Archive for 2008-01-27

Relief cell phone


Nowadays there are many different cell phones, so everybody can find the one that suits him/her the most. Yet, despite the fact that all the cell phones are very different, they have much in common. For example, keyboard almost always consists of divided keys. But maybe it would be better to join them?

Thus, Timo Wong designed an absolutely unusual device. The keyboard of this gadget represents a single undivided surface. But you can easily feel all the keys due to the relief of this specific keyboard. According to designer's opinion it is even more comfortable than a traditional keyboard. It is not the fact yet, but given device looks really stylish and unusual.

Now it is just a concept, but in case one of the cell phones producers decides to use it in any model, soon we will be able to find out how comfortable it is. However its design is so original that people will like it.

The Lord of the iRing


Nowadays great efforts are made in order to simplify our life activity. Thus, there is no need to spare a lot of time in order to perform any operation because just a single touch is enough for modern devices to understand what exactly you want them to do. However, we should never stop at what has been accomplished.

Victor Soto who designed a new interesting gadget also adheres to this principle. His concept iRing represents a high-end ring, which helps you by means of Bluetooth technology and a tiny touch screen to control Apple devices, such as iPod and iPhone. Although it's available just in two colors - black and white - it can be considered as a very stylish device with well-known Apple symbol on it. This Apple symbol serves as an indicator that shows a current state of a device, which is under iRing's control. There is no need to take iPod out of your pocket in case you want to change track. Built-in battery will ensure a few days of continuous functioning. So, you can charge it just two or three times a week.

The significant advantage of this gadget is the fact that it is hard to lose it. Moreover, those who have some Apple things most likely will love it because they will be able to control their favorite devices by means of a single ring. Yet, sometimes they will be forced to take their iPods or iPhones out in order to perform more complex operations.

Le Million - The most expencive cell phone?


There is no need to talk about the significant role of cell phones in our life. The fact that they turned into something really necessary and important explains why almost everybody has a cell phone. Thus, people started paying more attention not just to the functionality of these devices, but to the way they look as well. As a consequence we got a great variety of them pretty looking phones.

Recently Swedish company Goldwish designed Le Million cell phone that is considered to be the most expensive in the world. It's made of red, yellow and white gold and encrusted with diamonds of 120 carats. Moreover its backboard is covered with crocodile leather. As regards the price of this gadget it almost corresponds to the name that was given to this device, yet it's a little bit bigger - 1,43 million dollars.

There is no information about the characteristics of this cell phone and probably this is quite an understandable fact, because they are of no importance. The edition of this gadget is very limited - just three Le Millions will be sold in the world. So everything shows that the uniqueness of the gadget is the only feature, with help of which designers intend to attract people's attention, especially of reach ones.

As far as we - mere mortals - are concerned I don't think that someone will really dream about this cell phone. Of course it looks great, but it's too expensive. Such kind of things should be kept shut up in a safe and not put into the pocket.

Eyeball-implanted camera


A lot of efforts were made to help blind people restore their sight. Yet, despite the fact that many promising ideas appeared it's very hard to find a solution for such a complex problem. But in case we really want to make all those people happy the research on this issue must go on.

Thus, according to the recent patent application implanting a micro-camera directly into the eyeball may be a future solution for restoring sight to blind or people with damaged vision. Actually technology to restore sight to the blind by using electronic retinas was developed some time ago, but the link between the retina and external cameras was involving wires, which represents a significant disadvantage of such a method. But now it's said that the camera could be charged wirelessly and communicate directly with a chip implanted at the back of the eye, so very little external hardware would be needed.

UCLA Optical engineer Michelle Hauer thinks that technology may have advanced enough to insert a tiny camera inside the lens of the eye, capable of adapting for corneal optical effects and perhaps using haptics to stabilize its position. The camera would transmit images to a nerve-stimulating chip at the back of the eye, resulting in a complete electronic vision system.

It sounds great, so if scientists are able to make this technology true in near future, it will be an outstanding achievement. However, it seems a little bit unreal to implement such a perfect technology.

Diamond encrusted USB drive


There are a lot of exclusive USB flash drives nowadays. People's fantasy has gone very far in this domain. However the fact that many people like these devices makes designers and producers create even bigger variety of them.

