Gadget Arena

Own an iPad or iPad 2 and love it to bits? Well, if you are the type who has plenty of time to watch movies on the iPad, then you would surely know that carrying the iPad at all times can prove to be quite the unwieldy experience, not to mention giving your hand a good cramp. There are mounts, and then there are mounts – and one of the later models available would be the MountMe Freedom II.
MountMe Freedom II will target owners of both iPad generations, where it is now up for pre-order where you will be able to receive a special discount of 10% to 25% off (the former if you purchase one model, while the latter applies when you buy two). This unique protective carrying case will boast a durable mounting and standing accessory which will deliver a special all-in-one solution, turning your precious tablet into an entertainment center with optimal viewing options.

It is a good time to be a tablet or smartphone right now, so I don’t see any reason why in the world someone couldn’t combine them. It looks like ASUS is doing that with the Padfone, and they showed it off at Computex Taipai in Taiwan.
As you can see, the Padfone tablet opens up in the back so the Padfone smartphone can nestle safely in the back. Not much else is known about this, but the smartphone should have a 3G connection.
Another feature is that the smartphone can charge itself inside the bigger battery in the tablet. Of course, I think we all know what we really want, which is data sync between the smartphone and the tablet.

Have you watched Inception, and ever wondered at the end where Leonardo DiCaprio’s character’s totem, a spinning top wobbles but you were left wondering whether it fell down in the end to indicate that he is in the real world? Perhaps it didn’t – but that does not mean that he is back in reality and not in a dream, since he could have been using a different form of the Magnet Powered Spinning Top.
Yup, this top is capable of spinning – for up to a week, since that would be just about when the 9V battery dies out, but it would make for a fascinating piece on your work desk. I imagine interviewers placing this on their desk, asking questions to the prospective employees only to see those folks mesmerized by it – a surefire way of discerning whether said person has strong focus (or at least, focuses on the right thing) or not.
The Magnet Powered Spinning Top works as it does thanks to an electromagnet in the base for constant spinning action, and for $9.99 a pop, just leave it on for a week to see if the claim of its battery life is true. If the top doesn’t fall, you might actually be trapped in a dream, no?

Sony’s VAIO laptops is a well established range over the years, and for good reason, too. They’ve proved to be stylish and technologically advanced, although some people might feel that when it comes to value for money, it isn’t quite there just yet. Well, this has not stopped the Japanese company from rolling out newer models, and one of their latest efforts would be the Sony VAIO S Series.
The VAIO S Series laptop will merge for the first time portability, performance and power in a thinner, lighter design that is perfect for everyone, never mind if you are a student or a business traveler. It intends to break down the previous perceived wall of being aloof by offering users more personalized options and flexibility in order to suit their lifestyle.

If you were jogging in the forest one day, and you looked up and saw this huge football shaped object hovering there, what would you think?
If you were thinking that you just saw a UFO, then you would be partially correct. This is a tree house in the shape of a UFO. I’m not certain whether or not this was designed for small children or adults, but it has a dinning area, bedroom, living room, and bathroom.
Seriously, it has a bathroom. I have no idea if the plumbing goes up the tree trunk or what, but unless it is some sort of outhouse, I want to live here. Then again, I don’t know how tall the ceilings are, but they look pretty low.

There’s nothing I like more than reporting on robots on this blog, and this one has is certainly has something unusual on two fronts.
First, it is can climb up walls, provided they are made of glass. It has suction cups, and they could take away all window washing jobs permanently. No more of those guys hanging off the sides of tall buildings.
Unfortunately, the suction cups won’t keep the robot affixed to the side of a glass building, not by themselves anyway. Here’s where it gets interesting. This robot has a vacuum suction that is generated by water. Yes, this robot can run on water. Not only that, the excess water is squirted out, which will help wash the windows.
Talk about killing two birds with one stone! Another thing that makes this robot nifty is that it is modeled after a gecko. Too bad it does require a flexible pipe in order to work, but the water tank is only so large, really.
Well, this water-powered robo gecko is under development from researchers at Zhejiang University in China, and there is no word if this will ever go past the experimental stage. So if you work on the top of a tall building, and you see a robotic gecko washing your window, do not be alarmed.

Right now, I am in the San Francisco area, but I wish I could have been there for the Maker Faire, which was last week.
The Drawing Machine that you see here in the photo was one of the winners of an Editor’s Choice award, and he didn’t even expect to show it off at this year’s fair. The device is able to recreate a JPG mechanically in the form of a drawing.
It has a set-up with Arduino software, and it takes weeks or even months to complete the image. You have to admit that is a pretty long time to wait for a drawing, and yes, a human would be able to do it faster. I’m not certain if a human can achieve the level of detail that this device can, as it makes a drawing of Frankenstein’s monster from the classic motion picture look like a still from the movie.

