New Home Gadgets

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 28th 2008 at 4:13PM
Never mind those ginormous dam-based hydroelectric generators — we’ve got a much smaller version that you can actually use in your backyard. The Pico Hydroelectric Generator was installed within a 5-gallon bucket by Sam Redfield in order to convert the energy from “existing gravity fed irrigation, fresh water, or waste water systems” into usable electricity that can juice up your cellphone, DAP, portable fan / water-bottle combo, etc. Regrettably, there’s not a whole heap of details beyond that, but you can check out another angle in the read link below.

• Read
• Permalink
• Email this
• 19 Comments

Filed under: Misc.

(Read the full post about ‘Bucket-based hydroelectric generator powers up small gadgets’…)

Share This

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

First it was Starcraft 2 and now it’s Diablo III? It’s like my junior high years all over again. Now if only the most responsibility I had was still handing in homework. They’ve finally done it. After eight long years since the release of the hugely popular Diablo 2, Blizzard announced Diablo 3 at their annual Worldwide Invitational in Paris today. No, it’s not going to be a traditional MMO like many were claiming it would be. Rather, it is relying on the same old hack and slash dungeon style of the first two games in the series. To the untrained eye, the new outing looks graphically similar to Diablo 2, much how Starcraft 2 resembles the gameplay of the original. (Read the full post about ‘Blizzard Announces Diablo 3: Say Goodbye To The Next 5 Years Of Your Life’…)

Share This

It looks like the rumors have come true, Virgin Mobile has officially announced plans to acquire Helio. The deal is still pending approval, however it is expected to close during Q3 2008. The deal is not going to be a cash deal though, instead Virgin Mobile is taking Helio from the current owners, which are SK Telecom and Earthlink for $39 million in Virgin Mobile USA stock. Its also sounding pretty good for current Helio customers, as they have already posted a nice FAQ to answer most questions. It also looks like there are not going to be any quick changes. It seems to be that current Helio customers will not see any service interruption, and new customers are still able to sign up for Helio service. (Read the full post about ‘Helio acquired by Virgin Mobile for $39 million’…)

Share This

by Joshua Fruhlinger, posted Jun 28th 2008 at 11:42AM If anyone is going to make a decent waterproof mp3 player this time around, it would have to be someone like the tight bathing suit-producing Speedo brand. The Speedo Aquabeat — made by Iriver — contains 1GB of storage, plays for nine hours on one charge, come in three colors, and weighs just 35 grams. So what’s so Speedo about them? These players (and earphones) are good for up to 3 meters below the surface and they float — so you can just leave the things floating about while you go mix another margarita. (Read the full post about ‘Speedo Aquabeat MP3 player sinks, floats, and is terrible at the butterfly stroke’…)

Share This

Shoppers who head towards the Georgia Wal-Mart will be pleased to know that there is the EyeSite kiosk available, making it a snap for folks to get their eyes checked while they’re busy shopping for their weekly groceries or simply taking a stroll through. The EyeSite kiosk is the brainchild of Atlanta entrepreneur Bart Foster, and his start-up company, SoloHealth, is currently working hard at testing the self-service vision screening device in several markets. Foster hopes to raise the awareness among people concerning the importance of visiting their eye care professionals for regular eye exams.

(Read the full post about ‘EyeSite Kiosk debuts at Georgia Wal-Mart’…)

Share This

Vizio will be offering three new HDTV models from both plasma and LCD varieties in its new XVT series that touts more features and extended performance without breaking the bank. The packaging will take a bold new look, featuring a distinct black/grey lave and gold Vizio logo. The first three models in the XVT series are the SV420XVT and SV47XVT LCD HDTVs that feature 120Hz processing while the VP505XVT Plasma HDTV is more than capable of offering full 1080p and HQV processing. Let’s take a closer look at these after the jump.

Both the Vizio SV470XVT and SV420XVT 120Hz LCD TVs feature full HD resolution, along with Vizio’s very own Smooth Motion technology that delivers flawless video frame after frame.

(Read the full post about ‘Vizio offers new HDTVs’…)

Share This

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 28th 2008 at 10:04AM
Look folks, just because Dyson can build a motor with enough oomph to power a vehicle, that doesn’t mean it’s actually going to. At least that’s the message a company spokesperson wants you to believe. Contrary to earlier reports, James Dyson is not looking to enter the electric automobile sector in any way, shape or fashion. (Read the full post about ‘Dyson actually not looking to build electric car, just a wicked fast vacuum’…)

Share This

by Nilay Patel, posted Jun 28th 2008 at 8:35AM
Progressive insurance has been testing out the MyRate driving monitoring system for a few years now (it used to be called TripSense), but it’s finally taking the system national, bringing pay-as-you-drive insurance into the mainstream. The little blue box plugs into your car’s ODB II diagnostic port (all cars made after 1996 have one), and studiously records your driving habits, wirelessly sending the data back to Progressive HQ (it’s not clear exactly how). Every six months, Progressive will crunch the numbers and issue a new rate for you based on how you drive — savings of up to 40 percent are possible. (Read the full post about ‘Progressive MyRate drive-monitoring device goes national’…)

Share This

Motorola wants to rock your world with a new cell phone, the Motorola ROKR E8. This handset will be released a few days earlier than the highly anticipated 3G iphone, that is, on July 7th. This cell phone isn’t just a communications device, as it helps you get your entertainment chops in as well, being a rather formidable mp3 player in its own right.

(Read the full post about ‘Motorola launches ROKR E8′…)

Share This

Brother has rolled out the first of its “Professional Series” line of color inkjet all-in-one units, and these printers aren’t shackled by the traditional wired setup since it boasts wireless networking capabilities. Targeting small office home office setups as well as traditional business functions, the MFC-6490CW offers innovative tools which cannot be found on other brands, including the all-in-one features such as printing, copying, scanning and faxing up to the ledger 11″ x 17″ size. With such capabilities, you might pick up your jaw from the floor after hearing that it costs just $299.99 to bring home one of these babies. (Read the full post about ‘Brother unveils Professional Series color inkjet’…)

Share This