Archive Category: Gadget
Virtual Cow Butt
Veterinarians have no choice when they need to check a cow for pregnancy or infection. The standard procedure is to stick your arm up the cow’s rectum. The technique is difficult to teach to veterinary students because, well, it’s dark in there.
That’s why veterinarian and computer scientist Sarah Baillie has created the “Haptic Cow,” a virtual, touch-feedback device that mimics the feeling of real bovine anatomy, placed inside a fiberglass model of a cow’s rear end.
“With this technology, students can feel something that feels like the inside of a real cow, but I or another instructor can be following their movements on a monitor,” said Baillie, who teaches at the Royal Veterinary College in London. “This means we can say, ‘Come back a bit or go left a bit.’ It actually means you can direct them.”
Not only can professors follow a student’s exact movements and critique the technique, but they can also keep track of how much force is being applied. If a fledgling vet gets too rough and exceeds the number of Newtons considered safe by experienced vets, virtual Bessie will belt out a cautionary “Moo-oo!”
(image credit: Sarah Baillie/Royal Veterinary College)
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The iPhone Log Dock
Photo: woodtec
Because you can’t out-tech the sleek iPod and iPhone, it’s much better to go low-tech when showcasing Apple’s coveted gadgets. Behold, the log dock by Woodtec:
Again from Woodtec, the dual iPhone/iPod docking log takes the single log dock and adds room for another device. Now you can charge your iPhone and iPod simultaneously via a single length of tree limb. Unsurprisingly, as there’s more wood and an extra connection, the dual dock comes in at a higher price but for something so unique, $119.00 is surely money well spent.
Zoombits got more on wooden iPhone accessories: Link – Thanks Dave!
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Simultaneous Translation Glasses
Photo: NEC
NEC is developing a gadget that will translate spoken words into text displayed on a user’s eyes:
The prototype device called a “Tele Scouter” is a glasses type display that translates the foreign language being spoken by a partner and projects the translation onto a tiny retinal display.
The device mounted on an eyeglass frame consists of the retinal display, front-mounted camera and microphone, but doesn’t perform the translation itself. Rather the microphone picks up the conversation and transmits it to a portable computer worn on the user’s waist. This computer in turn transmits the information to a remote server, which is responsible for carrying out the heavy processing of converting the speech to text, translating it and sending it back to the wearable parts of the system to be displayed on the retinal display.
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Rolling Skis as a Personal Mobility Device
Photo: Robonable
This is Nissan’s prototype for a personal mobility device. Just step on to the footpads and lean in the direction that you want to go:
The device has two foot boards, both of which are balanced on two wheels. The device’s tilt sensors detect when you shift your weight to turn, traveling at a maximum rate of about 5kph. The foot boards have handle bars attached to help you maintain balance, and can be connected in a variety of positions or separated.
When separated, the device only moves forwards and backwards. To turn, you simply lift and turn your leg as if you were wearing stilts. The overall effect is one of ski-less skis.
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Playable Electric Guitar Shirt
(YouTube Link)
The Electronic Rock Guitar Shirt isn’t just a t-shirt. You can actually play music on it. Use a magnetic pick over the string markings and press down on the frets with your other hand. There’s also a volume nob and an amplifier that fits on your belt.
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Robot Alarm Clock Flees From You When You Try To Turn It Off
(YouTube Link)
Vadim Ryazanov built a robot that rolls away from you as you reach for it. He calls it “Mr. Wake.” As soon as the alarm goes off, an IR sensor on the robot turns on. The robot is programmed to move in the opposite direction of any object moving toward it:
Now, to give you idea how Wake works: Alarm clock mechanism I used has 3 contacts, Plus, Ground, and Alarm, which goes high when alarm goes off. This was really fortune for me, as I had only to connect the grounds and use this Alarm pin as analog input (Could not use it as digital as clock runs on 1.5V) and it workes just fine. So, whenever Alarm pin goes high, my code picks this up and switches Mr. Wake from “standby” to “alarm” mode, which makes him switch on IR leds and red LED in Magic Button on, read ambient reading from IR transistors and wait till the reading inceased above ambiant one, which means something is aproaching from above (I have the detection only from above, where clock and Magic Button are.
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Magic Wand For Levitation
Wingardium Leviosa! The spell from Harry Potter may be fun to say while using the Fly Stick Van De Graff Levitation Wand, but it’s not exactly required. See this and nine other cool levitating objects for the home at Gajitz.
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Wearable Hummingbird Feeder
If you’d like to see a hummingbird’s beak just millimeters from your face, this wearable hummingbird feeder is for you:
Hit play or go to Link
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Retractable Speed Bumps
Mexican firm Decano Industries has developed a speed bump that remains in place when a vehicle that is moving too quickly is about to drive over it, but retracts when a slow-moving vehicle approaches. Christ Hawley writes in USA Today:
“With this speed bump, people will feel rewarded for obeying the law,” says Carlos Cano, the company’s president.
The technology is relatively basic: The speed bump is formed by two steel plates that form a triangle sticking out of the pavement. When a car tire touches the plate, a patented device under the triangle measures the force of the impact.
