> The latest tech news of today:
Head patch watches over stroke patients’ blood flow in brains
Stroke is one of the silent killers just like heart attacks, and the amount of damage it does to the body varies, with many of those who suffered from a stroke before having to live with limited movement as well as slurred speech. Not only that, statistics show that nearly 33% of stroke patients experience another stroke – all the while when they are still stuck in the hospital. Nurses assigned to such patients will have to go the extra mile then to keep a close eye on them, and also to help arrange for such patients to undergo additional tests if they fall under the category of being a high risk case of getting another stroke.
US Army has a new individual first aid kit
When it comes to the battlefield, things can get ugly pretty quickly. After all, this is no kids’ playground where military might will assure success – there are many other factors that come into play as well which will determine the outcome of the war, and ground troops need to be sufficiently armed and equipped with the latest and greatest weaponry and gadgets to maximize their chances of victory and survival on the ground. The US Army is one of the most advanced militaries in the world, and from what we’ve seen to date, taking the ‘shock and awe’ route is their preferred method to pound enemies into submission, but when it comes to urban warfare, things get a whole lot more complicated. Suicide bombers come in all shapes, sizes and personalities, making it hard to filter out who is a threat and who isn’t.
Review: Philips Brilliance 241P4QPYES
Not so long ago, affordable monitors were a case of anything you fancied so long as it was TN. More recently, screens with IPS and VA panels have been coming thick and fast. Hallelujah! The latest member of this new monitor army is the Philips Brilliance 241P4QPYES.
Swimmer’s Treadmill burns those calories with as little space as possible
One of the inconveniences of modern times would be the lack of living space for the average person simply because nobody makes new land anymore – unless you are reclaiming it, of course, which is “cheating”. Not only that, property prices do not seem to get lower each year, but on average, they tend to hold and go north – unless there is a really bad recession, of course. Having said that, not everyone is able to afford a home with a swimming pool, so this is where the $1,400 Swimmer’s Treadmill comes in handy.
Padintosh Case for iPad 2
Your iPad 2 is one of your more cherished devices, so why not go the extra mile to make sure it is offered adequate protection? After all, since you are using an Apple product, it would also make sense to have something Apple-related to protect it. The £19.99 Padintosh Case for iPad 2 would fit the bill nicely, where it will not only help keep your iPad 2 safe from knocks, bumps as well as the occasional drop, it also instantly brings you back in time into the early days of Apple. We are talking about 1984 here, as the Padintosh Case for iPad 2 certainly looks extremely similar to Apple’s groundbreaking Macintosh computer of yore.
Review: Compaq Presario CQ57-366SA
The Compaq Presario CQ57-366SA won’t win any awards for its looks, but does offer the things we look for in a budget machine. It’s solid with a decent screen and great speakers, and the sort of internal specifications we’d expect at this price.
Review Roundup: This week’s hottest reviews on TechRadar
It’s a good week for anyone who’s been thinking of upgrading the graphics in their PCs.
AMD has unleashed its new Radeon HD 7950 chip on the world, and what Sapphire has created with it is nothing short of stunning. In fact, we reckon it’s possibly the only high-end graphics card worth buying.
News in Brief: One more thing: iTunes Match is a prude
Today we check in with Kim Dotcom, whose time in prison isn’t much to his tastes. Meanwhile, Sony gets defensive, Apple gets all parental guidance on us, a ten year old’s adventures in science put the rest of us to shame and an imaginary TV fails to enter reality.
The Descender – Never be “board” again
I am a big fan of Winter, I love the snow and everything that comes with it, like sledding, skiing and skating. Truth be told, I often get a little sad when it becomes obvious that the last flakes have fallen. It means I need to wait another year to feel the wind in my face as I fly down a hill, only to run back up, breathless and ready for my next ride… well this year I wont have to wait…
Glofish – Patented Easy to Care for Fun
Last Christmas I was searching for that special gift for my daughter and I was looking for something that would be a little more magical than your average wind up toy, or board game. Of course she wanted a puppy or a rat. I tried to find a compromise and I think I found something pretty cool, while its not a rat, it is quite beautiful to behold and easy to care for. We set it up this weekend.
