IOCELL contents phone logs conversations, sends 'em around the web

Not quite sure why, but we get this whole Get Smart vibe from this thing. IOCELL's contents phone would probably be more suited for a highly covert spy agency rather than your grandmother's home, but we suppose even granny could appreciate the built-in hard drive that logs conversations, plays 'em back and makes remembering things that much easier. Furthermore, the firm asserts that this thing can send completed calls out on the internet should you want to pass along the audio to someone else, and there also appears to be a USB port for possibly offloading those onto flash drives. Heck, it even syncs caller ID information with calls and provides background music during conversations (uh, okay?). Take a wild guess on the price, chances are you'll be fairly close.

[Via: The Red Ferret Journal ]

US Army turns to toy company to develop new weapon

We're not quite sure how the pitch session went with this one, but it looks like the US Army was so impressed by toymaker Lund and Company's Hydrogen Fuel Rocket that it decided to recruit the company to build a decidedly more lethal version of it. The new system, dubbed the Variable Velocity Weapon System, will apparently be able to be switched between lethal and non-lethal modes, and be loaded with rubber bullets, actual bullets, or other projectiles, which are fired by mixing a liquid or gaseous fuel with air in a combustion chamber. What's more, the company says that the technology could be applied to any size weapon from a "handgun to a Howitzer," and it says a demonstration version could be ready in as little as six months, with full production possible within 18 months, pending approval.

[Via: Danger Room ]

Weemote maker wants Nintendo to buy his trademark, release him from this iron cage

We're going to guess you've never heard of the Weemote, a little blue remote control made by a company called Forbis. The egg-shaped remote control and its parent company are reportedly in financial trouble ever since another company came out with something a lot of people are calling the "Wiimote." While the Nintendo Wii Remote's official name isn't that word (we refuse to type it again), evil bloggers and retail chains have taken to the term and Forbis claims its brand has been diluted, confused, and passed up. Owner John Stephen told Game Politics that he would like nothing more than to have Nintendo buy out the trademark and let him move on to something called, oh, let's say, the X Bocks, a new microbrewery project. The big surprise out of all of this? Nintendo isn't interested. In fact, it has no legal reason to do so, either -- it's never officially called the Wii Remote anything else. Of course, that's not to say Ninty shouldn't do the right thing here (and make our jobs just a hair easier) by buying out the mark and sanctioning the nickname, but don't hold your breath.

[Via: Engadget ]

Sony Reader goes open, will be able to work with other booksellers

While Sony's Reader has never received the enormous press or enjoyed the supposed whirlwind sales of Amazon's Kindle e-book, and is certainly lacking in, erm, EV-DOness, the Reader is about to get one trick the Kindle doesn't have yet: openness. Sony will be shooting out an update on Thursday to allow the Reader to use purchased books in the protected EPUB format from whoever is peddling them, instead of being tied to the Sony's e-book store, or just DRM-free text and PDF documents. That openness should help Sony beef up its selection -- which is lagging behind Amazon's -- and will hopefully mark a bit of a turning point in the e-book market to more standards and, more importantly, more books.

[Via: Engadget ]

Armpit Televisions Promote Stinky Ads [Commercials]

As part of a unique promotional campaign, Right Guard has deployed "Pitvertisers"—a crew of people on the street armed with LCD televisions sewn into the deepest pits of their shirts. So the next you're on the train and wonder who is emanating that awful advertisement, you'll see that, oh, it's that douchebag playing commercials with his armpits. This is the world we live in. I'm sorry if it's a disappointment. [Ananova via Ubergizmo]

[Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]

USB-powered HEAT ME stirrer: a coffee addict's dream

We'll go ahead and squash your hopes before you waste time pulling out the plastic -- this thing's just a concept, at least for now. From what we can glean, the HEAT ME is a fantastic device just waiting to be snapped up by Brando (or similar) and turned into the next must-have USB-powered gizmo. Put simply, the metal ends of this here stick warm up when plugged into your USB port, thus giving you a toasty wand to keep your hot tea / coffee at the proper temperature even when colleagues pull you away momentarily. Really though, is there any doubt this won't go commercial within the next six months?

