Gear Lover - by Craig Hill

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Everex's gPC mini – Size does matter

March 4th 2008 03:00

Everex's mini PC

The Everex mini PC

Remember the earliest computers that used to require more floor space than two car garage. Available only to the military and science divisions these physically massive data processors of the WWII era might as well have been science fiction to the general public.

The Personal Computer revolution of the 1970’s and 80’s saw the size reduced for home use and then came the advent of the tinier, portable laptop. Now the evolution has entered a new arena of transportable miniature electronics.

Everex Mini PC - Keyboard and mouse not included

Designed to compete with the Mac mini Everex has released its latest small, affordable and versatile Linux based PC. Armed with a DVD Burner and 120GB of storage, the only weakness of the system compared to its main rival is that it only has 512MB of RAM as opposed to the 1GB available on the latest Mac.

Sold as a standalone unit sans keyboard and monitor, the Everex may not be the end word on this emerging technology but certainly entices with its price tag (around $500 US), reduced body size and practical accessories.

Vital Statistics:
Intel Dual-Core T2130 (1.86GHz)
Intel GMA950 Video chip
Realtek ALC268 audio,
Gigabit ethernet,
Firewire,
4 USB ports
Audio In/Out.

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Posted By: Dexter - Category: Computers, Home

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the Ultimate Universal Remote?

February 29th 2008 01:46

Phillips Pronto RU990 Universal Remote

The Phillips Pronto RU990

If like me you have a number of components that demand a wireless remote control, then you may well already own some sort of all in one system. After all there have been plenty of products on the market for the last decade that cater to button pushing ease for all home theatre gadgets.

The Phillips Pronto RU980 Universal Remote is a great example of what the latest technology can do. Compatible with most all equipment this touch screen dictator of electronics is flexible and customisable.
From the official site:
“An extensive code library is built-in, and the device can ‘learn’ codes from the original remote control units supplied with the AV equipment. Codes can also be downloaded from the Internet when incorporated in pcf files. Even the most complex installations – such as multi-room configurations and concealed-in equipment, are easily accommodated. One hand-held unit eliminates a coffee table full of remote controls!”

The site goes on to explain:
“The user-friendly ProntoProEdit software provides extensive design flexibility. Standard templates are included, and these are easily customized to create unique designs. Large memory capacity - 48 MB - means the graphics and macro possibilities are virtually endless. Powerful aids like graphical linking of buttons, page rearrangement, button alignment and additional right-click menus all speed up programming. Opening files is up to 30 times faster than before.”

Costing more than I am comfortable with at the moment, there is no denying the temptation to modernise my own unit after discovering this next wave of omnipresent lording over all things that plug in and play.

For more information please visit pronto.phillips.com

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Posted By: Dexter - Category: Home

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Never Mow Your Own Lawn Again!

February 27th 2008 00:05

The Lawnbott 3500

The Rolls Royce of Mowers

Mowing down the competition, (Just had to get that out my system) this is an invention that in my mind will make manual lawn mowers an inanimate antique.

Personally I’m allergic to grass, on a bad day it can give me a rash and hay fever simultaneously. Add to that the harsh Aussie sun in the middle of summer and you will have the reason why I HATE mowing the lawn.

The Evolution of Grass Cutting

For some one like me the news a few years ago that the Lawnbott 2000 was released was met with an initial wave of pleasure. Soon it subsided though because this earlier Robot gardener was restrictive rather than freeing. It’s impractical design meant larger back yards required multiple charges due to inadequate battery life and it failed to tackle some basic physical obstacles like hills.

LawnBott 3500

Now the Brand new LawnBott 3500 from KA Home Robotics promises more range, longer life and increased abilities. Coming armed with Blue tooth compatible and the capability to work up gradients of 30 degrees this top of the range model boast the drive to cut back 1.5 acres of the ever growing green stuff.

Directly from lawnbott.com:
“The homeowner can program which days of the week and what hours of the day the LawnBott needs to come out of its charging base and cut the grass. At the end of its work cycle, the LawnBott will go back to its charging station and take a nap while it recharges, ready to come out again for the next cycle.

Safety and Security are further enhanced with the LB3500 through a higher sensitivity, free-floating, 360° bumper shell, blade stop proximity sensor, and an on-board alarm system should an unauthorized user pick up the Lawnbott.