Scosche flipCHARGE burst and flipCHARGE rogue announced
Scosche has just announced a couple of devices that will help solve the “short of power” issue that plagues many first world societies these days, considering the sheer number of gadgets that they tote around. The Scosche flipCHARGE burst and flipCHARGE rogue will come with a flush folding USB cable that paves the way for easy synchronization (not to mention not having any risk of losing a cable connector cap or anything of that sort), while a blue LED will let you know just how much juice it has left inside, not to mention a convenient carabiner clip that lets you hook it up to just about anything and anywhere.
Swap-O-Matic vending machine
It is rather encouraging to see society realize that we do not inherit the earth from our parents, but rather, we are just custodians of it for the next generation. After all, there is only one earth, and if it ends up inhabitable, where else are you supposed to go? Having said that, recycling efforts have clearly stepped up a pace over the years, and we are all more eco-conscious when it comes to our consumption and purchasing decisions. Will your next vehicle be a hybrid or a fully electric car? Are you purchasing organic foodstuff and support sustainable farming and fishing? All these questions have answers that lie in your conscience, and for those who want to take the next step, here is the Swap-O-Matic vending machine.
In Depth: The 10 most hated programs of all time
10 worst programs of all time
Programs can be our friends: they can help us express ourselves, can solve our problems and can do their very best to make our days happier.
Outback Motion Activated Camera
I do not think that you are going to catch a Pulitzer winning photograph anytime soon with the £99.99 Outback Motion Activated Camera, but at least it will help you nab that pesky fox who seems to like to drop by your backyard and rattle the nerves of your pet rabbits? If you intend on shooting that elusive Yeti, the Outback Motion Activated Camera might not be the best equipment, but at least carry one around as a backup as part of your gear collection.
Gary Marshall: Tablets are no longer just idiot toys
From time to time even jaded tech hacks get a "wow!" moment. I had one last night when I saw that Avid had launched an iPad app.
Basic House offers shelter on-the-go
I am not quite sure what to make of the Basic House – yes, it might be able to provide a temporary shelter wherever you go, but it definitely will not do in the long run. After all, the Basic House which was designed by Barcelona-based Martin Azua is actually a lightweight balloon which is compact enough to be carried in your pocket, and should the weather turn foul (or you need some privacy), just step into it and get a good night’s sleep. Too bad there is no washroom facilities inside, so if you need to take a leak or a dump, you will still need to hunt down the nearest public toilet and make do.
Week in Tech: Facebook soars while others struggle
Week in Tech: Facebook soars while others struggle
All hail the new king of tech! After months of speculation, Facebook’s becoming a public company: the social network will be looking to raise $5 billion later this year in a share offering that could value the firm at as much as $100 billion.
Review: Toshiba Qosmio F750
Toshiba’s all-conquering Qosmio range was the first to bring us glasses-free 3D, and we were so impressed with the X770 that we awarded it 4.5 stars. The Qosmio F750 continues the tradition, albeit with a couple of drawbacks.
Faker$ – Creative Fun with Forgeries
I remember being a kid and trying to make it look like I was visiting with a famous celebrity by having someone take a picture of me next to a cardboard cut out advertisement, I also remember those photo booths by the beach that let you put yourself on the cover of a well known magazine… complete with the body of a Goddess. Those were some fun times… but now being someone you’re not just got a whole lot easier!
SocialShield – They Know What You Dont.
I worry about my daughters Internet use. Obviously, I spend a lot of time on the computer myself, and I feel as though I have taught her well, but lets face it, if you put an 8 year old up against an adult, well lets just say most of the time the adult is going to have the upper hand. I dont want her to feel as though I am treating her like a baby. I just want her to be safe.
News in Brief: One more thing: today’s other news
Unless you have spent the last few days trying to float your social network for billions of dollars, you’re probably looking for something to pique your interest right now.
Nikon Coolpix L810 delivers super zoom capability
Nikon is back with yet another digital camera for the mass market, pushing out its Coolpix L810 shooter this time around. Just what does the L810 have in terms of improved performance over its predecessors? For starters, it will come with a CCD image sensor that has an effective pixel count of 16.1-million pixels, in addition to a 26x optical zoom NIKKOR lens which is capable of covering angles of view from the wide-angle 22.5 to super telephoto 585 mm (equivalent in 35-mm format), and a new lens-shift vibration reduction (VR) function.
