Techmate 7000: 01/26/11

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Razer Ferox announced





Love precision gaming? Then chances are pretty high that the name Razer rolls off your tongue more often than you mention the name of your girlfriend. Of course, there is also the possibility of you being single because you have single handedly dedicated your life to the cause of being the number one gamer of a particular genre, only to realize that it isn’t that easy a road after all. Razer’s being a household name for quite some time already, and their latest addition would be the Razer Ferox.
Just what is the Razer Ferox? This is a brand new ultra portable stereo speaker which intends to prove to the world that size does not matter. It might be physically a whole lot more petite compared to other stereo speakers out there (we’re talking about portable ones for an apple to apple comparison), but Razer assures you that your ears will be assaulted by a sonic attack like no other. Meant to deliver 360 degrees of omni-directional sound, Razer intends to surprise you out of your socks despite its form factor.
According to Robert “RazerGuy” Krakoff, president, Razer USA, “The Razer Ferox is our sophisticated, modern day boombox for gamers. Its sleek and compact structure takes up minimal space but delivers the crystal clear sound quality perfect for gaming on-the-go or for music playback wherever you’re at.”
Thanks to its 360 degree omni-directional acoustics, the Razer Ferox is capable of delivering a whole lot wider listening sweet spot compared to just about any other ordinary front-facing speakers. It doesn’t really matter where you are seated or standing, the Razer Ferox will sound just as immersive. It boasts of expandable resonance chambers which is capable of providing stronger bass and optimized digital amplifiers, delivering a fuller sound experience in the process since each chamber will rises upon a single press to power up.
The built-in rechargeable battery delivers 12 hours of juice, and with the convenient carrying case, you will find that the Razer Ferox is extremely versatile. It will also play nice with any media player as long as they’re compatible with a 3.5mm jack. Out this month for $59.99 (our friends living across the pond will have to pay more in terms of value at €59.99), you might want to consider this if you’re looking for serious performance from a small package.

Anakin Star Wars LEGO Minifigure Alarm Clock



Are you a huge fan of Star Wars? Chances are pretty good that that is the case, since a huge number of the populace grew up on George Lucas’ space opera, and the current generation also had their brush with the prequels (which didn’t really live up in terms of storytelling although they did fare a whole lot better where special effects are concerned). Well, this has certainly led to the commercial juggernaut where Star Wars merchandise is concerned, and among the latest offerings would be the Anakin Star Wars LEGO Minifigure Alarm Clock. This £24.99 purchase will feature a relatively large LEGO minifig of the young Anakin before he started down on the path to the Dark Side, complete with the almighty snooze function (great to skipping Master Yoda’s classes) and backlight function which can be activated by pushing down on his head. Of course, his still human hands and legs can be moved (according to the limited degree of freedom for all LEGO figures).

iPhone Desktop Handset



So you’re pretty proud that you’ve finally gotten hold of the phone that the world lusts after, which is the iPhone 4. Well, just in case you want to make sure you get the best bang for your iPhone buck, you can always bring home the $59.95 iPhone Desktop Handset. Basically, the iPhone Desktop Handset will turn your compatible iPhone into a desktop handset, as long as it remains docked. The desktop handset is capable of navigating through the iPhone’s plethora of applications, where among them include calendars, e-mail and the Internet. The headset itself is plugged into the iPhone’s headphone jack, while you can ensure that your iPhone receives the proper gadget nutrition (read: electricity) from a computer or wall outlet courtesy of a USB charging cable and adapter, and in turn, the iPhone’s battery will power the headset. With an anodized aluminum stand which looks stunning and complements your iPhone 4′s design, it will remain secure on a desktop using four non-slip silicone pads even in the most heated of conversations.

