Researchers slash their way thought World of Warcraft thanks to the Kinect

Living Rooms all around the world are shaking with fear of users actually taking swords and attacking their big screens thanks to a new hack for the Microsoft Kinect that allows gamers to play World of Warcraft without a keyboard.

It’s no secret that the Kinect is rapidly becoming the most hacked device since the Hackintosh, but students at the University of Southern California’s Institute for Creative Technologies have takent he next step in developing a software hack which enables gamers to use the motion device to immerse themselves even deeper into the online Mid-evil world.

The hack is called the “Flexible Action and Articulated Skeleton Toolkit, (FAAST) and it uses full-body motion control. Gamer can not only wield a sword or axe to take out a feisty orc, but they can also cast spells, making it nirvana for those who secretly love to dress up to play their favorite game. And it’s only a matter of time before someone figures out a way to use their light saber collection to battle someone online.

But with everyone creating bold new uses for the Kinect and porting it over to the PC, the sky is truly the limit for what can be done with this game changing device. And it makes the world of Minority Report that much closer, but in a bold and exciting way. Imagine editing video’s just with a snip of your fingers and a wave of your hand? Designing in CAD programs Tony Stark style. And getting rid of the keyboard forever?

It’s not just for games anymore and that’s a cool thing.

Hat Tip – GizmoWatch

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If you’re bored of the same old TV remote, why not ditch it for this magic wand remote. Use flicks of your wrist to change the channel and big sweeping moves to record your favourite TV show. The wand will learn up to 13 commands from your old remote and you can choose which moves control each command, making your remote un-hijackable! It will also work on your Sky box, stereo or any other infra-red device.

Congrats again to Decide What to Buy.

In second place we have the Walkie Talkie Watches.

The first thing we thought was “a walkie talkie in a watch? That’ll be poo! It will have no range, eat batteries, have no functions and be seriously fiddly/difficult to use”. So naturally we had to have a closer look. At first glance we were surprised by the size. They are oversized, compared to a Casio watch, but not as much as you might think. The face of the “watch” only measures in at 7 x 6 x 2.5cm and when you consider that the aerial can be folded in and out when needed it is surprisingly small.

Finally in third place comes the SteriShoe sterilizes and gets rid of shoe odors.

SteriShoe may be a product that some might think is taking things too far. However, if you’ve ever worn workboots or know someone that does, I doubt you question that it’d be a great idea for some people. Some of the reason being that you just wish you could get rid of the smell, the other part being that you really do wonder sometimes how much bacteria gets built up inside of a pair of shoes you never wash.

Thank you to everybody who voted, submitted, commented or told a friend. The randomly drawn winner of the $50 Think Geek vouchers is:

Dani (rusudaniel…@…), congratulations.

Thanks again everybody and good luck with the next CGOTW contest on Friday.

Want to hear about future contests first? Subscribe to our daily digest via email or RSS.

If you write for a gadget themed blog and wish to be included in next week’s contest check out the CGOTW instructions page.

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Cool CowCow USB 4-Port Hub

This hub can help you to transfer your data and information between your computer and the USB device. It will sound three cow calls when you plug it into the USB port.

The full post can be found on Gadget Fever.

Lobster Taser – Time to Taser the Lobsters

The lobster taser which looks like a giant lobster panini press or photocopier stuns lobsters with 110 volts that delivers a shock immediately and effectively disabling said lobster’s nervous system. You can then proceed with the boiling, baking, and or grilling. We remain committed to taking out any food we eat humanely, so we look forward to more lobster tasers in the future – maybe even a home model.

The full post can be found on Kitchen Contraptions.

Magic wand remote

If you’re bored of the same old TV remote, why not ditch it for this magic wand remote. Use flicks of your wrist to change the channel and big sweeping moves to record your favourite TV show. The wand will learn up to 13 commands from your old remote and you can choose which moves control each command, making your remote un-hijackable! It will also work on your Sky box, stereo or any other infra-red device.

The full post can be found on Decide What to Buy.

The Double Slanket

Behold- the Double Slanket! Just like the original slanket it’s a blanket with sleeves, but now there’s four of them! Perfect for a nice long romantic evening in front of some weepy film- and you don’t even have to unsnuggle yourselves to eat the chocolate. Light some candles, turn of the lights and let the evening go where it will go. Particularly good for those of us who have partners that have a habit of stealing the covers. No matter how tightly they twist the bottom round their legs you’re not going to be left with just a corner to keep away the chills…

The full post can be found on Gaj-it.