It has been many years since Bluetooth technology was implemented in mobile devices, but how about the application of it? Bluetooth never really broke new ground apart from being paired to a pair of headphones, or used as a wireless mouse, or sending data sans a cable. Well, nothing much has changed here with the foxL V2 Bluetooth Soundbar, but it is still an interesting $199.99 device which proves its bark is worse than its bite.
Why so? For something so diminutive and portable, the Bluetooth A2DP Loudspeaker surely boasts of a superior quality speakerphone, delivering incredible power and dynamic range that targets audiophiles and gadget hounds. Not only that, it has the pedigree to back it up – physicist, NASA engineer, and well known audio design legend, Dr. Godehard Guenther, is the brain behind the Foxl V2 Bluetooth Soundbar.
Powered by an internal battery, it will fit comfortably into a relatively large pocket or backpack, offering blistering audio for up to 8 hours before requiring a recharge. Seems to be the perfect device to bring on your long camping trips – just get a solar-powered charger of sorts to accompany it and you’re set to be marooned on a tropical island for life.

Sleep is vital to the well being of humans, any doctor can tell you that. Heck, you need not slog your way through medical school (suffering from a lack of sleep in the process, how ironic is that?) to know that having the right amount of sleep is important to make sure you function at peak efficiency. Well, some of us get too much, most of us get too little, but the EASYWAKEme Sleep Stage Alarm Clock from Dreamtrap intends to help you achieve the perfect balance.
Ready to rock and roll this coming July, the innovative sleep monitor will be able to detect the most optimal moments for you to wake up through the simple monitoring of customers’ sleep. This means with enough data collected, you will be awakened stress-free while feeling totally alert, energized and ready to meet the new day, never mind that you are already behind schedule in your work.

Do you love collecting timepieces as a hobby? For the more notable names in the industry, this can end up being a pretty expensive hobby, but the Cadence Watch Company has something special for you watch lovers in the form of the new 4-Bit Chronograph Watch. Not only does it look subtle, but it is also classy that notches up a point for geeks who want to impress their dates but without a Tag Heuer or an equivalent.
Apart from being able to tell the time (duh!), the Cadence 4-Bit Chronograph watch will also throw in the functionality of a chronograph and Universal Coordinated Time (UTC). You won’t get Arabic or Latin numerals, but rather, “see” the numbers in 4-bit binary. To recap, binary is a system of 1’s and 0’s which all computers ultimately rely on, and wearing this won’t make you look out of place even in black tie affairs.

Google has recently announced their new mobile payment system with Google Wallet. It is a free Android Android App that will arrive sometime this summer that will allow users to make payments for products and/or services.
Google Wallet, which is open platform software, was officially unveiled at a massive event a few days ago. This deal has been in the works for a while, and a lot of big companies like MasterCard, Citi, Sprint, and First Data have invested in it. In order to encourage more growth an usage of this unique program, Google Wallet is going to encourage a lot of deals like discounts, promotions, loyalty rewards, and the like.
It sounds like a terrific deal for consumers, but you know who isn’t happy about it? PayPal. Yeah, they are suing Google, accusing Google Wallet’s project leader, Osama Bedier, of “feeding confidential PayPal information to Google so that it can develop the NFC mobile payment system”.

The touchscreen has revolutionized the last decade, and it will continue to improve this decade. However, this ITP thesis by Michael Kneupfel for NYU’s design program has shown that the touchscreen could use a little more accessories.
There is a video after the jump so you can see what he has in mind. The one in the picture is for pulses, and I am not certain what to use that for. However, there are a few things that are pretty much self-explanatory.
For example, there are two types of pens, and one of them allows for some intriguing shapes like a traditional thick marker pen. The other is used for making some interesting shapes.

Love gold? After all, that is the place where investors flock to if they are looking for a safe haven from all the uncertainties that are going on in the world where their investments are concerned. The failing US dollar and Euro have nudged more people to purchase gold over the past year, bringing it to new highs more frequently than ever before.
Why not show the world that you’re rich enough to afford a gold plated cell phone as well? That is where Nokia steps in with the Nokia Oro, a premium brand product (but nowhere near the Vertu’s range of handsets) that will incorporate 18-carat gold plating which is accompanied by a sapphire crystal and leather from one of Scotland’s finest Caledonian herds (don’t let those animals get skinned in vain – purchase a Nokia Oro!).

