The system uses a custom wireless computer that receives digital information via a Wi-Fi connection and translates your maneuvers into servo control signals for R/C cars. There’s also a USB jack for a compact webcam. Joker Racer lets you use a web browser to drive cars on a closed course, and watch POV video from tiny cameras on-board each car.

There’s even an iPhone app coming in 2010 that lets you control cars using the iPhone’s motion sensors. In addition to being able to drive their remote-hosted cars, in future you’ll be able to buy your own Joker Racer R/C Server hardware for your own racecars.

Here’s a couple of videos showing off Joker Racer in action…

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Joker Racer’s website recently wrapped up its initial beta and is moving on to a full release in early November. For now, you’ll just have to sit back and enjoy some of the site’s pre-recorded clips and maybe remotely control the course webcam.

[via TechCrunch]

Oooo shiny. Of course they’re not portable, but who cares right? Nothing says you’re a millionaire like porcelain hanging flashlight lamps! They’re just $42 (USD) a piece at Fred Flare, whether you want the small, medium or large version. So what are you waiting for? You gotta get yourself some porcelain flashlights!

[via holycool]

The Mac version has a metal case and a 2-liner LCD screen like its software counterpart, while the Windows calculator sports the classic XP color scheme, and even has menu headers. I know that these are just concepts, but what would the window buttons (maximize, minimize, close) be for in a real calculator? It would be awesome if you could actually maximize a real calculator though.

The designer is aware of the fact that it would be unlikely for either Apple or Microsoft to let any third party get away with making these calculators, so is leaving it up to the two computer makers to make real-life versions of their OS calculators, if only to give away as gifts or for marketing gimmicks. And if they decide to go ahead with it, maybe they should contact Mintpass.

That said, the TwitterPeek does have a lot going for it: it has a scroll wheel and a back button, a large, colored screen, a raised and illuminated QWERTY keypad, a battery that lasts 4-5 days and can be charged in 2 hours, plus nationwide coverage (US only) that doesn’t depend on WiFi. But no browser. Those of you who are familiar with the Peek Pronto know that although it doesn’t have a browser either, it reads PDF, docs and pictures.

So Twitter addicts, is the TwitterPeek just the thing that you’ve been waiting for? Or will you stick to your Twitter apps on your phones and computers? If you said yes to the first question, head on to Amazon and get the TwitterPeek for either $100 (USD), which comes with 6 months of free service (you’ll pay $8/month after 6 months), or $200, which comes with lifetime wireless service. It comes in two colors, grey and aqua (or Twitter blue).

Update: PC Mag has reviewed the TwitterPeek and gave it 1.5 stars for its poor controls and very limited functionality. Apparently it makes even the simple act of reading tweets a chore. Wow. (via Gizmodo)

[via Engadget]

Aside from the display, the microphone used to pick up speech is also mounted on the eyepiece. The mic sends data to the small computer, which is meant to be worn on a user’s waist. The computer then sends the data to the remote server, which takes care of the heavy stuff, converting speech to text and finally translating. Then the translated text is sent back to the computer, and finally displayed in the eyepiece. The text is displayed on the user’s peripheral vision, so you won’t go wall-eyed trying to read the translation.

…or so goes NEC’s big plan. Currently the system’s translating capability is not be good enough for real world application, so for now the device is being promoted as a convenient means of looking at user manuals or guides for engineers or technicians to use while their working on something. And since it can receive data from a remote server, the Tele Scouter can also be used to send instructions to several personnel all at once, in real time.

NEC will begin selling Tele Scouter systems next year. I don’t know if it will be fully functional by then, but even if it did it’s not like we’ll be able to afford it: a set-up good enough for 30 users will cost ¥750 million (approx. $8.3 million USD).

[via gizmag]

A watch battery powers the light, which provides a more or less even brightness. The lamp itself tucks inside its wallet-sized card frame. I can probably fit a couple in my wallet.

