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Gadgets

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10 Hilarious Ways To Kill Summertime Pests With Gadgets

Nothing puts a damper on summertime activities quite like an infestation of pests. The warm weather brings out all kinds of creepy-crawlies, and getting the upper hand on them is no easy task. There are plenty of traditional methods of handling the situation, but they all lack one key element—fun. Indeed, a twisted type of pleasure can be derived from exterminating these pests if you have the right tools. So arm yourself with the following gadgets and enjoy some sick summertime fun. More »

Feature

4:00 PM on Fri Jul 25 2008
By Sean Fallon
14,735 views, 58 comments

Latest by Geeum: I just turn an air duster can upside down and give em a shot of r134a. Kills, bugs, DEAD. more »

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The $2000 DanBall Relieves Stress, Keeps Typing Fingers Limbered Up

I'll be the first to admit that having someone massage your hands is relaxing, especially after a long day of typing away on a computer. If you agree, a finger massage from this DanBall device may be just the thing to help melt away your stress. According to the manufacturer, it can give you up to 50 one minute shiatsu finger massages on a single charge, help grow your fingernails with infrared rays and keep you relaxed with a soothing melody and LED light show. Sounds like a great way to keep the typing fingers limbered up or keep you on your bowling game, but for $2000 I'm pretty sure that I can find some better ways to unwind. [Japan Trend Shop via OhGizmo via Ubergizmo]

2:20 PM on Fri Jul 25 2008
By Sean Fallon
2,459 views, 16 comments

Latest by Ariel_Wollinger: SNAKE OIL... more »

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iPhone 2.1 Firmware Has Tiny Glimmer of Copy-and-Paste Shining Inside

When Apple said it didn't care about cut and paste on the iPhone, it's possible that it meant "not right now, but soon, possibly." Because over at MacNN they're reporting that the developer firmware 2.1 may have hints of copy-paste within it. "In exploring the Localizable.strings entry under English.lproj in the current iPhone WebKit framework, there are entries for several commands the firmware does not currently support, including cutting, copying and pasting," apparently. There's also a reference to a "mobile radio" but whether that pertains to internet radio functionality for the phone is impossible to divine. [MacNN via Macrumors]

1:20 PM on Fri Jul 25 2008
By Kit Eaton
7,346 views, 38 comments

Latest by B. Whaler: Screw cut and paste. Screw better GPS. Just make this POS stable and fast. Apple's quality is pathetic nowadays. And if Microsoft, Sony, et al., don't see this as the way to stop the Apple rocketship, they are fools. (And this is written by more »

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Eee PC's to Get "Whole Day" Batteries, Says Rumor

Not content with muddying-up the waters of the Eee brand, Asustek is apparently keen to "push out software and hardware upgrades every month to fill gaps in the netbook market." Though that sounds like a bad idea, at least one benefit may come of it: according to Digitimes, one of the upcoming products will be a "whole day" battery for the Eee UMPCs. Digitimes also talks about an "internet storage" solution, and cooperation with European telecoms vendors. Interesting stuff, though since it seems slightly unsubstantiated, we'll wait 'til we hear something concrete to believe it. [Digitimes]

11:40 AM on Fri Jul 25 2008
By Kit Eaton
2,960 views, 26 comments

Latest by n/a: @Gujustud: It's a conspiracy... big oil won't let us put solar panels on laptops. ... no, not really. more »

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Thanko's Cooling Fan Keyboard Cools Your Over-Heated Wrists

Bless those guys at Thanko—they've been wondering what else to apply fan-cooling tech to, and have come up with this keyboard that cools something you never thought needed it: your wrists. The gizmo has three fans built into the wrist-rest area of a standard USB keyboard, ready to puff sweet air at your sweaty wrists at the flick of a switch. Bizarre. And if you want one, you'd better have really hot, sweaty arms indeed 'cause this thing takes up two USB ports. It looks pretty sturdy, mind you, and is out in Japan for about $62. [FarEastGizmos]

10:40 AM on Fri Jul 25 2008
By Kit Eaton
1,497 views, 17 comments

Latest by Hvedhrungr: Now that is an A+ way to get some nice nerve irritation. Remember the stiff neck you get when driving with two open windows in your car? Basically the same thing, only happening to your wrist. Kudos to Brando. Catering to more »

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Peak's Plasmablade is Sci-Fi-like Surgical Tool of the Future

Cutting open a person for surgery using a plain old scalpel seems pretty barbarian compared to this new cutting tool from Peak. Instead of a sharp metal edge, or even an electrosurgical cutter, the Plasmablade uses pulses of plasma generated around its tip to locally cut and cauterize flesh such as skin, fat and muscle. It has the advantages of not damaging nearby tissue since its generated heat remains short term and local, and there's less... uh... smoke to worry about than with electrosurgical tools. If you can stomach the idea, there's a pretty graphic demo video of the blade in action. Just don't be eating while you watch. More »

