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AirSketcher Robotic Fan Knows Exactly Where to Blow

Hazel Chua — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 14:00:27 +0000

I remember back in the day when air conditioners were scarce in my household and my sister’s and I would have to rely on our old, trusty electric fans and a bucket of ice to keep cool. Times have changed and we’ve moved on to real air conditioning since then. But seeing this robotic fan makes me think just how much useful it would have been a decade or two ago.

Designed by Keita Watanabe, the AirSketcher (JP) looks just like any other fan, except it’s got a camera in the middle that sweeps over the room it’s in and check where it should face or orient itself. If you want the fan to just focus on one area, then just hold the special flag targets prominently and wait for the fan to sweep around and find it.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Aside from where it should face, the flag targets also contain another symbol on the back that can turn the fan on or off. There’s no need for any remote controls with this fan, which guarantees completely hands-free operation. But this does seem like going through a whole lot of trouble just to come up with a next-generation fan.

[via Japan Trends via Oh Gizmo!]

Antec Soundscience A/V Cooler Keeps Your Home Theater Gear from Overheating

Shane McGlaun — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 22:14:57 +0000

I remember well the day my first PS3 died. I was sitting in my office working and all the sudden I heard this beeping sound. Once I walked around the corner, I could see the light on the PS3 flashing behind the glass door of my entertainment system. When I opened that glass door, my eyebrows were roasted half off by the heat trapped inside. Bye, Bye PS3.

If your entertainment center is poorly ventilated – or your gear just gets hotter than you like it to, Antec has a new solution specifically for cooling your gear. The device is called the Soundscience A/V Cooler. Inside the shiny silver case is a pair of dual speed 80mm blower fans.

The top of the device is aluminum for heat dissipation. The cooler pulls hot air in from under the device and then spits that hot air out the back through pair of vents. The dual fans promise quiet operation with a maximum of 28.7 dBA of noise. Antec also says that the device needs only 5W of power to operate on high. You can order the Soundscience A/V Cooler now for $139.95 (USD).

Kuchofuku Air-Conditioned Shirt Keeps You Cool While You’re at Work

Hazel Chua — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 11:00:08 +0000

Global warming and climate change are a drag. The effects of such phenomena are clearly prevalent nowadays. I’ve never seen so much rain fall during the supposedly warm months of summer as it did this year where I live.

Extremely hot weather makes for extremely hot heads.

That was one important lesson I learned then. Never before have I seen my boss sweat so profusely and turn a dangerous shade of beet red when he lost his temper. I mean, usually he’d just give everyone a long and boring lecture, but this time, he really blew his top.

And for bosses and people like him, in general, who can’t take the blustering heat in stride, there’s only one solution: the Kuchofuku Air-Conditioned Cooling Work Shirt.

This shirt looks just like any other old shirt on the outside, but its insides are a different story. It’s got two battery-powered fans continuously cooling you down as you go about your day without breaking a sweat.

But who said keeping cool was cheap? This shirt retails for $186 (USD) from Japan Trend Shop, which might be a more than what a lot of people are willing to pay.

[via Coolest Gadgets]

Fat iPhone 4 Knock Off is Actually a Fan

Shane McGlaun — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 01:31:06 +0000

The amount of electronic gear that gets copied over in China never ceases to impress me. One of the things that most commonly get ripped off is the iPhone and other Apple gear. Some of the geeks at MIC Gadget were out shopping for gadgets and ran across this rip off.

The device looks like a super fat iPhone 4 in white. On closer inspection, the fat iPhone look-a-like is actually a fan. It has a fake screen on the front that is a reasonable looking copy of the actual iPhone 4 screen. The fan is made from plastic and is powered by a mini USB port on the bottom.

A little LED on the bottom tells you when it is plugged in. It appears that the intake is on the back and the place where the air comes out is on the side of the fan. That blue thing is a sponge you have to get wet to the air is cooler. The iPhone fan costs about 10 bucks, and you can grab one over at K.O. Gadget.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

[via M.I.C. Gadget]

Cool Down With Thanko’s USB-Powered Clip-on Fan Coolers

Hazel Chua — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 14:13:23 +0000

When I first saw these USB fans by Thanko, I almost wished that I were a man who regularly wore suits and ties to work so that I would have something to clip them on. Almost.

