Archive for October, 2008
Wednesday, October 29th, 2008
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Now here’s a watch totally whacked out; still it’s a very fancy and expensive-looking digital watch that combines telling time with the Chinese philosophy of I Ching. I Ching is taken from the ancient Chinese “Book of Changes†and it is a form of divinatory practice involving 64 hexagrams (patterns of 6 broken and unbroken lines), which are used in a divinatory way by the throwing of yarrow stalks or coins. The philosophy based on I Ching hexagrams is a symbol system used to identify order in chance events.
The I Ching is one of the oldest of the Chinese classic texts. The text describes an ancient system of cosmology and philosophy that is intrinsic to ancient Chinese cultural beliefs. The cosmology centres on the ideas of the dynamic balance of opposites, the evolution of events as a process and acceptance of the inevitability of change. In Western cultures and modern East Asia, the I Ching is sometimes regarded as a system of divination. The classic consists of a series of symbols, rules for manipulating these symbols, poems and commentary.
I’m not sure how this is made to work and how the philosophy was introduced into this mechanism, but it involves inserting a hexagram generator into the watch to help you decide your own future. It seems very confusing and complicated, because it requires an understanding of I Ching, but, after all, it’s a pretty nice looking watch.
Strangely enough, the Oracle Watch, designed by Andy Kurovets, does not tell you the current time, but will instead assist you in identifying the order of chance events via 64 digital hexagrams. All you need to do is to press the button six times and a hexagram will be generated that correlates to your future.
If you’re the irresolute type of guy and you usually manifest the tendency of procrastinating things and you’re also a fan of both high-end timepieces and I Ching, I’m pretty sure you’ll be interested in this I Ching hexagrams based accessory.
(Source Dvice)
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Tuesday, October 28th, 2008
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The Life Learning Device is a little bit late in this day and age, as far as the knowledge-appropriation is concerned, because almost everything you need to know is now available on the Internet. But what does this thing do? Well, it actually speaks words of wisdom of its area of expertise, saying everything it knows about a certain subject, whenever you press its top.
“When you press the top of a Life Learning Device, it verbally passes tid-bits of knowledge on anything from motivational quotes, daily devotions and foreign languages to sports trivia, golf facts or studying for SAT exams (Scholastic Aptitude Tests). An LLD is an innovative and easier way to receive daily inspiration or expand your wisdom about a favorite hobby or vocation. Everyday it relays a new jolt of wisdom!â€. It’s like that geek colleague you’ve had in school, a strolling endless encyclopedia, mister “know-it-allâ€. At $30, this might also be the perfect gift for that loved one in your family who hasn’t yet discovered fire, meaning “the GOOGLEâ€.
This way, you can “consistently feed your brain, soul and desires with the touch of a button. These Life Learning Devices are an excellent way to motivate your dreams, learn a foreign language or expand your worldly wisdom about your favorite hobbyâ€. There are apparently several models to choose from, including Secrets of Life and Words of Wisdom, Daily Devotions and Spanish/English. In the “available soon†list are included the Law of Attraction, Chinese/English, Law Cases, Football Facts, Golf Trivia, Horse Whisperer, NASCAR Facts, Martial Art Quotes and SAT Exam Questions.
As far as the Secrets of life & Words of Wisdom Life Learning Device is concerned, well, it delivers secrets great achievers and innovators have followed in order to get what they wanted out of life. Besides those secrets, the device brings you mantras and quotes that motivate you to make your dreams a reality. “Belief systems and values of people who have accomplished their dreams are shared with the touch of a button. So, this Life Learning Device gives you the mental keys to unlock and fuel your confidence, attitude, motivation and passionâ€.
With the Daily Devotions Life Learning Device, biblical inspirations are easily relayed to you and those you love. It helps you live your life in the light of God with scripture and uplifting quotes from religious leader throughout history.
When it comes to the Spanish/English Life Learning Device, you can learn Spanish at the touch of a button. Everyday this LLD delivers a phrase both in Spanish and then in English. Each time it is pushed, the same phrase is repeated throughout a 24-hour cycle, allowing you time to master the translation of the words and pronunciation. Repetition of these common phrases will quickly help you become fluent and will greatly increase your confidence in speaking Spanish.
Well now, if Google, RSS feeds and email newsletters make you cry, this could truly be an indirect way to boost your brain power, as slowly as possible. The Life Learning Devices will be available starting November 1.
(Source coolest-gadgets.com)
Posted in Funny Gadgets | No Comments »
Tuesday, October 28th, 2008
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Those who are irremediably in love with their iPods or MP3 players, please raise their hands! Ok, there are many hands in the air, maybe more than I would have expected, but let me break a bad news to all of you out there: if you want to take your tunes swimming, scuba-diving, water-skiing or any other aqua sport, you won’t be able to take your device with you, because your precious iPod might instantly drown. So you’d better find something that is submersible so that you can swim with music in your ears. Literally.
Fortunately, the Soundwave from Freestyle Audio has you covered, as it is an MP3 player that can go underwater for about 10 feet. It is also shock-resistant, yet is lightweight enough to float in water. Freestyle Audio’s rugged and durable MP3 player redefines portable music. The world’s only waterproof and shockproof MP3 player is designed to fuel an active lifestyle, no matter the activity, intensity or destination. Wherever life may take you, the device allows you to bring your favorite music along for the ride.