Thus, a new gadget of that kind has been recently designed. It was created especially for seriously "binged" people who earn much more than they can (or are able to) spend, aiming to help them unload their stocked reserves. The product in question is the diamond-encrusted USB flash drive being offered by miiSTOR. Christened as the ICE, the glittering USB drive is made of Hallmarked platinum and is hand-set with 456 white diamonds. Brilliantly crafted, this tangible and communicative ICE USB drive is available on request only. In case you really want to possess this exclusive device, be ready to spend 29,000 USD or £15,000.

Despite the fact that this gadget is inimitable in its beauty I doubt that a lot of people will wish to buy it. Yet, in case you are among those who will do so a great number of people will envy you considering that you have a very expensive jewel.

Cubic MP3 player


All of us who like listening to music but are bored to death with our old MP3 players try to find something original, stylish and useful. Now there is a possibility to do so and make someone else happy at the same time.

World Vision, an international relief and development organization, announced the release of Nanum charity MP3 player designed by Samgmin Bae. World Vision plans to donate all earned money to low-income families with children. Moreover, it should be mentioned that in contrast to other charity items that are already on the market and donate only a portion of earnings, MP3 Nanum was produced, manufactured, and distributed for the sole purpose of sharing. It is a 100% charity item. So, now you can help other people applying no extra efforts. The gadget represents quite a usual, but still stylish, MP3 player that is made in the form of a cube. Of course, there are no equalizer, display or any of that stuff, yet a lot of colours are available, enabling you to choose the one you like the most.

Besides the fact that this MP3 player represents a charity item its unique simplicity and originality will probably attract people's attention; helping producers to increase sales and donate even bigger amounts of money to low-income families.

Secure chair


Probably all of us encountered such a situation when in a restaurant, café, or even a public library there was no secure place to hang our jackets or hand bags. The only way out of this situation was to hang all our clothes on a public coat rack, or across the back of our chair. Yet, despite the fact that this is the only solution, it can hardly be considered as a secure one, because there is quite a considerable possibility to "lose" something.

A new solution for this problem was found by Erohina Yulia. Her concept that is named "Chair Wardrobe" enables us to place our belongings in a secure location and keep them within reach. Given gadget is designed in such a way that at first sight it appears to be a normal usual chair. However, it has an important distinctive feature, which consists in the fact that the inside of the concept chair represents a storage or wardrobe for your special items. The design is made of two plastics, which are different in colours, signifying the double features of the chair. Moreover there is a possibility to choose different materials and colours.

Thus, there is no need to worry about your belongings because they will always be close to you. Besides that the design of this chair that is quite modern and stylish makes it possible to use it as a decoration to your interior. So, probably in near future we would be able to see this concept not just in public places, but in our friends' apartments as well. Yet, it's not the fact that this gadget will ensure safety for you stuff.

What watch to choose?


The St. Valentine's Day is coming. I think that a lot of boys and men are thinking about a great gift for their lovers. I consider that watch can become a very nice and the most desirable present for a girl or woman. A lot of amazing designs and variants really amaze and shock.

Of course, every man would like to buy something unusual and exclusive, that's why this article may help you. There are two types of watch that you can present.

At first, let me present you 4GB watch MP4 player. Cute design makes this watch not just a usual MP4 player, but a really stylish accessory. This watch is the most functional of all. A1.5 Inch OLED LCD screen allows to look not just the time, but also photos and videos. It is a great gadget during a trip or on the journey. The watch also includes an FM tuner, a mini MIC (it may become your secret weapon) and 4 GB of internal memory. Favorite music on your wrist and pretty design of the watch - great combination, don't you think so?

The second type of the watch is a classical variant. Big Bang Diamond Watch can totally strike your lady's mind. There is nothing more glamorous, elegant and exclusive but watch with diamonds. Red wristlet associates with love, romance and St. Valentine's Day. The watch can become unforgettable and beautiful jewelry for special occasions.

