Everyone’s favourite microscopic camera just went all James Cameron and has picked up an underwater housing. The Waterproof Chobi Cam is rated to a depth of 20 metres and with its IP68 rating it will also keep out the [...]

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It’s a sad state of affairs: your lawn is better at converting the sun into energy than that $23k solar array your neighbors just threw on their roof. Sun Catalytix wants to show that grass what’s what with a new process for splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen — artificial photosynthesis. In a presentation at the ARPA-E conference (the Advanced Research Projects Agency — basically DARPA minus the military bent) Sun Catalytix founder Dan Nocera indicates that the process his company is developing could, with a photovoltaic array, four hours of sunlight, and a bottle of water, generate 30 kilowatt-hours of electricity. That’s enough to power an average home for a day — though hardcore gamers will probably need a bit more. The hope is that this will ultimately lead to cheap power for self-sufficient homes in the not-too distant future, but we’re still left wondering when that future’s going to come.

[Thanks, Jaden]

Continue reading Artificial photosynthesis could power your house, even if it’s not green (video)

Artificial photosynthesis could power your house, even if it’s not green (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 08:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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*Name that reference!

This lamp concept is very obviously looking toward the monster of underwater proportions of the past (and maybe the present?) Indeed it is the Lock Ness monster. Nessie is translated here into a lamp that can be hung from any wall or ceiling. Three different kinds of lamp can be added: the head, the case (body bits), and the tail.

Another wild one from 2-B-2.

Designer: 2-B-2 Architecture

Designer: Omar Ivan Huerta Cardoso

It’s becoming startlingly apparent that in the future buttons will be obsolete. Their kind are being systematically eradicated by high-brow designers worldwide, most recent being Kazuo Kawasaki at Minebea, who has created Cool Leaf. It’s basically a mirrored surface with backlit keys and a capacitive coating, creating a beautiful appearance that looks decidedly not-fun to use, particularly that keyboard (stylishly dubbed “Φ-QWERTY”). But, it is practical in some respects, thanks to the whole thing being waterproof and easily cleaned. So these might indeed be the keyboards of the future — for doctors and nurses, anyway.

Cool Leaf input devices create the keyboard of the future circa 1982 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 09:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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• 
  Review of the Adesso SlimTouch Pro
• 
  Porn Detection Stick searches a hard drive for…you know
• 
  Driving Simulator from Honda
• 
  Steampunk 4GB USB Drive
• 
  Music Planet Waterproof Speaker

If you prefer to enjoy your music while you’re soaking in the tub, this is one speaker that can bob along in the water right with you.  It doesn’t just sit on a shelf at a safe distance away from the water, this round speaker can dive into the bathwater and still play your favorite music loud and clear.  Which is a bonus for those of you that have the tendency to clumsily knock your electronics into bodies of water.

The MP3 player has an alarm clock, an FM tuner and stereo speakers.  On the inside of the protective waterproof cover you can plug in an SD/SDHC card (up to 32GB) or a USB drive.  The round speaker can run an SD card for 13 hours, a USB drive for 9 hours and the radio for 28 hours.  In order to keep it up and running it requires 6 AA batteries.  With having that many it’d definitely be a whole lot more convenient to pick up some rechargeable batteries.  It’s priced at about $120, but unfortunately it’s a Japan product.  Which means it might be a little difficult to get your hands on.

Source: Crunchgear

There’s two bits to this setup. Both are wristwatches but one monitors the state of the free diver – the one plunging head first into the abyss on a single breath. The other device receives information about free diver so should he/she suffer from hypoxia and suddenly faint (apparently very common in this extreme sport), the safety or control diver can save the day. The whole thing works via Bluetooth and nanotechnology. Don’t ask me how – the designer doesn’t really explain other than suggesting the chip inside each device requires nanotech to work.

Designers: Murat Ozveri & Anil Dincer For Design Quadro

The Diagnostic Kitchen enables people to take a much more accurate and personally relevant look at what they eat. The system is comprised of a tabletop, scanning wand, and swallowable sensor. The wand is an interactive device that gives you real time data about what’s going on inside your body, everything from salt to water ratio, hydration, fats, proteins, etc… By docking the wand and placing a food item you might eat on the tabletop, the wand updates to show how this item will affect your body.

The end goal is finding equilibrium. As you continue to use the system, you’ll gain an understanding of how food really affects you. As you find balance, the wand keeps a visual record of your progress and displays it across the surface. This is a provocative and unconventional look at food but one that can have a profound effect on how we eat. Imagine what that wand would look like if you placed a Big Mac with fries and a coke on the tabletop. The damn thing would probably explode.

Designers: Philips Design

Gadgets have to be capable of withstanding the conditions that we regularly find ourselves within.  For some, those conditions are not exactly mild and it’s always nice when your favorite music can go with you.  This Stanley radio is meant for the harsher conditions, specifically for those that do a lot of manual labor.  It could stay in a shop or a construction site and you wouldn’t have to worry as much about it getting damaged.

The radio comes with a cage around it, that’ll hopefully help it survive being knocked around.  One thing that is a little troubling is that it’s not mentioned whether or not it’s resistant to things like dust and water.  I would like to hope that they just forgot to include that information, but that seems like a pretty big slip up.  The radio does have AM/FM capabilities, as well as being USB and SD compatible.  Then to finish it off it also is capable of working with your MP3 player.  It has a digital LCD display and an AUX input.  You can purchase the radio for $52.49 through Tools Now.

Source: UberReview

This is actually the COOL LEAF, a new series of input devices designed by Minebea, a Japanese company. As you can see, the surfaces of this keyboard, calculator, and remote control have a mirrored surface to them that is just as good as a real mirror.

