The Rocket Sled that Made Winter Cry [Rockets]

Ky Michaelson, or The Rocketman as he's known in some circles, doesn't trudge through the frozen winter tundra like the rest of us. His custom-built rocket sled is modeled after a miniature Radio Flyer. Of course, his features machined aluminum rails, oak planks, front-mounted steering bars, speedometer, and, oh right, a freaking rocket strapped to the back. But our favorite part of the rocket sled isn't the sled itself. It's that The Rocketman is testing his creation near some families who were probably happily ice skating on that pond before some lunatic Apocalypse Now'd the otherwise tranquil atmosphere, replacing the aroma of roasted chestnuts and hot chocolate with spent rocket fuel.

[Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]

SmartMow mows the lawn but won't accept a glass of lemonade

The unmanned lawnmower is nothing new, but we still think there's something downright iffy about arming a Roomba with sharp metal blades. That said, if you've been dying to get in on the action, SmartMow might be worth checking out. Set to hit the stores in Spring '09 for $749 (much cheaper than some other robo-mowers), the thing weighs 17 pounds, features three cutting blades, will cut around a sixth of an acre on a single charge (about 2-3 hours), and is auto-docking. As far as knowing where to mow, SmartMow eschews sci-fi grass detection algorithms and rudimentary artificial intelligence in favor of the tried but true method of marking off your mowable yard with an edge wire. The best thing about the bot, however, may be its educational value -- not only will it teach your kids about robotics, it will also show them how people with money can buy their way out of doing chores.
[Via: Robot Stock News ]

No Cuff automated blood pressure monitor proves that you can go home again

What if you could relive all the magical moments of your childhood, like playing with the blood pressure machine at your local supermarket? Now, thanks to the personal, portable No Cuff Blood Pressure Monitor, you can. Just slide your hand in and press the button to inflate -- it's that simple. In addition to the hours of fun you're sure to have as you feel the device lightly squeeze your arm, the blood pressure reader comes with a detachable LCD display that stores as many as ninety readings, offers AM/PM systolic averaging, an irregular pulse indicator, an alarm, and an arm-movement indicator to keep you from lousing up the reading. Not bad for $200, eh? And if you're feeling generous, maybe you could share this with a sick relative, an elderly neighbor, or anyone who might need to need to check their blood pressure regularly. That is, unless their underwear already does it for them.
[Via: Engadget German ]

Gamerox gamer chair keeps you on your toes, so to speak

We've been acquainted with all sorts of strange exercise / gaming apparatuses, and while the Gamerox is far from being the strangest, it's pretty high up there. Rather than just letting your kid grab any nearby stool and have a seat while melting their brain on games for hours on end, why not force their nates into this contraption? Put simply, it forces kids to continually balance and adjust in order to stay seated. Will it really tone muscles and improve posture? Doubtful, but it's practically guaranteed to frustrate and / or enrage your offspring.
[Via: Slashgear ]

Antlers For Your Outlets [Outlet Antlers]

Leaving your gadgets on the floor while charging is barbaric (besides, the floor is made of lava). Prop up your precious portables with these handy Socket Deer antlers. The rubber antlers come affixed to the plate and are available in three different deer types (just in case you had a favorite). The manufacturer also claims that the plates are excellent for light switches—making it an extremely bizarre way to store your keys and accessories.

[Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]

Toasty Charger is Part of a Power-Packed Battery Breakfast [Battery Toaster]

Over the last few years, pop culture has become enamored with all things toast (and bacon). Everyone loves a cool toaster—except this one isn't cooking up bread. It's powering-up your gadgets.

The "Toasting Charger" concept by Hyun-A Ko is designed to charge your batteries like a toaster cooks bread to a golden brown. Just slide in a lithium ion battery, push down the handle and wait for it to pop up fully charged. There is even a color coded light on the side to keep you informed on the battery's progress. I love the idea—but, alas, it is only a concept at the moment.

[Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]

Foolproof Black & Decker LI4000 SmartDriver Screws Perfectly Every Time [Tools]

Thanks to its special foolproof screw guide, the Black & Decker Ll4000 SmartDriver might just be the perfect holiday gift for that special poseur carpenter in your life who's nothing but thumbs. Why? Because in addition to the typical magnetic drill bits that save sanity and screws from falling between the cracks of your current project, the 3.6-volt, Lithium-Ion battery powered SmartDriver also has a little extended arm that holds the screw in place while you work. Add in an LED work light and a six speed clutch and you have a pretty indispensable little gift, should you be a butterfingers handy man, like me. Pay no attention to the wacky $4,000 Amazon price tag—the SmartDriver supposedly only retails for about $40.

[Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]

Hanging Lanterns Conjure Up Morbid Thoughts [Lamps]

While not as blatant as the noose lamp, these adjustable hanging lanterns have a similar deadly vibe about them. Mathias Hahn's concept is interesting enough—a cool looking lantern that can be height-adjusted by sliding it up and down the rope—but I can't help but envision someone swinging from this thing or tripping over the cord. That's probably why I wouldn't expect a production version anytime soon.

[Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]

Tell Time, Snap Photos with Thanko MP4 Video Watch [Watches]

The Thanko MP4 watch lets me tell time and take compromising photos or video of coworkers at the office Christmas party? SOLD!

And, does it all without the usual stigma that affects these kinds of devices—utter butt-ugliness. It's a bit bulky, to be sure, but thanks to some solid Japanese ingenuity it's finally something I feel confident bringing into public for another of my infamous "photos of things you can never take back" field assignments.

As for the specs, the MP4 sports a 1.8-inch color screen (160x128), supports MP3 and WPA, WMA audio, and can display JPG or text files. A video camera mode recordsin 352x288, while the photo mode is 640x480.

[Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]

@kickbee OMG, this Twitter / baby-tracking hack is so great. Keep on kicking mommy! http://snipr.com/81153

Everything goes down on Twitter these days, (memes happen, people, memes!) and now there's another kid on the scene, literally. Lil' @kickbee is hitting us from the womb, thanks to his / her nerdy father. Kickbee Sr. wrapped his expecting wife's belly with some piezo sensors to detect baby kicks, with an Arduino Mini transmitting the info via Bluetooth to a MacBook Pro, which beams the info on up to Twitter, making him officially the dorkiest dad since Wayne Szalinski. Next step for this little A-lister? Gadget blogging.

[Via: Gadget Review ]

Thanko's latest MP4 watch boasts 1.8-inch display, video camera

Thanko's last MP4 watch was, um, less than gorgeous, but this one can actually be worn in public without automatic public humiliation. Sure, it's still a bit stocky, but we're confident that fashion-forward nerds could still pull it off. In between the two (p)leather straps sits a 1.8-inch 160 x 128 resolution color display, a multimedia player with MP3 / WMA / AVI / JPEG support and a video camera capable of logging VGA-quality clips. You'll also find a mini-USB port and an internal speaker, and there's 4GB of internal memory to go along with about 3.5-hours of music playback time. All yours (if you live in Japan) for ?14,800 ($163).

[Via: AkihabaraNews ]

Wearable toy piano makes music, looks good doing it

Now here's a concept. A musical shirt with enough transistors to make even the hardest of hardcore nerd blush, and a long-sleeve garment fashionable enough to make even the world-class design student stop and admire. Mashed into one. The Musical toy piano shirt is that very piece, which was constructed to wow onlookers at the Electronic Textile workshop held this month in Switzerland. Packing removable batteries, speakers and circuitry, the shirt enables the wearer to emit eight different notes from Do to Do, and we hear there's nothing quite as cute as playing a song on yourself. See what we mean in the vid hosted just after the break.



