Hasta La Gadget!

A few months ago we heard about a supercapacitor designed by a high school student that could lead to quick charging and longer lasting mobile phones. The Blueshift Helium speaker gives us a taste of that future. It also uses supercapacitors instead of rechargeable batteries to drastically reduce charging times.

Blueshift claims that its Helium speakers can be fully charged in just five minutes and last up to six hours while playing at its maximum volume. That’s a huge improvement over practically any speaker in the market. The supercapacitors will also supposedly last up to 500,000 charges, compared to the hundreds or thousands of cycles for most rechargeable batteries. The Bluetooth speakers also have a bamboo case and one or two 4″ full-range drivers (there are mono and stereo versions).

Pledge at least $350 (USD) on Crowd Supply to get a Blueshift Helium speaker as a reward.

[via Damn Geeky via Design You Trust]

When I decided to get an iPad instead of a Kindle to read my books, it opened up new realms of possibilities. The iPad is the first computer I switch on during the day, and the last to be switched off. There are lots of nifty things you can use the iPad for, and soon you’ll be able to use it as a 3D object scanner.

The Structure Sensor is made to fit onto the back of your iPad, thanks to a bracket that mounts above the rear-facing camera. It connects via a Lightning cable, and can connect to other devices thanks to USB connectivity.

The sensor and your iPad’s onboard capabilities allow this combination to measure the 3D space in any room, automatically capture 3D models of objects, and stimulate physics. You can also use the SDK to develop your own iOS apps for the device.

To use the sensor, simply walk around the object you want to scan, and its software will automatically stitch together a 3D model. Walk around it again to capture full color texture maps. The app also supports the ability to send 3D objects to Shapeways for printing.

The Structure Sensor is available for pre-order for $349(USD), and is expected to start shipping in April 2014.

[via Uncrate]

These days, almost all of us are multi-gadget households. This leads to a condition I like to call “chargeritis” – which is the problem we all run into when we have too many gadget chargers plugged into our outlets, and cords dangling everywhere. blueLounge has a solution in the form of their latest revision to their Sanctuary charging station, the newly-released Sanctuary4.

The Sanctuary4 is a stylish and minimal stand that’s perfect for charging up to four of your electronic gadgets at once. The top of the Sanctuary4 provides a platform that you can set a couple of smartphones on, as well as a tablet. The tablet stand is neat because you can adjust its angle so you can actually use your tablet while it’s charging.

The non-slip surface and raised edge of the stand also work nicely for storing small items like keys, watches or wallets, so it works nicely as a bedside or kitchen utility tray. You can even use it as an alarm clock stand for your tablet.

Inside the Sanctuary4 is a 4-port USB charging hub, with two phone ports and two tablet ports. You can charge up to 4 amps worth of gadgets simultaneously, so two iPads or two phones and an iPad at the same time are no problem. Simply plug in the included A/C adapter (which comes with US and European plugs) to your wall outlet, and you’ll cut way down on cable clutter.

Devices can be connected with your existing cables, or with blueLounge’s optional Charge & Sync cables, which are just 8-inches long, and perfect for the inside of the Sanctuary4. Unfortunately, the Sanctuary4 only includes one of these cables – a microUSB, which is good for Android devices, and also worked well with my Mophie Juice Pack Air battery case. Additional cables sell for $6.95 (microUSB), $8.95 (30-pin) and $16.95 (Lightning), though your serial number scores you a 30% discount on the cables. If I have only one complaint about the Sanctuary4, it’s that for 100 bucks, it should come with an assortment of short cables in the box – or coupon codes for three cables of your choice.

The Sanctuary4 comes in black or white versions to blend in with a variety of decors and devices. It’s available now from the blueLounge website.

Because of its size and form, Google Glass has a limited – albeit seemingly capable – user interface: touch gestures, head gestures and voice commands. Even though Glass’ display is visible at all times, there are times when it would be impractical, insensitive or downright impossible to interact with it. That’s why researcher Brandyn White came up with three alternative ways of controlling Glass.

The first method is via eye tracking, i.e. triggering commands just by looking at a particular spot. Brandyn achieved this using a modified webcam, a 3D printed case and a custom software. As Brandyn notes, future versions of Glass may have eye-tracking built-in so this hack may be rendered obsolete. But even if that happened Brandyn says he doesn’t want this to be used in public, probably because it’s distracting and can also be offensive if used when you’re with other people.

Brandyn also made a browser-based control interface for Glass with the help of a JavaScript-based platform called WearScript. As silly as it sounds, this interface will probably let you control Glass even if you’re not wearing it.

Finally, Brandyn used a MaKey MaKey and WearScript to enable alternative touch controls for Glass. For instance, he wired MaKey MaKey to his clothes so that he could control Glass just by touching his sleeves. He also used two bananas to play Super Mario Bros. on a NES emulator.

You should check out Brandyn’s full article about his hacks on his website. Brandyn and his colleague Andrew Miller also made a couple of Google Glass hacks designed to help the blind become aware of their surroundings.

[via Mike Elgan via The Future of Things]

I take my phone pretty much everywhere, but it’s true that there is a lot more that it could do, given the right add-ons. Check out the Kinsa accessory, which will not only take your temperature but may also be able to diagnose what’s wrong with you or your kids.

Kinsa is a low-cost thermometer that attaches to your iPhone via the headphone jack. It’s able to record your temperature history, and you can also input your symptoms. The Kinsa app taps into a database to see what kinds of illnesses are going around your local area. If there is a cold outbreak, then it’s possible that other people are suffering from it to. This is by no means a certain diagnosis, and it doesn’t replace a doctor, but it’s an interesting idea. And of course, it only works if there are other users in the area using Kinsa.

Kinsa is not yet available for purchase, but it will be available soon. You can hit up the Kinsa website to be notified of its release.

[via Ubergizmo]