Gadgets Control

Pioneer wants to get its hands in the auto navigation and auto multimedia market with the creation of the AVIC-F500BT. Pioneer calls the F500BT a “hybrid”, and that word is getting thrown around a lot within the auto industry, it applies to this automotive device as well. After all, the AVIC-F500BT is a mix of many devices. First of all, it is a fantastic navigation system. There are mapping functions that can be viewed in both overhead and moveable 3D. The screen is a 5.8 inch touchscreen, and the directions are text-to-speech enabled by street. The database includes maps of the United States, Canada, Alaska, and Hawaii. Second, the AVIC-F500BT is a Media Center. (Read the full post about ‘Pioneer AVIC-F500BT’…)

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Tools. How many times have you wanted to create a small part out of wood or plastic (or even carved your son’s Pinewood Derby car) and just couldn’t get it right because you didn’t have the right tools? Naturally, here comes Craftsman to the rescue with the Craftsman CompuCarve that allows for 3D printing of soft woods and plastics. (Insert Tim Allen pig snort here). The desktop sized computer-controlled, 3-dimensional woodworking machine works on it’s own through a simple easy-to-use interface and car reader – no PC connection required, so sawdust doesn’t brick your HAL 9000. The CompuCarve 3D design software is either MAC or PC compatible and can be used to fashion the protoptype design. (Read the full post about ‘Craftsman CompuCarve brings 3D printing to the home garage’…)

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The Vuzix iWear AV920-C is one interesting video headset, capable of receiving video from just about any device with a composite video output, displaying it beautifully on the internal 640 x 480 LCD display. This is the equivalent of enjoying a 62″ display from as near as 9 feet away. Just in case watching video from up close and personal is not enough for you, you can even connect up to 4 such headsets in a daisy chain to a single console, bringing a new level of immersion to FPS gamers. At long last, you can no longer peek at your opponent’s screen during a 4-way fragfest where your 42″ LCD TV doesn’t look so big suddenly.

(Read the full post about ‘Vuzix iWear AV920-C Daisy Chained’…)

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Ever heard of Bellperre? Neither have I, but this company apparently wants to make a name for itself in the world of cell phones by releasing a new range that does not have a single plastic part - everything else is constructed from premium leather, steel, gold, hardwood and other exquisite materials. The leather palette is huge - you have over 200 colors to choose from, while the type of leather is equally stunning as you mull over crocodile, shark, buffalo and calf. Potential customers will be able to select from a variety of metal casings including aircraft aluminum and precious 18k rose gold. No pricing details are available, but if you have to ask, you won’t be able to afford it.

(Read the full post about ‘Bellperre Croc Leather Phone’…)

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The 3rd Space Vest, also known by the moniker FPS Gaming Vest enables one to feel punches and knocks in the video game as they are translated to eight force-feedback units located in strategic areas of the vest. I wonder which would hurt more - taking a few bullets or walking right smack into an explosion. It is finally available, retailing for $169 a pop after making a cameo at this year’s CES in Vegas. Which game do you think would this work best? I would like to see the famous “chaingun dance” that demons and imps perform in the early Doom franchises being ported over to the FPS Gaming Vest.

Tags: dap, consumer technology, cellphone, PDA

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The new Sony Bravia J1 series consist of three LCD HDTVs which are avaliable in four different colors. The Sony J1 series is a step down from the larger sizes Bravia V1 series, and offers a 720p LCD screen on 20, 26, and 32-inch sizes.

(Read the full post about ‘Sony J1 Series | KDL32J1, KDL26J1, KDL20J1′…)

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Following on the heals of Lego ice cube trays, a design artist is bandying about the concept of Tetris ice cubes aptly named “Tetrice.” Only in concept at the moment, but the silicon molds would create each official shape of the colossally popular computer game so that cocktails can take on a decidedly more interactive appeal. Toss in some food coloring for accuracy and you have a fun ice cube mold for parties and games. Just make sure you wear gloves to prevent frost bite. Sadly, this would make for yet another revenue stream that the inventor of Tetris won’t be able to take advantage of. The game was invented in 1985 by a Soviet Computer Scientist named, Alexey Pajitnov while working for the Soviet Academy of Sciences . (Read the full post about ‘When you think party ice, think Tetris!’…)

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Over 70,000 readers enjoy reading Coolest gadgets via our RSS feed, to compliment the feed you can now get your daily gadget quota delivered to your inbox once a day via email, to sign-up simply fill in the form. So now find out about all the latest cool gadgets in a way that’s convenient to you: Email (once per day) mobile phone RSS Feed The Site Thanks to Sarah for giving us the push to add the email option, something we should of done a while ago. (Read the full post about ‘Get Coolest Gadgets in your Inbox’…)

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We assumed that the CB radio would already be kitted out with Blutetooth, but it turns out that the truckers’ favorite smokey-evasion device has remained strictly wired. Cobra Electronics pulls a Leica with its new 29 LTD BT, keeping an old-school design but upgrading it with some fancy new tricks.Firstly, the familiar coiled cord stays, and the knobs and dials are all analog, making them easy and safe to operate while keeping your eyes on the road. The unit also has a noise cancelling mic for those noisy truck cabs.And the Bluetooth? It’s used to route cellphone calls into the radio, much as a Hulger phone routes them into a retro telephone handset. (Read the full post about ‘Bluetooth CB Radio Brings Convergence to the Cab’…)

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Controllers are to gamers like race cars are to drivers. The better the controller the better the chance that the gamer will be more successful in a game. Additional accessories have allowed gamers to become more immersed in a game. A good example of this is headsets that can be used to communicate with other players in multi-player games to develop strategy. Of course, the Wii raised the bar even higher by forcing gamers to actually physically perform some of the actions required to manipulate actions in a game. With the competition continuing to increase among manufacturers of game controllers and headsets, I suppose it shouldn’t be too surprising to learn that a company has decided to enter a whole new area of virtual game manipulation. (Read the full post about ‘Headset allows game control with thoughts’…)

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