Aug 28
Aug 27
Texting and messaging has evolved quite a bit ever since it was launched on the mobile phone scene, but this smart collar is the first time I’ve seen a way for your dog to send you text messages. While your pup won’t be able to thumb-type LOLOMGWTFBBQ, you will get a message in the event that he’s in trouble from heat exhaustion.
Rethink Toronto collaborated with the Toronto Humane Society to design the Dog Caller, and it could help your four-legged friend from peril, whether he’s at home or in your car (not that you should ever leave your dog in the car.) Thanks to the collar, a SIM card, thermistor, and LEDs, you can monitor the temperatures around your pooch remotely. The collar will send you an instant text message when the heat gets dangerous, so you can quickly get your dog out of the heat.
That’s something pretty useful, especially for breeds like bulldogs, who can easily die from heat exhaustion. The device will be available starting Spring 2013 for $20. Now somebody needs to combine the Dog Caller with this.
[via Hi Consumption]
Aug 22
If you thought your make-up’s UV protection was good, how about face paint that can withstand the intense heat of a bomb blast? US researchers have created a camouflage face paint that may soon be used by soldiers and firemen to shield them from extreme heat. More »
Aug 22
The tremors will probably still wake you up in the middle of the night, but falling asleep in an earthquake prone part of the world would be a little easier with this reinforced bed that can support up to 65 tons of debris. More »
Aug 22
Because even germaphobes deserve nice things, today Logitech unveiled its new K310 washable keyboard with a snazzy waterproof design that can be scrubbed and submerged in up to 11 inches of water. So it’s perfect for the next time a sneezy co-worker uses your computer. More »
Aug 21
It’s not easy being a new father. Infants are so tiny and delicate that I’m scared to even look at them. So I totally understand why this guy went the extra mile to look after his new child. Before his daughter was even born, hacker and blogger Gjoci was working on putting together a breath detector from a Wiimote and three 1 milliwatt lasers.
He positioned them above the crib and it sets off an alarm anytime his daughter’s breathing seems to stop or becomes irregular. It sort of does look like an alien is abducting your child, but it works and gives him some peace of mind while she sleeps. And that is priceless.
A simple program asks the camera every couple of milliseconds whether the lights are still moving. If they are, then everything is good. As long as there’s a little bit of motion, the detector knows everything is just fine. Should anything bad should happen, an alarm sounds, alerting the parents immediately.
[via Hack A Day via Geekosystem]
Aug 20
Hideous Moth Smoke Detector Saves Lives Instead Of Destroying Clothing [Smoke Detectors]
Posted in: Today's Chili
Normally you’d do everything you can to rid your home of moths, lest they leave your clothes and other fabrics riddled with holes. But this over-sized facsimile is actually being sold as a stylish alternative to run-of-the-mill smoke detectors that you won’t mind having perched to your ceilings. More »
Aug 16
AT&T developing tech to help parents keep teenagers from texting and driving, hopes to save lives
Posted in: Today's Chili 
By now, you’re likely aware of some of the repercussions that come with shooting an innocent text to a friend while being behind the wheel. Well, in an effort to keep these unfortunate accidents from ever occurring, the AT&T Foundry’s been hard at work, hoping to come up with solutions to help with this serious matter. Most recently, the Rethink Possible outfit showed off an application that’s currently in the works; one that allows parents to track their teenage drivers’ every move, as well as remotely turn off calls and disable all messaging features — which the carrier says will be a great compliment to its DriveMode app. It’s worth noting the unnamed application was being showcased on one of Cupertino’s slates, but AT&T’s said it’s willing to work with “device makers, car makers and developers,” as the ultimate goal is to ultimately “encourage more solutions.” There’s a video past the break for your viewing pleasure, and we think it’s worth all of its 197 seconds of airtime.
Filed under: Cellphones, Software
AT&T developing tech to help parents keep teenagers from texting and driving, hopes to save lives originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Aug 2012 08:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink 
The Verge | 
AT&T | Email this | Comments
Aug 15
Bike helmets. Many people don’t like to wear them because they’re big and bulky. And for the vain ones, they cause helmet hair. But to be honest, if it were up to me, I’d rather choose all of the above rather than risk my life by going out on my bike without a helmet on.
If only there were some sort of invisible helmet that’ll protect people without all of the negative stuff that comes with most bike helmets.
Oh, wait, there is already one such helmet in the market, and it’s called the Hövding. It’s the first and only one of its kind.
The Hövding starts out as a collar that cyclists are supposed to wear around their neck. There’s a folded-up airbag inside that’ll pop out automatically upon impact, with the trigger mechanism controlled by sensors in the collar that detect any abnormal movements when the bicyclist figures in an accident.
As you can see, the airbag is shaped like a helmet. It inflates in 0.1 seconds so it’s up and over your head before you hit the ground, providing a cushion of sorts to minimize the injuries you might sustain upon impact.
The Hövding took six years to develop and it’s now finally available for purchase. Priced at 3,998 SEK (~$597), it’s not cheap – but if you’re not going to wear a regular helmet, it just might be worth it.
[Hövding via Focus Forward Films]
Aug 12
Here’s some more bad news for the Fisker Karma crowd: an owner of the hybrid car returned from a grocery run to find his Karma engulfed in flames, Jalopnik reports. This isn’t the first time we’ve heard of Fisker Karmas erupting into flames seemingly out of the blue, as earlier in May one actually caught a house on fire. Luckily, no one was hurt in this blaze, but needless to say, the expensive car isn’t in too good of shape after the incident.
The circumstances surrounding the fire, which occurred in Woodside, Califonia, are still unknown. According to the Fire Department, the owner returned to his car to see it billowing smoke and called the manufacturer before dialing 911. Alas, the Woodside Fire Department couldn’t save the car, as a decent portion of the front of the vehicle was destroyed by the time firefighters were able to put the fire out.
Last year, Fisker recalled over 200 cars for a poorly-placed hose clamp that could potentially allow coolant to leak onto the battery and cause a fire. With more cars being added to that recall list in June of this year, it’s possible that this particular Karma was one of the vehicles that was recalled, but it’s unknown at the moment if that actually is the case. One Jalopnik reader was able to record a brief video of Woodside firefighters putting out the burning car, which you can see below.
Fisker has since made a statement to Jalopnik, saying that it takes safety seriously and that it still has confidence in the Karma. Fisker will be using its own “independent fire investigation representative” to get to the bottom of this fire, and will release another statement once the cause is known. Hopefully this doesn’t become a common thing for the Karma, because the car is actually a really sleek vehicle (when it isn’t bursting into flames). Stay tuned, and if you own a Karma, you might want to get in touch with Fisker to make sure that your car isn’t one of the vehicles that has been recalled.
Fisker Karma ignites into flames while owner runs errands is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Who's in charge here?
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.