Best Gadgets World

by Darren Murph, posted May 31st 2008 at 4:01PM
First things first: considering the huge amount of press garnered by a recent position art scam, this here could indeed be just another spoof to get your hopes up. That being said, we’re pretty sure no one with any level of decency would do such a vile thing on Easter Sunday, which is precisely when the above bunny was purportedly created from waltzing about with a Magellan GPS and a digital camera. The artist himself admits that what you see above is a slightly cleaned-up version of the actual path, but we’re told that any edits that occurred had no huge bearing on the outcome of the piece. You be the judge.

• Read
• Permalink
• Email this
• 13 Comments

Filed under: GPS

Yahoo’s Messenger software has been around the block a few times, and the new beta version (version 9) of the software adds some new social features.  While the overall look and feel of the app remains very much the same, users can now invite contacts on AOL, Gmail, Orkut, Hotmail, Myspace, and others to connect through to the Yahoo service.  The new beta version will also sport slightly larger emotions, so you can “express yourself with more oomph.” Also present are the ability to play games with your contacts, right inside Yahoo Messenger.  The status bar is split into two sections: one for availability, one for a place to share a link or thought.

The full version for Windows is due out in Q3 of this year, with a Mac version coming later into the year.

Read [Yahoo] via [WebWare]

Keep up with the latest gadget goodness! - Subscribe to our feed →

by Darren Murph, posted May 31st 2008 at 6:15PM
This day and age, there’s really no excuse to have too little room in your average pair of cargo shorts for all the gadgets needed in a day. Convergence and shrinking PCBs have left us with do-it-all handhelds that can fit in the rear pockets of size 2 jeans on a size 4 gal, so really, you have exactly zero reasons to actually buy that abomination pictured above. If you must know, the FreeHand is a wearable neoprene pocket that keeps your keys, flash drives, RSA token and chump change within easy reach, and if you’re lucky, you may be able to convince the boss it’s being worn to prevent carpal tunnel syndrome. Folks who haven’t listened to a word we just said can ignite a Jackson right now — or spend $19.95 on this, same difference.

[Via Coolest-gadgets]

• Read
• Permalink
• Email this
• 6 Comments

Filed under: Wearables

Do you have more room for another one of ‘em budget handycams? Adding to our choices of small and compact budget cams are not not just one but three models from RCA’s Small Wonder video camera product line. All three RCA handycams are not only packed with good features but more importantly they come in affordable prices as well, with two of them retailing for under a $100.

First up we have the EZ210 or the Small Wonder Traveler. This splash resistant handy cam boast of a 2.4-inch color LCD screen with high-visibility even when on a well-lighted environment at 320×240 resolution. It’s got a 2GB SD card which is good enough for one hour of near-DVD quality video recording. If 2GB is not enough for your needs, you can always upgrade up to 8GB SD card.

Next we have the EZ205 or the Small Wonder Summer with a 1.5-inch flip-out LCD screen for self-recording. This baby is loaded with a 1GB microSD card for a good 30 minutes of recording time if you prefer near-DVD quality or two hours if your recording with the intention of uploading your videos to YouTube and other web-sharing sites. You can also expand this capacity with up to 8GB of microSD card.

And finally we have the EZ200 otherwise known as the Small Wonder MyLife with basically the same features as the EZ205. The only difference is that it only lets you record videos in HQ mode rather than in near-DVD quality.

The RCA EZ210, EZ205 and EZ200 retail for $149.99, $99.99 and $89.99 respectively. All handycams will be available at Amazon just in time for summer.

Read [News.com]

Keep up with the latest gadget goodness! - Subscribe to our feed →

by Darren Murph, posted May 31st 2008 at 11:50AM
Wait, you did name your guppy Dory, right? Whatever your household fish is named, you can certainly give it a fresh purpose in life with the RhythmFish — if it were more than a mere concept, of course. The setup surrounds your fish with webcams and monitors its movements via sensors in order to translate all of that data and put forth a visual interpretation. In all honestly, it’s probably just some sort of randomizer hooked up to a Windows 95 screen saver, but a boy can dream, can’t he?

[Via OhGizmo]

• Read
• Permalink
• Email this
• 8 Comments

Filed under: Misc. gadgets

by Darren Murph, posted May 31st 2008 at 3:11PM
Hah, did you really have the nerve to doubt CraigIX? The iphone gamepad add-on that we heard about just last week is already inching closer to reality, and there’s a video to prove it. In the somewhat unexciting clip posted up after the jump, you’ll see a PCB mockup of the device doing its thang, though it’s quite inelegant in its current form. If you just needed one more something to boost your interest / confidence that this critter was real, you know where to head.