There are lots of situations when a flashlight would come in handy, but the big ones are bulky; small flashlights on the other hand usually emit weak ass light. Something like the Pocket Light would be a much better – and sexier -  portable light source.

Check out Harc’s website and have a look at his other projects. My favorite is the XY Bag, a luggage that transforms into a cart so you can put more bags on top of it.

[via likecool]

These Coke can spy cams each have a tiny little video camera and DVR built inside. And while the Coke Zero can looks just like The Real Thing, I’m not quite as convinced by this can of “Caco-Cola Clossic”:

Each camera conceals a pinhole camera that can capture VGA (640×480) resolution video images in AVI format. Data is stored in the can’s internal 4GB memory, so it’s completely self-contained. Just pop off the hidden panel to reveal a USB connector, and jack the can into your computer’s USB port to pull down any captured video. While plugged in, the can’s internal rechargeable battery will juice up at the same time.

Both the Coke Zero and Caco-Cola Clossic spy cams are available over at ChinaGrabber, and will set you back between $53 and $62 bucks a can. Have a Coke and a smile and say “cheese”!

As you may have guessed from its looks, the Tape Express is also a portable cassette tape player. So if you just can’t let go of your tapes even after recording their contents, you can still use them with the Tape Express. Pop in a couple of AA batteries and take it with you wherever you go, just like old times.

You can get the Ion Tape Express at Firebox for £50 (approx. $80 USD). Nostalgia guaranteed.

[via popgadget]

Each DreamScreen features a bright, high-resolution LCD color screen, and has built in speakers so it’s a completely self-contained media playback device. And if you don’t want to bother streaming media from your PC, the DreamScreen has a built in 6-in-2 media card reader and a pair of USB ports too. Video formats supported include MPEG 1, 2, 4 and H.264, while you can listen to audio in MP3, AAC, WMA and WAV formats.

In addition to media playback, you can access Facebook and view updates without getting up from your chair. There’s also a slideshow integration with Snapfish, so you can upload photos to their site and view them on the DreamScreen. HP has also been kind enough to provide access to streaming digital music via Pandora, and HP’s own “SmartRadio” which aggregates Internet radio from around the globe. There’s also a built in calendar and alarm clock, so you might want one of these on your bedside table instead of a traditional alarm. There’s no word on future plans to roll out additional Internet services, but I’m hopeful HP will release more integrations in future.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

The only major downside I can see to the DreamScreen is that it’s crying out for a touchscreen surface. For now, you have to navigate using the buttons along the sides of the screen, or using the included wireless remote. Hopefully, HP will make a touch-enabled version in the future. I also wish there were an open standard for widgets like there is with the Chumby.

The DreamScreen 100 features a 13.3″ display, while the DreamScreen 130 has a 10.2″ screen. Both devices have 800×480 screen resolution, so the smaller display just has smaller pixels. The DreamScreen 100 lists for $249.99 (USD) and the DreamScreen 130 is $299.99, but you can find both models over at Amazon for a few dollars less.

Open a bottle of your favorite beer! Vrooom! Or a miniature bottle of your favorite whiskey! Vrooom! Or grape-flavored Fanta! Vr…ooom? The motorcycle grip bottle opener sells for $10 (USD) at Drinking Stuff. Batteries included.

[via GearDiary]

Months later, the students released a video with a proof-of-concept of the D&D-Surface mashup, which they named SurfaceScapes, including a look at how combat plays out.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Virtual d20 ftw.

[via Wired via Penny Arcade]

This cheery pink digital camcorder is perfect for girls (and very confident men) who want to shoot video and are sick of the same old, same old. Just like the big boys, the pink HD cam can shoot 720p high-definition video at up to 30 fps in H.264 format. See, these girls are definitely stoked about those stats…

Girl on right: “Hey, did you know my HD digi-cam can shoot digital video at 1280×720 resolution with a frame rate of 30 frames-per-second and encodes its data using a Quicktime H.264 codec?” Girl on left: “Shut up and take my picture already! Can’t you see I was busy listening to some tunes in Ogg Vorbis format!”

