needed, and descending from 100 stories takes less than 4 minutes. The first working prototypes of the Rescue Reel were tested back in 2007, and a commercial ready version should be available next year for about $1,500, with that price dropping once it becomes mass-produced.

[ Rescue Reel ] VIA [ Popular Science ]

By Evan Ackerman

If there’s one thing that scares me more than sharks, it’s this: sharks with guns. I’m relieved to report that Armor of America has seen this problem coming leagues away and has developed a bulletproof vest that also, somehow, floats. The ArmourFloat vest uses lightweight hard plate armor that can stop most assault rifle rounds, and includes shotgun shell holders and plenty of pockets for ammo clips. It’s available now in all kinds of colors including, for some reason that I can’t fathom, desert camo.

And in answer to your question, yes, the only reason I’m posting about this is so that I had an excuse to photochop a picture of a shark with a gun.

[ ArmourFloat ] VIA [ Crave ]

By Chris Scott Barr

There are definitely times when one really doesn’t feel safe. Like when you’re walking down a dark street on the wrong side of town, or when you find that you’re sitting in the home team section with a visitor’s jersey on. Sure, you could get a license and carry a gun, but not everyone wants that level of protection. One simple solution is a piece of clothing that can be used as a weapon for self defense. Sound crazy? Well check out this Sap Cap that promises to be exactly what you need.

This rather ordinary-looking hat actually contains a “unique impact material that is 110% the density of lead and will not rust.” Just grab the bill of the hat and swing it down on your foe. They’ll never know what hit them. Hopefully a good conk on the head is enough to make your escape, because they’ll soon wise up to the old weight in the hat trick. Something tells me this wouldn’t be the most comfortable hat to wear, but I guess that’s the price of self defense. Actually $30 is the price of self defense.

[ BudK ] VIA [ Dvice ]

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

A Long Beach-based design firm called Nectar Product Development has created a new anti flicker lighting system that eliminates the problem of flickering in high-speed video recordings of automotive crash tests. The new system uses computer-controlled high intensity lights in conjunction with a complex reflector system that evens out light distribution and compensates for the flickering. While the system was specifically developed to solve the problem as it relates to automotive crash tests, I’m sure it would be just as useful for any scenario involving high-speed video recordings, including busting myths.

[ Designboom - nectar design: anti flicker lighting ] VIA [ Cribcandy ]

By Andrew Liszewski

I’m sure the thrill of riding a motorcycle can’t really compare to what it’s like to be in the cockpit of an F-22 fighter, but if you like to imagine your chopper has a jet engine and ejector seat, this new line of helmets from Diesel will at least make it look you belong in the Air Force. They feature a stitched ergonomic neck protector, a padded lining that’s removable and washable, an interchangeable anti-scratch & UV filtering visor and of course an aeronautical military design. They were created in association with AGV, who are already well respected when it comes to motorcycle helmets, and while there’s no pricing info, the fact that they’re emblazoned with the Diesel logo across the back tells me they’re probably not going to come cheap.

[ Diesel Motorcycle Helmets ] VIA [ Acquire & UberReview ]

By Andrew Liszewski

If you’ve ever looked down at your keyboard and wondered what parasites, bacteria and other forms of unclassified life were crawling all over it, imagine what the keyboards at a hospital must be like. That thought alone is probably what inspired a company called Esterline to create their Medigenic Infection-Control Keyboard. Instead of raised keys, which provides endless places for crud to get trapped, the Medigenic features a flat keyboard design (with fake 3D key graphics) that can be quickly wiped clean with hospital-grade disinfectants.

Supposedly the flat design can still be used by touch typists with “conventional keyboard-like performance” and there’s a dedicated disable button which prevents accidental key presses while the Medigenic is being wiped down. There’s even a backlight allowing the keyboard to be used in low-light environments without disturbing a patient, and a warning light that will flash at user-defined intervals reminding you it’s time for a cleaning.

The Medigenic keyboard runs about $140, while the mouse, which is just as easy to keep clean, is about $80.

[ Medigenic Infection-Control Keyboard ] VIA [ Medgadget ]