The best Hot Wheels Track

Some will say that you need a lot of time on your hands to complete this 2000 foot long Hot Wheels track. I say that loving your kid is a perfect motivation for a project like this. This setup was called "The Mother of All Hot Wheels Tracks" and is placed on a suburban house, down a sidewalk and around the pool. The car needs 3 minutes to complete the track. What you don't know is that the video is raising funds for Hope for Gabe - a charity foundation fighting to end duchenne muscular dystrophy, a terminal childhood illness. I wonder what will happen if they'll put a camera on the car! That would be great! Maybe in the next video...

Nokia Lumia 710

Nokia just released Nokia Lumia 710, a Windows Phone based on the new OS:

- 3.7 inch TFT capacitive screen with resolution 480 x 800 pixels and 16 million colors;

- Single core processor clocked at 1.4 GHz, 512 MB ​​RAM, 8 GB of storage and no microSD slot;

- Windows Phone 7.5;

- 3G download speeds up to 14.4 Mbps, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, microUSB, GPS, 3.5 mm jack;

- 5 megapixel camera that shoots HD videos;

- 1300 mAh battery, 126 gr. and 12.6 mm thick.

The Lumia 710 is expected to cost around 260 Euros.

iPod Evolution (2001-2011)

On October 23 we celebrated 10 years from the original iPod launch. The gadget evolved from a white metal box with mechanical scroll wheel to a stylish touchscreen multimedia device. Over the years the famous iPod underwent various changes: it was bigger, smaller, more colorful, lost or gained buttons. The latest generation of iPods features cameras, speakers, radio and even accelerators. The only thing that didn't changed was its popularity.

October 2001 - The First Ever iPod Introduction


This video is a piece of history. It depicts Steve Jobs introducing the first iPod ever. The device had 5 GB storage capacity, 185 grams, display 160 × 128 display, Fire Wire connection and a price of $ 399.

June 2002 - The second generation of iPods was launched. It came with a storage capacity of 20 GB and the most important feature that fans were begging for - Windows compatibility.



April 2003 - iPod 3rd generation. New elements were installed on this one: 30 GB storage capacity, it was easier, thinner, had a redesigned interface with touchscreen and dock connector. USB Sync and the launch iTunes Music Store strengthen the iPod's ecosystem - over 1 million iPods were sold and 25 million iTunes downloads were experienced.


January 2004 - iPod Mini. With the new Click Wheel interface and coloring gadgets, Apple has shown that it knows how to relate to a market with iPod appeal. iPod mini was small, pocket friendly and was released in 5 colors, with a capacity of 1,000 pieces and $ 250 price.

July 2004 - The fourth iPod generation. It features Click Wheel-interface, long battery life (12 hours) and as a bonus it received Shuffle Song function. Regarding the prices they varied from $ 299 (20 GB version) and $ 400 (40GB version).

October 2004 - a special edition of iPod was released: U2 iPod. It was born as a result of so-called "special relationship" between U2 and Apple. A second U2 Special Edition iPod appeared in July 2006.

October 2004 - iPod 4th generation, second model. It was capable of showing color photos on its display with the ability to connect to a TV for slideshow experience, everything at a price of $ 500 for 40 GB version and $ 600 for the 60 GB. Premium product, high price.


January 2005 - iPod Shuffle. It was an intriguing gadget for gymnastics, joggers, or those who are dependent on budget - $ 99 for a capacity of 512 MB.

September 2005 - iPod Nano. After an improper launch in February, Apple has released a very thin gadget due to its flash memory, black and white or color screen. Available prices: 2 GB and 4 GB from $ 200 to $ 250. Later, in February 2006, a 1 GB version was release at $ 150.

October 2005 - The fifth generation of iPod was released. Apple's new gadget was able to play videos and came with a bigger screen of 2.5 inches.

Septembrie 2006 - Second generation of iPod Nano and iPod Shuffle. A new model of the iPod 5th gen was also released.

January 2007 - iPod Shuffle. It was released in color variations because Apple realized that people like colors.

September 2007 - the third generation of iPod Nano. The new Nano was nicknamed "fat" and fetured a 2-inch QVGA screen, a new palette of colors and a smaller Click Wheel interface. Other improvements included all-metal design, the ability to play videos and Cover Flow browser.

September 2007 - iPod Touch. After the iPhone's debut, Apple launched the iPod Touch with the same multi-touch interface, Wi-Fi, built-in YouTube application and Safari browser. It changed people's expectations on media players. The Mail, Maps, Stocks, Weather and Notes have been added later, on January 2008 update.

