In this day and age, it’s just too taboo to have some sort of human that you can have fetch you things, ride on whenever you please, and exist completely for your own personal enjoyment. Animals have tried to fill this space, but they typically do whatever the hell they want, leaving us with no true method of having another being answer to our beck and call. Enter in Robo3. This company builds robots from the ground up whose main purpose is to provide a fun, entertaining time on your schedule. Looking at the site, it is totally impressive. In fact, check out the R7 robot above - he has four legs, and a soft, cushy seat for you to ride in. Yeah, it costs $5,250 USD, but isn’t that a small price to pay for your own personal robo-slave?

Read More | Robo3

Gallery: Robo3 Robots For Hire

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I can’t help it. I worry every time my wife goes for a bike ride with her iPod earbuds stuck in her ears. I worry that she won’t hear the danger until it’s too late. Seems the folks at Slipstreamz have similar thoughts. They’ve come out with headphones designed specifically for those who love seeing their scenery while passing by on two wheels. The ‘phones are a nifty combination of form and function, allowing you to keep the buds in your ear while also picking up a noise that could mean that harm is approaching. Even if you rock on out at high volumes, these handy headphones should help you hear the blaring horn of the vehicle that is bearing down on you.

A good amount of thought was put in to designing these babies, too, because they’re designed to attach to the straps of your cycling helmet, holding them in place. And they also double as ear warmers, also blocking the wind from shooting past your sensitive ears.

You can pick up a pair of these handy headphones here for the nominal fee of 7.5 pounds. That’s about 13 dollars American. I’m getting a pair for my wife.

Read More | iWorld via OhGizmo

Gallery: Slipstreamz Cycling Headphones That Won’t Get You Killed

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With utilities like a cellphone, Wireless Broadband, GotoMyPC, and a laptop, is it now part of the business plan to spend rush hour on the clock?  Well, now with the CarGoDesk, drivers stuck in traffic can boot up that laptop and get to work. 

Specs include a large lockable compartment for the laptop, a secondary storage area for necessary files, a non-skid hinged desktop, and several attachment points for cell phone, PDA, etc.  The CarGoDesk fits in the passenger seat and is secured with the seatbelt.  It’s dimensions are 26.87” L X 16"W X 10.66"T and it weighs 13.7 lbs. empty - but don’t worry, it’s wheels prevent having to lug it around.

Production begins summer 2006.

Read More | CarGoDesk Product Page

Gallery: The CarGoDesk Has Your On-The-Go Work Hook-Up

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We are glad to see that there are finally PlaysForSure MP3 players being released that can match up to the iPod not only in features (easy to do), but in form factor and ease of use as well (hard to do). At first glance, the iRiver clix looks like such a device. The clix is a redesigned iRiver U10, remixed with input from both the Windows Media Player 11 team and MTV, and is currently one of the only three PlaysForSure devices that is compatible with WMP 11 and the MTV URGE service. Does that make it good? We give you our full iRiver clix review after the jump.

Click to continue reading Gear Live Review: iRiver clix Review

Gallery: Gear Live Review: iRiver clix Review

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Well kids, it may not be the OLED keyboard that we hoped for, but it may be a sign of things to come. After what seems like an eternity, the Optimus Mini Three is now shipping from Lebedev Studios. The Mini Three is the much (much, much) smaller version of the Optimus keyboard that we were wetting ourselves over exactly one year ago. Announced in February, the Mini Three saw a delay this past May, but it is now finally ready for it’s debut. If you pre-ordered, expect yours to arrive by August 15th. If you didn’t, you have until August 1 to get one at the discounted price of $126 USD - afterwards, the price shoots up to $160 USD. Yes, that is just for three keys.

Read More | Optimus Mini Three

Gallery: Art Lebedev Optimus Mini Three Shipping

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Not one to run from controversy (as evidenced by the last year’s DRM scandal), Sony has placed billboard ads like the one above in Holland.  Though the ad appears to carry a racist sentiment against black people, Sony responds to criticism by stating that it has numerous photographs in this ad series focusing on the contrast between the new ceramic PlayStation Portable and the classic black model, and that there are no racist overtones intended.  It is true that other photographs in the stark black and white series show the black woman in a dominating position, but even if this is the case, Sony’s argument that it is merely using chiarscuro for effect is weak in the face of the evidence.

Whether the ads take sides is not the issue.  At issue is Sony’s apparent use of racial schism to promote its products, and so far, the pictures speak much louder than Sony’s defensive rhetoric.

Read More | Real Tech News

Gallery: Sony In Hot Water Over Seemingly Racist Ads

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Gone are the days of real telephones, with real handsets.  It used to be that a telephone handset had real heft, and could double as a hammer in a pinch.  Forget about trying to do that with cell phones, with their flimsy flip covers and see-through plastic cases.  You might as well be holding a tissue to your ear.

That’s all about to change.  Now, for those times when you need an authoritative phone presence, the Retro Phone Handset is available.  It plugs into a wide range of cell phones via a standard 2.5 mm plug and comes complete with curly umbilical to tie the handset to your mobile phone.  (A hands-free adapter kit is also available, though I’m not sure I see the point of that.)

With this entry into the retro phone market, I forsee a wave of future retro products.  How about a Bluetooth rotary dialer for your cell phone?

Read More | ThinkGeek

Gallery: Retro Phone Handset

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Deep in the bowels of Kentia Hall, camera jockey Nate True and I found this interesting booth. The Brain Games concept allows you to connect a few diodes to your skull that it uses to monitor your brain’s stress level and affect your controller’s accuracy. Calm down and focus, and your controller works flawlessly. Find yourself distracted, and you’ll notice sluggish, well, distracted control. I know there’s always a lot of “stress” associated with the hustle and bustle of E3 and interviews and such, and it was a bit difficult to control, but I could swear there were times where I was “thinking” as calm as possible, and still noticed a bit of an encumberence on my controller.

Watch me demo the unit! Watch me ask all the tough questions! Watch me butcher the man’s name! Watch how stupid I look in a visor! All this and more. It’s almost worth it.

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Gallery: Bleeding Edge Byte 016: E3 Table Scraps: Smart Brain Games

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We got our hands on the new SCOTTeVEST Performance T-Shirt, the latest from the company that makes Technology Enabled Clothing. Check the video for our full review.

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Gallery: Bleeding Edge Byte 013: SCOTTeVEST Performance T-Shirt Review

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There are those among us who just can’t get enough of Spinal Tap, particularly the Stonehenge sequence.  For those people, we present the Stonehenge watch.  Flip open the lid, erect the gnomon (that’s something you don’t read every day), orient yourself using the included compass, and let the shadows tell you the time.  Or just flip it over and look at the analog watch dial on the back.

Impress your friends, confuse your enemies!  With this watch, some glittery eyeshadow, and a custom amplifier that goes to eleven, you’re sure to be a shoe-in for the Spinal Tap tribute band now forming in your neighborhood.

Read More | Stonehenge Watch

Gallery: Stonehenge Watch

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