Amazon Kindle beta for PC available to download

By Paul Lester

14:20 November 16, 2009 PST

Amazon is perhaps the best placed to really push the eBook reader as a global solution and with recent announcements confirming that local libraries will be offering eBook rentals there seems to be plenty going on in this area to warrant further support. To this end, Amazon has officially released its Kindle software for the PC, allowing users to purchase, download and read hundreds of thousands of books from the official store. Read More

The bathroom scale evolves with wireless and Twitter integration

By Paul Lester

16:05 November 12, 2009 PST

Bathroom scales are one of the more unlikely beneficiaries of the technology revolution and you’ll now find all manner of weird and wacky additions to standard weight readouts – check out Omron’s space-aged number that houses a built-in pedometer for example. Withings has now stepped things up a notch by producing the world’s first WiFi enabled body scale, capable of uploading your vital statistics to a secure webpage or iPhone. Read More

Cry Translator iPhone App tells you why your baby is crying

By Paul Lester

21:33 November 8, 2009 PST

Most new parents would agree that working out exactly why a baby is crying and coming up with the right solution can be extremely stressful, so why not turn to the wonderful world of technology to solve the problem? The Cry Translator is an iPhone application that translates a baby’s cries, categorizing them with one of five possible reasons: hungry, sleepy, annoyed, stressed or bored. Read More

The Tag Heuer Lamborghini phone handset

By Paul Lester

18:27 November 5, 2009 PST

If you're looking for value for money, a sports car-inspired designer mobile phone probably isn't the best place to start. Based on its Meridiist handset, Tag Heuer's latest model is inspired by the Lamborghini Murciélago LP 640. We’ve no problem with admitting that it looks the business, but as is strangely typical of these sorts of overpriced phones, it seems to be seriously lacking on the practicality front. Read More

The award-winning PUYL for cyclists combines a light with a pump

By Paul Lester

15:19 November 5, 2009 PST

Most cyclists would agree that the two most likely things to forget after heading out on a journey are a light and a tire pump. It would make perfect sense, then, to combine the two into one handy accessory, which is exactly what designer Kai Malte Roever has done with the “PUYL”. The bonus is that when you pump up your tires, you're also charging the LED light. Read More

Ideum’s 86 inch multi-touch table explores the electromagnetic spectrum

By Paul Lester

23:47 November 2, 2009 PST

One area of real potential for multi-touch technology is in touch-sensitive tables. Some may remember Microsoft’s Surface display, and innovative designs like the ROSIE coffee table. Ideum’s ultra-wide alternative takes a slightly different approach though, as it is able to create digital representations of images across the electromagnetic spectrum. Read More

Oasis of the Seas – world’s largest cruise liner sets sail this month

By Paul Lester

18:59 November 2, 2009 PST

Last year we introduced “Project Genesis”, the world’s largest and most expensive ocean liner. After a total of six years in the making, owner Royal Caribbean has now taken delivery of this 16 deck, 225,282 ton floating city which features 2,700 staterooms and can carry 5,400 guests. Now officially called “Oasis of the Seas”, the ship sailed from Turku, Finland on Friday, October 30 en route to her home port of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for a U.S. debut on Wednesday, November 11. Read More

Ferrari theme park on track for 2010

By Paul Lester

16:21 November 2, 2009 PST

Supercar aficionados will undoubtedly be salivating at the thought of a visit to Ferrari’s Theme Park. Now set to open in 2010 it will be home to a range of multi-sensory experiences ranging from rollercoasters to displays and driving experiences. Read More

Wii 2 details leaked – full HD support and a 2010 release?