Bottoms Up Beer Dispenser – Sometimes faster IS better



How I remember Spring Break, the surf, sun and sand. Waiting in a line for half an hour for a beer. Waiting in line for another half an hour for a beer. Waiting in, ah never mind, you get the picture. Needless to say I think my time was split evenly between sunning myself and waiting for beer.
Well wait no more, GrinOn Industries has thankfully designed and produced the Bottoms Up Draft Beer Dispensing System, the world’s fastest dispensing system, able to fill your cup with consistently lightly foamed frosty goodness up to nine times faster than traditional beer taps, and it does it all, from the BOTTOM of a specialized magnet-enhanced disposable cup! Don’t miss the videos HERE.
The Bottoms Up Cups are proprietary to the Bottoms Up Dispensing System and come in 12, 16, 20 and 24 ounce sizes with 2 different pitcher sizes also available  ( I was wondering about that)
The magnet that seals the bottom of the cup after it is filled, is affectionately called “The MAG” and doubles as the coolest, and most collectable advertising space yet known to humankind.
Yes, it improves service times and increases customer satisfaction and sales. Yes, it reduces draft beer waste, saving money and time. It undoubtably will improve operational efficiency and product consistency… yes, yes, yes. But most of all …it’s just so darn cool!
What? What’s that you ask? The answer is yes. They will soon be making one for home use too. Wanna come to my next party?

The Affinity Chair can turn invisible



This is the Affinity Chair from designer Ben Alun-Jones, and it is a chair that can turn invisible. Actually, it is a chair that is already invisible and can turn visible when needed, seriously.
The Affinity Chair is made of some clear acrylic that uses the mirror film that is seen to tint car windows. If someone approaches, there is an ultrasonic sensor that kicks into gear, then a pulsating set of LED lights inside the chair. As a person gets closer, the LED lights speed up to make it clearer to look at. So not only is your furniture invisible, but it starts lighting up.
The Affinity Chair is on display at Victoria and Albert Museum in London. I don’t think that there is way for a person to actually buy this.
Then again, do you really want to have invisible furniture on your house? You know that time when you bump your knees on a chair or a couch because your lights are off? Just picture doing that when the lights are on.
Yes, I can imagine a lot of bumping around like being in a giant invisible pinball machine of pain. Still, I wouldn’t mind having an invisible bed, especially if it lit up as I got into it. I won’t tell you why.

Check out this large slide!



What you are seeing here is not a roller coaster, but a slide. That’s right, this is a slide like on a playground.
I remember that I had a small park near by house growing up, and I always felt I was fortunate. Right now, I’m looking at this slide and thinking that the kid who lives near this park with this slide is the luckiest kid in the world.
In addition to this long roller coaster of a ride, there is also a huge lighthouse of a tower for a higher view. Man, if I took my kids to this park, then they would never want to leave.
You know why I like this slide? It’s all a bunch of rollers and I don’t see any way that a kid can climb up it. I swear, my kids are always running up the slide. I wonder if they would try to run up this one.
Unfortunately, my Source does not show where this park with the roller coaster slide is. It would almost be worth flying to this place like going to Disneyland or some other theme park. Yes, travel guides of the world, you definitely want to put a pushpin in the map for wherever this slide is.

Simon Flash to be coming soon



If there is one thing that doesn’t seem to go out of fashion, it is Simon. The game where the player must use their memory and repeat a flashing pattern of colored lights has been imitated inLoopz and various other iPhone Apps.
It has now been updated into Simon Flash, which is essentially Simon split up into 4 different blocks of red, blue, green, and yellow. I suppose that you could put these blocks quite a distance apart, and get some exercise while you play the memory game.
In addition to the often imitated memory game, the user can also play a different game based on another age-old and often imitated game: Mastermind. The player will have to find out a secret color combination in a certain amount of moves, says my Source.
There is no word as to when the Simon Flash will be available, nor a price. I would imagine that you would have to put a battery or a few batteries in each particular square, and these squares would have to be somehow linked together, perhaps with Bluetooth.
You know, I have a great idea. Is there any way that someone could take 4 iPhones or 4 smartphones and link them together to make a DIY Simon game? If you know of anyone who has done this and has it on YouTube, leave us a comment with the link.