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Latest Gear Live Videos
Crayola Creates Safer, Improved School Supplies
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Design, Misc. Tech, Toys,
School supplies have certainly become more sophisticated. Seeing a commercial from Crayola spurred us to investigate their new line of Total Tools. Their Audio Ruler measures in 1/8-inch increments with disappearing ink. Open the lid, turn it on and it talks to you. All this and/or “silly, nonsensical measurements” for only $7.99. The Staple Free Staple uses a paper punch to cut a small tab that folds into a slot and is good for up to 4 or 5 sheets of paper, and features a self inking stamper. Its MSRP is only $4.99. Check out Crayola’s Total Tools Page for more innovative gadgets. If you purchase up to $15.00 worth, you get free Silly Putty. Who could refuse an offer like that?
Read More 
| Crayola Store
Gallery: Crayola Creates Safer, Improved School Supplies
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Franklin Image to Move in $100.00 Bills
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Design, Smart Home, Misc. Tech, Science,
Look closely at the new $100.00 bills that will soon be issued (Oh sure, like we see a lot of those.) A new security thread, similar to those found on 1,000 Swedish kroners, sounds pretty eerie to us. Move the bill side to side and the micro-printing with tiny lenses allows you to see the image of Ben Franklin moving. Although holograms such as those on credit cards were considered for part of the design, the government felt they were not strong enough visual signals. Other features, such as pastel colors found on the recently released $10.00, $20.00, and $50.00 bills, will also be incorporated. For more information about the designs, visit The Bureau of Engraving and Printing online.
Read More | Yahoo News
Gallery: Franklin Image to Move in $100.00 Bills
Sony Develops Sugar-Run Batteries
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Corporate News, Design, Misc. Tech, Storage,
Sony Japan has come up with batteries that can run on glucose. Pour in some grape juice or Gatorade and the 4-cell array can power speakers hooked up to a Walkman with only the addition of a small fan to produce an output of up to 50mW. Even if you can’t make out the translation, check out the demo of the prototype on their site, which pretty much speaks for itself. We were wondering what flavor the device would prefer and decided Fruit Punch sounds like it might be our best option.
Read More | Digital World Tokyo
Gallery: Sony Develops Sugar-Run Batteries
Sharp Plans For Thinner Panel LCD
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Corporate News, Design, HDTV, Home Entertainment,
Sharp has unveiled its ultra-thin flat panel LCD. So far just a prototype, the high-resolution 52-inch screen is only 20 mm (~1.14-inches) wide, weighs 25 kg, and has a contrast ration of 100,000:1. The company also bases its power consumption of 140 k per year on their idea of a “typical household” average daily viewing time of 4.5 hours. Sharp claims 150% of the NTSC color gamut on its flat panel, which seems a bit vague. Nonetheless, we definitely think thin is in.
Read More | Sharp
Gallery: Sharp Plans For Thinner Panel LCD
Planetarium-Tellurium Keeps Planets on Earth
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Design, Misc. Tech, Science,
If you want to keep an eye on our planet and everything that is going on around it, you might consider this Richard Mille Planetarium-Tellurium. It features the rotation of Earth and those of the moon, Mercury, Venus, and the sun. It has year, month, day, hour and minute indications with its perpetual calendar, and will display the seasons, equinoxes, solstices, and zodiac signs. Made of titanium, steel, brass, gold, silver, and red corundum, this is a one of a kind device with its asking price in seven figures, but you can catch it on display next month at the Temple of Time in Singapore if you happen to be going that way.
(Thanks, Mitch)
Read More | Watchismo
Gallery: Planetarium-Tellurium Keeps Planets on Earth
First Space Hotel Planned for 2012
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Design, Misc. Tech, Science, Transportation,
What began as an idea from former aerospace engineer Xavier Claramunt may become reality in 2012. Galactic Suite will be the first hotel in space and allows a round-the-world experience in only 80 minutes. Booking a room doesn’t come cheaply, as a 3-day stay will cost $4 million. While there, guests can wear velcro suits to crawl and stick around their pod/rooms and will be able to see sunrise 15 times a day. Claramunt, the company’s director, says that the hotel was created keeping in mind that each pod had to fit inside a rocket.
“It’s the bathrooms in zero gravity that are the biggest challenge,” says Claramunt. “How to accommodate the more intimate activities of the guests is not easy.”
Even if we had sufficient funding to travel to the posh resort, we think we will pass, as we get a bit nauseous just eating in revolving restaurants.
Read More | CNN
Gallery: First Space Hotel Planned for 2012
Kaleidoscope Projects Light Show
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Design, Smart Home, Misc. Tech, Toys,
Takara Tomy doesn’t just make animated aquariums for adults/kids. It has also developed this UMate Mangekyo Kaleidoscope, which projects a revolving image onto your wall or ceiling in dazzling colors. The Mangekyo (which means kaleidoscope in Japanese) runs on discs, beads, and other objects placed inside it to create original patterns.You can also turn it into a mini-lamp by closing its lid. Our buds at C Scout tell us that they have seen it in action and that the effect is awesome. Look for its release by the end of the summer.
(Thanks, Michael)
Read More | C Scout
Gallery: Kaleidoscope Projects Light Show
Mr. Wu Creates Bots Out of Trash
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Design, Misc. Tech, Science, Transportation,
Wu Yulu has never been to college, but somehow he has managed to take others’ trash and turn it into his own treasures. For every creation he comes up with, he modestly numbers and names it Wu, too. Apparently Mrs.Yulu is not crazy about the fact that her husband not only spends most of his time playing with his toys, but burned down the house once while the evil scientist in him was at work. We have no doubt that when the Wu Rickshaw Robot is discovered on a grand scale, he will be raking in the big bucks.
Read More | YouTube
Gallery: Mr. Wu Creates Bots Out of Trash
MyFountain Pours, Then Cleans Up
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Design, Smart Home, Misc. Tech,
This certainly puts Robocco to shame. Digital Beverages’ MyFountain can pour mixed drinks, beer, wine, and soft drinks with a tap on its LCD touchscreen. With Virtual Bartender software, you have the option of creating your own ingredient list and proportions or use their online drink recipe generator. There is also password protection to keep the kids from imbibing. A mini-fridge sits below your counter and can hold up to a dozen different bottles of booze and mixers. After it pours your drink, it will sanitize the liquid lines with hot water. The company is planning to have them available by the Spring of 2008 with a hefty price of $2,500.00.
Read More | Digital Beverages via technabob
Gallery: MyFountain Pours, Then Cleans Up
Tokyoflash Remakes Classic Watches
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Design, Hot Deals, Misc. Tech,
Tokyoflash has pimped some of their most popular classic watches. The Star Performer at ¥19,800 (~$173.00) now comes in white or blue LED and their IP at ¥21,900 (~$191.00) is black with white, orange, blue or multi-color LED. Their PU/leather strap is also available again for ¥17,900 (~$156.00) with a black body and either orange or blue LED, while the all metal version features a blue LED. You also get a ¥1000 (~$9.00) discount if you order before the end of the month (“AUGU7” in the coupon code box) and if your purchase is over ¥10,000 (~$87.00,) you qualify for free shipping.
Read More | Tokyoflash