September 2007 - iPod Classic. After launching the touch versions, the Original iPod is renamed iPod Classic.

September 2008 - the fourth generation of iPod Nano. Its thin, rose and was named the thinnest iPod. The new iPod Nano was available in 9 colors. Aluminum, glass design and accelerator made the difference from the previous model.

September 2008 - iPod Touch, 2nd generation. It featured a built in speaker and, most importantly, App Store access. It was smaller, lighter and thinner. Jobs said it was the funniest iPod.



Septembrie 2009 - iPod Touch 3rd generation and iPod Nano 5th generation was released. The new Nano featured video camera, microphone, speaker and radio.

September 2010 - iPod Shuffle 4th Generation. Apple comes back to old commands, although Voice Control still remains. It was available in 5 colors, priced around $50.

September 2010 - The sixth Nano wass released. A beautiful reinvention of the iPod Nano with various inspirations from iPod Touch and iPod Shuffle.



September 2010 - iPod Touch 4th generation. This one came with many new features: Retina Display, FaceTime video calling, HD recording video, A4 chip, and Game Center. It was just like the iPhone 4, but without the GSM calling function.

October 2011 - iPod Nano 6th generation(updated), at a price of $ 130. Not many improvements were noted on this one.

October 2011 - iPod Touch with iOS 5. The new version costs $ 199, but we can see a change: it's white and it looks pretty futuristic.


FUTURE?!

Don't move, I'm going to shoot!

The World Famous Design Junkies state that this strange photographic camera goes by the name of DORYU 2-16 Pistol Camera. It features a 16mm police-issue video camera with Cine-Nikkor 25mm F1.4 lens. This spectacularly crafted art object is evidently extremely rare and almost unimaginable to get hold of. Being shot by someone with one of these must be an unique experience. This could also go in the cathegory of "make pictures, not war!"

Romo: The Smartphone Robot by Romotive

Romo is a project developed by Peter Seid and Phu Nguyen. Their goal was to create flexible robotic platforms that are controlled by smartphones. As you can see in the video, Romo controlled using an iPhone 4. The robotic platform features movement, accessories and physical capabilities. In future upgrades, they hope to make Robo able to learn, grow and change by adding different modules to the platform. A future iPhone app will be available.

See more on their KickStarter page

A Duet With Siri (iPhone 4s Song)

If you are confused when you read the title then you should know that Siri is the new personal assistant that comes with iPhone 4s. Folks with a lot of time on their hands created various videos with youtube demonstrating the full power of Siri. This video is one of the coolest I've seen since the official release.

Top Halloween 2011 Gadgets

Well, October 31 is almost here and we need to be prepared for that night. I'm not going to write much about the celebration or the costumes. Here are Top Halloween 2011 Gadgets.

Skull USB Hub

You may think that Skull USB Hub is a bad omen, but for me is the perfect way to amaze your friends on Halloween 2011. It has a double function: an USB hub and it's a great way to keep your desktop cluster free.

Pumpkin Toilet Paper Holder

With this article your bathroom will never look the same. Pumpkin Toilet Paper Holder is the perfect and the cheapest thing you could buy for Halloween 2011.

Skull 4GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive

The Skull USB Stick brings high performance, low power consumption and non-volatile storage. It's easy to carry and has a funky design that's just perfect for Halloween. This USB flash drive comes with a plain package.

Bonus: DIY Scary Animated Halloween Props

Top Cars of 2012 (concept design)

I know I haven't written an article about cars and concept cars in a while. I'm about to change that right now, with Top Cars of 2012. This is a list of concept cars that are most likely to enter series production and be sold in 2012.

1. PORSCHE 918 Spyder

Few cars have amazed the audience as much as Porsche 918 did . The concept car was presented at Geneva Motor Show 2010. Even if it was an engineering and aesthetic triumph, it was not clear if the car was to enter series production. Recently, however, Porsche has announced that Posche 918 will be available for car fans in 2012 (or early 2013).

918 Spyder will have a top speed of 321 km / h and sprints from 0 to 62 in 3.2 seconds. It seems that the model will be "one of the rarest and most exclusive" Porsche ever designed. The price was not officially revealed, but it is speculated to be around $650,000.


2. LOTUS ESPRIT CONCEPT

Lotus, a company whose motto remains "flexibility is everything" announced it would launch more models in the following years. One model created a buzz lately - Esprit Concept - which was presented at the Paris Motor Show 2010. Lotus managed to create an unique design that got people's attention.