9:20 AM on Fri Jul 25 2008
By Kit Eaton
19,755 views, 45 comments

Latest by n/a: @Git Em SteveDave is a poor substitute for LindsayJoy: Humans are bad for you. more »

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Moore's Law Revitalized by 12-Nanometer Chip-Fabbing Invention

A year ago we reported on Intel's nifty technique for 22nm chip fabrication, which may extend the life of Moore's Law. Now MIT is reporting a new technique for optical lithography which should make 12nm chip manufacture possible, making for smaller, denser future chip tech. More »

8:40 AM on Fri Jul 25 2008
By Kit Eaton
4,558 views, 13 comments

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Make Your Sysadmin Smile: Wish Them Happy Sysadmin Day

It's the 9th annual Sysadmin day today. You know... sysadmins? The people without whom your entire computing network would come crashing down in flaming ruins? According to the System Administrator Appreciation Day website, "on this special international day" you should "give your System Administrator something that shows that you truly appreciate their hard work and dedication." And don't mess up your damn PC by fiddling with it, for once. [Sysadminday via GeekDad]

7:26 AM on Fri Jul 25 2008
By Kit Eaton
5,005 views, 26 comments

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Team Doubles Efficiency of Thermoelectric Material: Good News for Car Electrics

Scientists at Ohio State University have taken a thermoelectric material that's been used for decades to power deep-space probes, and worked out how to double its efficiency. That's good news: thermoelectrics convert heat directly into electrical energy. By catching exhaust heat, the new material may allow car alternators to be replaced... and that'll push up the efficiency of car engines. The team doped lead telluride with tiny amounts of thallium, which adjusts the crystal structure and increases its heat-electricity conversion efficiency from around 6% to over 10%. Even better, since engineers have years of experience of working with lead telluride, it should be easy to commercialize the product. Environmentalists will have to be pleased, and relax about the high toxicity of thallium, though. [Technology Review]

5:24 AM on Fri Jul 25 2008
By Kit Eaton
1,958 views, 13 comments

Latest by n/a: Isn't a Stirling Engine the best way to convert heat into power? more »

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Lancer's Laqa3 Waterproof MP3 Player Takes Design Simplicity to New Levels

Maybe I'm not a slope-wise skier, but when I'm hurtling down a mountain I love to hear wind sounds—not music from my iPod. Other people are different, and this waterproof MP3 player from Lancer certainly fits the "rugged enough for big snowboard crashes" bill. The Laqa3's design is a plain metal tube. And... well, that's it. There's a headphone connector, and presumably controls somewhere, but other than that it's a plain metal tube. You may dig its industrial-look, or not, but it weighs just 25g, has IPX7 waterproofing so it's good for swimming, and comes with IPX7 silicon ear buds. It plays MP3s and WMAs, has an eight-hour lithium battery. It's released July 25th in Japan for about $185, which is lots considering it's 1GB. [AVWatch]

4:49 AM on Fri Jul 25 2008
By Kit Eaton
1,503 views, 17 comments

Latest by n/a: yeah, I really had a double take on this thing. maybe my mind is in the gutter but this looks like a sex toy at first glance. more »

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Buffalo's 8x Speed Blu-Ray Disc Recorder, World's Fastest (for Now)

Buffalo's upcoming internal and external BD recorder units can burn both single or double-layer BDs up to a sizzling 8x speed, and DVD ±R up to 16x. Of course Blu-ray technology is going to improve, probably following a similar pattern to DVD burning tech. But here's a funny: these drives use Panasonic SW-5584 units inside... and the speed may actually outstrip the currently fastest available Blu-ray burnable discs. Amusing, and a situation that can't last long. The drives are SATA-based (with USB 2 on the external unit) and will be available in Japan at first for around $380 for the internal and $440 for the external drive. [PCWatch]

4:29 AM on Fri Jul 25 2008
By Kit Eaton
1,094 views, 6 comments

Latest by n/a: oh my, can't wait till these hit my price line. that's a LOTTA pron bro. unless it's HD in which case it's a lotta HD pron, bro :^) more »

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The "Hang On" Outlet Reminds You To Unplug Your Gadgets

Saving a little extra money on your next power bill is as easy as unplugging your power cables now and then. After all, those greedy gadgets keep sucking power from the grid even when not in use. Designer Paulo Oh has come up with an extremely simple solution to this problem with an outlet that includes hangers for your plugs. Naturally, this little feature means that you don't have to deal with cords lying all willy-nilly on the floor. It is only a concept at this point, but with this whole power conservation thing catching on, I wouldn't be surprised to see something similar available in the near future. [Yanko via Ubergizmo]

3:40 PM on Thu Jul 24 2008
By Sean Fallon
2,601 views, 32 comments

Latest by n/a: @poedgirl: "Every single outlet in Australia is required to have a switch, and always has. I don't see why the US is so behind like this, is a switch really that hard to operate?" No, we use 110VAC and you use more »

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'Improve' Great Works of Art by Adding in Gadgets

