When is a Rubik’s Cube Not a Cube? When It’s a Fruit

Posted on 15/09/2020 by Paul Strauss

The original Rubik’s Cube is one of the most iconic and popular toys of all time. From its deceptively simple design to its frustrating complexity for noobs, to the amazing way that some people can solve them in seconds, they’re a mechanical masterpiece of puzzle goodness.

The original 3x3x3 puzzle has inspired many variants, including much more complicated versions, and shapes like pyramids and dodecahedrons. Now, you can buy some Rubik’s inspired puzzles that look good enough to eat.

These Fruit Series “cube” puzzles are anything but cube-shaped, but they work in a similar way to the original Rubik’s Cube, with a multi-axis pivoting mechanism to scramble then arrange their parts out. The puzzles come in five tasty and nutritious versions, including orange, banana, pear, lemon, and apple. Okay, plastic isn’t actually nutritious.

At first glance, these things look like they’d be more challenging to sort out than a piece of fruit that you already took a bite out of, but apparently, they’re not that hard. Despite the temptation, don’t try and chomp down on one of these, or you’ll certainly chip a tooth.

All of these fruity puzzles are available individually from Hong Kong novelty shop Brando, where they sell for $16 each. The SpeedCubeShop sells a set of three that includes the orange, apple, and banana for just $17.95. I also found a set of four on Amazon for $19.99.

Plantronics offers affordable wireless audio for your workouts

Posted on 21/09/2017 by Engadget RSS Feed

Plantronics' latest BackBeat wireless headphones have tended to focus on value for your hard-earned cash, and that's definitely the focus today. It's launching a range of BackBeat Fit headphones that promise sweat-resistant designs without a huge ou...

Nissan Reveals 2017 Versa Note and 2017 Juke Black Pear Edition Before the Official Debuts at LA Auto Show

Posted on 11/11/2016 by affam

Nissan showcased the upcoming two new vehicles in its fleet of 2017 models. The two vehicles that are supposed to make their debut in Las Angeles Motor Show 2016 are 2017 Versa Note and 2017 Juke...

Happy Sleep To You

Posted on 26/11/2015 by Sarang Sheth

pear_sleep_assistant_1

Now I don’t mean to freak yo out but every illness, ailment has its roots in a lack of proper sleep. A disturbed sleep increases mental stress, decreases immunity, and that opens up the gates for a barrage of diseases. While most of us have adapted to our bodies not getting a good kind of sleep (longer sleep isn’t necessarily better sleep), for some, sleep monitoring is a necessity. The Pear Sleep Assistant as a device has to be one of the smallest and most theoretically sound sleep monitors out there. While most sleep monitors are just apps integrated into your smartwatch that base their data solely on your pulse, the Pear fits directly into your ear, giving it the ability to track body movements, breathing, brain waves, and even temperature along with your pulse rate. Also, another feature by virtue of clever design, is the fact that these provide sound isolation because they fit in your ears. This greatly enhances the quality of your sleep by cutting out any unnecessary outside noise.

Harnessing the power of IoT, the Pear comes along with an app that records, assimilates, and documents sleep data in a manner that any layman can understand. It also advises you on how to get better, fitful sleep by suggesting sleeping and waking timings. The Pear works brilliantly without the phone too. It can be controlled via touch providing necessary controls like switching on or off, snoozing, etc. This Thanksgiving, be thankful for a good night’s rest!

The Pear is a Red Dot Best of the Best award recipient for the year 2015.

Designer: Yang Zhaoyi & Huang Yuling.