If the tire’s impact is gentle enough — that is, if the vehicle is traveling slowly — both plates immediately collapse into the ground under the weight of the car.
Link via DVICE | Image: Sergio Solache, USA Today
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Alien Jaws
Quite possibly the best Halloween prop ever.
via UniqueDaily.
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Why settle for a boring computer mouse when you can surft in style with Road Mice, a cool wireless computer mouse that looks just like the car of your dreams? Road Mice is available in various Chevy, Chrysler, Dodge, and Ford models including the popular Black Mustang with White Stripes shown to the left. It's the perfect gift for the auto-enthusiast in your life! |
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Unicycle-Riding Clown Finds Cell Phone Users Inattentive
Researchers at Western Washington University wanted to test how alert cell phone users were of their surroundings compared to the general population. So they dressed a student as a clown and had him ride his unicycle around campus:
The observers asked walkers if they had noticed anything unusual, and for those who didn’t, they asked specifically if they had seen the unicycling clown. Even when directly asked, the cell-phone users were less than half as likely to notice the clown as those listening to music players or single individuals without any electronics. People who walked in pairs were the most likely to see the clown.
“So it’s not the conversation that’s the problem; it’s not an electronic device that’s the problem,” Hyman told LiveScience. “It’s something about a cell phone conversation is where the problem is.”
He speculates, as do other researchers, that when talking to someone in person you both can modify your conversation based on the environment, so if a clown, say, pops up you can both look up. “That’s not the case with the cell-phone conversations,” Hyman said.
Link via Gizmodo | Image: Ira Hyman
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Mood Tail
Here’s a nifty little gadget sure to get you some attention, should you dare to try it on.
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Port-A-Pint Portable Beer Glass
Port-A-Pint Portable Beer Glass – $7.95
Don’t go unprepared to your next party. Forget those clumsy disposable cups, bring your own portable beer glass. The Port-A-Pint Beer Glass pops open in seconds with a flick of your wrist. From the Neatorama Shop: Link
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Bladeless Fan by James Dyson
[YouTube - Link]
A stylish new fan has been creating a buzz in the world of technology.
In this clip, inventor/engineer James Dyson, famous for his vacuum cleaners (you may have seen his commercials with his vacuum that can round corners), introduces his latest product, the bladeless air multiplier fan. It uses a system of low pressure area and suction device in the bottom to create a smooth, continuous flow of air.
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T-Qualizer
Yep, a t-shirt with a fully functional graphic equalizer embedded on the front. It changes with the music around you, and even reacts to conversation! $39.99 from Think Geek. Link -via Everlasting Blort
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DIY Halloween Popup
Make your own scary character that pops up out of trash can to scare trick-or-treaters! Instructables user Back Roads shows you how to create this prop that uses compressed air. Link -via Lifehacker
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Stone Cold Ice Tray
Stone Cold Ice Cube Tray – $7.95
Here’s one for your next party: the Stone Cold Ice Tray that makes ice shaped like the moais of Easter Island! Perfect for your tropical drink.
From the Neatorama Shop: Link | More cool and unusual ice trays
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The Rovin’ Pumpkin
You may recall the Dalek Pumpkin from 2006, the Snap-o-Lantern from 2007, and the Dark Detecting Jack-o-Lantern from 2008. The fertile minds at Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories have announced their Halloween pumpkin project for 2009, and it’s a winner!
The Rovin’ Pumpkin’ is a simple robotic pumpkin, and a close cousin of the Snap-O-Lantern. Silently, it sits on your porch– camouflaged amongst the humble squashes.
After a minute, its green eyes start to glow, and it creeps… moving about one foot to the left… and stops. The eyes go dark again. It fades into the darkness. And it waits.
After several minutes and several steps, it reverses direction, and begins to creep the other way. Hopefully before it falls off of your porch.
The Rovin’ Pumpkin is made from Lego parts, a small motor, LEDs for eyes, and a pumpkin. Instructions and a video are included in the article. Link
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Bringing Back Polaroids
The Impossible Project is a worldwide effort to restart and reinvent and save instant photography – their aim to re-start production of analog instant film for vintage Polaroid cameras in 2010.
Personally I love the instant photography as it gives a really unique effect it’s impossible to gain from other photography effects.
This is a really clever campaign backed by the likes of Urban Outfitters and Wallpaper.
Polaroid is transforming itself from an analog Instant Film Production Company to a global Consumer Electronics and Digital Imaging company.
Production of analog Instant Film stopped in June 2008, closing the factories in Mexico (Instant Packfilm production) and the Netherlands (Instant Integral production).
Link – via cakeheadlovesevil
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A Table That Attaches to Your Steering Wheel
Driving is boring and it takes time out of your busy life. Why not multitask and use your driving time more productively? With the Laptop Steering Wheel Desk, you can eat, use a computer, read, do your nails — whatever. What could possibly go wrong? On sale at Amazon.com for $23.23. | Link
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Glass Harmonica
Listen to French artist Thomas Bloch demonstrating a glass harmonica, or armonica, at the Paris Music Museum. From Wikipedia:
Benjamin Franklin invented a radically new arrangement of the glasses in 1761 after seeing water-filled wine glasses played by Edmund Delaval at Cambridge in England in 1758.[6] Franklin, who called his invention the “armonica” after the Italian word for harmony, worked with London glassblower Charles James to build one, and it had its world premiere in early 1762, played by Marianne Davies.
