Technology Gadget

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 ]

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.

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 ]

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

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 ]

No, it’s not something confiscated in the last episode of Cops. This intelligent mini-scale spoon is a handy kitchen tool that will give you exact measurings down to the very last 1⁄10 gram.

The LCD display (36 x 15mm/11⁄2 x 2⁄3in) is easy to read, shows the exact weight down to 0.1g (0.005oz) and can be switched from grams to ounces. With option to weigh added ingredients. After use, hang your space-saving Spoon Scales on your utensil rail or place them within reach in a drawer.

Spoon made of black ABS plastic, handle in 18/10 stainless steel. Measures 23 x 5 x 2.5cm (9 x 2 x 1in) (L x W x H). Weight approx. 90g (3oz) incl. batt.

The Spoon Scale is available from Pro-Idee for £18.50 (about $37 USD).

The Asus Eee PC is facing tough competition it seems, and this time from the RazorBook 400, courtesy of 3K Computers. It’s specifications are extremely close to that of the Eee PC as shown below.

• 7″ WVGA LCD Display (800 × 400)
• 400MHz 32-bit Single Core Mobile Processor (by Ingenic)
• 512MB DDR2 RAM
• 4GB flash drive
• Linux OS
• WiFi connectivity
• 3 USB ports

This puppy will retail for $399

By Andrew Liszewski

I’m still not sure why anyone outside of an educational setting would need to buy a standalone calculator these days. And even if you’re still in school, the odds are you need one with advanced scientific functions, not just basic arithmetic. I’m particularly perplexed why someone would also want a basic calculator that’s styled after a mobile phone.

While I can’t deny that it looks slick, even the lowest end of real mobile phones have a calculator already built-in. And most carriers are practically giving those away these days. In its defense though, the slim design of this model does allow it to be used single-handled. And it includes a 12 or 24 hour clock on the LCD display, a contoured ABS plastic housing and even comes with a black felt pouch.

You can get it from the MoMA Store for $28.

[ via = OhGizmo ]

By Evan Ackerman

Your weird USB combination of the day comes in the form of a this little dog-shaped 4 port USB 2.0 hub. It’s not just any dog, though… It’s a cycloptic dog, with a giant glowing LED in the middle of its head. If this freaks you out a little bit, don’t fret, just pull the head off of the body and you’ve got an auto-tuning AM/FM radio with an integrated speaker that runs off of 2 AAA batteries. How cool is that? Yeah, you’re right, not especially. At only $20, though, it’s hard to get past the “why the heck not” factor.

[ via = OhGizmo ]