Gadgets Blog News

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 28th 2008 at 4:13PM Never mind those ginormous dam-based hydroelectric generators — we’ve got a much smaller version that you can actually use in your backyard. The Pico Hydroelectric Generator was installed within a 5-gallon bucket by Sam Redfield in order to convert the energy from “existing gravity fed irrigation, fresh water, or waste water systems” into usable electricity that can juice up your cellphone, DAP, portable fan / water-bottle combo, etc. Regrettably, there’s not a whole heap of details beyond that, but you can check out another angle in the read link below.Read PermalinkEmail this19 CommentsFiled under: Misc. (Read the full post about ‘Bucket-based hydroelectric generator powers up small gadgets’…)

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by Darren Murph, posted Jun 28th 2008 at 1:11PM Compared to the other single-seat electric vehicle that we had the misfortune of laying eyes on recently, Topia’s HUVO looks just magnificent. This clearly minuscule road warrior, which officially tips the scales at 150-kilograms (or just over 330-pounds), holds one lucky motorist and a small briefcase (if you’re lucky). Reportedly, the frame is constructed from high-tensile steel plate, the doors and the back panel from aluminum alloy, the roof from carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP), the windshield from polycarbonate and the interior / wheels covers from ABS resin. Your guess is as good as ours when it comes to crash test ratings, but we suppose we should w (Read the full post about ‘Topia shows off 330-pound HUVO electric car’…)

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It looks like the MSI Wind is finally getting ready to begin shipping to US customers. The Wind, which was listed in the MSI Shop and then removed has since been re-listed and is now showing a shipping date of July 7. Currently the Wind is simply just listed and is unavailable, with no pre-order option available. There are also limiting customers to a one Wind netbook per order because of limited quantities. The models listed will include the three-cell battery and they are retailing for $479.99. Amazon, who also has them listed for $479.99 with the three-cell batteries is still reflecting a 3 to 5 week time frame before the Wind will ship. (Read the full post about ‘MSI Wind to finally ship on July 7?’…)

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Motorola wants to rock your world with a new cell phone, the Motorola ROKR E8. This handset will be released a few days earlier than the highly anticipated 3G iphone, that is, on July 7th. This cell phone isn’t just a communications device, as it helps you get your entertainment chops in as well, being a rather formidable mp3 player in its own right. In addition, it will be the first Motorola device that boasts the company’s breakthrough ModeShift technology which was pretty hyped up at this year’s CES in Las Vegas. (Read the full post about ‘Motorola launches ROKR E8′…)

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by Ryan Block, posted Jun 28th 2008 at 3:27AM You didn’t really think we’d make it through his retirement without running the sexiest of all Bill photos, did you? We have to wonder what he’ll feel like tomorrow morning, though — we hear the headache on a 33 year software hangover is absolutely vicious.Anyhow, just because the man’s left the building doesn’t mean you can’t take home a few of his fine products. (Read the full post about ‘Bill Gates Day wrap-up’…)

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Brother has rolled out the first of its “Professional Series” line of color inkjet all-in-one units, and these printers aren’t shackled by the traditional wired setup since it boasts wireless networking capabilities. Targeting small office home office setups as well as traditional business functions, the MFC-6490CW offers innovative tools which cannot be found on other brands, including the all-in-one features such as printing, copying, scanning and faxing up to the ledger 11″ x 17″ size. With such capabilities, you might pick up your jaw from the floor after hearing that it costs just $299.99 to bring home one of these babies. (Read the full post about ‘Brother unveils Professional Series color inkjet’…)

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Shoppers who head towards the Georgia Wal-Mart will be pleased to know that there is the EyeSite kiosk available, making it a snap for folks to get their eyes checked while they’re busy shopping for their weekly groceries or simply taking a stroll through. The EyeSite kiosk is the brainchild of Atlanta entrepreneur Bart Foster, and his start-up company, SoloHealth, is currently working hard at testing the self-service vision screening device in several markets. Foster hopes to raise the awareness among people concerning the importance of visiting their eye care professionals for regular eye exams. (Read the full post about ‘EyeSite Kiosk debuts at Georgia Wal-Mart’…)

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by Darren Murph, posted Jun 28th 2008 at 5:33AM Just think — Zappos has been shipping out shoes .9284 minutes after you order them for years with mere humans running the show. Now, your new kicks will likely be at your doorstep moments after you think of ordering them. Said e-tailer has just completed implementation of Kiva Systems’ Mobile Fulfillment System, which will see “a fleet of Kiva’s mobile robotic drive units and inventory storage pods” hit the company’s Shepherdsville, Kentucky facility. (Read the full post about ‘Zappos hires robots to take over inventory floor’…)

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by Nilay Patel, posted Jun 28th 2008 at 8:35AM Progressive insurance has been testing out the MyRate driving monitoring system for a few years now (it used to be called TripSense), but it’s finally taking the system national, bringing pay-as-you-drive insurance into the mainstream. The little blue box plugs into your car’s ODB II diagnostic port (all cars made after 1996 have one), and studiously records your driving habits, wirelessly sending the data back to Progressive HQ (it’s not clear exactly how). Every six months, Progressive will crunch the numbers and issue a new rate for you based on how you drive — savings of up to 40 percent are possible. (Read the full post about ‘Progressive MyRate drive-monitoring device goes national’…)

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Filed in archive Announcement by jim on June 28, 2008 Here's a concept I just discovered and it really appeals to me. The organization, "World Wide Moment", has a goal of attaining peace on Earth, for at least one moment, on August 08, 2008, or, 08-08-08@08:08+08GMT. The idea is that if everyone stops at that particular time and snaps a photo the world will have been at peace for that moment. By doing so the photos will forever preserve what the world was like in various places for that moment. World Wide Moment intends to store and display the photos both in galleries and online for all to see. I think this is a cool idea and I intend to participate and I hope you will too. Source:www.worldw (Read the full post about ‘Let’s Take A Digital Photo At The Same Time’…)

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