Homemade roller coaster

Tired of waiting in long lines for the coasters at his local amusement park, John decided to build one right in his own backyard. You might think that the result would be a wussy little ride that you'd get bored with after the second run, but John's Blue Flash gets pretty ambitious, including a complete 360 degree loop. There's even a motor drive that pulls you up the starting ramp that's built over the roof of his barn.

Secrets of flying saucers discovered!

One of the things that makes flying saucers so fascinating is that they clearly use some crazy alien technology to zip around. No human-built planes can maneuver like that! If only! Well, now it looks like someone has figured out the secret to flying saucers: ionized air.
Engineering professor Subrata Roy of the University of Florida figured it out, and he plans to make a prototype showing off his discovery. How's it work?

The surface of the saucer-shaped craft will be covered with electrodes that, when powered by a battery or other power source, will ionize the surrounding air to create plasma. When charged with an electric current, the polarized plasma will repel the non-polarized air, creating lift and thrust. Such an aircraft would have very stable flight characteristics, with the pilot controlling it by diverting the electrical charge to different parts of the surface.
His initial prototype will be six inches in diameter, but he thinks its scalable to larger sizes. Just think, in 10 years we could all be scooting around in our own UFOs. Let's make this happen.

Via io9

High-tech horse training buggy today, bionic horses tomorrow

Sometimes the power of one horse is all you need — especially if that horse is one you're looking to train and keep tabs on. The Roush horse buggy lets its operator do just that, providing them with a steady stream of information about the animal's well-being, all the while trotting and galloping the horse at different speeds in a controlled manner, up to almost 40 mph. The cabin is mercifully motorized, and (as if the horse didn't have enough of a burden) it holds three: a driver, trainer and a vet.
Roush Technologies developed the buggy for horse-and-camel training equipment company Kurt Systems out of Turkey. Is this a bold new age for training super-horses or, like Ivan Drago from Rocky IV, will technological might still get trumped by an underdog horse with some heart? Roush expects the vehicle to enter production soon.

Check out the galley below for more shots of the Roush horse training buggy.

Concept car with rotating tires reminds us how terrible we are at parallel parking

The NASA concept car (which, as far as we can tell, has nothing to do with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, though it looks like astronauts are driving it) has some pretty radical features that are immediately appealing. It has a sleek hood rather than doors — keeping the passengers more stable and safe — and dynamic wheels that'll let you pull off hairpin turns, allow the car to move perpendicularly in a snap, and even spin in place.

Oh, how we wish a vehicle like this would come out already so we wouldn't have to smash off any more bumpers. And some protection up top for those heads poking out would be nice, too. It was designed by Czech students Marek Kedzierski and Michal Vlček, studying at the Tomas Bata University in Zlín.

Check out the gallery below for more of the NASA concept car

Stunning Ferrari Monza concept is ready for takeoff

While most crazy fast concept cars use aerodynamics to keep the wheels firmly planted on the ground, designer Iman Maghsoudi has taken the opposite tack with his wild Ferrari Monza concept. Once you reach a predetermined speed, an onboard computer changes the car's aerodynamic profile, using winglets called canards ahead of the front wheels to create lift which reduces friction. In most cases, the resulting vehicle would be called an airplane, but with the Monza, ground effects come into play to keep it on terra firma.

I'll admit that I'm no aerodynamic engineer, but this all sounds a little far fetched. Still, you've got to admit that it looks amazing.

Yanko Design, via Born Rich

2015 concept BMW certainly is futuristic

What are cars going to look like in the year 2015? Well, I'm guessing they're going to look kind of like our cars to day, but maybe a touch more aerodynamic. But hey, what do I know? When asked the same question, Transportation Design students at Turin-based IED (istituto Europeo di Design) came up with something quite a bit different.
The concept design for BMW they came up with looks like it belongs in 2115, not 2015. The BMW ZX-6 Concept by Jai Ho Yoo and Lukas Vanek is full of crazy curves and lines, and while yes, it is more aerodynamic, I'm not sure just how practical it is. But hey, maybe by 2015 we won't care about practical cars, instead purchasing our vehicles based solely on how crazy they look. If so, this one is a definite winner.

