Do you want a small, portable projector that can stream a near-endless supply of movies and TV shows onto any surface with no extra hardware? Of course you do! Which makes 3M’s Roku-streaming projector such a welcome concept—and such a let down. More »
Considering how much of an asset wheelchairs can be for the physically disabled, they still have some pretty substantial limitations — the biggest being the inability to climb stairs. Most public places have elevators, but sadly they’re not available everywhere. A new wheelchair concept, however, has the ability to climb stairs and perform other leg-like movements.
Engineers from the Chiba Institute of Technology in Japan have come up with a robotic wheelchair concept that gives physically-disabled individuals the ability to climb stairs without moving a single leg muscle. The wheelchair has five axes that it moves on. This allows the wheelchair to lift up off the ground and move in a walking fashion.
It can climb steps and move around various obstacles whilst remaining surprisingly stable. It can even turn 360 degrees around its center. The wheelchair also has a ton of sensors that detect incoming obstructions and automatically deals with them as they come, and if the sensors fail, wheel torque can be automatically adjusted to act as a backup.
The video shows the robotic wheelchair in action, and we have to say that it looks extremely advanced for just being a concept. Hopefully, this is just the beginning and we’ll see the wheelchair gain even more features in the future. The designer wants a lot of people to try it so that he can fine-tune the wheelchair as much as possible.
[via TechHive]
Robotic wheelchair concept provides leg-like movements, climbs stairs is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Cooking rocks. But I sure can’t just do it via one of those mysterious 6th senses. So yep, I need recipes and guidance. Whether a specific recipe app for all the instructions or a conversion app to go from cups to grams or even a cooking show, I can’t cook without them. And though technology certainly helps my cooking – never should the two collide. The last thing a person wants to do is muck up their tablet screen or case with morsels from your concoction. Belkin put their expertise to work and created a solution that fits the technology aided cook.
For just $29.99 on Amazon.com the Belkin Kitchen Stand leaves your tablet where you need it as you chef. It has a rubberized, fairly compact base to live anywhere on the counter or table without easily sliding around. The Kitchen Stand can hold a variety of tablet sizes too – some even with their case. View in one of two ways to meet your need: stand your pad upright for longer range viewing or at a lower angle for reading up close. The unit comes with a magnetic tipped stylus and stand too. Yes, that means no more greasy fingers on your screen to find what you need. So whether you are the cook or you have one in your life, save them and their tablet and get it set-up right in the kitchen.
[ A Techno-Chef’s Best Friend copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
Unless you’re a dashing secret agent who needs to woo the ladies, cufflinks are not exactly everyday dress attire for the average gent. So when the opportunity does arise to get spiffied up, consider this stylish new set from Richard Mille featuring a simple push-button mechanism made from lightweight titanium. More »
Many of my Kickstarter dreams have come tumbling down in disappointing or non-shipping products, which isn’t a knock against the site; that’s a risk I fully accept and take with every project. But without a doubt, the Hidden Radio Bluetooth speaker was one I was really looking forward to. Now, I’ve spent some time with it, and I find myself with mixed feelings about this portable audio accessory.
Since the Hidden Radio first debuted on Kickstarter way back in November, a lot has changed in the world of portable device speakers. Things have gotten better; a lot better, in fact, with stuff like Jawbone’s Big Jambox coming along and basically making everyone fall in love with it. For the Hidden Radio, long overdue according to its original manufacturing timeline, and with specs that in some areas actually fall short of those originally promised, time has not been good for this little upstart. But it is a capable, and for now, cheaper alternative to some of the market leaders.
Features:
Pros:
Cons:
Design
Let’s start with the Hidden Radio’s strengths: it’s a very good-looking device, one that can live happily among a variety of decors, and one that feels particularly at home with Apple hardware. I’ve got the matte black version, and in both closed and open mode, it’s beautiful (check out the gallery below). Plus the design is sensible: when the cap is twisted shut, power is locked off and the speaker grille itself is protected from the elements. The columnar shape is also fairly compact and portable, though it might be less portable (and is definitely less rugged) than say, a Phillips ShoqBox.
The other notable part of the design is the grippy pad on the bottom, which is designed to hold the Hidden Radio in place as you twist the cover open and shut to control power and volume. That part performs its task well, though as you can see in the gallery photos below, the grippy portion picks up dirt and dust very easily and will require frequent cleaning to maintain its stickiness.
The bottom does have one major failing though: in what looks like an effort to keep things ‘hidden,” the ports for both microUSB (charging) and 3.5mm stereo input are housed in a recessed circular crevice in the bottom of the device. It’s nice for keeping things out of the way in theory, but in practice it’s very difficult to get the microUSB cable in and out, and I’m not sure the aesthetic benefits outweigh the drawbacks.
