Hasta La Gadget!

With summer officially over, it’s time to start thinking about how you’ll spend the upcoming snowy months. If you’re a skier, snowboarder, snowshoer, or any other outdoor winter sport enthusiast, there’s a new piece of gear available this season for the first time ever. The Recon-Zeal Transcend goggles is the first set of GPS-enabled goggles in the world to feature a head-mounted display system.

British Columbia-based Recon Instruments teamed up with with Colorado-based Zeal Optics to create the revolutionary goggles that feature an integrated display. According to Recon Instruments’ Web site, “Transcend provides real-time feedback including speed, latitude/longitude, altitude, vertical distance travelled, total distance travelled, chrono/stopwatch mode, a run-counter, temperature and time.” In addition to its GPS capabilities, it features USB charging and data transfer, and free post-processing software.

The goggles come in two models: the Transcend SPPX, which come fitted with SPPX polarized and photochromic lenses ($499); and the Transcend SPX, which feature SPX polarized lenses ($399). Recon is currently offering a limited release for shoppers in Canda. For U.S. pre-orders, check out Zeal Optics. The goggles will be fully available on Oct. 10, 2010.

Check out a promo video after the jump.

Right off the bat, the Bananas Apebot is different from any other humanoid robot you’ve seen. For starters, it’s manners are straight out of the jungle. It makes rude noises and shambles around looking like, well, an ape.

It does very little that’s useful; no cleaning, no picking up things. Instead, the Apebot tap dances, hums, and breaks wind (I am sure you can think of a person or two who would love this feature). This little ‘bot is purely for entertainment.

The ‘bananas’ in the name refers to the gorilla’s temper. If the Apebot is disturbed while sleeping or tipped over, it throws a full-blown tantrum, pounding fists, flashing its laser eyes, and roaring. How to soothe the enraged simian? Tickle the belly, of course.

This gem comes from the smart folks over at Carnegie Mellon’s Robotics Institute. The Apebot balances on spiraling arms to easily get around on carpet, hardwood, and even dirt. Sensors inside allows the Apebot to react to the environment, such as sniffing and growling at obstacles. It has wrist-mounted rockets that it can fire. There is also a remote control (that resembles two bananas fused together) if you want to tell it what to do.

It supposedly can play dodge ball and if paired with a fellow Apebot, the two gorillas can play laser tag. That sounds like something worth seeing.

Instead of the near universal white, blue, or black for robots, the Apebot is an eye-cringing yellowish orange.

The Bananas Apebot runs off eight AA batteries and the remote requires three AAA batteries.Priced at $79.95 online at specialty stores like Hammacher Schlemmer, this is an expensive but fun gift.

To those of you who wouldn’t be caught dead with a Hello Kitty flash drive, say Vroom! for Flash Rods. The 4GB flash drives are patched into toy cars — some of which are Hot Wheels. Even with the USB end sticking out like a gigantic tailpipe, the car rolls like any other unmodified Hot Wheels car. A light comes on inside the Flash Rod when plugged in and while data is being transferred.

There are over 90 different cars available, including the ’55 Chevy, ’67 Mustang, New Camaro, 2010 Mustang GT500, and even a silver DeLorean. Each car is priced at $25. If that seems like a huge markup for what used to be a child’s toy, consider that each individual FlashRod is assembled by hand.

If the flash drive is too tame, FlashRod also sells external hard drives (500 GB Seagate drives). Models include Audi R8, Nissan GT-R, ’10 Camaro, and Dodge Challenger.

Happy driving!

PCMag’s software/Web staff editor Jeff Wilson and I recently got a preview of Majesco Entertainment‘s upcoming games lineup. We are happy to report that, among other new titles, the company is coming out with Babysitting Mama for Wii.

The simple, quirky, and  inordinately addictive Mama games, including several version of Cooking Mama as well as Gardening Mama, are already popular on the Nintendo DS and Wii. Babysitting Mama will add a new element, though: a plush “baby” that serves as your game controller. Actually, you stuff the Wiimote into Baby’s back, which just feels wrong, and then you’re ready to play.(That’s Jeff above, attempting to calm Baby down. He really liked this game, which demonstrates that the Mama demographic goes way beyond young girls.)

You’ll follow Mama on the screen to perform a number of baby-related activities ranging from the normal to the weird (our favorite was the baby race–you have to see it). As you play, you get feedback on how well or poorly you’re doing, both onscreen AND from Baby, who makes little happy and not-happy noises via the Wiimote.

The game should be out in October, in for the holidays. It’ll be $39.99 list, including the Baby.   Also coming for the holidays : Crafting Mama for the DS platform ($29.99 list).