Latest Posts on Coolest Gadgets

The Elektra One electric airplane
The Machete Slingshot, sure to be in a movie soon!
Smart Spectacles – “See” the World Through the Eyes of a Gamer
Introducing the NAV 7 – As the Tablet Parade Continues
Gadget Thumbnails for 29-Mar-2011
Newest High Tech Invention – The Leaf?

Posted: 30 Mar 2011 05:28 PM PDT

Considering the big move of getting all of our cars to be electric, I guess it was only a matter of time before our planes went electric too.

NASA has recently sponsored a CAFE Green Flight Challenge, and this Elektra One is the PC-Aero entry. The plane is a single-seater aircraft, and it completed its main flight of 500 meters high and then quickly landing, all on batteries. On its second flight, the Elektra One stayed in the air for about half and hour.

Yeah, that doesn’t seem long in today’s world of flying, and 3 hours of flight time for a speed of 160 kph doesn’t seem that long either. Aren’t we saying that about electric-powered vehicles a few years ago?

In other words, we probably have a long way to go before our jumbo-jets will be completely green-powered. I am seeing an image from the future of a plane that “plugs-in” while the passengers are unboarding and boarding.

The future also looks quieter for electric planes, which means that the days of hearing deafeningly loud planes pass over are going to be a thing of the past. Part of me wants to think that technology like this is decades ahead of us, but another part of me wants to believe that we aren’t too far away from it.

Source

Tech Cult – We cover the latest tech news, but always with a funny twist.
[ The Elektra One electric airplane copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

The Machete Slingshot, sure to be in a movie soon!

Posted: 30 Mar 2011 04:57 PM PDT

The moment that I saw this Machete Slingshot, all I could think about was all the movies that it could be in. Slasher movie villains now have a new weapon. I can just see the helpless victims running as machetes are hurled at them with deadly accuracy.

I have a video available after the jump if you want to see some serious sharp-shooting. An obvious pun, I know. I admire that simplicity of the mechanism as all this thing does is hold the strung up machete in place while a lever pushes it over the edge. With a special hook built into the machete melee, it launches it through the slingshot.

Apparently, it takes something this long to shoot a machete. I wish I had a figure on the range for this guy. Let’s just say that if David had one of these in the Valley of Elah, Goliath would have been crying for his mother.

I suppose “don’t try this at home” applies. Even the creator says he cut himself terribly in this video, and it was lucky he was wearing a facemask. I believe that he says something like “leave it to the stupid people to build this”. I don’t want to agree with him, because I admire his courage for actually building a working machete-shooting weapon.

Source

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[ The Machete Slingshot, sure to be in a movie soon! copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Smart Spectacles – “See” the World Through the Eyes of a Gamer

Posted: 30 Mar 2011 01:36 PM PDT

Welcome one and all, to the future, the days have arrived where the cheesy sci-fi movie scenes of yesteryear are actually coming true. Case in point, check out these new eyeglasses, you've seen them before, they just weren't a reality, until now…

This SmartVision product consists of a pair of spectacles incorporating EnahancedView technology which can actually be linked to most commonly available IT sources like your mobile phone, PDA, portable DVD Player, Laptop or Netbook, and… wait for it… Video Game Consoles. Hence, these glasses let it's users dispense with a monitor altogether, the view is in the glasses!

Soon, you might be able to cut our computers loose from monitors completely and be able to project graphical information onto your world by augmenting reality, does it get more sci-fi than this?

Later this year, Laster Technologies based in a Paris suburb, says it will be releasing its first-generation SmartVision spectacles, which will project VGA-resolution color images on the INSIDE of the glasses, powered by a smartphone or a tablet computer and connected via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.

With ad-ons like gesture and voice command, cameras and object recognition I can honestly say I've seen the future… and it's looking right back at me.

Source: www.spectrum.ieee.org

Cool Gift Idea: Digital Picture Frames, check out our reviews.
[ Smart Spectacles – "See" the World Through the Eyes of a Gamer copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Introducing the NAV 7 – As the Tablet Parade Continues

Posted: 30 Mar 2011 09:57 AM PDT

Netbook Navigator has finally announced that their NAV7 Slate PC Tablet Running Windows 7 is currently Available for Pre-Order. This great little mobile device features the first compact 7-inch, 1024 x 600 pixel multitouch display as well as a 1.6 GHz Intel Atom Z530 processor, runs Windows 7 and is loaded with some innovative best-in-class features, including 2 USB ports, a front-side webcam, WIFI, Bluetooth and optional embedded 3G broadband. The NAV7 is essentially a full computer that can be carried with you practically anywhere.

The base model runs about $649 dollars and comes with 1GB of RAM, a 16GB solid state disk, WiFi, Bluetooth, the 2 USB ports, and an Ethernet jack, but absolutely no operating system. Windows 7 Home Premium will jack up the price to around $749. You can also configure the Nav7 with 32GB of 64GB of storage, 2Gb of RAM, and an optional 3G model. If you want to go all out, the top of the line model still runs less than $1250.

The Nav 7 weighs 1.25 lbs and is equipped with 1.8″ Solid State hard drive with up to 64GB of storage, as well as a unique combination of features not seen before on a 7-inch tablet, including a back-side touchpad with mouse buttons, a swappable battery good for at least 4 hours per charge, and an integrated accelerometer.

The NAV7 is now available for pre-order in limited quantities on first come, first serve basis with over 30 different configuration options starting from $649. Orders placed in March are expected to ship on or about May 2011.

For shopping or more information, including a launch video click HERE

PRESS RELEASE

Cool Gift Idea: Digital Picture Frames, check out our reviews.
[ Introducing the NAV 7 – As the Tablet Parade Continues copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Gadget Thumbnails for 29-Mar-2011

Posted: 29 Mar 2011 10:01 PM PDT

Conference Calendar – The global conference and expo finder.
[ Gadget Thumbnails for 29-Mar-2011 copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Newest High Tech Invention – The Leaf?

Posted: 29 Mar 2011 06:20 PM PDT

It's no surprise that we are involved in an energy crisis, the reasons why are being debated worldwide, and I guess everyone has an opinion, but that being said, it's a problem nonetheless. In order to make a contribution to the energy issue, scientists are developing a new high tech weapon in the race to become self sufficient, the leaf. Yes, you read it correctly. Allow me to explain…

In order to create artificial photosynthesis scientists have built a mechanical version of the leaf. Using the leaf, water and sunlight to strip H2 out of H2O they can make hydrogen fuel, all by using only the materials that make up solar cells. Using a silk screen and solar paint they make a white film on a glass slide and die it in order to capture the energy from sunlight and then to produce cheap electricity. Watch a short video HERE

“A practical artificial leaf has been one of the Holy Grails of science for decades,” said Daniel Nocera, Ph.D., who led the research team. “We believe we have done it. The artificial leaf shows particular promise as an inexpensive source of electricity for homes of the poor in developing countries. Our goal is to make each home its own power station,” he said. “One can envision villages in India and Africa not long from now, purchasing an affordable basic power system based on this technology.”

So in building an artificial photosythesis device that uses sunlight, a membrane and a catalysts one can only hope that we can eventually end our dependence on petroleum and provide an abundant energy source that won't pollute our planet. Now wouldn't that be nice?

Press Release

Tech Cult – We cover the latest tech news, but always with a funny twist.
[ Newest High Tech Invention – The Leaf? copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]