Walkie Talkie Watches

The first thing we thought was “a walkie talkie in a watch? That’ll be poo! It will have no range, eat batteries, have no functions and be seriously fiddly/difficult to use”. So naturally we had to have a closer look. At first glance we were surprised by the size. They are oversized, compared to a Casio watch, but not as much as you might think. The face of the “watch” only measures in at 7 x 6 x 2.5cm and when you consider that the aerial can be folded in and out when needed it is surprisingly small. The next thing we noticed was…

The full post can be found on Gadgets-For-Men.co.uk.

Space Saving Air Hockey Table Folds Away After Play

The Space Saving Air Hockey Table features a powerful internal fan and automatic score box like the arcade classic, yet folds against a wall to free up space.

The full post can be found on Mark’s Technology News.

Xtend & Climb Telescoping Ladder

When you can’t even reach your track lighting to change a bulb, well, you feel like less of a man. Extend your reach confidently with the Xtend & Climb Telescoping Ladder and never come up short again when doing work around the house. This cleverly compact ladder fits in a closet or even your trunk, extending from 30 inches to 12.5 feet when fully extended

The full post can be found on Cool Material.

SteriShoe sterilizes and gets rid of shoe odors

SteriShoe may be a product that some might think is taking things too far. However, if you’ve ever worn workboots or know someone that does, I doubt you question that it’d be a great idea for some people. Some of the reason being that you just wish you could get rid of the smell, the other part being that you really do wonder sometimes how much bacteria gets built up inside of a pair of shoes you never wash.

The full post can be found on CG.

Thanks again to all the sites for their submissions now over to you guys for voting (don’t forget to leave a comment with your reason for a chance to win a $50 Think Geek voucher).

Want to hear about future contests first? Subscribe to our daily digest via email or RSS.

If you write for a gadget themed blog and wish to be included in next weeks contest check out the CGOTW instructions page.

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If you can never get your toast the way you like it, this transparent toaster might be just what you need. Keep an eye on your toast so that you’ll never over-do it again. Perfect toast, every time.

Congrats again to Decide What to Buy.

In second place we have the Mug That Stirs Your Drink at the Press of a Button.

It’s called the Self Stirring Lazy Mug and was created by Plain Lazy to hold your tea, coffee, hot chocolate or other mixed drink, and by pressing the special button on the handle it starts to stir your drink. This means you won’t need a spoon to stir drinks manually and I bet this would soon become your favorite mug.

Finally in third place comes the Self Defense SunGlasses.

Following Japan Self Defense Force SunGlasses is officially endorsed by the Japanese military due to their keen ability to withstand gratuitous amounts of force. The lenses will not shatter if struck with a 3″ object traveling at the speed of 106mph!

Thank you to everybody who voted, submitted, commented or told a friend. The randomly drawn winner of the $50 Think Geek vouchers is:

Joel (SelikL…@…), congratulations.

Thanks again everybody and good luck with the next CGOTW contest on Friday.

Want to hear about future contests first? Subscribe to our daily digest via email or RSS.

If you write for a gadget themed blog and wish to be included in next week’s contest check out the CGOTW instructions page.

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Digital Video Memo

The Digital Video Memo is the future in leaving people messages no more using mass amounts of paper and scribbling down notes. You can now talk into the Digital Video Memo and leave someone a 30 second video message reminding them to do something or maybe just telling them to have a lovely day at work. This is very simple to use and it won’t have you reaching for the instructions everytime you want use it. The Digital Video Memo might make a very handy Christmas stocking filler gift for someone who has a busy lifestyle and likes to be reminded of what they need to do on a certain day. It is also magnetic which means you can display it easily on the fridge so everyone can see it clearly.

The full post can be found on Tech Styling.

Self Defense SunGlasses

Following Japan Self Defense Force SunGlasses is officially endorsed by the Japanese military due to their keen ability to withstand gratuitous amounts of force. The lenses will not shatter if struck with a 3″ object traveling at the speed of 106mph!

The full post can be found on The Cool Gadgets.

World’s First Bombproof Wallpaper

A partnership between Berry Plastics and the US Army Corp of Engineers has results in the development of the world’s first bombproof wallpaper. Designed out of Kevlar-tye sheets that can be applied to the walls of a room in under an hour, X-Flex is capable of protecting structures from blast damage. X-Flex is being considered for use in military bases, national airports and chemical plants as a method to protect both civilian and military personnel.

The full post can be found on coated.