The pink cam has even got a pair of SD slots, each of which can hold 16GB of memory, so you can store up to 32GB of digital video if you load up both slots. In addition to shooting video, the pink cam will take still photos at up to 5-megapixel resolution. Video is displayed on the camera’s large 3-inch touchscreen display. And it’s pink – with ruby-colored sparklies!

Pricing hasn’t been announced yet, but you can check back over on Chinavasion for more information. Think pink!

The Nook sets itself apart from the pack with an innovative dual display, one part electrostatic ink book screen, and the other part a thoroughly modern 3.5-inch full-color touchscreen for navigating between menus and book covers.

Much like the Kindle before it, the nook can download books via Wi-Fi or 3G connections, and it offers a high-contrast 16-shade E Ink display for reading books. Free 3G coverage is provided by AT&T, while you’ll get free Wi-Fi whenever you’re visiting a B&N store. And it can read open standard files like PDF and e.pub documents -yay! Did I happen to mention the Nook runs on Google’s open source Android OS? Ruh-oh. Kindle’s on the ropes now.

Barnes & Noble will even let you sample a little bit of each book before you buy – sorta like the music previews on iTunes. The nook even lets you “lend out” books to your friends for up to 14 days at a time. They don’t even need to have a Nook – you can share them to a cell phone or computer too. You can even sync your books own to your iPhone, iPod Touch, BlackBerry, Mac or PC and pick up wherever you left off reading.

Barnes & Noble plans on offering over 1 million download-to-own eBooks, and a variety of subscription magazines and newspapers in its electronic bookstore, and the nook has enough storage on board to hold up to 1500 of ‘em. And if you’re a real bookworm, you can stick in a 16GB MicroSD card and carry around a your own mobile Library of Congress with up to 17,500 books.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

The nook will ship starting in late November, and will sell for $259.99 (USD). You can pre-order one now over at the Barnes & Noble website.

These vinyl carrying cozies are made to cloak your precious iWonderPhone beneath the facade of a good old iPod or Nintendo Game Boy. Each case is handmade out of vinyl fabric by crafter yummypocket (who also brought us the iPhone Etch-a-Sketch). The cases feature wonderful details like sewn-on red buttons in place of the real gaming buttons on the Game Boy, and hand-embroidered menu/play/pause/fwd/rew buttons on the iPod’s scroll wheel.

These and other fun iPhone cases are all available over at yummypocket’s Etsy store and sell for $18 to $28 (USD) each. All we need now is a Game Boy case that looks like an iPhone. Or maybe a Sega Nomad case that looks like an Atari Lynx.

That’s right, this ordinary looking Casio LCD desktop calculator has been retrofitted to conceal a tiny little video camera, perfect for snooping on your unsuspecting office buddies in between math equations.

From the product description, it sounds like its got a built in digital video and audio recorder, and runs on a 9-volt battery, so it’s completely self-contained. Although I am confused by the part where it says that it’s also a wireless camera with a built in transmitter and a remote video receiver. Maybe it can send an analog feed in real-time, and then store video on the internal memory. Each one comes with 8GB of storage and can record videos at up to 628×582 pixels (what a strange resolution). Plus it doesn’t need much light to operate – just 3 Lux. Plus, it’s still a fully-functional calculator, which should make it look even less suspicious to casual observers.

The calculator spy cam is available over at ChinaGrabber for $78.99 (USD). But there’s also a guy over on eBay with what appear to be exactly the same calcucameras for a few bucks less. But in this case, the resolutions listed seem to make more sense, they mention no wireless connectivity and a built-in rechargeable battery instead of a 9-volt. Who knows which product listing is more accurate? I’m laying odds on the eBay option. That said, as is always the case with these odd little gadgets from China, caveat emptor, YMMV and all that jazz.