Features
The Hidden Radio originally promised 30 hours of battery life for streaming music. It ships with 15, which is good, but obviously not as good. That 15 hours still puts it on par with the Big Jambox, and better by five hours than the more size-comparable original Jambox. Hidden also promised Bluetooth speakerphone functionality, which both the Jambox and Big Jambox offer, but that didn’t make it to the final product. An FM radio is included, but not the promised AM/FM capabilities. It’s understandable that reality would cause some changes, but when a project raises $938,771, far above its original $125,000 goal, it becomes more of an issue.
Still, the Hidden Radio does pair easily with devices, and the twist-on, twist-off feature is very convenient. Also 15 hours is a lot of juice, and plenty for most users, and the FM radio is a nice touch. The original Kickstarter may have over-promised, but that shouldn’t really reflect much on the product taken as a standalone device. Still, if a pre-release notice from an established listed a number of features that didn’t make the shipping unit, they’d definitely be called on it.
Sound
This is the big area for all Bluetooth speakers, and I have to say that I’m less impressed with the Hidden Radio in this regard than I was expecting to be. Audio quality was originally one of its selling points, but it lags behind the leaders in this space. The sound is fine, and the 360-degree nature of the speaker means that it’s good for background music at small gatherings, but audiophiles will be disappointed. And sound quality deteriorates quickly if you use the hardware volume control by twisting the cap down, making stuff sound like it’s underwater – this speaker performs best if kept at full volume, with changes to auditory level controlled from the phone. Sound did seem to improve over time, however, as the speaker got broken in.
Conclusion
At $149, the Hidden Radio is a good little speaker that trades significantly longer battery life for slightly worse audio quality when compared to the Jawbone Jambox, but I’d be less eager to recommend this product at its regular stated selling price of $190 (in black and silver; $180 in white), which it climbs up to after November 15. But in a crowded market, selling features like resistance to the elements and new, more powerful designs have emerged to make standing out largely on the basis of a volume control gimmick a little more difficult, once you’re at or near price parity.
Apple’s Mac Mini–the least expensive way to run OS X–hasn’t been updated for over a year, and supply at 3rd-party retailers is declining. Could this mean a refresh is forthcoming? According to sources contacted by 9to5mac, Apple will announce a new version of its Mac Mini alongside the iPad Mini at their event rumored to be held on October 23d. Also rumored is a “mini” 13-inch Retina Macbook Pro. It’s a mini party! (more…)
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Mac Mini in Apple II Disk Drive available on eBay, Apple rumored to refresh the majority of its Mac computers at WWDC,
The click-pop-sizzle of a soda can opening? The super-satisfying click of a firearm chambering a round? The roar of an engine? What’s the best noise to come from one of mankind’s inventions? More »
When Android 4.1.2 hit the airwaves for upgrades, it was limited to a very exclusive club of Nexus 7 owners. Google has widened the gates considerably as of today: we’re receiving multiple reports of GSM-based Galaxy Nexus and Nexus S owners getting the new Jelly Bean build through official, over-the-air channels. Upgrades here aren’t as noticeable as they are on the reference Android tablet; besides fixes, we’ve mostly heard that it’s now possible to expand a notification with a single finger. Those with CDMA-based phones are left out so far, but if you discover any surprise extras before 4.1.2 hits our own devices, be sure to leave us a tip.
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Google
Galaxy Nexus, Nexus S start receiving Android 4.1.2 over the air originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Oct 2012 15:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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This Walking Dead-ish timelapse is kind of scary. It shows a day in the city of San Francisco devoid of any human life or moving cars. It feels like everyone was abducted by aliens. More »
I am the biggest klutz I know. Ask anyone who knows me. There is never a week that goes by where I don’t have a bump or bruise. At least I admit my fault. So you can imagine, when it comes to gadgets I make the investment in the proper protection. In which case, I just found my next iPad case.
Ten-97 made it their mission to come up with a truly protective case. They believe “great protection does not have to be equated with bulk. And elegant style does not have to sacrifice true protection.” Within their 9701 and 9702 lines of iPad cases is their trademarked P-TEK™ system includes four layers that protect from shock and vibration. Included is everything from heavy-duty ballistic nylon to foam. Collectively the layers prevent damage from a 6 foot drop. Check the video below to see it in action. But who wants protection without style? Have both. The handcrafted covers include versions in calfskin or nylon. Take the zippered portfolio approach with the 9702 series for $149.99 on their website. Or go for an integrated stand version in the 9701 series in leather at $149.99, or nylon at $99.99. Cases fit all 3 generations of iPad too.
So whether you are part of the klutz club like me, or you want a stylish and professional looking case for your iPad, Ten-97 has you (and your pad) covered.
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