Sources stated that if the car's performance will rise to its design, the new Lotus will be the grand comeback the company was waiting for some time. Let's not forget that Lotus Cars were at one point top choice for luxury sport cars around the world.


3. LAMBORGHINI SESTO ELEMENTO CONCEPT

Even the Roadrunner cartoon character would be envious of Lamborghini's speed. The manufacturer said that the new model will be Lamborghini Murcielago's successor, which was produced between 2002 and 2010. Lamborghini Sesto combines lightweight materials with high-performance engine and most likely will push the limits of speed.

With a V10 engine, Lamborghini Sesto Elemento will sprint from 0-60 in just 2.5 seconds and reaches a top speed of 186 mph. More information were disclosed during the Paris Motor Show 2010. The rumored price is around $300,000.


4. AUDI QUATTRO CONCEPT

The German company would like to release the new model in a limited edition (500-600 examples) and various sources alleges that all the Audi Quattro cars will be sold in a few days. Those who saw last year's presentation of the new model argue that if the production car will look the same, they will buy it for sure.

Audi declared that the Audi Quattro speeds from 0 to 62 mph in fewer than four seconds, and we have no doubt about it. Enjoy the official Audi Quattro promo

5. FERRARI MONZA

They say the best comes last. All car manufacturers are competing for their models to be the most special and complex. When Ferrari Monza was introduced, everyone had one question: "What is it?". Ferrari claims that the aerodynamic shape of its new model is needed for fuel economy. The new design will allow the car to achieve maximum performance and speed (125 mph). I'm still not sure if the human race is prepared for an automobile part car, part motorcycle, part flying wing, and all anime, but I like it!

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Rubik's Cube, a new world record

Rubik's Cube was invented in 1974 by the Hungarian professor of architecture and sculptor Ernő Rubik. Since then, everyone tried to solve this game as fast as possible. The human record was set at the Melbourne Winter Open 2011 by Feliks Zemdegs.






But wait... We have a new contender!

This ARM Powered robot was created by Mike Dobson and David Gilday. As you can see, the mechanics are constructed from LEGO part. The device's "brain" is a collaboration between MINDSTORMS NXT and Samsung Galaxy S2 running a special Android application.

The solution is determined using the phone's camera, enhanced two-phase algorithm implemented in the Android app, Bluetooth communication between the phone and the LEGO Bricks.



read more about Rubik's Cube on Wikipedia

4 In 1 Casino Game Table

Me and my friends have a little poker fun every Thursday night. Last week they asked me to search for a cool and cheap casino game table that will enhance our Thursday's fun. After searching few websites I was able to find a 4 in 1 Casino Game Table from Adventurer's bag on Amazon. I just wanted to share it with you guys because I know Texas Holdem is so popular these days.

With this casino table you can play Roulette, Craps, Poker and BlackJack. Yes, a Roulette is also available in the pack. The table surfaces are dark green colored, and you'll get one plastic stick100 Poker Chips. This means 50 white, 25 red, 25 black. If you think you need more chips, just perform a quick search on Amazon and you'll find something that will fit your budget.

If you don't like playing with real people, you can always play online with strangers. Nowadays, the explosion of online casinos made it really hard to find decent websites where you can play casino games. But I know a really cool website. I usually find there all the necesarry information regarding US Rating, bonuses and plenty of reviews for every website. If you take a look you'll see that they have even sorted top online mac casinos.

So, if you are a real-poker fan or a hardcore online casino player you have the finest information I could gather in the last few days on thee matter. Let's play!

Motorola Motoactv: an alternative to iPod Nano

Motorola introduced today a device that can be used as mp3 player and monitor a range of parameters of your body. Motorola Motoactv is a device for people who take regular vigorous physical activities.


There are many watch-like gadgets, some even features telephony functions, but for some reason these gadget-watches never managed to be succesful. Apple has started a new trend because the iPod Nano was originally designed to be just a cheaper and more compact version of the conventional iPod. Instead, because of its small size, it has received addition accessories from other manufacturers that upgrade it to the status of multimedia watch.

Motoactv is a gadget that has a screen 1.6-inch touch screen and 600 Mhz processor. The watch features hardware and touchscreen buttons. Since the device is intended mainly for athletes, there will be situations where you get sweaty or get fingers wet and using the touch screen could be difficult. For this purpose, Motoactv has two dedicated buttons. The first one brings activates the screen and the second leads to the music player.