[Via: Coolest-Gadgets ]

iShoe promises to detect balance problems before it's too late

There's plenty of devices out there designed to keep folks from falling over, but this so-called iShoe developed by some MIT researchers takes a slightly different tact, with it promising to detect balance problems long before a person actually falls. That's apparently possible thanks to some sensor-laden insoles that measure the pressure distribution across as person's feet, which can be offloaded onto a computer and analyzed with the aid of a special algorithm the researchers have created. Eventually, they say the system could let doctors catch balance problems in their early stages and take the appropriate action, or even notify family members if a person falls, although that latter bit doesn't exactly seem very optimistic of them. No word on a commerical release just yet, but the team is apparently moving steadily towards one, with it currently conducting trials and recently having snapped up a $50,000 grant to help cover start-up costs.

[Via: Engadget ]

Hello Kitty 1seg portable TV lacks effort, cuteness

Word on the street is that Sanrio was looking for new Hello Kitty designers on the West Coast earlier last week, and if this sad little 1seg portable TV is any indication, we can see why the company's in search of fresh talent. Seriously, this is the least cute Hello Kitty gadget we've seen in a while, and we're basically suckers for the lil' imp. Japan-only, and your ?21,000 ($197) doesn't get you anything special on the inside, either, just a 2.4-inch QVGA screen and built-in stereo speakers with a 4.5-hour battery life. Come on, Kitty -- make us love you again.

[Via: Engadget ]

Clove 2 typing glove leaves your other hand free for high fives

Have no fear, we're always on the hunt for new and innovative ways to boost your bombdigity quotient, and we've really found just the thing this time around. The Clove 2 interfaces with your computer over Bluetooth, and through a strange set of tapping gestures (that sort of remind us of that one Daft Punk video), allows you to type one-handed, sans keyboard. Seems like quite the learning curve, but we're sure it's totally worth it in the end. Four words per minute never looked so good. Video is after the break.

[Via: Hack a Day ]

Samsung U4 thumb DAP gets further detailed

Samsung's U3 follow-up, the U4, already broke cover on a Korean website a few days ago, but that brief appearance unfortunately didn't consist of much more than a low res image of the device. The folks at Tevo have now thankfully cleared up the situation a bit, however, with a slightly better pic and some actual specs. Apparently, this one will be coming in 1GB and 2GB variations only, each of which will sport a 1-inch OLED display, along with support for MP3, WMA, and OGG formats, and a handy sliding USB connector. No word on a price just yet, but you can pretty safely bet this one will be on the low-end of Samsung's many offerings.
[Thanks, Anthony]

[Via: Engadget ]

A Beer-Shooting Minigun Can't Possibly Be a Bad Idea [Beers Attack]

We're not exactly sure how this beer minigun promotes pacifism as the creator claims, but who are we to argue? An entrant in the Nastro Azurro UnBEERlievable Collection, it's just one of many beer-inspired technologies that we're absolutely certain would function perfectly if fabricated for real life use. Luckily, no one designed a beer that could drink itself. [Nastro Azurro via TrendsNow]

[Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]

LED Alarm Clock Blocks are too pretty to smash

If you're a habitual destroyer of snooze buttons, there's at least a smidgen of a possibility that picking one of these up could stop that habit. Seiji's stylish LED Alarm Clock Blocks (?8,190; $76) rely on a trio of LED-filled boxes to convey the time (right down to the second), and best of all, the trifecta can be arranged however you'd like (horizontally, vertically, etc.) in order to please your fuzzy eyes in the AM. Unfortunately, you'll still have to use that spare travel clock while this thing gets imported from Japan, but you know what they say about the early bird...

[Via: technabob ]