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EPISODE 110 |
iPhone heart monitor by John Ballinger
What the hell?
Share secrets with interactive plant from Sega
Fug
Ladybud earrings
Gender Gap
2009 Dodge Ram
Pink Watch
Third space-gaming vest now in pink for the ladies
Tool Time (Golf crap edition!)
Bulletproof polos make golf course assassinations a thing of the past
Hello Kitty Watch (Thanks, SuperGenius!)
Hello Kitty USB Webcam sees all
(Credit:
Fabio Dabori)
In the evolution of the toothbrush, will the standard bristle model end up being the Australopithecus afarensis of the tooth-cleaning species? With a new concept device that replaces bristles with sponges, Fabio Dabori seems to suggest that today's brushes could one day go the way of that early human ancestor.
(Credit:
Fabio Dabori)
The Brazilian industrial designer says his patent-pending Giro Sponge can carry water, massage gums, and polish teeth at the same time. It's especially suited to babies, the elderly, denture wearers, and people with gum disease, he says, and can even be used for pets.
He's made two models of the electric toothbrush: one for adults and one for children. The latter comes with cute little animal-embossed sponges--monkey (pictured), pig, koala, dog, and lion--to liven up the brushing experience (or possibly make it more frightening, if you're a pet).
Dabori says he hopes to get his Giro Sponge to market soon. Once he does, we bet kids will get a kick out of it, but we'll be curious to see if dentists feel the same.
Smile, you're on wireless camera.
(Credit: Chinavasion)Ever wondered what the inside of your mouth looks like? For those who missed out on dental school or are just purely curious about which teeth that piece of spinach is stuck between, Chinavasion will soon be selling a wireless dental camera for consumer use.
While it's not the first dental camera Crave has highlighted, the wireless capability and a promised cheaper price is worth noting.
The device has a 1.3-megapixel camera for video or still shots and a 2.4GHz wireless receiver that can connect with a TV or computer to transmit the toothy images to friends and potential suitors. Six built-in LEDs will light up the mouth for better viewing of plaque.
The wireless dental device explores your mouth, sending pictures to your computer.
(Credit: Chinavasion)While the product's recommended for anyone willing to take a good look inside their oral cavity, product makers say dentists can also use it, even though it's not touted as a medical device. But it might be a surefire way to see if you knocked out that filling at lunch or to find that lost dental microphone, if opening wide and looking in the mirror doesn't suffice.
The Chinese gadget comes with software for Windows only, so Mac users may have to send the video of their pearly whites to the TV screen. Unless you want to make your guests queasy, its probably shouldn't be used during dinner.
Updated on August 5 at 1:15 pm PDT to correct the name of the company that sells the device.
Tiny mic with earphones and solar charger
(Credit: Chinavasion)Talk about a bad case of cell phone addiction. Chinavasion describes this as the ultimate hands-free device, and for good reason: It's a tiny microphone designed to be embedded in the teeth.
If we weren't told otherwise, we'd swear this was an April Fool's prank. But the "Bluetooth Dentacom" is apparently for real, a "composite resin filling" that will "pick up sound and vibrations from your mouth to produce incredibly clear sound," according to GeekAlerts.
That's not spinach
But take note of the distributor's advice: "All dental work should be performed by a qualified dentist. Chinavasion does not take responsibility for injury resulting from the installation of this product." We'll stick with the speakerphone for now.
(Credit:
Canon)
Want to put your best face forward? Based on a survey by Canon UK, Brits are likely to be dodging and feinting to get that perfect picture.
The survey revealed that 86 percent of Brits believe that they don't look good in pictures and will try their very best to contort their bodies into something more presentable. Some techniques highlighted by the survey include holding in stomachs, turning to the side (to avoid displaying a double chin), hiding in the back of group photos, and smiling without showing teeth.
And to think we felt insecure when CNET Asia TV first rolled out.
(Source: Crave Asia)
(Credit:
Midwest Magic)
Forget about brain waves--the next biometric remote control may come from your mouth.
Researchers at Osaka University are trying to produce something positive from the irritating habit of grinding one's teeth, according to Digital World Tokyo. So far, the Japanese scientists have limited their experiments to a "simple switching system" that's linked to the often-unconscious act of molar-crunching, developing infrared sensors that can detect the motion of jaw and head muscles involved. Their contraption determines whether true grinding is taking place and, if it is, the system turns a CD player on and off accordingly.
Eventually, researchers hope that their work in detecting dental patterns will be used for such actions as controlling electric wheelchairs. We ask that they then turn their attention to fingernails scraping a blackboard.
Austin, Texas-based Image Trends plans to release new Photoshop plug-ins Tuesday that automate two common tasks for cosmetic retouching of digital photos: whitening teeth and removing skin glare.
Image Trends' plug-ins whiten teeth and reduce skin glare
(Credit: Image Trends)The company's PearlyWhites and ShineOff plug-ins cost $49.95 each. The plug-ins work on Windows, but Mac OS X versions will be available later.
The filters can operate in a batch mode, allowing Photoshop users to edit large groups of images in bulk. The PearlyWhites plug-in doesn't need to be told where teeth are located--the often-laborious selection process. Instead, it applies its changes to white areas that it finds surrounded by flesh tones, said Michael Conley, vice president of marketing and sales.
The company also plans to release the Mac OS X version of a plug-in called Fisheye-Hemi that converts the distorted view of a fish-eye lens into a perspective more familiar to human eyes. That plug-in costs $29.95.
Image Trends was formed from the core members of the former
(Credit:
The Johnson Smith Company)
It's one thing to have LEDs around the house or even on the head, but in your mouth? Um, no.
The "Ionic Teeth Whitener" promises to keep your pearly whites sparkling with a special blue LED that that "activates silver ions" in its accompanying toothpaste, according to Red Ferret. For $30, it promises to "remove stains from coffee, soda, wine, smoking and more."
More? If you've got more issues than these, you probably need more than a dental cleaner in your life.
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