Jul 15

Tech Deals of the Day: 7/15/2013

Posted in: Today's Chili

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:
• Western Digital Elements SE 1TB Portable USB 3.0 Hard Drive $59.99 plus free shipping (normally $89)
• Microsoft Wireless Mobile Mouse 3500 (Limited Edition Artist Series Lyon) $9.99 plus free shipping (normally $29)
• Acer G236HLBbd Black 23″ LED LCD Monitor $109.99 plus free shipping (normally $179)
• Western Digital Caviar Green WD15EZRX 1.5TB 3.5″ 7200RPM/64MB Cache Internal SATAIII Hard Drive $59.99 plus free shipping (normally $89)
• Samsung 840 MZ-7TD250BW 2.5″ 250GB 2.5in SATA III TLC Solid State Drive$149.99 plus free shipping (normally $249)
• Samsung ML-2165W Monochrome Laser Printer w/ Wireless Networking $49.99 plus $12 shipping (normally $89 – use code: HSX95533)
• A-Data 32GB SDHC Flash Card (Class 4) $12.99 plus free shipping (normally $25)

Home Entertainment:

• Insignia NS-39L400NA14 39″ LCD HDTV $269.99 plus free shipping) (normally $399)
• Refurbished Sony BDP-S185 Blu-ray Disc Smart Player w/ Netflix Streaming $39.99 plus free shipping (normally $79)

Personal Electronics:
• Refurbished Amazon Kindle Fire HD 16GB WiFi 7″ Tablet $99.99 plus free shipping (normally $179)
• LG 840G Touchscreen 3G/Wifi Smartphone w/ 1400 Minutes, 1yr of Service, and Triple Minutes for Life + iLuv Portable Speaker $79.99 plus free shipping (normally $199 –use code: 135235)

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Jul 15

Hello Lamp Post Lets You Have a Conversation with Your City

Posted in: Today's Chili

How many people do you know in your city? Hello Lamp Post won’t exactly let you meet or talk with anyone specific, but it will allow you to listen to the thoughts, comments, and other random ramblings of others who live in the city.

Hello Lamp Post

First things first, what is Hello Lamp Post? It’s a city-wide experiment that involves turning objects throughout the city (like the mailbox shown above, or lamp posts, for example) into interactive objects. These objects have been assigned with a unique reference code. Whenever someone wants to “wake” them up, all they have to do is text “Hello [object] #reference code” to 0117-325-9898.

hello lamp post 2

The object will respond with a question for you to answer. If someone has “woken” them up before, then you’ll receive their answer instead, followed by the option to add your own message so you can join in the conversation.

The concept launches today, July 15th in Bristol, UK. It’s a fun way to get to know your city and its other inhabitants in the most unconventional way possible.

Check out what sort of street objects are having the most conversations here.

[via Dvice]

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Jul 14

C.24 Wireless iPad Piano Keyboard: Play Me off Keyboard Cat!

Posted in: Today's Chili

There are plenty of apps which let you use your iPad like a piano, but to be honest, playing on a toucscreen is just not the same as using a tactile keyboard. And while Ion has been making a wired iPad piano keyboard for a while,  it’s not exactly the type of thing you’ll throw in your backpack.

Now, there’s a Kickstarter project which hopes to provide a high quality piano keyboard, built into a protective cover.

miselu c 24 ipad keyboard 1

Miselu’s C.24 Music Keyboard adds a two octave wireless piano keyboard to your iPad. It connects wirelessly to your iPad using Bluetooth Low Energy, and transmits CoreMIDI data over Bluetooth.

miselu c 24 ipad keyboard 2

The keys fold neatly into a cover that’s about the same thickness as the iPad itself, and acts as a stand for your iPad when opened up. Anti-polarity magnets give the keys the sense of weight, and infrared emitter/detector pairs capture key presses. The keyboard supports MIDI velocity data and monophonic aftertouch as well. Best of all it’s compatible with any iOS app which supports CoreMIDI, which means you’ll be able to play tunes with many apps out of the box.

miselu c 24 ipad keyboard closeup

There’s also a capacitive ribbon controller along the top edge of the keyboard which allows you to shift between octaves as well as to provide analog expression data for things like pitch bending.

miselu c 24 ipad keyboard capacitive

The C.24 also has an expansion bay which will allow for the addition of things like knobs, faders, sliders and other controls, and will be releasing an open standard for creation of these add-ons.

A pledge of $99 (USD) or more will get you in on the first batch of C.24 iPad Keyboards – $50 less than the price that later backers will pay. Delivery is expected to start this November – assuming the project reaches its funding goal by August 8.

This looks like a much more serious bit of hardware than the Ion Piano Apprentice, and well worth a look for traveling electronic musicians.

[via Gear Hungry]

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Jul 14

Microwave Supercharged with Raspberry Pi: Picrowave

Posted in: Today's Chili

The microwave is the lazy hungry man’s best friend. Developer Nathan Broadbent went and modified his oven to become even more lazy user-friendly. His Picrowave oven is voice-activated, reads bar codes, can be taught how to cook a particular item and more.

raspberry pi microwave picrowave by nathan broadbent

Broadbent used a Raspberry Pi to smarten up his oven. He even rewired its touch panel and made a new interface for it. The thing is, he doesn’t need to use the new panel, because he made the oven understand voice commands.

