Archive for July 2007

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, the user interface designers over at Apple should be feeling pretty good about themselves these days. We’ve seen everything from knock-off devices, to an online screen smudge simulator, to PSP-based menu frontends.

Here’s a pretty impressive demonstration of a complex new speech recognition technology. The robot in this video clip is able to listen to three people speaking at the same exact moment, understand exactly what they each said, then process the data dynamically. Be sure to have your speakers turned on for this video clip or you’ll miss how it works.

This weird camera from Japan can meow. Presumably, the camera makes cat sounds to draw the attention of your elusive feline friends when you want to snap their picture. The whole idea strikes me as pretty odd though.

If you’re an Xbox 360 fan like me, you’re probably looking forward to the upcoming release of Bioshock. For those of you who unfamiliar with the game, the baddest baddie in the atmospheric thriller is known as “Big Daddy.”

Remember those irritating claw machines from the arcades and carnivals? You know, the ones that always had one really great prize inside that weighed 10 pounds more than the claw could lift? Now you can get your own miniature one for your cubicle. This battery-powered mini claw machine provides all the fun and frustration of the full-sized version.

It seems like I can’t let a week go by without coming across something new crammed into an old Nintendo Entertainment System controller. A couple of weeks back it was the NintendoSlvr, then we had the NESMouse.

I’ve been seeing early pictures and rumors of this new electronic book reader floating around for a couple of months now, and now the final specs, launch date and price have finally been announced. Bookeen’s Cybook 3 reader will hit shelves this September, with prices starting at $350 USD.

Designed for use with portable media players and computers, this compact speaker from Fostex cranks reflects its sound waves all around you. The Fostex GY-1 amplified speaker has a unique case design that looks kind of like the tip of a missile.

This add-on for the Nintendo DS not only lets you play MP3 files, but it lets you run tons of homebrew games on the portable console. Datel’s Games ‘n’ Music plugs into the DS and gives you an easy way to play custom games and apps on the DS and DS Lite.

Can’t get enough of your Nintendo Wii? Now you can take it to bed with you, thanks to this giant plush Wii-mote pillow. Artist and Nintendo fan Palochka is making these oversize handmade pillows from polar fleece.

I’ve seen all sorts of variations on the original Rubik’s Cube puzzle, but never one quite like this. EastsheenCubes take multiple mini-cubes and join them together to form one crazy looking version of the classic mindbender.

While it might not be the easiest watch to read, there’s no denying the sheer awesomeness of this luxuriant wristwatch from Hublot. The appropriately named Big Bang 44mm All Black Carat watch may have traditional analog dials, but its design is anything but conservative.

If you’re fortunate enough to live in an area that has 3G mobile phone coverage, you can now share your high-speed data access with more than one computer, thanks to this handy device. Top Global’s pyramid-shaped 3G Phoebus MB6000 takes most EV-DO, UMTS, HSDPA and EDGE/GPRS mobile network cards and lets you share your data connection through a built-in (802.11b/g)

Picture yourself lying on the beach, listening to the crashing waves, soaring seagulls and the squawks of far-off dolphins… Now you can bring a bit of that feeling inside your house, thanks to this new gizmo from Japan’s TakaraTomy. The Healing Theater Umine projects watery blue and green moving images on your ceiling as it plays back digitally recorded sounds of the islands.

At the recent E3 show, Saitek showed off this cool set of external desktop gauges that can be used alongside flight simulators and other games. Adding a new dimension of immersion to sim games, each individual color LCD screen can display live information fed to it by special game drivers.

This amazing work of artistry looks like your typical low-voltage desk lamp, except it’s been delicately placed inside a large glass shell. Studio Italia Design’s dramatic Blow Table Lamp is really a sight to behold. The lighting fixture’s centerpiece is a small adjustable 12V lighting head encased inside a blown glass bubble.