by Joshua Fruhlinger, posted Jul 25th 2008 at 12:23PM Let’s face it: you don’t have nearly enough game controllers and accessories adding to the spaghetti that is your entertainment center. This USB M.A.D. Game Pad gives you the option to remove a little steering wheel for those moments when you’re not driving about. Compatible with Windows Vista, XP, and 2000, this Brando product is available for $20. So, why? Apparently this thing is meant for the gamer on the move — it’s small and light, measuring only 4 x 2.5-inches and weighing in at a dainty 3-ounces. As for the size of the steering wheel? It’s tiny. Really tiny. For tiny people with tiny fingers. Can you feel the love?
I mean, seriously. How freaky looking are these pink and white pig loudspeakers? They’re already equipped with speakers beneath their volume-controlling ears, as well as where their bellies should be. Did the sadistic manufacturer really have to gouge out their eyes and stuff two more speakers into the sockets?
There’s a possibility that I could be coaxed into appreciating the bass control located on the pig’s behind, but there’s no way I’ll ever think that nuclear glow coming from its mouth is okay. I can’t get on board with the whopping $105 asking price either.
We’re into coolest gadget of the week #6, some cool (and (as usual) strange) entries this week , what’s coolest, you decide (one randomly drawn voter/commenter will win a $50 Amazon voucher). Over to the entries:
USB VHS Converter
A cool gadget to resurrect your old VHS tapes, especially those old family videos that will bring back so many memories. This not only enables you to transfer your tapes to DVDs, but also direct to portable video files to take with you on your iPods, PSPs etc. Not to mention it makes for a great business opportunity that will mean that this pays for itself in no time!
The full post can be found at Zath.co.uk.
Lav Nav
It’s the middle of the night and you need the loo. Do you turn on the light and wake yourself up even more and risk waking everyone else up at the same time? Or do you follow the lav nav?
The full post can be found at Decide What to Buy.
Halloween Howler Recorder
What can be funnier than seeing your friends panicked and on the verge of a heart attack? Nothing indeed… And technology makes it easier every day. The Halloween Howler Recorder is motion-activated, so you just need to place it out of sight, record your own sounds, and enjoy the show. (And there’s no one saying you should only use it for Halloween…)
The full post can be found at S2999.
Coffee is for Killers: the Kill Time Gun Mug
“Step away from the coffee machine, punk. Hands on your head, kneel down with your face to the wall. I need a cup of coffee, dammit.” The Kill Time coffee cup is sure to be the coolest, most intimidating coffee cup in your office. One thing is for sure, no one in their right mind will grab it out of the washing machine and take it without first asking themself, “do I feel lucky?”
The full post can be found at Gear Crave.
Radio Solar Crank
Using Gadgets mean we have to waste another electricity, right? Almost all gadgets like that. However, I found something interesting: A useful Gadgets that don’t take any electricity resource at all! It’s a Radio Solar Crank. This radio using 2 main source of energy, one in is the solar cell (if sun permit us) and using human power, we roll the crank so it will produce electricity enough to power up the Radio.
The full post can be found at Cutie Gadget.
Truck Antlers
Truck antlers turn your truck into a buck! Better than a bumper sticker in telling motorists “I’d rather be hunting.” Mount easily between window and window jam.
The full post can be found at Random Good Stuff.
Sea Scooter VS Supercharged
As the weather heats up so does the quality of Summer gadgets and this one is no exception. The Sea Scooter VS Supercharged will literally take the legwork out of swimming for you. This dive propulsion vehicle allows you to explore the enigmatic depths of the ocean to 100ft, and with less physical exertion, the oxygen in your tank will last longer meaning you have more underwater discovery time. Finding Nemo just got a lot more fun!
The full post can be found at Gaj-It.
Keruve GPS ‘Stalker’ Watch
The watch transmits a constant GPS position to the included handset, which pinpoints the user’s location for the searcher. The watch also allows users to set certain perimeters, which when passed, will send out a warning notification to show that the barrier has been breached.
The full post can be found on CG.
Thanks to all the sites for their submissions now over to you guys for voting (don’t forget to leave a comment with your reason for a chance to win $50):
What do you think is this weeks coolest gadget?
View Results
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by Darren Murph, posted Jul 25th 2008 at 5:18PM Not that you haven’t seen ZeeVee’s ZvBox in the flesh before, but Dave Zatz got some hands-on time with the finalized unit. According to him, the box showed an impressive build quality though it ran “quite hot” — likely a result of foregoing a built-in fan for a giant heatsink. He also noted that image quality was “good,” though he did mention that he longed to see the ability to “selectively isolate a video window and present that content fullscreen.” Anywho, feel free to read up on his initial impressions and peep the hands-on pics in the read link below.