Let’s face the facts – many of us who have visited our grandparents would probably have come across this ancient artifact (OK, so it wasn’t that ancient but you know how it is with the advent of MP3s and digital media content these days) known as a record, or vinyl player. If your memory serves you right, it would mean dusting off those old vinyls and playing them on the record player – horizontally placed, of course.
Fast forward to the 21st century, and iPods with its numerous clones of portable media players have taken over the world when it comes to the mobile music experience, but what happens when you retreat back to your home after a particularly long day at the office, hoping to relax in classic tunes that only a vinyl can offer with its warmth? Enter the Vertical Vinyl that will ship at the end of June onwards, although you can place a pre-order for it for £79.99.
The name itself gives the game away – you can mount this puppy vertically, helping you save space in your home at the same time. Grandpa might love to have this for Father’s Day, don’t you think so?

The TDK Sound Cube brings new meaning to “surround sound”, that’s for sure. It should be called “surrounded sound” instead, since the cube that you see on the right should find a happy audience regardless of where they are seated – as long as the crowd size is right, of course. Right now up for pre-order, the £299.99 TDK Sound Cube measures just 25.5cm³, making it the smallest in its range, but it is no pushover where performance levels are concerned.
Each of the Cube’s vertical sides will boast of its own speaker (two of them are active while the other two are passive), delivering 360° of party-starting audio, not to mention the nice touch of a sturdy leather handle on top that makes toting it around fun and comfortable. It can be powered by mains or a dozen D batteries (the latter is certainly going to fill up those landfills, fast!), so make sure you use rechargeables if you’re gunning for the latter.
At the back lies a quartet of separate sound ports, letting you plug in a variety of devices such as a portable media player or an electric guitar. Perfect for the day out with the rest of your family, listening to your favorite tunes all round in 20 watts RMS glory.

I suppose that the conductor behind the pedestal leading an orchestra is one of the oldest ways of listening to music.

Nvidia reveals its new mobile processor known as Nvidia Tegra 2 3D Processor after the success of Nvidia Tegra 2 which is in upcoming new Motorola Xoom Tablet featuring android 3.0. New Nvidia Tegra 2 3D processor will posses speed of 1.2 GHz and allowing the future tablets to provide a better human computer interaction using 3D effects. 3D view is... [Read more of this review]

Verizon Wireless has announced that it will start accepting pre-orders on the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play from this Thursday the 19th of May, and the Xperia Play will go on sale on the 26th of May.
The Sony Ericsson Xperia Play will cost $199.99 and customers will have to sign up for a new 24 month contract with Verizon.

Here’s shortlisted entry into designboom’s 2011 Fujitsu Design Award. It was created by the Korean designer Dae Hoon Jung, and it’s called the Split. It splits up, in an analogue way to the Bento Book concept, offering mobile computing among a host of gadgets. Unlike the Bento, all modular elements are part of the computer, and they can be controlled remotely via the tablet or the smartphone.

Staying healthy and fit should not be a painful job or even a chore. And you shouldn’t have to spend hefty amounts of money on gym membership fees just to do a few reps on the old bench press and then head back home. In fact, why can’t exercise be fun and entertaining? Actually it can be, with the right equipment — fitness gadgets disguised as video games.
It’s Healthy Week here at Syfy, and to kick off the festivities we’ve compiled a list of 11 fun healthy video game gadgets that can keep you looking lean and mean right in your very own home. Sorry, hot sweaty strangers are not included with any of these.

Said competition being the Fujitsu Design Award 2011. Turns out it’s a major happening among design circles as more than 1,000 entries have been submitted so far. The theme for this year is “a life with future computing” and some chick might have just presented the smartest idea. Among the cream of the crop are Ms. Laura Lahti’s Keyless Lifebook, which borrows the long running brand name of Fujitsu laptops. Lahti takes it further through a novel concept that finally gives users the power to determine their own keyboard configuration.

They say that laughter is the best medicine, and to have a lighter outlook in life is always better. After all, why go to the grave with a scowl on your face? ThinkGeek has an interesting remedy for those who want to take down their heart pulse, thanks to the Smart Heart Pulse Monitor. Not only does it allow you to hear your own heartbeat, it also will go about calculating your pulse so that you have a better idea on what kind of shape you are in physically at the moment.
The Smart Heart Pulse Monitor is capable of checking your heart rates, and using it is a no-brainer. All you need to do is hold it over your heart and press the button for a few seconds in order to hear the audio computation of heartbeats per minute. Not recommended for those who are under 3 years of age. Bear in mind that this is not a medical device, so if you need something more professional, then you would do well to purchase a real heart rate monitor. Powered by a trio of AAA batteries that obviously haven’t been included, the Smart Heart Pulse Monitor is going for $24.99.

