Download: 19 Jan 2012

Thursday 19 January 2012

In some alternate universe, this is the iPhone

In some alternate universe, this is the iPhone:

Now that we have just started the new year, people tend to get nostalgic over the last year. While I was thinking about the passing of Steve Jobs, I started thinking about what might have been.

Sure, Jobs gave us the iPhone, but this Apple prototype dates a quarter-century before its unveiling. In 1983, a designer named Hartmut Esslinger created this landline phone with a touchscreen.

Esslinger’s creation was never put into production, but he did design several other products that were a hit for Apple. After the jump, I am going to describe an alternate history where the landline iPhone became the ultimate gadget.

Yes, in this 1984, Apple went against big brother by empowering their users to write checks online, like you see in this image. As a result, the Silicon Bank founded all electronic banking, and Apple became even more rich.

In 1985, Apple creates “apps”. As a result, users have touchscreen phone access to the King’s Quest series and other popular games like The Oregon Trail. Nintendo never gets the NES off the ground as users play interactive multiplayer games on their landline iPhones.

I would imagine that texting would have become huge before 1990, and ringtones would have been on landline phones before they ever hit the mobile market. Now I wonder when the mobile phone revolution would have hit in this Fringe-like alternate universe.

Source

Introducing Foolish Gadgets because not all gadgets are cool

[ In some alternate universe, this is the iPhone copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Source : Google Reader

Samsung DV300F DualView digital camera

Samsung DV300F DualView digital camera:

Samsung has certainly carved quite a comfortable, secure niche for itself in the world of consumer electronics, delivering quality products at prices that you would not shy away from even in times of economic crisis. Their reach is certainly far and wide, and one of the company’s more innovative releases recently would be the Samsung DV300F, where it is part of the DualView family that further innovates this hugely popular category.

Touted to carry the latest in Dual LCD technology, while sporting Wi-Fi connectivity, it will allow you to shoot and share your favorite memories in a jiffy. The Samsung DV300F will continue from where its predecessors left off, using a 1.5” front facing LCD screen which makes sure you know what you are shooting even in an extremely challenging situation. Not only that, you can keep a bored child happy with the Child Mode that will display an animation, so that the little ones remain focused for you to capture that picture, or should I say, pixel perfect shot.

Not only that, the DV300F is also the first DualView model that will come with Wi-Fi connectivity. The camera’s integrated Wi-Fi connectivity will allow you to email your images or even to upload them to your favorite social network sites, such as Facebook, Picasa, Flickr and YouTube. All images saved will be stored on a microSD memory card, where you can then transfer it over to a desktop machine without the need for any pesky cables, thanks to the Auto PC Backup function. With the introduction of Cloud services, including Samsung’s AllShare Play and Microsoft SkyDrive, users can store and share their precious pictures from virtually anywhere as long as there is a decent Internet connection.

The Samsung DV300F is also quite the looker, sporting sophisticated design and premium build quality, as it comes in a range of shimmering metallic colors to choose from such as mock black, silver, navy and red. With 16-megapixels of image quality, a 5x optical zoom and 25mm wide-angle lens, this is one casual camera for the newbie or for folks who simply just want a fancy digital camera, without having to go through the lengths of shooting manually or selecting various shooting options. Auto ought to get the job done most of the time.

Press Release

Coolest Gadgets UK – For all your UK centric tech and gadget news.
[ Samsung DV300F DualView digital camera copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Source : Google Reader

Jamproof Programmable Pet Feeder

Jamproof Programmable Pet Feeder:

Whenever you are away for a couple of days and do not want to incur any more expenses on your already tight monthly budget, then you would surely take your chances by leaving your beloved pet cat all alone at home – closing all avenues of escaping at the same time. As for feeding issues, it is nice to know that there are automatic pet feeders out there, but what happens when modern technology runs into some trouble and gets jammed? Enter the $249.95 Jamproof Programmable Pet Feeder, I suppose.