by Joshua Topolsky, posted Jul 25th 2008 at 11:00AM According to the oracle-like superbrains at J. Gold Associates, Google’s Android OS and Nokia’s Symbian will “combine to provide a single open source OS,” sometime in the very near future… say, three to six months. Sure, Android is just about to launch on devices in late 2008, and Nokia just announced in June that it will be moving Symbian towards open source — and of course the two companies have no formal relationship that would come close to permitting such a collaboration. Still, J. Gold assures us this is happening, stating, “A combination of the Android and Symbian efforts would be good for the industry, good for Google and good for Symbian.” In related news, we understand a handful of similar mergers are in the offing: Linksys and Belkin, Red Hat and Ubuntu, Engadget and Gizmodo, and the inevitable one-two punch of Coke and Pepsi.
by Darren Murph, posted Jul 25th 2008 at 5:28AM Who knew closely investigating expo floor layouts could be so fun and rewarding? Sure enough, the 2008 DemoFest Booth Map hosted up for Microsoft’s upcoming (July 27th - 29th) Research Faculty Summit shows allotted space for one “Multi-Touch Spherical Display.” Of course, Redmond-based exhibitors may end up dedicating slot 110 to carbonated beverages and unhealthy snacks, but whether those sly cats are ready to admit it or not, we know this thing is real.
Unless you’re an extremely weak drinker, it will take a few glasses or pints of lager before your tongue starts to loosen and you get all happy, forgetting about the day’s woes. Instead of drinking from an ordinary glass, why not settle for the Strobing Beer Glass?
The lights on the base of this plastic pint shoot upwards lighting your favorite tipple in a technicolor swirl that could send your head reeling if you’ve had a couple. If the strobing is a bit too much the other 2 setting will be a welcome relief, one simply flashes and the other keeps the light on steadily, giving your pint an ethereal quality.
It might be a tad tough to remember that the base must be unscrewed before rinsing to make sure the battery and light unit do not get wet. The Strobing Beer Glass will retail for £4.99.
Fans of Legend of Zelda will definitely be thrilled to know that ThinkGeek is now offering the Ocarina for you to make music with. This is a real-world, playable musical instrument made from glazed earthenware - which means you will break it into a million pieces in the event it is used as a projectile in a domestic disagreement. There are half a dozen holes in total, and it plays note from C4 to D5. Each purchase comes with a song book complete with instructions on belting out your favorite Zelda tunes. To top it all off, a Tri-Force logo is located on the stem for that added authentic look.
FROM APPLETELL - I thought this was going to be a top-down, 2D style Mahjong game, where it’s hard to tell what level the pieces are on. Not so. In fact, this game feels like a mature release from the App Store. MORE »
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Most owners of a new iPhone 3G will definitely be on the lookout for a protective case - that’s only natural. After all, you wouldn’t want to scratch that precious new toy of yours, do you? Since cases come in all shapes (not too much in terms of sizes), it would be prudent to discover which shape fits you and your personality best and you chat away on Apple’s latest rage. IVYSKIN is here to help you by offering a plethora of solutions that will be described in further detail right after the jump, but for a quick preview, we have the Xylo, XyloDuo, and XyloT3.
XyloT3 XyloT3 for iPhone 3G features curved-shaped contours that wrap the new iphone with a patent pending design of Xylo Surface Technology. The Touch-Thru is a real breakthrough in the industry, as it is a unique, sophisticated and elegant case with the first complete advanced touch interface that registers changes in the ultrasonic waves and position of the touch event and sends this information to the iPhone’s screen for processing. This is a truly revolutionary case designed right here in the US.
XyloDuo Providing the ultimate luxury in iPhone cases, its sophisticated design accentuates the modern individual. Featuring bumper to bumper protection for iPhone 3G and amazing high-graded polysilicon material, XyloDuo’s minimalist all-silicon design integrates a discrete protective screen that blends seamlessly with durable black smooth silicon and is remarkably slim. It features a unique coating on the silicone which gives it a smoother, more polished look and creates a lint free surface.
XyloReflect Xylo reflect Screen is a solid hard plastic screen that provides a crystal clear view of the iPhone. This unique product has good specular reflection; that is, it is smooth enough to form an image when the iPhone 3G is not in use. The Xylo reflect Screen easily adheres to the iPhone’s screen without the use of any adhesives. It allows your fingers to slide freely, offering full touch sensitivity and screen protection that is second to none in the market today.
After reading up on all three, which is the one you would most likely pick up?
Unless you’re an extremely weak drinker, it will take a few glasses or pints of lager before your tongue starts to loosen and you get all happy, forgetting about the day’s woes. Instead of drinking from an ordinary glass, why not settle for the Strobing Beer Glass?
Fans of Legend of Zelda will definitely be thrilled to know that ThinkGeek is now offering the Ocarina for you to make music with. This is a real-world, playable musical instrument made from glazed earthenware - which means you will break it into a million pieces in the event it is used as a projectile in a domestic disagreement. There are half a dozen holes in total, and it plays note from C4 to D5. Each purchase comes with a song book complete with instructions on belting out your favorite Zelda tunes. To top it all off, a Tri-Force logo is located on the stem for that added authentic look. 
