Gadget Zone » Health & Care

Philips develops roadside drug test – Gadget Zone

Gadget — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 07:07:18 +0000

Philips develops roadside drug test

One quick blow on a device and cops can find out just how much alcohol you’ve consumed. Sadly though, so far they haven’t had a roadside way to test for drugs. Which means cops have to drag in people that they suspect to be using drugs. Well that will be changing at some point in the somewhat near future. Instead of dragging people down to the station for a test, Philips has a test they’ve developed to help cops out on the side of the road.

It uses nanotechnology and instead of blowing like you’d do for the alcohol test, you spit. Then after 90 seconds it gives a color coded read out. It will detect any cocaine, heroin, cannabis, amphetamines and methaphetamine. This isn’t exactly great for drug users, but for those that don’t use drugs and just seem to look the part this is definitely good news. It will end any harassment much faster through a quick test. Philips hopes to get these out to cops in Europe by the end of this year. There’s no word when it will make it to the US though.

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Contortionist could start a folding bike revolution – Gadget Zone

Gadget — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 06:22:20 +0000

Contortionist could start a folding bike revolution

I have seen fold-up bikes before, and none of them were very impressive. The first I ever saw was back in the eighties, in the Sharper Image Catalog. If I were to find a picture of that particular bike, then I would post it here so you could have a good laugh.

A student name Dominic Hargreaves has won the James Dyson Award for his innovative folding bike that is appropriately named The Contortionist. As you can see, the whole frame fits within the wheel’s 26 inch circumference.

The rest forms a convenient handle that can be dragged around by the rider when the bike is not in use. It reminds me of modern luggage that you see now, which seems to require a retractable handlebar and tiny wheels.

One of the problems with folding bikes was the issue of where to put them after they are folded. They can’t take up too much space, and many earlier folding bike models used smaller wheels. The end result looked like some sort of scooter.

The Contortionist might be a bit more spacious, but which would you rather have: an entire bike leaning against your office wall, or just the wheel? Sure, you could put your bike on a rack outside, but how safe is that?

Hopefully, Mr. Hargreaves will find a manufacturer for his invention, because his forthright thinking is just what we need in an era where more people should ride bikes rather than drive.

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Shweeb Pedaling Monorail – Gadget Zone

Gadget — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 03:02:18 +0000

Shweeb Pedaling Monorail

I’m not certain how this pedal-powered monorail system got to be called the Shweeb, but I don’t really care. And you got to admit, it is a very cool invention for something that rhymes with “dweeb”.

I mean, who wouldn’t want to travel in a transparent monorail car that moves not by machine, but by the user’s command? So go ahead and make those phone calls and text messages while you are behind the wheel. All you have to worry about is the car in front of you, and you can stop anytime. By the way, the Shweeb “car” moves faster than an ordinary bike.

Just to let you know, there is no plans to implement the Shweeb as a new system of mass transit. I’m sure a lot of you are going “Awww” right now, and that is completely understandable, because it sure looks like a lot of fun.

Still, single riders on one rail? That would never work in big cities. Can you imagine the traffic if someone died in mid-pedaling? Better to use moving sidewalks and plastic air tubes like on cartoons such as The Jetsons and Futurama.

However, if you want to ride the Shweeb, all you need to do is go to the Agroventures Adventure Park in Rotorua, New Zealand. It will cost about $30 to go on this three-lap ride, though.

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Bsquare’s Touchscreen Soda Fountain – Gadget Zone

Gadget — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 02:27:04 +0000

Bsquare’s Touchscreen Soda Fountain

I thought that Samsung was cool with its New Touchscreen Vending Machine. Little did I know that design company Bsquare was working on a Soda Fountain that is far more advanced.

Bsquare’s soda dispenser is also a touchscreen, but this one is designed to give the user over 100 flavors. Some of these flavors are ones that I have never heard of here in the U.S., like Raspberry Coca-Cola and Grape Vault. See a video for it after the jump.

If you have ever worked at a restaurant with a soda fountain, then you know the necessity of changing out the carbonated water and sweeteners. I remember when I was working at a pizza restaurant, and I had to haul a huge canister of Coke syrup when we ran out of Coca-Cola. The Bsquare soda fountain doesn’t use that technology, as it uses “highly concentrated flavor cartridges with microdosing technology”. I’m sure that would have saved me a lot of labor back then.

One of the best parts of Bsquare’s soda dispenser is that it is connected to the net. That means restaurants can order more supplies as needed from the soda fountain itself, and they can download new “recipes” of cola as they come.

Well, this is definitely something that will be seen in restaurants of the future, but what if I want a Pepsi?

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SodaStream Soda Maker kits save pop fans on soft drinks – Gadget Zone

Gadget — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 02:16:40 +0000

SodaStream Soda Maker kits

If you knew anything about me, you’d know that I should probably have stock in Coca Cola since I drink so much of the stuff. I know, I know, worst thing for me. But it’s the one vice I allow myself. Considering a can of Diet Coke can run you over a buck these days, the cost can not only add up, but it’s one of the largest profit margins there is in the snack world next to popcorn. So, how can you lower your costs and still get your soda pop fix? Look no further than SodaStream.

The SodaStream Soda Maker kits can reduce the cost of soft drinks to about a quarter a can, and it uses ordinary tap water to do it in less than a minute. The kit comes with six different flavors to reproduce your favorite drinks and a carbonator which injects carbon dioxide through the jet soda maker into the mix to give your drink that fizz. Also included are 2 reusable bottles (even BPA free) and a 3 year warranty.

