Gizmo4You

Love your Nintendo Wii? Well, they say that the Wii isn’t really that great of an excuse when it comes to losing weight while engaging in your favorite hobby, but the Fun Xercise Bike (FXB) might just change things – after all, it allows both children and adults alike to have fun with their Wii while playing games such as Mario Kart alongside a nice, sweating session. This is much better than a La-Z-Boy chair which more or less asks you to recline and relax instead. The FXB will retail for $99 at the moment inclusive of shipping and handling, but we’re not too sure when the introductory price period will end.

Press Release

There’s just something about augmented reality that makes me want to report on it every time I see a new development.

This next step in augmented reality is a unique development from Toppan Printing Co Ltd for vending machines. It is being used in three Japanese supermarkets, and it requires the consumer to have a specific QR code in order to receive a free sample.

I’m sure that you have seen QR codes on other augmented reality apps such as the cover of Esquire’s December issue, for example. The customer can print out the Toppan QR codes from home, or can put it on a screen of their mobile device. From there, they can show it to the Toppan brand vending machine, and they will receive a free product sample. Find out after the jump what happens from there.

Yes, the augmented reality fun doesn’t stop there as the consumer can hold up the actual product to the augmented reality-fitted camera and get a really cool effect. I’m not certain what kind of effect is seen, but you might want to check out this new Coke Zero ad campaign to give you an idea of what’s up.

Toppan seems to be on to something good, all right. I suppose that it is too much to ask for this augmented reality to go worldwide.

Source

In 2010, Sungale is planning on releasing the Kula, “the first IPTV to access over 500 local and international channels combined with a fully functional PMP”.

This new IPTV/PMP has 2 GB of internal memory that is good for music (WMA, MP3M WAV, AAC, OGG formats), video (AVI, MPEG4, DIVX, XVID, RM/RMVB, DAT, WMV, 3GP & FLV formats), and photos (JPG, BMP, TIFF, PNG formats). The user can also use the SD/MMC slot to upgrade to 16GB worth of memory.

This Kula will come with various channel packages that are customizable with the Basic, the Kid, and the Grand. The first two packages will give users 100 channels for free, and the Grand is a special service that offers 500 channels. The user can choose from all sorts of live streaming programs that are selectable by country, language, and topics like the News, Sports, and Finance.

The Kula is powered by a rechargeable battery and has a 4.3 inch screen. It will be on display at CES 2010, along with some of the company’s other products. According to Gary Bennett, the Sungale VP of Sales, “The Kula is the next big thing that will revolutionize the way people watch TV”.

That is a very big claim, Gary, because with mobile devices and internet video streaming channels, I believe that the TV-watching revolution has already begun.

Source

I’m going to be visiting Vegas in a little while for CES, and I heard that the Vegas Hard Rock Cafe has a huge touchscreen that I just have to see (and touch, of course).

That particular touchscreen is 18 feet x 4 feet, but the Ring Wall in Nurburg, Germany is 45 meters long and two meters high. It has 15 high definition projectors for up to 34.5 million pixels worth of display. Nice!

So, what can we put on this Ring Wall touchscreen? How about anything we want! Just think, I could probably fit all the icons for every iPhone app! I’ve included a video of the Ring Wall after the jump so you can see it for yourself.

Believe it or not, atop the giant screen is an even larger LED wall that is 400 square meters in its size. That’s pretty cool, too. I’m just not certain why Sensory Minds decided to call their colossus of a touchscreen the Ring Wall. After all, it wasn’t like they shaped their touchscreen into a ring. In fact, is it even possible to have a curved touchscreen?

If so, then I could easily see a circular touchscreen display all around me, where I could control the world. Well, I could control my world, at least.

Source

ring°wall from SENSORY-MINDS on Vimeo.

If you don’t like to keep your iPod in the shower with you, this dock is a better option.  It’ll allow for you to listen to your music in the shower while your iPod is tucked safely away at much dryer spot within your bathroom.  Actually, since if has a range of 150 feet, you could even put it in the room next to you.  For those of you that aren’t a big iPod fan, you won’t have to worry, the device will work with other MP3 players.

