Scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology have created what they say is the most accurate clock anywhere in the world, able to keep its ticking rate to a variation of less than two parts per every quintillion. This number, not only too infinitesimal for the average mind to comprehend, is also 10 […]
You probably don’t give much thought about the artificial light that’s available around you. But hundreds of millions of people don’t have access to electricity; many of these people use kerosene lamps at night, which are not only costly but harmful. That’s why Steve Katsaros named his company Nokero, which is short for “no kerosene.” It certainly sounds better than Sopolibu.
All Nokero bulbs have a built-in solar panel, one or more rechargeable AA batteries, a clip and LEDs. The fully charged batteries can power the lamp up to 8 to 12 hours depending on the model of the light bulb. The light bulbs have high and low brightness settings. The bulbs also have an auto mode that uses the solar panel to detect ambient light. If the bulb senses that it’s already bright enough, the LEDs will automatically turn off.
Another practical feature of Nokero bulbs is that you can replace the rechargeable AA batteries with any AA battery. A standard AA battery won’t be recharged by the bulb’s solar panel, but at least you’ll still have light if the rechargeable battery runs out of charge.
You can buy the LED bulbs directly from Nokero or on Amazon for $15 to $27 (USD) depending on the model. The company also makes smaller lights, flashlights and mobile device chargers.
[via Fancy]
A few months ago we featured the Neo-Plug, a mobile device charger with a two-piece magnetic tip similar to Apple’s MagSafe. Designer Jon Patterson recently showed us a similar concept but for a headphone jack. He calls it the Pogo. I call it a headphone saver.
Like many of us, Jon was tired of having his headphone cable snag or break when he accidentally pulls it. When he left his job at Nooka, Jon spent his time developing the Pogo. Now he’s ready to show off his prototypes. Like the Neo-Plug, Pogo is split into two parts. Each part has a neodymium magnet that securely connects the halves and four Pogo pins that bridge the connection.
All wired connections should be like this. Jon is looking for partners that can help him mass produce the Pogo. If you’re interested, you can contact him here.
[via Jon Patterson]
If there was a way to relieve the pain and discomfort of uterine fibroids without having major surgery, I’m sure more women wouldn’t suffer with their symptoms as long as they do. Well, now there is a way. The new Acessa™ Procedure uses radiofrequency ablation (RFA) to destroy the fibroids in an out-patient procedure and most women can be back to their routines the next day.
Even though the team started with a $20,000 funding goal, it turns out that a good, innovative and well designed bicycle bell is worth far more than most would have expected.
There are plenty of drone variants available, but Lockheed Martin is pushing the boundaries of drone warfare thanks to their Transformer TX drones, which will be able to transport cars to and from the battlefield.
The Transformer TX is being developed by Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works division, and the drone will be able to transport cars, storage containers, and even pods filled with soldiers.
It started out in 2010 with a concept that would attach to cars, but evolved into a solution to ferry larger pieces of tech to the battlefield remotely. It will use a pivoting ducted fan propulsion system with no exposed rotor, and this should allow it to take off and land vertically in an area about half of that of a helicopter.
Currently, the team is finalizing its design before building a working prototype. If DARPA accepts the prototype, the drones could be delivered for flight by 2015.
[via IEEE Spectrum via Gizmodo via The Verge]
Running low on cash? Have a few gadgets that you can live without? Then you might want to swap the latter for some instant credit at your nearest Walmart. You won’t get cash, but you’ll get an eGift card that you can spend on groceries, clothes, and new gadgets.
This is all thanks to Walmart’s new “Gadgets to Gift Cards” program, which they announced recently. The announcement was made in anticipation of the release of the next iPhone. In addition to consumer electronics, you can also trade in video games for credit – though the amounts they’re offering are very low – offering a whopping $1.39 for a copy of Halo 4 in good condition. Higher-end gadgets fare better, with a 32GB iPad 2 bringing $175, and an AT&T-locked 32GB iPhone 5 going for $335 for example.
The program allows people to spend their credit even before they ship off their devices for verification, provided they pass a credit check first. So in case you’re thinking of scamming them in this program, you’d better think twice.
To get started, log on to the program Web site and get a quote for your device. Choose the “pay me now” option and get an eGift Card within a few minutes. You can then print a free shipping label and send in your old device within 10 days.
[via C|NET]
Keyboards and synthesizers are some of the most complex electronic musical instruments. Even the basic ones are loaded with a variety of tweaks that help you achieve a variety of sounds. But unlike a guitar where you can bend, pluck or hammer the strings to modify the sound on the fly, keyboards and synths require you to make your adjustments using separate sliders or knobs. This is where TouchKeys come in.
Andrew McPherson and his colleagues at the Queen Mary University of London’s Augmented Instruments Laboratory came up with TouchKeys. These multitouch sensors stick to standard-size keys via an adhesive backing. They’ll work on keyboards and synthesizers that can output in MIDI or OSC. The sensors can detect up to three simultaneous touch points per key and can even distinguish whether it’s being touch by the fingertip or the pad of the finger (presumably by the area covered by the touch). This not only gives you a more convenient way to tweak your sound, it lets you adjust your instrument to your needs instead of the other way around.
Pledge at least £195 (~$305 USD) on Kickstarter to get a set of TouchKeys as a reward. You can also pledge to get a full TouchKey instrument if you have the cash.
I have a couple of Android phones around here, but I wouldn’t think of getting any of them wet or dropping them on the floor without an add-on case. And even then, I’d be a little nervous about it. If you want a rugged Android phone and don’t care too much about name brands, then you might want to check out this one.
The appropriately named Mann A18 certainly looks durable from the outside. It’s IP68 waterproof rated, and is also dustproof and shockproof. That rating means it can be immersed in up to 2 meters of water for up to 30 minutes without springing a leak.
I’ve seen some unusual user interfaces and input devices over the years, but one that I’ve never thought of before now is a pinwheel. Sure, there are games on the Nintendo handhelds which require that you blow on its microphone to create virtual wind, but this is definitely much a more tangible interface.
This pinwheel-based interface was designed by Adi Marom and the LAB at Rockwell Group as a mechanism for users to control videos of convertible Ultrabooks in Intel’s booth at CES 2013. A user simply blows onto the pinwheel, and it moves the frames in the video accordingly. The harder you blow, the faster the video advances. Here, check it out:
Pretty neat, eh? Sure, I can’t think of too many applications for a pinwheel interface, but it’s still kind of fun to watch.
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