Author Archives: Tam Yue

Underground Beer Cooler

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Underground Beer coolerIt seems as though everyone has a fire pit in their backyard these days. And with that fire pit there is either a cooler of beer on ice or an angry child having to run into the house to get dad a cold one when he’s empty.

No more of that, this underground beer cooler, called eCool, was unveiled yesterday. It sells for around $350 and can easily be installed in your yard just by digging a hole for it. The eCool keeps the beer cold because the ground underneath is usually quite a bit cooler than the outside ambient temperature.

No electricity, no ice, and no whining kids. It holds 24 beers, is 113cm tall, weighs about 12 KG and can stay installed the whole year around. One draw back that we can see is that it only appears to hold canned beer, not bottles. But when you’re sitting by the fire pit does it really matter?

Via the Daily Mail

Reduce, Reuse and Recycle with Coke

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Coca Cola 2nd livesThe Coca-Cola company has come up with a great way for you to reuse those plastic bottles of Coke you buy.

As part of it global sustainability program Coca-Cola has launched 2ndLives, which is a line of 16 different caps that can be screwed on any bottle top to reuse once it is empty. The different caps will transform your bottle into, a spray bottle, a marker, a pencil sharpener, and a squirt gun just to name a few. This video posted by the advertising agency shows all the different uses for the caps.

As of right now the bottle caps are being distributed in Vietnam for free, and will soon move to Thailand and Indonesia. This is such a great idea it’s a shame we can’t yet purchase these in the United States. What a great way to be environmentally conscious. Way to go Coke!

via Neatorama

Hello Kitty Fire Extinguisher

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Hello Kitty Fire ExtinguisherYou can pretty much buy anything Hello Kitty these days and home safety equipment is no exception. So, let’s say your Hello Kitty candle started your Hello Kitty curtains on fire, what’s a better way to put them out than with your Hello Kitty fire extinguisher?

These are available for purchase through Sanrio in three different designs. Normal fire extinguishers will run you about $40, these are little more pricey at closer to $90.

Via Technabob

Google Glass Gets Fashionable, Finally

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Google GlassFor all you fashion conscious people out there who want Google Glass but just can’t bring yourself to buy one because fashion – it is not. You now have options in Google Glass.

Google announced yesterday that they teamed up with American fashion designer Diane Von Furstenberg to their Glass Explorer Program. Beginning June 23rd, you can purchase your own fashionable pair of Google Glasses. You can choose from multiple titanium frames and you can get those with or without a prescription.

As with all things fashionable, these are not going to be any cheaper. They will run you about $1600. From sunglasses to hipster glasses, if it is important to you to be on the cutting edge of technology and look good while doing it, these are for you.

via Techcrunch

Goodbye PSP

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Playstation PortableWelp, It was bound to happen sooner or later. It’s been around for 10 years and sold 76 million units, but Sony is saying goodbye to the PSP.

Sony announced today that they were stopping shipments of the PSP by the end of 2014. The last shipment was sent out to North America at the end of January, so once they are gone….they are gone. Japan’s last shipment will be sent at the end of this month and Europe’s will end in the next few months.

The PSP was released back in 2004, and was one of the first handheld devices that could play games, movies and music. 2004 doesn’t seem that long ago until you think that the first iPhone was released 3 years later. Sony set the standard for handheld devices that’s for sure.

If you still want to get a Sony handheld device you can always look into the Playstation Vita, which isn’t selling by leaps and bounds either. But you can still get the PSP. They are still available, so get one while you can and show your kids someday. I wonder if kids in the future will laugh at it like the kids of today laugh at the Atari console?

Via Newsledge

Skype to Break Language Barriers with ‘Skype Translator’

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Skype translatorNeed to have a Skype video conference with someone overseas that doesn’t speak your language? In the near future this will be no problem because Skype has come up with Skype Translator, as it is being called for now.

