Latest Posts on Coolest Gadgets

Datel’s controller gives Xbox 360 players an additional screen
JVC GC-PX10 hybrid camera
Isn’t it time for a triangular tablet? Probably not.
Pantech Hotshot not such a hot phone after all
Life of George comes to Lego and the iPhone
Atari Arcade lets you enjoy classics in a new form factor
Cloth makes short work of bacteria

Datel’s controller gives Xbox 360 players an additional screen

Posted: 04 Oct 2011 07:01 AM PDT

In video games, winning is often about doing the quick action with as few buttons as possible. Players have to learn to change weapons in an instant, or they will be shot by opposing weapons.

Datel plans on releasing a new controller called the Datel TurboFire 360 for the Xbox 360, which features a built-in LCD screen right on it. I don’t think it is a touchscreen, but it will allow the user to access menus which could make gaming faster.

My Source claims that the addition of an LCD screen could give gamers an unfair advantage in party shooter games, and I will have to agree. Unless the player with the Datel can’t figure it out yet, and is slower on the draw as a result. If he or she is pretty fast, I am certain the other players will eventually gang up on him or her.

A controller with a screen? Didn’t the Sega Dreamcast try that? That was the company’s final console. Uh-oh, doesn’t the Wii U have a screen on its controller? I wonder if we will get the same result for the Wii U as we did for Sega. I’m surprised that is the first time I thought of that, but I’m certain it has been brought up more than once.

Perhaps Microsoft is considering putting these LCD screens on all of its controllers, but we will have to wait for the XBox…whatever is after the 360. What do you think the new version of the Xbox will be called? Will it be the Xbox 720? Leave a comment if you know.

Source

Cool Gift Idea: Digital Picture Frames, check out our reviews.
[ Datel’s controller gives Xbox 360 players an additional screen copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

JVC GC-PX10 hybrid camera

Posted: 04 Oct 2011 06:30 AM PDT

There never was a doubt as to when the digital still camera was going to cross paths with that of the camcorder family, and JVC might have pulled off a masterstroke with their latest model – the JVC GC-PX10. This is a video/still hybrid camera that is touted to deliver professional level performance as well as features, letting you choose between capturing the fleeting moment in 12-megapixel stills, or if you so desire the wonders of Full HD video, then 36Mbps progressive Full HD video and super-slow motion are also options for you.

Apart from that, JVC ensures no matter how much of a beginner you are in photography, you will still be able to capture the perfect moment with 60 shots per second still image shooting, 300 frames-per-second video recording for high-quality super-slow motion as well as the ability to pick out pristine still images from video if the situation calls for something like that – especially when you realized that your photographer has missed out a crucial moment on your Big Day.

Just what makes the JVC GC-PX10 tick? Well, JVC is proud to say that their all new FALCONBRID high speed imaging engine keeps it going, where it was originally spotted over at JVC's Full HD 3D camcorder, the GS-TD1. For the uninitiated like many of us, FALCONBRID is a single-chip technology that comes with its own processing muscle in order to let the GC-PX10 to record Full HD progressive video at 36Mbps, while capturing 8.3-megapixel during the recording of Full HD video to deliver both high-quality stills from recorded video simultaneously.

There is even an ISO 6400 mode that allows you to capture those precious moments under extremely low light conditions, while rapid-fire still shooting of 8.3-megapixel stills is a possibility as well – just make sure you have the relevant flash memory to be able to support such massive data transfers within a short period of time. Other hardware specifications include optical image stabilization with JVC's Advanced Image Stabilizer, 10X optical zoom (19x Dynamic Zoom with no image degradation when zoomed), KONICA MINOLTA HD LENS, a mode dial for both automatic and manual settings (white balance, aperture and shutter), microphone output

and headphone input.

The 32GB of internal memory can be further augmented thanks to the inclusion of an SDXC/SDHC memory card slot. The JVC GC-PX10 is not going to come cheap though at $899.95 a pop when it hits the market later this month.

Press Release

Coolest Gadgets UK – For all your UK centric tech and gadget news.
[ JVC GC-PX10 hybrid camera copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Isn’t it time for a triangular tablet? Probably not.

Posted: 04 Oct 2011 06:23 AM PDT

Yes, that is Dwight Schrute from television’s The Office in the photo, and the triangular shaped tablet is not a real product.

I have to admit that when I saw this, I admired the writer’s ability to think outside the box when it comes to satirizing tablet technology. I can totally see a company trying a triangular shaped tablet, just because no other tablet company is doing it. Sure, the base of it is good enough for a full sized keyboard, but what you type out will probably look like an eye doctor’s chart.

Perhaps we should consider other shapes for tablets, as we are stuck in this rectangular rut. Perhaps a perfect square? Better yet, round. I’m sure that either shape would really shake up app developers. You can see a video of the scene after the jump, and I wonder why Jim wants 5. Perhaps he wants to link them together to form an incomplete hexagon, or something.

Dwight mentions on the video that it has “50L” of memory without the booster. I don’t know how much that is, but it is apparently enough to run a lot of AOL apps, judging by the high amount of triangle-shaped icons.

