Thinklabs iPod Nano Stethoscope Recording Kit January 31, 2007
By Andrew Liszewski
Well here’s an iPod accessory I’ve definitely never seen at my local Apple store. Thinklabs makes this stethoscope recording package that uses a 2Gb iPod Nano in conjunction with the XtremeMac MicroMemo iPod recording unit and of course a ds32a Digital Stethoscope. All together the package allows a physician to record and playback heart sounds even in noisy environments or when the sounds are faint thanks to built-in audio amplification and noise reduction. Without the stethoscope attached it can also be used for general dictation or recording lectures.
The ds32a is a diagnostic stethoscope with unsurpassed natural sound quality. User-friendly design and 50X Amplification provides the power to adjust for faint heart sounds, obese patients, or noisy environments. Outstanding performance and ease-of-use for every clinician, with uncompromised features for advanced users. From BP to ED to ICU, from heart and lung exams to iPod recording, the ds32a does it all.
As for the price since the unit is designed for hospital use which I can only assume means it has to be of a certain level of quality and reliability the whole kit will set you back $495.
[ Stethoscope Recording Package ] VIA [ MAKE: Blog ]
Jawbone Bluetooth Headset Uses Bone Conduction, Looks OK
By David Ponce
It’s not the first time we show you a Bluetooth headset that features bone conduction technology. The last time however, it looked like a potato tubercule that got painted charcoal. Not something you’d want to be seen coming out of your ear. The Aliph Jawbone however was designed by one Yves Behar, and actually manages to look half decent.
We’ve repeated several times that being seen walking down the street with one of these things stuck to the side of your brain makes you look like a douche (think modern bum bag). But hey, some of you are important, and really do need to be on the phone every waking second. So, you may as well get a headset that looks decent, and works well. The reason the company uses bone conduction is to filter out ambient noise; it picks up your voice through the vibrations in your skull, and not so much from the air coming out your mouth. That way, even walking down the sidewalk in Manhattan rush hour traffic, your peeps will hear you loud and clear.
It’s $120.
[ Product Page ] VIA [ Uncrate ]
Researchers Develop Mirror That Turns To Window
By David Ponce
A window that turns into a mirror at the flick of a switch. Sounds simple enough, yet the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science & Technology (AIST) in Japan is making it sound as though it recently invented the thing. Well, we imagine they did, because we can’t prove otherwise, but damn, it just seems like such a simple thing, it ought to have already been done ages ago. Well, whatever. There you have it.
By using a thin film of magnesium-titanium alloy, the company created a prototype mirror window with the size of 60 × 70 cm, and were able to switch it back and forth between reflective and transparent states. At the moment, the technology is ages away from being commercialized, as it still faces some hurdles. For instance, AIST is working on improving degradation of the material as a result of several cycles of switching. They are also working on simpler methods of application; as it is right now the making of the mirror requires a somewhat complicated process that can’t easily be sent into the marketplace.
While we’re thinking of a couple of hilarious pranks this sort of thing could amuse us with, AIST has more noble goals in mind, such as energy preservation in large buildings. They could also be used in car windows, to keep the vehicles cooler during hot summer months.
[ Research Summary ] VIA [ Plastic Bamboo ]
Win, Lose Or Draw Updated For 2007
By Andrew Liszewski
Remember Win, Lose or Draw? It was a late 80’s/early 90’s TV game show that brought all the fun of Pictionary to the small screen without having to pay the makers of the original board game a single penny! Of course it seemed only celebrities and a weekly random “civilian” were allowed to play that version of the game but finally after only about 17 years anyone can play at home.
Like many of those Atari-in-a-joystick devices the Win, Lose or Draw home game consists of a handheld drawing pad that connects directly to the RCA hookups on your TV. (What? You were expecting HDMI?) Players can then use the pad to draw their crude representations of one of 1500 included clues while a 60 second timer ticks away. And believe it or not the website claims that as you draw on the pad the image appears instantly on the TV screen! What manner of sorcery is this I ask!?
The Win, Lose or Draw home game is available from firstSTREET for $39.95.
[ Win, Lose or Draw! Home Game ] VIA [ Uber-Review ]
PaperPro - Office Stapler Styling With Staple Gun Power
By Andrew Liszewski
You might think that classic Swingline stapler on your desk is doing a great job but that’s only because you haven’t been introduced to the PaperPro. Where as the Swingline would probably choke on a stack of 20 pages the PaperPro uses a series of levers and springs similar to a staple gun to give it quite a bit of extra kick. You still of course need to manually push down on top of the stapler to make it work but your own force is amplified by the PaperPro’s mechanics meaning you don’t have to push as hard as you would with a traditional model. (They claim stapling 20 sheets of paper is about 80 percent easier with the PaperPro.)
The designers of the PaperPro didn’t cop out on other features either. It has a squared nose allowing it to sit vertically on your desk when needed, has a depth of up to 4.5″ allowing you to staple the middle of an 8-1/2×11 piece of paper and even has a window that lets you conveniently see how many staples are remaining.
The PaperPro is currently available from Amazon for $18.17.
