Hasta La Gadget!

Dogs need an adequate amount of fresh water at their disposal at all times, and the thicker its coat, the more water it needs to drink to rehydrate itself. Of course, some of us do not mind letting Lassie lap up water straight from the tap without any boiling or filtering done, but for other folks who intend to go the extra mile for their four legged friends, perhaps the $69.95 Dog Activated Outdoor Fountain is a good idea to invest in for your home.

The Dog Activated Outdoor Fountain is pretty much self-explanatory, where it will dispense water whenever it detects that there is a dog nearby. Just how does it do so? No, there are no invisible leprechauns hanging around in your garden, ready to press a button each time a pooch ambles along, but instead, it relies on a built-in sonar proximity sensor which is capable of detecting a dog’s presence within 3′ and across a 40° angle, where it will then automatically turn on the water, and is smart enough to turn it off when the pet leaves. Thing is, your dog might be a labrador, and we all know how much labradors love water – so they might just hang around the Dog Activated Outdoor Fountain all day long. This particular unit is a snap to install – all you need to do is attach it to a garden spigot, and you’re good to go. There is also an integrated splitter which enables a hose to remain connected to the garden spigot, with its housing is made from weather-resistant hard plastic that will also be able to resist the curious dog’s chewing. A quartet of C batteries are said to deliver up to one year of juice, now how about that?

[ Dog Activated Outdoor Fountain copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Have you heard of Pyle before? If it sounds very familiar to you but you are unable to place your finger on it, then you might be interested to know that Pyle is actually a manufacturer of home, car and pro audio equipment, and they have just launched the BlueReach (model number PBTR70), which so happens to be a Bluetooth wireless-based music interface. The BlueReach would come in the guise of a user-friendly adapter which will connect directly into a 30-pin standard speaker dock in order to convert to a wireless Bluetooth audio device, which would make the speaker play nice not only with iPhone 4/4s and its predecessors, but the most recent iPhone as well, the iPhone 5, not to mention the new iPad and other Android smartphones and tablets.

The Pyle BlueReach’s main aim in life would be to transform your speaker into a virtually universal audio device, where it can connect with any Bluetooth-enabled tablet, phone or MP3 player. Those who are interested in bringing home the BlueReach can do so for $66.99 a pop. Of course, since this puppy would jive with Bluetooth connectivity, it will be limited to a range of 33 feet – optimally speaking, although you would do better the closer in proximity it is.

As the BlueReach introduces wireless functionality while freeing up the user to maintain mobile device functionality such as emails, texting and internet use, users would also find the innovative plug-and-play interface a boon since all one needs to do would be to plug in the 3-inch receiver and play music sans wires via the home or while on the go. Not only that, the user would also be able to plug in any device which relies on a 3.5mm plug in order to stream music via Bluetooth. There is a three level LED illumination to indicate its status, and the BlueReach’s ability to operate outside of the Apple platform makes it a suitable partner for Android and Blackberry users.

Press Release
[ Pyle BlueReach launched copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Are you a night owl, and are simply far more productive whenever the moon makes an appearance, breaking through the clouds at night, while others are busy sleeping and snoring away? If that is the case, and you do not live alone, then it would be prudent for you to have the relevant tools around to help you get up and going without stubbing your toe against the edge of a bed or cupboard. The $16.95 Night Owl Motion Light is here to help you out.

The Night Owl Motion Light is basically a motion-activated light for those who get up in the night, where all you need to do is place it at the side of your bed, or hang it from a doorknob or walker, hook it over a stair rail or hang it from a towel rack. Regardless of where you think it is most effective, it would come in handy in a dozen places. Each time the sensor detects motion, half a dozen bright LEDs will turn on, illuminate the area, and remain lit at your command. You are able to choose from 20, 60 or 90 seconds, or set the dial for “continuous”, in addition to adjusting the LED brightness for day or night sensitivity.

[ Night Owl Motion Light copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Microsoft Research Cambridge’s Steve Hodges and his group of colleagues over at the Sensors and Devices group have been spending their time working on novel sensing technologies in addition to new devices which would make life easier for ordinary folk to interact with computer systems and digital content. Hmmm, this does seem to sound suspiciously like a new foray into the world of touchscreens, or has someone reinvented the reliable keyboard and mouse combination? Apparently not, as they are currently working on something that they have dubbed, “An Interactive Belt-worn Badge with a Retractable String-based Input Mechanism”, which was presented at the Association for Computing Machinery’s 2013 SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems.

Hodges said, “We interact with digital content more and more—such as electronic diaries, emails, traffic status, and weather info. But even if you have your mobile phone in your pocket, it can be a pain to interact with this content in many cases. The badge is always on hand and lets you navigate to the content you want simply by moving it to the right place relative to your body, using your spatial muscle memory. It’s much easier for quick ‘snacking’ on small amounts of digital content.”

What you see above is the lightweight, interactive badge prototype in the flesh, and as you can notice, it would come with an embedded LCD display which will show off dynamic information to the wearer, instead of the usual work badge ID that always carries your worse mugshot ever, in addition to other nitty gritty such as your work position and department among other details. This one is very different, as it boasts of sensing-based input capabilities that have been integrated within the badge’s retractable string, paving the way for single-hand interaction. Of course, plenty of work still needs to be done, especially when it comes to the design and form factor, but I am quite sure that these are challenges that the team would relish, and we hope to see a commercial solution sooner rather than later.

Source
[ Microsoft Research comes up with interactive work badge ID copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

If you have not heard of a company that goes by the moniker Kinivo, fret not, you are not the only one. Doing a little bit of digging has revealed a whole lot more information about Kinivo, where they are producers of superior quality accessories for mobile devices, and their latest foray into the wireless Bluetooth speaker market would come in the form of the Kinivo BTX350. The Kinivo BTX350 will be able to stream music from just about any Bluetooth-capable device, delivering exceptionally clear sound without compromising on its portable form factor. After all, it certainly is rather difficult to argue with a device that measures a mere 8” x 3” in height, no?

The Kinivo BTX350 wireless Bluetooth speaker will sport a class-D amplifer that packs dynamic audio into a perfectly portioned speaker, making it the ideal companion for those who hate the sound of silence, whenever one travels, or is involved in outdoor activities that needs a little music to perk things up, or simply for music lovers who want to share their pride and joy (their eclectic playlist, of course) with the rest of the “barbarians” (read: folks who do not appreciate the kind of music they listen to).

Kinivo CEO Sharad Mittal said, “We combined the sleek design of our BTX450 and the portability of our ZX100 to craft the ultimate travel speaker. Pack the new BTX350 and rechargeabe battery into your suitecase while traveling, carry it in your beach bag for summer activities, or let it seamlessly complement any home décor.”

You should be able to enjoy up to 5 hours of non-stop portable entertainment with the Kinivo BTX350 using its rechargeable battery, and just in case you do not own any Bluetooth capable devices, fret not, as the Kinivo BTX350 will also include an optional 3.5 mm cable for universal compatibility. Those who are interested will be able to pick up the new Kinivo BTX350 for $39.99, and this introductory price is not going to last too long.

Press Release
[ Kinivo BTX350 wireless Bluetooth speakers copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]