Latest Posts on Coolest Gadgets

Say Good-Morning with Nostalgia Electrics Toaster with a Flip Down Griddle
The Breadcrumb Tracker – Your Teen’s Worst Nightmare
128k Macintosh prototype spotted?
Sony DSC-TX200V digital camera is super slim
Hand Reflexology Massager
SKLZ Power Base Tennis

Say Good-Morning with Nostalgia Electrics Toaster with a Flip Down Griddle

Posted: 01 Feb 2012 08:05 AM PST

I wake up every morning at 6 am and while the rest of the house is still fast asleep I have a quiet bowl of cereal while I ponder my day, Sure I’d like a more substantial breakfast sometimes, but I don’t want to make a mess in the kitchen and I don’t want to spend too much time rattling around, I especially don’t want to wake them up and ruin my quiet time.

Well, now enjoying a hearty breakfast is easy! Nostalgia Electrics (the folks that bring us many kitchy cooking items) introduce us to the 50′s Breakfast Toaster & Griddle. This bread and bagel toaster features a wide 2-slot toaster and, wait for it.. a flip down griddle all in one cute and compact appliance. It’s perfect for a dorm room or small apartment (Although I’m leaning towards keeping it on my desk at work) and the non-stick griddle heats up to 450 ° and features a removable grill plate and drip tray for easy cleaning.

The unit measures 6.8″ W x 8.2″ H x 13″ D so it will fit anywhere a regular toaster will, and the variable temperature controlled griddle even has a separate on/off switch for those mornings when toast will suffice. The toaster itself features a cancel button to prevent your precious toast from burning and the electric cord stows easily by wrapping it around the bracketed base.

Yup, I can see one of these in my future… but I’m not going to limit myself to just bacon and eggs… I’m going to be at my desk making frajitas and some shrimp stir fry, that should allow me to annoy people even more than usual.

The Nostalgia Toaster & Griddle is available for under 30 bucks at www.amazon.com

source: nostalgiaelectrics.com

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[ Say Good-Morning with Nostalgia Electrics Toaster with a Flip Down Griddle copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

The Breadcrumb Tracker – Your Teen’s Worst Nightmare

Posted: 01 Feb 2012 06:52 AM PST

I don’t know if anyone has noticed, but it seems like more kids are getting into trouble, or worse, ending up missing. It seems like everyday I hear a news report about a child abduction, or a missing mom… there are Silver alerts on the highway warning us to be on the lookout for a “lost" senior. I don’t know whats going on, but it does keep me up nights. I remember when I was a kid, wandering the neighborhood for the entire day, coming home in time for dinner, its not like that anymore.

Breadcrumb is offering a unique location technology software that is able to provide parents or caregivers the ability to view the precise location of their family members right from their Smartphone, or any Internet connected computer. The software also allows children to send a request for help to their parents with a simple push of a button on their Smartphone. A parents dream, a teenagers worst nightmare.

The software also allows you to receive special alerts on your Smartphone via text message when a family member arrives at a specified destination or has traveled outside agreed upon boundaries. The program does not however, disclose the location of the parents, of course maximizing punishment potential when your kid tries to tell you they’re at the library and you’re standing outside the party.

Optionally, with Breadcrumb’s Automated Vehicle Locator you can also view the real-time location of your family vehicles on a Google or Bing map, also right from your Smartphone.View the travel route of your vehicle each day, and receive optional alerts when a family member is exceeding the speed limit on the highway.

Basic service starts at under 8 bucks a month per person (I’d almost pay that to find my Smartphone everyday) and enables you to find your kid within 9 feet of their location in about 3 seconds… Like I said, its not like it used to be..

Source: www.breadcrumbgps.com

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[ The Breadcrumb Tracker – Your Teen’s Worst Nightmare copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

128k Macintosh prototype spotted?

Posted: 01 Feb 2012 05:30 AM PST

Old is gold, or so the saying goes. Well, if that is the case, then surely what looks to be a 128k Macintosh prototype that appeared in the wild will certainly appeal to collectors of all things vintage. This unique prototype is very rare, considering how not many people keep old school electronics up and running for a few decades. Boasting a 5.25" "Twiggy" floppy disk mechanism, this is in line with the what Apple used in the first generation Lisa workstation.

According to user “mactwiggy” who put up several photos of this particularly rare find (no idea on where he spotted it though), what makes this prototype all the more unique is this – production Mac models relied on 3.5" 400k floppy disk drives, which is a format that Apple by and large was responsible for introducing to the masses.

Touted to be a pre-production system, this prototype, as mentioned before the jump, will sport the proprietary Apple Twiggy 5.25" disk format. I guess that some good came out of this particular rare disk format – it proved to be rather unreliable, and was eventually shelved in the Lisa 2 with the 3.5" floppy disk drive taking over after that. Bear in mind that none of the Macs shipped to date ever came with such 5.25" internal disk drives, so this is either a very clever hoax, or a true blue prototype that never made the grade to be released to the mass market.