Utilizing two (2) lithium-ion batteries to propel more powerful motors, the LB3500 can handle slopes up to 30°. It can also maintain a larger yard area, up to 38,000 sq. ft. That’s well over a 1 ½ acre home’s typical yard size.”

I don’t know about you but once these become more common place and drop in price I will be amongst the first to grab one.

To find out the price of owning your own LawnBott and for further technical information visit lawnbott.com

Here is a video of the Lawnbott 3200 Evolution

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Posted By: Dexter - Category: Gadgets, Home, Video

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CarMD - A return to Auto Independance?

February 22nd 2008 00:26

CarMD - Your personal mechanic.

The CarMD Package

Remember the good old days of the internal combustion engine. Back when something went wrong with your car you could just lift up the hood and with basic mechanical knowledge fix most simple problems? Having electrical symptoms meant going for the distributor cap and spark plugs. A hiccup in fuel feed started with the carburettor?

Now everything is engineered through computer chips. Fuel injection systems and auto electronics are all governed by a silicon mind that demands professional tools for diagnosis. My father complained endlessly about the development of the technology because it swiped his automotive independence.

Today I found a practical and somewhat revolutionary gadget that could change all that. It’s called CarMD, a digital handheld unit that plugs directly into your engines computer and provides easy to read analysis of your cars systems.

CarMD doing it's job

From the official CarMD website:
"The handheld tester automatically links to your vehicle’s computers through a port found under the dashboard. It’s easy-to-read LED’s give quick indications of the vehicles health.

You can use the tester to monitor and maintain the health of your 1996 and newer car, light truck, minivan and/or SUV for the life of your vehicle.

The CarMD can help you to:
Examine a used car before buying
The green, yellow and red lights on the CarMD tester can tell you if the used car you're considering is jewel, a possible lemon, or a big red flag.

Give your vehicle a clean bill of health before road trips
Again, watch the lights. Green = go, Yellow = proceed with caution, Red = consult your mechanic.

Pre-”smog/pollution” test your car
Yellow or red lights mean you may not pass a state emissions test. Be sure to consult your mechanic.”

Visit CarMD.com for more information and to see a demo video.

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Posted By: Dexter - Category: Gadgets, Home

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Introducing the Gravity Light

February 20th 2008 00:05

Greener Gadgets Conference

The Bamboo Kinetic Phone - Crazy but interesting

Over on greenergadgets.com they have just had there annual one day conference that includes a design competition. Directly from the sites press page, the winner was:

The EnerJar DIY Energy Meter Kit
Designed by Matt Meshulam and Zach Dwiel

MacGyver enters the energy race

This little downloadable DIY kit uses household materials to monitor and measure the energy output of a variety of everyday devices, allowing the user to take personal responsibility over energy use.

Not bad, I can see the practical uses but the astounding accomplishment that inspired this post is what came in second prize:

The Gravity Based Kinetic Energy Lamp - Gravia
Designed by Clay Moulton

What goes up must come down

Reminiscent of a grandfather clock, this gorgeous floor lamp uses the weight of a hefty component to kinetically power itself.

A light that works on Newton’s primary principle, is there any fuel supply more readily available? So how does it work you may ask, well an interview with the Gravity lights creator Clay Moulton on newswise.com has a few answers.

“The light output will be 600-800 lumens – roughly equal to a 40 watt incandescent bulb over a period of four hours.
To "turn on" the lamp, the user moves weights from the bottom to the top of the lamp. An hour-glass like mechanism is turned over and the weights are placed in the mass sled near the top of the lamp. The sled begins its gently glide back down and, within a few seconds, the LEDs come on and light the lamp, Moulton said. “It’s more complicated than flipping a switch but can be an acceptable, even enjoyable routine, like winding a beautiful clock or making good coffee,” he said.
Moulton estimates that Gravia’s mechanisms will last more than 200 years, if used eight hours a day, 365 days a year. “The LEDs, which are generally considered long-life devices, become short-life components in comparison to the drive mechanisms,” he said.”

Green Cell Battery Cellphone - Not available in Bamboo

The marvel of nature’s invention, leaving these tools for us to play with. Now with the initiative of that whole climate disaster end of the world scenario looming the human race is again striving forward to develop and discover new energy sources that lie above and below this blue planet.

