Webcams often come in spherical shapes, and this looks to be the standard for entry-level and mid-range models for now. Every once in a while, designers like to play around with different concepts, which may end up as commercial products if the design is doable, simple and appealing. One such example comes from the Flynn Product Design team that has recently unveiled this hi-resolution Bluetooth Web Camera.
Look! It’s my Webcam creeping around the table, following my every move! This spidery cam is designed with ABS and Polypropylene. It might even be unappealing to those who suffer from arachnophobia. The little creeper design seems to have been already approved by Philips and it comes with interesting features such as improved camera angles. The outstanding flexibility is made possible through the integration of a ball and socket joint connecting the base and body units. It also includes a hi-resolution sensor that can snap photos at 5 MP and stream at 2 MP, if your so-called broadband can support it, that is. Those of you who find the camera a bit awkward, you might consider it useful to take the Bluetooth USB Dongle and connect it with other Bluetooth-enable devices.
Unfortunately, Philips didn’t care to provide any release and price info.
Maybe you’ve seen miniature guns hidden inside pens or umbrellas and other elongated objects. However, when you’re not sure if a mere gun would protect you from the baddies out there, you might want to try to combine a gun with a knife for added protection. No, I’m not referring to an attached bayonet. I’m talking about a knife that shoots bullets. Check out this short demo clip:
While not everyone can go around carrying guns, you can expect to see some guys wielding stealthy knives in bars and other suburban locations. In case you end up in such dubious places and you even get in a bar fight, your adversaries are in for a nasty surprise. As you can see in the provided clip, bullets are loaded into the handle and then fired out in the direction the blade is pointing. You instantly get this knife out, but no one is expecting to see a gun, right? Great, you got a knife, but you’re not the only one. And then, BANG! BANG! Now, you might not want to mortally wound the other guys, just make sure they won’t be causing anymore problems. What happens if some other guy has one of these? It all comes down to quick draws, that’s what.
Over the years, microphones haven’t been that much perfected like, say, CPUs. Miniaturization processes may be helpful to some technologies, but to others, those might not bring much of an evolution at all. Sure, miniaturization helped microphones scale down to dust specs for spying and stuff like that, but real quality improvements can’t be achieved through miniaturization. A different approach must somehow be applied, and what other source of inspiration than nature itself? Human nature, to be more specific. This way, we get to see microphones with ears.
The Japanese guys from Otokinoko came up with the Binaural Microphone, which it’s claimed to be a simple way to record the most realistic sounds possible. Binaural recording allows you to record sounds the same way they are heard in real life by us humans. This is achieved by placing two microphones in the same position as human ears are placed on each side of the head. The recording is output in an omnidirectional 3D sound which is more realistic than normal stereo because of the subtle shifts in feeling.
The Binaural Mic can be used by itself for reporter-like escapades, or it could be attached to a video camera to add realistic sound to the captured images. It also includes a 1/8” mini audio out connector. The fact that this is professional equipment with a unique and compact Japanese design might justify the high price of $3,899. To order one of these, check out the Japan Trend Shop site.
I first started to play with LEGO bricks back in 1987. How nostalgic of me…. Well, I still have some sets although they are hidden somewhere. I remember that LEGO made specific sets for age categories. The most advanced sets were found under the LEGO Technic sub-brand. Cool times, I almost miss playing with all that stuff. LEGO actually added another advanced set, called Mindstorm, which concentrates on electronic stuff embedded in plastic bricks. Involving a bit of creativity, you can actually build some useful stuff out of these sets, like computer peripherals.
Using the Mindstorm bricks, Anders Søborg has built and programmed his own NXT scanner. Some of you might not know what NXT scanners are. These are simpler versions of the flatbed scanner that can scan and save images as BMP-files. The images scanned can be saved in either 24-bit true color, 8-bit color or gray scale.
The LEGO scanner isn’t faster than any other scanner on the market. In fact, it’s sort of slower than the average flatbed scanners. But keep in mind that you only pay a fraction on the LEGO brick toys. Anders was also kind enough to include DIY instructions on making your own, complete with programming instructions and all, on his website.
In case you want to turn one of your rooms in a VIP salon or something similar, you might want to try the Celebrity Lamp. This unconventional-looking lamp is composed entirely of 40 pairs of aviator sunglasses, making it a weird combination of retro and futuristic elements. The shades wrap around the bulb, with the tint of the sunglasses making a sort of mirror ball effect on the light, creating unique patterns of shadows on the walls around it. You could even try to tweak it a bit, turning it into a disco ball, or even better, a chandelier with candles as light sources.
It might seem a little odd at first, but if aviator glasses can make your face look that much cooler why not use them to pimp up your décor, right? One thing against this item could prove to be the $1,600 price-tag. But the design idea remains and you could go ahead and buy 40 pairs of Ray Bans from e-bay for a fraction of that unlikely price. Building such lamp on your own could prove a bit challenging, however. Better not use it for the living room. Just build some sort of disco room, place one of these in the middle of the ceiling and see what your friends say.
