Jonathan Fincher
LaCie has revealed a new addition to its Rugged line of external hard drives that features a Thunderbolt connection in addition to USB 3.0. With these connections on an SSD and a sturdy design, LaCie's Rugged USB 3 is designed to survive almost anything you might put it through during a busy day and still provide record-breaking transfer speeds. Read More
Google Maps takes Street View underwater
Since its creation, Google Maps has proven again and again how devoted it is to digitizing as much of the world's surface as possible. But while the company may have covered a huge chunk of the Earth from hiking trails to snow covered slopes, it has yet to tackle the 71 percent of the planet that is covered by oceans ... until now. Google recently unveiled some new underwater locations for Google Maps, where users can explore panoramic views of ocean life and coral reefs from around the world using Street View. Read More
Identity theft is a constant concern in the digital age, and the inclusion of RFID chips in just about everything from cell phones to passports unfortunately opens up another avenue for would-be thieves to lift your data. The only way to really know you were secure would be to block all wireless frequencies from reaching your IDs and gadgets. ThinkGeek's solution is the Blokket, a small pouch designed to hold mobile devices or RFID-chipped IDs and block them from receiving any incoming wireless signals. Read More
You know you're living in the future when even the simple act of throwing a piece of popcorn in the air and catching it in your mouth gets a mechanical upgrade. Thanks to snack maker, Popcorn Indiana, eating popcorn is now as "easy" as asking for it and having the company's new Popinator fire a piece right into your mouth. Read More
CTX Virtual Keyboard fits on a keychain
Even though tablets and smartphones are improving and adding new features all the time, a shrunken keyboard on a touch screen still doesn't compare to the comfort of a full-sized keyboard for typing. There are plenty of solutions for this, from snap-on cases with keyboards built into them to keyboards that fold into a small package, but these all just make your less mobile or give you one more bulky thing to carry. For a more compact alternative, Brookstone has begun taking orders for a new virtual keyboard from CTX, which projects a usable laser keyboard onto any flat surface, all while fitting nicely inside a small keychain. Read More
Steam's Big Picture plays PC games on your TV
Earlier this year, PC game developer, Valve caused quite a stir in the gaming community when rumors began swirling that it was working on its own video game console that would run its popular Steam service. It's still unclear just how valid those rumors are, but the company's latest announcement certainly confirms that Valve has its eyes set on gamers' living rooms. The developer recently released a beta for Big Picture, a version of the Steam game client formatted specifically for use with home televisions and game controllers. Read More
Safe sex and contraception are awkward subjects for many people, especially when it comes time to actually use them. In a moment that's all about maintaining the mood, nothing can spoil the romance like struggling to pry open a condom wrapper like a bag of airline peanuts. With that in mind, imagine what a minefield a night of intimacy could be for someone suffering from hemiplegia, a somewhat common disorder that causes paralysis on one side of the body. That's why one designer developed the One-Handed Condom, an easy-open contraceptive that can be flicked open just by snapping it between two fingers. Read More
TDK showed off several wireless speakers at IFA 2012 last week, but it looks like the company wasn't done with new products in its "Life on Record" line just yet. The company recently unveiled a new Wireless Charging Speaker that could simplify the process of streaming audio through your phone. Aside from playing high quality sound through Bluetooth, the speaker can simultaneously charge any mobile device resting on top of it through an induction charge pad. Read More
Hands-on with uWand, the intuitive TV remote from Philips
Technology for televisions is advancing all the time, with TVs getting bigger, offering glasses-free 3D, and even being powered by bicycle these days. Sadly, the remote controls for operating TVs haven't advanced much past the "more features means more buttons" design that's been in place for years, forcing TV viewers to stare blankly at a monolithic array of controls just to find the one that changes the channel. Philips is looking to change that though with it's uWand remote, which lets users control Smart TVs with just three buttons and a few simple gestures. Read More
Last time we heard fom ZAGG, the company had partnered with Logitech to distribute a case for the iPad 2 that functioned as a keyboard. This time, ZAGG is branching out on its own and has revealed its latest, much thinner keyboard cases, the ZAGGkeys PRO and ZAGGkeys PRO Plus, one of which provides a color-changing backlight. Read More
