MORE COOL GADGETS
Siemens Com-Badge Home Communicator
What the Siemens folks have come up with is the Com-Badge, a small communicator device you wear on the front of your shirt. You control the Com-Badge via voice recognition; it interfaces with other devices in your home via Bluetooth wireless technology. Plus and this is the big deal you get to look like Captain Picard on the Enterprise, thumping yourself in the chest and saying "Make it so" to your new high-tech toaster. When programmed properly, the Com-Badge should make it possible to control all sorts of different functions in your house, from opening the garage door to turning on the living room lights. Just press the badge and say "Open the garage door" or "Turn on the living room lights." The Com-Badge contains both a microphone and a miniature speaker, and Siemens claims that it will be able to recognize 30,000 individual words, which is no mean feat. It's certainly no stretch of the imagination to see the thing used for wireless telephone conversations, or as part of an in-house intercom system. (That's right, you can press the Com-Badge and carry on a conversation with other Com-Badge-equipped users in your house or to anyone anywhere, via phone.) Siemens also envisions a connection with your email inbox; the Com-Badge's voice recognition system would read your incoming emails and recite the text to you, no matter where you are in the house. This really is becoming quite Star Trek-like, isn't it? Oh, and in case it matters, Siemens says that for "fashion conscious consumers, an additional version of the badge will be available which can be worn like a piece of jewelry, to make sure users are always in style." If they really want to boost sales, they'll make a version shaped like a Star Fleet communicator badge. That's really what we want, isn't it?
Dermabond Topical Skin AdhesiveThrow out all your Band-Aids; they're so twentieth-century! Instead, you can bond your wounds with Dermabond adhesive, the same stuff that doctors are now starting to use after surgery. Dermabond eliminates the need for stitches, seals out infection-causing bacteria, and disappears naturally as the wound heals. And, unlike traditional bandages, you don't have to worry about keeping a Dermabonded wound dry. It's what cosmetic surgeons prefer!
Global Pet FinderWhen Fido runs away, find him fast with the Global Pet Finder. This is a small GPS tracking device that attaches to your pet's collar; you can track your lost pet by accessing the Global Pet Finder website or by calling F-O-U-N-D from your cell phone. Two caveats it's for dogs only (not cats), and you need to subscribe to the Global Pet Finder Service ($17.99/month). Other than that, it's a neat use of existing technology to keep your pets from getting lost.
GoDogGo Automatic Fetch MachineHere's another gizmo for your doggie an automatic fetching machine. Actually, the GoDogGo looks like one of those automatic tennis ball shooting machines, with a big green bucket of balls on the top. All you have to do is train Fido to fetch the tennis balls and, if you're really good, to put the balls back in the bucket!
OpenX Plastic Package OpenerI despise the hard plastic packaging that most gadgets come packed in today. This packaging defies the laws of physics; I've tried scissors, knifes, even hedge clippers, and nothing seems to get it open. That's what attracted me to the OpenX, a little plastic device that combines a small blade (to puncture the plastic) and a larger blade (to rip open the package from the puncture point) that actually opens up most of these impossible packages. My only beef? The OpenX itself comes in an impossible-to-open plastic package!
|
EAN: 2147483647
Pages: 126