[ PaperPro Stapler ] VIA [ Smart Stuff ]
Motiwake Motivational Alarm Clock January 30, 2007
By Andrew Liszewski
If your office or cubicle is covered in those daily affirmation or motivational posters then you’re probably already convinced about the power of positive thinking. But why wait till you get to work to start your mental ‘programming’? The Motiwake alarm clock can get those empowering thoughts going first thing in the morning as it wakes you up. It includes over 240 spoken affirmations that can be played alongside a relaxing piece of music to ensure you get out of bed ready to make the most of your day. It also has a picture frame (the old-school kind) if you need some visual reinforcement too.
The Motiwake is available for about $60 but if you don’t need the full alarm clock you can just buy the assorted affirmations as MP3 files (about $33) or have them delivered via a text message service to your mobile phone (about $25 per personal conflict.)
[ Motiwake Alarm Clock ] VIA [ Shiny Shiny ]
Today’s Top Tech: AllFreeCalls Lets You Do Just That
By David Ponce
The real Top Story? Come on! Windows Vista’s in store. Go spend some money.
Now, let’s just start by saying this isn’t, for once, about VoIP. This is about ridiculous regulatory loopholes, and how some clever folks are able to exploit something (or someone… no one’s really sure), to give consumers a cool (free!) product, at least for the moment. If you’ve always wanted to make free calls to one of 41 specific countries from your mobile, or landline, you’re in luck. AllFreeCalls gives you an Iowa number to call (712-858-8094). Once you’ve called it, you can then dial your destination number free of charge or time restrictions, provided it’s one of the supported countries. The only cost to you might be the long distance to Iowa, though several cellular providers have nixed long distance charges within the US. There’s nothing to install, no need for a PC, a hotspot, EDGE, 3G or whatever. It uses the POTS, and some dumb laws. Apparently.
Here’s how we think it works. There seems to be some sort of regulation in Iowa that gives rural telcos a kickback for every call received… Yeah, they get money for you to call them (go figure). And that amount happens to be larger than what it costs them to patch you through to your destinations, so they can operate in the black. Supported countries include Australia, Belgium, and Bengladesh, to only name a few. It’s not clear exactly who is giving the telco these kickbacks, just what the specific legislation is, nor whether it’s the taxpayer that’s picking up the tab in the end (it probably is). But, well, who cares, right?
Check it out while it still works. Bureaucrats have a knack for clamping down on free.
[ AllFreeCalls ] VIA [ Techcrunch ]
Online Services, Todays Top Tech
Backpack With Amplified Speakers
By Andrew Liszewski
While it’s easy to complain about those hipsters blabbing away with their bluetooth earpieces at least you only have to hear one side of the conversation. Imagine what it would be like if they were wearing this cellphone-compatible backpack with built-in amplified speakers the next time you passed them on the street.
That’s right, the Skullcandy LINK backpack has 60mm speakers embedded into the upper straps that can be connected to any MP3 player or audio device with a headphone jack. It’s kind of like a boombox for the 21st century. What’s even worse is that the LINK can also be connected to a cellphone (via included adapters) allowing the person wearing it to carry on a hands-free conversation without the need for an earpiece or being polite. Hooray! The backpack also includes buttons on the strap for controlling the music, volume and answering your phone and is powered by 4 AA batteries.
The Skullcandy LINK is available from Smarthome for $129.95.
Rocket Fishing Rod
By Andrew Liszewski
The sport of fishing hasn’t really seen much technological advancement since they started making fishing rods out of strong and flexible composite materials but that’s about to change now that someone has finally put 2 and 2 together and combined the elegant simplicity of a fishing rod with the brute force efficiency of a shotgun.
Now I know what you’re thinking and let me assure you the Rocket Fishing Rod isn’t used to blast fish out of the water. As far as I know that technique is still illegal in most states. (That game warden was quite insistent about that.) Instead the Rocket Rod uses a shot-gun like loading mechanism to fire a special capsule that includes a bobber and hook up to distances of about 30 feet. It’s basically designed to help those who are less than graceful when it comes to the art of casting.
When the capsule hits the water it releases a baited hook and then functions like a bobber making it obvious when you have a bite. It also includes a traditional reel for bringing in your catch that has an adjustable drag option to help prevent line breaks. (Although that also cuts down on the ‘one that got away’ stories.)
The Rocket Fishing Rod is available from the Gadgetshop.com for about $60.
[ Rocket Fishing Rod ] VIA [ The Red Ferret Journal ]
Digital Cowboy Webcam With 7x Zoom January 29, 2007
By Andrew Liszewski
From Japan-based Digital Cowboy comes this pretty run-of-the-mill 1.3 megapixel webcam that really only stands out thanks to an attachable telephoto lens which gives it an impressive 7x zoom capability.
I’ll admit that webcams have come a long way but I’ve yet to been blown away by the quality of the consumer-level offerings currently on the market, they’re still pretty grainy and blurry from what I’ve seen. Of course working from home I’m also morally opposed to the idea of the people I’m chatting with actually seeing me via webcam given everyday of the week is casual Friday. (’Casual’ being an understatement.)
The DC-NCP130 is expected to go on sale in Japan next month for about $80 and will include both the telephoto lens as well as the detachable tripod.
[ Digital Cowboy 7x Zoom Webcam ] VIA [ Crave ]
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