CellScope Is Not A Crappy Cellphone Add-On

By Andrew Liszewski

While the CellScope looks like a monstrous cameraphone zoom lens that you could only order from a website like Brando, it’s actually a clinical-quality microscope with a magnification of 5-50X. It was designed by Daniel Fletcher, the associate professor of bioengineering at the University of California at Berkeley, and the goal of the CellScope is to bring modern diagnostic testing to remote areas who don’t have access to a lab or facilities with the proper equipment.

And because the CellScope is designed to be used with devices like cellphones and even camera equipped netbooks & laptops, it allows images captured by health care workers to be sent to larger medical centers for detailed examination by experts. The hope is that the CellScope will be used to more effectively diagnose diseases in rural areas to not only save lives, but also serve as an early warning for possible epidemics.

[ Telemicroscopy for Disease Diagnosis ] VIA [ Crave ]

Ridgeline W200 Wrist Computer

By Evan Ackerman

Was the Zypad WR110 not quite feminine enough for your cyclopean curves and purple hair? Here’s a wrist computer that could enhance both your productivity and your mojo. The Ridgeline W200 from Glacier Computer is a wrist wearable computer does the trick, with sleek arm-hugging curves and a magnesium alloy case that’s a comfortable 10 ounces.

Now, I have to say, this thing looks an awful lot like the the . Like, an awful lot. But at least it’s got mostly up to date specs, with a 3.5″ color touchscreen, WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth, and various wired interfaces, running either Linux or Windows CE. As you might expect from its sporty and rugged form factor, the W200 is designed for people who want to get lost in the middle of nowhere without actually getting lost in the middle of nowhere. The batteries are hot swappable so that you’ll never lose your position, and the computer uses tilt sensors to tell if you’re actually looking at it, and if not, it powers down to idle.

I could see myself using one of these, for sure. Not because it’s in any way practical or anything… No, just so that people can see me using it and say, “wow, that guy has a wrist computer, he must be awesome.”

Price not yet set.

[ Glacier Computer ]
[ Press Release ]

DIY PunchOut Controller For Those Who Like To Punch

By Andrew Liszewski

Over at Instructables, ‘kirton’ has a great tutorial on how to make your own punching bag like interface for the classic NES title, PunchOut. A foam filled bag provides a comfortable punching material, and inside that bag you’ll find a set of handmade impact sensors wired to a PC game pad which translates the impacts to the game running via an NES emulator. The system can even provide visual feedback whenever the player gets punched thanks to a combination of software that detects when your sprite turns pink (which is how the game indicates a hit) and an arduino which causes an LED indicator to flash. That part is just a proof of concept at this point, but eventually a strobe light will be used to provide some level of real world disorientation whenever your character gets hit.

Panasonic SV-ME Series

Panasonic has unveiled its new and…water-proof  pmps (portable media player) called Panasonic SV-ME750 and SV-ME700. These little toys are nothing else than portables TV. They are similar model but just the SV-ME750 is able to record TV programs directly to its 2 GB SD card, included in the price.

Both models have been available in Black, Pink and White. These devices have been scheduled to hit the Japanese market later this month and the price of this SV-ME750 is 45,000 yen ($500) and 38,000 yen ($420) for the SV-ME700.

Swiss Army Knife

The high tech Altimeter Swiss Army knife includes a digital altimeter and thermometer.

Prodouct Details:

• Large Blade
• Small Blade
• Bottle Opener
• Large Screwdriver
• Wire Stripper
• Corkscrew
• Can Opener
• Small Screwdriver
• Reamer
• Sewing Eye
• Key Ring
• Toothpick
• Tweezers
• Scissors
• Hook
• Digital Altimeter (-300 ft to +15,000 ft/-100 m to +5,000 m)
• Digital Thermometer (0 F to +110 F/-20 C to +40 C)

The Swiss Army Knife with Altimeter is available from SwissOutpost.com for $115.

USB Flash Drive

By Andrew Liszewski

Just like Alexander the Great wept when he realized there were no more worlds to conquer, someday mankind is going to come to the startling conclusion that he’s run out of things to cram a USB flash drive into. But that day hasn’t come yet, so today I bring you a flash drive that’s been integrated into a wooden clothespin. This particular design does have some merit though. For one, I like the natural look of the wood clothespin in contrast to the shiny metal of the USB connection. The other more obvious benefit is that it can be easily attached to anything like a shirt pocket, making it harder to lose when it’s not in use. Oh and ‘Spinacz’, that’s actually Polish for ‘clip’, which expands my Polish vocabulary from 6 to 7 words. In another 1,200 years I should be fluent!

[ Spinacz ] VIA [ Like Cool ]

USB Fan with LED Light

This 2-in-1 USB gadget will help you to keep cool during the hot summer days, and it will shed some light during those dark and cold winter nights.

Features

• Plug and play
• Power supply: 5V DC directly from the USB port
• Compatible with PC, laptop
• Gentle but bright illumination, without flickering, preventing eye strain
• Soft plastic blades are safe, and won’t cause injury
• Long life and quiet motor
• Flexible neck to adjust angle

The USB Fan with LED Light is available from USB Geek for $10.

Vacuum Cleaners

By Luke Anderson

I live in a house that has carpet in almost all of the rooms, which means there is much vacuuming to be done on a regular basis. I’ve got one of those nice bagless models which works really well, except for those times when the stairs need cleaned. Here’s a concept that I can’t wait to see on the market, as it would make my life much easier.

Rather than dragging some large unit around all the time, the BakVac is a small cleaner that attaches to your back. This eliminates the hassle of trying to balance the vacuum on the stairs as you work to clean them. What’s even better is that the device would be powered by fuel cells, rather than needing to be plugged in all the time. Now if only it weren’t a concept.

[ via = OhGizmo| Dvice ]

Lighting with a Twist

These two concepts, the spotlight dubbed “Turn I” and the “Split” I” are cut on an angle for an interesting take on lighting any room.

Designer: Joel Hesselgren

‘Special Edition’ Cellphone Watch

By Andrew Liszewski

Chinavasion is touting this cellphone watch as a new and improved model over the one they were previously selling. While the design still leaves a lot to be desired, I have to admit it does manage to cram a lot of functionality into a tiny package. It’s a tri-band GSM phone (900, 1800, 1900) with a 1.3 inch TFT LCD touchscreen that looks like it’s only usable via a stylus. That’s probably why it includes a very small telescoping one that can be stored in the watch. And even though the screen only has a resolution of 128×160 pixels, the OS still includes everything from an organizer to a pretty robust phonebook to a file manager and even games. If that’s not enough they’ve also found room for a 1.3 megapixel camera that can capture stills and movies, as well as a microSD card slot allowing you to use it as an MP3 or video player if you don’t mind squinting.

At the moment Chinavasion doesn’t list a price for the Special Edition Cellphone Watch, but I imagine it will fall between $150 to $200. And if you’re interested, just let me warn you that the site doesn’t exactly have the cheapest shipping rates. Unless maybe you’re planning to buy 100 of them.

[ via = Ohgizmo ]