Myvu Goggles of the Future

Do you remember waiting for the future as a kid? The advent of flying mototrcars and virtual reality displays seemed right around the corner. Well, wait no more, the future is finally here. Myvu has finally created something that looks suspiciously like a virtual reality headset, and the best part? It plugs right into your iPod. 

Looking like Data’s headset from StarTrek, these shades do more than shield your eyes form the sun. They are in fact are personal television screens, for your eyes only. Plug them into your iPod or media player like headphones and you’re free to watch your favorite movies, shows, or games anywhere you go. The original Myvu Solo Plus boasts a 320 x 240 resolution, which allows you to keep your peripheral vision intact, as well as 4 hours of battery viewing life and headphones that include noise reduction technology.

Nubrella; it May Look Strange, But Look Again

Living for the past month in the south of Ireland, one of the world’s most notoriously rainy landscapes, is enough to make me re-evaluate not only my footwear and wardrobe, but also my pitifully weak first defense; my umbrella. With all the talk of the climate change and rainfall, it’s no wonder the Nubrella, caught my eye. When featured on the Today show, I was naturally curious about this odd-looking piece of equipment. Could it keep me dry? But not only me, can it also protect my laptop and other valuables that tote on the walk to campus every morning?

The website has a lot to say about this device, boasting a reliability at up to 50mph- perfect for those really nasty days- waterproof and rip proof nylon, and a design that will never flip-out. The dome-like look of the nubrella is intriguing, to say the least. Much like the popular bubble umbrella, the wind stands little to no chance of catching under this design, actually keeping you warmer as you walk. There is also the option to use a “shoulder support,” eliminating the need to hold you Nubrella in place.

Sensasell Makes Walking a Bright Idea

It seems reminders of our impact on the environment are everywhere these days, from hybrid cars to campaigns for reusable grocery bags, but at the “Comunitat Valenciana,” or Spanish Pavilion in Zaragoza, Spain, there is another reminder of our carbon footprint.

Sensasell Cooperation has recent unveiled it’s contribution to the upcoming 2008 World Expo in Zaragoza. The theme this year is “Water and Sustainable Development,” and in order to accompany this theme, Sensacell has created and installed a 250 square foot floor composed of approximately 1000 Sensacell HSI64-36-W cells that respond to pressure by lighting up and then fading gradually when pressure is released. By using

Jeppe, Your Future Wireless, Remotely-Controlled, Rolling, Tele-Conferencing Robot

Nokia's new Jeppe teleconferencing device meets requirements you probably didn't even know you had. What can Jeppe do? Jeppe covers all of your basic tele-conferencing needs--it allows people in two locations to talk, hands-free. But here is where it gets interesting...

What happens if one person in one of those locations needs to get up to, say, wash the dishes in the middle of the conference?

Don't laugh! In the video after the jump, you'll see that such a scenario is demonstrated (despite being highly unlikely)! So, let's say you have to get up from the table while having that incredibly important tele-conferencing session and need to make sure your voice is still heard, and preferably, your face still seen.

What do you do?

The answer is simple, apparently. You use Jeppe's ability to follow you to the sink so you can do those dishes while carrying on that important meeting.

See, Jeppe is a little robot with wheels, a camera and microphone that is controlled by a Nokia Internet tablet. It can follow you around as you talk to the person on the other end. Nokia says that he's supposed to be a sort of robotic pet allowing families to keep in touch with relatives. However, thanks to a number of free alternatives, like Skype, Gizmo Project and basically any video-enabled instant messaging service, one wonders just who the heck would spend any money on this thing.

As of July 2008, Jeppe's features are a bit on the limited side. For now, that tablet has to be on the same WLAN as the Jeppe in order to connect to the rolling robot. Obviously, the plan will be to have this work over the Internet in the future.

Also, Jeppe only has one-way video (it has the camera, the user with the tablet can see what Jeppe sees), and two-way audio, hence the

Martin Jetpack Delivers the Future (In a Way)

Any science fiction fan (and probably any gadget addict, too) will tell you that "the future" (the real future, that is) has been a serious let down. No world peace, world hunger has yet to be wiped out, still no flying cars and, until recently, no personal jet packs. One of the classic cliches about the future was that it promised us each our own backpack-sized device that would allow us to get to school, work or just away, with just a quick press of the thumb.

Well, it's the twenty-first century, 2008 to be exact, and the future has arrived--sort of. Here comes the Martin Jetpack--a kind of massive gadget that allows anyone the ability to fly without wings (well, again, sort of). At least one report says that the Martin Jetpack can keep you in the air for 40 minutes on "a single tank of gas."

Oxycool 32 Keeps You, uh, Breathing

How many times have you thought to yourself how great it would be if
you had some spare oxygen in a bag? Perhaps you found yourself in a room of smokers or at the top of a tall mountain (or both?) and thought to yourself: "Gosh, my brain cells sure could use some of the good stuff!"

