Hasta La Gadget!

We did take a look at a NERF shooter yesterday, but that did not really come with the kind of sustaining firepower as it holds only 3 darts in its ammo reserves. The thing is, the NERF Triad Elite has an advantage of an extremely long range – we’re talking about being able to shoot up to 75 feet here, people! Well, for those who want something meatier, then you can settle for the $16.99 NERF Strongarm Elite Blaster, which also comes with a shooting range of up to 75 feet, and it will be able to splatter your target (if you are a good shot) with all 6 darts in rapid succession if the situation calls for it.

Of course, the asking price is also higher than the Triad Elite, but that is to be expected when you get a higher level of performance in turn. You can more or less say that the NERF Strongarm Elite Blaster is in the Elite line, where all of the darts and the internal firing mechanisms have been specially configured to achieve the 75 feet range, which is more or less double what most regular NERF products out there are capable of. The tactical rail itself has also been moved to the gun body, making it the sidearm of choice when you want to dominate the office.

[ NERF Strongarm Elite Blaster copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Netflix has turned itself into the most popular paid video streaming destination on the Internet. Netflix works hard and get all sorts of new content from television studios and movie studios. The company also has a few original series that it produces and offers exclusively to its streaming subscribers.

Netflix has announced that it has a new science fiction series in the works called Sense8. The science fiction TV series will come in late 2014 from Georgeville Television. The television series marks the first time that the Wachowskis have ventured into the world of television programming.

Most science fiction fans will recognize the Wachowskis from The Matrix trilogy and other movies they have directed. Another important member of the Sense8 team is J. Michael Stracynski, who is the creator of the popular science fiction TV series Babylon 5 as well as other films such as Thor. The first season of the series will have 10 episodes.

At this point Netflix isn’t offering much detail on the science fiction series. Although the official press release says is that Sense8 is “a gripping global tale of minds linked and souls hunted.” I wonder if Netflix will offer all 10 episodes of the first season at the same time as it has for some of its other original programs.

[via Netflix]

Netflix announces Sense8 original science fiction show for 2014 is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Apple has a new patent filing just published by the USPTO today, first spotted by AppleInsider, which details a wraparound-style AMOLED display that could make it possible to create an iPhone that’s almost entirely screen, with touch gestures and virtual buttons replacing physical ones completely. The patent describes designs that could have a seamless, continuous surface resembling the fourth generation iPod nano, as well as other shapes closer to the current iPhone, but with every surface a touch-sensitive glass display.

The patent is a fairly comprehensive one, and even mentions built-in facial recognition as well as a method of layering flexible, see-through displays on top of one another in order to produce different visual effects, including the appearance of 3D. The glass used to encase the display is described as either seamless, or featuring small design elements to hide where one piece joins another. One major advantage is that glass is relatively radio transparent, which is why the current generation iPhone 5 has top and bottom glass “window” panels on the backside of its casing, and another, says Apple in the filing, is the aesthetic advantage.

Apple suggests a number of different device designs representing different geometric shapes that could be used with an all-encompassing external glass display, but even more interesting, in some it talks about removable end caps that could allow more than one device to be joined together. Like Voltron, when combined these iPhones or iOS mobile devices would become greater than the sum of their parts.

Another neat trick is the way in which the proposed device would recognize what touch to treat as important, and which to ignore, since the entire phone is essentially one big touchscreen. Apple describes a way of detecting how a user is actually handling the device to solve that problem, using on-board cameras and facial recognition to figure out where to display content, and where to register touch.

The final element of the patent is a version that contains layered, transparent displays that can each show different content, or layers of a single image to achieve 3D effects. It could also be used to place a HUD or additional information on top of another image, essentially building a second-screen or augmented reality experience into a single device.

This is one of the more exciting Apple patents that has surfaced lately, as it demonstrates essentially a completely re-imagined next-generation iOS smartphone. But the technology is probably still a ways off from being economically practical, and the battery demands of a completely wraparound display would also likely be astronomical. So while I wouldn’t expect this in iPhone 6 (or even 7), it’s a good look at how the company is thinking about innovation behind the scenes.

Infiniti is showing its vehicles at the 2013 New York Auto Show. One of the new vehicles that has been unveiled is called the Infiniti Q50 Sports Sedan. Infiniti says that this vehicle was developed with lots of help from three-time world champion Formula One racing driver Sebastian Vettel.

In fact, Infiniti recently announced that Vettel is the company’s new Director of Performance. Infiniti says that the new Q50 will go on sale this summer at dealerships around the country and is available to pre-order now starting at $36,450. A “popularly equipped” Q50 Premium featuring the optional navigation system will carry an introductory price of $40,700. The vehicle will be available with two powertrain options.

One of the available powertrains is a standard 3.7-liter V6 engine with the other being a 3.5-liter Infiniti Direct Response Hybrid system. The Q50 is also available in rear wheel drive or all-wheel drive versions. The starting price for a Premium hybrid in rear wheel drive is $43,700. The Hybrid Sport all wheel drive will start $47,900.

The Q50 Sport all-wheel drive with the 3.7 L V-6 engine will start $44,750. As with any premium automobile, a number of available options can push the price up significantly. The new Q50 has some interesting new performance technology including Infiniti Direct Adaptive Steering and Active Lane Control. The special adaptive steering system promises to transmit the driver’s intentions from the steering wheel to the wheels of the car faster than a mechanical system. The Active Lane Control system uses cameras able to detect lane markers and enhance on center driving capability and vehicle stability for the driver.

[via Infiniti]

Infiniti Q50 sport sedan gets official in New York is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Late last year Kia announced that it had teamed up with DC Entertainment to create some superhero themed cars that it would be unveiling at various auto shows. So far we have seen a Batman themed Optima SX Limited, a Flash themed Forte Koupe, an Aquaman Rio 5-door, a Cyborg Forte 5-door, and a Green Lantern Soul. Another new superhero-themed Kia has been unveiled at the New York Auto Show.

This vehicle is a Wonder Woman themed Kia Sportage crossover SUV. Kia says that this superhero vehicle is a continuation of its 10-month, eight vehicle partnership with DC Entertainment. The series has one final vehicle to go to wrap all seven superheroes that are part of the Justice League into one vehicle design.

The Wonder Woman Sportage is fitted with an aero kit giving it a streamlined appearance. The outside of the vehicle is predominantly red and blue with accents of stars and gold stripes. The Golden stripes are supposed to represent Wonder Woman’s golden Lasso of Truth.

The headlights and fog lights are blue-tinged and the vehicle appears to have blue LED lights underneath. The crossover also has a windshield banner that resembles Wonder Woman’s tiara. Inside the car his red upholstery and dash pieces complement with blue LED lighting along with seats that are embroidered with the Wonder woman logo and more. In the trunk is a see-through panel displaying the Wonder Woman tiara, bracelets, and Lasso of Truth.

Wonder Woman themed Kia Sportage unveiled in New York is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.