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Showing posts with label Gadgets. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gadgets. Show all posts

Monday, January 12, 2015

Carbon Fiber Credit Card Wallet offers added security

In this modern day and age, the credit card is seen to be an indispensable part of life, instead of being a status symbol. After all, credit cards do come in handy during emergencies, and when used correctly, it can even help you to save money in the long run. Some credit cards do offer cash rebates from select merchants, and these do add up to quite a tidy sun at the end of the year. While some countries have not yet moved on to the chip-based credit cards that are a whole lot more secure than just those with a magnetic stripe, there also runs the risk of credit card fraud as this identity theft technique that involves radio frequency hacking attempts will be able to read personal information from newercredit cards.

Don’t let that stop you from having one of the modern chip-based credit cards though, as the $124.95 Carbon Fiber Credit Card Wallet that is made from featherweight carbon fiber will be able to absorb majority of the radio signals out there, allowing you to keep the cards and Ids safe from any kind of unauthorized access. Carbon fiber happens to be five times lighter and three times stronger than steel, allowing your cards and IDs to remain safe and sound from unauthorized access within. You can store up to 8 different cards in there, and just to make sure you continue to enjoy the best of both worlds, there is a cash strap which is located on the outside of the wallet that allows you to hold up to 14 bills separately from the cards for quick access. Best to have them carry Benjamins then, yes?

The minipresso will give you a shot of espresso on the go

Even with the proper amount of sleep and a good diet, you never fully feel awake until you’ve had some coffee. It’s the extra pep in your step you need to approach the day with clarity and new ideas. Of course, when we don’t get that extra boost, it’s hard not to get a little sassy. The local cafe is not always just a block or two away, and not being able to get your fix on a busy day makes everything seem much more difficult.
Of course, if you have your own portable espresso maker, life would be infinitely easier. The Minipresso will let you decide how many pick-me-ups you need in a day, and requires very little effort on your end. Weighing less than a pound and measuring a little under 7 inches in height, this can easily fit into a bag, backpack, or purse without making you feel like a pack mule. The hardest aspect of this would be carrying around enough grounds and water to satiate your thirst.
To use this, you won’t need to worry about needing compressed air, N2O cartridges, or charging, as it is all powered by you. Simply add in your grounds, pour in water, unlock from travel mode, and start pumping to get your liquid ambrosia. You can make up to two shots of espresso, and should you prefer using capsules of grounds, you’ll be happy to know that those work just as well. Putting down $39 while this is on pre-order will secure one of these for you, but if you wait, it will jump up to $49. This would certainly be handy to have on those long days where you come in tired and need more than one drink, but don’t want to pay cafe prices.

Turtle Beach Z60 PC gaming headset delivers immersive audio

One of the biggest leaps in consumer class audio technology was the jump from mono to stereo sound. I am quite sure that those who lived through that particlar moment in time actually felt as though they were in a whole new world. Turtle Beach, one of the leading audio brands where the video games industry is concerned, has just announced of their latest Turtle Beach Z60 PC gaming headset that was unveiled to the masses earlier this year, but never made it to the market – not at least until now. The Turtle Beach Z60 holds the distinction of being the first PC gaming headset from them that will boast of the brand new DTS Headphone:X 7.1 surround sound.
Basically, the entire idea of the DTS Headphone:X technology is to ensure that one experiences a whole new world of sound when it comes to having headphones deliver the likes of movies, music and games to the user. This is made possible since it enables a much more discrete control over speaker position and angles, hence users are able to enjoy soundscapes which are a whole lot more realistic than what current surround sound solutions delivers.
For instance, majority of the surround sound mixes at the moment would place the center channel approximately eight feet in front of the listener perceptually, which would be the default for TV and film considering how the dialogue tends to come from the screen. When it comes to games like a first person shooter, alongside many other kinds of different game genres, however, most of the center channel audio would hail from the player’s character – for instance, the sound of the player’s feet walking in the snow, their inbound radio, and the sound of spent cartridges being ejected from their gun. With DTS Headphone:X, gaming presets have been developed by the audio engineers which results in gaming presets that will “pull” the center channel in the direction of the players’ midsection, ensuring that the placement of those sounds end up as being more realistic.
The Z60 will also boast of PC gaming’s largest speakers at 60mm, where it offers an expansive soundscape and bone-rattling bass. There will be an inline control unit that provides easy access to independent game and chat volume, while surround sound modes and microphone mute options are also available.

