Hasta La Gadget!

Imagine the day when a mirror tells you what shade of lipstick to wear. That day has already arrived at Boots stores in the U.K. and a handful of Wal-Marts here in the U.S.

Sure, that laptop you’re staring out might have been purchased by your company’s IT department, but who hasn’t snuck on a film or game to fill the desperate void between PowerPoint presentations and time sheets? Problem is, those teeny tiny tinny laptop speakers aren’t exactly immersive. That’s where Logitech comes in with its new Laptop Speaker Z305 ($99.99, pictured above). A compact USB speaker that hangs off the open display to deliver 360-degree audio that will “fill the room,” according to Logitech — no additional software required. Otherwise, why not untether with Logitech’s Wireless Speaker Z515 (pictured after the break) when it arrives for $59.99. The Z515 offers a range of about 50 feet (15 meters) over a 2.4GHz USB dongle with up to 10 hours of life from its rechargeable battery. Both will be available for purchase in the US and Europe begining this month. See the pitch in the video after the break.

Continue reading Logitech takes its wireless Z515 and tethered Z305 speakers on the road

Logitech takes its wireless Z515 and tethered Z305 speakers on the road originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Sep 2010 08:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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I love the surprised-looking faces on this otherwise sinister crucifix-shaped surge-protecting power-strip. I imagine thrusting it into the face of a passing vampire (who one of my stupid flat-mates has guilelessly invited in) and seeing both hysterical fear and mild fondness battling in his yellowing, undead eyes. I also imagine dragging all my cord-tangled gadgets across the room to do it, but still, at least I’m safe.

And that’s not all the “Power/Strip” will save you from. The blurb, from designer Alexander Pincus, promises “comprehensive protection from evil, power surges, and AC contamination.”

The cross-shaped also keeps the bulky chargers away from the smaller-plugged cables, letting you plug in more items at once. Don’t fill up all the outlets, though, or you’ll never get to see a vampire smile.

Power/Strip [Means of Production]

See Also:

• Darwin Award Nominee: The Waterproof Power Strip
• Quirky Jointed Power-Strip Is 'A Creative Outlet'
• Modular Power Strip with Ejector Slots
• Power-Strip Extender Means You'll Always Make Friends

Follow us for real-time tech news: Charlie Sorrel and Gadget Lab on Twitter.

What do you think about this little iPad stand, called the PadFoot? The tiny slug of plastic has a single slot that holds the tablet by just one corner, or it can be slid underneath to angle the touch-screen up for typing. It is surely a very minimal design, but it looks like it may also offer minimal support.

You need a fairly hefty chunk of plastic to keep the iPad stable when upright, as I found when testing the MoviePeg for the iPad. The MoviePeg consists of two similarly-functioning wedges, and despite being bigger and doubling up on pieces, it had a hard time with anything but a shallow angle in landscape-orientation. I have some trouble believing that the PadFoot could do any of what it seems to be managing in the photos, unless it has a very tight fit.

The price, too, is as steep as the iPad in the pictures: $30. Part of this is explained by the fact that it comes from fab-to-order shop Shapeways, and is therefore 3D-printed on demand but hell, the MoviePeg costs just $20, and there are two pieces.

The most minimal stand is, of course, no stand, and that’s what I use. The Joby Gorillapod which I always carry in my bag is still the best iPad stand I have used, and it does a whole lot more besides.

PadFoot stand for iPad [Michiel Cornelissen]

See Also:

• How-To: Gorillapod Doubles as Awesome iPad Stand
• Compass, an Elegant Fold-Up Stand for iPad
• Genius: FridgePad Turns iPad into Giant Fridge-Magnet
• Hands-On With the MoviePeg for iPad

Follow us for real-time tech news: Charlie Sorrel and Gadget Lab on Twitter.

I really hate electric cooking-hobs, but this touch-sensitive concept has even me wanting to try it. Yes, a touch-sensitive, touch-controlled cooker. But first, what’s wrong with electricity?

Gas tells you just how high is its heat with the size of its flame. You switch it off and it is off. You adjust it and it is adjusted, immediately. Electricity, unless you use an induction-hob, lags terribly making it hard to control the heat.

Gas also cuts out the middle-man, where fossil-fuels are burned to make heat, converted to electricity and then – in your home – turned back into heat.

The William doesn’t fix this, but it does a whole lot of cool stuff. The surface is covered with a honeycomb of over 1,500 cells. When you put a pot on the stovetop, it is detected and the precise shape and size of heating area fires up. With more than one pot (and you can squeeze them in thanks to not having just four fixed rings) you can see a numbered plan view on the front screen, linked to numbered touch-controls for regulating the temperature.

And since there’s a computer in there already, you can also set it to, say, slowly drop the temperature to zero over 20 minutes, or to switch off the heat a minute after you remove the pan. The design is pretty ingenious, but I’d like just one more feature: the internet. A net connection would let you download recipes and automatically adjust cook-times depending on the weight of the food (I did say it measures weight, too, right?)

Is it enough to make me give up gas? No. But if I did have to use one of these, at least I wouldn’t hate it.

The Willam Stove [YouTube via Reddit and Serious Eats]

See Also:

• LEDs Add Faux-Flames to Electric Hobs

Follow us for real-time tech news: Charlie Sorrel and Gadget Lab on Twitter.