[Via: Coolest-Gadgets ]

Lackluster line-up of new iriver DAPs leaked

It looks like we might have two new iriver DAPs to get semi-not-really excited about in the very near future, if the leaked photos and specs are to be believed. We know very little about the uber-basic T5 (picture above) beyond the fact that it supports MP3, WMA, and OGG formats and has a built-in USB jack. It's quite small, weighing just 25.9 grams, and will come in 2GB and 4GB sizes. The T6 is a little bigger, but also an apparently quite basic 4GB player with an added FM tuner. The rumor mill also reports that the T5 will run €50 (about $65) while the T6 will be €60 (about $77), but nothing's official and we don't know when they'll hit us with these bad boys.
[Via: Engadget Spanish ]

Ultimate Portable Sewing Machine to Make Clothing Companies Margins Increase [Fake]

At last, good news for worldwide economy. A Bangladeshi company has released the SmartStitch, a portable sewing machine that will allow clothing factory workers to produce 24/7, with obvious benefits.

Think about it. The more all these people work in all those weird countries, the more clothes there will be, and the cheaper the manufacturing will result. Result: Increased profit margins for manufacturers, free entertainment for those workers/slaves/kids slaves no matter about where they are, and exactly the same quality for your jeans, shirts, jackets, and sneakers, at the same price. See?! Everyone wins! [The Onion]
[Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]

Nokia introduces Home Music WiFi radio

Hot on the heals of today's look at the N97, Nokia has dropped the dime on Home Music, the company's first internet radio. Meant for the office or smart home, the device features WiFi and Ethernet connectivity, as well as the usual USB port, aux line-in, analog and digital outs. For those of you who kick it old school once in a while, it also sports an FM receiver and a 10W speaker. No pricing or shipping date yet, but you'll know as soon as we do. In the mean time, hit the read link for more specs and info.

[Via: Electronista ]

Artsy Citrus Clock turns lemons into time of day

We know, the last thing you want to hear of right now is more food, but we just couldn't resist. Anna Gram's artsy Citrus Clock combines the magic of stellar design with basic science in order to create a timepiece that's powered by lemons (or the citrus fruit of your choosing, presumably). Reportedly, a single juicy lemon will keep the seconds ticking for a fortnight (or two weeks, if you've got an inexplicable problem with said synonym), which ain't half bad if we should say so ourselves.
[Via: Unplggd ]

Awethumb is amaathing!

Whittling might have been a hoax and Blackberry massages just a ruse, but the Awethumb is all too real -- and all too freaking amazing. Yeah, we're not at all sure that these $8 plastic thumbguards -- available in your choice of colors! -- will actually protect you from repetitive stress or even make typing easier, but all the dudes and dudettes on the El train will know you mean business when you slip 'em on. As an added bonus, lack of compatibility with the iPhone will allow you to express your disdain for touchscreens in a satisfyingly dramatic way -- if you can't rock it with an Awethumb, you're not rockin'. Ah, to be young and ensheathed in plastic thumb protectors. Frankly astounding video after the break.

[Via: Engadget ]

USB powered lunch bag will keep your food hot while you "work"

Hungry for a hot lunch at your desk every Monday through Friday, but don't want to stand in line for the microwave? The USB-powered heated lunch bag is probably something you'll want to look into, then. It apparently keeps your food at a steamy 140 degrees Farenheit all day, though it gives us pause that we're warned to "make sure the plastic container that you store your food in is of a certain grade and quality" to ensure that there's not "an adverse chemical reaction," but we figure that's probably a minor concern. We don't know if the bag will ever be available in the US, but we have a feeling that if it is, it'll be at least double the size of the current iteration.
[Via: Everything USB ]

Video: Dell's Mini 9 hacked with touchscreen

Add another trick to Dell's Mini 9. The mod-happy netbook has already been seen hanging out with GPS and OSX and now the inevitable: a touchscreen. Fitted with one of those ubiquitous eBay touch panels, user Deldotb of the myDellMini forums loaded up the appropriate Ubuntu drivers and kicked the rather unresponsive USB 1.1 panel to life. Unfortunately, he had to sacrifice a USB port for the privilege. See the Tux Paint "hello world works" video after the break.