He also made an online database containing instructions for cooking. The instructions are tied to bar codes, which are read by a scanner that Broadbent connected it to his oven. In short, all he has to do is scan an item and the microwave will find out how to zap it from the database using Wi-Fi. If it’s not there, Nathan can just add an entry. He also made an online interface so that he can control the oven from a website, even from a mobile device. Finally, the oven can also tweet when its done cooking.

If only 3D printers were that easy to use. Head to Broadbent’s website to see how he made the Picrowave.

[via TechCrunch via DVICE]

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Jul 13

Montreal Startup Festival

Posted in: Today's Chili

Startup FestivalThe Montreal Startup Festival ended today with many inventors and innovators meeting with potential clients and investors. Through keynotes and tent expos, communication and networking happened all over the place. Already the 2014 version is being planned for next year.

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Jul 13

Twinkind Personalized 3D Figurines: Because You Don’t Deserve a Life-size Statue

Posted in: Today's Chili

We’ve yet to preserve our likenesses in holograms, but a German studio called Twinkind has the next best thing: a highly detailed 3D printed figurine of yourself. Imagine playing a tabletop RPG as yourself! With your dog as your sidekick!

twinkind personal 3d printed figurine

Twinkind uses a multi-camera scanner that takes lots of images from all angles. Apparently this process only takes a split-second. Then they process the images from the scanner and turn it into a 3D model, which will then be used to print figurines in full color. After 2 to 5 weeks, you’ll get the Mini-Me to your Dr. Evil. Twinkind will keep a digital file of your shot so you can order more figurines in the future.

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Unfortunately, Twinkind isn’t for everyone. First of all, it’s very expensive: the smallest figurine is about 6″ tall and costs about $290 (USD), while the most expensive one is about $1,680 and is about 14″tall. Second, before you become a collectible that only your family will want to collect, you have to visit Twinkind’s shop in Hamburg, Germany to be scanned. Do you love yourself that much?

[via Laughing Squid]

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Jul 12

Quality Crowdfunding Your Idea Via Seedinvest

Posted in: Today's Chili

Deal with big name investors of your business with Seedinvest.Crowdfunding big ideas and small businesses online is a concept that quickly became a mainstream idea, but if your high-quality startup needs a big-name investment, check out Seedinvest.

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Jul 12

Tech Deals of the Day: 7/12/2013

Posted in: Today's Chili

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:

Home Entertainment:

Personal Electronics:

Apps:

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Jul 12

NASA 3D-printed rocket injector undergoes first test firing

Posted in: Today's Chili

In the latest of 3D-printed hardware, NASA has completed a series of test firings of the agency’s first rocket engine part made entirely from 3D printing. The component in question is the rocket engine’s injector, and it went through several hot-fire tests using a mix of liquid-oxygen and gaseous hydrogen.

nasa-3d-print

However, NASA didn’t use ABS plastic that most 3D-printers use. Instead, the agency used custom 3D printers to spray layers of metallic powder using lasers. The lasers spray the powder in a specific pattern in order to come up with the desired shape for an object. In this case: a rocket engine injector.

The testing was done at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland and the project is in partnership with Aerojet Rocketdyne. The company designed the injector and used 3D printing to make the component a reality. If they were to make the injector using traditional manufacturing processes, it would take over a year to make.

With 3D printing now an option, NASA and Aerojet Rocketdyne are able to make the same component in just a matter of four months or less. Costs are a huge factor too, and the 3D-printed reduces costsby up to 70% compared to traditional methods and materials. This could lead to more efficient and cost-effective manufacturing of rocket engines.

NASA didn’t say what was next for the 3D-printed injector as far as testing goes, nor do they have a timeline for when they expect to officially implement the new technology in future rocket engines. We can only expect them to implement it sooner rather than later, but it could take several more years until it can be fully operational and on its way into space.

SOURCE: NASA


NASA 3D-printed rocket injector undergoes first test firing is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.

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Jul 12

360 Electrical Rotating Outlets & Power Strips: Power from All Angles

Posted in: Today's Chili

Like the Pivot Power, 360 Electrical’s products allow you to cram in electrical plugs and adapters that would otherwise not fit in one outlet or power strip. But unlike Quirky’s power strip where the whole body is adjustable, 360 Electrical’s products have sockets that rotate in place.

360 electrical rotating outlets power strips

I’m not sure how the sockets work, but according to 360 Electrical’s website,“internal premium copper-to-copper contacts provide unlimited 360 degree rotation and continuous power even during rotation.”

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360 electrical rotating outlets power strips 9 300x250

Here’s a brief demo video uploaded by FIX IT home improvement channel on YouTube:

As you can see in the gallery above, 360 Electrical also has long surge protectors with sockets that swivel outward instead of rotating in place. Rotate your browser and plug in to Amazon to order 360 Electrical’s products; they sell for about $5 (USD) to $34 depending on the product.

[via Fancy]

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