For this week's Photoshop Contest, I want you to insert gadgets or modern technology into famous works of art, be they paintings, drawings or photographs. A pretty straightforward challenge, but I'm looking for some real quality this time around. Don't just slap a photo of a Bluetooth headset on the Mona Lisa. Make it look like it's part of the painting. Come on, I know you've got the chops. More »

12:40 PM on Thu Jul 24 2008
By Adam Frucci
3,481 views, 33 comments

labs

Photos of Labs at Night Show a Spooky, Soulful Side to Science

Science lab night-time routine goes like this: the experiment concludes, equipment winds slowly down. You rub bleary eyes, stretch your stiff neck, hit "save" on the data for analysis tomorrow. Then you deal with the forest of coffee mugs, flick the light switch and bumble out of the door. But the lab's still there: racks of equipment that can't be turned off humming, shining in the glow of its own LEDs... The technical bounds that give us our gadgets happen in these places of science, thought and, as it turns out, a kind of weird beauty when everyone's gone for the night. And that's the subject of this amazing photo set over at Seed Magazine. Check out the link for the full set: it'll get you thinking, or possibly reminiscing (it certainly did for me.) [Seed Magazine via Wired] Photos: Noah Kalina.

9:15 AM on Thu Jul 24 2008
By Kit Eaton
2,444 views, 10 comments

Latest by stallionz: Nice pic of Stanford Linear Accelerator though. While it's 2 miles pale in comparison to the LHC, it makes for a nicer pic being a linear collider. more »

robots

Sensopac Neural-Net Robot Hand May Be What Droids Will Shake Hands With

Robotic hands and arms may be getting more sophisticated, but they don't really rival what we think C3-PO would have poking out of his torso. That is until now: an European science team have been busy creating the Sensopac robotic limb, and it's arguably the most human-like robotic limb yet. And partly that's because its sophistication is derived from software modeled on the human cerebellum. The arm has artificial skin that can sense force and direction in detail, and its 38 motors mimic the structure of human muscles and tendons to give it a very human-like grip. More »

7:00 AM on Thu Jul 24 2008
By Kit Eaton
2,406 views, 15 comments

Latest by Neverkilled: Robot Jones, mechanical tyranical: Wasn't the hand they found that made skynet start building robots? It seems like all the sophisticated robot parts we hear about now are about the hands specifically. Where is john connor anyways? more »

umpc

Toshiba Demos UMPC Hand-Held Tablet Prototype, But Thinks it's Too Small

At a recent presentation, Toshiba demoed a little hand-held UMPC prototype, indicating that the company is considering that product market. The silver-framed machine has a 5.6-inch touchscreen, and runs Windows Vista on an Atom processor and 64GB of SSD storage, and even packs in GPS. Though the onscreen touch keyboard takes up too much real estate, it's a great-looking little package. But apparently Toshiba isn't going to turn prototype into product as it's considered too small for practical use. That'll interest fans of the fabled Apple touch tablet, I'm sure. What do you think guys: would you buy a PC this size? [PCAuthority via Gizmodo.au]

5:51 AM on Thu Jul 24 2008
By Kit Eaton
2,606 views, 13 comments

Latest by n/a: It's a mirror more »

pmp

Creative Decks Out Zen Range with Patterned Mozaic PMP

Creative is clearly in some kind of rush to get new media players out into the world: first the X-Fi, then the Krystal and now the Mozaic. It's a pretty standard offering, with music and video playing function, a 1.8-inch screen, FM radio and voice recorder, but, like the Nokia Prism, it's its keypad that makes it a teeny bit different. It's a mosaic-themed one, which you may either think is a tasteful dash of creativity, or a daft way of confusing the controls. In black, silver and pink colors, it's in either 2, 4 or 8GB versions for $99, $129 and $unknown. [NothingbutCreative]

5:30 AM on Thu Jul 24 2008
By Kit Eaton
1,513 views, 33 comments

Latest by toyotaboy: Look at me! I'm a trendy mp3 player that looks like a dance club... and nobody cares Honestly I haven't used creative since the buggy (and horrible battery life) zen micro, and even now I don't even use my 4gb more »

wii

Sanyo Brings Wireless Eneloop Charging to the Wiimote

It's been a while since we've shown you anything with Sanyo's Eneloop label, but this new product bearing the wireless charging tech will sound like good news for Wiimote users fed up of awkward battery/charging solutions. Sanyo have teamed up with Nintendo to make the Eneloop Wiimote charger: and it's contactless. You simply replace the standard Wiimote back, drop it into the stand (which even accommodates silicon covers) when you're done playing, and it'll refill the batteries in 220 minutes. The stands can daisy chain off one power brick, so up to four Wiimotes can get juice at the same time. But there's a problem: apparently it's Japan only for now. Though I can't imagine it'll always be: it's just way too useful. [Akihabaranews]

5:05 AM on Thu Jul 24 2008
By Kit Eaton
1,409 views, 11 comments

Latest by n/a: That's awesome! I'm sold! Japan only? You know we did invent something called a boat a while back ;p Now we very REALLY BIG ones... more »

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