Hasta La Gadget!

Everybody knows that this year’s NSA revelations are a big deal. The whole debacle’s already prompted the president to order reforms and internet companies to fight back. Activists want to push the outrage further. They want us to believe that this scandal is as bad as Watergate.

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The Mab cleaning system won first place.

(Credit: Electrolux Design Lab)

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The CNET Appliances team gets to test all sorts of household items with advanced functionality, but it sure is fun to imagine what smart home appliances might look like in the more distant future. That’s why I like the Electrolux Design Lab competition. This annual event allows design students from all over the world to showcase household concepts that stray pretty far from the norm.

The themes change from year to year, but home appliances are always a major focal point. The 2013 theme was “Inspired Urban Living” and students were asked to offer up designs in any of the following three categories: social cooking, natural air, and effortless cleaning. The winners — tiny robots that fly around and… [Read more]

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Over the last few days, Nintendo announced that the Nintendo Wii game console would be going out of production in Japan. With the console ending production, it would be easy to assume the console no longer be available to purchase once existing stocks run out. The announcement left people in the U.S. wondering if availability in the States would be affected.

A spokesperson for Nintendo of America has now stepped forward and said that the announcement that the Wii has been discontinued in Japan will not affect availability in the U.S. It’s unclear if they are continuing a lesser volume of production just for North America, or if they’ll just be selling through existing stock though. The Nintendo Wii itself isn’t exactly incredibly popular these days, but it is one of the cheapest game systems available.

Nintendo will offer the Wii in a bundle starting at around $130(USD) during the holiday shopping season. Odds are we’ll see the Nintendo Wii even cheaper than that for Black Friday sales.

[via Gamespot]

Do you have an exit strategy for you and yours in place, should a major earthquake, terrorist attack, or similar large scale disaster occur? You should. And with the help of San Francisco’s new social emergency preparation website, you will.

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There’s nothing quite like seeing a new sheet of snow covering the ground. It all looks so peaceful, and you can enjoy the scenery, until you get your snow gear on and romp in it. While most everyone can enjoy playing in the snow and calling it a day, others like to make sure they’re still connected to their gadgets.

Putting your phone in your pocket and using a headset might make it more readily accessible, but getting the phone out and answering the call is another matter. Of course, lots of people also like to listen to music all day every day, regardless of the conditions. Even if you have the ability to answer calls easily, skipping through tracks of your favorite tunes might not be as simple.

You definitely don’t want to get snow on or in your fancy phone, or be trying to pull out a headphone cord while running around outside. This is where the BearTek Gloves would come in handy. These were designed to be compatible with your Bluetooth devices, and keep your phalanges from getting frosty. The buttons are on the sides of the fingers, so while you’ll have to go  bit out of you way to hit them, it will be far easier than fiddling with you phone. There are gloves designed for motorcyclists, snow sports enthusiasts, or lovers of gadgetry. They’ll cost you anywhere from $95-145 depending on the type you choose. Of course, if you want to purchase the various modules that allow you to pair your phone with these, it’ll cost you an additional $140 or more.

Available for purchase through BearTek, found via technabob
[ BearTek Gloves let you control your gadgets in frosty conditions copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]