[Via: Jkkmobile ]

SNIF Tags go commercial, promise to monitor your dog's activity

They've been keeping tabs on dogs around MIT for a few years now, but it looks like the activity-monitoring SNIF Tags are now finally making their public, and commercial, debut. Unlike some other devices that track your dog's whereabouts with GPS, these make use of an accelerometer and some motion analysis software to determine exactly how active your dog is, all of which gets logged online via the included SNIF base station that connects to your router. Even more ambitiously, the tags also promise to let you and your dog engage in a bit of social networking, with the tags able to recognize when they're close to another tag and record the encounter online when you get back home which, of course, depends on plenty of other dogs having the tags as well. Their $200 introductory price (or $300 after November 24th) won't exactly help those chances, however, nor will the $10 a month fee for the premium membership (a year of service is included with the starter kit). If that's not a deterrent for you though, you can get your order in right now by hitting up the ready link below.
[Via: Engadget ]

Akai's EWI USB wind instrument now shipping, to reveal your inner Kenny G.

We've certainly seen no shortage USB-friendly MIDI devices lately, whether they be instruments or hacks, but it's been a long, long time since one caught our eye that brought your breath into the equation. Akai's latest, the EWI (that's "eee-whee" if you can dig it) USB is now shipping for $499, enabling you to simulate anything from a flute to a trumpet at a price about $200 less than the company's other electronic wind instruments. It even comes with a complete software recording suite, meaning getting this EWI installed should be easier than playing a chromatic scale on a slide flute. Mastering the sweet, soulful strains of "Silhouette," however, might be a little more complicated.
Update: Rollins wrote in to let us know these things are going for just $299 online. Those "Sentimental" fantasies just got that much more accessible!
[Via: musicradar.com ]

DIY SNES alarm clock is kind of cool, truly alarming

Oh, look -- another SNES mod. This one's actually pretty cute and useful in theory -- an alarm clock! The finished product is completely functional, though we're not too psyched on the sound of the alarm. Then again, we've never heard an alarm we were super stoked on, so it's not this inventive chap's fault. Hit the read link for full instructions on how to make your own, and take a peek at the clock-setting action in the video after the break.

[Via: CrunchGear ]

Light for Life UC3.400 flashlight will last a really, really long time

These are tough, dangerous times, so if you're in the market for a flashlight it's probably true that you want it to be rugged enough to get your money's worth, and to hold up under whatever world-ending abuses you and (and your torch) may encounter. Enter 5.11 Tactical's Light for Life UC3.400 -- a flashlight whose three LEDs take 90 seconds to charge and have 90 minutes of uptime. Even more interesting (especially to thrifty health nuts), the LEDs are apparently rated for "more than 50,000 charge cycles," which is... oh... 130 years, assuming you use it once every single day. Sure, the claim is pretty much unprovable and highly suspicious, but let's just say we know what we're getting our vampire friends for the holidays this year.
[Via: UberReview ]

Mini nuclear plant is safe, affordable and purifies water (but doesn't turn lead into gold)

This isn't the first time we've seen a micro nuclear reactor, and with the looming ebergy crisis it probably won't be the last. Designed by scientists at Los Alamos, the Hyperion Power Module will retail for $25 million, has no moving parts, is about the size of a hot tub (less than 5 feet wide) and should generate enough electricity for about 10,000 homes, running up to ten years before it needs refueled. And if all that isn't enough, the company claims that the module is meltdown proof (the small amount of enclosed fuel would immediately cool if ever exposed to open air), that the enclosed material is unsuitable for proliferation, and in addition to generating inexpensive power the HPM can be used to purify water. Are you sold? Be sure to hit that read link -- Hyperion is taking orders now!
[Via: PhysOrg ]

Blue Microphone presents the Icicle XLR to USB audio interface

To be honest, we were a little skeptical when we first saw Blue Microphone's Icicle. Isn't the USB audio adapter a little played out? But after a quick look at the specs our inner audiophiles came away quite interested. This XLR-to-USB audio interface offers 48V phantom power, an analog preamp with gain control and it should work with any of your favorite XLR mics. At 16-bit / 44.1kHz sound quality this device isn't going to replace any of your serious studio gear, but if you ever find yourself looking for a quick and easy way to grab audio with a condenser mic (and who hasn't?) this should do the trick nicely. Available sometime in December for a suggested retail price of $60.
[Via: Engadget ]

