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Nabaztag Makes Communication Rabbit-Friendly
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Misc. Tech, Wireless / WiFi,
Violet has designed a WiFi rabbit that can hear, speak, and even smell. With mic and speaker in his tummy, Nabaztag’s ears move, colors flash, and he also has voice recognition. Through free and subscription services, he can issue news and weather reports, alert you to new e-mail, pull RSS feeds, and play music. The little rabbit can even duplicate what the one next to it is doing. With a dimension of 9 x 5.3 x 5.3-inches, he comes with a quickstart manual and power adapter.
The Nabaztag is available for $149.99 at ThinkGeek and other retailers. Check out the demo and find out what else this rabbit can do.
Read More 
| Violet Home Page
Warning, Will Robinson! White Box Robotics’ 9-Series 914 PC-BOT allows you to create your own robot with off-the-shelf computer parts. The bot can follow programmed directions or manual navigation, and lets you see through its eyes with a supplied web cam to your home or office from any browser. It even responds to verbal commands.
The 914 features a fully functional Windows XP PC, and its inventor Thomas Burick claims that his bot can be used for gaming, entertainment, home security, or eldercare. PC-BOT was displayed at this past weekend’s digitallife in New York and a Special Edition is now available at price of $CAD 5,599.99 (US$4995.) This bot doesn’t come cheaply, but if you can install and configure PC components and software, you can have your very own Robby The Robot.
Read More | White Box Robotics via digitallife
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The Terratec PhonePreAmp iVinyl is a remarkable gadget that allows you to save all your ancient LPs, 45s, or cassette recordings to PC or Mac with only a USB interface. The iVinyl comes with an input for your MM (moving magnet) cartridge turntable and a port for tape decks or other audio sources to create CD quality audio. You just click your mouse and your music is saved without the use of a sound card. The iVinyl features adjustable sound levels, a 24-bit/96-kHz sample rate, shielded housing to screen out interference, and a signal-to-noise ratio of 86 dB. Priced at £99.99 (~$186), you can pre-order at Terratec. We’re still gonna save our Abbey Road LP, scratches and all.
Read More | Terratec
Latest Gear Live Videos
If your old Rubik’s Cube is still gathering dust on your bookshelf, you might want to consider buying it an early Christmas present. GoodMan’s Rubik’s Cube USB hub has 4 ports, 2 of which rotate to 90 or 180º. Upgrading from the original UH 621 model, the USB 2.0 hub can be used with any size device. The hub has over-current detection and protection since it limits the amount of current a peripheral can draw. Made of an Aluminum alloy, it provides PNP (plug-and-play) capability and supports up to 480 Mbps. At dimensions of 107 x 21.4 x 21.4 mm and a weight of 44g, all this can be yours for a mere $20.
Read More | GoodMan
This engaging little Robo Waiter is in Hong Kong taking orders with no backtalk. He shows customers to their tables and waits until they speak into his microphone. The message is then relayed to the kitchen where we presume it is still cooked by a real person. Peter Chow, Director of CyberRobotics Technology, claims that restaurant sales have increased by 20 to 30% since he has been “hired.” Although the bot does not deliver food, it is certainly a big improvement over that tacky Jack In The Box clownhead speakerphone.
Read More | CBBC News
Palm Treo 680 Unveiled at DigitalLife
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Smartphones, Internet, Misc. Tech,
Palm has announced the arrival of its new Treo 680 smartphone at Digitallife in NYC. With it you can call, e-mail, text message, and have web access. You can also keep a calendar, photos, music, and contacts close to you. Smaller than the 650, improvements include a new phone user interface, address book, call log, and wallpaper idle. Treo boasts a brighter, crisper screen so you can see who’s calling and improved access to multimedia applications. Check with Palm for availability and price.
Read More | Palm via digitallife
If you don’t do mornings, you might want to try an alternative to your loud and user-unfriendly alarm clock. Philips has created the Wake-up Light, which sends out light that increases in intensity for 30 minutes, just like the sun. When the light falls on your eyes, it sends a message to reduce production of melatonin, the hormone that put you to sleep in the first place. Claiming their product to be medically proven, the Wake-up Light can be preset and adjusted in intensity. It will be available this month in France with an overall roll-out next year. Contact Philips for price and availability in your area. This is fine idea, but we would like it more if it came with a pot of coffee.
Read More | Philips
Keuco Visiomatic Brings Info Into The Bathroom
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Smart Home, Misc. Tech,
Keuco has joined with Visiomatic to create a multimedia system for, of all places, your bathroom. With it you can listen to the radio, play music, watch TV, write SMS messages, read the latest news, and even talk on the phone. The system has already been installed in such luxury hotels as the Beverly Wilshire, NY’s Four Seasons, Chicago’s Park Hyatt, and the Dorchester in Boston. If they throw in the guy in the tub to scrub my back, they’ve made a sale. Contact Keuco (click on new products and multimedia) for price and availability.
Read More | Keuco
Princeton Japan Releases Emergency Battery
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Misc. Tech, Portable Audio / Video,
Tired of constantly dying batteries in the middle of your private Bon Jovi concert? Princeton Japan has released its Emergency Battery that can be used with iPods, MP3s, PDAs, handheld games systems, and cell phones. The PMB-BP18 external battery works through a USB port and has an adjustable dock for TV viewing. At a size of 3.7 x 2.2-inches and a weight of 2 oz, you can purchase it now at Japan Princeton for around $42, but there is no word as yet for availability elsewhere. It’s about time someone came out with a one-size-fits-all gadget like this.
Read More | Akihabara News
Yesterday we told you about Chroino, the clever little bot designed by Tomotaka Takahashi. Today, his creator told GearLive that although Chroino is still at the prototype stage, his cousin Manoi can fulfill all your robotic dreams.
In addition to being the founder and hanging out at Robo Garage, Tomotaka is working with Japan’s Kyosho Company and has produced Manoi PF-01, whom he refers to as having a unique, comical personality. Manoi will be put through his paces at this year’s Japan Model Hobby Show which will run October 21 and 22 and can be adopted for 1100 EUR, ~$1400.
Read More | Kyosho Company via Tomotaka Takahashi