Thanko is an accessory designer based in Japan, and can I say that I wait with bated breath with each new release the company makes because they’re so darned quirky and out-of-this-world?

Their latest offering is this clip-on fan or cooler that can be easily attached to your tie so you don’t have to exert energy fanning yourself with a hand fan on hot days. Each of these fans come with a battery pack for power on-the-go and can be charged up via your USB port. There’s also another version that’s been around for a while which actually is built into a necktie, but you’re stuck with just a single ugly tie design if you go with that one.

The USB clip-on fan is available from Thanko for about $32 (USD). Sadly, it’s still available in Japan, so you might want to start phoning your Japan-based friends or colleagues so they can get their hands on one for you.

[via Slippery Brick]

iPhone Dock Fan: Does Just About the Only Thing Apps Can’t Do

Lambert Varias — Tue, 31 May 2011 15:29:51 +0000

Want to keep cool while you’re using your iPhone? There’s a fan for that – the Dock Fan from JTT. As its name implies, it plugs into the iPhone’s dock, meaning it can also be used with the iPod Touch and the iPad. The fan can be tilted 90º, although not towards the side facing the screen.

The Dock Fan gets its juice from your iOS device – the iPhone 4 in particular can power it for as long as 6 hours. The blades of the Dock Fan are made of soft urethane plastic, so it’s highly unlikely to cause an injury even while in use.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

You can order the Dock Fan from JTT for ¥1,260 (~ $15 USD). I wonder if you can mod it and amp up it’s output to turn it into a Dock Rotor.

[via InventorSpot via Ubergizmo]

Rain Or Shine, All You’ll Ever Need Is the Fanbrella

Hazel Chua — Sat, 07 May 2011 13:00:33 +0000

Earlier, I was singing to the tune of Corinne Bailey Rae when I was talking about the Vinyl Numbers Clock.

Now here’s another thing that got me humming to the tune of another song. This time, it’s Rihanna’s “Umbrella” and I’m sure it’s a song that you’ll be singing in your head when you’re walking under the Fanbrella.

Most people don’t really bother to carry an umbrella when it’s a sunny day. But the Fanbrella wants to change that. As you can see, it’s got a battery-powered fan underneath its UV-reflecting canopy. Simply push the button at the bottom of the handle to turn it on and go your merry way, even under the sweltering heat.

The Fanbrella’s shaft and ribs are made out of plastic, so rust won’t be a problem. These go for a hefty $79.95 though and you can get them online from Hammacher Schlemmer. What do you think? Is the Fanbrella worth it?

[via Oh Gizmo!]

Nyko Intercooler STS for Xbox 360 Slim: Aren’t These Not Supposed to Overheat?

Range — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 11:00:55 +0000

While Microsoft might not approve of Nyko’s Intercooler, if you’re worried about your Xbox 360 Slim overheating, you haven’t got many options available. However, unlike the original console, the Xbox 360 Slim isn’t supposed to overheat much, but you know what, it’s probably better to be safe than sorry.

Nyko’s Intercooler STS was made to work exclusively with the black Xbox 360 Slim. It has a temperature sensor that makes the fan only run when you actually need it, and power comes directly from the Xbox’s USB ports. It blends in pretty nicely with the look of the Xbox 360 too.

The Intercooler STS is currently available for $20 (USD), so it’s not that much to pay to have peace of mind during a marathon gaming session.

[via CrunchGear]

KÜHLER H2O 620 Liquid Cooling System Keeps CPUs Cool Without the Mess

Shane McGlaun — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 14:00:34 +0000

I am a serious computer gaming geek, and once I decided I wanted liquid cooling inside my machine. I gathered all the parts together for a roll-your-own liquid cooling system. It was a nightmare to route the hoses where they would reach and not be crimped. Once it started up, leaks were a big problem and I ended up going back to air-cooling. What I needed was something like this new self-contained liquid cooling system by Asetek.

