Review » The Elliptical Machine Office Desk Lets You Exercise While Staying Dapper

In the world where multitasking is king, it would be a god-send if anyone could make a workout out of sitting in front of the office desk for eight hours or so. Hammacher Schlemmer, the store of ridiculously expensive novelty items, may have something that would give us just that.

The Elliptical Machine Office Desk is a complete office that just happens to have a semi-recumbant elliptical trainer. It features a desk that can adjust its height from 27 to 47 inches with just a press of a button, enabling you to even swtich to standing mode if you prefer working that way. The elliptical trainer, meanwhile, allows you to pedal at a slower cadence, allowing you to complete that PowerPoint presentation without having to break a sweat, literally. Do this for a full work week and you can burn about 4,000 calories. There is also a performance monitor on the desk that can be electronically controlled as it monitors distance, RPM, and calories burned.

Sounds good, but with its $8,000 price tag, you are better off buying a cheaper pedaller and place it under you office desk.

Source: Hammacher Schlemmer, via Engadget

Gadget News: Pixelated Bathing Suit will make you look Nude, But Censored

Seriously?  Do we really need to explain this one?  We’d love to see some gadget obsessed fan strut their stuff in one of these.  Just make sure you get back to us with the police in their riot gear.

Review » Mission Impossible 4, Ghost Protocol Trailer Live (video)

The first Mission Impossible movie rocked, the second sucked (thanks to the mask on/off BS) and third one was actually pretty decent.  Now, Tom and company are back for the fourth installment of the series and yesterday the first official trailer for the flick launched.  Mission Impossible 4, Ghost Protocol, positions Cruise and his team as the good/bad guys trying to clear their name – at least that’s what we could suss out from the rather disjointed trailer pasted below.  As usual, the movie is chalk full of gadgets, including a pair of gloves that enable “Ethan” to scale an all glass building, and a Microsoft Touch Surface.  We’re sure there will be plenty more, just please, no mask sequences.  It looks like Ving Rhames has been left out of this one, which is too bad, because nothing beats his baritone voice and cool cat demeanor.

Inflatable Poker Table

Finally, when someone says Poker (poke her), you can now say “in the pool or living room”? Amazon has it for $45.

Review » iCufflinks Glow to the Beat of Your Mac Inspired Heart (video)

We’ve seen some geeky cufflinks in our time, but none hold a candle to the iCufflinks. They’re finished in aluminum and as you can see are clearly an ode to the Mac computer’s on/off switch.  But that’s not all.  Hidden beneath that cold hard exterior is an LED light that can be programmed to pulsate according to your inner rhythm – it just wouldn’t be a complete package if it didn’t boast this feature.  Surprisingly they’re priced at a reasonable $128.  Did we mention that father’s day is just days away?

Review » Northstar Retro Beer Fridge

Why buy a plain old fridge when you can buy one that dispenses beer?  That’s the first question we pondered once we laid eyes on Northstar’s retro inspired fridges.

They come preinstalled with a Brew Master draft system, including through-the-door tap dispenser, coupler, connections, CO2 cylinder and drip tray.  Just add a keg of your favorite beer, tap and you’ll be able to dispense that foamy, velvety beverage like a true gentleman.  While a peek inside the fridge is no where to be found, at least online, it sounds like there is enough room to store a head of lettuce, or whatever vegetable your body requires to stave off scurvy.

Choose from three models (1950, 1951 and 1952) all starting at $800.

Review » Western Digital’s Nomad Case Encapsulates Hard Drives, Protects Against 7-foot Drops

When life gives you lemons you don’t make lemonade, you buy Western Digital‘s Nomad case.  It’s designed to protect a select number of their My Passport portable hard drives from shock, bumps and drops thanks to the tough polycarbonate exterior and soft elastomer cushion lining.  Western Digital says that with the case in place, one of their hard drives can survive a 7 foot fall to the Earth’s surface.

The case is also dust and moisture resistant, which means you can spill on it or toss it the arabian sands, though chances are the latter’s temperature will melt the drive’s internals.  They’ve also outfitted the case with an opening for a USB connector so you never have to remove the drive and there is even a molded exterior ring for hanging it from a packpack or whatever you may fancy.

Western Digital sells it direct for $30.

Review » The Power Snorkel lets Anyone Dive to 40 Feet without SCUBA Gear

The Power Snorkel is a $2500 breathing apparatus that floats on the water’s surface and let’s divers breathe under water for up to 70 minutes without the need for heavy SCUBA gear or extensive training.  It works by channeling air through a tube to the diver’s mouth.  A battery powers the flow of compressed air and is about the size of a blow up dingy.  Because the Power Snorkel floats on the water’s surface, it follows the divers as they swim beneath, providing not only oxygen but an indicator of their location.