Source

Coolest Gadgets UK – For all your UK centric tech and gadget news.
[ Isn’t it time for a triangular tablet? Probably not. copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Pantech Hotshot not such a hot phone after all

Posted: 04 Oct 2011 06:00 AM PDT

I think there is a clear mistake in naming the Pantech Hotshot just that, although I am not quite sure just which party is to be blamed. After all, Verizon Wireless is just a carrier, and will they have enough clout to call whatever they’re offering to the masses as they like? Still, we are in the business of bringing you news, and for folks whose contracts are about to expire and want to get a decent entry-level smartphone device, I guess the Pantech Hotshot would fit the bill rather nicely after all.

Available online from October 6th onwards (that is this Thursday just in case your Calendar app is all wonky), the Hotshot will do what a basic smartphone is supposed o – and do it well. With a 3.2″ LCD touchscreen display, navigating through the bunch of home screens, apps, emails, browser windows and text messages would be a breeze and not be taxing on your eyes, although those who are used to far beefier (in terms of specifications) handsets from the likes of Samsung and HTC might feel rather restricted by just three home screens available for customization.

As for other hardware specifications that are crammed into a 0.35″ thin form factor, they include a 3.2-megapixel shooter at the back that does video recording as well – and since there is no mention of a front-facing camera (and neither do we see one on the right), this is no phone to get if you want to experience video chats on the go. Not only that, Verizon has thrown in VZ Navigator that helps you get around places, even speaking out turn-by-turn directions in unfamiliar territory so that you can concentrate on the road ahead. As for V CAST Tones, that lets you download ringtones and ringback tones.

A microSD memory card slot is there for expansion purposes, and each purchase will come with a 2GB microSD memory card pre-installed with relevant apps. Do expect to fork out $99.99 for the Pantech Hotshot, and this price is applicable only after a $50 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement.

Press Release

Introducing Foolish Gadgets because not all gadgets are cool

[ Pantech Hotshot not such a hot phone after all copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Life of George comes to Lego and the iPhone

Posted: 04 Oct 2011 05:57 AM PDT

It would appear that the mobile life and Lego have reached an intersection with Life of George. The game is designed for iDevices, and it involves pattern recognition.

In this case, the pattern is some flat structure made with Lego, and the user/player must replicate the same structure using the 144 Lego bricks. When the user believes that he or she has matched it perfectly, then the Lego project gets put on the dotted mat and photographed. It has better be a perfect match to win the round!

There are about 12 levels with 10 photos each, and there is even a two-player mode. There is also user based content options available too. So if you want something you have created to be in the game, just take a shot of it on the dotted mat. By the way, somehow this dotted map acts as a greenscreen. Don’t ask me how that works, but you can see how it works in the video after the jump.

Life with George is available right now, for about $30 with the mat and the bricks. The application itself is free, but only on iOS for now. I just checked the Android Market and I couldn’t find it.

My only question is who is the George in the title, and why is his life full of photographing Lego objects? I saw the guitar in the image and thought that maybe it was referring to George Harrison, but I don’t think he was blonde. Well, that rules out George Clooney.

Source

Cool Gift Idea: Digital Picture Frames, check out our reviews.
[ Life of George comes to Lego and the iPhone copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Atari Arcade lets you enjoy classics in a new form factor

Posted: 04 Oct 2011 05:30 AM PDT

App-based accessories might just be the next big thing – case in point, the Atari Arcade that is powered by Duo from Discovery Bay Games. This particular device was specially designed to play nice with Apple’s two tablets – the iPad and its successor. Coming in a totally retro form factor, your hands might relive those teenage moments in dinghy looking arcades when it grasps the analog joystick, while four control buttons are at your disposal to enjoy the “Atari’s Greatest Hits” app in a mobile arcade-like experience.

Currently, the “Atari’s Greatest Hits” app has already seen more than three million downloads to date over at the App Store, and with peripherals like this, I’d say the number is going to experience another curve in growth. Some of the 100 Atari classics include Asteroids, Centipede and Missile Command, but since you need not worry about wireless connections, the hard-wired dock ensures every movement of the analog joystick and button press is accurately translated to a speedy response.

Expect the Atari Arcade to be available at Target already for $59.99 a pop, although it will hit Apple Stores, Apple.com, and Toys R Us when November rolls around.

Press Release

Conference Calendar – The global conference and expo finder.
[ Atari Arcade lets you enjoy classics in a new form factor copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Cloth makes short work of bacteria

Posted: 04 Oct 2011 05:00 AM PDT

There are many ways to kill bacteria – those microscopic life forms that sometimes do bring harm to us in their very own special way, which explains why we have different kinds of defenses against these in the form of disinfectants, antibiotics and other kinds of chemical warfare. Well, here is a little something that might just aid us in our fight against these nigh invisible opponents – a new kind of cloth developed that is self-cleaning, where it kills bacteria in the process whenever it is exposed to sunlight.

Yes sir, you no longer need to worry too much about the kind of laundry powder to kill bacteria the next time you put your washing machine through another cycle as chemists at the University of California at Davis might have discovered a compound known as 2-AQC, where it will be incorporated into cotton fabrics. Whenever said infused fabrics are exposed to light, it ends up with a reaction, producing oxygen species such as hydrogen peroxide that will make short work of bacteria while breaking down toxins.

No idea on what kinds of side effects this will have on humans in the long term, but immediate applications that can obviously make do with such an invention would be clothing for health care workers, farmers, and military personnel amongst others. All the more reason to get out into the sun now, eh?

Source

Conference Calendar – The global conference and expo finder.
[ Cloth makes short work of bacteria copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]