The cynic in me acknowledges the potential to make big bucks out of the added media hype and corporate greed is an epidemic. Still the ends may justify the means. No matter what your stance on climate change less draining of our natural resources guarantees the future stock for many generations.

To strive for alternate fuel and power is an obvious ambition for the human race. Variety and variation inevitably lead to optimising technology. As a gadget lover the idea of my various components and portable devices being able to run on something as simple and cheap as sunlight or in this case, Kinetic energy or gravity, that's invention.

Please visit greenergadgets.com and newswise.com for more information about Clay Moulton and other revolutionary technology.

Here is some footage of the Green Gadgets Awards Ceremony with some stunning innovations.

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Posted By: Dexter - Category: Cellphones, Gadgets, Home, Video

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RoboMop named after wrong verb

November 3rd 2006 08:15

The RoboMop helps you keep the house floor spic and span, regardless of whether your floor is made from wood, granite, marble, ceramic tiles, or lineoleum. This device is smart enough to move about on its little own robotic ball, picking up dust from the floor and around the air using electrostatic pads.

This means it does a clean sweep but does not actually mop the floor. Make sure you don't have any cats or dogs around the house while using the RoboMop as they will most probably chase it down and give it a few good bites or swipes with their paws, rendering your electronic household assistant maimed for life.

Source: Coolest Gadgets

150

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Posted By: Edwin - Category: Home

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We're Lilliputans with the Giant TV Remote

October 26th 2006 07:29

Imagine wielding this bad boy around the house. It is extremely huge and does away with the perennial problem of a missing remote control. The Giant TV Remote does not only control the family's source of entertainment (with the Internet coming in a close second), it is also capable of controlling your DVD player, satellite, cable, auxiliary A/V device, and yes, even the antiquated VCR.

This super-sized home device is powered by a couple of normal AA batteries (what did you expect - a nuclear reactor?) and works with most A/V products available in the market today. For $35, it is worth the price as you can also use this to bonk a thief over the head in the middle of the night when there are no other weapons available.

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Posted By: Edwin - Category: Home

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Metaphys Wall Mounted Power Outlet

October 24th 2006 00:44

Disregarding the title of this post, what goes through your mind first when you saw the picture on the right? It looks like a coaster viewed from the top, while those with zanier imaginations will most probably concoct a much better hypothesis. Save yourself some brain juice, it is actually a wall mounted power outlet which can be found in Japan.

The Metaphys Wall Mounted Power Outlet comes with grooves all around, enabling you to plug in more than a single appliance simultaneously since Japanese plugs are basically flat. There is a red light located at the center that will glow in full strength in the event of a power surge, so you will be able to know when to save your precious electrical items hooked up to it. Pretty neat, eh? Brings a whole new meaning to the word Plug-and-Play.

Source: Akihabaranews

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Posted By: Edwin - Category: Home

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The music of love

October 8th 2006 04:31

Looks like Ukranians are a lucky lot as they are set to receive a musical condom to keep them entertained as they indulge in some horizontal hokey-pokey. Grigoriy Chausovsky of Zaporozhye, Ukraine, has developed condomes that come with a special sensor which knows when the condom is put on.

This integrated sensor will then transmit a signal to a miniature speaker (you have no idea how small or how loud it could get) located at the base of the condom, which will then play a melody. As the act of love making becomes more passionate, this sensor will register the corresponding speed of the movements and subsequently raise the volume of the melody.

Will this sound drown out your partner's moans of ecstasy? Well, I'm not sure but you can always import a packet from Ukraine to find out. Not sure how the components inside the condom is powered though - does it use kinetic energy? Where is the battery connected to? What's the wattage of the speaker?

Yet another groovy and interesting device that this zany world can think of. Necessity might be the mother of invention, but this could be taking it overboard. After all, it brings a whole new meaning to the catch phrase "the music of love".

Source: Dave's Daily

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Posted By: Edwin - Category: Home

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Lego Ice Cube Tray

October 6th 2006 20:43

Here's something pretty interesting for you to suck on, and in a good way. The good folks at Lego have created a Lego Ice Cube Tray which churns out ice cubes in the classic Lego brick that we've all come to know and love. At least that is true for the older ones among us, as young people these days would probably be more interested in a Tetris-shaped ice cube instead.