USB Digital Endoscope: you will see what you want to see

USB Fever has a real eye-opening item on offer: the USB Digital Endoscope. While they claim this product is for "medical" uses, looking at it, it strikes us as an unlikely candidate for actual, legitimate endoscopy. Luckily, the seller offers a helpful slew of other suggested uses, including forensics, tinkering, industrial inspection, science education, serial number identification, unicorn hunting, and crime scene investigation. You can order it now for $139.99 and it'll supposedly be shipped out the week of November 17th. Oh, and Mac users -- go ahead and get indignant -- this instrument is compatible only with Windows and Linux.
[Via: Book of Joe ]

Mintpass' tiny Mintpad brings handwriting back from the 20th century

We can't remember the last time we stealthily scribbled a note to a coworker instead of shooting an IM, but Mintpass (a Korean firm founded by former iriver minds) believes some folks want to do both at once with Mintpad, a wireless handheld that's one part Nintendo DS, one part iPod, and another part Post-it note. Yes, it surfs the web on 802.11b/g WiFi and plays 4GB (or more with a microSD card) of music and videos on its sub-3-inch 320 x 240 display, but the draw is handwriting with a stylus. Don't pick it up if you're looking for handwriting recognition, though -- you just jot down notes the old fashioned way, though you can pass them over the internet to others who have their own Mintpads. We've seen a note or two saying you can pick one up in South Korea for в‚©198,000, or about $156.
[Via: Pocketables ]

EasyBloom USB stake sensor now shipping, plants celebrate

Well, wouldn't you know it? That PlantSense prototype we peeked around this time two years ago has seemingly found the fundage to start up production, and at long last the revamped product is available for you to purchase. Now christened EasyBloom, this USB stake sensor analyzes important data when stuck in soil for 24 hours, after which it uploads the data to your PC (via USB) for determining whether or not a flower / tree / etc. should be planted there. Additionally, it can "diagnose what is wrong with an ailing plant," and it can even dole out a recommended list of which plants would be suitable for your environment. Sure, $59.99 may seem like a lot of green to toss out for something such as this, but it sure beats purchasing new flora every fortnight after you murder yet another round.
[Via: Engadget ]

IC3 Intelligent Cutlery System Silently Judges You During Meals [Concept]

Diets are tough, what with the eating and drinking of beer, and that being really, really, enjoyable and all. The IC3 Intelligent Cutlery System wants to help. How? Well, designer Alex Schulz says that as you chomp away at dinner, the IC3 does the traditional job as a fork, knife or spoon, and then goes the extra mile by silently judging and recording every bite you take. Even more interesting is that each attachment does something different. The fork, for example, measures fat, protein and sugar content. The spoon? That weighs the food, while the knife takes your food's temperature and ensures it's safe for eating. Then, after your meal, the IC3 synchs up with a PC or other information gathering device and produces a nutrition report, which you'll probably follow religiously for a few weeks before falling off the wagon. [Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]

Princeton publishes how-to guide for hacking Sequoia e-voting machines

If you're American, it's nearly time to do your civic duty and pick the lesser of two evils for the greater good... and then to wonder if that vote actually got counted. With Diebold admitting its own machines are utterly insecure, competitor Sequoia is now under the microscope and, after a little quality time with the company's machines, Princeton researchers have filed a 158 page report on the ease of replacing their ROMs and winning yourself an election. Okay, we know what you're thinking: "Hacking hardware isn't exactly easy when the computer is in a locked box." Amazingly, it is. A researcher was able to bypass the physical security mechanisms in 13 seconds, despite never having picked a lock before. Now you're thinking: "But you'd need to do that on hundreds of them!" Not so; once infected that malicious code can spread itself to others, and, with no paper trail and an easily bypassed internal audit system, you're well on your way to whatever dark corner of Washington, D.C. you care to occupy!
[Via: Ars Technica ]