By Paul Lester

18:09 October 30, 2009 PDT

The rise and rise of the Nintendo Wii continues unabated and we’ve seen all manner of weird and wacky accessories released over the last year. With everything from bowling balls to exercise bikes popping up to complement associated games, it’s no surprise the console is a big hit with those who like gadgets and gimmicks, but aside from the MotionPlus we haven’t seen anything genuinely revolutionary since the original motion-sensitive controls... so it looks like it's up to the next-gen successor to truly re-imagine the Wii’s potential. Read More

AsusTek unveils the ESC 1000 - 1.1 teraflop ‘personal supercomputer’

By Paul Lester

19:26 October 29, 2009 PDT

Goodbye to the days when supercomputers had to fill a room and welcome Asus, purveyor of all things Eee and its first ever supercomputer - the ESC 1000. Produced in conjunction with NVIDIA and the National Chiao Tung university in Taiwan, the desktop-sized machine is capable of speeds up to a mighty 1.1 teraflops, which may pale in comparison to the petaflop Roadrunner, but then so does the footprint. Read More

Acer Aspire Z5610 offers multi-touch support for Windows 7

By Paul Lester

17:15 October 27, 2009 PDT

The response to the release of Windows 7 has been generally very positive, bringing Microsoft some much needed respite from the issues that plagued Vista over the last few years. One of the more interesting facets of the new OS is the inclusion of touchscreen support, which seems to have been of particular interest to Acer, which recently released its first touchscreen notebook and has followed up with a touchscreen All-in-one PC - the Aspire Z5610-U9072. Read More

Local libraries to offer free eBook rentals

By Paul Lester

17:03 October 27, 2009 PDT

It would come as no surprise to hear that your typical local library isn’t exactly a hive of activity these days. The availability of information online and swathes of technology capable of distracting us during quieter times has seen memberships declining. But a scheme designed to embrace modern alternatives to the weighty tome could breathe new life back into the service. Taking a leaf from Amazon’s book, if you’ll pardon the pun, select local libraries in the UK are now subsidizing conventional methods by offering eBook rentals online. Read More

Wildcharge review - is wireless power worth it?

By Paul Lester

20:29 October 25, 2009 PDT

It seems strange to think that in today’s age of ever advancing technology, it’s been over 100 years since Nikola Tesla began developing theories for wireless power, and though researchers at MIT have picked up the baton in recent times, we’re still waiting for an efficient, mass-market way to abolish reams of unsightly cables from our homes. The Powermat, demonstrated at CES 2009, is one product that threatens to kick-start this revolution. Another early mover in the market is WildCharge and we've been testing one of these devices to find out first hand what all the fuss is about. Read More

REVIEW: Mobiu Smart Key offers secure, remote data access on the move

By Paul Lester

05:00 October 22, 2009 PDT

USB keys are a boon to those who need to carry data around with them, and with capacities always on the rise it’s becoming more and more likely that sensitive data will be stored on what is, at the end of the day, an inherently losable little gadget. Various security measures are now available that bring more to the table than standard encryption, but it’s not often we see something as all-encompassing as Mobiu’s Smart Key. We took the 1GB version of the secure Flash drive for a spin to see what it has to offer. Read More

Dyson ditches blades on Air Multiplier desk fan

By Paul Lester

14:45 October 15, 2009 PDT

The humble desk fan wouldn’t be top of many people’s list when it comes to modern technology that needs reinventing, but James Dyson, who knows a thing or two about manipulating airflow, has decided that it’s time to do away with those pesky blades that would seem a fundamental part of any design. Read More

Stream and access media files on the big screen with the definitive WD TV Live

By Paul Lester

17:52 October 14, 2009 PDT

Despite being relatively late to bat in the media streamer/jukebox market, Western Digital came up with a gem of a product last year with the WD TV, which featured in our recent take on Media Streamers. This slimline, stylish device was designed to attach to a TV and play back music, photo and video files from connected storage, but lacked the streaming capabilities and HD support of more versatile (and expensive) rivals. Buoyed by the success of the WD TV, Western Digital is back with the WD TV Live, which addresses the above issues by offering full-HD, 1080p playback via an HDMI 1.3 port, and the ability to stream files across a wired or wireless network. Read More

Cyberbike brings an exercise bike to Wii’s growing army of peripherals

By Paul Lester

17:40 October 14, 2009 PDT

Most sane people would agree that cardiovascular exercise is a pretty boring way to get fit and, unless you’re working out with a friend, a little extra visual stimulation would rarely go amiss. The Nintendo Wii has already had a decent crack at bringing a bit of fun to boring routines with the Wii Fit and EA Sports Active, and seems to have picked up one of the minigames from the latter as the subject of its latest peripheral revolution. Read More

