Over the Top is a 17 x 17 x17 Rubik’s Cube

For some reason, I just can’t get enough of Rubik’s Cube stuff. Remember the Rubik’s Slide Puzzle and the Gear Wheel IQ? Not to mention the Scruble Cube that combines the puzzle cube with everyone’s favorite puzzle game of Scrabble.

I don’t know why I am obsessed with this thing, perhaps it is because I am into tech things, and most people who are into tech things can solve that dang cube that I have never been able to solve.

I would like to see someone solve this particular cube, which was designed by Oskar van Deventer. It is a 17x17x17 puzzle cube printed using Shapeways, which I believe is a 3D printing place for specially made items like this one.

This is one of those times where I have to doubt whether the item I am reporting on is legitimate. After all, I don’t even know if there is a way to twist something that looks to be rather large.

Still, you got to like how it has a black frame around the edges. In case you doubt whether or not this is genuine or not, this 17 x 17 x 17 Rubik’s Cube, also known as Over The Top, will be on display at the New York Puzzle Party Symposium on Saturday, February 12th.

Jet-powered Water Cannon from China

I don’t know if you are one of those people who are really worried about China tipping “the balance of the world”. I saw a whole episode of The Officedevoted to it the other day, and it reminded me of conversations that I had with people who are worrying about the most populated country because they can.

In the case of the Chinese fire department in Luoyang city, I think they are seriously ahead of the game with this jet-propelled water cannon. This thing is capable of spraying four tons of water per minute, which suggests that it shouldn’t be used on crowds.

This water can move at speeds that are so quick that they choke fires from the oxygen surrounding them. It also has quite a huge range for this blaze blaster at 120 meters (400 feet).

There is a video of this guy on my Source that I wasn’t able to import. I like it because it reminds me of a cross between an oil tanker and a giant cannon.

By the way, this bad boy costs about $456,000, and I am sure there are now people everywhere saying that the Chinese have these giant cannons capable of spraying the United States. Yes, they are powered by the Pacific Ocean that they can spray at us. We are helpless to stop them.

iCar has discovered the secret of flight: It’s the wheels

I always love to report on flying cars as much as I can.

This one, which is called the iCar, doesn’t need any wings or magic to fly but uses specially designed wheels. Apparently round spinning surfaces can create lift, which is called the Magnus Effect.

The iCar takes advantage of the Magnus Effect to turn its wheels into wings. On the ground, the iCar is a one seater sports car with four traditional wheels and giant cylindrical hubs. To get airborne, it extends its hubs outward to create a larger lifting surface, the hubcaps on the two front wheels swivel forward to turn into propellers, and the car is ready for takeoff. As it starts to move forward, the cylinder wings spin (driven by electric motors), and they generate enough lift to get the iCar airborne in about 1,500 feet.

Apparently, the car has a range of about 500 miles and has a cruising speed of 200 miles per hour.

As you can see, the iCar is in its concept stage, which is visible in this particular mock-up. I’m not certain what it is called the iCar, generally that small “i” gets associated with Apple products. Still, I hope to see this sometime flying over me someday.

Star Wars Darth Vader headphones

You know the Force is strong with this one – the£34.99 Star Wars Darth Vader headphones, where the Dark Lord of the Sith will most probably tell his subordinates, “I find your lack of bass disturbing.” This item is still in pre-order status though, so it will ship to you the moment it arrives in stock when February 2011 rolls around.

These officially licensed headphones will come with an adjustable strap that is touted to fit most (human) head sizes, and also accompanied by a 1.2 meter coiled cord that ought to get you out of any potential Imperial entanglements. Among the technical specifications include :-

• Driver Unit: 40mm Power Drivers
• Frequency Range: 20 Hz ~ 20 kHz
• Impedance: 32 ohm
• 1KHz Sensitivity: 115dB
• Max Input Power: 100mW
• Plug: 3.5 mm
• Coil Cord: 1.2m
• Premium replacement warranty: 1 year

AOtech has new LED TV for hospitals

When it comes to HDTVs as well as other flat screen displays, surely you would not have heard of JAOtech but rather stuck with the traditional names such as Sony, Panasonic, Samsung, LG and Mitsubishi among others. JAOtech, isn’t that well known among the consumer circles simply because it is the leading manufacturer of bedside Smart Terminals for hospitals.

