Paul Ridden
Tone Tank is the über cool way to reposition studio microphones
Don't go thinking that the Tone Tank is just a big boy's toy, it's not. It's a serious piece of studio equipment, on a par with the mixing desk and professional monitors – well, perhaps not quite. In addition to adding a bit of fun to the studio floor, this RC military tank allows sound engineers to precisely position studio microphones without having to constantly leave the console. And yes, the cannon is fully functional. Read More
We love our bikes here at Gizmag. We really appreciate efforts to help keep our rides out of the hands of thieves, too, especially those innovations that serve more than one purpose – such as the Küat Racks Bottle Lock, or the Interlock seatpost bike lock. BikeWatch is just such a device, attaching to any 27.2 - 31.6 mm seatpost and combining a bike alarm, rear LED light and cable lock in one attractive unit. Read More
This time last year, we covered an interesting new solar charger that sought to avoid troublesome shadows from window frames, potted plants and household ornaments by sticking to the glass of the window itself. The Window Solar Charger from XD Design has now been joined by a new, slightly less capacious sibling called the Port Solar Charger, and I've been given the chance to take both for a test drive. Read More
If you're just not feeling the game on your smartphone, China's Divoom has something that can help. The ONBEAT-X1 Ultimate Bluetooth gaming speaker sticks to the underside of your device, shaking and vibrating to explosive onscreen action. Read More
Readers of a certain age will remember, probably with fondness, the computer-in-a-keyboard form factor exemplified by the likes of the Atari 800XL or the mighty Commodore 64. We've seen several impressive attempts at revival in the recent past, including efforts from Barry S Altman's Commodore USA and ASUS. Now China's FocusWill Information Technology is getting in on the act with an Android-flavored, keyboard-based desktop computer called the CoolShip. Read More
OK, I admit to cheating a little bit with the title. The Amp in a Can is not really a tube (valve) amp at all, but rather a cheap and cheerful portable guitar amp housed in cardboard tubing that weighs less than 200 g (7 oz). Read More
Barcelona debuts for ASUS PadFone Infinity and Fonepad
ASUS caused a bit of a ripple in the industry when it revealed its PadFone smartphone-in-a-tablet hybrid back in May 2011. Now the company has chosen to launch the latest addition to the PadFone line at Mobile World Congress. The LTE-capable PadFone Infinity handset offers users up to 19 hours of 3G talk time, that gets increased to 40 hours when docked in its Infinity Station. The Spanish spotlight is also shining on a new 7-inch phablet called the Fonepad. Read More
The University of Engineering and Technology (UTEC) in Lima, Peru has partnered with advertising agency MAYO-DRAFT FCB to create an advertising billboard that grabs moisture from the desert air and converts it into filtered drinking water. Read More
Anti-Effect pedal creates something new from what it destroys
There are an awful lot of guitar effects pedals that massage, tweak, clean, or otherwise enhance the signal from a guitar's pickups before it reaches the amplifier. The Anti-Effect from Poland's Chaosound turns its back on all that goodness and tries its best to destroy the sound instead. Read More
Due mainly to the influence of the iPhone and iPod, a good many headphones have a playback/call control unit of some sort bulging out from the audio cable. Though undeniably useful, this can add some unwelcome weight (particularly with earbuds), but more often the housing just gets in the way or adds its own thump to the music as it bangs against your upturned collar. California-based Accidentally Extraordinary is looking to change all that, with a pair of elegant studio headphones featuring a capacitive touch control interface on the surface of the cable itself. Read More
