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.

As of yet Myvu has three models of viewer, the original, the Shades, which can last up to 10 hours, and the Crystal, which give the largest field of vision at 640 x 480. Imagine sitting on an airplane or waiting at a station, and being able to watch your favorite shows is an interesting concept, and one a the heart of innovations lie the iPod Video, but what the Myvu does is both intriguing, and a little far-fetched. You are given your own personal theatre, but in everyday life when is this innovation viable? Besides the constant traveler who doesn’t want to interrupt the person next to them, the idea of completely covering your vision while out in public is a bit frightening, and while the original model does allow you to keep peripheral vision, the idea is still a bit unnerving. 

Which is perhaps why with all the sci-fi talk of virtual reality displays, they never really caught on. Myvu has attempted to bring our sci-fi dreams into reality, but perhaps that is never where they were meant to go. It would be interesting to see these headsets catch on, but in my mind there is a slim chance. Still, they are nice to think about as an idea. 

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.

The official website appears rather loath to show its product in use, but from what I can see, it’s a very… interesting look, and strangely enough, one I can see it catching on. Indeed the Nubrella is hands-free, almost appearing like an overlarge spaceman’s helmet, but the novelty of two-handed access to my cell phone or iPod while also staying dry is a big plus point. 

I have to admit, while at first the idea to redesign the umbrella seems folly, the Nubrella has some very serious merits, and could do well in metropolitan markets with a wet forecast. My qualms seem to be with size. The Nubrella involves a rather large crescent-shaped carrying case that seems inconvenient to tote around, not to mention storage once you get to your destination. No quick grabbing my umbrella and putting in my bag before I run out the door. There is also a price consideration. At $49.99, it is far more costly than any umbrella I have encountered before. 

For now I think I’ll have to stick to my good ‘ol quick-collapse Totes. But I have to admit, however strange the Nubrella looks at first, look closer and you’ll see the merits. Especially when broken umbrellas in trashcans is a daily sight.

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 capacitate sensors and an LED lighting system, the floor helps supply light based on the number of people walking on it at any given time.

Capacitate sensors activate through two electric plates. One plate is charged with energy, while the other is held close to it. When the plates are close enough together, the energy will then jump between them, creating light. In it’s application in the Sensasell floor, the pressure applied to the top (non-energized) plate lessens the gap between the two plates, allowing the energy to transfer and light to appear. Video demonstrations of the floor show the light trail left by Pavilion patrons liek something out of Close Encounters. As the cells light up, they leave a ten-second glow of white on the otherwise glass-green tiles.

Sensacell promotes the floor as a viable solution to lighting in large public areas such as hotel or building lobbies, stages or clubs where more light is needed. But practical applications aside, the floor is designed and installed in Zaragoza to comment on the increasing size of our collective (and individual) carbon footprint.

The eco-friendly state of the floor itself is still in debate, however. It’s LED properties make it an energy-saving device, but even when the floor is not being stepped on to be lit, it must still be carrying a charge. Sensasell makes a beautiful and poignant comment with their pressure-sensitive floor, but outside of the World Expo, just how much of a comment do they make about our energy consumption? Hopefully the energy needed to power the floor can one day itself be from an alternative source.

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 tele-conferencing instead of video conferencing. The official website for Jeppe claims that two-way video is coming.

For now, though, you can check out this “amazing” video that demonstrates a kind of product that really doesn’t make any sense. One can’t help but wonder why simply staying seated at the table during a meeting is so difficult. Why anyone would want, let alone need, to have the ability to send their tele-conferencing unit zooming around someone’s office, looking up women’s skirts and knocking over potted plants and–actually, maybe this little guy has a purpose after all!

Jeppe is still in development and there’s no official word on when or even if it will be made available to the public.

By the way, the website doesn’t tell us how “Jeppe” is pronounced so, hopefully, they’ll include that in future versions along with two-way video and the ability to connect over the Internet.

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.” Of course, that means, in many places around the world, a forty minute jetpack flight would run you more than a dollar per minute!

The future is expensive!

But no technology is perfect when it is first unveiled to the public.

Of course, the so-called Martin Jetpack is drawing a bit of criticism thanks to it’s name being a bit misleading. If you look at the thing closely, you’ll see there are no actual “jets” on it. The Martin Jetpack actually uses propellers to lift the pilot off the ground.

