Miscellaneous Gadgets

I think we all know how much fun a laser pointer can be, but just picture how much fun it would be if you had a device that could make many laser points all at once.

I can only assume this was the idea behind creating the BlissLights Laser Wand. This uses what the company calls a “high diffraction efficiency digital holographic optical element”, which creates a shining starfield effect on any wall. Just think of it as a disco ball without the mirror ball or need of reflected light.

At first I wondered what to do with device, but these pictures to the left gave me some ideas. It certainly would liven up any party for younger people. As the ad says, you can “spin it, twist it, shake it” which makes it something like a kaleidoscope that everyone can see.

Read the rest of this entry »

1 Comment »

Have you ever ate at a Chinese Food Restaurant and forgot to bring your pair of personal chopsticks? Sure, you could ask the waiter or waitress for a pair, but what if he or she doesn’t speak English?

Okay, that probably won’t really happen, but I think you see my point: it would be nice to have some chopsticks to carry around with you, but how could you do that? You could put them in your pocket, but that could easily lead to a lot of “are those chopsticks in your pants, or are you happy to see me” jokes.

Fortunately, the Stix glasses are here for you. The Stix glasses allow you to put your stick utensils in a place where you won’t forget them: your glasses. All you need to do is take them out of your glasses frame, and you are good to go. Not only can you use your chopsticks to eat, but you can also put them in your hair!

Read the rest of this entry »

3 Comments »

IOGEAR has just rolled out some more desktop peripherals that aim to enhance productivity at the office, expanding its KVM product line in order to enable consumers to share multiple computers and USB 2.0 peripherals while viewing graphics in optimal quality. Both the IOGEAR 2- and 4-Port KVMP Switches with USB 2.0 hub and 2.1 Stereo target small and home office users, helping them share USB 2.0 peripherals like printers and scanners over multiple computers. Definitely a novel way to reduce operational costs in your organization, and while this isn’t exactly a new method, it is good to see IOGEAR not abandon this market. One of the main advantages of controlling several machines with a single keyboard and mouse is the ability to further reduce energy consumption. An improvement over older generation KVM switches is the ability to enable audio enthusiasts to groove to their favorite tunes, programs and audio clips through PC speakers since 2.1 stereo sound is supported.

Read the rest of this entry »

1 Comment »

Let’s face it - D-Link routers are dime a dozen, and most of the time they come in that dreary drab grey color. Why not add some spice into your geeky life with D-Link’s Skinit skin? There are thousands of designs to choose from, ranging from your favorite sports teams to entertainment, college, and fashion icons amongst others. Should you sift through the thousands of available skins and find nothing that strikes a chord with you, there is always the option to create your own skin by using your favorite photos. Sounds like the perfect birthday gift for that geeky partner of yours! Other than routers, there are many other devices like cell phones and MP3 players which you can give a similar treatment.

1 Comment »

If you’ve ever owned a car that doesn’t have air conditioning, you know that wonderful feeling of sitting in the middle of traffic sweating through your clothes. Without that wonderful component of your car, there’s really no good way to keep cool when stuck in traffic. That is unless you had one of these shirts.

Read the rest of this entry »

3 Comments »

It looks like one of those inflatable pool loungers you use to soak up the sun. However, SolarStore panels are meant for a more practical use. Backpackers can use them to store up to 3 full tanks of water per day while heating the water at the same time. Easy to fold, easier to use, SolarStore panels are now being looked to provide not only heated water, but also solar energy to low income and third world housing.

Read the rest of this entry »

2 Comments »

Recently, I have become fixated with devices that help you lose weight. Last week, it was the Tanita BC558. This week, the Seiko Slimstick, a more portable weight-loss device.

The Seiko Slimstick is a more advanced version of those old-school pedometers that can count your steps. Just between you and me, I always thought those step-counters were kind of useless. Their accuracy was highly questionable, as they would register a step if they were shaken. Not only that, what good is it to discover how many steps you’ve taken in a day? I suppose you could convert that to miles, but most exercise programs are based on burning calories, not miles.

The Slimstick is a more accurate pedometer that uses dual-axis accelerometers to track the magnitude of a user’s movements. It is easy-to-use as it clips to the user’s clothing, and is the size of a pack of gum. While on the user’s person, it can then count calories burned during the day, the amount of time a user was active, and, of course, the number of steps that were taken during the day.

Read the rest of this entry »

1 Comment »

Fresh breath is something you should have whenever you’re around another person. I don’t really care how your breath smells when you’re sitting at home by yourself, but the minute someone smells that foul odor coming out of your mouth, you can bet they’ll put as much distance between the two of you as possible. Usually if you brush your teeth and use some mouthwash at the appropriate times, you’re good to go, however, there are some times where you want to be extra sure. That’s when you’ll turn to the Kiss Me.

Read the rest of this entry »

6 Comments »