Esquire Magazine continually thinks outside the box when it comes to the print media. First it was their 75th anniversary issue with an e-ink cover, and now it is their December 2009 issue full of Augmented reality.

It seems like I seem to be defining augmented reality every time that I cover it. In all honesty, if you haven’t experienced it for yourself, clearly you aren’t looking hard enough, as it has recently appeared in Best Buy ads and games based on Criss Angel’s Mindfreak.

Did I not tell you at last January’s CES that Augmented Reality was the Coolest Gadget Ever? That may have been exaggeration, but the rest of the world is starting to see how cool it really is!

Yes, the December 2009 issue will be full of images that will reveal 3D flying text and images when viewed on a webcam display.

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Boredom is a dreadful thing, so you should always find ways to get rid of it.  Thankfully, Think Geek is always around to rescue geeks from being sucked into a bland dark place in their mind.  Now you can spend your days strumming on a fake guitar on your shirt.  It has all the major chords and plays them out loud for all the world to hear.  Whether they like it or not.

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This next device has a name that some of you might have a hard time pronouncing, but just say the word “cook” and you got it. I’m not certain what the heck QOOQ stands for, though.

The QOOQ is a kitchen computer and it comes with 10 recipes from chefs on video. It also can connect to the internet over the Ethernet or Wifi, and the user can even subscribe to monthly updates for lots more recipes. There is also a meal planner and a shopping list maker that will also help before the cooking. It doesn’t have an Internet Browser, but it can be used to update recipes, get weather information, internet radio stations, and can also be used as a digital picture frame.

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Sony will be working hand in hand with Netflix in order to make available thousands upon thousands of movies and TV episodes from Netflix to be streamed straight onto TVs as long as your living room (or wherever else that you’re most comfortable with to be entertained) has some room for a PS3 console. This streaming service from Netflix will be made available to the PS3 from November onwards for free, but bear in mind this is limited to just folks living in the US as other people outside of the country will have to settle for what they have currently. It does make us wonder though – will this move see an increase in PS3 sales just to take advantage of such a feature? After all, the console does already come with a very attractive price point at this moment in time.

With the PS3 system’s installed base having reached a near 9 million units Stateside, it has a critical mass for Netflix to explore this segment, where they themselves have 11.1 million U.S. subscribers as of September 30. Apart from playing the latest games in High Definition, PS3 owners will also have a plethora of other entertainment options made available to them including watching Blu-ray movies, listening to music, viewing photos, browsing the Internet and downloading content straight from PlayStation Network. Throw instant streaming services from Netflix and you have a likely winner here.

All you need to do is fork out a low monthly fee of just $8.99 as long as you’re a Netflix member, where you can then instantly watch unlimited movies and TV episodes streamed to your TVs and computers through the use of Netflix ready devices including the PS3, having a virtually unlimited number of DVDs delivered to your home without having to involve the post office or burden the environment even more. If you’re a Netflix member and PS3 system owner, you will be able to reserve a free instant streaming disc for PS3 systems by heading here. Upon availability, the instant streaming disc will be delivered without having to fork out a penny via first-class mail.

Press Release

With more and more people taking up the green initiative, there is hope for the next generation just yet. After all, the idea of driving around in an electric car is appealing, with the engine being super quiet while knowing that you’ve done your bit not to enlarge the hole in the ozone layer by too much. Solar power is another aspect that more companies are looking into right now, but the conversion efficiency isn’t exactly up to snuff. i.Tech Dynamic aims to change things a little bit in the world of gadgets with its SolarCharger 906. Yes, you’ve guessed it – the SolarCharger 906 will rely on the sun’s rays to keep its internal batteries going and juiced up, but that doesn’t mean you can’t plug it into a power outlet when you need some rapid charging instead of waiting for a favorable weather report.

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Toasters are often taken for granted that when a totally new design comes about, not many people would even notice. This model does not come with a couple of cavities to hold your bread – no sir, the Slotless Toaster is as described, where there are no slots available for you to get that perfectly brown toast, ready and waiting to be spread by some marmalade or jam.

Since bread is placed directly on the heated flatbed surface – not inside narrow slots, you can toast thick bagels or croissants, Texas toast, or baguettes. The unit has a 700-watt heating element that radiates through the 10 1/4″ x 7″ stainless-steel surface, browning or defrosting bread quickly and evenly. You can select your preferred level of browning with the turn of a dial and the under-mounted crumb tray slides out for fast, easy cleanup. When not in use, the slotless toaster can be stored on its side, freeing up valuable counter space.

Sounds like a dream come true for those who love having a perfect, piping hot slice of toast each morning, although you will need to make a $89.95 investment in the first place.

This is one of those gadgets that I imagine we’ll be seeing in some cheesy kids spy movie, but you have to admit it is pretty cool.  Instead of taking pictures and video from the ground, now you can do it in the sky.  Don’t worry, you won’t have to pay someone to fly you around in a helicopter or airplane to do it either.  This little remote control helicopter allows for the average person to see pictures at a whole different angle.

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Umbrellas are supposed to keep you nice and dry during a rainy day, but let’s admit it – most of the time your feet will probably get wet as well as your legs during a torrent, as there is this pesky thing called the wind to blow rain in all the wrong directions. Since you’re going to be wet anyways, why not give the LED Umbrella a go to be cool even when everyone else are cursing the weather gods for extremely whacked out weather patterns. Powered by a couple of button batteries, the LED Umbrella will come in black, blue, pink and purple color choices, although you can only opt from red or blue LED lights only. It retails for $47 a pop.