Doctor Who Build Your Own Sonic Screwdriver
For the DIY enthusiast who loves conjuring his own contraptions during one’s free time, here is the $39.99 Doctor Who Build Your Own Sonic Screwdriver that says it all. You, being the 12th doctor, will need to build your very own tool. With more than 80 different combinations, you can even select your choice of lights and sounds to make it a truly personalized experience. After all, I would say that for a Doctor to build his own Sonic Screwdriver is somewhat akin to the rite of passage that all Jedi padawans go through, when they are required to construct their own lightsabers. This is definitely for the true blue Doctor Who fan in the house, get it for someone who does not watch or follow the series, and you will most probably be on the receiving end of a really strange look, wondering why you could not have spent such money in a wiser manner. Read the rest of this entry »
SKLZ Shoot Around
Love shooting some hoops? Getting those three pointers in from a distance is certainly one feeling that cannot be beat, even more so when you are in a crowded stadium, with hostile opposing fans all around you, doing their best to heckle you so that you miss your shot, and there are mere seconds on the clock before your team loses by one point. You jump, and you shoot! Scoring such a winning point is definitely high on the list of many a kid or teenager, and to be able to deliver under such circumstances, practice is the keyword. After all, should you be rewarded with more than just a nice feeling for getting the ball in? With the £39.99 SKLZ Shoot Around, each time your ball goes through the basket, you will have it go down the chute, and back at you – so there is no need to walk towards the ball to retrieve it.
Comfe Hands should be compulsory
There is one great thing about the iPad – it still has one of the best battery life for any tablet in the industry, and for those who tend to take long flights across continents, you know that it is always better to hold the destiny of your in-flight entertainment in your hands instead of being subjected to what is shown on the screen in front of you. Of course, the iPad does much more than just function as a pretty looking portable media player, but for those who use it to get their portable entertainment kicks in, you would have realized by now that holding it up for hours at a stretch are not exactly kind to your hands.
Get your thinking caps on for James Dyson Award 2012
The annual James Dyson Awards is back with its frustratingly obvious yet incredibly tricky brief for student designers and engineers: develop a problem solving invention.
Last year’s winner solved the problem of drought by inventing the Airdrop, which captures moisture from the air, condenses it underground then delivers it to plant roots.
Review: HP Pavilion dv7-6b51ea
It’s not often that a laptop will get everything right when it comes to media playing. It might have a fantastic screen, for example, but the speakers could be inadequate, especially if you want to get the most out of Blu-ray’s DTS HD and Dolby HD goodness.
Sony loses billions, blames TVs
Sony has published the results for the third quarter of its 2011 fiscal year, detailing significant losses.
Yesterday, Sony announced that vice president and PlayStation group leader Kazuo Hirai would be taking the reigns of company from current president and CEO Howard Stringer in April.
News in Brief: One more thing: today’s other news
The big tech news today may have been the Samsung Galaxy S3 and Facebook’s impending IPO but would we forget the little guys? Even the really little guys, like Bebo, a bamboo Android phone and a 100-year-old advocate for the Nintendo DS? Never.
Say Good-Morning with Nostalgia Electrics Toaster with a Flip Down Griddle
I wake up every morning at 6 am and while the rest of the house is still fast asleep I have a quiet bowl of cereal while I ponder my day, Sure I’d like a more substantial breakfast sometimes, but I don’t want to make a mess in the kitchen and I don’t want to spend too much time rattling around, I especially don’t want to wake them up and ruin my quiet time.
Review: Toshiba 32RL858B
Overview and features
The more time goes by, the cannier Toshiba seems to get at understanding the needs of specific sections of the UK TV market. The Toshiba 46TL868 tested recently did a great job of catering for people wanting a good-sized active 3D screen on the cheap.
The Breadcrumb Tracker – Your Teen’s Worst Nightmare
I don’t know if anyone has noticed, but it seems like more kids are getting into trouble, or worse, ending up missing. It seems like everyday I hear a news report about a child abduction, or a missing mom… there are Silver alerts on the highway warning us to be on the lookout for a “lost” senior. I don’t know whats going on, but it does keep me up nights. I remember when I was a kid, wandering the neighborhood for the entire day, coming home in time for dinner, its not like that anymore.
Opinion: Facebook’s going public: the party’s over
Facebook’s going public: the party’s over
Facebook’s believed to be going public, which means that Mark Zuckerberg and his company will be beholden to the stock market for the first time.
128k Macintosh prototype spotted?