I wonder when will people start to make tons of these ice cubes and construct their very own Lego ice sculpture. Either way, you can build bridges with good friends when you plonk a couple of these down in their drinks the next time they drop by your place. The Lego Ice Cube Tray is available online for $7.99.

Source: Cool Hunting

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Posted By: Edwin - Category: Home

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What's cooking?

October 1st 2006 15:48

Despite its rather convoluted name, the Elite Cuisine Multi-Function 3-in-1 Breakfast Center comes with a list of functions which is almost as long as its calling card. This amazing device will suit any home well, whether it is dwelt by a bachelor or a family of four. You can now toss your oven, hot plate, and coffee maker out of the window when you pick up this $34.99 home appliance from Target. Hmm, there's nothing quite like a hot cup of Joe and some piping hot bacon and eggs to start off the day.

Source: Crunchgear

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Posted By: Edwin - Category: Home

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Universal Sonic Toothbrush upgrades your manual one

September 29th 2006 20:19

You can now upgrade your generic, hand-powered toothbrush to an automatic vibrating one by picking up the Universal Sonic Toothbrush. This nifty upgrade ensures that you are better equipped to keep plaque and tartar at bay at the fraction of a price of the $100 Sonicare toothbrush. Just insert your trusty old toothbrush, an AA battery, and you're on your way to pearly white heaven. This US$49.95 upgrade is capable of achieving 40,000 vibrations a minute to give your teeth and gums a good workout.

Source: Gizmodo

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Posted By: Edwin - Category: Home

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Are gadgets really necessary?

September 27th 2006 01:26

Can you imagine if they had blogs back in the days of the Neanderthal man? One would expect a typical blog post etched in stone, no less) to read like the following:

"Flintstone Inc. has recently released the Super Cutter Axe which features an Axe Head sharpened by Cyclops the Blacksmith in the fiery mountain region of Tiryns and Mycenae, capable of slicing through 45 heads a minute. The Axe Head is attached to a handle made from the finest compressed cypress wood from the hills of Lebanon. The Super Cutter Axe is compatible with the barbarian, warrior, and ranger character classes. Pricing details are currently unconfirmed, although it will be released sometime before winter so that armies worldwide will be able to replenish their armory with this potent weapon."

Thankfully, there has been no archeological evidence to suggest that such descriptions were available. Our ancestors were much more level headed to take things easy, realizing that there is nothing more rewarding than taking a break from all the hard work and enjoying the fruits of their labor with loved and close ones. This led me to think - do we really need so many gadgets in our lives? How many digital cameras, PDAs, cellphones, handheld consoles, Bluetooth headsets, VoIP phones, keyboards, germ-free mice, webcams, notebooks, and memory card readers do we actually need in order to function?

It is interesting to note that some of the above-mentioned devices were created in order for us to be more efficient and productive in our work. Even so, such ruthless efficiency has freed up more time for us which is then poured back into doing more work, defeating the purpose of us spending that time with more important things in life - like family and friends.

Have any of our reader actually spent their freed-up time in more holistic pursuits, or have you reinvested it into your company in order to get ahead of your colleague by a shadow's length in the relentless pursuit of climbing up the corporate ladder?

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Posted By: Edwin - Category: Home

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Waterproof TV to spice up your bath time

September 27th 2006 01:02

Ever wished you could continue watching your favorite movie while taking a shower? Why not make that a reality with the beautifully-designed Freeview 17? Waterproof Television from Envirovision. It looks more like a work of art than a home entertainment appliance, and installing the Envirovision is extremely easy which can be done in a cinch.

The Freeview 17" Waterproof TV comes with a set of integrated waterproof speakers, extra digital TV and radio stations, as well as a digital/analogue multi region tuner. You won't suffer from misting problems as the waterproof screen heats twice as fast as regular TVs. There's a wide range of finishes to purchase the Freeview Waterproof TV which comprises of mirror polished, black mirror polish or gold stainless steel to best suit your environment. You can pick one up today for £999.

Source: ShinyShiny

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Posted By: Edwin - Category: Home

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