Fresh Brain

Fresh Brain is a technology exploration site for teens–think building your own Facebook app or creating a video game.

Teens can explore technology, create their own projects, and connect with other teens. Topics include game design, graphics, robotics, web design and more.  There is even a section on eco-friendly tech development.

Considering these will be the skills of the 21st century workforce, what a great place to play!

Video Swim Mask

This might be a fun toy for your next trip to the beach– A swim mask with an integrated waterproof digital camera.  Take hands-free video to a depth of 15 feet and then transfer it to your computer by USB.  It has 16 MB built in memory that can store 27 high-res pics or 52 sec of video buy you can expand with a micro SD card slot.   Liquid Image also makes other versions of this mask including HD and Wide Angle

Found via

iPad+Velcro

On Facebook the other day, a friend of mine posted a picture of her husband using his iPad as a level to hang a shelf.  Obviously, the uses of the iPad are just beginning to be tapped.

Now comes this innovative little film demonstrating what happens when you bring together two of the world’s greatest inventions–the iPad and velcro.  Among my favorites are the GPS and the cookbook.

iPad + Velcro from Jesse Rosten on Vimeo.

What innovative ideas have you created for using your iPad?

Found via Lifehacker

Toyota and YouTube Team Up for Small Talk

Toyota is hosting a web video contest on YouTube called Small Talk. The contest is simple–you record your little one answering one of 10 provided questions.

The questions range from “how much does a car cost?” to “what’s the strangest thing mommy or daddy have put in your car?”

The winner of the contest will get $10,000.

If you make a video, note that the contest rules prohibit using your child’s name or it will be disqualified.  You can submit up to 5 entries.

Contest ends June 20. Read official rules here.

iWater

The most recent ipod nano is especially cool because it comes with a camcorder mode. New cases and additions are looking to utilize that new capability completely.

The Capture case by H2O Audio will let your nano go where very few ipods have safely gone before, underwater. Forget spending hundreds of dollars on other water proof cases for video recording, at $79.99 the possibilities it creates are all but priceless.

A New Eye View

Video cameras are everywhere, as is editing equipment and home made movies. Well, here’s a new twist on home video, a few ways to play with “special” effects like the pros (sort of).

First there is Garden Watch Cam. The name says it all. The camera can be set up in your yard and takes long videos of your plants as they grow. You can now have your own professional nature show and watch flowers bloom from bulbs to full plants. Speed it up for sure, but the Garden Cam keeps you from having to sit outside with a normal handheld for weeks.

For a less professional, but nicely ridiculous concept, there’s the Pet’s Eye View Camera. The camera takes photos instead of video, but hey, you still get a unique angle and look don’t you? And isn’t that the point anyway?

Free Friday

This Friday Hulu will begin broadcasting commercial free entertainment (for one night only).

Again, through it’s advertising partners (this time specifically brought to you by Mcdonald’s McCafe ) Hulu will be able to provide legal, free, and quality streaming of both movies and television on the internet.

I’m not a big coffee or fast food person, but I fully support and appreciate this step by Mcdonalds and hope that other companies may follow suit and provide more than one commercial free day.  Nissan used to provide limited commercial breaks during Heroes episodes on NBC and I appreciated the extra show time and limited interruptions even then.

There is still a way for companies to advertise without hindering the viewing experience or losing out to Tivo.  Advertisers just need to get creative, you get more with honey than you do with vinegar.

Robots and Us

This is probably the best idea ever.  Not only does it exemplify disposable tech, it’s also incredibly amusing.

Tweenbots is a project by Tisch ITP students at NYU .  The idea behind the project is to examine people’s relationships to space and how they interact with what they find there.  Armed with a cardboard covered robot and a video camera the experiment is pretty excellent.

The web site has the cutest video of the little robot in Washington Square park and shows both the great people who help it along and the wary people who take a step away.  The trick is the robot can only move forwards and absolutely depends on the help of strangers to get to its destination, the other side of the park.

Due to the unanticipated success of the first project other tweenbot scenarios are under development, including other traveling bots and a few that are left about the city with “family” phone numbers to call if they are found.  I’d help out if I lived in New York City, I only wish I was capable enough to build my own robot in the first place.

Wii Have Video

Wii has at last joined the video trend that has swept the video game market.  Wii, as the most original of the consoles, has still decided it wouldn’t hurt to hop on this particular band wagon.

Though Xbox and Playstation 3 are still the only consoled to offer DVD playing capabilities soon Nintendo will begin streaming video just like its competitors.  Original Wii videos to stream exclusively on the console are planned as part of the project.  Consoles can already reach the internet so hopefully video won’t be too hard to add.  It certainly can’t hurt the Wii’s already incredible popularity.

All in the Wrist

Watches don’t just tell time anymore, often they don’t tell time at all.  The fact is, they’re still portable, always have been, and that makes them a great base for any on the go gadget.

Thanko has released a video camera watch in a new MP4 version.  It comes with a color screen and both photo and video camera capabilities.  The quality of said video is pretty poor but what do you expect from a watch?  It’s a little large, but someone out there should be able to pull it off.  (And it still tells time too).

Also new on the market is the asteroid wrist watch.  It’s exactly what it sounds like, a wrist watch that plays the old school asteroid game.  You don’t even need buttons to slack off in class, you can play simply with a twist of your wrist.  How convenient.