Oh! Gizmo

By Luke Anderson

I can’t recall doing many activities lately that involve the use of very sharp knives. Sure, I’ll use a steak knife with my food sometimes, but you won’t find me cleaning fish or performing any task that requires something sharp in my hand for extended periods. However, if you’re doing something that makes you worry about the safety of your digits, you might want to invest in a pair of these gloves.

These gloves are made from a lightweight 7-gauge Kevlar, which will save you from small scrapes and deep cuts. After all, if it’s good enough for bulletproof vests, I think it can stop a few slices on your hand. You can pick up a pair for just $20.

[ Skymall ] VIA [ RGS ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Because they’re an essential item for any home, the companies responsible for making smoke detectors don’t seem to put too much thought into their aesthetic design. Consumers are going to buy them whether they’re ugly or not, so why bother? Thankfully Kidde has decided to move away from that mentality with their Silhouette model. It protrudes from your ceiling a mere half-inch and the visible face plate features a slick contour design. But it’s got more than just good looks going for it.

The Silhouette is actually AC powered but features a sealed rechargeable backup battery that will last for the life of the alarm. In the event your electricity goes out, the Silhouette will continue to operate off the battery and will automatically recharge it when power is restored. It can even be linked to other smoke detectors and security devices in your home so that when smoke or fire is detected by one device, all the alarms in your house go off. While installation is a bit more involved because of the AC power and other wiring, if you’re in the middle of a renovation it might be worth planning for one of these in advance.

[ Kidde Silhouette ] VIA [ Gizmag ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Over the years there have been many studies on the dangers of radiation and electromagnetic fields from cellphones. Some have said it’s perfectly safe, while others feel it’s really dangerous. But why listen to someone else’s findings when you can conduct your own research and come to your own conclusions with this handheld EMF detector. It measures both radio frequency radiation as well as extremely low-frequency magnetic fields and should give you a pretty good idea of which electronics in your home are the worst offenders. Of course the readings given by the CellSensor don’t exactly fall into a ’safe’ or ‘not-safe’ category since I’m pretty sure there’s no definite guidelines yet. But don’t let that stop you from publishing your own research on the dangers of cellphones and see if it makes the 6 o’clock news like so many before it.

The CellSensor is available from X-Treme Geek.com for $29.95 and runs off a single 9V battery which is not included.

[ CellSensor EMF Detector ] VIA [ IT Rush ]

By Andrew Liszewski

I’m not happy to admit that I’ve stayed in hotels where jamming a chair under the door knob at night wasn’t a bad idea, but I can’t say I would go as far as to travel with one of these in my suitcase. The Folding Door Guard has a forked head that securely wedges under a door knob and a non skid foot to prevent it from sliding out on carpeted or wood floors. While the leg is made from steel, I’m not sure if it will actually prevent a determined intruder from breaking in. However the door guard also has an adjustable motion sensor that will trigger a 120 decibel alarm which will probably serve to scare them off before they get in.

As you can see in the photo the door guard does fold up into a slightly smaller package, but I can’t see myself wasting the space in my suitcase or backpack by bringing it along.

You can find it at Solutions for $29.95.

[ Folding Door Guard ]

By Andrew Liszewski

I’m not sure how much smaller stun guns can get, but at 3.25 inches tall I think the Runt is the smallest you’ll find on the market today. While the compact size makes it easy to conceal in a purse or even wear as a pager, the device still packs enough punch to send any assailant reeling while you make your escape. And depending on how much of a point you want to make, the Runt comes in 350,000, 650,000 or 950,000 volt versions which are all powered by just 3 CR123A lithium batteries. There’s also a 950,000 volt rechargeable version with built-in retractable plugs that save you from having to carry a separate charger. On a single charge it’s capable of firing 300-500 times, which is good because the standard recharge time is about 12 hours.

The lithium battery powered Runts run $39.95, $49.95 and $59.95 respectively, while the rechargeable version is $69.95. And standard shipping is free unless you live in New York, Massachusetts, Michigan, Illinois, New Jersey, Philadelphia, PA and a handful of other countries throughout the world where the guns can’t be shipped at all.