Via Ca Body Design

Let’s just leapfrog all those other ideas for energy-saving car tech and hop into this magnetically-driven ride, shall we? While Slovak designer Matúš Procháczka’s concept is prettier than sexy four-inch spike heels, it’ll definitely take some major infrastructure modification to make it a reality. It requires all roads to have embedded magnetic panels, quite a job for the millions of miles of highways and byways all over the world today.

Anyway, if that major hurdle is overcome, this idea could get some traction. Its electric engine’s polarity would match that of the road, reducing the effective weight of the vehicle by 50%. At the same time, we’re guessing the tires would have reversed polarity, sticking the vehicle to the road like a fly on flypaper and pushing around this zippy little runabout like there's no tomorrow.

Even though it’s a far-fetched design concept, we think it’s simply beautiful.

Drive to the south pole in style in the Lotus CIV

When your aim is to travel across the great ice plains of Antarctica, a normal car or truck meant for highways and regular streets probably isn't going to meet your specific needs. You need a vehicle designed for the wide expanses of ice down on the bottom of the world.
The Lotus Concept Ice Vehicle (CIV) is made for the Antarctic. Scooting around on ice runners rather than wheels and moved forward with a propeller, it's definitely not like any car you've ever seen. It only seats one, but the chances are good that you won't be bringing anyone to soccer practice in Antarctica. It runs on biofuel, which makes it nice and environmentally friendly, and it has a spiked foot that is lowered down onto the ice as a brake. If you've got to make it to the south pole in style, accept no substitutes.

Edmunds, via Crave

Hinterland electric vehicle looks like a bulbous bullet train

Of all the electric car designs we’ve seen, this one is the most puzzling yet. The Hinterland Project starts with the shape of an airplane fuselage and turns it into a sustainable vehicle. However, it looks more like an electric tin can with wheels to us. The idea is its aerodynamic shape and lightweight aluminum chassis will increase the vehicle’s range, solving one of the most pressing problems plaguing electric vehicles circa 2008.

Maybe the car’s Canadian designer Martin Aubé is onto something. Think of it this way: if car buyers can be conned into driving the millions of toaster-shaped rattletraps traveling the nation’s highways now, given sufficient advertising, there’s no reason why gullible consumers won’t snap up cars that look like swollen locomotives.

Coroflot, via Ecofriend

GM plans electric car for 2010, eleven years after it killed the EV1

The 2006 film Who Killed the Electric Car? was about a GM conspiracy that led to the removal of the first mass-marketed electric car, the EV1, from the market. GM even went so far as to take cars from customers' homes and have them turned into scrap metal. For that reason, news that the company is finally planning to make another electric car, the Volt, has been met with extreme skepticism.

But it looks like the company that sells the Hummer really is trying to change its image (while selling as many Hummers as possible). The company's R&D chief Larry Burns told Newsweek that he believes killing the EV1 was a mistake: "If we could turn back the hands of time, we could have had the Chevy Volt 10 years earlier." And GM vice chairman Bob Lutz told Daily Tech "[GM's] iconic brand is, unfortunately, the Hummer. That perception needs to change."

Whatever GM's motives, prototypes for the Volt are pretty cool looking. Though the Volt is not technically a hybrid car because it will run on battery power, it will have a gas engine that will recharge the batteries. That may sound suspiciously hybrid, but as long as the Volt gets awesome mileage from the gas it does use and is sold on the mass market at a reasonable price, we won't care.

Daily Tech, via Switched

Flying Cars! We interview one of the minds behind Milner's AirCar

Chris Milner, the younger half of the father-son team that runs Milner Motors, yesterday at the New York Auto Show. It turns out that the AirCar is not just a plane that can drive around. Quite the opposite: it's a lightweight fully-featured car that can compact to be about the size of a Hummer and fit in a garage. Soon it will transform into a flying car. The photographs below are of a prototype that can drive but can't fly, but the company hopes to get it off the ground and onto the market within the next two years. Click Continue to read more about the AirCar and about Milner Motors's second most ambitious project: the ElectriCar.





