Hasta La Gadget!

Olympus has once again redefined the enthusiast compact camera market segment by bringing together a slew of features that are found across its camera range in the new Stylus 1. Specially designed to target semi-pro shooters who want optical brilliance, it comes along with DSLR operation, convenience and portability, being a one-size-fits-all package. Apart from that, the Olympus Stylus 1 will also come with an i.ZUIKO lens which incorporates the outstanding optical quality of the Olympus ZUIKO interchangeable lenses. Right at its heart lies a large 1/1.7-inch BSI CMOS sensor and TruePic VI image processor, where it will be accompanied by extra features such as a built-in electronic viewfinder (EVF) that can also be found on the award-winning Olympus OM-D E-M5 and Wi-Fi connectivity so that you are able to capture and sharing anywhere.

Sporting a newly developed, ultra-slim 10.7x (28–300mm) high-power i.ZUIKO lens, it will deliver constant f2.8 brightness across the zoom range, making it versatile enough to capture wide to telephoto shots while delivering pro-quality stills with beautiful, defocused backgrounds and crisp images, never mind that you are shooting even in low light conditions. The large diameter lens will also come with a powerful, built-in VCM image stabilization mechanism which virtually eliminates camera shake and blur. Not only that, its lens is also able to capture stunning macro shots even from as close as 2” away.

Whenever you are not making use of the lens, it will retract fully into the camera body, placing it behind a removable automatic lens cap, allowing the Stylus 1 to fit into a coat pocket without batting an eyelid. The Stylus 1 will also feature a Fast Touch AF system from the Olympus PEN series for near-instant, precision focusing thanks to the tiltable LCD touchscreen monitor.

Not only that, there is also Full HD video recording capability, while you will also have Art Filters thrown into the mix with bracketing option, five Art Effects and Photo Story, too. The Olympus Stylus 1 will arrive later this December for $699.99 a pop, although there is only one color to choose from – black.

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[ The Olympus Stylus 1 delivers DSLR performance in a compact form factor copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

If plumbing is not your cup of tea, then the £19.99 Power Tap might actually change the way you think or approach the situation. With the Power Tap, you are able to enjoy electricity quite literally on tap, where it sports colored light indicators, where blue stands for charging and red whenever it is on standby. Don’t you think that it also gives the illusion that current is always stronger whenever it is pouring out of a spout? Fret not though, it will not flood your home with electricity should you leave it on.

With the Power Tap, it will offer a different way of turning on the switch on the wall, since you turn it on like a literal household tap. Once done, just insert your USB device and it should start to get juiced up in no time at all. It is made from strong ABS plastic, and you can be sure that once you have gotten one of these, you will most probably clamor for more. Your family and friends who arrive too might want to get one (or a few) of their own after dropping by your place.
[ The Power Tap offers energy with a twist copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Have you ever wondered just how much trouble a parent has to go through in order to figure out just what to get for their little ones each year at Christmas? Not only that, it would not be nice to purchase the same old thing every single year, which means one will need to be extremely creative when it comes to getting the latest gifts. It is basically big business during the holiday season with gift giving approaching a natural peak, and the folks over at WowWee are all geared up for the occasion by introducing the RoboMe, a toy that allows you to “robo-fy” yourself.

WowWee has had some hits in the past such as the Robosapien and the Roboraptor, where RoboMe will now be the latest addition that fuses both personality and technology. In a nutshell, RoboMe is a completely customizable robotic avatar that will fall back on your iPhone or iPod touch to make it all the more interactive.

Just what kind of features does the RoboMe pack? For starters, it will be fully programmable, where it will boast of fun customizable faces and personalities. Not only that, it will also be able to perform remote visual telepresence, meaning whatever he “sees”, you too, will see the same thing. Sorta like a webcam on wheels if you ask me. Apart from that, RoboMe is able to autonomously roam and navigate through its environment, with the added ability to understand vocal commands.

As the RoboMe’s owner, you will also be able to have its sensor reactions customized, where it operates as a full-functioned R/C robot right out of the box. If you are interested in picking up the RoboMe for your kid (and who knows, for yourself as well?), it will be available at Toys “R” Us stores nationwide and online, retailing for $99.99 a pop, targeting kids that are aged 8 and older.

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[ WowWee introduces RoboMe for the holiday season copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

If you are a store owner, running a small mom and pop business, or happen to own a huge chain of stores across the country (or countries), I am quite sure that you are more than familiar with the power of advertising which could help push sales figures through the roof. Each physical store has a limited amount of square footage, so with the large number of items that you are carrying in there, the different brands would be competing against one another for the eyeballs of customers. M3Tech of Malaysia has come up with a rather unique solution in the form of the i3Display, which will function as an intelligent salesman mechanism.

For instance, you might not have enough sales personnel to attend to the customers walking through the store, so they can always make use of the i3Display to check out the kinds of items that you already happen to have on your shelves by flipping through a digital kiosk. There is an Android-powered display which will arrive with 3G, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, making it a snap to update a slew of kiosks throughout an entire store with new information. Of course, it is always good to have a back up, and M3Tech does offer you the chance to update these kiosks individually and manually using an SD memory card or a USB flash drive.

The interface depends on what the client wants to display, and there are a few levels on the menu system so that a store that carries, for example, 10 different brands, will be able to showcase a slew of devices or items under various categories. It will arrive in three form factors – the usual boring kiosk that we see at shopping malls these days, as well as arriving in a floor stand; where one has a single display, while the other would be a dual display version.

Screen sizes of the LED displays range from 42” to 46”, and they are all on wheels for easy transportation and moving around. Bear in mind that this is meant for indoor use only, as there are many other issues to take into consideration when one moves into the outdoor realm. Right now, we do know that the Android-powered screens will run on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean which should be sufficient for most commercial users.

There is also another version which will run on the Raspberry Pi platform, and that is more flexible since it boasts of the capability to display multiple brands and multiple products as mentioned earlier. All in all, this is definitely a greener way of advertising a ton of items in your store to the masses, and it also lets those who prefer to browse alone do so at their own pace without being seemingly “harassed” by store assistants. Those who are interested will be able to rent such kiosks for several days’ use, or to purchase it outright (with full support thrown into the package) for a more cost effective and long term advertising effort.

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[ i3Display offers a unique commercial solution for stores to display their wares copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Everyone has a favorite hobby, game or toy, and if it so happens that you know someone who lives, eats, and breathes Minecraft, you would do him or her well with the $19.99 Minecraft Light-Up Diamond Ore (also available in the UK from Amazon). Yes, this is one diamond ore that will be able to provide some ambient lighting whenever dusk falls, and it carries an adequate amount of light to ensure that monsters will remain hidden in their closets and under your bed so that you are able to enjoy a good night’s rest.

100% inspired by Minecraft and made by the good people over at ThinkGeek, the Minecraft Light-Up Diamond Ore works in a very simple manner. In order to activate it, just give it a tap, and you’re good to go. There are three different lighting levels to choose from, and they are low, medium, bright. Sure, it is not going to be as glitzy as an actually diamond for the other half, but one thing’s for sure – it is a piece of rock that is a whole lot more affordable. This is the ideal night light for Minecraft fans, and best of all is, you do not need to fear about accusations that you have a bootleg item from the Minecraft universe, as this is an officially licensed Minecraft collectible. Made out of ABS plastic, it will glow with internal LEDs thanks to the pair of AA batteries that power this bad boy.
[ Minecraft Light-Up Diamond Ore for the hardcore Minecraft fan in your life copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]