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.