The technology was demonstrated at the Recode Code Conference in California on Tuesday night. In the demonstration the two people on the Skype video call spoke different languages, one German speaking and the other English speaking. As we don’t know German very well here, the translator technology appeared work excellent. The conversation they had was not a simple one either. They discussed their plans to move to London and went into details about sight-seeing, moving with kids and different neighborhoods.

Each person takes their turn to speak and then there’s a short pause while Skype Translator translates what was said. It would send it back as text as well as spoken with an automated voice.

Microsoft, which purchased Skype back in 2011, has been working on the translation program for over 15 years. They think it will be available at the end of this year as a Windows 8 beta app. We will keep you posted.

via CNN

iPad Controlled Drum Machine

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Hit The BeatsHere is one more thing to hook up to your iPad to help entertain the kids this summer. It’s called “Hit the Beats” by digital media researcher and graphic designer Lorenzo Bravi.

This device connects to an iPad and uses MIDI to turn the beats from a drum machine iPad app into a rhythm section in your house. The great thing about “Hit the Beats” is that you can experiment with absolutely anything to make sounds. All that needs to be done is placing the different items on the wooden platforms that have actuators hidden inside which then vibrate to create sound. So, a handful of M&M’s, some dry pasta, and plastic cup may be all it takes to make the next big hit.

via Gizmodo

Whistle/GPS for Pets

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Whistle with GPSThe guys over at Whistle are upgrading their “fitbit for pets”. You can now know where your dog is at all times.

Whistle was originally designed as an activity monitor for pets. Basically you can see any spikes in activity during the day, or know if that walk you took Fido on was really beneficial for him. Now they are adding GPS to their device. Considering that over 10 million pets are lost each year this is a great idea.

The Whistle device attaches to your pets collar and can record location, rest and activity. So you will still know if your pet is getting the right amount of activity everyday. They claim that the Whistle/GPS is the smallest device of its kind on the market and also has the longest battery life. You will be able to use it for about a week before having to recharge.

As of right now, it looks like you can pre-order one of these for $49, but that price will be going up in the next few days to $130.00. The downside, it won’t be ready for shipping until summer 2015.

 

Google’s Self Driving Car

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Google's Self Driving CarNo brakes, no steering wheel, no gas pedal? Well, believe it or not, that’s no problem for Google’s self driving car.

Google announced the prototype for their self driving car on Tuesday night at the Recode Code Conference. Their hope with this type of vehicle is to end human error behind the wheel and to see if self-driving cars be significantly safer than human-driven cars in the next few years.

The prototype is a two-seater car that relies mainly on software and a built-in sensor system to drive the vehicle. Between the sensors and the software the car can find a GPS location, identify obstacles, classify obstacles and react. It will be able to tell the difference between a cyclist and a pedestrian, and then be able to predict their next move. Since it only travels at 25mph it gives itself plenty of time to react.

Numerous major car manufacturers are already looking into self driving technology. As it becomes more common the number of automobile accidents are expected to plunge to near zero because most accidents are caused by human error. Imagine, no drunk driving accidents, the elderly can have their freedom back and even the blind could get in this car.

via Forbes

Kid Proof Headphones

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Head FoamsGot kids? If you answered yes, we can probably guess that most of your headphones are a broken, tangled mess in the backseat of your car.

If that’s the case, then MarBlue has a solution for you. Presenting HeadFoams, the kid-proof headphones. These things are virtually indestructible. They are made from a non-toxic, BPA free, EVA foam. They have been approved in the US and internationally as meeting all the child-safety standards and also have a reduced audio output. They have ensured that the head phones will not go above 8.5 decibles to help protect developing ears.

Now, these headphones are not going to make a fashion statement, so most teenagers will probably look at you funny if you try to give them a pair. But for your little one, the one that is in the back seat of the car watching a movie, or even at home playing games on the iPad, these are perfect.

Parents it is time to reclaim your headphones as your own! Go check out some of the headphones we have posted about in the past and get yourself a new pair. The HeadFoams will run you about 39.99 and should last as long as your kid will wear them.

via Technabob