Chris Milner said, "My father had a lifelong dream of building a flying car as the ultimate time saver." Milner's father, John Milner, is a retired airline pilot. Both he and his son have been building model airplanes for years. When asked whether this plane would be safe (since it looks like a car, it doesn't appear to be particularly safe for flying), Milner explained that Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) doesn't have "crash worthiness" requirements for planes of this size. In fact, car regulations, to which the AirCar will also have to adhere, are far more stringent. Because of this Milner expects that the AirCar will be "safer than similarly-sized planes like the Cessna."

In addition to the flying car, Milner Motors is developing a hybrid electric car based on the light frame and chassis of the AirCar. According to Milner, "Three years ago we realized that we could take the wings and propellers off [the AirCar] to make a light, efficient electric car." While the AirCar is expected to cost half a million dollars, the ElectriCar will cost only $40,000. The company hopes to have both models on the market in two years (but is more optimistic about the ElectriCar). The company boasts that the electric model will get more than 100 MPG.

We wish the company luck. John Milner isn't the only person who'd like to see a flying car on the road/in the air sometime soon. Imagine motoring to the airport, flying to Florida and driving off into the sunset: all without having to leave your seat. Of course, you'd have to know how to fly a plane first: this isn't Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

Cassette MP3 player makes the analog digital

Does your car stereo still have a cassette deck on board? When was the last time you used it? Never? That's what I thought. But there's no need to let your trusty cassette deck go to waste, even in these digital times.
This Cassette MP3 player looks like a normal cassette tape, but it actually holds an SD card full of MP3s inside. You can use it as a portable audio player by plugging in headphones, but an even cooler function is its ability to be popped into any tape player and play your music like it's any other cassette. Now your car's cassette player doesn't seem so antiquated, eh?

Helmet cam goes wireless in new Samsung shooter

Samsung released its rugged sports camcorder — an extremely compact model that shoots basic, e-mailable video — over a year ago. Its coolest feature was the remote lens unit, which you could mount separately to anything you wanted, letting you capture those ready-for-SportsCenter "helmet cam" moments. The problem was that the remote lens had to be connected to the cam via a USB cable, so a goalie with the lens on his helmet (and the camera presumably strapped somewhere on his body) had an even chance of strangling himself when making a sprawling save. Good thing the latest version, the SC-X210WL, upgrades the lens by making it wireless. It's just a 15-foot range, so you'll still have to keep the cam on your person, but at least with no cord you won't have to worry about it snagging on anything when you crash your Moov bike. It works via tried-and-tested RF technology, keeping the bandwidth high enough for video and the power consumption low enough to actually be useful (sorry, Bluetooth). The 1-GB model costs $679 (there's an SD card slot if you want to jack up the memory), which is a little more than I'd want to pay for cable-free sports shooting, but there aren't really a lot of comparable products out there. The SC-X210WL hits store shelves September. — Peter Pachal

Review: Logitech WiLife Video Security System grants peace of mind at a discount

Security cameras? Who needs ’em? That was my opinion until a neighbor’s home was invaded. One morning, a suburban housewife a few feet from our Midwest Test Facility walked into her kitchen only to find a strange man standing there. As soon as he saw her, he ran out the door and into a car, so the burly burglar is still at large.

Nothing was taken and no one was hurt, but one thing was definitely lost: the neighborhood’s peace of mind. Suddenly, I was very interested in a security system. However, I didn’t want to spent thousands of dollars and tear apart my house installing one. Enter the Logitech WiLife, which can be up and running in minutes. Hit Continue to see how it worked out.