This underwater MP3 player may not look as trendy or sophisticated as an iPod, but it’s durable and hearty. Its blue hard plastic shell with black rubbery buttons and grip is perfect for any outdoorsy adventurer. More than that, it can be used with supplied sizeable waterproof earbuds, because what’s the use of such a device if you don’t have the right headphones?
The Soundwave supports MP3, WMA and protected WMA (DRM) files and holds and plays up to 320 songs; the MP3 files can easily be downloaded using the USB interface. In addition, the device is compatible with Subscription Music Services, features an OLED screen to display track details, a FM radio tuner with channel presets, equalizer presets, a built-in rechargeable battery. The battery makes the Soundwave capable of up to 18 hours of playtime per charge.
Compatible with both PCs and MACs and requiring Windows ME/2000/XP/98 or Mac OS 9.6 and above, Soundwave has 2GB of flash memory and it’s also functional as a storage device for files other than music.
The package includes the MP3 player, waterproof earbuds with adjustable ear-wraps and three separated sized ear-pieces, a USB cable for charging battery and loading music and the user guide. So, if you’re the “water music†type of guy, you might enjoy this underwater MP3 player which can be purchased from Freestyle Audio’s official website for $89.95.
(Source coolest-gadgets.com)
Posted in Music Gadgets, Sound Gadgets | No Comments »
Monday, October 27th, 2008
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I’m sure that you all know about Skype, a software that allows users to make telephone calls over the Internet. The great thing about it is the fact that calls to other users of the service and to free-of-charge numbers are free, which helps people to save great amounts of money; calls to other landlines and mobile phones can be made for a fee and there are some other additional features that include instant messaging, file transfer and video conferencing.
Designer Eno Setiawan has created a unique design for a Skype phone that is simply known as the hanger phone, because the device works like the phones that hang on the wall. This is a cool futuristic concept that will steal all the charm with its neat innovative form factor. The phone has a pretty simple functioning mechanism. Actually, the design is so simple that the user can make a phone call by only picking it up and then hanging up when finished. It’s nothing original so far, but the materials are. The hanger phone is equipped with all modern features and is finished with aluminum plate, polycarbonate and polyurethane.
Apart from the dialing number on the computer screen, the Hanger Phone can also be used for call, by using tags. All you have to do is press the loudspeaker button for 3 seconds and press call to do the calling.
The hanger phone dock uses a Bluetooth connection to transmit audio from the phone to the computer and it looks like the dock itself connects to the PC using USB, receiving all the messages through Bluetooth connected to the dock. The phone dock is probably powered by the USB and there’s a battery indicator on the phone that indicates when it is charged; the messages shown are “fullâ€, “low†or “need to chargeâ€. Besides this battery indicator and the few buttons that any electronic device should have, the specs list is a mystery for the Hanger Skype Phone.
Right now, this is just a concept, but if we take into consideration the popularity of Skype, it might not take too long before it hits the market.
(Source concept-phones.com)
Posted in Phone Gadgets | No Comments »
Monday, October 27th, 2008
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As I’ve repeatedly said it before, there is an endless row of Apple iPhone and Apple iPod gadgets on the market, as traders have taken advantage of the trend it was created in the past several years. Another newcomer, a very fresh and enthusiastic challenger, is a new headphone set from Coosh, which is trying to get your attention.
The first and maybe the most important thing you should know about this headphones is that they are a bargain, but just in the case you are not after some very exclusive device to work with your iPhone or iPod. Coosh is as simple as that and for the price it is asked for presents a pretty good quality to price ratio.
Coosh headset is undoubtedly coming from a teenager’s world. Stylish and comfortable, it was made primarily to be as less disturbing as possible, which means it stays on and feels good. The ear hoops used on the Coosh headset are made of a soft and flexible silicone material, offering comfortable wear over extended periods and don’t interfere with sunglasses if you are wearing them outside. This way, the hoops will keep the headset in place no matter how active you are, thing that is not available for some headphones. There are not many other reasonably priced headphones that will include both characteristics.
The hoops are removable if you don’t want them on. There are three color choices available for the hoops and all are made of the same material; the colors you can choose from are white, black and pink.
On the cable near the wearer’s mouth it a microphone with a button which helps you answer calls and mute the audio playback. So this gadget won’t let you turn off music or radio to answer an incoming call. When you press the button, it does what it takes automatically. To avoid a sudden and occasional unplugging, it was designed a special right-angle lodging. The cable is 1.2 meters long and features two jacks: 2.5 mm or 3.5 mm.
As far as the technical information is concerned, it refers to a mid range one. Nevertheless, the Coosh set has more in it than you normally get for this price. The impedance is 34 Ohms, while the response frequency varies from 20 Hz to 65 Hz. The headset is equipped with a magnet made of neodymium. All of these features bring the user up to 10mW input power and heavy 125 dB output. From bass to tremble, these cheap headsets ensure nice, deep, good quality sound, which is quite impressive for a device that retails for only $19.99.
Posted in Phone Gadgets | 2 Comments »