The iFinger Lock uses biometrics to keep your belongings safe

When you want to keep something safe, chances are that you’re going to go the extra mile to make sure it stays away from prying eyes. If you’re storing your belongings in a closet, shed, or cabinet, you will want to install a lock. Of course, the run-of-the-mill lock isn’t going to do. If you want to make sure no passerby with some lock-picking skills could possibly jimmy your lock, you’ll want something a little more high-tech.
There’s nothing quite so personal as a fingerprint. Everyone has a unique one just like snowflakes, which means a biometric scanner is the perfect way to lock or unlock a padlock without the fear that someone else can break in. The iFingerLock Fingerprint Biometric Padlock can give you and nine other people access to whatever you might want to keep secret or safe. This needs 2 AAA batteries to function, and will give you plenty of warning if it’s about to lose power. The body is made of a zinc alloy and the shackle is stainless steel. It’s meant for indoor use only, so make sure it’s in a place that can’t be affected by rain, snow, or drastic temperature changes.
While this $114.99 purchase seems very exciting and is made of materials that make it seem like it would be almost impossible to crack, there are a few ways around this padlock. If any baddie knows this type of lock and you haven’t set all the keys, they’ll be able to set their fingerprint as one of the nine additional prints to be used. If you want to avoid that completely, you can always scan all of your fingers with one or two friends scanned in just in case. The only annoying aspect of this device is if you want to reset the prints, you’ll have to wipe all of them rather than one or two.

AMPY is a backup battery that’s powered by you

It’s hard to balance all the different aspects of life. We want to get or stay in shape, which means eating healthy and working out. Doing well at work means showing up on time and drinking enough coffee to not fall asleep at your desk. Spending time with your significant other or pet takes time out of your day as well. There are a million tiny things to remember for every day, week, and month, but the one thing you never want to let slide is keeping your phone charged.
Not having your phone means your calorie counter app on your phone isn’t available, your alarm isn’t going to go off, and you’ll have no way to keep up with your life online. You can keep a backup battery around, but if you’ve forgotten to take it out of your bag and charge it, there’s little it can do to help you. AMPY wants to make sure that this sort of thing can’t happen, and will encourage you to get healthy to boot. This is charged through kinetic energy, so you’ll need to cycle, run, or walk to juice this up. Not only would this be an added bonus to walking more, but this can store up to a week of activity for months so it will be ready to go when you need it.
If you’d like to keep track of how much activity you’re doing and how much of a charge AMPY can provide, you can download the free app to see your calories burned, energy generated, and how many hours of battery life it could provide. The battery inside AMPY is 1000mAh, so it’s enough to get you through the day, but can stay in a package small enough not to weigh you down. If you’re interested in generating your own power, this will cost you $85.

The Light Therapy Glasses can be your personal ray of sunshine

In the winter, we have a hard time keeping our spirits up. There’s nothing exciting to see as there aren’t any leaves on the trees, and everything is either one sad dead color or covered in white. Even the sun doesn’t feel like showing its face much, which means we feel sleepy more often than not, and start to feel a little sad.
If you want to offset the increased melatonin your body gives you when winter has struck, it’s best to have bright lights on to tell your brain you want to be awake. Of course, your house lamp would need to overhaul it to give you the proper amount, so you might want to find another means of making sure you get enough light. The Light Therapy Glasses use a soft green light from four integrated LEDs that shine 3.5cm away from your eyes. These settle on top of the bridge of your nose, so you can wear these with glasses on, and it won’t inhibit your vision whatsoever.
Using these for 30-50 minutes a day can help you with fatigue, jet lag, seasonal affective disorder, and mood swings. The Li-ion polymer rechargeable batteries can last for up to 4 hours on one charge, and only need to be hooked up via USB for about 3.5 hours be back up at 100%. These will cost you around $241, but if you don’t want such a pricey gizmo, there are other options out there.

