Hasta La Gadget!

Watch out Clapper; there’s a new switch in town. iOn is a capacitive switch that lets you toggle lights and other devices simply by waving your hand in front of it. You can even extend the switch’s coverage or hide it altogether by putting a conductive object on top of it.

Like most smartphone touchscreens, iOn uses capacitive sensing to work. Think of it as a much simpler theremin. Aside from waving your hand to toggle a device on or off,  you can also keep your hand in front of iOn to gradually dim or brighten a light source. Apparently you’ll also be able to control the switch via a mobile app. Finally, as I said earlier, you can also turn a conductive object into a switch by placing it on top of the iOn. iOn fits over standard US switch boxes and can replace most mechanical switches out of the box.

Wave to your browser and pledge at least $40 (USD) on Kickstarter to get an iOn switch as a reward. The switch is both practical and cool, but I hope it doesn’t consume a lot of electricity, or at least has a power saving mode.

Now here’s an easy way to get people in your house to turn the lights off when they’re leaving the room or have no use for them: Star Wars Luke vs. Vader switchplates. To be honest, they’re quite simple, so you can make them yourself if you have the time and the materials.

But if you don’t, then you can always pick one up at Etsy shop KeepCalmandTurnItOn. The switchplates are inspired by the epic protagonist and antagonist match-off in the hit Star Wars franchise: Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader. When you need to turn on the light, flip the switch up to the Light Side. When you’re ready to leave the room, hit the switch down and head on to the Dark Side.

These Star Wars switchplates sell for just $6.50(USD) each.

[via Incredible Things]

When it comes to portable speakers – let alone Bluetooth enabled ones, these are dime a dozen in the market. The thing is, how does a manufacturer ensure that what they have on offer will be very different from the other offerings, so much so that folks would not hesitate to purchase and recommend your device compared to the rest? Take the £119.99 Switch Bluetooth Speaker for instance, as it comes in a choice of black and red shades.

The Switch Bluetooth Speaker would come in a clean, functional design that boasts of high-quality audio in addition to carrying an abundance of useful hidden extras, making it a truly versatile wireless speaker for plenty of occasions. The built-in battery is capable of lasting for the entire day, where you get up to 14 hours of non-stop playback on a full battery charge. Not only that, the Switch Bluetooth Speaker boasts of VoIP capabilities, allowing the unit to function as your very own conference call hub. Should you be a movie buff instead, the Switch Bluetooth Speaker ensures that your ears are in for a real treat, delivering high performance bass and a sub-woofer that ought to send chills down your spine. Not only that, the Switch Bluetooth Speaker also doubles up as a portable battery charger – as long as the thirsty devices of yours can be juiced up via USB, that is.
[ Switch Bluetooth Speaker copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

IBM is worried that we’re reaching the end of the road for CMOS technology — that we need new materials beyond silicon to keep the power draw down in chips as their performance goes up. It may keep future circuitry extra-lean through a new technique that puts a metal oxide in silicon’s place and allows for non-volatile processors and memory. By running ionized liquid electrolytes in currents through the oxide, the company can switch that oxide from an insulator to a conductor (and vice versa) that can reliably maintain its state, even when there’s no power. The trick would let a logic gate or switch kick into action only when there’s an event, rather than needing constant jolts of electricity — and without the pressure or temperature changes that had ruled out metal oxides for chips in the past. We’re still far from replacing silicon with more efficient oxides given the early state of IBM’s work, but having a consistent method is an important first step.

Filed under: Science, Alt

Comments

Source: IBM

Most of us carry at least a single device that has a built-in capability to play back audio files, which is why those of us who tend to commute a whole lot to and from work daily tend to tune in to our favorite songs, being oblivious to whatever’s going on around the world, at least, until we see where the train has stopped in order to get off. Well, that is just fine and dandy, but some of us do hope that we are able to share the next best musical act (in our books, at least) with the rest of the crowd, and one of the ways to do so is to have a decent portable speaker – preferably wireless. This is where the Switch wireless portable speaker would come into play.

Basically, Switch allows you to enjoy your music, movies and games with powerful sound and active bass. Apart from keeping folks entertained, it also doubles up as a professional conference call solution that will play nice with the rest of all Bluetooth enabled devices. Oh, the pros of the Switch do not just end there, as it can also function as a power bank and juice up whatever tired USB mobile devices that are in your possession on the go. Just like the Sony PS2, it does not matter if you want to place the Switch wireless portable speaker in a vertical or horizontal manner, the decision ultimately lies with you without causing any degradation in sound quality.

The Switch wireless portable speaker was launched at CES earlier this year, and it will retail for $149.99 a pop. Your ears will definitely be able to appreciate all the technology parked underneath the hood, as it is powered by a trio of high performance drivers, aided by an active sub-woofer which ensures your tunes will sound amazing regardless of the musical genres of your choice.

Product Page
[ Switch wireless portable speaker copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]