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Bluetooth dock dongle Pear falls short of Apple certification, gets shelved

Posted on 29/11/2012 by Alexis Santos

Last summer, Pear promised to make pairing iDevices via Bluetooth to an Apple-compatible speaker dock easy, but caught a trademark snag that put it on hold shortly after. The adapter seemed destined for a release under a different moniker, but it's met an impasse. According to the folks behind the hardware, the device wasn't approved under Apple's MFi (Made for iPad / iPhone / iPod) program since Cook and Co. don't bestow the seal of approval upon products that leverage the 30-pin female connector in conjunction with Bluetooth. Pear's creators note they could move ahead without Apple's blessing, but say that the development "officially kills this product" since Cupertino could put the kibosh on the operation. Despite dashed hopes for the dongle's reincarnation, its creators are pushing forward with another product -- though it's unclear if it's an iteration of the ill-fated connector -- and expect to have more details within three to four weeks.

Filed under: Cellphones, Peripherals, Tablets, Apple

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Source: PairWithPear

Bluetooth dock adapter Pear disappears from Kickstarter, founders promise return under new name

Posted on 06/08/2012 by Mat Smith

You might remember Pear, a recent Insert Coin debutant that connects your favorite iDevice dock to (almost) any Bluetooth-connected smartphone. However, you probably didn't notice its swift disappearance from Kickstarter just before the weekend. The people behind the project have contacted us, explaining that the crowdfunding site was hit with a cease and desist order for the dock converter, centering around a "trademark infringement issue." With its funding page down, Pear says it had no way to tell its supporters that product development would continue, albeit under a new name. Anyone that funded the project is advised to register at the source link below to keep up-to-date. The founders aim to return to Kickstarter in around 3-6 weeks, with several as-yet unannounced enhancements coming alongside a new logo and moniker -- something that it's going to task its backers with deciding.

Filed under: Home Entertainment

Bluetooth dock adapter Pear disappears from Kickstarter, founders promise return under new name originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Aug 2012 04:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pear Bluetooth Adapter

Posted on 13/07/2012 by Johan

Pear Bluetooth Adapter

Designed by Brendan P Kelso, the Pear is a portable Bluetooth adapter that enables you to connect your iOS or Android devices to the speaker dock that is equipped with Apple’s 30 pin connector. It is easy to use. You just need to plug the Pear onto the Apple 30 pin adapter of your speaker dock, and then pair it with your Bluetooth-enabled gadgets. The Pear allows you to listen to music, internet radio, or podcasts while texting, emailing and surfing the web. Measuring 41mm x 40mm x 10mm and weighing 1 oz, the Pear Bluetooth adapter features Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, a stainless steel sync/power button, a glowing pear logo and a power/discovery button. Video after the jump.

[Kickstarter]

Insert Coin: Pear brings Bluetooth to your Apple-compatible speaker dock

Posted on 12/07/2012 by Zach Honig

In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line.

What a lovely set of speakers. Let me just dock my smartphone right th...

Or perhaps you happen to own one of the thousands of devices not equipped with a proprietary Apple dock connector. Well, when it comes time to slide your Android or Windows Phone into place, the only sound you're likely to hear is the screech of a 30-pin plug scratching up the case. If the speaker rig packs Bluetooth, you can use that instead, but if you own one of many that don't, you'll probably want Pear. Drawing some name and design inspiration from an arguably more popular fruit, Pear brings Bluetooth connectivity to any dock connector-equipped speaker set, drawing power from the port so it can pair with virtually any smartphone or tablet, letting you play your tunes while keeping your handset in hand. It offers a range of 30 feet indoors or up to 75-feet outside (there's a video proving the feat at the source link below), and works with any apps and devices that offer Bluetooth output.

The wireless gadget's designer is turning to Kickstarter to raise the funds necessary to launch Pear into production. The team has already developed a working prototype, so there's proof that you're not backing vaporware, and a $30 pledge can net you one of 250 early bird devices. After that initial run, you'll need to hand over 40 bucks (which also happens to be the expected retail place) for an arctic white or jet black Pear. The developers are hoping to raise $40,000, to cover their prior investments and push the device to the manufacturing stage (no, it won't be "made in the USA"), so if you want to see Pear pop up in a speaker dock near you, hit up our source link below to make your pledge. You can also jump past the break for a quick intro video, and an update on a previous Insert Coin project.

Gallery: Pear Bluetooth adapter