Crapgadget: not-even-suitable-for-gag-gifts edition

We all know the holiday season is coming up, but even if you're on the hunt for a gag gift for your fav-o-rite prankster, we can't not recommend the following turds enough. Up first is the absolutely unbelievable Night Sweat Alarm watch, which actually wakes you up if it detects that you're perspiring. Why? Legend has it that no one knows. Moving on, we've got the USB Volcano -- a perfect mix of your first-grade science project and your college-era infatuation with all things USB. Things start to get really absurd when viewing the self-explanatory Glass of Milk Light and the Retro Handy Handset, but even those are potentially topped in stupidity by the Air Flow Mouse and cake-shaped USB drives. Have a look at each below before casting your vote, but keep that barf bag handy.
[Via: Engadget ]

iBone chew toy gives sneak peek at dog-centric App Store

We're going out on a limb here and assuming that the Haute Diggity Dog iBone comes jailbroken and ready to rock, or at least that's the impression we get from checking out that heretofore unseen bevy of icons. Customized for the "tech savvy dog on the go," this here iPhone chew toy gives dear Fido access to bark / hand-shake training, posture lessons, Washington Huskies sports updates (it's the Clemson Tigers in all honesty, but work with us here), a mysterious fitness app and a bone application for times when supper just seems too far away. You know your pup's worth the $11.95, you just know it.
[Via: textually ]

Back to the Future II Jacket on eBay [Fashion]

We've already gotten the 2015 Nikes, and now Marty McFly's Back to the Future II jacket is for sale on eBay. It's not the actual film prop and it sadly lacks Auto Dry, but this leather recreation will have to be close enough until the world's inventors get their act together and make us the real thing. Here's a shot of it being worn by some guy who's way cooler than you:

Currently listed for $400 on eBay, do your inner 10-year-old a favor and pick this thing up. You owe that kid big time. [Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]

Aigo's stretchy USB speaker borrows sock technology to boom the bass

Mmm, elastic, is there anything you can't do? First it turned that quitter of a sock into a winner, now it promises to assist in producing "the deepest music" from an open Aigo E086 portable speaker. The 1.7 watt USB speaker features a single 36mm driver, a 3.5-mm headphone jack, and a 3-hour charge for up to 4 hours of usage. And hey, Cingular was done with that logo anyway. Yours in Japan for ?2,580 or about 27 greenbacks.
[Via: Impress ]

DARPA's latest: a wrap that stops bleeding with sound

If we had our way, all our military tax dollars would go to DARPA. Whether it be nano planes, robot arms, or high-resolution sniper scopes, it always has something interesting cooking, and today's defense-minded gadget is no different. It's called a DBAC device, for Deep Bleeder Acoustic Coagulation; basically a portable ultrasound wrap that can identify wounds ("bleeders") and reduce their severity. It uses Doppler waves to find an internal leak, then turns up the frequency and amplitude on that location to stem it, all in a completely automated fashion able to be managed by any Joe in a hot zone. Okay, so perhaps it's not as cool as a remote-controlled zombie shark, but this cuff has the potential to save many lives and limbs on the battlefield -- assuming it works. DARPA hopes to have a functional prototype ready in 18 months. [Warning: PDF read link]
[Via: CNET News ]

Panasonic's new 3D range sensor functions in direct sunlight

Perhaps you're looking for a way to track potential cat burglers, give your robot some spacial sense, make your UIs a little more interactive, or you simply want to keep an eye on your "compound." Panasonic has just released detailed specs for its 3D range sensor -- the first, it says, to work in direct sunlight. Exhibited at CEATEC 2008, the device emits light from several dozen LEDs to track the movements of any object in its view. The company's previous 3D range sensor didn't function well (if at all) in bright light, but the equipment now compensates for "extremely bright ambient light" by measuring it and eliminating it from the equation. Can't wait to track your loved ones' every movement? The 24 volt, USB 2.0 sensor is slated for an April 1, 2009 release.