See price and more features here

iPhone 4S vs. Samsung Galaxy S II Drop Test

Folks at squaretrade.com tested the new iPhone 4S and Samsung Galaxy S2. It seems it's not about the looks, because one of these smartphones is more durable than the other.

iPhone 4s - Siri Demonstration

One of the main improvements of iPhone 4s is Siri, the personal voice recognition assistant. Named the "virtual slave" Siri wants to be a soft voice recognition software. Well, it's more than that. Siri is programmed to recognize words and sentences using an intelligent prediction module. This allows the iPhone 4s to complete simple and advanced task given by voice commands.

For example, you can search the web using certain words, search places near you, definition, you can set an alarm, a note, you can dictate a text message to your friends.

Until recently, Siri was a standalone application but due its success, Apple acquired the company in April 2010. One thing that many forget to mention is that since the time of 3GS, Apple have implemented a voice recognition commands software that (although not perfect) worked. Siri is just the next logical step in voice recognition software for smartphones.

more voice commands:

Wireless Glove Controlled Electric Mountainboard

Wireless Glove Controlled Electric Mountainboard was invented by Andres Guzman-Ballen , a Computer Engineering alumnus and incoming ECE graduate student at UIUC.

The student manage to control his mountain board using his wireless glove.
 Here is what he used on this project:

• SparkFun flex sensor to control board's speed
• op-amp used to control to change in current
• microcontroller to convert analog to digital signal
• NRF2401 Transceiver to send data
• microcontroller placed on board to convert data to a PWM signal - in order to change the RPM on board
• a kill switch located near the thumb to make the board fail-safe
• safety semaphore

Verizon phones starting at a penny

Verizon Phones price dropped at a penny via Amazon

We are living hard times. You are holding back on making banging purchases and calculating your pennies for the moment. It seems that Amazon understand this, and for a limited time, they have made all Verizon Wireless phones almost ... free by dropping the price to merely a penny.

• Ultra-fast, 4G-enabled smartphone running Android 2.2 with 4.3-inch multi-touch Super LCD display
• GPS for navigation and location services
• 8-MP camera; 1.3-MP front-facing camera for video calls; HD 720p camcorder; Bluetooth stereo music;
• 1400 mAh rechargeable battery with long lasting life
• microSD expansion; HTML web browser; corporate and personal e-mail

• 480 x 800 4" WVGA capacitive touch screen
• rear camera - 8 megapixel
• Android 2.2 operating system
• Full HTML Browser with support for Adobe Flash Player 10.1
• the smartphone comes with a Pre-Installed SIM card that are both CDMA and GSM Capable.

 

• 1 GHz single-core processor, 1 GB internal memory,
• 5-megapixel camera with auto-focus, capture video in HD 720p resolution, front-facing VGA camera for video chats.
  
• Android 2.3 OS

• Android 2.2 operating system (Froyo) with over-the-air upgrade capability for future OS releases
• 8-megapixel camera with LED flash and auto focus, HD 720p video capture capabilities (1280 x 720 pixels)
• 1 GHz Hummingbird processor, 32 GB pre-loaded microSD memory card with support for other optional cards up to 32 GB, 2 GB internal memory
• 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus display with capacitive multi-touch capabilities, proximity sensor, and light sensor (480 x 800 pixels)

image and information sources: Amazon

Panoramic Ball Camera

The Throwable Panoramic Ball Camera is equipped with 36 camera phone modules. Presented at Emergint Technologies demonstration at SIGGRAPH Asia 2011, the camera captures a full panorama image when it reaches the highest point of its flash. The photos can be transfered to a standard PC and can be viewed with a specialized software that comes with the camera. You can move freely on the panorama image, focusing on every detail.

Samsung Galaxy S II cost $ 2 in Australia

The smallest continent in the world is also the site of a real war between Apple and Samsung. Galaxy Tab 10.1 has just been banned from sale in Australia. Samsung retaliate in his own way.

They opened a store near an Apple Store and sold Samsung Galaxy S II at minuscule price: $2. Altough the offer is valid only for the first 10 people entering the Samsung store, the price is unbeatable. No wonder why a queue was formed. Folks moved out of the Apple Store and the iPhone 4S draftps to the South Korean company's shop.

Personally, I find the strategy desperate and I have long-term concerns regarding Samsung.

By the way, Samsung Galaxy S II will soon receive a software update that will change the way the menu shows the applications and will feature desktop multi-customizable screens. There seems to be a movement to get rid of some accusations brought by Apple.

The Present -The Annual Clock

Time, as Einstein depicted, is a slippery concept to narrow down in few words, and people all over the world refuge to metaphor to express it. As a matter of fact, with astonishing monotony, they all resort to the same metaphor: space. If someone says: "We are approaching the deadline," he or she is uttering imminence in conditions of closeness, an attribute of physical space. So if temporal watersheds do not really exist, where does our impression of time come from? And how come do we experience so powerfully a sense of time as motion?

