Hasta La Gadget!

Hostess Brands Inc., the makers of Twinkies, Ding Dongs and Wonder Bread, says it’s going out of business, leading some Americans to stock up on the sweet processed treats in case they disappear from shelves.

The stunning announcement is the result of a bankruptcy and labor dispute, the Associated Press reports. More than 18,000 jobs would be cut.

According to WCPO, some grocery stores are now getting calls from buyers asking if they still have Twinkies on their shelves, as some consumers who grew up with the brand prepare to stock up on treats including Ho Ho’s and the Hostess Fruit Pie, among many others.

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In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you’d like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with “Insert Coin” as the subject line.

A lot of us use our phones to track our runs, bike rides and other outdoor activities. You’ve probably also noticed that GPS is not exactly the most accurate way of measuring your exercise (especially if you live in a city with a lot of tall, tightly-packed buildings). And, if you’re less concerned with distance and time than you are with say… elevation, then your iPhone simply can’t help you. A company called EpicSesh is hoping to turn your humble iOS device into a serious 3D sport tracker by packing a bunch of sensors in a sleeve called the XensrCase. Inside the rugged case is a highly accurate gyroscope, accelerometer, barometer and separate GPS module that samples motion data 400 times a second to create smooth records of your jumps, flips and tricks, as well as your distance and speed. There’s also a companion app that pulls in the most relevant data and formats it appropriately for your sport of choice — be it snowboarding or windsurfing.

To get the product off the ground EpicSesh is looking for $100,000 in funding. To claim a XensrCase for yourself you’ll need to pledge $150, though, that deal is only good for the first 100 devices. After they’re gone you’ll need to pony up $170 for one in blue. For now the case is available for the iPhone 5, 4S and 4 as well as the iPod touch. But we’re hopeful an Android version of the same TruMotion tech is in the works. Head on after the break to see it in action and hit up the source link to pledge your support.

Continue reading Insert Coin: XensrCase turns your iPhone into a state of the art 3D sports tracker

Filed under: Peripherals

Insert Coin: XensrCase turns your iPhone into a state of the art 3D sports tracker originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 16 Nov 2012 13:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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California has joined its fellow 49 states in politely petitioning the White House to secede from the union.

Since President Barack Obama’s re-election last week, those unhappy with that outcome across the land have taken advantage of the We The People website (https://petitions.whitehouse.gov), that allows citizens to post petitions on just about anything that bugs them.

Established by — and supply however much irony you care to here — the Obama administration, the site promises that “Every petition that crosses the 25,000 signature threshold is reviewed and receives a response,” according to White House spokesman Brandon D. Lepow.

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Have you used a presenter tool before? You know, you stand up in front of the group to pitch your proposal or give your explanation. PowerPoint is queued up and someone hands you that remote looking thing. Your finger grazes the top and BAM! You are suddenly at the last page of your presentation. Then you have to walk to the computer, exit out of presenter mode, start it again. Sort of gets you out of the mood to give your pitch.

Logitech has a perfect portable solution to combine the needs of mousing with presenting. The Logitech Cube, $69.99 at Amazon.com, combines style with functionality. Designed as a travel mouse, it is easy to throw in the computer bag. Built into the button free mouse are left and right clicks plus scroll capability. No more ‘click click click’ of the wheel. Scrolling becomes more like smartphone swiping. Flip the device over to advance slides in presenter mode. The Cube has a power switch built in and uses Logitech’s Unifying® receiver meaning it is small in the USB port and can be synced with other compatible devices. Heads up that there is no laser pointer on the unit though. So it may not be exactly what you need for presenting. But from a portability perspective and with Logitech’s reputation in accessories rest assured you will get a product that performs.

[ Mouse and Presenter in Your Palm copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Apple devices benefit from a huge, rich accessory ecosystem that means whether owners of its products are at a Best Buy, an airport or even a corner store, they’ve got plenty of options for cases, speakers, headsets, skins, charging cables, and more. A similar ecosystem is beginning to build up around the top devices from Android OEMs, but it still has nowhere near the reach and depth of Apple’s, and the market for Windows Phone 8 accessories is just getting started. And neither Google nor Nokia are helping things much.

Consider: Both Google’s Nexus 4 (manufactured by LG) and Nokia’s Lumia 920 ship with built-in induction charging. That’s awesome. It’s great to see this tech come to smartphones without requiring bulky external cases. But Google’s induction charging device, the Wireless Charging Orb, still doesn’t have a street date or price. And Nokia’s charging dock is ostensibly available in some markets like the U.S., but try tracking one down – AT&T’s site currently puts shipping times at one week for the Nokia Wireless Charging plate, though that may be because they’ve given away a bunch for free.

Nokia is an interesting case because it’s also partnering with JBL to deliver a sound dock (which showed up on AT&T’s website today, with no ship date information) that not only incorporates wireless charging, but also uses a combination of NFC and Bluetooth to deliver wireless audio streaming. I’ve seen/heard this thing in action, and it’s awesome, but getting your hands on one isn’t yet possible in markets where the Lumia 920 has launched. If I’m a new device owner, one of the first things I’m doing to do is look around for accessories, and the Qi tech built-in to both Google’s and Nokia’s latest devices are arguably their flashiest hardware trick, and the one likely to make the most impression on users new to the platforms.

Google already hasn’t delivered the Nexus Q media streamer, despite a lot of hype around its announcement and a few devices going out before they were fully baked. Now, to launch a phone with a “coming soon” accessory that’s needed to show off one of its core selling features seems equally frustrating.

I’m not saying these things because I’ve got a bone to pick with Nokia or Google; quite the opposite, in fact, since I think both the Lumia 920 and the Nexus 4 are exciting, innovative products from companies doing more than their fair share to keep the mobile market interesting. What I am saying is that these manufacturers need to be more aggressive about building and shipping unique and interesting accessories to help jumpstart the hardware ecosystem around their own products, not sometime later amid delays when the luster of what they’ve launched has already faded.