I’m pretty security conscious when it comes to doing stuff on the web (though not as paranoid as some people I know who turn the lights off when they enter a password), I have various strength of passwords depending on the sensitivity of what they’re protecting with my PayPal one being on the “oh god what numbers, symbols and case was that password again”. So it was interesting to read that PayPal are currently trialling security key fobs.
Sure, you’ve wanted a suit to make you so strong you could punch through the hulk while looking cooler than the Fonz. Well, it’s closer than you think (not the ‘cool as the Fonz’ thing, the other one, you’re still a geek).
Anyhew,,,
It’s the Exoskeleton Olympics!! It happens every four years, for the first time ever, and it’s,,, riveting!!! Get it,, cause rivets are used to connect parts, and,,, never mind. (second vid ‘warm ups’)
Anyway
Yet another sweet exoskeleton batch has dropped lately. If you are like me, and desire to see weaklings leg press a small house with nothing but wires, steel, their brains, and a small amount of muscle power, then you are in for a treat!
The good folks at Google Earth (you have downloaded it, haven’t you) have some serious
fans by the name of Pict`Earth.
They’ve got a great little bit of gear and software. They provide the coolest service for viewing high resolution overhead images.
A small RC airplane flies at low level and records high resolution video. The video is then placed into Google Earth and is actively used to display nap of the earth images.
One of the key uses they’re touting it for is to record events from overhead. Just think of all the great things you could soon see on Google Earth: the overhead of the crowd from a football game, the throngs of a marathon crossing a well known bridge, bulls running down drunken runners in Pamplona, the possibilities are endless!
Dubai is about to gain the first underwater luxury hotel in the world. The project, called Hydropolis, will cost more than half billion dollars and it represents the desire of General Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Prince of Dubai.
There are more than 150 companies involved in the project, and the hotel will have three main parts: the land station where guests will arrive, the connection tunnel and the main area of the hotel. Inside the building you will find 220 suites, a high tech cinema, restaurants, an entertainment park and a lot of attractions inspired by the sea.
I’m sure you’ve got a nasty little spinal disc problem bugging the heck out of you.
No matter how many times you see your spinologist, back O’ practor, or Osteocrackist, they don’t seem to be helping. Your back just continues to bring you mind numbing pain. Well it could be you and the thousands of others who’ve had spinal fusion (not spinal tap you Nigel Tufnel fans!) now have a different option available.
Now I know we typically don’t provide a large amount of health news here,as a number of our staff advocate (for the “of age”) a healthy malted beverage intake. However, this is seriously cool spinal news.
In August the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approved the use of the Prodisc lumbar insert. What it basically does (as the fully advanced version would dull any self respecting orthopedic surgeon) Just kidding, if an orthopedic surgeon you know is bored by this, then he needs to go back to his or her old profession of professional (insert sport here) most of them are kick butt jocks,, I know they used to hammer me in cycling for years,, then I moved!
Basically you have what are known as discs in your back, a simpler answer would be, squishy slidey shock absorbers to keep you from screaming while you walk and enable controtionists to bend like gumby after he’s had a barrel of metamucil.
One of the problems with having a bucket load of electronic gadgets is the need for a multitude of chargers and all the cables to boot. A typical techie can often be found carrying around a cellphone, GPS, PDA, camera, MP3 player etc and if they need charging that means a bag full of spaghetti cables and chargers.
A much more elegant solution is the SplashPower SplashPad that can charge multiple gadgets at the same time wirelessly.
With the launch of the forums it’s been a very hectic day so I’ve only just found the time to write this, my 10 favourite gadgets from the past year. So in no particular order we have:
10 – LED Keyboard
This was probably the gadget that made me start Coolest Gadgets, it just looks so cool. Each key is it’s own little LCD screen which opens up a phenomenal list of uses.
The full keyboard is still not available to buy but you can get a 3 key version from Think Geek.
When I got my first mobile phone I was quite happy with an alarm clock and thermometer as extras – and it wasn’t that long ago!
The latest phone models come with digital cameras, MP3 players, internet, satellite navigation, and in March we featured the Samsung i380, which comes with an incredible 8 GB of storage space! As mobile phones come with ever more functions, it’s possible that many users will find their multi-functional phones too complex to use.
Nokia carried out a global survey of what people want from their mobiles. Some of the results are quite suprising.
One of the problems with carrying a load of gadgets around is the fear that one may run out of gadget juice and you’ve left your charger at home (or there’s nowhere to plug it in). The UK company BoxBrands have come up with a novel solution that will be appearing all over the UK anytime soon, the ChargeBox.
The ChargeBox is kind of what it sounds, a box you put your gadget in (mobile, iPod, PDA etc.) and leave it to charge. The box is a secure locker, so when you’re running out of juice put your gadget in a ChargeBox, insert a pound, lock the secure box and then pop to the pub for 40 minutes whilst your gadget charges. Is that useful or what?
A new parachute system known as the Gryphon has been designed by ESG Elektroniksystem- und Logistik-GmbH and Dräger (not sure how you’re meant to pronounce that). The Gryphon enables parachutists to fly through the air at high speed before opening their chutes, so they could be dropped miles away and fly to their intended targets.