I would like to notice that 4GB watch MP4 player looks sporty; it is perfect for young modern girls. The second variant of the watch with diamonds is ideal for young girls, ladies and women - almost for everyone. Anyway, your valentine will be glad to get either of them, whatever you choose.

aXbo Alarm Clock Review


Remember that aXbo Alarm Clock that knows when it’s best to wake you by monitoring your sleep cycles? Well, the guys at Digital Reviews got their hands on one. They determined that for the most part setup and use will be intuitive with no need to read the manual, but for optimum operation they suggest a quick read for sensor placement, etc. They also noted that the device could use a few improvements, such a vibrating mode just incase your partner doesn’t want to be disturbed. Taking advantage of the already placed sensors to determine your sleep cycles, the alarm knows when you’re asleep such that it can turn off the optional sound soothing wave crashes or chirping crickets – saves on battery life too. Digital Reviews concluded their review by giving the aXbo an 8/10, and said “if you want to feel what it is like to wake up refreshed every morning this will be one of your better investments.”

Paying With Your Cell Phone Finally Hits US Shores…Again?


NFC, or Near-Feild Commuincation has been used for a long-ass time in many Asian countries. According to MobileBurn Sprint Nextel will soon begin trial runs of NFC with the BART (San Fran’s ‘Bay Area Rapid Transportation’) and participating Jack In the Boxes. In addition to paying for subway rides and burgers, Sprint customers with the appropriately equipped handsets, will be able to receive advertisements and discounts. Compatible handsets are manufactured by Samsung and the payment system is ran by Western Union. Philips ran some trial runs of this back in 2005, but I’m not sure if it really went anywhere. SanDisk also announced memory cards that included the NFC technology back in May, 2006, but that’s the last I saw of this.

This news comes on the heals of Inside Contactless announcing an initiative to rollout contactless payment to 1.3 billion users throughout the world, including the US.

Intel Takes Equivalent of 185,000 Cars Off the Road


Believe it or not, but Intel has become the “largest purchaser of Green Power in the U.S” and they’re boasting about. Posted on the Press Release portion of their site, Intel says they bought more than 1.3 billion kilowatt hours a year (yes BILLION) of renewable energy certificates. This makes Intel the single largest corporate purchaser of green power in the U.S. If you’re wondering what the hell 1.3 billion kilowatt hours equates to, then you’ll be glad to know it’s the equivalent of taking 185,000 cars of the road each year!

Complete press release here via Digg.

SkullCandy Headphones

I remember the time, when cassette players appeared and at once became popular. Later portable CD players occurred. Everyone dreamed to have one. Of course, when they became cheaper they spread everywhere and their popularity has grown fast. Now they are in disfavor. MP3 players replaced CD players and more than that MP4 players exist today. Everyone who loves music and videos, appreciates the quality of its sounding will follow the progress in music players for sure. Consequently, a person will make choice in favor of such devices as MP3 or MP4 players, which are tiny and include favorite
music/video loaded from one's computer. What about listening to the music with no player?

As for the given gadget it is very handy and modern. The SkullCandy headphones allow listening to the music without any player. Everything it needed is an SD card that can be of any size. The controls are on the side of one headphone. The SkullCandy headphones' battery is also rechargeable.

The most significant thing that should be mentioned concerning the gadget is that the SkullCandy headphones exclude all the inconveniences of different players and their wires. I mean a person shouldn't worry about the place for his or her player. More than that, it won't take space in one's pockets.

Gadget Review : Book Lover


Nowadays the significance of book reading slightly decreased because there is a great amount of different sources of information. Nevertheless a lot of people all over the world still like reading books. Due to the fact that book reading is quite a simple process it seems that nothing new can be invented in this domain. However, it is not exactly so.

Japanese designer Sakura Adachi suggested combining of bookcase and reading space. His invention represents quite a comfortable place for reading that is located right inside of the bookcase. This place is designed in the form of a chair that is made of a kind of soft material in order to ensure comfort. The fact that this gadget is integrated into the bookcase and, as a consequence, does not occupy any space at all that can be considered as a significant advantage. Moreover, it looks great and probably will not spoil your interior.

Thus, it seems that both adults and children will consider reading in this "cave" as an absorbing pastime. Yet, taking into consideration that a lot of people have computers and laptops it is hard to say something about the demand for this gadget. So, it is quite probable that some of them, having the opportunity to read ebooks, will find no sense to buy this useless, according to their opinion, "cave".