Well, Ymup, a Japanese company has developed technology that will allow you to have just that, in the form of the oxygen-generating (oxygenerating?) Oxycool 32--a somewhat diminutive little box that can sit on a desk, countertop, or just about anywhere else.

The device, itself, is small enough to fit on a desk or in a backpack.
There have been reports that Ymup plans a battery operated version that will put this device inside a backpack, allowing you to get 30% oxygenated air flowing into your nose on-the-go. This version comes with a remote so you don't have to take the pack off to control what you're breathing.

Esquire Goes E-Inky

Just when you thought print was dead (again), Esquire goes and announces that their September 2008 issue will have an E-ink cover. Yep, the technology that allows a piece-of-paper-like device to function as something just short of a video screen will be addorning the cover of 100,000 copies of the monthly magazine when it hits shelves in roughly two-month's time.

E-Ink, for the uninitiated is the next big thing after LED screens. Imagine a tablet computer the width of a piece of paper (or very close to it) and you'll have the ultimate goal of E-Ink-like technology (for now you can find it in Amazon's Kindle and similar devices). The theory is that once you "print" something in E-Ink, it will stay there until you re-print something else on the same "page." Of course, if you want to have the printed image move or blink, you need to provide some sort of continuous power-source.

This is the catch with the Esquire magazine cover. Editor-in-Chief, David Granger says the words "the 21st Century Begins Now," will blink to catch the eyes of passers-by. So, where is the power going to come from?

The New York Times is reporting that,

Phonofone II: The Coolest iPod Speaker Dock You'll Ever Not Own

The Phonofone II from Science + Sons is the iPod speaker dock you want if you positively want to own the coolest, most eye-catching PMP speaker dock ever designed--that doesn't need an external power source. What's even better is that it will work with just about any audio source, assuming you can plug earbuds into it. If you're the average gadget freak, you're probably wondering why the PMP would need to have earbuds plugged into it and how the Phonofone II is supposed to work without a battery or being plugged into the wall.

According to the official Phonophone website, the device uses "passive amplification" all by its lonesome to create sound through it's old-school horn-style speaker. Remember those old record players from the time of the dinosaurs? Those worked similarly--but the Phonofone II uses, earbuds instead of a record needle.

The same way those old-fashioned horn-style record players (or "phonographs" as they were called back then) would use the horn to amplify sound, the Phonofone allows the natural shape of the tube leading to the horn and the horn itself to to take advantage of the physics of sound to amplify your audio. The official website claims sound can be boosted to up to 55 decibels, which is about the level of your average PC speakers (again, according to the website). You can read more about

Do Swing

Okay, so you’re planning a party. You got the punch, the chips, the dip…but is that really all there is to a party these days? I mean, we’re in the 21st century, and it’s about time we started partying like it. But how do you spruce things up? Well, for starters, physical activity is becoming all the rage, what with health concerns skyrocketing across the country. So, it’s gotta be something that gets you moving. Also, all great parties have one thing in common: great lighting. Lighting helps you see who’s at a party, so you can avoid the people you dislike and find the people you’re attracted to. Or, for some, just so you can find the snack table (ahem, health concerns, remember?). So, we’ve got physical activity on the one side and lighting on the other. Now let me see…

Ah, here it is: the Do Swing, the trapeze-chandelier. Yea, I combined those words with a hyphen and you should too because now you can swing from the light fixture at your party WITHOUT causing serious damage to your home and/or guests. The fixture itself resembles an upside down ‘T’ with a light bulb on either end. Stretching from the stem of the ‘T’ to the ceiling is a long cord that that allows for trapezing and stuff. What’s that? You work late and don’t know if you’ll have enough daylight to do your exercises? Well, it’s a light fixture too, don’t forget, so you can jump and swing and flip through the wee hours of the night.

Unfortunately this design is still in the concept stages, but if the word gets out on this, it could be a nation-sweeping phenomenon. In fact, the first presidential candidate to endorse this product will likely win the whole damn thing! Also unfortunate, the Do Swing does NOT come with a spiffy spandex outfit, so you’ll have to provide your. Also, never, under any circumstances, should you miss the handle grips and grab the light bulbs instead. They are extremely fragile and hot! You have been warned!

Source: Gizmodo[http://gizmodo.com/371975/trapeze-chandelier-really-spices-up-key-parties]
Do Swing website: [http://www.bernstrand.com/bernstrand_lighting_site.htm]

Need a USB Microscope? Come Get Some!

Ever find yourself needing to record what you see through a microscope onto your computer? Well, if you have, your need has been met with a short stack of USB microscopes available now, around the intarwebs. A few different companies make a few different types of USB microscopes--but hang on--why would anyone need a USB-based microscope/cam? Well, for starters, they're just cool! If you're truly a gadget addict, how could you say "no" to something like this?

Snarkiness aside, you also could be a scientist who is looking for a way to easily edit or share your observations. You could use your USB microscope as a webcam and update your website with new pictures of what ever tiny thing you happened to be looking at. You might also be a science teacher interested in finding new ways to educate your students with the use of technology. Regardless of why you might need a USB microscope, there are plenty out there to choose from.