Technabob » ultraviolet

Vioguard Self-Sanitizing Keyboard is Now FDA-Approved

Hazel Chua — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 14:00:36 +0000

Keyboards can get pretty filthy. It’s the one part of your computer that you probably come into contact with the most, aside from your mouse.

And if you’re the type who sometimes eats dinner while you’re streaming some videos or surfing the Internet, then you know for a fact that your keyboard is filthy. Now for regular, healthy people like you and me, that might be okay. But if this keyboard is in a more sensitive environment, say a hospital or in some other medical setting, then it’s a huge no-no.

To answer the need for a truly clean and self-sanitizing keyboard is the Vioguard, which has now been approved by the FDA. The Vioguard has a proximity sensor that will eject the keyboard when there’s a human who will presumably type something close by. When it’s not in use, the keyboard will then be housed in a UV resistant receptacle where the keyboard will be exposed to a constant stream of UV light.

The Vioguard uses 80W when it’s sanitizing the keyboard actively, and 3W when it’s on standby. No word on pricing yet, but I have to say… Now this is neat.

[via MedGadget via Oh Gizmo!]

Sterishoe Kicks Germs Out With Uv Light

Lambert Varias — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 11:39:28 +0000

If we trust ultraviolet light to clean our toothbrushes, I guess it’s not that weird to let it sanitize the insides of shoes as well. That’s exactly what SteriShoe does.

Put them in your shoes, turn them on for 45 minutes and they’ll kick germs in their germicidal nuts. Then just leave them in anyway, because they’re also shoe trees.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

You can order a pair of SteriShoes at Amazon for $130. Don’t use ‘em to clean your toothbrush. That’s gross.

[via walyou]

Ultraviolet Spy Pen Lets You Write and Read Invisible Messages

Technabob — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 22:11:13 +0000

Here’s a handy way to keep a secret. Just grab one of these ultraviolet invisible ink pens, and you can leave yourself hidden messages that you can easily decode using the same pen you wrote them with.

Each pen has a built-in ultraviolet LED light, you can read messages that are invisible to the naked eye. It’s perfect for writing down personal information like your PIN number or passwords – assuming of course that nobody else has a black light lying around, and you can actually remember where the heck you wrote your note. Keep in mind that while the ink is “invisible”, it’s also permanent, so don’t be writing nasty bathroom stall limericks on the walls of your house unless you plan on living with them in perpetuity.

If you want to exchange secret notes with a friend, buy a couple and play a game to see if you can find all the hidden messages you leave for each other. Of course, running around with a UV light in hand, you might come across other evidence of foul play you didn’t intend to. Don’t mind that blood spatter – it’s nothing.

The Invisible Ink Spy Pen is available over at Perpetual Kid for $9.99 (USD).

Get a Tan While You Surf the Web

Technabob — Sun, 28 Jan 2007 14:42:59 +0000

Didn’t think you could maintain that deep, dark, tropical tan during these cold winter days? Well thanks to this handy USB gadget, you can keep that (un)healthy glow all year long.

ThinkGeek’s USB Desktop Tanning Center lets you roast your epidermis to three shades of tan, ranging from Starbucks Vanilla Latte to Ooompa Loompa. It even comes with a pair of those googly eyeball protectors so you can look cool while getting your tan on.

After reading more of the product description, I realized that you’d be pretty hard-pressed to power four 100-watt UV heat lamps via USB. Hopeful that this was an April Fool’s gag, I then checked my calendar, and realized it is indeed January. Then I clicked “Add to Cart”, and I was so relieved.

[via Thoughts from the Sidelines]