The KÜHLER H20 620 system is a joint venture between Asetek and Antec and uses a copper cooing plate that sits on the CPU and a radiator with fans. The hoses are all hooked up right from the get go and the liquid is inside the tubes.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

The system is maintenance free and the hoses are designed to bend easily to prevent kinks. Asetek claims that the system is able to cool 20% better than air and it costs not much more than a nice aftermarket air cooler. The 620 will ship this month for $69.95 (USD).

Abiko Rips Off Dyson Air Multiplier Design, Prices It Close to the Real Deal

Shane McGlaun — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 16:28:07 +0000

Let’s be honest here among friends. The only reason to buy knock off products is because we are too cheap to buy the real deal. You know what I mean guys, it’s like buying your girl that fake Coach purse with the “G” rather than the “C” thinking they won’t know the difference. She will know the difference; don’t ask me how, but she will.

At least we usually save money with the faux products we buy. If you liked that Dyson Air Multiplier fan that has no blades, but choked on the pricey $299 tag, a new knock off has surfaced from a company called Abiko.

The catch is that the MSRP for the rip off is not too far from the price of the real deal. Abiko wants $223 for its faux Dyson. The good news is that CNET News reports you can find the Abiko online (in Wholesale quantities) for just $50 each.

The Dyson Balloon Accelerator: No, You Can’T Ride in It.

Range — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 15:44:51 +0000

A couple of engineers from Dyson decided to build a balloon accelerator, which uses Dyson Air Multiplier fans to speed along a balloon on its merry way, kind of like what a particle accelerator does, albeit at a much slower speed.

I think that it works well for a publicity stunt. It’s kind of like watching dominos fall over. You just can’t help but watch. It’s also cool to see all the different ways that the engineers tried to accelerate the balloon.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Unfortunately, unlike dominos, these puppies from Dyson cost $450 bucks each, so good luck trying to replicate something like this on your own. Still, it’s fun to watch.

[via DVice]

Ecofan Bamboo Cooling Stands: Cool Your Laptop With Wood

Technabob — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:32:31 +0000

Does your laptop get hotter than Hades and overheat all the time? I know there are plenty of laptop cooling solutions out there, but how many of them actually look decent?

Macally’s wooden ECOFAN and ECOFANPRO stands keep your laptop nice and cool, and look good doing it . Each stand has a built-in USB powered cooling fan, and can support any laptop up to 17″. They’re made from Bamboo wood, which not only has a warm natural style, it’s eco-friendly.

While the ECOFAN features a fixed-position stand, I greatly prefer the adjustable height stand on the ECOFANPRO (pictured above). Here’s a snapshot of the simpler model:

Both stands are available over on Amazon, with prices around $32 to 33 (USD) for either model. With virtually no price difference, there’s no reason not to go PRO.

Now all I need is one of those Bamboo laptops to go with this, and I’ll be set.

Dyson Fan Multiplies Air, Costs

Lambert Varias — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:30:39 +0000

Unless the blades of your electric fan are quite dirty – mine are, need to clean them – I don’t think you’ll feel that the air coming from the fan is “choppy”. You’ll still feel that steady stream of air right? Dyson disagrees, so it invented a bladeless fan that uses technology found in turbochargers and jet engines to amplify the air that it sucks in. The result is a solid cylinder of breeze in your face. Or wherever the fan is aimed at.

A motor at the bottom of the fan sucks in a tiny bit of air, which is then sent to the inside of the circle up top. The circle’s cross-section is shaped like an airfoil, and that plus a couple of forces that I barely understand but have a lot of respect for makes the air coming out of the edge of the circle get supplemented by the air behind and around the fan.

Clearly “Air x 15″ is a good thing. No word when the fans will be available, but both the 10″ and 12″ models of the fan are already listed at Dyson’s online shop. The 10″ version will sell for $300 (USD), while the 12″ version will sell for $330. Unless these things are energy efficient, I don’t see why people with space to spare would buy an air multiplier over an air conditioner, which doesn’t have fancy jet technology but can cool the air in a whole room. Just saying. But if you’re interested, check out Dyson’s website for more details and videos of the fan.

