Mobile Devices

This telephone has the capability of changing the users voice, maybe it is a good investment for pranksters? Or spies?

Basically it is a normal phone, with the only extra feature being a voice modulation switch, which you can regulate to pick a high, or low pitch for your voice.

Unlike other telephones, this one comes with a back brace, in case you want to mount it on the wall. It is kind of cheap for the occasional prank, only $10.

All you need is a standard land line connection to plug this phone in, and the fun can begin.

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Sometimes looking at the great variety of all those high-end cell phones it seems that nothing more can be designed. However the creativeness of modern designers and engineers shows that the previous statement has nothing common with the reality. Thus, according to the latest news NEC will produce absolutely innovative liquid-powered cell phones in the near future.

At present given gadget is just a prototype, so there is no possibility to mention all the novelty’s features. Yet, this NEC liquid flask cell phone seems to be the combination of being liquid-powered and touchscreen. It means that the liquid inside will drain as you are using the phone, allowing you to see just how much power left. It sounds incredibly, isn’t it? As usually, nothing said about the future price of the concept, but as NEC informs it is going to be released sometime in 2008. Of course it’s hard to imagine what functions this phone will be able to perform but according to the given picture it won’t have even a usual digital camera. If so, this will be a “slight” disadvantage of this gadget.

In case all the mentioned features are true, the demand for this flask phone will be very impressive, because quite a significant amount of people will want to buy such an original and unusual device. At the same time all those who like this concept should hope that it will not be a Japan-only release.

I don’t use an umbrella because 1) I live in Southern California and it generally only rains 3 days a year, 2) I might poke someone’s eye out, and 3) Where do you store the thing when it’s wet?

Hironao Tsuboi, a creative designer, solved the third problem by creating anumbrella that stands on it’s own. That wasn’t as easy as it sounds; apparently he had to determine the center of gravity by a complex process by casting aluminum into different clay molds. Further series of tests were carried out to determine the optimal spread of the three legs.

Made of ABS synthetic resin (plastic), the umbrella remains steady but also handy when you need it, say if a spontaneous water pistol fight breaks out or in case you’re unlucky enough to live somewhere where it rains all the time.

Don’t run out to buy it quite yet; it still remains a concept project.

More on umbrellas:
Weather forecasting umbrella, plan for puddles
Almost unbreakable umbrella: Senz
Music in the Rain
NanoNuno umbrella featured in Time’s Best Inventions 2006
Protect your camera with the Popabrella

USB Exercising mouse

Connect your cyclist USB mouse to the USB port on your computer, and the faster you type, the faster he pedals! You can see your results on the bike’s screen (LCD). He also keeps record of your daily word count! System requirements: -IBM compatible PC with 133MHz or higher processor. -Windows 98SE/ME/2000/XP -128MB of RAM (256 MB recommended) -100 MB of hard disc space USB 1.1 / 2.0 port CD-ROM and CD driver

Wireless CCTV thought you might want to become a spy and they didn’t fail in presenting an indispensable field device.

One of Wireless CCTV’s 3G body-worn solutions devices is the 3G Camera Vest Setup. Designed with the field agent in mind, the 3G Camera Vest Setup is perfect for both covert and overt operations. Aside from the camera itself, the high-tech vest has a compact flash card to capture images, videos, and audio recordings. Of course, with the 3G connection, someone could monitor you from a nearby headquarters. There’s an also an emergency button which you can push if you ever decide your superiors to know when you’re in a pinch. And lastly, so your people would know in case you got kidnapped by your nemesis, the 3G Camera Vest Setup also has a GPS system so you can be easily tracked.

via

Posted Feb 9th 2008 7:55AM by Paul Miller
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Portable Audio
Recognize this sound? “Blip da da blip da da blip da da blip da da bliiiiiiiip.” If you answered yes to any of the preceding questions, you may own an iPhone. The little bugger wreaks havoc on your average unsuspecting, unshielded desktop speaker — and most iPod docks, as it turns out — emitting audible blasts of interference from up to three or four feet away. Luckily, the DLO Portable Speakers for iPhone don’t have that problem, since they’re shielded from TDMA interference. You can power ‘em off of AAA batteries or an AC adapter, and since they plug into the iPhone’s headphone jack, you can use plenty of other audio sources. The speakers detach from the rotating base, and you can even use the setup as a speakerphone if you’d like. They’re out now for $50.

[Via iLounge]

Bose SoundDock Portable White Portable Sound Dock White

Give your music the freedom to move. Introducing the SoundDock#174 Portable digital music system for your iPod#174. A portable iPod speaker system that delivers a quality audio performance #32#151#32 without compromise. Advanced Bose#174 technologies and proprietary acoustic design combine to reproduce music with fullness and clarity unmatched by other battery-powered speakers. A rechargeable lithium-ion battery provides more power and longer playtime than most other types of rechargeable batteries, for hours of listening enjoyment.

Technorati Tags: Bose

Posted Feb 9th 2008 9:03AM by Chris Ziegler
Filed under: Cellphones
That alleged leak of Moto’s 2008 lineup last year in Amsterdam is looking more and more legit pretty much by the minute. First, we got a glimpse of what appears to be the Skarven — a phone that’ll probably become the Z12 kick slider at retail — a few days ago, and now an alleged shot of the TEXEL candybar has turned up. As much flak as Motorola has taken recently for yawnfest industrial design, we’ve gotta say that we’re sort of digging what they’ve thrown together with the TEXEL here (assuming it’s real, of course). The striped keypad is vaguely attractive, the display looks plenty big, and we’ll always take a few touch sensitive controls to turn up the sexy factor a notch or three. If the originally leaked specs on this one turn out to be accurate, it’ll be a ROKR-branded piece with a morphing keypad in the same vein as the E8 and should break cover in the first few months of the year. We’re going to cautiously — nay, very cautiously say that you’re headed in the right direction here, Moto.

[Thanks, deuxani]

Posted Feb 9th 2008 10:57AM by Darren Murph
Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment
We’ll be straight with you — we aren’t surprised one iota by this one. For those keeping tabs, Samsung’s slate of Blu-ray players have been plagued with issues essentially from day one, and while it has released a flurry of firmware updates over the years in an attempt to mend a variety of incompatibility issues, even its recent BD-UP5000 hybrid player is being axed early on after giving owners all sorts of fits. Apparently, one particular buyer isn’t taking things lying down, and has decided to file suit against the mega-corp alleging that it has sold “defective Blu-ray players” to consumers. According to the suit, Sammy was “fully aware of the defective nature of the player [BD-P1200, in particular] at the time of manufacture and sale,” and it also claims that the firm has “failed to provide a remedy consistent with the products’ intended and represented uses.” More specifically, the verbiage picks on the units’ inability to play back select BD titles, and while some fixes have indeed been doled out, we still get the feeling many consumers have been left dissatisfied. Needless to say, this outcome should be interesting.

[Thank, Nfinity and Prey521]

This was clearly inevitable with the rise of digital technology in the late 20th century. Polaroid is closing its instant film producing factories in Massachusetts, Mexico and the Netherlands some time next year. If you own a Polaroid, you’d better enjoy it while it lasts as you won’t be able to buy any more instant films.

Polaroid now focuses on generic consumer electronics such as digital cameras, printers and scanners as it tries to survive “for the next 30 to 40 years,” Tom Beaudoin, Polaroid’s president, chief operating officer and chief financial officer, said.

Read [BusinessWeek]

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