This programmable device is capable of dispensing kibble automatically, making sure your beloved feline is properly fed on schedule – and I am quite sure dog kibble would work fine, too, although a dog who has yet to be house-trained to do its potty business at the same spot might not be such a good idea to be away from for a couple of days. This model ensures no jams happen thanks to a patented flexible drive mechanism which is said to be virtually impossible to clog. It plays nice with moist of wet kibble, so go on and take that long deserved break without any worries!

Coolest Gadgets UK – For all your UK centric tech and gadget news.
[ Jamproof Programmable Pet Feeder copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Source : Google Reader

SeaBird personal submarine

SeaBird personal submarine:

What are some of the big boy’s toys that only tycoons and magnates are able to afford? Super fast and exotic cars, taking the helicopter to the office because one does not want to go through the hassle of traffic jams, or even purchasing a private jet if that is one’s desire. But what happens when you prefer the seven seas instead of being stuck in a traffic gridlock or flying in the air? Yes, the clarion call of the sirens beckons, and you absolutely need to get your sea legs moving again.

A yacht can be ho-hum, but what about the confines of a submarine? Yes, we’re talking about the SeaBird personal submarine making an attempt to penetrate this particularly burgeoning market. It won’t be able to fire any nuclear missiles or warheads, being just a personal submarines, using electric motors that are powered by a rechargeable battery pack, so you need not worry about any nuclear fuel rods experiencing a meltdown. US-based AquaVenture’s attempt with the SeaBird is slightly different from conventional design, since it nixes the standard propulsion system but will be towed through the water by a surface vessel instead.

According to AquaVenture, this patent-pending tow system was used on the SeaBird in order to deliver the power of an internal combustion engine to an underwater vessel. At point of publishing, the fastest personal subs are limited to speeds of less than 10 mph (16 km/h), and the SeaBird is far speedier, having received certification to travel at speeds of up to 22 knots (25 mph/40 km/h), regardless of whether it is above or below the water’s surface.

Being towed on a cable of up to 400 ft (122 m) in length, it can operate in a large cone that is behind the towing surface vessel. A single surface vessel has enough juice to tow a couple of SeaBirds simultaneously, allowing the SeaBirds to operate to depths of 150 ft (46 m), with the option to double it to 300 ft (91 m) for “certain (non tourism) customers.” How long can you last in the SeaBird? It is said to provide a habitable atmosphere for 24-72 hours.

Source

Coolest Gadgets UK – For all your UK centric tech and gadget news.
[ SeaBird personal submarine copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Source : Google Reader

Archos 70b can be yours for two Benjamins

Archos 70b can be yours for two Benjamins:

If you are in the market for a new tablet that will not break the bank, I am quite sure that Archos’ latest release is right up up your alley – after all, you need not pay more than $200 for an Android 3.2 Honeycomb powered tablet, making it the cheapest tablet in its class that runs on that particular version of the operating system. The latest release is known as the Archos 70b Internet tablet, and just in case it looks really familiar to those of you who are tablet fans, that is because this is but an enhanced version of the Archos 70 IT Gen 8 model, boasting an upgraded capacitive touch screen display alongside a beefier processor which has a speed rating of 1.2GHz, making it more than suitable for just about your everyday tablet needs, and more.

What makes the Archos 70b Internet tablet special would be the fact that it runs the latest Android 3.2 Honeycomb operating system that is tablet-centric, delivering Google’s entire suite of mobile applications with Android Market, so that you are able to gain access to more than 300,000 applications including games, books, social media and news.

Slim and lighteright, Honeycomb will deliver faster and smoother transitions between different applications, as well as introduce a more intuitive navigation to and from home screens. Not only that, Archos claims that this particular model will deliver the be able to deliver the best performances where portability is concerned, immediate internet access, multimedia, apps and affordability. As for the display which has been improved that we talked about earlier? You are looking (and touching) at a higher resolution capacitive screen of 1024 x 600 pixels, delivering vibrant colors and crisp clarity, not to mention a doubling of RAM amount to 512MB for a smoother Web experience and more efficient multi-tasking.

