Hasta La Gadget!

Late last week Stuff, the world’s best-selling gadget magazine, announced the winners of their annual Gadget Awards. Twenty categories – including four voted by readers – saw winners take home the honors during a glitzy bash at the London Film Museum.

This year’s big winner? The Samsung Galaxy S III which took home Gadget of the Year and Smartphone of the year beating Apple, among others, for the honors. Tablet of the Year went to the Google Nexus 7 which seems to be continuing a winning trend. Google also managed a reader’s choice award with Design of the Year for the Nexus Q media streamer. And watch out for the small but mighty Raspberry Pi, reader’s choice for Innovation of the year. Congratulations to all the winners. Visit Stuff.tv to read up on each of them plus all other nominees.

Gadget of the Year – Samsung Galaxy S III
Computer of the Year – Apple MacBook Pro with Retina Display
Sat-nav of the Year – Google Maps Navigation
Camera of the Year – Fujifilm Finepix X10
Audio Gadget of the Year – Philips Fidelio SoundSphere DS9800W/10
TV of the Year – Sony KDL-46HX853
Video Gadget of the Year – Humax DTR-T1000
Tablet of the Year – Google Nexus 7
Tablet App of the Year – Sky Sports for iPad
Sports Gadget of the Year – Nike+ Training TR+1
Cloud App of the Year – BBC.co.uk & iPlayer
Smartphone of the Year – Samsung Galaxy S III
Smartphone App of the Year – Strava
Tech Transport of the Year – Renault Twizy
Tech Accessory of the Year – Synology DiskStation DS212j
Game of the Year – The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Most Wanted Future Gadget of the Year – Google Project Glass
Design of the Year – Google Nexus Q
Home Gadget of the Year – British Gas Remote Heating Control
Innovation of the Year – Raspberry Pi
[ 2012 Stuff Gadget Award Winners copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

One of the scariest health epidemics of my generation was HIV. I remember quite clearly its emergence on the scene, the graphic news footage of those first infected, people slowly dying from something so misunderstood and scary. It doesn’t seem to be big news anymore, but it’s still killing people all over the world.

Well, OraSure, the company that brought us the first healthcare administered oral specimen HIV test available all the way back in 1994, have now developed OraQuick, a simple at-home test that allows people to test themselves in the privacy of their own homes for the virus that causes AIDS. Imagine, an FDA approved, over-the-counter HIV test that requires only a simple mouth swab and 20-40 minutes of your time.

It is estimated that there are over a quarter of a million Americans that are completely unaware that they have been infected with HIV, testing yourself can help protect your health and, it will certainly help to curtail the rampant spread of HIV. The OraQuick In-Home Oral HIV Test is a private, confidential way to test yourself and get your results in only around 20 minutes.

The OraQuick test will be available this month at many retail outlets in the USA including Walmart, or at Oraquick.com for only around $39.99. The testing kit comes in a durable plastic case with step by step instructions and a pre and post test information booklets. Remember that there is always a slight risk of a false negative or positive result, so please follow-up with a medical professional.
[ OraQuick – 20 Minute, at Home, HIV Test copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

In one of our cars we have that annoying little back-up beeper, you know the one, it senses if anything is behind your car and emits a faster and faster beep tone the closer you get to running whatever it is over. The other car has a backup camera, much less annoying, and it has in fact, prevented me from running over my father in the driveway more than once. This next item may make both of those totally obsolete…

Check out what researchers at Keio University, in Japan, are working on, a system that by means of something called optical camouflage, will make the backseat of your car appear invisible (wish that existed on the night of my senior prom) Anyhow, the technology isn’t new, the concept was developed by Susumu Tachi and his colleagues, almost 10 years ago and works by capturing footage from behind an object, and then transmitting that footage onto the object itself. Check out Tachi’s invisibility cloak HERE.

This tech has now been integrated into what is being hailed as a see-through Prius which is going to be shown at this month’s Digital Content Expo in Tokyo, Japan. This nifty little Prius actually gives it’s driver the feeling of operating a vehicle that is made of glass. Researchers have now modified that idea to perhaps create a new safety feature in our cars. It appears that a display attached to the driver’s headrest might someday project what was visible behind the car onto the back seat making the backseat seem invisible. Awesome.

I’m all for a little augmented reality in my car, and anything that replaces the annoying beep alert is tops in my book, and while a good old fashioned head turn used to be good enough, I do see some real benefit to really being able to see behind my car. Hey dad? Where’d you go?
[ See Through Technology – Real X-Ray Vision! copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

I probably shouldnt admit it, but I clearly remember our very first video game console. The Magnavox Odyssey. My parents brought it home, and I was mesmerized as it was hooked up to the TV, so many games choices (both Pong and Hockey) and I was able to sit in front of it for hours, with anyone willing to play. It was the beginning of my love affair with technology. Gaming on the TV was always a good time, but it’s about to get better…

Check out OUYA, getting ready to change the rules of gaming, and of game developing right back to the way it used to be. OUYA is a world-class controller, console, and interface all bundled up  into one beautiful, very inexpensive package. This Android based OPEN system not only allows for tweaking, but encourages it, and better still, it gives developers a home where they can dispense with some of the financial hurdles and publishing fees and get back to making awsome games that folks can play in their living room.

You win, because all the games on it will be free, at least to try, and developers win because it opens the doors for almost anyone to bring a new game to market. No longer do you have to invest in a license or software development kit (SDK or “devkit”) The OUYA is one! Imagine all that power in the palm of your hands. Anything published to Android is fair game on this little cutie, so play games, listen to music, watch videos… need I say more?

With more than 60,000 people behind OUYA, I think its a pretty safe bet we’ll be seeing the little cubes turning up sometime next Spring, so if you’d like to have one, head on over to OUYA.tv and pre-order one, and when you do something really cool with it, I want to be the first to know! Deal?

[ OUYA – Thinking way Inside the Box copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

I don’t know whats happened to me over the years but going out to the shopping malls anytime after Thanksgiving is a fate worse than death. I choose instead, to pick out my gifts online and save them on my wishlist, simply adding them to my shopping cart at whatever pace my wallet will allow. The only inconvenience that remains (besides my credit card bill) is actually being there to sign for the stuff, sometimes its truly a hassle… probably for the delivery guy too, I mean how many times does he want to try and deliver my light up faux crystal punch fountain? Seriously?

Well, it seems like Amazon is trying to think of everything this season, by launching its Amazon Locker service. Amazon Locker simply lets you get your packages at secure locker type locations throughout the country. You find the locker that’s closest to where you want to be by using a zip code, address or even a national landmark and then you use that address when you check out. You can even save your desired locker locations for use during subsequent purchases.

The whole process seems easy as pie, and has a whole slew of advantages, including easy one stop delivery for the drivers, anytime parcel pick up for the customers, as well as increased package safety. Indeed I have had a package or 2 that may have “walked off” my doorstep in unintended hands and last but not least, it allows for stealth package delivery, so no surprises are spoiled and no one needs to know about the well, ahem…. lets just say stuff no one needs to know about!

So, to pick up your Amazon Locker package you simply take a unique pick-up code that you receive via email or a text message to your chosen locker location and enter your code into the touch screen display and Voila! The compartment with your package magically opens. Sound good to you? Check out amazon.com for more information and watch for locker locations coming soon.

[ Amazon Locker – Waits for your Packages, So You Don’t Have To copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]