Gadgets Blog News

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 17th 2008 at 8:55PMWe’ll go ahead and state the obvious here: Audiovox claims this thing is made for DIY installations, but we’d highly recommend hiring a professional if you’re totally green at this stuff. You know, considering the immense importance of alignment and the like when it comes to a rear-view back-up camera system. Anyways, the wireless ACA250 kit provides drivers with a color camera (110-degree viewing angle), infrared LEDs for night vision and a monitor that can be plugged into an AC adapter or hard-wired. Not too shabby for $129 — assuming you’re up to the task of putting it all together, that is. (Read the full post about ‘Audiovox intros ACA250 wireless DIY back-up camera system’…)

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by Darren Murph, posted Jun 17th 2008 at 2:42PM It’s right around the midway point between last CES and the one to come, and for Philips, that means it’s time to dump a few new HDTVs onto the unsuspecting public. Announced today from atop a New York City hotel, the outfit got official with its 5000, 7000 and Eco series of LCD HDTVs. The 5000 FlatTV lineup includes 32- ($799), 42- ($1,799), 47- ($2,099) and 52-inch ($2,899) flavors, all of which are bathed in glossy black and feature HDMI 1.3a inputs. The Eco sets tout “several power-saving features such as a proprietary dimming technology” and arrive in 42-, 47- and 52-inch sizes ($1,099 to $2,299). (Read the full post about ‘Philips trumpets 5000 / 7000 / Eco series HDTVs’…)

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If you are constantly carrying around a lighter due to your smoking habits as well as needing a USB drive all the time, you might check out this little gadget.  It throws them both into one little device.  There have been other lighter/flash drive combinations before but this one is just so much more classy.  I mean it doesn’t get much more chic than an animal skull.  The site selling it says so itself the embossed cow skull is indeed “awesome”.  I’m bubbling over with so much nausea excitement that I can hardly stand it.  Even better is that it’s available for wholesale, so you can buy one for all of your friends too. (Read the full post about ‘USB Flash Drive Lighter features a dead cow’…)

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Statistics show that CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) can increase the chances of a victim surviving by up to 50%. That’s five lives saved out of every 10 instances of the process. The problem is that many people, even those who are CPR certified, perform the action inaccurately, sometimes causing even more damage than was present in the first place. But not all is lost, even for those who are unlucky enough to have a possibly fatal heart attack among a crowd with no CPR experience. The CPR-PAD by the aptly named designer Ryan Helps aids the administrator to accurately perform CPR using proper rhythm and hand positioning thanks to its intuitive design and features. (Read the full post about ‘CPR Resuscitation Pad Makes Life Saving Easier’…)

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Sony Ericsson has launched two new HSPA USB modems, the M400 and M400g. With these two new modems in tow, mobile professionals can have 7.2Mb/s download and up to 2.0Mb/s upload speeds just by plugging the modem into their notebooks. These two modems are said to be simple and quick to install and provide internet access every time users need to connect to the internet where ever they maybe. And to make these two modems even more special, Sony Ericsson has put a M2 Memory Stick Micro and a microSD slot into the already useful devices. (Read the full post about ‘Sony Ericsson touts two HSPA USB modems; the MD400, MD400g’…)

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FROM GAMERTELL - Visteon confirms that is it looking into DS and Wii applications for its line of Dockable Entertainments multimeida systems for automobiles. MORE » Keep up with the latest gadget goodness! - Subscribe to our feed → Tags: cameras, consumer electronics, cool gear, DAB (Read the full post about ‘Gamertell Exclusive: Visteon looking into DS, Wii versions of Dockable Entertainment system’…)

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Things got interesting here in Europe and America over the last few months with Pioneer introducing the second generation Kuro plasma HDTV lineup which promised 5x deeper black levels, improving on the already impressive Kuro generation. Now things are looking interesting for Japan, as Pioneer have just announced the very large 60-inch Pioneer KRP-600M plasma to it’s new Kuro PDP lineup. The Pioneer KRP-600M is no ordinary HDTV, and Pioneer say that the KRP-600M is “a product targeted at ‘Audio-Visual fans,’ who are very particular about picture quality,” said Masaaki Nishio. Basically this tells us that Pioneer believe it to be the very best in quality, and from their previous products, we are inclined to believe them. (Read the full post about ‘Pioneer KRP-600M 60-Inch Plasma’…)

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by Darren Murph, posted Jun 17th 2008 at 8:47AM Bay State startup Beacon Power isn’t just another wind / solar / hydroelectric outfit. Oh no, this firm is more concerned with reducing the emissions from the energy plants we already have in place. Put simply, the company’s 2,800-pound flywheels are used to store and output energy when needed, a service Beacon’s CEO is dubbing “frequency regulation.” Essentially, said devices will “match power supply to the grid with power demand from the grid,” which curbs energy waste and keeps loads in perfect balance. As it stands, the only disclosed expansion plans include more of Massachusetts and New Hampshire, but if it can rope in enough customers, we reckon the sky’s the limit. (Read the full post about ‘Beacon Power hopes to juggle electricity more efficiently’…)

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Okay, so I wasn’t able to rip-off that old jingle very well. Of course, everyone has heard of the Clapper, but the Cliphanger is just as practical. The Cliphanger is a device that is designed to stick to any mobile device, so you can hang it up just about anywhere. The design of the Cliphanger is quite unique and practical. On the back of the circular area where the logo appears is some strong adhesive designed to stick to any mobile device such as a cell phone, mp3 player, or camera. The paperclip-like area has enough space to allow for a camera lens. This clip area can separate in a convenient place so it can be hung on something like a belt loop. (Read the full post about ‘Clip on! Clip off! The Cliphanger!’…)

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I saw that new Incredible Hulk film last weekend. While I was more impressed with this franchise reboot than Ang Lee’s The Hulk, that isn’t saying much. I mean, that 2003 Hulk movie isn’t hard to top. I only bring up this new version of The Incredible Hulk because the film showed a very practical gadget for those who have been infected by gamma-induced Jekyll and Hyde syndrome. In the film, Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) wore a wrist monitor that showed a digital readout of his heart rate. If it went above 200, then he was about to turn mean and green. Fortunately, the device had an alert that went off before that happened. Perhaps Bruce should have purchased the Mark of Fitness MF-180, which features an out of zone alarm. (Read the full post about ‘Mark of Fitness MF-180′…)

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