Hasta La Gadget!

As we see more and more technology enter the realm of the battlefield, the need for a soldier to run around on foot, dispatching of his enemies with his rifle or grenade, are starting to diminish. After all, there are Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) that can deliver an adequate amount of payload for certain measures, and this time around, the U.S. Army intends to use more robots on the battlefield with a robotic demonstration of a certain HDT, a self-driving machine gun robot.

This particular robot from HDT Robotics (hence its name) is ready to open fire an M240 machine gun at a target 150 meters away at your beck and call, and there were also other robots from notable names such as Northrop Grumman, 5D Robotics, iRobot, QinetiQ and Lockheed Martin being paraded, although not all of them would be harbingers of death, but rather, to demonstrate how they are able to maneuver through rough or wooded terrain, carry heavy loads and move autonomously. Will a robot be able to replace a human soldier on the battlefield eventually one of these day? We shall see, as time is always the great teacher. After all, robots never fatigue, and the loss of them would be more or less strictly monetary with no compensation to be paid out.

HDT Self-Driving Machine Gun Robot Being Tested original content from Ubergizmo.

Rolling out a new piece of hardware does have its fair share of challenges from time to time. After all, there rarely has been a 100% smooth launch, and I guess you can say the same for the upcoming Sony PS4 next generation gaming console which will hit the US sometime later next month. For those who were wondering whether they could save some money by making use of your PlayStation Pulse headset with the Sony PS4 at launch, you might be in for a downer at the moment.

Sony claims that the PlayStation Pulse headset will not be compatible with the PS4 at launch, not at least until there is a system update sometime down the road. Of course, who are we to say that this will not happen between now and November, right? Perhaps some smart aleck over at Sony will have stumbled upon a method to make those two compatible with one another during this window period. Do bear in mind, however, that any headset that relies on a TOSlink cable in order to feed audio data, which means majority of the headsets that cost more than $100, ought to be able to function without missing a beat. I don’t think that this is going to stop folks from purchasing the PS4 in the first place anyways.

PS4 Won’t Play Nice With PS3 USB Headsets At Launch original content from Ubergizmo.

When it comes to sensor devices, we have seen our fair share of wearable sensors in the past that would do their bit to help us keep track of our daily activity movement, including the number of steps taken as well as amount of calories burned, the works. Heck, it was just earlier today that we talked about the FitBit Bug, where it offered a highly affordable device that does most of what the more expensive personal activity trackers do. Well, apart from humans, plants too, might want in on the action. Case in point, the Fliwer sensor that will be able to monitor just about everything concerning your plants. These measurements would include soil moisture, light, temperature, air humidity, and fertilizer levels among others.

Right now, Fliwer is a Kickstarter project, and it will not only be able to inform you of just when you should start to water your plants, but you will also be notified on when you ought to fertilize, prune, harvest or expect the plants to flower. The device has also been given a social slant, allowing you to learn, chat, and share useful tips with other Fliwer users. Just in case this idea looks familiar, perhaps the Parrot Flower Power smart wireless plant sensor that was demonstrated to us at this year’s CES had something to do with it?

Fliwer Sensor Targets Plants original content from Ubergizmo.

We have seen different kinds of wearable activity trackers in the past, where among them include the Nike FuelBand as well as the Fitbit Flex. Well, those are fine and dandy, and needless to say, they obviously get the job done. However, for those of us who are hard pressed to scrounge around some extra money each month for savings, every single cent counts. And it is this particular target group that the Fitbug Orb has been aimed at, where it supposedly outclasses current activity trackers where value, wearability and personalized content are concerned.

Costing less than half the amount one would pay for the likes of the Jawbone Up, Nike FuelBand and Fitbit Flex, the Fitbug Orb is said to come with a personal touch that “nudges” users to achieve their respective health goals. Costing just $49.95 each, the Fitbug Orb is the most affordable, feature and service-rich tracker on the market, where it can help expand the health tracking trend via a more reasonable pricing. Being discrete in nature, this button-sized Fitbug Orb can be worn in a variety of ways so that it will suit the occasion. You can place it on the belt, wrist, a lanyard, or have it clipped on or beneath clothing, and it will be able to get the job done by tracking the number of steps, aerobic steps/time, distance, calories burned, speed and even sleep.

Fitbug Orb activity tracker for the budget conscious original content from Ubergizmo.

There is nothing quite like spending a day out by the beach, frolicking in the sun while having plenty of good, all-round fun. Apart from having enough snacks to go around, the entire atmosphere can also change with the introduction of great music, and this is what BOOM Movement has done with the introduction of their SWIMMER waterproof speaker. The SWIMMER waterproof speaker comes in a flexible, tail-like design that makes it highly portable, and it will connect to compatible devices via Bluetooth

The SWIMMER’s special and flexible tail design alongside waterproof capability will allow you to hook it, hang it, wrap it or grip it. Heck, you can even securely loop it around a paddle or handle bar, or choose to have it propped up on a desk, or how about this – let it hang from a laptop screen in order to enjoy an immersive listening experience. Covered by a rubberized silicone skin for superior protection regardless of how wet and wild things around it get, it has also been certified to be shock resistant and drop proof with a waterproof IPX Level 7 rating. You can remove the detachable tail and use it with an optional suction cup backing so that it can be stuck onto a range of flat surfaces and for easy mounting purposes. The SWIMMER will cost you $59.99 a pop, where it comes in Gray/Teal, Blue/Gray, Red/Gray, Teal/Gray and White/Blue color combinations.

BOOM Movement SWIMMER waterproof speaker original content from Ubergizmo.