The new Victorinox SSD drives boast USB 2.0, USB 3.0 and eSATA compatibility. The company will release 64 GB, 128 GB, 256 GB and a whopping 1 TB versions of its Swiss Army USB thumb drives.

“The Victorinox Swiss Army brand is synonymous with everyday ‘survival’ tools and we continue to evolve our product offerings in the electronics division to provide solutions for living in a technology-focused world,” said Victorinox Head of Electronics Andrea Huder. “The addition of the Victorinox SSD and Slim 3.0 to the flash USB line provides consumers with a quick and reliable way to store, transport and protect their personal and professional documents.”

The Victorinox Swiss Army SSD comes with a Bi-Stable LCD display with 96 x 48 resolution. The display remains active even when the device is not plugged in.

The company will also be showing off their Victorinox Slim 3.0 line of USB drives. These drives will feature USB 3.0 support and will be available in 16 GB to 128 GB capacities.

The solid-state storage devices will use knife bodies to protect the thumb drive. The Victorinox Swiss Army SSD will be sold for $470 and can go up to $2000 for the 1 TB version. The device will be launched in April 2012.

via: Engadget

Victorinox unveils its 1 TB Swiss Army SSD drives is a post from: Gadgets and gizmos

This impressive new device is great for starters, as they would be introduced to playing anything by reading tabs (though well-trained musicians don’t approve of this).

“Tab + Strummer = TabStrummer. Tab or guitar tablature refers to a system of writing guitar chords easily and visually,” according to the device’s website. “The guitar having 6 strings; EADGBe, a guitar tab is a 6 digit combination of numbers and letter X which corresponds to a muted string. Each digit corresponds to each fret of particular string on the guitar.”

This audio device is built around an Atmel microcontroller and it features a MIDI (digital) output and a line out.  The audio out jack enables you to plug the device to your headphones, speakers or your TV’s input, and it also features an add-on MIDI sound shield from Sparkfun Electronics.

The Tabstrummer also has strings made of PCB traces and are touch sensitive. The strings are spread out so that users can pluck individual strings.

The device’s creators are considering releasing it commercially, so head to the TabStrummer website and let the creators hear your thoughts.

TabStrummer programmable MIDI guitar works like a keyboard is a post from: Gadgets and gizmos

Now, geeky item shop ThinkGeek has featured a new design that places a drum machine on a shirt, enabling you to play your beats wherever you may be and whenever you want.

This shirt is a fully functional drum machine that has its own mini speaker that clips to your belt. What’s good about it is that it has a looping functionality with what seems to be unlimited tracks, where these loops can last up to 3 minutes. It also features a selection of 9 synthesized sounds including Discotek, Rock Drums, Scratchy, Retro 808, Techno Punk, Classic Jazz, Chiptune, Bass Invaderz and Zapf Dingbeats.

The drum machine shirt is could be a great gift to aspiring rappers, DJs and percussion players or enthusiasts. It is washable, just don’t forget to remove all electronics before dipping it in water.

This, like shirts of its kind, has been designed and distributed exclusively by ThinkGeek. You can visit their website for more information.

Drum machine shirt lets you pump out beats anywhere, anytime is a post from: Gadgets and gizmos

Smart Astro Lava Lamp – In the box

- welcome document

- lamp base

- lamp top

- lamp bottle

- transformer

Design

The Smart Astro Lava Lamp maintains the shape of the original Astro while taking lava lamps to new heights. It has a sleek aluminum casing and has a steel Smart button on the base which folds underneath if you feel the need to tuck it away.

The lamp looks attractive when on and even off, it’s timeless design hasn’t been hindered by all the gadgetry inside it’s hand lathed metal body. Instead of using a traditional lightbulb to heat the lava, Mathmos’ Smart Astro uses what the company calls the new “Smart” lava lamp technology. The technology combines a computer chip, heating plate, temperature sensor and LEDs to provide a customizable lighting experience for many. It also has automatic temperature regulation, so the lava formula of Mathmos will always flow at the right temperature and never overheats. Because there is a separate heating plate, the LEDs will not heat up the wax.

