Latest Posts on Coolest Gadgets

Frauenhofer Institute’s robot spider
The iPad game board GameChanger is a real…do I really need to say it?
Strumdrumano takes on a multi-tasking role
Doctor Who Ride-in Dalek
Will the Nook Tablet end a possible “Reign of Kindle Fire”?
Dell M110 Ultra Mobile Projector

Posted: 09 Nov 2011 07:15 AM PST

We have reported on robots that can search through rubble before, such as the Omnitread. Generally, these types of robots are snake-shaped so they can fit into narrow crevices.

This robot from the Frauenhofer Institute in Germany is arachnid in shape, but it is essentially the same thing. These eight legs are all on hydraulics, and four of its legs on the ground at the same time.

As for the body of this robot, it has many sensors, including radiation monitors in case it has to go into irradiated zones. It also has video cameras so it can find what is really important: survivors.

I am not sure how big these robots are, but they can apparently be reproduced quite easily on a 3D printer. Sure, not all of us have 3D printers, but give it time. Maybe we are looking at a future where these white spiders will be crawling around. Just try to see it as a good thing and get rid of your Minority Report dystopian visions.

For some reason, I get this vision out of my head. Can you imagine being trapped under rubble, and then all of a sudden, these spiders come creeping through the cracks? Man, as if I wasn’t already freaked out.

Source

Conference Calendar – The global conference and expo finder.
[ Frauenhofer Institute’s robot spider copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

The iPad game board GameChanger is a real…do I really need to say it?

Posted: 09 Nov 2011 07:05 AM PST

I’m sure all of you remember when Steve Jobs announced that the iPad tablet was a “game-changer”. It was one of the highlights of his life, and it is fitting that Identity Games has made a product with that name.

The GameChanger comes with all the game pieces and a GameCharger cradle, with four game skins that can be placed on it. These skins are two different game themes of Animal Mania and The Magic School Bus. The pieces interact with the iPad, and the players spin a wheel on the iPad instead of using dice.

The Creative Director of Identity Games, Emile Kalis, says that “the Gamechanger is going to revolutionize traditional board game play”. In all honesty, I am surprised that I haven’t seen anything like this before. A lot of board games are optimized for the iPad anyway. Considering that the iPad screen is about four times smaller in area than most board game boards, it won’t be the same.

The GameChanger is available now at major retailers, at a price of $79.99. The apps that go along with it are free. Considering that I am not into Magic School Bus or Animal Mania, I won’t buy this. Perhaps if there were a Chutes and Ladders version, or some other famous game, I might be on board. Perhaps some of the major board game companies should take a hint from the GameChanger.

Cool Gift Idea: Digital Picture Frames, check out our reviews.
[ The iPad game board GameChanger is a real…do I really need to say it? copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Strumdrumano takes on a multi-tasking role

Posted: 09 Nov 2011 05:30 AM PST

The $69.95 Strumdrumano is a poster boy for a convergence device – especially when this musical toy will merge the functions of a simple guitar, a drum set as well as a 24-key piano, all crammed into a single device. When you extend the folding neck, the toy is transformed into an easy-to-play guitar, sporting five buttons on the fret board, while a “strum bar” will play notes in five styles that range from electric rock to country and heavy metal. Want to make a sound sustain itself? That’s simple, just modulate it with the whammy bar, or embellish in a “riff” mode for impressive trills and arpeggios.

Whenever the neck is folded away, little ones are able to either drum away on the quartet of percussive sound effect pads, or flip open the back in order to show off a hidden piano that can churn out tunes in classic, organ, or synthesizer sound modes. Regardless of how young or old a musician you are, the Strumdrumano is perfect to create your very own masterpieces, and you can even play along with your favorite tunes simply by attaching an MP3 player.

Powered by a quartet of AA batteries, we would recommend you get rechargeables to keep in going in the long run with an environmentally friendly view.

Cool Gift Idea: Digital Picture Frames, check out our reviews.
[ Strumdrumano takes on a multi-tasking role copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Doctor Who Ride-in Dalek

Posted: 09 Nov 2011 05:00 AM PST

So your little geekling is still too young to own a driving license, but he or she has been badgering you non-stop to get him/her a ride. Since Christmas is around the corner and you want to keep your youngling happy, why not stimulate our nation’s economy in the process by forking out $299.99 for the Doctor Who Ride-in Dalek? Yes sir, this toy will definitely make the young Whovian in your life more than ecstatic, where it is made out of a mixture of ballistic nylon and laminated rubberized polyvinyl. These are soft to the touch, but belie the fact that they are very durable and tear resistant.

