Hasta La Gadget!

There are times when our mobile devices reduce our face-to-face interaction with people. A new mobile interface called ‘Pinch’ could change that. It lets multiple mobile devices link their screens together to form a larger display.

Pinch is being developed by a research group at the Tokyo University of Technology. It gets its name from the fact that users make the pinch gesture on the screen of two mobile devices in order to link them. Currently the devices need to be linked via Wi-Fi. The connection allows them to determine each other’s position and adjust their display and content fairly quickly. Watch the video below for more on Pinch:

Based on the demo, Pinch will only work if all mobile devices are playing or running the same media or app. So I don’t think people will want to use Pinch to make a larger display with their mobile devices – you’ll have to have the same copy of the video on all devices to do that. But I can imagine apps that can take advantage of this, such as board game apps, racing games or file sharing apps. And a Captain Planet app.

[via Diginfo via The Verge]

If there’s one thing that I’ve lost a lot of over the years, it’s USB flash drives. From people just taking them, to just losing them because of their diminutive size, USB drives need to be replaced at rapid rate. However, if you had a USB drive hidden in your bracelet, you’d probably be less likely to misplace it.

This USB drive is hidden inside a nice-looking bracelet made out of braided leather. It’s definitely a stylish way to tote around your storage. They come in black, brown and beige, and the 4mm braided leather cord will ensure that it’s nice and comfortable, no matter where you take it.

The USB Bracelet is available from Etsy contributor Merete Nordvik Larsen. They sell for €30 (~$40 USD).

[via Uncrate]

If you’ve ever played XCOM: Enemy Unknown, you’ll be familiar with the Battle Scanner, a gadget used by the game’s sniper class. The Battle Scanner provides visibility to an area covered by fog-of-war. A new company is currently working on a real world equivalent of that device. And not just because the Sniper won’t share his toy with the rest of us.

The yet unnamed device is being developed by Bounce Imaging. The device will have six cameras that can take two pictures per second, which will then be stitched together to provide a 360º degree of its surroundings. It will also have infrared LEDs to help it take pictures in low light. The ball will send the 360º view to a mobile device so the user can scout and plan in safety. Aside from the cameras, the ball could also contain various sensors, such as ones that analyze temperature, chemicals or radiation.

As with the Battle Scanner, this concept device will be extremely useful in combat situations. But Francisco Aguilar, the founder of Bounce Imaging, was actually compelled to start his company after the earthquake in Haiti back in 2010, where his concept device could have helped find survivors. Aguilar says the device will be tested by SWAT teams and Massachusetts police in January 2013 and could have a retail price as low as just $500 (USD).

[via New Scientist & Time via Digital Trends]

They gang over at iFixit has been very busy of late tearing apart new gadgets. Recently, they tore apart a new iPad mini and a Microsoft Surface tablet to see what’s on the inside. The latest device to get the teardown treatment is the newest iPad 4 that debuted with the iPad mini.

As expected, the tablet has a dual-core A6X processor with a quad-core GPU. It uses a 9.7-inch LCD with a resolution of 2048 x 1536. It comes with 16 GB, 32 GB, or 64 GB of storage and has a five-megapixel rear camera. One major difference between the latest generation of the iPad in the iPad 3 from seven months ago is the smaller Lightning connector on the new tablet.

The teardown also confirms that LG is manufacturing the display for the latest generation iPad, at least in the one torn down here. Apple is known to use multiple display providers to meet demand. The battery is the same unit in the new iPad as it was in the previous version. Overall, iFixit says the new iPad 4 isn’t any more repairable than the previous model, receiving only 2 out of 10 score – with 10 being the easiest to repair.

It seems there’s always a better iPhone case around the corner… While I don’t think I have that many iPhone cases, I do have about 8 and unlike some people boast that their iPhones are naked, and without protection, I like to have my iPhone nicely protected, so that I can sell it when I eventually upgrade. That being said, using a rubber band as simple iPhone grip is definitely a cool idea.

If you like the naked iPhone look, but still want to get a better grip on yours, then check out what Instructables user timwikander came up with. You can basically use any thick rubber band and stretch it out around your iPhone, without sacrificing much in looks. While he reports that he was able to drill in a couple of holes to get access to the ports, I think it’s probably better just to remove it when you need access. That way, the rubber band remains tight and secure, no matter what.

If you can find some transparent, thick rubber bands, it might look really good too.

[via GadgetOse]