(Credit:
Tech On)
Don't you hate it when your TV remote runs out of juice? Or when your clicker gets totaled by a battery leak? NEC and Soundpower Corporations' new battery-less remote control may be the solution. This technology is based on three key components:
- Vibration power generation that harnesses energy created by clicking a remote button
- A microprocessor that transmits and receives data in varying bandwidths
- A power supply controller that drives the electronics with minimal electricity
It will probably take some time for this technology to mature, but both companies are planning to promote its adoption in the consumer electronics market as early as 2011. That said, do we have to click such remotes furiously just to get them running fresh out-of-the-box?
(Source: Crave Asia via Tech On)
(Credit:
900Global)
I suck at bowling, and the only time I'll play this game is on the Wii in the comfort of my home without the guy in the next lane snickering at me. But it seems I can soon conquer my local bowling joint with this remote-controlled bowling ball from 900 Global.
The RC900 has an adjustable weight mechanism built within and it can shift around to swing the ball back to the right direction, and in my case, away from the gutter. But make sure you color the ball with some opaque paint, or else everyone will know what your magic is.
Does $1,500 justify the price? Well, if your dignity hangs on the last strike, go for it, champ. Just don't get caught with the controller in your hand.
(Source: Crave Asia via Newlaunches)
(Credit:
Rakuten)
Hang on. You're coughing and sneezing your lungs out, and you want ME to come inside Ground Zero to pass you a tissue? No thanks. Four little letters and numbers: H1N1.
Fortunately, we have Rakuten's Running Tissue Box to come to the rescue. Using a standard remote-control chassis, you put a tissue box on top and drive the absorbent paper to its destination at a maximum of 26 feet away. Think of it as a bomb disposal robot that enters dangerous contaminated territory where no man should tread.
The only thing that makes us scratch our heads is how long it took for someone to bring this idea to fruition. The Running Tissue Box comes in white, red, and black and costs around $25. It's available from online stores such as Japan Trend Shop.
(Credit:
Japan Trend Shop)
(Source: Crave Asia via CrunchGear)
(Credit:
Imregun Erturk)
How many cameras can float in the air and take pictures of you automatically? None, and there probably won't be any for some time to come. This is how skeptical I am of the Wagabond conceptualized by Turkish designer Imregun Erturk.
According to Erturk, the Wagabond can float in the air (the floating mechanism wasn't explained) and users can employ a remote control to adjust the height and shooting angles. This gizmo is targeted at lone travelers who don't want to bother people around them to help take their pictures.
All that is required for the user is to place the Wagabond on the floor and then use the remote control to activate it. The snapper will then float to the designated position and start taking shots.
I'm not placing too much hope for the Wagabond to go into commercial production. For now, I'll just use my Gorillapod.
(Source: Crave Asia via Trendhunter)
Ceatec attendees try out motion-controlled TV in September 2008.
(Credit: Erica Ogg/CNET)The TV remote control of the future isn't an expensive device with an LCD screen and blinking lights. It's your hand.
The classic TV remote control most of us have grown up with has been around in essentially the same incarnation for half a century. It's been tweaked over the years, but now one company is looking at ditching the remote altogether and using a camera mounted below a TV screen that senses hand motions instead of button pushes. The result is something that seems right out of Minority Report.
But the high-tech user interface Tom Cruise coolly manipulates onscreen isn't even all that far-fetched now, thanks to incremental improvements. Until now, the most innovative new input for entertainment in the living room has been the Wii-mote, the motion-sensing remote control/wand that has made Nintendo's game console a cultural phenomenon. Swing it like a tennis racket and you can pretend you're playing tennis, point it at the screen and use it like a mouse to navigate menus.
Televisions have progressed as well, with better picture quality and capability. Now TVs can record TV shows, stream Netflix movies, check the weather, read news headlines, and skim RSS feeds. The menus on those TVs appear more and more like what we see on our computer screens, so a new interface that operates more like a mouse seems almost inevitable.
... Read more
The Sony Rolly, in all its egg-shaped glory.
(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET)Is your Sony Rolly languishing on the shelf? Feel like you exhausted the novelty of this $400 dancing MP3 player after only a few hours of Christmas morning exuberance? Did you think the Rolly's potential for tormenting house pets had been explored to the fullest? Think again.
Version 2.0 of the Sony Rolly firmware has been released in the U.S., and brings some new capabilities. By connecting your PC (sorry Macs) to your Rolly over Bluetooth, you can now remotely control the Rolly's movement, view track listings, trigger music, and control up to seven Rollys simultaneously (if you have $2,800 to blow on seven robot MP3 players, that is).
The Sony Rolly firmware update is free, and available from Sony's support page.
(Via Sony Insider)
(Credit:
michbex.online)
Don't you hate those tiny buttons on an average Media Center PC's remote control? Well, some whiz kids have conceived the opposite extreme: an oversize "stepping remote" stitched together from two PS2 Dance Dance Revolution mats and a converter box. For those taking up this DIY project, the C language source code to program the mats with your Media Center PC is available here.
And here's a video of the remote foot mat in action.
(Via Crave Asia)
This one doesn't require an engineering degree.
(Credit: Bits & Pieces)It used to be that remote controls let you turn the TV on and off, and change channels and volume. These days, many of them are monstrosities with too many buttons, many of which you would never use. Here's a mod that will make your remote control simple again--to say the least.
Instead of having all the buttons exposed, a cunningly cut piece of paper will expose only the essential buttons and cover those you don't use. This could come in extremely handy if you have a member of the family who gets confused easily--hide those he or she doesn't need so they never ask you about which buttons to press again.
(Source: Crave Asia via Boing Boing)
Forget the iTunes Remote. The newly released Air Mouse 1.5 ($5.99) makes a mean universal remote out of the iPhone and iPod Touch. With it, you'll be able to control almost any program on your Mac or Windows computer.
I was always a big fan of this app, which works with the help of a Windows and Mac servers to establish a local network between the computer and the iPhone. It then gives you two modes for controlling the keyboard and mouse: a touch pad, and a slightly less effective (read: higher learning curve) and more traditional air mouse that you activate by pressing a button and arcing your arm. Version 1.5 completely blows away every competitor we've seen by adding an incredible array of new features without bumping up the price.
... Read more
The Acoustic Research XSight Touch AARX18G (with cradle) may give Harmony a run for its money.
(Credit: Acoustic Research)Acoustic Research (a brand of Audiovox) has unveiled two new universal remotes that users can program directly (using a built-in code library) or via a PC. Both new models--dubbed "XSight"--look to be worthwhile contenders to our current favorite universal remote, the Logitech Harmony One.
The XSight Color AARX15G is the ...
Read the full post at CNET's CES 2009 blog.
On Sale Now: $84.98 - $179.99
View the latest prices for Acoustic Research XSight Color AARX15G
On Sale Now: $146.83 - $249.99
View the latest prices for Acoustic Research XSight Touch AARX18G
