Category: News (Page 10 of 130)

      You’re Probably Going to Want to Buy Google’s New Device Very Soon

      July 25, 2013 /

      marquee-product

      If I were to tell you that a creative and reasonably priced item with a unique, yet practical, solution to a common modern day need was coming out, you wouldn’t be blamed for looking for the obligatory Kickstarter link, and start wondering how much the minimum contribution is.

      That’s because while that site is heavily flawed (for instance, some developers exceed their requested amount by almost a $100,000 and still blow all the money, not release the product, and fail to have any reasonable plans for a refund in sight), it’s a consistently entertaining source of devices that make you go “Hmmm, interesting” possibly while smoking a pipe.

      But this particular device actually comes not from Kickstarter, but from our friends at Google.

      Called the Chromecast, it’s capable of broadcasting content from popular devices (be it iOS, Android, or computer) straight to your TV. Admittedly that’s a feature only impressive if you’ve never heard of HDMI, DVI, or VGA cables, but the Chromecast gains a leg up in that it’s not a cable at all, but rather an HDMI plug-in that can transmit the feed wirelessly from your selected device. All you have to do is find a compatible program, select a cast button, and you can view the feed from that program on your TV.

      Of those programs, only the presence of Netflix seems to be superfluous, considering that anyone with an HDMI port on their TV likely has Netflix compatibility for it in one way or another. The other compatible programs like Youtube, Google Play, and Google Chrome are much more encouraging, with that last one really driving home the point that the Chromecast is aiming to turn almost any TV into something more resembling a “smart” TV for the mere cost of $35.

      Even though I think the adding of the word smart before a device and calling it a day is a trend that needs to die a thousand deaths, the Chromecast is far and away the most exciting device of its kind I’ve ever seen, and with more program support (fingers crossed for Steam) can become an essential home device, though its base loadout justifies its meager $35 asking price already.

      Plus, unlike Kickstarter campaigns, this one is actually supported by a legitimate company (rather than “some guys”) and is not only likely to properly function as advertised, but will also probably include a definitive release date, which are things that are becoming significantly more foreign in the world of intriguing and affordable devices than I tend to like.

      News

      Finally, A Shotgun For People Tired of Those Sissy Double Barrel Models

      July 18, 2013 /

      M_triplethreat

      Now, I’m not the type that is paranoid enough to stock up for a zombie apocalypse for a few reasons:

       

      • I find making purchases in preparation for a fictional scenario to be elementary bad budgeting.

       

      • My Brooklyn apartment doesn’t exactly have the spare room to work as near permanent storage for can goods, ammo, and barbed wire.

       

      • Nobody needs to be “That Guy.”

       

      Where I that guy though who prepped for the undead, I would put the new Chiappa Triple Threat at the top of my wish list.

      Why?

      Well, because it’s a triple barrel shotgun.

      The third barrel is located atop the standard double barrel loadout, while all three are controlled by a single trigger. 36 inches long, and weighing eight pounds, this 12 gauge beauty is sure to paralyze any intruder in fear (undead or otherwise), therefore making the firing superficial.

      Surprisingly, however, this is actually not a completely absurd idea, as Chiapa is known for making reliable weapons, and features like individual barrel choke, and a modifiable stock (which lets you turn the grip into a smaller, more pistol style design) actually make this seemingly ridiculous weapon not quite the running gag it will inevitably turn out to be.

      Personally though, I’m thinking that if manufacturers are going to be adding barrels to guns like blades to razors, I’m going to hold out for the inevitable four barrel model, ala “Phantasm 2.”

      The Above Video is Well Worth 15 Seconds of Your Time

      News

      A 15 Year Old Has Invented A Flashlight That Runs Off Your Hands

      July 16, 2013 /

      If that headline made you feel like you may not be contributing as much effort to society as you could…you’re not alone.

      Yes, a 15 year old from Canada has created a flashlight that runs off of nothing more than your hands. While you might guess that magic is the cause (possibly evil magic) it in fact functions because of peltier tiles, which generate an electric currency when one side of the tile becomes hotter than the other.