The WiLife system consists of indoor and outdoor cameras as well as a variety of night-vision accessories that easily connect to a PC via USB. For our review, we plugged in a couple of weatherproofed outdoor cameras, two indoor cameras that attach to the inside of a window with a suction cup, a weird spy camera that looks exactly like a digital alarm clock, and a USB adapter that plugs into a wall outlet, since the cameras are networked together over electrical wiring using HomePlug Technology




How It Works
The system began working as soon as I plugged in all the cameras and installed the newest version of the software, WiLife Command Center 2.5 (screen shot above) on my PC. Suddenly, I had a view of every side of the house, and motion-activated recordings of anything that moved. The quality of the recordings is surprisingly good. To give you an idea, take a look at this footage (deer_2008.wmv) of a pair of deer the cameras spotted early one morning.
You can access those cameras for free over the Internet, even via cellphone, and the system can alert you via e-mail if anything moves. Remarkable. Any prowlers wanting to help themselves would have VGA-quality color movies (no sound) of them in the act. Just the mere presence of such cameras, with their highly visible red and green lights (which can be easily turned off), serves as a strong deterrent.

Platinum Edition
This WiLife system newest software, the Platinum Edition add-on, costs $79.95 per year. It lets you electronically pan and zoom all the cameras and, most importantly, store footage online. That makes tons of sense, because if someone is robbing your house, the computer with all the WiLife footage will probably be one of the first things stolen.
The downside? It's not perfect. The system is geared toward recording footage, so live viewing of all the cameras isn't as smooth as I'd like. Also, while the cameras all have good low-light performance, they require an optional infrared lighting system and special lens to actually see faces at night. Keep in mind, too, that you’ll need a powerful PC to handle multiple cameras and recordings.

Thumbs Up
That said, after testing the WiLife system for the past month, I think it’s excellent. I'm convinced it’s the best surveillance setup for the money, costing around $1,100 to set up a complete system with five cameras. A starter kit with one camera is $260, and each additional camera is around $215. Besides letting you catch thieves in the act, it’s tons of fun to play with this system, which we found to be on the edge of addicting. Just the wildlife watching alone is worth the cost of admission. If you have worries about your home’s security and are looking for a strong deterrent for petty criminals, WiLife is the perfect choice.

DVR Camball: The last electronic eyeball you will ever need

Some gadgets are so cool they don't need a specific function or grandiose purpose designed to save the world. Such is the case with the DVR Camball. The tiny Death Star-black orb functions as a digital video camera and an mp3 player. Complete with standard headphone jack and data input port the camball is perfect for the amateur spy-in-training, or for indie filmmakers in search of a crazy new camera angle. The package also comes with a special necklace holder that will allow you to simultaneously lifecast your daily travails while preserving psychedelic 60s fashion memes. The power to take your obscure device fetish to the next level is yours for just $185 here.
Via Funshop

Portable search engine concept put a dumbed-down iPhone on your wrist

Being in a foreign city can be an intimidating experience. You don't know your way around, you don't know the language, you don't know where the good restaurants are. You need a little help. This portable search engine concept device by Jukka Roitto provides said help, using GPS and the internet to help you figure out where you are and what you're doing.
Wrapping around your wrist, this touch-screen enabled device would provide you with maps and info on where you were. It also acts as a portable music player. Hmmm… this all sounds pretty familiar. I'm wondering why anyone would use this when they could just keep an iPhone or similar smartphone in their pocket. It provides all of these features plus, you know, a phone. But hey, maybe you're too lazy to reach into your pocket. Fair enough.

Via Tuvie

Cellphone strap is actually a charger in disguise

Cellphones straps are a unique breed of accessory. People either love or despise these straps that previously has the sole purpose of giving an additional way to hold, carry and decorate a cellphone. This USB Leather Hand Strap from WirelessGround finally gives a purpose to cellphone straps by being a USB charger in disguise. You simply slide off the aluminum block on the strap and it reveals that the strap itself has a mini-USB and standard USB connector on its ends. Plug the mini-USB into your cellphone and the standard USB into a laptop or PC to let the electrons flow.
What do you do if your cellphone uses one of the god awful proprietary charging connections? Well, you are out of luck and should probably write your congressman a letter urging cellphone manufacturers to halt the use said connectors. This USB Leather Hand Strap could also charge other gadgets that utilize the mini-USB connector and is available for $12 (on sale). — Travis Hudson