[via likecool]

Coolit Pc Casemod Gives Me the Chills

Technabob — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 23:32:16 +0000

I’m pretty sure that this custom-built PC won’t ever overheat. That’s not just because it looks like a frosty block of snow and ice. It’s actually decked out with a completely over-the-top cooling system that keeps the interior of the computer at arctic temperatures.

The CoolIT PC is named after the system’s cooling technologies, provided by CoolIT systems. 19-year old Dominic Heiße painstakingly built the entire CoolIT computer case from scratch, using MDF for the main case structure, overlays of Plexiglas cut to look like icicles, and (I think) layers of Bondo for building up the snowy look on the surface.

The case is loaded up with a heavy duty Boreas liquid cooling rig, along with 15, count ‘em, 15 neatly arranged fans in the back of the case. The whole thing is illuminated by tons of cool blue LEDs to complete the icy cold look. Check out the gallery below for more pics:

You can see Dominic’s complete photolog of the construction process over on the CoolIT Forums. Very cool indeed. Downright cold, actually.

[via modding.ru]

Handmade Sensu Fan USB Drive: Pure Japanese Style Device

Lambert Varias — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 11:30:53 +0000

At least that’s what Geek Stuff 4 U is calling this traditional folding fan with a 16 GB flash drive embedded in one of its ribs. Or is it a USB drive with a fan attached to it?

It’s probably something that ninjas and spies use to carry – or steal – data. Yes that’s it: it’s an ninja’s USB drive. It’s more awesome to think of it that way, as opposed to it being your grandmother’s flash disk.

Made of an exquisite combination of bamboo, wood and cotton, deftly manipulated by someone who can only be a master fansmith, and finished off with 5 layers of lacquer resulting in a life-altering sheen, the sensu 16 GB USB drive is freakin’ expensive: it’s selling for about $300 (USD) at Geek Stuff 4 U. Yes, it’s as expensive as a PS3 Slim. But is a PS3 Slim handmade? No. Can a PS3 Slim keep you cool? No. Can ninjas use it to steal data? No. And Sony says that their console only does everything. Pff.

[via DVICE]

Solar Cap Fan: Don’T Know if It’S Enough to Keep You Cool, but It Definitely Won’T Make You Look Hot

Lambert Varias — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 12:15:21 +0000

The weather here’s been very erratic in the past few years; we don’t get a lot of rain during the rainy season, and it rains quite a lot during the dry season. The only thing that I can be sure of is the unforgiving assault of heat and humidity, day in and day out. Which is why I’m not going to make fun of Brando’s new Solar Fan Cap, because if I see one of these for sale (for some reason it’s so easy for me to imagine a sidewalk vendor hawking solar fan caps) I might get one. My forehead needs it that much.

I’m willing to look stupid for the comfort that half of a tiny fan’s ventilation can provide. Unless of course the solar panels don’t generate enough power, in which case forget it. I still have standards.

You know, the longer I look at it, the more I’m thinking that it kinda looks awesome. Yeah no it doesn’t. But if you need the cap, go on and get one, it’s only $16 (USD) at Brando. Don’t be like the people who wear uncomfortable shoes or clothes just to look cool. Be the type who wears stupid caps to be cool. Just be yourself. Respect your elders. I can’t stop typing. There.

Left 4 Dead First Aid Kits, for the Hardest of the Hardcore Fans

Alisha K. — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 10:42:46 +0000

“First aid here!” And by here, I potentially mean in your house, stashed somewhere convenient for grabbing in the event of zombie apocalypse.

Left 4 Dead fans are pretty industrious, but replica first aid kits is definitely on the more creative end of the crafty spectrum. At the Etsy storefront 16 bits of Fashion Fury, sindeegee has a lot of items inspired by geek favorites, but the Left 4 Dead health kit really rules the day. You can get it with or without the text, or you can get a smaller version. Don’t expect cheap, though; the wackier handmade tribute items are often a little pricier, and at $45, I’d have to stop and think about just how much I love Left 4 Dead.