[Via zodttd]

• Read
• Permalink
• Email this
• 5 Comments

Filed under: cellphones

Microwaves are truly an awesome appliance. You could call them the epitome of the bachelor gadget, since so many unmarried men seem to rely on the device for all of their meals. We can’t say we’ve ever thought of using a microwave like this.

This excellent PC case mod makes your computer look like a stock-model microwave, complete with a cheap LED layout and a horizontally opening door. The window on the microwave has been ingeniously modded to act as the computer’s display, not to mention the microwave-themed desktop wallpaper.

The next time you head over to your microwave to cook up a cup of Ramen noodles, you might think to yourself, “What can I do with this microwave that would better fit my needs as a single nerd?” And then you’ll forget all about it and realize your noodles are getting cold.

This is definitly one of the coolest PC mods we have ever seen. And certainly the most visually accurate to the intended inspiration. If it weren’t for the icons on the desktop and the keyboard sitting in front of it, we might not even realize that this is a computer.

Source via Hacked gadgets

• Email to a friend
• Leave a comment

Industrial Computing has expanded its Guardian line of Windows CE 5.0-powered “military-grade” PDAs by introducing the dust- and drop-proof Guardian Model 135. It might not look as though it is up to the task when it comes to harsh environments, but it should be more than adequate for the average butterfingers who works in rather harsh environments. It complies with MIL-STD-810F and IP67 standards, enabling it to shrug off five-foot drops to concrete, being sprayed with water, or even being immersed. It will also outlast the average human in the heat, operating in temperatures of up to 140 deg. F. For more details on the specifications, check out the list after the jump.

• Processor: Marvell PXA270 clocked at 624MHz
• Memory: 128MB of RAM and 128MB of flash
• Display: 3.5″ in either QVGA (320 x 240) or VGA (640 x 480) versions
• Keys: Numeric keypad, directional keys, triggers for optional scanner
• WLAN: 802.11b/g
• WPAN: Bluetooth 1.2 (no Bluetooth 2.0? Bummer!)
• 2 x USB (1 host, 1 client)
• 1 x RS232
• Microphone jack
• Headphone output
• Pass-through connector for cradle
• SD memory card slot
• PCMCIA Type II slot
• 1900mAH lithium-ion battery
• Operating temperature: -20 to 60 deg. C (-4 to 140 deg. F)

There is no word on pricing or availability as at press time, but my guess is the elder sibling, the Guardian Model 137 is already ready to be purchased which means the 135 can’t be too far off behind. How many of you would actually pick up an industrial grade PDA just because you’re naturally clumsy (like yours truly)? I know I wouldn’t as the social stigma is there, and the design isn’t exactly to die for in the first place anyways. I guess folks like me will just have to learn to be more careful with my belongings whenever I hold them.

Source: Windows for Devices

• Email to a friend
• Leave a comment

The Nokia N96, is now expected to ship in July of this year.  Announced earlier this year, the N96 once again pushes the upper limit of the Finnish phone manufacturer’s N Series.  The quad band N96 has Wi-Fi, GPS, and support for DVB-H mobile tv—all built in.  The phone sports a stellar 5 megapixel camera with dual-LED flash and auto-focus.  A neat hardware feature of the N96 is a little kickstand for the device, enabling you to prop it up to watch videos.

Play.com has listed the phone for 599.99 GBP, which converts to 1,200 USD.  However, the Nokia MSRP is currently listed at a slightly more reasonable $800.  Either way, Play.com says the N96 will be shipping on July 31st.

Keep your wallets padded Nokia fanatics, because come July, they’ll be taking a heavy hit.

Read [Symbian Guru]

Keep up with the latest gadget goodness! - Subscribe to our feed →

by Darren Murph, posted May 31st 2008 at 10:14AM
Look out, naysayers — projectiondesign is giving this whole “3D revolution” thing some serious street cred with the F10 AS3D. Slated to debut at InfoComm 2008 in Las Vegas, the unit marks the company’s first active 3D stereoscopic projector. Notably, this isn’t the firm’s first foray into the third-dimension, as eight of its F20 sx+ PJs are currently being used in a 3D visualization system at Munich University. Moving on, we’ll also find its brand new three-chip DLP F80, which features a WUXGA (1,920 x 1,200) resolution, ACOP (Advanced Color Optical Processing) technology and a stratospheric price tag (we’re guessing on that last one). We’ll be holding out for pricing / release information, but we don’t suspect it’ll be too long before those critical points get divulged.

[Via AboutProjectors]

• Read
• Permalink
• Email this
• 3 Comments

Filed under: Displays, HDTV, Home Entertainment