USB Leather Hand Strap, via Gear Diary

Vintage Soviet phone Bluetooth mod

There aren't many things worse than being one of "those guys." You know that guy, wearing his Bluetooth headset all day and giving the impression that he is talking to no one. This is probably one step worse. Talking into a vintage telephone handset that isn't attached to anything will radiate lunacy a bit more than the traditional Bluetooth headset.

This is an authentic and what appears to be used 1960s Soviet army phone retrofitted with Bluetooth technology for linking with a mobile phone. What makes the phone ever better is that all of the internal wiring for the Bluetooth module was done using wires and titanium from a dismantled Scud missile. It includes all of the necessary buttons for operation and even a blue blinking LED so you can still be "that guy," at least a little bit.

Bluetooth Soviet army phone, via BB

Cellphone wristwatch lets you play Dick Tracy, if Dick Tracy used a stylus

Have you thought about how cool it would be to be one of those Secret Service guys you see near the president, who talk to their lapels or sleeves all the time? Now with this touchscreen cellphone/PDA from iMobile, anyone can fulfill those secret-agent fantasies of their youth.

In addition to being an unlocked GSM phone (compatible with AT&T and T-Mobile), the iMobile is also a full-function touchscreen PDA with a tiny pop-out stylus and a media player that can handle both MP3s and video. While the 60MB of built-in memory holds plenty of phone numbers, text messages and notes that you enter using its handwriting-recognition software, you're not going to have much luck trying to recreate the cinematic experience watching Gladiator on the tiny screen. Somehow, they also managed to cram in a USB interface, Bluetooth capability and a speakerphone, and while the result is pretty bulky for a watch, it's a whole lot tinier than any iPhone or BlackBerry. It's available now for $200
Via ThinkGeek

Mobile Phone Telescope lets you peek on the go

Designed specifically for the Motorola RAZR V3 and Motorola KRZR K1, the Mobile Phone Telescope is a gadget even James Bond's Q (the series' gadget master) would love. Simply attach the Mobile Phone Telescope to the camera portion of your Motorola RAZR and you can immediately start zooming in and spying on the New Year. With new versions of the iPhone on the way and touch screen technology taking off, this might be what the RAZR needs to regain its heat. At just $19 bucks, it's a bargain, but the real fun won't begin until we see the iPhone version of this sexy little doodad.

Via Brando

Freedom Phone: How simple is too simple?

The Freedom Phone is a concept by designer Vadim Kibardin for travelers looking for a pre-paid phone to use while abroad. It's lightweight and sleek and has all of the information you need to know about it, such as your own number or dialing codes, printed on the back.

I'm entirely for gadgets that keep things simple yet functional. I've never used the FM/AM tuning on any MP3 player I've ever owned, and I'm one of those curmudgeons who doesn't like to mix cameras and phones. But I can readily imagine a few features that may make the Freedom Phone just a touch more friendly, like a small screen to see what numbers I've dialed (international dialing has rather long strings of numbers, after all), or a detachable card on the back so I can easily access my phone's information while talking to someone.

Vadim Kibardin, via Yanko Design

LED cell phone doesn't even have a screen

You know, a cell phone doesn't need to have a fancy touchscreen or a slide-out QWERTY keyboard to be slick looking. Simple design is oftentimes just as good, if not better, than complicated, flashy design. Just take a look at this LED cell phone, for example. It doesn't even have a screen, but it outclasses many of its rivals through sheer simplicity of design.
Simply covered in lights and touch sensors, the phone uses a tiny amount of energy and is completely efficient. Its simplicity and efficiency make it perfect for developing countries, as it can be loaded up with simple AA batteries rather than with Lithium Ions that would need to be charged frequently. No word on this concept becoming a reality, but keep your eyes peeled.

