Technabob » accesory

Steer Safe: The “Safe” Way to Practice Distracted Driving?

Lambert Varias — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 14:14:42 +0000

Many of us are guilty of using our mobile devices while driving. Admit it, you’ve done it at least once, even just to look at a text message or e-mail. Governments all over the world are of course against this bad habit. But since it’s an offense that is a bit hard to spot people get away with it anyway. So what’s a responsible citizen to do? Encourage it. Wait what?

The Steer Safe is a cradle that lets you mount a phone or other similarly-sized object on a steering wheel. Sameer Desai, one of the inventors of the Steer Safe, claims that the cradle works with all phones and all steering wheels. It even supports landscape view, so you can watch a movie or play Angry Birds while driving! Yeah! No!

Nah, Desai and company are aware of the US Department of Transportation’s guidelines, and insist that the Steer Safe is legal. Moreover, they repeatedly mention both on their website and on their Kickstarter page that the “use of your phone should be limited to when vehicle is parked or stationary.” Which is why their demo video shows someone using a phone on the Steer Safe while driving.

Look, I can sympathize with people who use their phones while driving. I have friends and relatives who are guilty of that. I’m a gadget freak myself, so I know how tempting or useful it can be. And to be fair, looking up a map on a phone is pretty much the same as looking it up on your car’s navigation device. But I’m still more convinced that a product like this will only encourage people to be distracted with their gadgets while driving. If you’re only supposed to use them while you’re parked or stationary, why would you need to mount your gadgets on your steering wheel in the first place?

But that’s just me. If you’d like to see the Steer Safe become a real product, you can support its development by pledging on its Kickstarter page. You have to pledge at least $25 (USD) to be one of the first to receive the actual product.

[via Likecool]

BETA Shell dSLR Lens Case Protects Against the Elements and Clumsiness

Chris B. — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 15:18:08 +0000

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. In this case you could say that a $55 case is worth $700 in replacement costs. That’s the idea behind these BETA Shell SLR lens cases at least. When I take my camera out, I have a body and three lenses that come with me. I’ve not invested all that much in my camera, so my most expensive one was a little over $125. However, it’s not uncommon for a pro to use one that runs several hundreds (or even thousands) of dollars. Those are the people that would be interested in these cases.

The BETA Shell case consists of a water-tight polymer outer shell, with a couple layers of visco-elastic foam on the inside. Ultimately this means that no water is going to get in, and if dropped, the foam will absorb the shock from the impact. The case is also designed to withstand extreme temperatures, thus providing another level of protection for your lens. They are a bit bulky to carry around, so you may only want to use them when it seems most likely that damage can occur. With prices ranging from $55-$84 (USD), it could be well worth your money to invest in a couple.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

[via UberGizmo]

Tetris Bracelet: Your Bricks Are on My Wrist

Technabob — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 15:40:02 +0000

Retro gamer girls – here’s a fun accessory that lets you wear your 8-bit fanaticism on your sleeve (or at least on your wrist).

This handmade Tetris resin bracelet is embellished with a scene from the classic block-stacking puzzler. Created by Warsaw artist Sylwia Calus (a.k.a. “Sisicata”), its painstakingly detailed with tiny colorful bricks, infused into a clear resin cuff.

Unfortunately, it looks like somebody didn’t do a very good job fitting all the blocks together, so the game is already over. I know you would have done much better. If only this cuff had an LCD screen and tiny little joystick on it, you’d show ‘em!

You can find the Tetris bracelet and many of Sylwia’s other accessories over on her Etsy shop for $70 USD.

Wooden Computer Peripherals

Technabob — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 21:41:38 +0000

Japanese electronics company Marubeni Infotec recently showed off a line of peripherals which are made out of wood.

Made by design firm Hacoa, the designs include keyboards, USB flash memory drives, a memory card reader and a USB hub, all made from some delightful natural materials.

There’s no word on when or where you’ll be able to buy these yet, but I’ll let you know if I find anything out.

[via AVING]