The signal is said to be powerful enough to play through walls and deliver great sound while it’s doing just that.  You just plug in your MP3 player through the standard 3.5mm audio output and you’re ready to go.  The speaker itself is a 900Mhz speaker and is fully waterproof.  Which means it’ll survive from the light spraying it’ll receive in your shower.  You can purchase the speaker for $59.99 through Amazon.

Source:  GadgetGrid

Most people are perfectly content to stick their iPod in their pocket.  However, for those of you that are Apple nuts, that doesn’t put your precious iPod on display.  Instead you need a hat that keeps you warm and shows off your iPod.  Of course it does make flipping songs a touch awkward, but at least you’ll look cool.  Plus you won’t be stuck wearing headphones underneath your winter hats.

The hat is designed to fit 1st, 2nd, 4th and 5th generation iPod Nanos.  It has an internal wiring system and detachable speakers that come included with the hat.  The hat has a custom thin speaker casing that is thin enough it won’t make the hat bulge out at all.  The outer material is 100% acrylic and the inner is 100% polyester fleece.  These hats come in plain white, all black, blue patterned and pink with a pattern.  You can purchase one for $49.95.  With each of the hats there is a breast cancer awareness version.

Source: ChipChick

The computer mouse always seems to be finding itself in new and odd shapes.  If just having a brightly decorated one isn’t quite enough of a change for you, these go for a whole different shape.  It’d be great for anyone that can never seem to get comfortable with a normal mouse.  This one goes for more of a ball shape and even comes in a handful of cheery colors for you to choose from.

The mouse is made with your comfort in mind.  It’s actually covered with a nice gel cushion to make things even more comfortable.  It’s a bit like a stress ball, except that it performs all of the normal functions your average mouse would.  Amazon currently only carries these in 3 different colors, but it is created in more colors than that.  You can purchase it in Crimson Red, Cadmium Yellow and Electric Green all on Amazon.  It’s currently up for sale for $34.95.

Source: Gearlog

Time to find some cool gadget gift ideas for our UK readers and we were kind of spoilt for choice.

‘Bum and Boob’ Gel Filled Mouse Mats – £8.95

We can think of at least a pair of reasons to get your hands on one (or both) of these!
These mouse mats are fantastic for blood circulation, are great for relaxing the arm muscles and add a cheeky moment to every click of the mouse!

The gel filled bum or boobs offer ergonomic wrist support, and the titillating images will stimulate you, relax you and make you want to get your hand on that mouse!

The ‘Bum and Boob’ Gel Filled Mouse Mats is available from Boys Stuff for £8.95.

Shot Carver – £9.99

Shot glasses are so last week. Didn’t you know that everyone who’s anyone is drinking shots out of hollowed out pieces of fruit? This fun little device allows you to carve out the centre of most fruit and fill with drink, making sure you never run out of glasses! With a comfortable ergonomic handle, it makes carving fruit a doddle.

Tasty, unique, economical and less washing up, what more could you ask for? So grab the nearest apple, melon, pineapple or…potato and get carving, pouring and drinking! For even more taste, let your fruit infuse with your favourite tipple.

The Shot Carver is available from Drink Stuff for £9.99.

Sun Jar – £12.95

“Sun and Moon Jars make a great present. Just leave them in the sunlight to charge up (they don’t work so well on cloudy days) and then you have a gentle blue or orange glow at night (depending on your choice of jar). I have one of each and I’ve found that although the Sun Jar has a warmer light, the Moon Jar does seem to have a brighter light. The light isn’t really bright enough to read by unless you have the jar very close to the page but they are useful at night for finding your way around, plus, you save on electricity by not switching lights on and off.

The Sun Jar is available from Gizoo for £12.95.

Tao Photo Keychain – £12.95

Remember when picture keychains involved passport photos and see-through plastic? Well if you haven’t already, it’s time to upgrade! The Tao Digital Photo Keychain is one doozy of a gadget with on-board memory to load up 99 of your favourite photos and show them off on a large 1.5 inch LCD screen.

The Tao Photo Keychain is available from Gizoo for £12.95.

The Slanket – £29.95

Loafing around on the sofa is where it’s at. But only if it’s nice and warm. Unfortunately, what with this pesky credit crunch malarkey, heating a room costs about the same as fuelling up a 747 with liquid gold. So thank goodness for the Slanket.