Functionality

The lamp is switched on using the touch sensitive metal tab attached to the base. Not only does this power on the lamp but also allows you to set a static colour of your choosing, you have to get the timing just right to ensure you hit your favourite colour but this is an awesome feature which sets it apart from traditional one colour lava lamps. The Smart Astro is available in three colors: green to yellow, which phases through orange; blue to red, which phases through pink and purple; and blue to green, which phases through sea green.

The self regulating heating ring doesn’t heat up the lamp any quicker than a traditional bulb, so you’ll have to wait an hour and half before bubbles start to appear. The build up is equally interesting though as weird alien shapes start to appear as the wax is super heated. The colour changing makes the experience all that more exciting and sometimes eerie.

Getting one

The limited edition hand-made Mathmos Smart Astro Lava Lamp is priced at £84.99. For more information about the product, visit the Mathmos website or compare the price at Idealo. Here is our gallery showing our Lava Lamp Heating up, the box contents and packaging:

Mathmos Smart Astro Colour Changing Lava Lamp Review is a post from: Gadgets and gizmos

The list is compiled by a panel of experts, and the results will be featured within the main newspaper tomorrow. To coincide with the list’s release, consumer research was conducted, which looks at trends in gadgets and technology, together with people’s spending plans this holiday season.

Taking the top spot in The Sunday Times Tech List’s best gadgets is the Elgato EyeTV mobile. This device enables iPad 2 users to watch and capture Freeview digital TV content using their tablets without having to connect to the Internet. For those who watch TV a lot, they will find this device to be very useful.

The following is The Sunday Times Tech List Top 10 Gadgets of 2011:

1. Elgato EyeTV Mobile (£100)
2. Zeal Optics Transcend GPS goggles (£420)
3. Light Strike (from £30)
4. Pure One Classic Series II (£55)
5. JP Twister 2.4G Police Helicam   (£137)
6. Virgin Media TiVo (from £3 per month)
7. Lego Technic Unimog U400S (£145)
8. Arcade Nano Sonic (£9.85)
9. Gear4 Angry Birds Speakers (from £50)
10. Street Surfing Wave 360 (£100)

“Gadgets are at the top of many people’s Christmas wish-lists and the average British adult spends nearly half their waking hours using some kind of technology,” commented Matt Bringham, The Sunday Times’ tech expert. “So it is no surprise that there are thousands of high-tech products to choose from. The Tech List’s top 100 Gadgets will help everyone cut through the techno-babble and enable them to choose the best possible gadget this Christmas.”.

To learn more about the study and its findings, visit The Sunday Times’ Tech List page.

The Sunday Times releases its Top 10 gadgets of 2011 is a post from: Gadgets and gizmos

A group of researchers from Waseda University has come up with a robotic polar bear pillow that flips over a user’s head in their sleep to stop them from snoring. When a person’s head is flipped, it opens up airways that cause the annoying sleeping sound.

The pillow, which is called Jukusui-kun, features a built-in microphone that detects loud snoring, which then uses the bear’s paw to turn the person’s head sideways. This motion can help those who suffer from sleep apnea syndrome by leading them to a position where then can no longer snore, which is usually when they rest sideways.

Sleep apnea refers to the difficulty in breathing while sleeping. It is not only dangerous for one’s health, but also for relationships.

“When the oxygen level decreases in the patient resulting in the snore level increasing it triggers the bear-pillow’s hand to move towards the sleepers face,” according to Japan Trends. “Gently brushing the face causes the person to then turn from lying on their back to moving onto their side, a more conducive position for a sound, snoreless nights sleep.”

The polar bear pillow was featured last week at the International Robot Exhibition in Tokyo.

via: Daily Mail

Robot polar bear pillow stops you from snoring is a post from: Gadgets and gizmos

It is a fact that pets are good for one’s health, but they need to be looked after, fed and cleaned, which could be a hassle for people who are busy or those who just don’t have the time. What if you could enjoy the perks without the hassle? The Jellyfish Mood Tank is perfect because you don’t need to feed the fish and clean the tank.

