Hasta La Gadget!

Following the Fukushima disaster back in 2011, MIT has developed a floating nuclear plant that would avoid several of the issues with present-day plants, including being essentially immune to tsunamis … Continue reading

University of Michigan researchers have created a new material that detects infrared light. The super-thin material can be integrated with different devices such as cell phones or placed on top of contact lenses to allow users to see in the dark. The material, graphene, is a single layer of carbon atoms that can sense the whole infrared spectrum.

Zhaohui Zhong, assistant professor of electrical engineering and computer science, is the lead researcher on the project said; ”Our work pioneered a new way to detect light. We envision that people will be able to adopt this same mechanism in other material and device platforms. If we integrate it with a contact lens or other wearable electronics, it expands your vision. It provides you another way of interacting with your environment.”

Most devices with “night vision” now require a  built in cooling unit in order for it to work properly. A huge advantage to this material is that it works at room temperature, no bulky cooling device needed. We can’t wait to see where this takes technology in the future. Rock on science.

There are already portable battery packs that have solar panels for recharging. The Trinity is a new kind of portable charger that uses a different renewable source of energy: the wind. It recharges its 15,000 mAh battery through its built-in wind turbine. Although it’s quite promising, I don’t think you should support it just yet.

Trinity weighs just 4lb. and when collapsed it’s just 12″ long, so it’s fairly portable. It has three aluminum legs that can either stay in a tripod arrangement or lie flat. Inside Trinity is a 15W generator and its battery. The current prototype has a 5V/1A USB charging port, although inventor Skajaquoda is considering adding an additional 5v/2A USB port for more power hungry devices like tablets. Here’s where it starts to get iffy. Skajaquoda also added a miniUSB port that’s meant to charge Trinity’s battery… via an outlet.

Why would they add a way to charge the battery that doesn’t use the built-in wind turbine? If you’re going to plug it in to charge it you might as well get a conventional battery pack that’s much smaller. The only reason I can think of for the addition of the mini-USB charging option is that Skajaquoda isn’t confident about Trinity’s charging speed through the wind turbine. Commenters on the fundraising site are asking the same question: How fast does it charge through wind power? Sadly, Skajaquoda didn’t include that vital data on their Kickstarter page and on their pitch video.

Breeze on over to Kickstarter to find out more about Trinity. The device can be yours for a pledge of at least $249 (USD), but again I don’t think you should back the project yet. I’m not saying this is vaporware or a scam. It’s an interesting and promising invention,  but at the same time there are important details about it that need to come to light before you plunk down your hard-earned cash.

[via GadgeTell]

Our friends at TechBargains.com compile a list of daily deals to help you save money. Keep in mind that as with any good deal, products are limited in quantity and can sell out quickly – so don’t hesitate to check them out now.

If you’re looking to buy a product from a specific store, save money with updated and verified coupon codes here.

Computers & Peripherals:
• PNY Optima 240GB Solid State Drive (SSD) for $89.99 plus free shipping
(normally $130 – use this form)
• Asus Transformer Pad Infinity 32GB 10in 1920×1200 Tablet (REFURB) $179.99 plus free shipping (normally $400)
• Western Digital Passport 2TB USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drive $89.99 plus free shipping (normally $130)
• HP Touchsmart 14 Intel i5 14in 3200×1800 Touch Laptop w/ T-Mobile 4G $599.99 plus free shipping (normally $1000)
• Amazon Kindle Fire HDX 7in Tablet $199 plus free shipping (normally $230)
• Apple iPad Air 9.7″ 16GB WiFi Tablet $439.99 plus free shipping (normally $500)

Home Entertainment:
• LG 47LB5800 47in LED LCD Smart HDTV (1080p, 120Hz, Wifi) for $599.99 (normally $800 – use Coupon Code: 7QZWQ5L931N528)
• LG 28LN4500 28in LED LCD HDTV (720p) for $179.99 (normally $220)
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• Q-SEE 8x 700TVL 8-Channel 960H 1TB Surveillance System $379.99 Free Shipping plus free shipping (normally $500)

Personal Electronics:
• T-Mobile Earth Day: Up to $168 off + $0 Down on Refurbished Phones + Free Shipping
• ATT Wireless $100 Bill Credit Credit + FREE Phones plus free shipping
• Garmin nuvi 2555LMT 5in Portable GPS w/ Lifetime Map & Traffic (REFURB) for $84.99 (normally $120 – use Coupon Code: QHQ122173)

Looking for a cool Android phone, but don’t want to be tied down to a specific carrier and a contract? Thanks to YEZZ and our friends at Gear Diary, we’ve got you covered. If you’re the lucky winner of our giveaway you’ll be getting a shiny new unlocked YEZZ Andy A4 smartphone, with some cool accessories to go along with it.

One lucky winner will receive an unlocked YEZZ Andy A4 dual-sim Android 4.1 smartphone ($119 value), with a 4-inch WVGA screen, 1GHz dual-core processor, and has 32GB of memory. While it’s not going to keep up with your shiny new Galaxy S5, it’s a great everyday phone, and certainly a good idea as a spare in case your main phone ever breaks.

In addition, the prize pack includes a Neptor Dual Port Battery Charger ($49.99 value), which offers 5600mAh of power, and can juice up two gadgets at once. It’s also got a handy built-in LED flashlight. Next up, we’re throwing in a pair of Urbanears Kransen In-Ear Headphones ($39 value), which provide a secure fit, solid sound, a remote and mic for smartphones, and colorful styling. Last but not least, the winner will score a Kenu Airframe Universal Smartphone Mount ($24.95 value). This handy gadget snaps onto car vents and holds onto smartphones while you’re driving. It’s perfect for GPS and hands-free calling, and also doubles as a travel stand.

To enter the contest now, follow the directions below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Trouble viewing the entry form? Click here.

Giveaway ends 11:59pm Central time, April 21, 2014. Open to U.S. Residents age 13 and up.