According to the manufacturer training is minimal and is perfect for resorts, meaning that divers can dive within minutes of being introduced to the product.  One diver can achieve a depth of up to 12 meters (40 feet), while two divers just 6 meters.

Review » Backpack Umbrella

Sometimes we wonder where Hammacher Schlemmer gets their inspiration for designing products. But in the instance of the Backpack Umbrella no pondering needed as the product clearly takes a cue from Inspector Gadget. But unfortunately unlike the cartoon character it doesn’t eject from your head, but a back pack and requires you to unzip, remove the umbrella and attach it to the pack’s built-in, adjustable support rod – the company says this only takes seconds. A set of shoulder and waist straps insure everything stays secure and when deployed it covers up to a 39 1/4″-diameter. The product is clearly marketed towards those who have too much in their hands to carry an umbrella, but then that begs the question of why not just put some of that stuff in a backpack? After all if the rain’s trajectory changes or there is a sudden gust there will be no way to compensate.

Hammacher is selling the backpack Umbrella for $40.

Review » Final Cut Pro X

Today, Apple announced the latest installment of Final Cut Pro, Final Cut Pro X.  The video editing software is available now from the Mac App Store and won’t be sold in a boxed version.  A personal individual license will cost $399.99 and can be installed on multiple computers, while businesses will need to purchase a license for each machine they plan to use the software on.

So what’s new in this version of Final Cut Pro?

The Magnetic Timeline, which is a trackless approach to editing, allows you to easily move footage, arrange clips wherever you want them, all while the clips slide automatically out of the way.  There is also a Auditions feature that allows you to swap out two different versions of the edited footage to help you quickly review which is the better take.


To expedite the editing process, which is largely made up of logging clips, this version of Final Cut Pro X can automatically analyze the content.  It scans your media to dynamically organize your clips into Smart Collections, allowing you to find clips by close up, medium and wide shots as well as media type and the number of people in the shot.

Lastly, Final Cut Pro X is built for 64-bit compatible computers, taking advantage of the latest Mac hardware.  It uses multi-threaded processing and the GPU on your graphics card fast background rendering and real-time playback performance, even with 4k video.

Review » Casa De La Flora makes certain everyone gets a seaside view

In case that Star Trek Resort that is opening in Jordan isn’t enough luxury for you, you might want to check out this one under construction in Thailand.

Casa De La Flora is a resort by VaSLab, which “meshes futuristic design with nature”. Each particular villa has a rectangular frame structure with floor to celing glass windows. Not only that, but each room has a private pool, small garden, as well as 24-hour butler service.

Not only that, these villas are all built on a line and a hillside. The big advantage of this type of construction is that every tenant gets a seaside view. There are no high-priced rooms that are by the water, which means that they can charge whatever price that the landlord wants. Okay, maybe that is not such a good thing.

However, it is refreshing to see a resort that doesn’t look like a blight on the land, but can blend right in. Of course, all the repetition of the resort rooms might look a little strange, like the identical houses of a boring neighborhood. Well, I don’t have any word of when this particular resort is opening, but I hope I am Thailand when it does. Yeah, like I will just happen to be in Thailand.

http://www.techeblog.com/index.php/tech-gadget/casa-de-la-flora-the-futuristic-concrete-resort-in-thailand

Review » Satellite view reveals 17 lost pyramids in Egypt

When it comes to discovery, technology has essentially “been there, done that”. Thanks to satellite imagery, there are no more lost islands, and there are very few civilizations that have been untouched by civilization. However, technology played a huge part in uncovering 17 lost pyramids and thousands of ancient tombs, not to mention other structures in an infrared satellite survey of Egypt.

NASA and a University of Alabama at Birmingham Egyptologist Sarah Parcak teamed up to use commercial satellites in order to find mud-brick structures underneath the sands. These satellites were 430 miles up in the air, and they found 1,000 tombs as well as 3,100 settlements.

Parcak has stated that there are “there is enough to be excavated for 50 generations to come”. These findings at Saqqara or Sakkara could easily keep archaeologists happily digging, and I would love to see what they find.

I can’t help but wonder if infrared technology on commercial satellites has discovered this in Egypt, I wonder what other lost civilizations are there, just waiting to be explored? Someone seriously needs to turn these satellite cameras on South America, and see what ancient buildings are below the ground. It has occurred to me how little we know about ancient civilizations, and if this can give us further insight, then let’s check it out!

