Hasta La Gadget!

Screen Grabs chronicles the uses (and misuses) of real-world gadgets in today’s movies and TV. Send in your sightings (with screen grab!) to screengrabs at engadget dot com.

The original premise of NBC’s show Revolution is that in the near future some unknown worldwide catastrophe devastated all electronic devices, plunging everyone into a blackout. As the plot has progressed however, in limited cases the power is coming back on. That includes a nanotech machine a couple of characters are planning to use to perform emergency surgery — by shoving what appears to be a USB stick into an open wound — and its configuration is enabled thanks to a very familiar looking $35 device. Keen eyed viewers spotted a Raspberry Pi (top center) as it popped on screen a few times, however like our own prime time cameo it flashes by very quickly, the screencap above may be your best look at it.

[Thanks, Gene]

Filed under: Peripherals

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Sure, we own dozens of micro-USB cables, but we don’t always have one with us when we need to charge up smartphones, cameras, e-readers and countless other devices. That’s why we’re happy to get behind this wallet-sized cable, coined ChargeCard. We had a chance to check out the Apple dock connector flavor in March, and now the Kickstarter-backed company is shipping its micro-USB version, supporting power and data transfer with just about any USB-equipped gadget. Micro-USB seems to be the accepted standard these days, so the $25 ChargeCard is a reasonable investment. It is indeed thin and light enough to fit comfortably in your wallet, but it will add some heft, and may be an unwelcome addition to already packed vessels.

The device includes a fixed micro-USB connector and a pop-out flexible cable to plug into your computer or another power source. Unfortunately, the cable is not designed to be reversed, so depending on how it fits into your smartphone, the handset may need to face down. We experienced this issue with a MacBook Air and Samsung Galaxy Note II — you can force the flexible cable to twist into the necessary position, but it appears to cause quite a bit of tension, and our ChargeCard was visibly damaged after just a few minutes of use. Otherwise, our quick test went off without a hitch, and you shouldn’t expect to run into any problems, assuming your smartphone’s orientation is a non-issue. The card has already begun shipping — if you backed the project on Kickstarter, expect your ChargeCard to arrive this week. If you haven’t placed a pre-order, you can pick one up at the source link below.

Filed under: Peripherals

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Source: ChargeCard, ChargeCard (Kickstarter)

Remember that break-apart DualShock 3 idea for motion control Sony had five years ago? A new company named Mad Genius Controllers has surfaced with a working prototype that shows such a contraption working in spades. The setup uses a splittable controller and a processing unit to enable seamless motion control and spacial tracking on any title and system. Because Mad Genius doesn’t use any accelerometers or cameras like the current consoles, its creator notes that accuracy of up to 1/100th of an inch is possible.

In a video demo with an Xbox 360 version of Skyrim and a modified Xbox gamepad, certain gestures and movements even automate menu selections like a macro. One instance shows the controller being split and held like bow and arrow, highlighting that both sides are tracked in relation to each other — not to mention that the in-game character’s weapon automatically changes without any menu-digging by the user. The current version is merely a wired proof-of-concept, but Mad Genius plans to eventually make it wireless and hit Kickstarter for funding. In the meantime, you can build up anticipation for yourself by checking out the nearly 10-minute long video demo after the break. All that’s left is the inevitable Oculus Rift tie-in (like we’ve just done with this post).

Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals

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Source: Mad Genius Controllers (YouTube)

For the most part, battery packs have become what CD cases were in the late 90s — generic and utilitarian. Nokia’s new DC-18 portable chargers dare to be different. The sharp, tile-like designs house a modest 1,720 mAh cell, retractable micro-USB cable (that doubles as a a switch,) plus an LED battery level indicator that lights up when you extend the aforementioned appendage. It’s available in four colors (red, white, yellow and blue), but only in select regions right now. No word on when and for how much, but color-coordinators can keep pinging the source to find out.

Filed under: Cellphones, Peripherals, Mobile, Nokia

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Via: Gizmodo

Source: Nokia

Buffalo released a USB battery charger “BSMPBAC02″ series that is capable of charging up to 4 different devices at the same time with built-in 4 USB terminals. Maximum output is 4.2A.

It’s compatible with GALAXY Tab, iPad, iPhone, all smartphone models from all the smartphone manufacturers, game device or digital cameras that are able to charge from a PC USB terminal.

Price is 4,914 yen.

Colors: black, white
Size: 51 × 28.5 × 89mm
Weight: 105g