Contour ROAM3 action camera grabs the best shots possible


Action cameras are starting to pick up the pace in terms of popularity, and for a very good reason, too. After all, we live in a generation where selfies and even “we-fies” saturate social media, as we love to share a good story with the rest of the world – and what better way to do so than to have a picture speak a thousand words on your behalf? Trying to explain the exhilirating feeling of an adrenaline pumping ski route to a beginner is pretty difficult, and with the help of anaction camera, your task is more or less done. Contour has just announced their latest action camera, where it is aptly known as the Contour ROAM3 action camera.
What makes the Contour ROAM3 action camera so special? For starters, it is one tough cookies, being able to remain waterproof for up to 30 feet without the need for a case, now how about that? In addition, it will boast of a quick-photo mode as well as an award-winning low-profile design that ensures it looks good while you wear it, of course. This durable action camera was specially built for adventurers all year round, boasting of a waterproof and impact-resistant aluminum housing. It will drop a traditionally bulky case associated with waterproof products, offering an elegant form factor instead.
Using the Contour ROAM3 action camera is also a snap even if you are a beginning – in order to record, just move the slider forward, and you are good to go. Want to shoot a fantastic shot while you are up there, high in the mountains? Not a problem – press the status button and switch to photo mode. The Contour ROAM3 action camera will carry a $199.99 price tag, where other hardware specifications include a lithium-ion battery, 8GB of internal memory, the ability to record video at 1080@30 frames per second or 720@60 frames per second, a 270-degree rotating lens, and a pair of low-profile mounts.

Avo self-sustaining fish tank

There really is no limit to the genius of the human imagination, and sometimes, the little ones are a whole lot more creative when it concerns thinking about solutions to existing problems. Well, where fish tanks are concerned, these are definitely lovely to look at, although there is one particular aspect about fish tanks that we ought to be well aware of – and that would be its maintenance. How about coming up with a self maintaining fish tank? This is what a young British designer has been working on, where her effort is close to launching.
Suzy Shelley’s fish tank is known as Avo, and it is being touted to be the only fish tank that does not require any kind of cleaning at all. Not only that, there is also no need to change the water within, and neither do you need to replace the filter, now how about that for virtually zero maintenance? It does not get any better than that, where all one needs to do would be to top up the water, and feed the fish.
The Avo fish tank is 1.5 litres in size, and it comes chock full of innovative technology. What makes it extremely different from the rest of the other fish tanks in the maket woul be the continuously moving filter that virtually does not need any kind of replacing. Avo will work to recycle older bacteria into plant food, where this in turn creates additional space for new bacteria to grow will naturally removing nitrate, nitrate and ammonia. As a result, one ends up with a uniquely balanced micro-ecosystem, not to mention stand-out good looks.
Avo comes with automated LED lighting that has been specially optimized for healthy plants as well as clear water, while producing soft red light in the morning, fading to daylight white, to cool blue in the evening.

LG unveils their new HD MiniBeam portable projector

Portable projectors do come in an extremely niche market, and thankfully for the few different companies that are involved in this device, it has not gone the way of the netbook – at least for now. In fact, there continues to be progress in the world of portable projectors, and LG has stepped forward this time around with their model PH300, which is also known as the LG HD MiniBeam portable projector.
The LG HD MiniBeam is said to be able to deliver exceptional mobility thanks to its small size, not to mention a great viewing experience accompanied by a bunch of advanced technologies that is highlighted by a durable, long-life LED light source. Your eyes will definitely be able to appreciate the spectacularly large images, where a full charge of the LG HD MiniBeam allows it to operate for up to two and half hours. Perfect for most movies, although it is not going to be much good if you are about to embark on a marathon session of Lord of the Rings while you’re on the move.

Just what kind of technology or hardware does the LG HD MiniBeam pack underneath the hood? For starters, it will make use of an RGB LED light source which is capable of delivering a brightness level of 300 ANSI lumens, accompanied by a contrast ratio of 100,000:1 in High Definition resolution, that is, 1280 x 720 pixels. Not only that, it has been specially constructed with durability in mind, where the LED that comes with it will boast of an estimated lifespan of 30,000 hours, which is roughly the equivalent of ten years when you watch it for eight hours every single day. Knowing that most people would not do that, it is definitely going to last you more than a decade, which by then, you would most probably have moved on to other kinds of technologies already.
There is no word on pricing as at press time, although we do know that the LG HD MiniBeam will arrive in key markets in Latin America, North America, Asia and the Middle East first, before making its way to the likes of France, Germany, Portugal, Spain and Turkey in November.