The Present is the perfect reminder for those who forget that time is really important. The annual clock contains a microprocessor that accurately turns hours into months. The Presents will complete a clockwise rotation in one year. It's time to contour a singular relationship with the value of time.

Help the inventor Scott Thrift develop this project.

Apple MacBook Pro covered with gold and diamonds

It seems that this is becoming a trend, and I'm not sure how it looks compared to all the poverty in the world today.

But, com'on! Really??

MacBook Pro gold with diamonds?

 

The rumors are true! A company specialized in extremely expensive remakes of different gadgets created a version for the Apple MacBook Pro laptop. The first version was a gold remake, but folks thought it was too common. Why not go for something more extravagant, more royal and more expensive? The second version is fully plated with 24 carat gold and the diamond studded logo is gigantic.

I was not able to find much on the price, but given that a gold iPhone done by English designer costs 119 000 dollars, we can imagine the price for Diamond Apple MacBook Pro. Anyone interested?

Cool Floating Lamps

I know all you Back To The Future fans were disappointed that years passed and we still can't find Hover Board in the stores. Don't worry, you can still buy the Back To The Future Shoes soon!

Let's get back to the subject. Floating Lamp is actually called Light-Light and it looks just like a normal light. But if you pay close attention, you will discover that the top is floating above the base, almost levitating. This can be done using a set of magnets created with the engineering genius of Ger Jansen and a company called Crealev (Crealev Magnetic Levitation Technology).

Light-Light can be found in two models, Silhouette and Eclipse, and features energy efficient and dimable LEDs.

Light-Light Silhouette features a more classic look and it's the perfect solution for offices and classic designs. It contrasts ultramodern technology with an almost antique appearance.

Light-Light Eclipse has a futuristic look, and it pays homage to this raw phenomenon when observed from above. With its straight-sided nuance and flowing curving handmade glaze foot, it integrates finesse in the design.

The result is an impression of transparency and reflection that makes the floating and radiating effect even more spellbinding.

designer: Angela Jansen

Windows turned into display screens

Samsung announced Monday a LED breakthrough that will turn normal windows into display screens

Korean electronics monster Samsung declared two days ago that scientists doing work with advanced LED technologies had established a substantial discovery, permitting the company to develop large advanced display panels with convention glass panels, indicating that within the next 10 years window panes will be used as lighting and display screens. The future is here!

via thenextweb

Scary iPhone Charger

This is one of the strangest accessories for iPhone I've ever seen. The umbilical cord aspect and the way it moves while the iPhone charges it's frightening. Anyone dares to leave the telephone loading next to the bed... ?

Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford Commencement Address

He lit the fuse and YouTube did the rest. Stanford's students were presented at this historic moment that inspired so many people worldwide. 8 million people have seen this video last week due to the death of Apple founder.
"You've got to find what you love"



RIP STEVE JOBS

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 [trailer]

It seems that people at Activision don't want to be below people at DICE. They released the trailer for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 has a beautiful story, just like its predecessors. Even if the multiplayer does not bring anything new, the single player campaign seems to be more than interesting.

Spoilers: The French are loosing Eiffel Tower.



It can be ordered here

iPhone 4S vs iPhone 4

It's not a battle, because iPhone 4S is the iPhone 4's successor. But just for the fun of it, let's see the specs compared:

As you can see, Apple dropped the price on all iPhones. If the fresh iPhone 4S starts at $199, the old iPhone 4 is only $99 on contract. I have lots of friends who can afford it now! What's new? A better processor, better battery life, better camera.

I'm a little dissapointed, because I was hoping to see the iPhone 5 release, not an upgraded iPhone 4. We'll wait and see what the future holds.

Check Apple's website to see what other features were presented.

iPhone 5 was not released

Today was the big launch party for iPhone 5. Oh, wait, but they did not released iPhone 5. Instead, a fresh version of iPhone 4 was released: iPhone 4S. More info on iPhone 4S here

...but you can check some cool iPhone 5 Concept Designs

Arcade Washing Machine

This washing machine is one of the coolest things I have seen in long time. Designed by student Lee Wei Chen, the washing machine acts as an arcade game. I wonder what's the sensation when you play a game while washing your clothes. My dad will be so mad at me because these types of gadgets were not available when he was younger!

“I realized the skills I had developed in the virtual world were useless in the real world. I wanted to make them useful,” – Lee Wei Chen.