Tech Gadgets Reviews

Posted Mar 6th 2008 12:14PM by Darren Murph
Filed under: Digital Cameras

While Casio — along with most everyone else — took the time to roll out a gamut of shooters at CES, the EXILIM Zoom EX-Z9 is sashaying in fashionably late. This 8.1-megapixel camera sports a 2.6-inch lcd monitor, face detection technology, anti-shake DSP, a 3x optical zoom, 18.6MB (and not byte more) of built-in storage, an SD / SDHC / MMC expansion slot, a video mode capable of capturing at 848 x 480 pixels and a rechargeable Li-ion for good measure. You’ll also find a USB / AV output socket and 23 “Best Shot” modes for those who just love choices, but the hard part will be deciding which of the four colors (pink, silver, black and orange) is really worth your $159.99.

Gallery: Casio unveils 8.1-megapixel EXILIM Zoom EX-Z9

Maths can be a serious problem for some kids, and to make the learning process more fun and easier, there is the Robot Calculator.

Basically it is a calculator shaped as a robot that has legs, arms, and hands that are able to hold different objects. There are other two great features that make it an unique gadget: the inclusion of a night light, and a magnet so you can place paper clips. In the end you’ve got a 3-in-1 product, right?

The Robot Calculator costs $15 and is available in three colors: green, blue, and white.

Stands up or lays down flat—the hardest working calculator on the planet.

Product Page

via

CeBIT 2008 is the platform for Nav N Go to parade its iGO MyWay 8, which is actually an “upcoming yet-to-be-announced iphone GPS receiver.” Other than that rather long description, there is nothing much else that we know about it, other than the fact that the software doesn’t look too exciting, and neither does it seem to take full advantage of the multi-touch capability. Check out the video to get a better idea.

Posted Mar 6th 2008 11:28AM by Darren Murph
Filed under: Robots

We’ll be honest — we’ve seen more snake-like robots than we care to count, but a new creature slithering out of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology is noticeably different than most. As you can see above, there’s a distinct lack of treads, tracks or wheels on Aiko, as it actually pushes off foreign objects it encounters in order to creep forward. Additionally, researchers have created a “virtual double” of the critter in order to help guide the development of the actual robot, though we’ve yet to hear if it plans on joining Anna Konda in war on fire.

[Via NewScientist]

Modern statistics show that a majority of people who goes online becomes in some ways addicted to the Internet. Average internet user spends nearly 34 hours per week in the World Wide Web. Easily calculated, it means that majority of people spend almost five hours a day in front of their monitors - five hours that they could have spent exercising, walking or playing sports. Most common problem - internet blogs dependence. It becomes apparent when persons refuse to do something because they do not want to lose connection to their friends in the virtual world. How could you exercise when all your friends are online and you do not want to stop reading? Believe it or not, it is a very common problem. However, every problem has its solution, so does this one. Now you can perform your physical exercises as you sit in front of your computer!

Springflex UB is a unique training device, which can be installed right at your computer desk. It can be used to perform more that a 120 exercises with help of which a bunch of unpleasant things can be avoided, such as Repetitive Strain Injuries or carpal tunnel syndrome. It will also improve the firmness of your upper body if you are exercising regularly. The most interesting feature of such unusual device is that you can sit in front of your PC doing all the exercises you need and reading all you wanted to, without packing your bag and going to nearest gym.

This is an interesting solution to many modern problems that are caused by computer and Internet popularity. However, it uses some precious space on the work desk. In addition, after a good workout you will need a spare shirt, or you’ll be wet and sweaty which can result a many other thing maybe even worse than RSI.

The Asus Eee is so popular that it has become the target of pretty much every PC manufacturer. ECS is the latest company to finally launch a competitor on this low-cost (< $500) new sub-notebook segment.

But unlike the Cloudbook from Everex, ECS actually has a good shot at doing some damage. First, it is a nice design. Secondly, it has a 3G access built-in, which can be a benefit (always-on access) and a disadvantage (cost of the subscription). The lack of optical drive might also turn-away customers, but hey, the macbook air doesn’t have one either. Obviously, there is WiFi and Bluetooth should be in too.

Related: Why Are PC Manufacturers so Afraid of the Asus Eee?

Keeping score of all the teams during the baseball season can be quite a chore, so why not let the Automatic Professional Baseball Electronic Scoreboard do all the dirty work for you?

This wireless electronic scoreboard automatically updates and displays the line score for every MLB® game throughout an entire season (including pre-season and playoffs) without requiring a subscription or service fees. At the touch of a button you can access each teams schedule, current divisional standings (wins/losses, games back, streak, and record in last 10 games played), and the starting pitchers for every game. It has an easy-to-read, backlit 5 1/4″ LCD that shows inning-by-inning line scores starting with the first pitch of the Grapefruit and Cactus leagues and culminating with the final out of the World Series. Information is updated every 15 minutes by a wireless signal transmitted from 8,000 antennas across the U.S. Includes a built-in, self-setting clock

Powered by a quartet of AA batteries, the Automatic Professional Baseball Electronic Scoreboard can be picked up for $149.95.

The point of terrorism is, of course, terror. Terror which is used to put the population in a constant state of fear. By this metric, London’s Metropolitan Police are helping the cause with a new poster campaign which urges paranoia about cameras, cellphones and houses. The ads instruct citizens to snitch on anyone they see with more than one cellphone, and photographers snapping near CCTV cameras or just making notes.

This appalling scaremongering not only breeds suspicion between innocent people but seeks to erode freedom. In the UK, a photograph can be taken of anything public. People, buildings and objects are all fair game if they are outside. Even private property is a legitimate subject if it can reasonably be seen from a public place. Terrorism is the new bogeyman, and it seems that it can be used to justify almost any whim of government or police.

On the plus side, the backlash has already begun, with parody posters up on Flickr ridiculing this ridiculous campaign.

Met Launches New Counter-Terrorism Campaign [Metropolitan Police]

Remixing the London police’s anti-photographer terrror posters [BoingBoing]

Posted Mar 6th 2008 8:16AM by Ryan Block
Filed under: Displays

It may (or may not) be wireless, but InFocus will apparently be one of the first companies to incorporate DisplayLink’s USB graphics directly into their future projectors. No other details, that’s all we’ve got for now, we’ll let you know when they’ve actually got gear to announce.

Casio has just introduced its new G-SHOCK GW-9200 that claims to offer you the most accurate time possible, tuning in to half a dozen international radios so that you will always get the right time no matter where you are. Some of the features include :-

• New multi-band atomic timekeeping
• Solar powered
• Water-resistant to 200 meters
• Barometer pressure indicator and differential pointer (graph) with a range of 260 to 1,100 hectoPascals (millibars)
• Altimeter with a range of -700 to 10,000 meters
• Thermometer with a range of -10°C to 60°C
• Stopwatch with a resolution of 1/100th of a second
• World time with support for 33 cities
• Countdown timer with a maximum of 24 hours
• 5 daily alarms and one snooze alarm.

The Casio G-SHOCK GW-9200 will roll out this June 28th, retailing for approximately $260.