The LightSleeper – For a Good, Heavy Sleep

Following her own suffering with insomnia, designer Kate Evans has created what is essentially a mini light projector which beams a soothing light onto your ceiling. The light then makes circles above you, the idea being that as your eyes follow the projection you gradually slip off to sleep. Whereas something like reading would stimulate the mind and thus keep you asleep, the LightSleeper relaxes you almost hypnotically. It takes under a minute to get it working, and it can be turned on with a tap (great if you wake up in the middle of the night with uber brain fuzz) and automatically switches off after half an hour which means its energy efficient too.

The full post can be found on Gaj-it.

MySky Star And Planet Identifier: Shoot Your Way To Celestial Knowledge

The Meade MySky is a point-and-shoot star and planet identifier with a database over 30,000 celestial wonders that makes it easy to learn about the night sky.

The full post can be found on Mark’s Technology News.

Samsung Monitor Equipped with TV Tuner

Get the popcorn ready. Samsung’s 27″ P2770HD Monitor comes with a bonus. The full HD display with a 5ms response time and 50,000:1 contrast ratio features a TV tuner and HDMI input for connecting to other devices. Also included are 3W stereo speakers and PIP mode. The monitor will be sold in Korea first for KW 549,000 (~$473.00) before making it elsewhere.

The full post can be found on Networking Audio Video.

Fridge Locker Protects Your Goodies And Beer Stash

The Fridge Locker consists of a metal cage and a combination padlock that is meant to keep roommates out of your personal food items. It’s a simple but effective physical deterrent, espcially when you’re protecting that last slize of pizza and cold beer from hungry roommates.

The full post can be found on coated.

Transparent toaster

If you can never get your toast the way you like it, this transparent toaster might be just what you need. Keep an eye on your toast so that you’ll never over-do it again. Perfect toast, every time.

The full post can be found on Decide What to Buy.

Gyroscopic Dumbbell: NASA Space Sphere Spins You Up Strength

The Gyroscopic Dumbbell is used by NASA to maintain fitness in space, strengthening and rehabilitating muscles with up to 38lbs of torque resistance.

The full post can be found on Mark’s Technology News.

TwitterPeek Tweets, Period

Peek, the successful gadget that only does email, now has a new brother. The TwitterPeek performs as its name denotes, it tweets. It is available to electronic avian freaks at a price of $99.95 with a six month contract. For that you get unlimited usage and direct messages. Splurge with a one time fee of $199.95 and you get lifetime usage.

The full post can be found on Networking Audio Video.

Mug That Stirs Your Drink at the Press of a Button

It’s called the Self Stirring Lazy Mug and was created by Plain Lazy to hold your tea, coffee, hot chocolate or other mixed drink, and by pressing the special button on the handle it starts to stir your drink. This means you won’t need a spoon to stir drinks manually and I bet this would soon become your favorite mug.

The full post can be found on Ladies’ Gadgets.

Thanks again to all the sites for their submissions now over to you guys for voting (don’t forget to leave a comment with your reason for a chance to win a $50 Think Geek voucher).

Want to hear about future contests first? Subscribe to our daily digest via email or RSS.

If you write for a gadget themed blog and wish to be included in next weeks contest check out the CGOTW instructions page.

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• Flexible Keyboard

Printbrush is a handheld printer that remembers its positional coordinates when it is placed on a sheet of paper. As you wave your hand across the page, Printbrush deposits ink on the page in 600 DPI. Printbrush is flexible enough to print on any flat surface including fabric.

Congrats again to coated.

In second place we have the Playable Guitar T-Shirt.

Not content with the sheer awesomeness of a t-shirt with a playable guitar, ThinkGeek designed the shirt to play power chords with a simple strum of one of the two magnetic picks. You know you will eventually lose one, so they included an extra one just in case. This shirt is like playing Rock Band on your chest – if you were Angus Young – and you knew how to play power chords.

Finally in third place comes the Ramphos’ Flying Boat – Drive, Float Or Fly.

It must be exciting to drive one of those in your water sport session, but not all countries allowed their citizen flying using a boat! And an Italian company, Ramphos, has created three wonderful model of flying boats, namely the Hydro, Trident and Amphibian.

Thank you to everybody who voted, submitted, commented or told a friend. The randomly drawn winner of the $50 Think Geek vouchers is:

tru (truo…@…), congratulations.

Thanks again everybody and good luck with the next CGOTW contest on Friday.

Want to hear about future contests first? Subscribe to our daily digest via email or RSS.

If you write for a gadget themed blog and wish to be included in next week’s contest check out the CGOTW instructions page.

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