Being inflatable does not mean that this is on par with a beach ball in terms of quality, but more that of a snow tube. To get it moving around, it will rely on a 6v battery powered motor that delivers 360 degree steering and a maximum speed of nearly 2 mph – definitely not fast enough to outrun parents who want to reel the kids in for dinner. While it is unable to hover around, at least the soft bumper located around the edge of the Dalek will protect your walls and furniture from damage. Bear in mind that this being a UK imported toy, you will need to get your own UK outlet adapter if you’re living Stateside.

Coolest Gadgets UK – For all your UK centric tech and gadget news.
[ Doctor Who Ride-in Dalek copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Will the Nook Tablet end a possible “Reign of Kindle Fire”?

Posted: 09 Nov 2011 05:00 AM PST

I’m not certain why we didn’t report on this yesterday, but in case you haven’t heard, Barnes and Noble announced its successor to the Nook Color with the Nook Tablet.

The Nook Tablet has a 7-inch (1,024 x 600 pixel) IPS LCD, with a 1GHz dual-core TI Omap 4 processor. The internal memory is 16GB, with a microSD card expansion slot of up to 32GB. The battery life is 11 hours for reading, and 8-9 hours of video.

It also has Android 2.3 (Gingerbread). I believe that there is a certain other tablet from Amazon that has Android, that will be released soon. Yes, that Amazon Kindle Fire looks very similar to this.

To paraphrase Yoda: “Begun the Nook Tablet/Kindle Fire wars have”. Right now, the new Nook is looking pretty good, as it has a microSD card slot, an integrated microphone. Based on reports that we have about the Kindle Fire, Amazon’s new tablet doesn’t have these features.

The Kindle Fire is to be released on November 15th, while the Nook is due on the 18th. In addition to the few days headstart that the Fire will have, the Fire also has a lower price at $199, while the Nook Tablet will cost $249. May the best tablet win the most sales.

Source

Introducing Foolish Gadgets because not all gadgets are cool

[ Will the Nook Tablet end a possible “Reign of Kindle Fire”? copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Dell M110 Ultra Mobile Projector

Posted: 09 Nov 2011 04:30 AM PST

The advancement of miniaturization technology has resulted in many things becoming far smaller without sacrificing on performance – and the same can be said of the projector. Even until now, projectors are still rather bulky in size, but then again they certainly have shed plenty of weight over the years, and at least you need not wait until the bulb cools down completely before turning off the main power in select models. What happens when you take a shrinking ray and point it towards a projector? Why, you end up with the Dell M110 Ultra Mobile Projector, of course!

The Dell M110 Ultra Mobile Projector is said to be more than just a projector, as it is a truly portable media hub that can see action either at home or at the office. It will tip the scales at a mere 0.8lbs, but despite the relatively small size, do not be deceived by its super small package – the M110 is still able to pack a punch!

Connectivity options are aplenty – you get VGA, HDMI and USB inputs, allowing you to present your fair share of multimedia slideshows as well as run audio-visual applications directly from your digital camera, DVD or DVR player, video game console, and perhaps select mobile devices – without having to own a computer or a notebook. Want to take the wireless route? That is not a problem, just add the optional wireless dongle and you are good to go.

The 1GB of internal memory might not sound like much, but it can definitely be augmented to 32GB thanks to the presence of a microSD memory card slot. As for audio, I would assume the traditional weakness of projectors (portable or otherwise) will remain – that is, the integrated 1W speaker would not amount to much – perhaps it is good enough for sit-in movies, but other than that, you might want to hook it up to an external speaker system. Dell claims that the M110 is good enough to work in a brightly lighted room (with ambient lighting), where the mercury-free LED technology used inside the M110 projector can deliver up to 20,000 hours of service sans a LED lamp or bulb replacement.

Press Release

Introducing Foolish Gadgets because not all gadgets are cool

[ Dell M110 Ultra Mobile Projector copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]