The tank contains a plastic jellyfish that glides effortlessly around for a realistic look. Even when you look at it up close, it still looks extremely impressive. The Jellyfish Mood tank also doubles as a mood or night light, with six LEDs that shine through. You can watch the jellyfish glide through a variety of light colors, or you can choose the color you desire.

The Jellyfish Mood Tank is an exotic, calming and functional accessory that is not messy, so you will feel more relaxed as you look at it.

The Jellyfish Mood Tank is available for £35.95. For more information about the product, you can watch the video here or you can go to RED5′s product page.

Jellyfish Mood Tank features a calming, realistic jellyfish is a post from: Gadgets and gizmos

The World’s Smallest Camera, as it is listed in the site, measures just 26 mm squared. The camera’s 2 megapixel lens can capture photos at a resolution of 1600 X 1200, as well as take 30 fps video clips at 640 x 480 resolution. These captured media is saved on a 2 GB microSD card that is included with the device. The good thing about it is, the storage card can be expanded to 32 GB, so you can take more photos.

The camera was created by New York-based Hammacher Schlemmer, which has also created the “World’s Smallest” luggage scales, record players and electric guitars.

“Although The World’s Smallest Camera is only slightly larger than a marble, it takes still images and records video just like much larger cameras,” said Hammacher Schlemmer General Manager Fred Berns. “It is a remarkable piece of kit and is expected to prove very popular with the public.”

Due to its small size, the camera has no screen, so you can only preview captured photos when copied to a computer via a USB connection.

The camera comes with a wrist lanyard that “keeps it close at hand and enables ease of portability.” The device’s rechargeable batter can also provide 30 minutes of operation from an hour of charging.

The World’s Smallest Camera is available at the Hammacher Schlemmer website for £64.

Hammacher Schlemmer unveils the World’s Smallest Camera is a post from: Gadgets and gizmos

The Glo Nightlight, a cool nightlight with an alien-inspired appearance, can hold three balls that glow when placed on top of it. The product’s base charges the balls up so whenever a child feels that monsters are lurking in the bedroom, he can just place the balls to light up the room. They can remove it to their desired dimness whenever they want.

What’s good about these balls is they are effective sources of light that are not too disruptive. Children can play with the balls and feel safe when going to sleep, making parents happy.

The Glo Nightlight’s three towers feature a removable ball that can glow in one of six different colors. Users can set the device to continuously cycle through different color palette. The balls, which are charged by putting them on the towers, can glow for up to 30 minutes when removed. These balls are safe to be used by children as they are BpA, PVC and Phthalate free.

No pricing information has been revealed by the company yet. Seeing that there are no complicated tech here, it should not cost too much when released.

via: Boon Inc.

Glo Nightlight keeps monsters away at night is a post from: Gadgets and gizmos

Sir James’ new product, called the Dyson Hot, uses a technology first developed for the Air Multiplier to generate air flow without moving parts. The Dyson Hot is a mile away from the conventional fan heaters that have remained unchanged for more than 30 years.

“Other fan heaters rely on inefficient motors or dust friendly grills,” explained Dyson. “As the heat rises you’re left with a partially heated room and a worrying burning smell. Dyson engineers have developed a heater that produces no smell and heats the whole room”.

The Dyson Hot is a “warmer” development of Dyson’s last device, the bladeless fan, which he unveiled in 2009. The fan sucks in air from the surroundings and then warms it as it passes across the hot ceramic stones to create hot air, warming the room.

Dyson said that the device creates a jet of hot air that passes over a ramp channeling its direction. The device can amplify air drawn up to six times, in a process known as “inducement and entertainment.”

Users can also turn off the heat function of the device, allowing he fan to cool the room when it’s summer. The fan also turns off automatically when it gets knocked over.

The Dyson Hot is now available at the company’s website, Dyson.co.uk, and will be released nationwide in October. You can get the Dyson Hot for £269.99.

via: CNET

Dyson Hot bladeless fan warms and cools your room safely is a post from: Gadgets and gizmos