Research highlights environmentally friendly nature of digital music distribution

By Paul Lester

15:25 October 12, 2009 PDT

Despite the music industry being relatively slow to catch on to the fact that accessing music online is clearly the way forwards, the phasing out of DRM and appearance of innovative new services that offer consumers more choice, convenience and easy access to tunes, suggests that things are finally falling into place. One area that is often omitted when discussing the pros and cons of online is the environment, and it stands to reason that there would be a noticeable impact when you remove the cost of both printing CDs and delivering them to the consumer. Read More

Green Power's sliding speaker solution for iPod

By Paul Lester

14:41 October 12, 2009 PDT

Though most multimedia phones tend to have external speakers for, albeit meagerly, pumping out tunes for other people’s benefit, they tend to be less common on MP3 players as companies prioritize slim and pocket-friendly designs. The most notable "hybrid" to take a chance in this market is Samsung’s K5, which offers a clever slide-out design to keep things relatively compact while allowing for the widest possible stereo image. This approach has now been aped by Korean company Green Power as a solution for the iPod. Read More

BAE Survivability Concept Demonstrator vehicle to debut at AUSA

By Paul Lester

17:59 October 7, 2009 PDT

Recent developments in the military sector have demonstrated an increasing importance in protecting troops in the field, whether this be by automating vehicles or enhancing armor-based protection and maneuverability. BAE Systems has decided against picking a specific area to test with its M1151 Survivability concept but, instead, has lumped a range of technologies into a single vehicle, and is currently unveiling the fruits of its research at the AUSA (Association of the United States Armys) annual exposition in Washington. Read More

TXTBlocker lets parents and employers disable texting while driving

By Paul Lester

01:58 October 3, 2009 PDT

It should come as no surprise to hear that texting while driving is a particularly dangerous thing to do. Recent studies have shown that drivers are 23 times more likely to get into an accident if they are texting and an astonishing 46% of teens have admitted occurrences of driving while distracted as a result of fiddling with phones.

A new product called TXTBlocker addresses these issues directly by disabling a number of phone functions, with the specific impact decided by a choice of settings available from an account page online once you subscribe. Read More

The River Gym - harnessing renewable energy from burnt-off calories

By Paul Lester

18:00 September 30, 2009 PDT

It seems clear that our ability to more efficiently harness forms of renewable energy is vital to the future of our planet, but aside from the archetypal 'hamster in a wheel', few models have effectively relied on energy generated from living creatures. The River Gym is one of the more innovative concepts to break water in recent times and looks to cash in on our desire to exercise to stay fit and healthy by capturing the energy we expend when burning calories. Read More

Phase One announces 645DF medium format camera

By Paul Lester

17:51 September 30, 2009 PDT

Danish firm Phase One, a leading digital imaging technology company, has unveiled the most recent result of its partnership with Japanese camera manufacturer Mamiya, boasting that its medium format 645DF can claim a number of unique benefits. Read More

Pump off the jam with the Onis ultrasonic dishwasher

By Paul Lester

17:12 September 30, 2009 PDT

The fight for more environmentally-friendly ways of living continues and this time household appliances are getting a boost from innovative French manufacturer De Dietrich, which has come up with an efficient new way to clean the dishes - less power, recycled water and detergent-free. Read More

Intel predicts optical future for consumer gadgets with 10Gb/s Light Peak interface

By Paul Lester

06:44 September 28, 2009 PDT

Though it may not make it into everyone’s ‘top ten’ list of most desirable technological developments, replacing the spaghetti-junction of wires that typically gathers behind a desk or workspace would undoubtedly be a welcome advance. Wireless peripherals are helping the situation somewhat and wireless power will be a massive boon once perfected but, in the meantime, we’re looking to technologies like optical cables to handle high-volume data transfer. Intel’s recent research in this area should be of particular interest, since it’s designed to replace or augment connections used in consumer-based electronics, such as USB2.0, HDMI, Firewire, DVI and the like. Read More