Not only that, there is also a built-in 3D graphics accelerator and Wi-Fi connectivity, not to mention pre-loaded with a full pack of connected apps including as a web browser and email application, HDMI output and a microSD memory card slot for expansion purposes just in case the built-in 8GB of internal memory is not enough. Too bad this puppy isn’t available in time for Christmas, as it will arrive only in January for $199 a pop.

Company Page

Coolest Gadgets UK – For all your UK centric tech and gadget news.
[ Archos 70b can be yours for two Benjamins copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Source : Google Reader

Meizu MX arrives at China at last

Meizu MX arrives at China at last:

The original iPhone killer manufacturing company, Meizu, did not quite manage to live up to its nickname given by industry watchers, which explains the iPhone’s lofty position in the world of smartphones at the moment. Still, if at first you don’t succeed, try again – and it is nice to see Meizu not throwing in the towel, but perhaps this time around they are not too interesting in taking on that cursed mantle that no one has really come close to accomplishing – preferring instead to chart their own route where a smartphone is concerned.

The Meizu MX will first hit its home country, China, from January 1st onwards, making it the perfect way to kick off a new year if you happen to be on the lookout for a new handset. Well, this highly anticipated smartphone has already picked up a warm reception, with the local market showing a really huge interest in its home market, not to mention news portals showing interest on the international front.

It seems that with the pre-order process beginning from December 1st, 2012, Meizu has already picked up an overwhelming amount of pre-orders. The Meizu MX does seem rather familiar to some, considering how it is reminiscent of the Meizu M9 that was rolled out a year earlier. In fact, last year, long lines were formed in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Zhuhai, so do expect the same kind of frenzied scenario to happen with the Meizu MX as well.

Ever since the Meizu MX engineering samples were released to the media on December 8th, Meizu has collected user feedback from across the world, and that will be implemented in the final model, making sure that a whole slew of improvements and bug fixes were introduced, affecting both hardware and software. Among the more prominent hardware improvements will comprise of a anti-fingerprint coating to the camera lens, not to mention a whole lot easier to use hardware buttons, improving the aesthetics of the internal circuitry, not to mention improvements in overall build quality.

Other hardware configurations include a 326PPI high resolution display, a 1GHz Cortex A8 processor, all working in tandem with the Flyme OS that is based on the Android operating system. Meizu has promised to deliver a Flyme OS version that is based on the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich OS later this year, too.

Company Page

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[ Meizu MX arrives at China at last copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Source : Google Reader

Touch Screen Heart Rate Watch

Touch Screen Heart Rate Watch:

Marking your workout’s progress can be quite a chore, but then again, I supposed if you have the discipline to work out each day without having to drag yourself out of bed, keeping track of your health record should not be too hard to do. The $99.99 Touch Screen Heart Rate Watch might help you out here, where it enables easy monitoring of your heart rate in order to maintain and improve on your cardio intensity target.

Basically, the Touch Screen Heart Rate Watch delivers an accurate reading to you without the need to wear an uncomfortable chest strap, and neither do you need to fiddle around with a wide range of function buttons while ensuring your activity level remains at the same, high intensity pace. All you need to do is touch The Touch Screen Heart Rate Watch’s bezel, and within seconds, you will be able to see what your current heart rate is. The LCD display is a snap to read, and it also doubles up as a watch, calendar and stopwatch. Love exercising at dusk? Fret not, there is a light-up display to help you there. Since the New Year is tonight, why not make a resolution and sweat away those pounds in 2012, with the help of the Touch Screen Heart Rate Watch?

Cool Gift Idea: Digital Picture Frames, check out our reviews.
[ Touch Screen Heart Rate Watch copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]