Hasta La Gadget!

When I was a kid, I remember that my mom loved her flower beds. However, deer and other animals seemed to like them even more. She would always be so disheartened when she would go out and find that one of these animals had made a snack out of the plants she’d worked so hard to maintain. Nothing she did seemed to ever keep them away. But maybe she needed something a little more high tech to scare them off.

The Orbit Motion Activated Sprinkler is basically a sentry for your yard. It stands tall and proud, waiting for the first sign of an intruder. When it sees one, it swivels around and shoots them…with water, of course. This device has a 120-degree motion sensor that will detect any animal that comes across its path. Then, it will spray out a stream of water, for as long as you like. And when it’s not tracking down critters, it can also function as an ordinary sprinkler, to water your plants.

The setup for this is pretty simple. Just figure out where the animals would most likely be entering your yard, and position the sprinkler so that area will be at the edge of its sight. Now all you need to do is stick it in the ground, hook up the hose, and pop in the four AA batteries. You can also adjust the duration of the spray, and range. You’ll also be able to setup a regular water cycle, if you want to use it as a regular sprinkler. It also has 2 controlled, and 1 pass-through expansion outlets, if you want to set up a host of sentries in your yard. You can pick up your own for around $79.

Source: RedFerret
[ Orbit Motion Activated Sprinkler keeps critters out of your yard copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Samsung has been denied a new trial over the long-standing dispute of Apple’s ‘bounce back’ scrolling patent. Finally!

Read more…

While pin codes and unlock patterns are great ways to secure your phone, there are times when such security might not necessarily be needed, such as in the comfort of your own home, but when you’re at the office or at a meeting, or in a public place like a bar or night club, then perhaps having some form of security would be a good idea. Well a recent Google patent has described a system in which your phone’s security could depend on where you are. Like we said earlier, for example if you were to set the parameters of the pin code or swipe pattern to be enabled when you were at your office, then when you’re out on the road or at home, the feature would be disabled and you will be able to get your phone’s content faster.

Of course swiping to unlock or keying in a pin code isn’t exactly a hassle or a big deal, but it’s usually these conveniences that helps make a difference. In a way these are the sort of features that could sell a phone or operating system, like the Moto X for example, whose specs might not be the most amazing, but its features add a level of convenience that other manufacturers have yet to implement. In any case there’s no telling if and when Google will introduce this patent to Android, but what do you guys think? Sounds like a great idea, doesn’t it?

Google Patent Will Secure Your Phone Depending On Your Location original content from Ubergizmo.

To the untrained eye the evolution of technology can appear to be a rather futile oscillation. We had laptops. Then we threw away their keyboards and worked only on a screen. Then we decided touchscreen typing on tablets was annoying, so brought back a physical keyboard and added supports to hold the screen at that trusty old laptop screen angle that made so much sense… All of which probably says a lot more about human nature than technology evolution but no matter. Meet Modus III: it’s a home for your iPad that promises to iron out tablet productivity niggles by giving your slate a laptop/desktop-esque workstation to live in.

Modus III is currently only a prototype. Its creators are looking to raise $95,000 on Kickstarter to make this laptop-recreating portable workstation a reality — a distant goal at this early stage in their campaign which runs for another 31 days. Aren’t there already plenty of keyboard cases for iPads? Yes, there are. But Modus III does include some additional features that make it stand out. Or rather stand up. Using Modus III, it is apparently possible to position the iPad screen in the following, possibly more ergonomically friendly configuration (if you’re concerned about your typing posture inducing neck-ache. You may, however, get arm-ache reaching up to tap the screen):

(Looking at that get-up it’s hard not to wonder what Steve Jobs might have said if he was still around to cast his eye over the Modus III.  Probably something like this.)

The Modus III workstation supports a 180 degree range screen viewing angle. Your iPad is housed in a custom, clip-in module that then clicks into place in the workstation, which includes a built in Bluetooth keyboard, iPhone/smartphone dock (so your phone can double as a miniature second screen), a space for your charger cables and presumably a few other bits and pieces like the rear stand bracket required to hoist the workstation into the above position.

Isn’t Modus III rather large? The case dimensions are: 1.2″ x 11.5″ x 15.75″. So yes, if you want a portable keyboard case to carry around with you, Modus III does look like a fair bit more luggage than if you just took your iPad and threw a Bluetooth keyboard into your bag. Or used one of the smaller, dedicated keyboard cases on the market. (Or — what the heck — just used a MacBook Air.) So really this looks like something that’s better suited to staying at home on the desk. But maybe that’s exactly the kind of workstation you’ve been looking for? The basic configuration is at least relatively little additional weight (2.4 lbs) to carry around if you do want to move it, being made of an aluminium frame and plastic casing.

The tablet clip-in system is modular, which means it can accommodate different slates. Modus III’s creators say they plan to add support for Android and Windows tablets in future. The launch workstation will be compatible with the iPad 2, 3 and 4. Backers can also choose an iPad 5 module at no extra cost. It will also accommodate all iPhones and micro USB Android phones.

The Modus III’s price-tag is currently $169 for early Kickstarter backers. If you want more fancy case materials to clad your slate, options include carbon fiber, wood burl and MSRP but fancier finishes push the price up — in some cases considerably.  You can even choose a custom pattern if you’re willing to stump up an eye-watering $999. But there is, as they say, no accounting for taste.