      In this case, the exterior of the handle is heated by your hands, while the interior components remain cool. Specifically, the exterior must remain 5 degrees Celsius hotter than the interior for a useful enough current to be produced.

      The developer calls this the design’s greatest flaw, since being humble is much easier when you are a 15 year old genius.

      Dubbed the hollow flashlight because of its hollow handle, the design is still in a sort of prototype phase and is currently making its rounds at various young achievers contests, including the worldwide 2013 Google Science Fair, where it finished in the top 15.

      Garnering impressive accomplishments aside, there doesn’t seem to be much direction for the hollow flashlight as there is only the one known model and, no matter how intelligent they are, 15 year olds usually don’t mass produce on their own.

      This is a great design, though, that improves upon some recent battery free flashlight ideas, by functioning off something you always have easily on hand (pun sadly intended) without relying on cumbersome and time consuming mechanics.

      Hopefully then someone picks up the concept, as some form of this design would ideally be in every emergency kit worldwide.

      News

      An Outlet that Changes the Plug-In Game Forever

      July 12, 2013 /

      360_Electrical_SurgeProtected_Adapter_Bathroom_504x336

      WOW, this was a tough decision.

      See, there’s only so much room to feature all of the great gadgets of the world on this blog, and some days, the pickings can be overloaded.

      For instance, today brought us the world’s smartest microwave, a urinal that doubles as a sink, a motion detecting Nerf sentry gun, and a health monitor for the home that functions similarly to something off of “Star Trek”, just to name a few innovations.

      But in the end, I had to go with something we could all use in our lives. It’s a device that manages to be simple yet revolutionary, as it completely changes the world of gadgets forever.

      It’s an electrical socket that rotates.

      Brought to us by the good people at 360 Electrical, this outlet features sockets that can not only rotate, but actually maintain an electrical connection while you maneuver them. That means that all of your devices that don’t quite fit (most likely due to those cumbersome “box” like plug-ins that manufacturers still prefer to use) will still be active no matter what position you set them in, and you can finally fit them all into one outlet without relying on a series of surge protectors, or voodoo curses.

      Best of all, the outlet plugs in to your current outlet with little installation required. That means it’s not only compatible with your home, but can easily travel with you as well.

      Should that not be enough, they also have power strips that perform similar functions as well.

      It’s not often that a device comes along that once and for all addresses a basic (but prevalent) technological need, but this is certainly one of them, and should be worthy of every gadget users attention.

      News

      New Program “Glassbattle” Provides an Interesting Look at Gaming With Google Glass

      July 10, 2013 /

      With Google Glass in the hands of users all over the world, the mysteries regarding it become fewer and fewer every day.

      However, that isn’t to say that some do not remain. While the biggest is going to be what kind of tech world are we looking at when everyone conceivably has access to its capabilities, a smaller, but still intriguing, query is how gaming will work on the device.

      So far we only have the app “Starfinder” to give us a hint. Unfortunately, its gameplay of locating and naming constellations faster than your opponents probably doesn’t exactly inspire gamers everywhere to start dreaming of the future with Glass.

      However, “Glassbattle” from developer Brick Simple may do just that.

      “Glassbattle” is nothing more than a remodeling of the classic game “Battleship” brought to Google Glass. To play, you and another user are given grids that indicate where your ships are positioned. Turn by turn you call out X and Y coordinates through the Glass microphone and attempt to hit all your opponent’s ships points to sink them. Sink them all, and victory is yours.

      It doesn’t exactly differ much from the classic board game, but honestly it is the perfect fit for technology like Glass as it allows you a familiar archetype, but uses the hands free Glass system to present it in a way never before possible. It may prove to be just the type of title that slowly opens the door for other game developers to get a feel for how Glass is going to enhance the experience.

      Okay, so admittedly it’s not exactly “The Last of Us,” but Glass has to start somewhere with gaming, and this looks a hell of a lot more promising than naming constellations. 

      News

      « Older posts Newer posts »

      © 2026 Gadget Teaser

      Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