As a hilarious topper, however, sindeegee has promised to toss a few first aid items into the kits. It’s like health roulette! What will you get? Who knows. And that’s exactly how things should be during the apocalypse: surprising and possibly useless.

Remote Controlled Spider Climbs Walls, Ceilings

Technabob — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 11:32:34 +0000

If I saw this giant creepy spider scurrying across my ceiling in the middle of the night, I’d be on the phone to Orkin faster than you can say “spiderpig”.

Now you too can freak the hell out of your significant other with this oversize remote-controlled spider with glowing LED eyeballs. No Boundaries’ infrared R/C spider not only can make its way across your floor, it can climb walls or even move on your ceiling. I suppose climb is actually the wrong word. You see, my spidey sense is telling me that this guys legs don’t actually propel him along. Instead, a powerful fan creates enough suction to hold the plastic arachnid in place on horizontal or vertical surfaces, and movement is acheived through tiny wheels on the bottom of the bug. C’mon, really? What’s the last time you saw a spider with wheels and light up eyes. And right now doesn’t count.

Still, this creepy (non)crawler looks like it could be fun for at least 3 or 4 minutes – or until the cat kills it, whichever comes first. You can grab one over at UK Gadget shop I Want One of Those for £29.99 (appx. $49 USD).

Big Ass Fans: ‘Nuff Said

Lambert Varias — Wed, 27 May 2009 11:30:01 +0000

No, I’m not going to talk about sizable fans for your butt. Although I’d like to see what an ass fan would look like, what I’ll be sharing with you today are fans that are just plain huge. Just big ass fans, called Big Ass Fans, from the company Big Ass Fans.

While your run of the mill fan has a diameter no bigger than 5 ft., Big Ass Fans are at least 6 ft and top out at a huge ass 24 ft. in diameter. Big Ass Fans rotate slower than ordinary fans, so they use less energy, but at the same time they produce up to 25 times more airflow compared to conventional models. Big Ass Fans are so effective, they can even ” make the surrounding area feel between 8 – 16ºF cooler.”

The innards of Big Ass Fans are as revolutionary as their size. See, typical fans are turned by gears, which results in the sometimes annoying buzzing sound. Big Ass Fans on the other hand are operated by a series of magnetic pads. Not only does that make the fans run silently, it also makes Big Ass Fans more efficient because of the “friction-free rotation.”

Big Ass Fans come in 5 models: the small and minimalist Isis, the mobile vertical floor fan Airgo, the position-adjustable Pivot, the stylish Element (Flaming Lips’ frontman Wayne Coyne has one in his house), and the strongest Big Ass Fan, the high-performance Powerfoil X.

You can contact Big Ass Fans at 877-BIG FANS (244-3267) if you’re a US resident, +44 (0) 1942 200787 for UK residents, and at +61 (0) 0458 589 955 for those of you in Australia for pricing and other details. You can also fill out a form at the Big Ass Fan website and wait for a representative to contact you.

[via Popular Mechanics]

Century 3-in-1 USB Dock Almost Turns Your Netbook Into a Laptop

Lambert Varias — Mon, 11 May 2009 12:24:12 +0000

While it can’t do anything about your netbook’s tiny screen and weak processor, Century’s 3-in-1 USB dock does add 2 USB ports and a Panasonic DVD/CD burner combo drive, as well as a couple of extra features that laptops don’t have.

The dock also has an internal 2.5″ SATA connector for extra HDD/SSD storage, as well as a tiny fan to help your little friend stay cool. If you don’t want to use the fan, you can tuck it into the dock’s body so it stays out of the way.

The dock is just over 10″ wide and about 7.5″ long, so it’ll go best with 10″ netbooks. The product site also states that the dock requires Windows XP/Vista.

The Century 3-in-1 dock sells for ¥9,980 ($101.40 USD). You can order one at Century’s online shop, although I think it’s Japan-only at the moment.

[via Akihabara News & Everything USB]