Let your little one pick up a little bit of science wizardry with the Zoomy Handheld Digital Microscope, where it is not only easy enough for a 3-year old to pick up and use, even an adult will find it to be powerful. This handheld digital microscope will let you see things around you in new light as we are talking about 35 to 53 times the magnification compared to the naked eye.
Retailing for $59.99 each, the Zoomy Handheld Digital Microscope is a snap to use, as all you need to do is turn the top to focus on a particular object, while pressing the single control button helps you record down still images or video, depending on your requirement at that time. Expect your toddler to start walking about, examining things in greater detail as he/she explores the environment with a passion you’ve never seen before. Heck, you can even connect it to a computer via USB for reviews later on.

One of the restrictions of the Pad (and iPhone) is it’s lack of expandability with it annoyingly having no USB or memory card ports, thus limiting you to the space you originally purchased. Seagate aim to fill this gap with the GoFlex Mobile Wireless Storage device, effectively a portable hard drive that you connect to over Wi-Fi.
To use you connect (via USB) the GoFlex 500 GB external hard drive to your PC/Mac and download any media files that you want to watch on the go, disconnect and drop the device in your pocket. Nothing new so far, now the clever part is when you want to view the files on your mobile device. The GoFlex creates it’s own Wi-Fi cloud which you then connect to and stream from.
To stream media from the GoFlex you connect via it’s web interface or download the app from the AppStore (Android version coming soon), another neat feature is that it can stream different media to 3 different devices simultaneously.

Tobii Technology is the undisputed champ when it comes to eye tracking solutions, and hence has rolled out the Tobii X60/X120 Mobile Device Testing Solution for the masses. This is touted to be the first eye-tracking system of its kind in the world, where it was specially designed to enhance the precision of usability studies for mobile devices and mobile applications so that manufacturers are able to better understand just what consumers see when they use their devices. To put it in plain English, it helps manufacturers walk in your shoes when you use their products – kind of ironic, isn’t it?
The Tobii X60/X120 Eye Tracker will ship with an accompanying testing stand, where it is more than able to test a wide range of mobile devices, operating systems and graphical user interfaces at an unprecedented level of precision where testing handheld gadgets are concerned. The system is capable of delivering an easy-to-use, comprehensive platform to eye track mobile products in a test setting, where natural user interaction with the device is achievable regardless of the size or configuration of the device.

Vuzix has just announced a spanking new STAR (See-Through Augmented Reality) Video Eyewear, also known as the STAR 1200, where it is actually a see-through AR-enabled binocular Video Eyewear which is tipped to see action across a wide range of industrial, commercial, defense and some consumer applications. Vuzix is no stranger to the video eyewear industry, having had their fair share of releases for the mass market over the years, but augmented reality? That’s treading new ground for sure.
Just what does this new display do? It will enable users to view the real world scene – all the while viewing relevant computer generated information, graphics and alerts. Hopefully your brain will be able to drink in all the additional information, and surely it will take some time to get used to what you’re seeing via the new AR glasses.

I have no idea of who invented the high-five, but this hand-to-hand slap has become one of the first things we learn. We are always so proud when our little babies can high five. Yes, there is something very positive about this hand slap, and designer Da Deng has channeled this positive energy into a device that can save energy.
This is the Bye-5 light switch, and it is an ever present reminder to the user to shut off the lights after he or she leaves a room. I’m pretty certain that if consumers would simply shut off the lights of any room that they leave, we would probably save some really big number on electricity each year. But I’m probably sure that you already know that statistic.
The Bye-5 is shaped like a hand, and it even has a skin-like texture. I’m not certain what that means, but it will hopefully sound and feel like a real hand. The user slaps it on the way out, and it even glows in the dark, so you won’t lose your way after the lights are off.

Interesting to see an American product being touted on the Brit-centric Firebox, but then again, what other nation has made popcorn so popular other than the good o’ US of A? That’s what we’re talking about with the American Popcorn Maker, where for just £29.99, you will be able to enjoy piping hot and freshly-made popcorn in the comfort of your home. All you need to do is put in the right amount of kernels (you won’t go wrong thanks to the included measuring cup), wait a while and you’re good to go.
After all, isn’t creating tasty snacks one of the Americans’ specialties? Glad to know that their popcorn is more or less globally acceptable (although we don’t know if life outside of earth, if any, will find it tasteful) – so why not get this gizmo, throw in all the sugar, salt and caramel to taste?