Does hip, techy lingo confuse you? Do you wish you were more techno-savvy without delving into the realm of motherboard circuit confusion? That’s why I’m here. This blog focuses on testing the waters. I’ll share what cool, new gadgetry I’ve come in contact with and bridge that learning gap with ideas on what’s really useful, what’s cool and what’s really not.
Magic Motion
So I’m a huge Harry Potter fan and being a huge nerd comes along with the territory I guess. So although I know how lame this looks to other people, I think it’s pretty fun.
The Kymera Magic Wand universal remote is a magic wand for your television, literally. Just like spells in HP there are specific gestures to control volume and channel. It’s $84 so it will set you back a bit, but so will any other movie related prop or memorabilia, and this is much more useful.
Speak!
So, for now, it only translates in Japanese, but I think that just makes it all that much more amusing. Tomy has released a new dog translator, the Bowlingual Voice.
You heard correct, a collar that will translate your dog’s barks into plain English (well, Japanese for now anyway). It’s a new addition (the old addition didn’t have the recorded human voice capability) and claims to be able to decipher six different doggy emotions for over 50 breeds of dogs.
The handheld controller features an action dictionary, to further decipher a dog’s mood, as well as a dog quiz, and doggy scheduler. I mean, obviously I’ll have to wait for an English version, but what a kick it would be at parties.
Marvel-ous
The evolution of comic books continues. iTunes has boasted a handful of comic reading applications for its ipod touch and the iphone, but now Marvel comics has officially jumped on board.
Through the comiXology, Fanelfly, iVerse, and Scrollmotion official Marvel comics can be downloaded and read for anywhere from .99 cents to $1.99. Current releases aren’t as extensive as they could be, but everyone starts somewhere, and it certainly is another step forward in comic’s accessibility.
Sun Stability
I’m a fan of solar chargers, and the environment, so it’s nice when an official tech company can get behind a green idea and officially endorse it.
That’s what has happened for Novothink’s solar charger for the iphone (second generation) and the ipod touch. The charger has been endorsed by Apple and even looks pretty appealing. Designed almost like a car dock for the iphone the charger slides over the back of the phone (or ipod) and contains LEDs so you can see how much of a charge you really have.
Sure the extra pack will be a little bulky, and a little expensive ($70) but think of the energy you’ll save. Think about the on the go possibilities. It could just be worth
Plus Fitness
It started October 4th and it’s time to workout. Maybe this release would have been better timed over new years, but those of us who already enjoy Wii Fit are not complaining.
Wii Fit Plus ($99 with balance board $20 without) is the first upgrade to Nintendo’s incredibly successful Wii Fit system. The new game will feature all new yoga, strength, and game activities. New games include Skateboarding and Kung Fu. New customizable functions will allow users to personalize their workouts like never before. Pick a specific area for improvement and Wii Fit will suggest specific activities. Enjoy one specific exercise? Customize the amount of time you need/want to spend on it.
Wii Fit Plus also includes a new calorie counter for those who take their workout time particularly seriously. But hey, you’re playing a video game as exercise, how serious can you be?
Water Safety
Just in case you like to watch television in the bathroom (maybe you have one of those TV’s that looks like a mirror and then suddenly it’s your favorite show) or perhaps you worry about your electronics because you have a lot of little kids.
Well, Sony Japan has recently released the Rimotokomanda universal remote. The most unique feature (other than it’s wide variety of colors) is it’s water resistance. That’s right, a water resistant television remote. I don’t know how many people may actually need one, but hey, a little feature like that, it can’t hurt.
The Importance of Trust
Starting this fall (meaning now) Wikipedia will become an even trustworthier source. I mean, I’ve never had a teacher who didn’t say “wikipedia is not a legitimate source” but lets be honest, it’s usually the first stop for anyone who just wants a quick answer.
The University of California has created a system (wikitrust) that will color code newly added information on wikipedia pages. Basically the longer a piece of information has remained on the page, the more truthful it’s likely to be (as no one has taken the time to edit it).
Registered wikipedia users are able to click the “trust info” tab and see color coding on whatever page they have chosen to view. How successful this will be in appeasing a teachers mind is questionable, but it certainly can’t hurt.
Write Anywhere
Forget the written word (sort of). Michael Linderman has figured out how to translate electrical muscle impulses into a written language.
Through a technique called “electromyography” Linderman, and other researchers, can recognize a person’s handwriting through the pattern from the movement of their own hands. The hope is to create a glove that will allow anyone to write in thin air with just hand and wrist motions. Sounds pretty travel convenient (and cool) to me.
Draw
Not everyone owns a tablet (some of us don’t want to) but we can all agree there are some things that would be easier with a pen or stylus.
Enter the Duo by KCI Communications. It’s a stylus that comes with a base station that track the coordinates of the pen and thus transforms any screen (though not if it’s bigger than 17 inches) into a tablet enabled drawing board.
The Duo is only Windows compatible currently but Mac is in the works, and odds are it’ll be our before a Mac tablet ever will.
Power on the Go
It’s all about power these days. Gadgets only have battery life that lasts so long. Everybody wants an on the go option when it comes to charging and here is yet another one.
The iLuv iAD115 is a Micro sized USB Car Adapter. The iLuv plugs right into any average car through the cigarette lighter and you’re suddenly the new owner of a USB charger (just don’t forget the extra USB wires you may need for your gadgets).