This gigantic fleece blanket is soft, light and ludicrously snuggly. ‘But so are most modern blankets,’ we hear you yell. Well yes, but this quality slice of 100% polyester microfibres features large, loose sleeves so you can keep your entire body covered, arms ‘n’ all, and still use your hands. Clever, eh? Your remote will love you for it.

The The Slanket is available from Firebox for £29.95.

Digital Video Memo – £29.99

Seeing as it’s the 21st Century you’d have thought we’d evolved past the point of sticky notes left on a fridge door. The Digital Video Memo takes that bold leap into the future and gives you a fridge magnet that you can record a 30 second video message on. Just look into the camera, press the record button and leave whatever message you want. It’s designed to be as simple as possible so it only records one message at a time to avoid confusion. Let the kids know where you’ve hidden their dinner on the 1.5 inch LED screen, remind the other half to take the dog for a walk or just tell your wife that you love her – all of this is possible with this nifty fridge magnet. When it runs out of juice just hook it up for a quick recharge via USB and it’s good to go again.
This gigantic fleece blanket is soft, light and ludicrously snuggly. ‘But so are most modern blankets,’ we hear you yell. Well yes, but this quality slice of 100% polyester microfibres features large, loose sleeves so you can keep your entire body covered, arms ‘n’ all, and still use your hands. Clever, eh? Your remote will love you for it.

The Digital Video Memo is available from I Want One Of Those for £29.99.

PoGo Instant Photo Printer – £39.95

You’ve probably got oodles of photos trapped inside your mobile phone and digital camera. But how do you print them off when you’re out and about? No, you don’t cart around a computer, a tech-nerd and a bulky printer. You don’t even dust off your raincoat and head to the nearest photo lab. You use the revolutionary PoGo Instant Photo Printer.

The PoGo Instant Photo Printer is available from Firebox for £39.95.

Treasure Seeker’s Shoes – £39.99

The humble practice of metal detection is one traditionally associated with weird old men who tramp around the beach, but that image is set to be cast aside thanks to these Treasure Seekers. Essentially a metal detector that doesn’t make you look like a complete nerd, these crafty sandals will make hunting for metal items amongst the shingle a much more agreeable prospect.

The Treasure Seeker’s Shoes is available from I Want One Of Those for £39.99.

The Wand Remote Control – £49.99

If you or your precious offspring are obsessed with a certain bespectacled boy wizard, you’ll no-doubt already have wands lying about the house. This one, however, is totally different to anything you will have waggled before – it can control the telly. In fact, it can control most things that require a remote control, making its wielder appear to be able to perform some pretty incredible leisure-orientated magic tricks, and you won’t even need to spout gibberish spells to do it.

The The Wand Remote Control is available from I Want One Of Those for £49.99.

Flip Video Ultra High Definition Camcorder – £124.99

The Flip UltraHD camcorder combines Flip Video’s signature shoot-and-share simplicity with the power of vivid, vibrant HD video. UltraHD could not be easier to use: just power on and press record, and you’ll be capturing high-quality HD video in seconds.

The Flip Video Ultra High Definition Camcorder is available from Amazon for £124.99.

Apple iPod touch – £139.00

See, hear, touch everything that entertains you on one really great iPod. iPod touch lets you enjoy everything you love about an iPod, and then some. Watch your movies and TV shows on a brilliant 3.5-inch display. Use the revolutionary Multi-Touch interface to flick through your music in Cover Flow. And anytime you’re itching for more entertainment, just tap iTunes to browse and buy on the fly.

The Apple iPod touch is available from Amazon for £139.00.

You never know just how many microscopic nasties there are that reside on your toothbrush, and just because your naked eyes can’t see them doesn’t mean they’re not there. After all, roaches and other nocturnal insects who make a visit to your bathroom might also crawl all over your toothbrush, while you unknowingly use it to scrub your orifice each morning with glee without knowing any better. Dispel all doubts with the Bacteria Assassin Ninja Toothbrush Sanitizer then – after all, aren’t ninjas supposed to be superb silent killers? All you need to do is place your toothbrush into the Bacteria Assassin Ninja Toothbrush Sanitizer, where it will use UV light from its body to eliminate bacterial growths on your toothbrush. Powered by three AA batteries, this cute little hygienic device is going for $36.99.