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20066581-1/infrared-satellite-survey-reveals-17-lost-pyramids/?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=Crave

Review » The PowerNap Machine – Carry some ZZZ’s in your Pocket

I find myself exhausted most of the time, and everything I’ve ever read suggests I try napping, but every time I do, I have a problem waking up and I usually feel more listless than I did before. Not to mention I always have the feeling I’m going to get caught napping in the middle of the afternoon. Geez… Isn’t napping reserved for babies and really really old people?

Well not PowerNapping! PowerNap audio products would like to introduce you to The PowerNap Machine, a pocket-sized media player that facilitates sleep… Patented Power Nap waveforms have been encoded onto a device that is completely portable and features original and relaxing music composed just for Power Nap which fades away gradually, finally disappearing into the Power Nap sounds that rest and rejuvenate you. Enjoy the melody as you get the equivalent of three hours of deep sleep in just 20 minutes!

During the first five minutes of listening to PowerNap with ear buds, the user’s brain automatically adjusts to its inaudible sound waves. For the next ten minutes the PowerNap recording helps induce REM sleep, finally bringing the user to a refreshed state of heightened wakefulness. Throughout the session, the user hears only the pleasing sounds of a waterfall.

ZZZZZZ…. oh I’m sorry. The NapMachine weighs in at just a few ounces, and comes complete with ear buds, a lanyard, and the battery is actually included . It’s small enough to fit in your pocket or purse, and you can take it with you wherever you go, so anytime you have 20 minutes, you can indulge in the instant rest and rejuvenation of a Power Nap, no matter where you are!

Available now at www.powernap.com for under 70 bucks. They also have a CD that claims 6 hours sleep in 40 minutes, wow, think of all the time I’d have left in my day.



http://www.powernap.com/store/cart.php?target=main&page=home

Review » In the 1960s, the government had their own AT-AT

I’ve always wondered why in the world there isn’t a real-life walking vehicle like the AT-AT from The Empire Strikes Back. After all, what makes the wheel think its so great?

Well, it has been tried. Back in the 1960s, the U.S. Army worked with General Electric to create the Cybernetic Anthropomorphous Machine (CAM) to create a walking machine for rough terrain.

The purpose of the CAM was not to find the location of the hippies’ rebel base, but to go through swampland impassable to ordinary vehicles while carrying huge loads on its back. Perhaps this is designed for Vietnam?

Apparently, it didn’t quite work, as it was controlled by some hydraulic levers that matched the 11-foot-tall legs. The project was scrapped because the operator had trouble thinking about which lever to pull to move the proper leg. Think about it as a mechanical dog, but you have to think about which leg steps at what point in time. It did work, and was able to move at 35 miles per hour. Couldn’t we make it so some computer algorithm to control its forward and backward leg movement?

Well, if you want to see this thing, it is at a U.S. Army Transportation Museum at Fort Eustis. Before that, it was in a warehouse in Detroit, along with the landspeeder, speeder bike, and other abandoned projects that somehow predated Star Wars.

http://dvice.com/archives/2011/05/us-armys-had-a.php

Review » Disney’s Tactile Brush makes the user feel the film

I’m guessing that 3D is not good enough any more, as Disney is working on a process called Tactile Brush.

You might have seen this type of technology at Disney’s EPCOT center with their “Honey I Shrunk the Audience” presentation where little mice are supposedly going through the crowd, a trick done with airhoses under the seats.

The Tactile Brush uses 12 vibrating coils in the seats that create the sensation of things like speeding around a track or other sensations that you see in the image.

Disney demonstrated the Tactile Brush technology at the Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems in Vancouver, and hope to bring it to amusement park rides and movie theaters. It certainly would take a lot of reconstruction to get every cinema on this track. Disney is even planning to use Tactile Brush in home theaters. but there is no word as to when it will be out.

I suppose that we are looking at an age where we have “The Feelies”. This is the types of motion pictures that are in Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World. In that novel, the characters put their fingers on a ball, and they could sense the characters in the film they were watching. They might as well put the sensory things under the seat.

http://www.ubergizmo.com/2011/05/disney-tactile-brush/

Review » Check out this UFO Tree House!

If you were jogging in the forest one day, and you looked up and saw this huge football shaped object hovering there, what would you think?

If you were thinking that you just saw a UFO, then you would be partially correct. This is a tree house in the shape of a UFO. I’m not certain whether or not this was designed for small children or adults, but it has a dinning area, bedroom, living room, and bathroom.

Seriously, it has a bathroom. I have no idea if the plumbing goes up the tree trunk or what, but unless it is some sort of outhouse, I want to live here. Then again, I don’t know how tall the ceilings are, but they look pretty low.

This reminds me of that home design that you see in movies all the time that is essentially a big flying saucer on a large stick. Sort of like a miniature version of Cloud City, without the clouds or floating. I think I saw some version of it in the first Charlie’s Angels movie.