The person behind this prototype claimed to have purchased it through an online advertisement, where a retired engraver had this piece of digital treasure that he wanted to let go. The company which he worked for was hand-picked by Apple to create some award medallions for a ceremony at Apple, and somewhere around 1983 thereabouts, this Mac was sent as a model for him to work off of – once the job was completed, several arrangements were made to have him send it back, but somehow or rather, Apple finally told them to keep it.

Basically, the retired engraver did not sell this to make a whole wad of cash on the double – rather, he was just pleased that someone out there knew the intrinsic value of this, and would definitely appreciate in a living room. Talk about a vintage piece of computing in your living room!

Source

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[ 128k Macintosh prototype spotted? copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Sony DSC-TX200V digital camera is super slim

Posted: 01 Feb 2012 05:00 AM PST

Thin is still in where digital cameras are concerned, and while we took a look at a couple of shooters from Panasonic yesterday, Sony too, did not want to lose out on the game, and the Japanese consumer electronics manufacturer has just added yet another model to the ultra-thin Cyber-shot T series – with the model number DSC-TX200V. You might want to look into expanding that external storage space collection of yours if you happen to pick up the new TX200V camera though, considering it is capable of shooting 18.2-megapixel images thanks to its “Exmor R” CMOS sensor.

This would clearly place the Sony DSC-TX200V as the highest-resolution digital camera that is currently on offer in the “point and shoot” market segment, and when coupled with the spanking new BIONZ processor, both of them will work in tandem to create images as well as video files with extremely low noise.

Just what else do you expect the Sony DSC-TX200V to carry? This advanced model is also tipped to deliver lightning-fast AutoFocus speeds of approximately 0.13 seconds in daytime and 0.25 seconds in low-light situations. Bear in mind that the speeds quoted are just on paper, when in real life, they might vary depending on shooting conditions. With such shooting speeds, they will more or less ensure you are able to capture the right moment at all times.

Not only that, the TX200V Cyber-shot will also look good externally, as it comes with a new and beautiful, reinforced glass design which encases a large, 3.3″ Xtra Fine TruBlack OLED wide touch-screen display. Want to bring this with you on your next watersports adventure? Not to worry – considering this is water-proof (up to 5m or approx.16 feet), and I am quite sure that also, to a certain amount of time.

In addition, the Sony DSC-TX200V is also dust-proof and freeze-proof (up to 14F), and will boast a “Photo Creativity” interface which allows you to easily adjust creative settings in order to roll out unique, custom-styled photos. If you happen to have case of shaky hands, fret not – image stabilization will kick in during video and still shooting, thanks to borrowed technology from the Sony Handycam range, where its “Optical Steady Shot Active Mode” drastically reduces blurring caused by camera shake while on the move.

Expect to pick up the DSC-TX200V camera in silver, red, and violet shades for around $500 when it hits the market later this month.

Press Release

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[ Sony DSC-TX200V digital camera is super slim copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Hand Reflexology Massager

Posted: 01 Feb 2012 04:30 AM PST

When we talk about reflexology, most of the time we are drawn to something that has to do with the feet – but the folks over at Hammacher have very different ideas of associating the verb with, by introducing the $119.95 Hand Reflexology Massager. This device will apply a gentle, soothing massage to both the top and bottom of your hand, making me feel as though I ought to place an order for this puppy right away considering the amount of typing that I do each day in order to bring home the bacon.

This is a machine that intends to replicate the hand reflexology treatment, where it will compress trigger points on the palm and back of hand using a mechanical air pressure system which kneads the hand. A bunch of physical therapists realized that this massager has proven itself to be effective in relieving pain and discomfort in the hands, and thanks to its soothing rhythm, it is capable of relieving tension, stress, and fatigue that are normally associated with extended keyboard and mouse usage. Once your hand is inserted into the device’s soft polyester interior, a single push of a button will kick start your choice of either a 5-, 10-, or 15-minute session at one of four pressure levels. Even far infrared heat is delivered during sessions in order to promote better circulation.

Cool Gift Idea: Digital Picture Frames, check out our reviews.
[ Hand Reflexology Massager copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

SKLZ Power Base Tennis

Posted: 01 Feb 2012 04:00 AM PST

After watching the marathon Australian Open 2012 final between the Djoker and Nadal, you can say that anyone with a passing interest in tennis would also be pumped up to up their game’s ante, so getting some practice in will definitely be required. If you happen to find it hard to cajole a friend into being your playing partner, fret not – there is help in the form of the £34.99 SKLZ Power Base Tennis. After all, playing with a wall is just too predictable, and for situations where you cannot fnid a real partner, this is where the SKLZ Power Base Tennis comes in handy.

Relying on a standard ball that is tethered to a weighted base by a lightweight, stretchy cord, all you need to do is find adequate open space, and serve the ball just as though you would do so to an opponent. The 15-foot cord is able to stretch up to 30 feet, and the distance largely depends on how much “Ooomph!” you put into the shot, before it comes screaming back at you – in theory, at least. This is a constant battle to prevent the ball from losing its bounce, and each shot is critical to help you maintain a rally, keeping you on your toes at all times.

Cool Gift Idea: Digital Picture Frames, check out our reviews.
[ SKLZ Power Base Tennis copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]