It’s also HUGE. This is not something you’d strap to your back and go fight Nazis with. Nor is this something that you’d use to in a fight against an invasion of Radar Men from the Moon. That said, it’s still a fascinating breakthrough.

The real surprise is that you can actually purchase one of these bad boys by heading over to MartinJetPackUSA.com. The asking price is a low, low $100,000US. That doesn’t include sales taxes or “adjustment for inflation as measured by the consumer price index.”

That $100k price also doesn’t include the cost of flight training. That’s right, you have to take 5-15 days of your life and dedicate it to learning how to fly this thing before they’ll let you buy it. This is probably a good idea.

Either way, it’s amazing that, in at least one way (kinda), the future is here. Now we just need to get that world peace thing going.

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.

According to the official details page for the Oxycool 32 (translated
here by Yahoo’s BabelFish) it’s possible to get oxygen out of the thing for an hour straight, on batteries, one assumes. Meanwhile, it also makes the claim that it can be run continuously. There is also an version that allows you to charge for specific lengths of time for it to run, assuming you want to charge for, you know, air.

Regular flavored oxygen just not interesting enough for you? Ymup also has perfumes available for the Oxycool 32, allowing you to liven your air flow up a bit.

You can expect to get 3 liters of oxygen per minute out of the thing
depending on temperature and atmospheric pressure (again, according to the official details page). It weighs just
shy of nine pounds and there are no details on their site regarding
how the portable, battery-operated version will differ. One assumes
the only change will be the weight of the battery.

So, if you’re finding that you’re just not getting enough oxygen in your diet, and you live in Japan, consider the Oxycool 32.

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, to make a flashing E-Ink cover possible, Esquire a six-figure sum had to be dropped for a battery to be developed. That wasn’t the only thing that had to be invented for this stunt. It turns out that a whole new manufacturing process takes September’s Esquire from China to Texas, then to Mexico and then (in refrigerated trucks to keep the batteries fresh) to Kentucky. That’s where the traditional magazine stuff kicks in and is distributed with the other magazines with the non-E-Inked covers.

Why does Esquire want to do this in the first place? Well, obviously it’s a gimmick to sell magazines, but Granger also wants to see this issue in the Smithsonian. Yep, just a little ego involved, there.

Who’s going to pay for this ego? Well, it turns out that Ford will spring for the whole thing in exchange for an animated ad for their new minivan/SUV on the inside cover.

So, watch for this neat little gimmick to hit newsstands in September, but make sure to move fast if you want to pick one up. Remember, there will only be 100,000 made. Also, remember that usually magazines don’t print the actual calendar month on their covers. So expect the issue to have “October” printed on it (or even November?).

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 passive amplification at a page on the Harvard website.

While you’re not going to blow your windows out or experience stereo sound with the Phonofone II, you will have quite a conversation piece on your hands, not to mention a truly unique way to listen to your music. So unique, in fact, that each Phonofone is built by the designer in his ceramic fabrication facility in Toronto, Canada. Yep, you read that right–these aren’t made of plastic–they’re ceramic. If you want one of these move quickly as only 75 have been made. Of course, because the production run is so limited the price is not–$875 Canadian will net you one of these. In USD, thanks to the economy, you’ll pay slightly more than $875. Place your order for the Phonofone at CharlesAndMarie.com.

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]

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.

The good news with USB microscopes is that there is quite a price-range to choose from. ThinkGeek.com has two different models representing the low-end and middle-ground of USB microscope pricing. For just $100 ThinkGeek will sell you a USB microscope that can magnify object two-hundred times. There’s no word of mega-pixels for the camera-part of that USB microscope, but they also have a 1.3MP USB microscope that they’ll let you have for a cool $350. This second ‘scope will also give you two-hundred magnitudes of zoomage, but 1.3 mega-pixels (they say) will net you “fantastic images!”

Now, if you’re looking for a USB microscope of the gadget-class you’d see on one of the eight-thousand procedural crime drama cop shows you see on TV, then check out the ProScope HR. According to its website, it was was seen on CBS’s CSI. it can also get you two-hundred times magnification (“200″ seems to be the magic number with these things) and will run you the same price as the 1.3MP ‘scope from ThinkGeek–$350. The catch is, with the ProScope, you get a handheld form-factor and it comes with loads of attachments and alternate lenses.

So, assuming you don’t mind spending at least $100 to take big pictures of tiny things, there is a USB microscope for you.