[ TBO-Tech - The Runt ] VIA [ Spy Review ]

By Andrew Liszewski

The iPhone and vanity go hand in hand so Proporta’s new Echo screen protector seems like the perfect solution for those who want to look as good as their phone, and vice-versa. When the iPhone is turned on the Echo works like your standard screen protector, keeping the display free of nicks and scratches. But when the display is switched off, the Echo acts like a mirror allowing you to check yourself out or signal passing planes if you happen to be stranded on a deserted island. The protector is easy to apply and can be removed, washed and replaced as often as needed.

It’s available from Proporta for just $9.95 and includes an application card for keeping bubbles to a minimum and a screen polishing cloth. It’s also available in versions for the iPod Touch and the 3G Nano.

[ Echo iPhone Mirrored Screen Protector ]

By Andrew Liszewski

If the 70 lumens produced by the K2 Porcupine’s Xenon bulb don’t blind an opponent or attacker, you can always fall back on its sharpened spikes to get the job done. Unlike those multiple D-cell Mag-Lite flashlights that require you to bludgeon someone into submission, the Porcupine takes a cue from the actual animal when it comes to self-defense. Thankfully those spikes are protected by a retractable shield so that you can carry the flashlight in your pocket or bag without having to worry about losing a finger when you reach for it.

The K2 Porcupine is available from PentagonLight for $129, but keep in mind it uses CR-123A batteries which aren’t particularly common and they’ll only power it for about 60 minutes.

[ K2 Porcupine Light ] VIA [ Wired Gadget Lab ]

By Andrew Liszewski

While this might look like a concept design for the next version of the Nintendo Wiimote, it’s actually a ’smart’ wand designed to replace the traditional long stick used by the visually impaired. Created by Jin Woo Han it uses a sensor on the front to detect nearby objects and provides feedback about how far away they are with varying levels of vibration.

And even though it’s not illustrated too well in the photos, the wand includes a tactile strip where you place your thumb that will actually indicate the position of objects around you. Both of these methods of feedback are considered much better than using audio cues which can be easily missed if the user happens to be walking where there’s too much background noise. Unfortunately the Tactile Wand is just a concept right now, and given the time needed to perfect the design and the thorough testing that will be required, we probably won’t see it hitting the market anytime soon.

[ Tactile Wand ] VIA [ Tuvie ]

By Andrew Liszewski

The Kiddo Kidkeeper from Smart Target is like a 21st century version of those ‘kid leashes’ you see some parents using with their toddler. Except it doesn’t look as stupid. The system consists of a transmitter which you attach to the kid and a receiver which is carried by an adult. The transmitter continually emits a signal which is picked up by the receiver and is used to determine how far away the kid has wandered. When they go farther than a preset distance a warning sound and visual alarm on the receiver will go off allowing the adult to retrieve the child.

In terms of range settings the Kiddo receiver actually only has 2 options. The short range setting will alert the adult if the child has gone more than 4 meters (about 13 feet) away while the long range setting will sound the alert when a distance of 8 meters (or 26 feet) has been reached. The transmitter is also waterproof which means it’s pool and beach-friendly and can even be used at airports and on airplanes without disturbing the avionics.

[ Kiddo Kidkeeper ] VIA [ Gizmag ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Normally the terms hand-crank & radio really aren’t that interesting, and this time is no exception. However, I do like the fact that this particular hand-crank radio from Eton can be used to talk to other persons with the same radio, or other 2-way radios tuned to the same band of the 22 available channels. The website claims you can store enough power for an hour’s worth of use with just a “few smooth turns” of the fold out crank, but from my own experiences it usually requires a bit more effort.

Besides AM and FM stations, the radio can also be tuned to the NOAA weather broadcasts if you’re worried about an upcoming storm, or are currently in the middle of one that’s knocked out power. And for those times when even a “few smooth turns” seems like too much effort, the radio can run off of 4 AA batteries and also includes an AC adapter. But even with all those features I’m not sure if it’s worth $149.95.

[ 2-Way AM/FM/NOAA Crank Radio ] VIA [ GeekAlerts ]