Via GizmoWatch

NEC reveals Flask Cell Phones, running on fuel cells and pure beauty

You can tell fuel cells are just about to hit it big. There are toy cars (and real cars) that run on the things, and heck, they might even be safe enough to take on an airplane. NEC wants to get in on the act, too, showing off its fuel cell chops with this Flask Cell Phone, looking more like a cigarette lighter than a phone of the future.

The clear container has a touchscreen display on one side, and it’s the fuel (probably ethanol) that gives the clear-plastic phone those pretty pastel colors—you might be able to pick more manly colors of the liquid in your phone. Scant details were available about anything else, but NEC says these beauties will ship sometime this year.

Chip Chick, via Engadget

KodoMobile phone released for the toddler on the go

Softbank just released a brand new batch of cell phones with a special treat included designed to start your child off making calls and texting straight from the cradle. The SoftBank 820T also known as the KodoMobile (child phone) comes in flower pink, snow white and jet blue with a very FisherPrice-toy-style strap hanging from the bottom of the unit.

Included in the phone you'll find GPS technology (when you need to locate your bar hopping toddler), a crime prevention light and a fully functional camera. Scheduled to go on sale in Japan in February, you can thank the tech gods that there are no plans (yet!) to release this innocence robbing device in the United States.

Via Softbank

Peer Review: modu is the world's smallest, most controversial modular phone

This week an Israeli company called modu introduced a new modular phone, also called modu. The phone is smaller than a credit card, and is meant to fit into "jackets," larger, cell-phone like devices that have different core functions, from a car radio to a digital camera. The idea is that your phone can become different things without you having to buy a second phone with a separate phone number.

The idea may sound goofy, but critics are taking it seriously, in part because modu is run by Dov Moran, the inventor of the USB flash drive. Two years ago he sold his last company, msystems, to SanDisk for $1.6 billion. What do the critics think? Some want modular phones to succeed as an alternative to having to buy a new, fashionable phone every three months, while others hope it will fail in favor of better all-in-one devices. Click continue to read perspectives from around the web.

It lets people have several phones with the same number
"Major U.S. carriers have long suffered from a blindness about what people want in handsets, so I'm going to spell it out for them: People want more than one— to be able to use more than one cell phone per data plan and per phone number without being gouged… [Modu] achieves the dream of 'one wireless plan, many handsets' with its core module and varying jackets." — Mike Elgan, Computer World

All-in-one phones (like the iPhone) are more appealing
"If you have to carry a separate bag with a large screen, QWERTY keyboard, a jacket for playing music and whatever other add-ons you may need, the device becomes significantly less mobile. But if you don't carry all of your accessories, you may not have one when you need it." — Al Sacco, CIO

Your phone gets to be a GPS unit today, honey. I'm taking the radio.
"The concept of carrying a small module with basic communications capabilities, holding your personal data so all these other devices can change personality is attractive. 'Specially since some devices could be shared with other members of your family. On the other side, it could be the dumbest, biggest flop in cellphone history." — Jesus Diaz, Gizmodo

This is a good idea, even if it might turn everybody into Paris Hilton
"We see the potential for way too much glittery gem-encrusted foolishness here… [however] If we were betting types, we think modu is on to something pretty interesting here, and it seems with likes of Blaupunkt, Universal Music, and SanDisk already onboard, the Q4 launch might prove to be something special." — Sean Cooper, Engadget

modu must avoid becoming like failed start-up WildSeed: the jackets have got to be attractive
"I'm not sure that the jackets and mates that go with them are going to look really good. That part remains to be seen… This is a smart idea. I hope modu will run with it to become the Calvin Klein of electronics." — Dean Takahashi, The Mercury News

modu is at the top of my 'crash and burn' list
"Modu reminds me a lot of a company called IXI Mobile, which launched in 2001 with a grandiose plan to connect various gadgets through Bluetooth. That vision did not pan out, however, and now IXI is working to sell its Ogo keyboard device in places like Taiwan and Luxembourg." — Mike Dano, RCR Wireless News