You may notice that there isn’t “stand-out” buttons on this guy, but these “non-physical” buttons are just as good. It looks like the mirrored surface is water-resistant, too.

How can this work? It uses a special film made by a Japanese chemical company Toray on top, an electrostatic capacity type touch panel with force sensors beneath, and a backlight as a bottom layer.

I don’t know about you, but I would be very interested in seeing a future where the Φ-QWERTY, Φ-Calcs, and Φ-Remotes have completely taken over. Yes, that is what they are called, and I had to copy/paste those names from my source, as my computer did not have a “Φ” key. I would highly consider renaming these device before they are mass-marketed like Phi-QWERTY, Phi-Calculator, and Phi-remote.

I wonder what it would be like to have a Phi-Cellphone? Would it be a candybar, clamshell, or could you make a slider out of the thing? Hey, could we change the iPhone so it has the COOL LEAF’s mirrored surface?

Source

Corsair officially announced its Flash Voyager GTR high-speed USB flash drive. Based on USB 2.0 interface, the Voyager GTR offers read speeds up to 34MB/s and write speeds up to 28MB/s. It features a durable and water-resistant rubber housing.

Corsair’s Flash Voyager GTR is available in 32GB (CMFVYA32GBGT2), 64GB (CMFVYA64GBGT2) and 128GB (CMFVYA128GBGT2) densities.

[corsair]

• Corsair Flash Voyager GTR 128GB USB Flash Drive
• Corsair 128GB Flash Voyager GT Flash Drive
• Corsair 64GB Flash Voyager USB Drive
• Corsair Voyager Port – turn USB Drive to Backup device
• Corsair Flash Survivor Rugged USB Flash Drive

Alright, we know there’s a big old watermark covering it up, but the HD2’s price when it makes its eagerly awaited US debut on T-Mobile has been identified as being $199 after rebate, presumably as part of a two-year commitment with the carrier. As usual with such screen grabs, we can’t be 100 percent sure, but that number seems to be in the right ballpark, and is joined by a $129 price for Motorola’s Cliq XT and a $69 sticker for Nokia’s Nuron handset. All three are expected to arrive at some point this month, though we urge caution with the HD2 — it’s still only a Windows Mobile 6.5 device, in spite of Microsoft’s equivocations about Windows Phone 7, and should be obtained solely on the basis of what you know. That is to say, you’d better really love HTC’s Sense UI and that 4.3-inch screen, because you’ll be buying into an OS with a very short remaining shelf life, no prospects of future app development, and no guarantees about upgrades.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

HTC HD2 and Moto Cliq XT pricing revealed in T-Mobile database? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Mar 2010 07:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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However, this Hydrofloor is much more useful. Imagine if you own a home (a very expensive one) and you want a have a big ballroom and an indoor pool in the same room. The Hydrofloor is there for you, decreasing the floor until it is deep enough for the water. It even has some stairs. I have no information about where the water goes, or how long it takes to transition from floor to pool, and back again.

I also don’t know how much a fully installed Hydrofloor would cost, but according to the manufacturer, it is “nearly invisible”. In other words, a guest in your home could hit the wrong button and get a real surprise.

Personally, I think this would be a terrific for Aquaman. You know, if he ever tried to live a secret identity like his buddies Bruce and Clark. This could be a problem if he ever brought a lady home and she discovered the Hydrofloor.

“Oh my gosh, you’re Aquaman, aren’t you?”

Now there’s a scene from the Aquaman movie you don’t want to see.

Source

This conceptual Corky mouse is one of the candidate gadgets in the Greener Gadgets Design Competition. The Corky is made on recycled cork shell that is naturally waterproof and recycled plastic components.

Instead of battery, the Corky wireless mouse is powered by the motion of your hand. It is designed by Adele Peters.

[greenergadgets]

• eVouse Mouse Pen Concept
• Glide Keyboard is also a mouse
• Chocolate Mouse Wireless Mouse
• My Lil’ Mouse – Computer Mouse for Kids
• 3-in-1 Mouse – a Trackball mouse, a Numeric keypad, a USB hub

M-Edge, other than accessories for nook and for Sony’s e-readers, offers the waterproof Guardian polycarbonate case for Amazon’s Kindle 2 e-reader. The Guardian provides a secure, watertight seal around Kindle by utilizing a dual-hinge, integrated gasket and four-latch closure system. It offers full functionality of Kindle’s buttons and keyboard, thanks to flexible sealed button cutout.

Made of molded plastic, the Guardian safeguards the device in all water environments up to 1 meter deep. Users can read hands-free in the water as the three internal buoyancy chambers of the Guardian provide distributed flotation to keep Kindle afloat and upright.

M-Edge Guardian is available in Black, Red, Orange, Blue and Yellow.

[m-edge]

• Amazon Kindle 2 E-Book Reading Device
• Amazon Kindle DX Leaked
• Amazon Kindle DX Now Official
• Amazon Kindle
• Sanwa Waterproof iPhone Case

To lock the rock all you’ve got to do is stop the rock with the feet. The feet fix the bed in stopped motion. You can also use these feet to fix the bed in any slant you’d like for if you’re wanting to read a book or watch the television. And it comes in so many sizes!

Available sizes: (Size matress) 100×200cm, 120×200cm, 140×200cm, 160×200cm, 180×200cm, 200×200cm, 220×200cm.
Holzarten: Ash and oak, nature or nature oiled.

The group that makes this bed usually takes amazing photos with models that bring forth the true essence of the product. Unfortunately, they do not come included. They’re busy sleeping on their own.

Designer: Mkloker Design