Having said that, JAOtech has prepared itself to unveil the world’s first large screen ultra-thin medical LED TV that comes complete with a built-in computer, targeting specifically at healthcare applications such as patient entertainment and clinical access. Known as the 40” Inix, it will hit North America at HIMSS 2011 in Orlando, Florida from February 21st – 24th.

JAOtech will also use the event to introduce a host of other product developments in its Arcos accessories range, where among them include multimedia wall boxes and arms that were specially designed for use with bedside cabinets.

The new JAOtech Inix Smart HD LED TVs will also be pretty similar in terms of features that made its Smart Terminals extremely popular with hospitals around the world. The product itself was designed specially for the medical environment with an IP rated waterproof screen that has been tested against hospital cleaning agents. As for the fan-less embedded computer, it will be powered by the latest Intel Atom processor technology that delivers low noise and power consumption coupled with high reliability and performance.

Of course, to keep up with the rest of the Joneses, the Inix will be able to handle full high definition 1080p resolution with aplomb. This 40” model is extremely thin at a mere 1.6” thick, although this is definitely nowhere near the super slim LED TVs that we saw at CES earlier this year.

Apart from that, the Inix is compatible with JAOtech’s newly developed gesture remote control that sports a full keyboard on the back, making it the perfect tool for inputting data or writing emails. Apart from that, the TV will also play nice with JAOtech’s existing Wyki wireless keyboard.

Sony Next Generation Portable console ready to rock

Want to get some portable gaming time under your belt? You can do so with a fair number of devices which are in the market already, among them the iPod touch, iPhone even, the Nintendo DSi as well as the Sony PSP.

Well, to make sure that Sony has got your back covered with the latest and greatest, the company has just announced their latest addition to the mobile gaming scene – the Next Generation Portable. For folks who staked their house on the name PSP2 being the successor to the hugely popular PSP, you’re out of luck, although we do admit that Next Generation Portable (NGP) sounds a whole lot lamer.

No, you cannot just rush out to the store to pick a NGP for yourself simply because it will not arrive in the markets at least until the end of this year, making us more or less sure that this will be one of the hot ticket items when Christmas rolls around this year. Parents, you have been forewarned, so make sure you have a healthy cashflow to keep your little ones happy as they bug you incessantly for the NGP.

NGP was specially designed to deliver an unparalleled interactive entertainment experience, although this will not sport a 3D display that is set to debut with Nintendo’s upcoming 3DS. Hardware specifications include Wi-Fi and 3G network connectivity, and when either one works in tandem with a range of applications, NGP will be able to let you experience infinite possibilities to “encounter,” “connect,” “discover,” “share” and “play” with friends wherever they are.

As for its display, your eyes will definitely appreciate the beautiful multi-touch 5-inch organic light emitting display (OLED) at the front, and when combined with a high-performance CPU/GPU, you can be sure that the visual feast served is second to none. Apart from that, there will also be a unique multi-touch pad on the rear, letting you interact directly with games in 3D-like motion via “touch, grab, trace, push and pull” moves of the fingers.

UMDs are also a thing of the past, where small flash memory cards (Nintendo DS, anyone?) are used instead to store and carry all your games. How much are you willing to fork out for one of these when it is available?

Ricoh does digital photography with new CX5

Ricoh knows that the market for digital cameras is huge, and they have just revamped their range with the new CX5 digital camera model which boasts a wide-angle, high magnification 10.7× optical zoom (28–300 mm) lens that will in turn deliver a higher autofocus speed courtesy of Ricoh’s new hybrid AF system.