It looks like the interior of this guy is just as good as the exterior, but I will have to say that during the day, the UFO Tree House is not as impressive.

http://www.techeblog.com/index.php/tech-gadget/amazing-ufo-tree-house

Review » Aimi Eguchi looks real on screen, but she’s CG

 

This is Aimi Eguchi, and she is the newest member of AKB48, a Japanese pop group. I have never heard of them, but they recently did a candy commercial, where they introduced Aimi into their ranks.

She certainly gained a quick fanbase, but as it turns out, she is really too good to be true. She is nothing more than an amalgam of the other members of the band.

Seriously, this 150 gigabyte creation is just a CG patchwork creation combining the nose, eyes, mouth, hair, and other facial features of all the members of AKB48. Apparently, there are 61 members in this girl band.

Yes, just imagine if someone took that number of Mrs. Potato Heads, then pick and choose the best features and put them on a new potato. In all honesty, I think this new computer generated lady would have fooled me.

I suppose that I am having flashbacks to the movie S1M0NE, where Al Pacino creates a computer generated actress who becomes a worldwide phenomenon. Considering that the film was written by Andrew Niccol, this makes him two for three for technological prophecies that have come true.

The other movie that Niccol has written was The Truman Show, and we really didn’t listen to its warning about reality TV. I hope that we heed the warnings of one of his other films: Gattaca.

Review » miScroll yet another tablet to join the crowd

When it comes to the world of tablets, it cannot be denied that the iPad wins hands down compared to the myriad of competitors out there. You hardly see lines forming to pick up the Motorola XOOM, and neither did everyone become super excited concerning the BlackBerry PlayBook (and for good reason, too – that model had some spiffy looking hardware, but when it comes to the software bit, it does tend to disappoint for the moment). Well, there is another tablet that has just entered the fray, looking to target the under 25s market.

Storage Options is the company behind the miScroll tablet, where it is touted to be the world’s first personalized tablet for the age group mentioned (under 25s). It will retail for £119.95 a pop, and is actually the 4th addition to the Scroll family, making it the only tablet in the world that will sport a replaceable high capacity battery – perfect whenever you are on a long journey without any power outlet in sight, although the iPad’s battery life can be said to be more than just average in its defense.

Other hardware specifications of the miScroll include 4GB of internal memory, the ability to change its covers with many colors to choose from, distinctive designs to help you stand out from the rest of the crowd, a 1GHz ARM11 processor that is powered by the Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system (although we would have liked to see Android 3.0 Honeycomb instead) alongside a built-in camera that allows you to capture your favorite photos without missing a beat.

Tipping the scales at a mere 370 grams, it will function as an excellent portable multimedia hub courtesy of a built-in mini HDMI port for Full HD output (1080p), alongside a mini USB port to make sure you can connect other peripherals including a keyboard or perhaps a powerful sound system. At least you can pick up replacement batteries and covers if the former starts to die off, where you can purchase those for £19.99 while covers go for £14.99 a pop. Any takers so far?

Review » South Park Kyle Talking Bobble Head

 

Kyle Broflovski is one of the more memorable cartoon figures to date, alongside his bunch of merry friends over at the cartoon South Park that is full of vulgarities and yet keeps up with the times. He does seem to have a higher moral standard compared to the rest, not to mention being more patient around Eric Cartman. Well, if you think that you are as level headed as Kyle, you can always check out the South Park Kyle Talking Bobble Head that is going for $11.99, where he will have some handy phrases to light up your day such as “Sick, dude… I’m not kissing a girl! It’s just wrong, that’s all!”.

REVIEW >> GRilli3D brings 3D to the iDevice

Considering the amount of mobile phones with glasses-free 3D displays being released recently, I’m sure that eventually iDevices will have them. This is assuming that this glasses-free 3D screens aren’t some passing fad.

If you want that 3D effect on your iPhone and iPad now, you can get it with GRilli. I recently saw it work on several different devices, and I was pretty impressed.

It works using this lined decal on the screen on the iDevice that can be easily printed on adhesive transparent sheets. Somehow, putting this thing on can trick the eye into seeing stereoscopic 3D, and it is apparently best in landscape mode.

If you have seen a 3D postcard, then you have seen the effect of the GRilli in a non-digital way. It probably is the closest thing to glasses-free 3D without altering the basic hardware of the device.

The drawback is that the transparent decal is somewhat tough to put on, and you have to make sure that you are seeing “parallel rainbows”.

GRilli is available for the iPod and iPhone for about $14.99, and the $29.99 for the iPad. If it is successful, then I am certain you will be seeing GRill3D on all sorts of devices like TV sets and other brands of tablets of cellphones.