[Via: Tech-On! ]

Watermill pulls drinking water from thin air

Sure we've seen glorified dehumidifiers like this before, but we're a sucker for any aquatic wonder which claims to solve the world's drinking water shortage. The exterior wall-mounted Watermill from Element Four is the latest "water from thin air" contraption and produces up to 3.2 gallons of water a day, pumped through a trusty ultraviolet sterilizer. But more importantly, it offers to hydrate your family of 6 (according to EF) for a mere thirty-five cents a day in power, not including whatever price Element Four decides to sell it for. Or you could just stick a bucket on your roof and be done with it -- we hear it rains occasionally.
[Via: Gadget Review ]

Philips Simplicity shows off vision for the future of street lighting

In these green times, companies are looking everywhere to make a buck -- er, save the planet. Philips Simplicity didn't go much further than the sidewalk to find inspiration for its latest eco-friendly innovation, the Light Blossom, a self-sustainable street lamp that has triple-duty petals. They're peppered with energy-efficient LEDs to illuminate the street, naturally, but also have solar panels on top and can spin around in a stiff breeze to recharge. At night they'll emit a soft glow, intended to cut down on light pollution, but will grow brighter whenever a pedestrian comes by. It all sounds wonderfully efficient, but with lights popping on and off as you go, it could make that late-night walk of shame a little more conspicuous than you might like.
[Via: Engadget ]

Sony pushes out firmware 5.0 for PSP

"Soon-ish" has turned to "now-ish." PSP owners eager to get their minds into the PlayStation Network (and thus, the PS Store) right on their handheld can now do so... right after they suck down the freshly released firmware 5.0, of course. Aside from the obvious changes, the PlayStation format software can now be output in full-screen size on a connected device, the sleep timer feature can now be used under [Music], the system automatically reverts to USB mode when a USB cable is connected and the [Original] theme has been redesigned. Get it while the gettin's good.
[Via: Engadget ]

NTT says one of these days these boots are gonna charge your gadgets

Phone battery constantly dying as you wander from place to place, moving in and out of reception and leaving it straining to find a signal? You aren't alone, and if you're not the sort to wear a conductive dress (in public, at least) you may want to keep an eye out for some new kicks in the works from NTT. Their soles are filled with water, displaced as the wearer walks and forced through a tiny turbine. Current prototypes generate 1.2 watts of electricity, enough to power your iPod as you strut, but by the time these things hit production in 2010 the hope is to more than double that to 3 watts so that you can charge up your mobile, too. Sounds fantastic, but we're a little unsure about running wires down our pants to get that juice where we need it.
[Via: Engadget ]

Mugen PeriPeri Toy Makes It Feel Like the First Time, Over and Over and Over [Japan]

Sometimes, the feeling of tearing open the package is more exhilarating than whatever's actually inside (unless it's one of those god-forsaken plastic clamshells that require you to mutilate it with a weapon of mass destruction, which is its own kind of rush). So the same people who gave us infinitely poppable bubble wrap have delivered the other part of the equation: Mugen PeriPeri. It lets you experience the visceral joy of ripping apart a package again and again and again. And yes, there's a crazy video showing just how awesomely euphoric it is in the most ridiculous way possible.

[Trends in Japan]
[Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]

Non Stop Top Never—Wait For It—Stops Spinning [Spinning Tops]

Like a Ronco rotisserie or the perfect politician, you can set this non Stop Top and forget it, because it never stops spinning. Well, it never stops until it runs out of battery juice, which takes about eight hours. Mileage for pols or rotisseries is probably much more than that. It's a cool, shiny top, however, even if they don't really go into detail about the inner workings that keep it spinning for so long. [Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]

Russian Artists Create Man-Sized, Melted, Working iPod [High Art]

The 'WowPod' might not the be first oversized, semi-functioning iPod, but it's probably the strangest. Perhaps taking cues from Salvador Dali (The Persistence of Flash Memory? Anyone? Sorry?), Aristarkh Chernyshev and Alexei Shulgi have not just blown up and distorted an iPod — they've thrown in some functionality. Their site is low on details, but from the looks of it they may actually have the display connected to a iPod Classic's video output. The rest is up to speculation: are the controls mapped? Are the earbuds speakers? What does it mean? What is art? Who am I? and so on.
[Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]