Hasta La Gadget!

Segway inventor Dean Kamen just stole the show at TEDMED 2010, with both a far-reaching lecture on how technology can save the developing world, and a peek at his latest projects. We’ll spare you the wave of guilt for now and get right to the cool stuff, like the latest rendition of his Luke prosthetic arm and Slingshot water machine. Dean admitted he’s having difficulty finding companies interested in manufacturing the former, but it’s looking snazzier than when it last grabbed Stephen Colbert, with components like this shoulder piece printed out of titanium in a custom 3D printer, and it’s slated to look like this. The Slingshot’s seeing even more action, as Dean and company have pulled it out of the ugly box into these svelte tubes, and finally has a distribution deal (with Coca-Cola, of all companies) to bring the clean-water-from-any-source machines to developing countries in trials early next year.

Last but not least, the man’s got a product you might be able to afford for your home. In the quest for an item for his FIRST young engineers to sell — a la Girl Scout cookies — he tapped LED manufacturer Cree to produce an 450 lumen light bulb that draws just 7 watts and will retail for about $25 door-to-door. In case you’re wondering, that’s cheaper and more efficient than most any lamp we’ve seen before. Dean says they’ve already produced several hundred thousand of the bulbs thanks to a surprise $3 million investment from Google, and plan to have them in the hands of every FIRST kid soon. Keep on fighting the good fight, Dean.

Dean Kamen unveils revamped bionic arm and water machine, LED light bulb powered by Cree originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 20:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The iPhone can do many things, but “hypnotize passers-by with a dazzling array of colors” is not typically listed among its strong suits. That’s where the iGlo LED Set comes into play, bundling a WiFi-enabled strip of 120 multi-color LEDs — measuring some five meters in length — with iPhone and iPad apps that can control them. $299 is a small price to pay for this kind of portable party-making power, considering you just spent that much on a bottle of Blue Label for Steve’s birthday party last week… and that didn’t turn you into the most popular guy in the room. Follow the break for a full demo.

Continue reading iPhone-controllable LED strip lets you take the rave with you for $300

iPhone-controllable LED strip lets you take the rave with you for $300 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 18 Oct 2010 13:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week’s most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us — it’s the Week in Green.

This week scientists took a step towards unlocking the holy grail of alternative energy as they unleashed a one megajoule test blast from the world’s largest laser. We were also excited to see the DOI give the green light for the first solar-thermal power tower in the United States, and we saw big things brewing beneath West Virginia as a project funded by Google discovered massive geothermal vents that could double the state’s energy generation capacity. Not to be outdone, Oregon announced plans for a 845 megawatt wind farm that stands to be the largest in the world.

We also watched the world of architecture heat up – literally – as Soltech unveiled a set of glimmering glass roof tiles that can capture solar energy to heat your home. We also checked in on the development of Masdar, the world’s first carbon neutral zero-waste city, and we were shocked and appalled by the recently completed largest and most expensive house in the world.

In other news, this week we showcased a dazzling array of energy-efficient lights – from an amazing animated LED pillar to a set of liquid lights made from recycled faucets to a chandelier decked out with luminous dandelions. We also kicked up our heels for a vending machine that dispenses biodegradable shoes and we saw a set of ghetto-fabulous boom boxes made from old suitcases hit the streets. Finally, we rounded up a gaggle of our favorite smartphone games that are perfect for keeping kids entertained!

Inhabitat’s Week in Green: the world’s largest laser fired, icy roof tiles admired, faucet lamps inspired originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 17 Oct 2010 20:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Straight from Sony’s Google TV unveiling in New York we finally know the official details of its plans, which include four HDTVs (24-, 32- , 40- and 46-inch) with prices from $599 to $1,399, plus a funky white set-top box with built-in Blu-ray player for $399. The 24-inch is a CCFL backlit LCD, while the larger models all feature edge LED lighting, while all of them feature built in WiFi, so no need to go stringing any new network cables to the living room. The only custom app we’re seeing among the preinstalled ones (Netflix, CNBC, Napster, Pandora and more) is a Sony Qriocity VOD player, for more you’ll be waiting for the Android Market to hit in early 2011. If you want to be the first on your block with one, hit up the local Sony Style outlet when they go on sale this weekend, or Best Buy stores starting October 24, meanwhile, check the press release after the break for full specs and details.

Continue reading Sony Google TV HDTVs and Blu-ray player launch details revealed

Sony Google TV HDTVs and Blu-ray player launch details revealed originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 12 Oct 2010 17:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you’ve ever found yourself digging around in the back of your closet or the bottom of a storage container wishing that you had a flashlight, Joby feels your pain and has a solution.

The new Joby Gorillatorch Blade is a 130 lumen LED aluminum flashlight that’s mounted to one of Joby’s trademark tripod bases with flexible legs that can be wrapped around just about anything.

The mount on the top of the tripod features 360-degree pan and 180 degree tilt, so you can get light where you’re working regardless of where you mount it. The feet of the tripod have neodymium magnets in the bottom so it can be securely attached to any metal object, and the flashlight itself is powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. The Gorillatorch Blade is available now for $59.95 list.