Old is gold, or so the saying goes. Well, if that is the case, then surely what looks to be a 128k Macintosh prototype that appeared in the wild will certainly appeal to collectors of all things vintage. This unique prototype is very rare, considering how not many people keep old school electronics up and running for a few decades. Boasting a 5.25” “Twiggy” floppy disk mechanism, this is in line with the what Apple used in the first generation Lisa workstation.
Sony DSC-TX200V digital camera is super slim
Thin is still in where digital cameras are concerned, and while we took a look at a couple of shooters from Panasonic yesterday, Sony too, did not want to lose out on the game, and the Japanese consumer electronics manufacturer has just added yet another model to the ultra-thin Cyber-shot T series – with the model number DSC-TX200V. You might want to look into expanding that external storage space collection of yours if you happen to pick up the new TX200V camera though, considering it is capable of shooting 18.2-megapixel images thanks to its “Exmor R” CMOS sensor.
Hand Reflexology Massager
When we talk about reflexology, most of the time we are drawn to something that has to do with the feet – but the folks over at Hammacher have very different ideas of associating the verb with, by introducing the $119.95 Hand Reflexology Massager. This device will apply a gentle, soothing massage to both the top and bottom of your hand, making me feel as though I ought to place an order for this puppy right away considering the amount of typing that I do each day in order to bring home the bacon.
Review: Toshiba 40RL858B
Overview and features
Being first out of the blocks is important in the world of consumer tech, but the most successful gadgets tend to be carefully thought out responses to what’s already on the market – and that’s exactly what this 40-inch Edge LED backlit LCD TV tries to do.
SKLZ Power Base Tennis
After watching the marathon Australian Open 2012 final between the Djoker and Nadal, you can say that anyone with a passing interest in tennis would also be pumped up to up their game’s ante, so getting some practice in will definitely be required. If you happen to find it hard to cajole a friend into being your playing partner, fret not – there is help in the form of the £34.99 SKLZ Power Base Tennis. After all, playing with a wall is just too predictable, and for situations where you cannot fnid a real partner, this is where the SKLZ Power Base Tennis comes in handy.
In Depth: 802.11ac: what you need to know
802.11ac: next-gen Wi-Fi
If you thought Wi-Fi couldn’t get much faster than 802.11n, think again.
802.11ac, dubbed 5G Wi-Fi, promises ridiculously fast wireless connections, better range, improved reliability, improved power consumption and a free horse. (OK, we’re lying about the horse.)
New CEO for Sony as Hirai takes Stringer’s place
Sony has announced that current CEO Sir Howard Stringer will be replaced by Kazuo Hirai from 1 April.
Currently acting as vice president, Hirai will also take over the role of president while Stringer keeps his hand in as chairman.
Review: Packard Bell EasyNote TS11
ThePackard Bell EasyNote range might not be as front-and-centre as Dell’s Inspiron or HP’s Pavilion brands, but nevertheless has established itself in our minds as a home for mid-level laptops at budget-level prices.
News in Brief: One more thing: today’s other news
It’s that time again for your daily dose of articles that we found on this sprawling thing called the internet and cobbled together in a list format that’s both easy on the eye and gentle on the mind.
The Immobilizer Phone – Don’t Take That Call!
You know the feeling of leaving a store late at night, and walking out into a dark parking lot? While you don’t actually believe that anything is going to happen, you breathe just a little faster knowing that it could. I know I always like to hold my keys in between my fingers thinking I could hurt someone with them, but holding 5 million volt stun gun that looks like a cell phone, well, that could give me an almost unfair advantage over a would be attacker!
Tobii’s Lenovo Laptop – Keep your Eye on it!
I am a firm believer in the less is more theory, but I probably dont mean it like you think. I believe that the less I HAVE to do the MORE time I have to do all the other stuff I want… I really enjoy gadgets that do things for me. I am waiting in breathless anticipation for the washing machine that will iron my clothes and a self cleaning refrigerator. Yup, my favorite gadgets are those that help me do less, and now that Tobii Technology has teamed up with Lenovo and come up with a laptop that doesnt require you to use a mouse – or a keyboard, well, lets just say the future looks bright.
Panasonic Lumix TS20 rugged digital camera
For those of you out there who tend to be a little bit careless with your belongings, no matter how expensive they are, then it would always be better to pick up something which is cheap instead of gunning for an expensive make or model all the time. After all, it is rather difficult to predict just when you are going to be at your butterfingers best – which is why Panasonic figured out the consumer digital camera market has a need for the Panasonic Lumix TS20 rugged digital camera.