With this, the new CX5 will feature AF focusing times that are decreased to as low as 0.2 seconds, irregardless of whether you’re using wide-angle 28mm or telephoto 300mm, which is nearly half as short compared to its predecessor (the CX4), thanks to the aforementioned new hybrid AF system. To put it in a nutshell for the average layperson to understand, the CX5 is perfectly adept at helping you shoot the image you were waiting for without having to miss the moment.

The implementation of super-resolution technology in the CX5 will pave the way for recording of images with improved resolution, while in its telephoto shooting at up to 600mm equivalent, you can be assured that there will be minimal degradation in image quality with its “Super-resolution Zoom.”

What makes us pretty stoked about the CX5 will be something that most other digital cameras lack – we’re talking about the Continuous Golf Swing scene mode. Yes sir, you can now improve on your swing simply by taking photos of you in action with a golf club. It will display grid lines when shooting and playback, so that you can further make changes to your game and decrease your handicap in future rounds.

With 14 different types of Scene Modes, you can be pretty sure that no environment or event is going to be a challenge for you, and best of all is, you need not fiddle with confusing looking buttons and controls that are found on DSLRs. Of course, this compact digital camera is no substitute for what a DSLR can deliver, but it does offer a decent alternative.

Out later this February for $500 thereabouts, you might want to consider the Ricoh CX5 as your next casual digital photography purchase.

iSkin ProTouch Classic Keyboard Protector for MacBook Air

Now the MacBook Air is certainly a thing of beauty, and if you are one who tends to sell off your old devices to fund in part the purchases of new gizmos, then keeping your current MacBook Air in tip top condition is definitely important. Enter theiSkin ProTouch Classic Keyboard Protectorspecially meant for said notebook.

It has been designed to overlay the keyboard, preventing those who work late into the night and love pizzas from dropping small particles of food in between the keyboard’s crevices, not to mention helping keep dust and other impurities out. Despite being so thin, the ProTouch is extremely durable, working without overheating or hampering use of the keyboard.

Not only that, it acts as a sound dampener caused by typing while preventing key wear from heavy use, ensuring your MacBook Air is in tip top reselling shape. Available in Arctic (Clear Frosted) initially, it will play nice with the 11″ MacBook Air, retailing for $24.99 a pop.

Virtual Master Real from Takara Tomy

Are you an avid fisherman? Of course, by this we don’t mean going out to the sea to earn your keep, but rather, taking a day out alone (or with your mates, depending on what you prefer) in the wide open sea, hoping to be engaged in a battle royale so that you can regale your friends and family about the “one that got away”.

Of course, going fishing does have its fair share of bad points, where among them would be running the risk of being boarded by pirates or having a nasty sunburn. Takara Tomy decides to bring the virtual world into your living room with the Virtual Master Real, where it looks like a fishing reel and comes with a handle for pulling fish in.

A tiny display will let you see the virtual fish you catch, alongside the drama of fish which struggles against your pull. Out in July this year, it will retail for $75 if you are interested.

Toy Story Lego Minifigure Alarm Clock

We all know that Lego has a Minifigure Alarm Clock that looks like Anakin Skywalker, so it seems smart of the company to branch off with other Lego franchises as well.

I would think that Lego would have tried other franchises like Harry Potter or Indiana Jones. However, a lot of people like the Toy Story Lego toys. For me, I just don’t see the logic of making toys out of toys.

As you can see, the Woody and Buzz Lightyear alarm clocks are posable like the young Darth Vader one. They have an LCD display on their chests, and Woody has the set buttons on his back while Buzz has them on his chest plate. As for the Snooze button, the user just pushes on Woody’s hat or Buzz’s helmet.

Just between you and me, I don’t think that Buzz’s wings retract. I wonder if these are those talking alarm clocks that wake the kid up by talking to them. They used to make those when I was a kid, and I believe they were pretty expensive. I remember the Dukes of Hazard and Batman and Robin ones off the top of my head.

As for Buzz and Woody, they are available for pre-order at Firebox.com for $40.