Culture Shock Alert
"Just what we need— a drawer full of specialized jacket devices. So, I’m supposed to buy a bunch of proprietary gizmos to expand functionality? A software configurable device (iPhone) blows past this kind of thing. Look how they added geotracking without needing a hardware upgrade by accessing web services." — commenter Martin Edic, Techcrunch

— S.E. Kramer

Sony's new XPERIA phone combines touchscreens, full keyboards

Sony has just launched a new line of phones dubbed the XPERIA, starting with the XPERIA X1. Looking like it's aimed directly at phones such as the Sidekick and Ocean, it's got a full QWERTY keyboard that slides out from underneath the phone.
In addition, it has a 3-inch touchscreen, WiFi connectivity, 400MB of storage onboard, and microSD support. It runs on a modified version of Windows Mobile, so how that's implemented should make or break this guy. It should be able to run on pretty much every network both here in the US and in Europe, so look for it to hit your local carriers sometime this summer.

Via Gizmodo

Strapya Mini Solar Cell Phone Charger makes going green chic

The greenies among us will love this: the Strapya mini solar cell phone charger! Smaller than an iPod, this device only needs to drink up 6-10 hours of sunlight and then it serves as a completely dependable backup power source for your cell phone. The mini solar charger hooks up to your phone via an adapter and offers up to 3 hours of energy on the go. Such a useful, environmentally friendly device sounds like it might be expensive, but at just 1,900 yen ($17.54) this is probably one of the cheapest ways to help save the planet we've seen in some time.
Via Strapya

Kinetic phone is charged with motion and wishes

Boy, do I ever love concept designs like this. Designers just love to create these fantastical designs with absolutely no basis in reality. I mean, hey, that's what engineers are for, right? Figuring out how to make designs work? If so, some poor engineer really has his work cut out for him.
The Kinetic phone only has basic cell functions, no multimedia stuff that might suck up unnecessary juice. Why? Because all you have to do to charge it is "give it a few upside down turns to get the kinetic rotors going again." That's it. You never have to plug it in. Boy, you've got to wonder why no phones work like this if it's possible to do, right?

Via Yanko Design

Epoq watch, phone, camera, MP3 and video player is enough to make Dick Tracy jealous

We've seen a few cell phone / watch combos before, but most of them look like someone put a phone and a watch in the microwave, and heated them until they melted together. The Epoq EGP-WP88 is an unlocked quad band GSM phone, with an OLED screen that displays stylish analog watch hands in the normal timekeeping mode, and switches over to display your contact lists during phone operation. They even managed to squeeze in a 1.3 MP camera, a video player and MP3 music player, and made it water resistant to 50 meters. As if that weren't quite enough, it also has stereo Bluetooth capability for both the phone and the MP3 player if you don't want to use the tiny built in speaker and mic Dick Tracy style.

While this all might sound like just another pie in the sky concept watch, Lightoftomorrow expects to start shipping them for $550 on March 1st.

Now, if only it could record video....

From Lightoftomorrow, via Wrist Dreams

Edge cellphone concept has glass keypad

Despite the fact that mobile phones are carried by everyone at all times, designers like Chris Owens continue to push the limits of design with cellphones just begging to be broken. We saw the whole debacle as people began to drop iPhones which resulted in cracked screens, but now we see concepts like the Edge, which includes a sliding glass panel for the keypad.

The phone is thin, includes a touchscreen and has a glass panel keypad that slides out of the phone when needed. It certainly looks amazing, but the moment the phone is dropped, you are out of luck. When will designers find a happy medium where phones can be functional, look good and still be durable?

Of course, given the conceptual nature of this phone it isn't likely to be a reality, but hey, the iPhone was once a conceptual design as well, so who knows?