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Game Time Schedule Watch – Gadget Zone

Gadget — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 08:37:15 +0000

Game Time Schedule Watch

Sports fans will know how it feels like as they plan their social schedule around their favorite teams’ game times, which makes the following range of Game Time Schedule Watches an absolute must have. These watches already come programmed with the schedule of your team of choice, alongside the schedule of other teams for the particular sport so that you can watch other can’t-miss matchups even if they’re from a rival team. Apart from showing off today’s game time and opponent on the main screen, you can also opt to scroll through to view upcoming games, games from the past and other team’s schedules. Available for all major sports including NFL football, NHL hockey, MLB baseball, NBA basketball or NASCAR racing, these watches retail for more than $80 a pop.

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Metal Detecting Sandals – Gadget Zone

Gadget — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 08:21:47 +0000

Metal Detecting Sandals

If you think it’s a little bit nerdy wandering around a beach waving a metal detector from side to side a solution is now at hand, well feet actually; the Metal Detecting Sandals (white socks optional).

These are the sandals that can detect metal while you walk, allowing you to find buried artifacts while strolling the beach. A copper coil built into the right sandal is powered via a battery pack that straps to your calf. Using beat frequency oscillation technology, the ring creates a magnetic field; when a metal object is underfoot–up to 2?–it distorts the field and the battery pack alerts you to the presence of metal using a flashing red light and either a gentle vibration or a clearly audible buzz.

You can buy the Metal Detecting Sandals from Hammacher for $59.95.

The QSTARZ Qfinder GF-Q900 GPS Backtrack – Gadget Zone

Gadget — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 08:18:10 +0000

The QSTARZ Qfinder GF-Q900 GPS Backtrack

Despite enjoying the great outdoors, not everyone is naturally skilled at finding their way back from where they came from. Even with a compass, if you happen to have a bad memory, it’s not going to go well. Under the wrong circumstances, losing your way can become catastrophic quickly. Well instead of attempting to find your way back to your camp with a compass alone, you could use this Qfinder instead. It won’t appeal to those that prefer to figure things out on their own, but for those that are rookies at navigation, it’d be great to have around.

It does actually have a compass too, so you could practice learning to use the compass a little more, even with this gadget around. To use it, before you leave camp, mark your location. It’ll allow for you to mark a total of 4 different locations. Then you can wander off and when you need to get back to that spot, just set the device. It’ll then show you the direction and the distance to that marked spot. It is powered by 2 AAA batteries and has an LCD display with backlight. You can purchase it for $79.

Baseball with Built-in Radar Gun – Gadget Zone

Gadget — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 07:46:08 +0000

Baseball

Isn’t it time you got out to your lawn and start pitching some balls to your kid to spend some quality parent-child time? Why not do so with the Baseball with Built-in Radar Gun – this is one high-tech ball that will help you strive to do your best always since it comes with an integrated radar gun that is able to tell just how fast your last throw was, maxing out at 120mph. Of course, if you happen to throw past that limit regularly, we’d strongly suggest you go for your state team’s tryouts as any team would definitely be able to make do with another starter. One word of caution though – don’t bother hitting this ball with a bat, otherwise all of the electronics inside would screw up

GPSGolfShot offers better experience on the greens – Gadget Zone

Gadget — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 04:21:10 +0000

GPSGolfShot offers better experience on the greens

Regardless of whether you’re an avid golfer or one who just likes to tee off once a month at the greens, GPSGolfShot is able to cater to your needs. This is not a new way to strike the ball, but is instead an application that will be made available to Verizon Wireless customers on an exclusive basis, relying on GPS technology to help golfers navigate through new and familiar golf courses. Knowledge is (potential) power, and applying such knowledge ought to give you an edge over the rest of the competition if done in the correct manner as you will hold all the relevant information about the course on your handsets before you even hit the ball once.

Just how accurate is GPSGolfShot? This software is able to offer real-time yardage readings on nearly 10,000 professionally-mapped golf courses across the US, helping you making fast and right decisions before reaching the club. Not only that, you will be able to be more efficient on the course as play can be sped up by removing the need to seek out distance markers or to pace off yardage. All course layouts will be updated constantly, and the database will also feature information on new courses thanks to frequent updates. After all, most golfers these days do carry their handsets with them wherever they go, and GPSGolfShot helps you save even more by doing away with the need to tote around an additional expensive range finder or other gadget.

Other interesting features of the GPSGolfShot also include the ability to voice out distances with the touch of a button, allowing you to concentrate on the game without having to squint your eyes to adjust itself so that you can make out the writing on the screen under the bright sun. The “Measure My Shot” function enables golfers to accurately measure just how far drivers or irons travel, giving them crucial information on how to play the next shot. With summer in the US about to hit full swing, Verizon Wireless has made GPSGolfShot available on most of their handsets, among them the LG enV 3, LG Versa, Samsung SCH-u410, SCH-a870 and SCH-a930. Interested parties can get a copy of GPSGolfShot in the Media Center or Get It Now stores under the Download This! and Sports categories, retailing for $1.99 per round or $3.99 per month for unlimited use. Those who can’t get enough of golfing all year round can settle for the annual subscription that is going for $34.99.

Gadget Zone » Health & Care

Philips develops roadside drug test – Gadget Zone

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Contortionist could start a folding bike revolution – Gadget Zone

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Shweeb Pedaling Monorail – Gadget Zone

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Bsquare’s Touchscreen Soda Fountain – Gadget Zone

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SodaStream Soda Maker kits save pop fans on soft drinks – Gadget Zone

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Game Time Schedule Watch – Gadget Zone

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Metal Detecting Sandals – Gadget Zone

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The QSTARZ Qfinder GF-Q900 GPS Backtrack – Gadget Zone

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Baseball with Built-in Radar Gun – Gadget Zone

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GPSGolfShot offers better experience on the greens – Gadget Zone

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