In Franklin’s treadle operated version 37 bowls were mounted horizontally on an iron spindle. The whole spindle turned by means of a foot pedal. The sound was produced by touching the rims of the bowls with moistened fingers.
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Shopping Cart Chair
It might not be comfortable or all that functional, but this shopping cart chair is just undeniably cool. It can even work as a wheelchair if necessary. Instructables can tell you how to make one of your very own.
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M-Cups: Measuring Cups Shaped Like Matryoshkas or Russian Nesting Dolls
M-Cups Matryoshka (Russian Nesting Doll) Measuring Cups
This is a clever one by Carl Mitsch of Fred Studio: a set of measuring cups shaped like matryoshka (babushka or Russian nesting dolls). They’re cute and functional! And perhaps best of all, they nest inside of one another so they don’t take up much cabinet space. At $11.95 each, they’re the perfect gift for those who love to cook … and who knows, maybe you’ll get dinner out of it, too.
From the Neatorama Shop: Link
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Geeky Wristwatches: The Pricey and the Cheap
The beautiful Casio Databank 2888JA over at Tokyoflash – pre-order at $112.28; (R) The cheaper yet still geeky chic Cal-Q-Tek 2000 Calculator Watch at the Neatorama Shop – $14.95
I have a soft spot in my heart for geeky wristwatches. Maybe it’s all those childhood conditioning (Dick Tracy’s wrist phone, anyone?) but when Tokyoflash came out with their limited time offer of the Casio Databank 2888JA, I’m all over it. It’s a bit pricey, so for the budget-conscious geek, may I suggest our retro-fun Cal-Q-Tek 2000 wrist watch over at the Neatorama Shop?
Links: Casio Databank 2888JA – Thanks Paul! | Cal-Q-Tek 2000 Calculator Watch
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Complimenting Scale
Photo: VoluptuArt
Does your bathroom scale flinch whenever you walk by? Maybe you need a replacement that is a bit more accepting of your body image issues. These handmade scales by Marilyn Wann offer compliments such as ’sexy’, ‘ravishing’, and ‘perfect’ instead of numerical weight measurements.
Product Page | Link via Foolish Gadgets
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30 Stupidest Inventions Ever
Life Magazine has a hilarious post up featuring what they consider to be the 30 dumbest inventions of all time. When you look through the list, filled with things like the shower hat to the right, you actually start to get an appreciation for things like the Snuggie.
Almost all of the inventions are from the sixties or before, so it’s not too shocking that many of them involve cigarettes, including a method for a couple to share a smoke and one for a person to smoke a whole pack at once -oh joy!
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The Top Ten Food-Based Rube Goldberg Machines
People love watching unbelievably intricate contraptions designed to perform simple tasks. Days to design and build, a minute or two to use (depending on how many times something goes wrong), and possible YouTube stardom are involved. Eat Me Daily has collected videos of ten Rube Goldberg contraptions that use food, make food, or deliver food. Link -via Metafilter
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Scissors + Shredders = Shredsors
Shredsors – $19.95
Need to destroy that top secret memo but got no office paper shredder? Here’s the product for you: a strange yet effective combination of scissors and shredders. Behold, the Shredsors – a pair of scissors with 9 blades that will quickly destroy junk mail, bank statements, old credit cards …
From the Neatorama Shop: Link
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13 Great Solar Concepts Inspired By Plants
Every other day, we get to hear about some new solar powered creation. Here are 13 amazing solar concepts that draw inspiration from plants. After all, plants are Mother Nature’s solar generators. Pictured is the Power Flower by Art Energy Design, which collects wind energy in the petals and solar energy in the leaves!
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Hacked Big Mouth Billy Bass Quotes Monty Python, Can Be Controlled Via Twitter
(YouTube Link)
Dan Ros rigged his Big Mouth Billy Bass so that it quotes Homer Simpson, Bill Clinton, and characters from Monty Python’s The Holy Grail:
The star of the show is the mbed chipset, and in fact that’s Dan Ros’ real motivation. Priced at $60 (for a limited, introductory period; normal price $100), the mbed has an ARM Cortex M3 core, ethernet, USB, serial and other connections, and drag-and-drop loading of binary instruction files. It’s intended for rapid prototyping, as you can see in the second video below, and has just gone on sale today.
He also arranged for the fish to speak whatever is tweeted to him:
The Twittering Billy hack replaces his existing brain with an mbed Microcontroller, wiring it up to his motors so we have control of his movements, an SD card so he can store lots of audio files, and the mbed’s Ethernet interface to the internet. What might be surprising is that Billy is not connected to a PC; everything is being done by the mbed Microcontroller and a connection to the internet!
Image: Dan Ros
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