Review: Novatel Ovation U727 wireless modem is useful, but... I(ZETACOMM) Personally use and endorse this device

There’s a quiet revolution happening right under your fingertips. Breaking free of the bonds of wires and short-range wireless Wi-Fi networks are EV-DO (Evolution Data Only) modems, letting you use your laptop virtually anywhere there’s cell phone service. The smallest and most feature-rich model yet is the Novatel Wireless Ovation U727, a USB modem that's barely larger than a pack of chewing gum. We’ve been putting it to the test for the past few weeks, and have come to some conclusions about not only this particular wireless modem, but the overall concept of wireless connectivity using the cell phone networks.

Ubiquitous Internet connectivity is a powerful prospect. Imagine quickly checking your email on your laptop as you take that daily train ride to work. How about telecommuting from the pleasant atmosphere of a local park bench? You can do all these things and more with the Novatel U727 at respectable speeds, but there’s a catch.
Pay to Ride the Train
You probably guessed: It’s expensive. You’ll pay $99 for the U727 if you sign up for a two-year plan with Sprint or Verizon (our test unit was from Sprint), and then a steep $60/month for unlimited data service. For that, you get what the companies call “wireless broadband,” using the recently upgraded “Rev. A” EV-DO network using the latest 3G CDMA technology. But is it as fast as the broadband you’re used to at home, or Wi-Fi hot spots you might be frequenting?

We tested the Sprint EV-DO Rev. A service in varied situations and locales, and found the network to be quite fast in some instances, dog-slow in others and occasionally unusable. In suburban Milwaukee (speed data at left on the graphic above), we connected to Speedtest.net at a sprightly 1,518kb/s (kilobits per second) download speed, uploading at a respectable 507kb/s. That’s just about in broadband territory — if you’re using an unusually slow cable or DSL modem (most cable modems these days deliver download speeds of at least 3,000 kb/s, and ours here is considerably faster, around 14,000 kb/s). On the other hand, during a busy convention week in Las Vegas with many other users vying for network bandwidth, the Sprint system poked along at 423kb/s download speed, uploading at a dialup-like 9kb/s. More recently in Las Vegas, in certain parts of a hotel on the strip, the service wasn’t usable at all. Not good.


Big Fun to Use
Nevertheless, when the service was working well, this little bauble was a joy to use. Short of a built-in wireless modem in a laptop (the best way to go since there are no outboard components to lose), the Novatel U727 is as convenient as it gets. Not only does it have a slot for a MicroSD flash memory card (not included) that can hold up to 4GB of your stuff, but it also has a GPS receiver onboard (only on the Sprint version), showing you exactly where you are. Although it can’t give you turn-by-turn directions, it can tell you where the nearest points of interest are, and connects you with on-line maps from Google, Microsoft and others to get you there. If you’re indoors and away from the line-of-sight of those navigational satellites, it can also determine your position by triangulating signals from cell towers. In our tests, the Novatel U727 performed both these functions admirably.


Verdict
Is this connectivity-everywhere actually worth it? It depends on how much you’re going to use it. If you’re a frequent traveler and pay $11.95 every day you use a hotel’s WI-Fi service, this wireless modem could pay for itself if you’re on the road five nights per month. If you’d like to get some work done on the way to work, and your boss is willing to spring for that steep $60 monthly tariff, go for it. For the rest of us, we might as well wait for the price of this connectivity to come down to about that of TiVo. Someday, most of our Internet communications will be via wireless broadband, but until its speed matches conventional broadband, service is more dependable, and pricing is less than half its current rate, you’re probably better off finding Wi-Fi hotspots for your mobile online activities.

Go Amish with the Hand-Crank USB Power Charger

You've been babied by power outlets for far too long — if you want charged gadgets, then put a little elbow grease into it! The Hand-Crank USB Power Charger will work on most phones (and the rest, with adapters), cameras… anything with a USB port, really. It may just be your best friend on the road, where outlets are nowhere to be found, or sitting in an airport when you need some extra juice in a pinch.

It's compact, lightweight and costs $40. Best of all: It doesn't draw power from the grid, so it's one way to go green (and build up those muscles).

Via National Geographic Online Store