TechCat

While it’s true that there are a lot of different iPhone cases out there to choose from, the selection can still get pretty boring. Not to mention the fact that there’s always the risk of running into someone who’s also using the same case. Really, what can be more annoying than that? (*Insert sarcastic expression here that you’ve seen some spoiled brats make*)

Kidding aside, though, I’d very much prefer an iPhone case that I can customize, decorate, and design myself – but with minimal effort. Because frankly, I don’t have the luxury of time to whip out some chain saws or glue guns to make up my own case.

This is why I think the Cubit case is a great idea.

X-Doria’s Cubit Case is basically a white frame that you’re supposed to insert the included green, orange, and blue cubes into. Form patterns, make out your initials, or just alternate empty frames with filled frames to create a one-of-a-kind and personalized iPhone case the easy way.

It’s also available in black, with red, white and black cubes. The only thing better would be a broader selection of colors – or maybe smaller blocks so you could create pixel art on the back of your phone. In case you’re interested, the Cubit Case is available from Amazon for $24.99(USD).

[via Chip Chick]

Everyone wants to be young – just take a look at all of the beauty products that claim that they can shave off years from one’s face, not to mention the wonders of modern plastic surgery. Well, here is something from Hammacher that might just interest you – the $399.95 Aesthetician’s Skin Rejuvenator. Relying on the same kind of therapy light that is used by aestheticians in order to diminish the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and enlarged pores, this is the stuff that NASA dabbles with, so it had better work! Sporting two dozen LEDs which emit four pulsating wavelengths of infrared light in order to stimulate the production of collagen and cell growth, what you get in theory would be smoother, younger-looking skin.

Anyone willing to fork out the kind of money in order to try out the effects? It is said that the kind of light therapy used facilitates blood circulation, which in turn increases elastin cell production, reducing blemishes and having you end up with softer skin.

---

Check out the Coolest Gadgets 2008 Gift Guides, Christmas shopping made easy.
[ Aesthetician’s Skin Rejuvenator copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

---

Related Posts:

• Hands Free Hair Rejuvenator
• Gameboy Skin for both iPhone and iPod Touch
• Norazza CD protector
• New Site Skin
• Here's a printer for your flesh

Who would have thought that something as scientific as the Periodic Table would have ended up as one which spews out words and phrases that are definitely not on the “Approved” list by your parents and parents-in-law? Yes, and being naughty also has its price – we are talking about the £50,000 Interactive Periodic Table of Swearing here after all. Whoever said that swearing shows off your lack of vocabulary? Prove the naysayers otherwise with a vocabulary that is backed scientifically (to a certain extent), and in a hilarious manner to boot.

Created in association with renowned artisans at Clay design studio, this is one exclusive piece of world-class art that is a fully interactive periodic table of filth. With 103 brightly colored buttons to choose from, pressing any of them will release a vocal utterance of profanities, insults and highly innovative cusses. The swears will be arranged in groups that have their own symbols and numbers to help you remain organized.

---

Tech Cult – We cover the latest tech news, but always with a funny twist.
[ The Interactive Periodic Table of Swearing copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

---

Related Posts:

• Periodic Table Shower Curtain
• Interactive LED Coffee Table
• $50 winner and last weeks coolest gadget
• Pepper Mouth keeps you from cursing online
• Coffee Table features speakers in the legs

With the Windows 8 Beta just around the corner, it is becoming easier to see into which direction Microsoft is heading in regards to the final version of the operation system. I have already expressed my concern that Windows 8 could become too tablet centric, and as a result alienate a large part of the desktop PC market.

Windows 8 News is now reporting that Microsoft won’t allow custom Metro UI backgrounds. A total of eight different styles is all what users are getting right now (with the chance that Microsoft adds more styles before the final version ships). And while this could change in the beta, release candidate or final build, it is unlikely that Microsoft will remove the restrictions that are in place.

The core reason for blocking custom Metro UI backgrounds? The dynamic nature of the Metro UI which increases or decreases in size whenever apps are added or removed. Photos added as wallpapers would have to be scaled, stretched or repeated when users add or remove apps. Plus, those desktop backgrounds would hardly be visible anyway according to Windows 8 director of communications Chris Flores.

It feels out of place that Microsoft is locking out users from customizing the operating system the way they want. It is like saying that they do not trust users to make that decision on their own, and that they therefor have to make it for them.

What they may not have taken into consideration are users who work with a set number of apps. Why should not those users be allowed to pick a photo or wallpaper for the Metro UI desktop background?

It is likely that we will see third party themes and hacks shortly after release that remove the restriction from the operating system. But those are mostly installed by experienced users and not the average user. How will they react when they realize the the operating system is less customizable than Windows 7?

I personally think that Microsoft should reconsider this, and let users decide for themselves whether they want to use photos, wallpapers or one of the available styles for their Metro UI interface. Another idea to cope with the situation would be to allow photo streams instead of just one photo.

What’s your take on this?

Color Pic-a-Pix is an addictive online puzzle game that is more or less a spin-off of the Japanese Kakuro puzzle game. The core difference is that numbers have been replaced with colors. Here is what this game is all about.

Each game consists of a set number of rows and columns, and color hints that indicate the position and length of each color in the row or column. Two black and one brown for instance indicates that you need to fill two black squares first and then afterwards a brown square. It is now up to you to find the starting position of the first and second color.

The game mechanics sound simple but it may take a test game or two before you get a feel for the game play.

A list of 30 different puzzles are provided by the game, sorted into three difficulty levels. The first ten puzzles are played on a 5×5 grid which makes them easily solvable. It becomes slightly more complex and difficulty once you hit level 2 with its 10×10 grid and level 3 with 15×15.

You need to click on the colors at the top, or use the shortcuts 1-4 on the keyboard, to switch colors. A left-click paints the selected color into the field on the grid. A second left-click removes the color and replaces it with an empty field marker which you can use to keep track of fields that you believe do not contain a color.

The top bar offers back and forward options, a restart button, a check button that checks if the current colors are correctly placed on the grid, and a solution button which displays the resulting picture (and ends the game).

Players should take a closer look at the color information when they start a new map. Some are large enough to fill the whole row or column which makes them a good starting point. It becomes more difficulty in later levels though, which makes rare colors and empty fields the best starting option.

Color Pic-a-Pix is a great little puzzle game, ideal for a short break and for users who like to to try something different for the change.

Color Pic-a-Pix is an addictive online puzzle game that is more or less a spin-off of the Japanese Kakuro puzzle game. The core difference is that numbers have been replaced with colors. Here is what this game is all about.

Each game consists of a set number of rows and columns, and color hints that indicate the position and length of each color in the row or column. Two black and one brown for instance indicates that you need to fill two black squares first and then afterwards a brown square. It is now up to you to find the starting position of the first and second color.

The game mechanics sound simple but it may take a test game or two before you get a feel for the game play.

A list of 30 different puzzles are provided by the game, sorted into three difficulty levels. The first ten puzzles are played on a 5×5 grid which makes them easily solvable. It becomes slightly more complex and difficulty once you hit level 2 with its 10×10 grid and level 3 with 15×15.

You need to click on the colors at the top, or use the shortcuts 1-4 on the keyboard, to switch colors. A left-click paints the selected color into the field on the grid. A second left-click removes the color and replaces it with an empty field marker which you can use to keep track of fields that you believe do not contain a color.

The top bar offers back and forward options, a restart button, a check button that checks if the current colors are correctly placed on the grid, and a solution button which displays the resulting picture (and ends the game).

Players should take a closer look at the color information when they start a new map. Some are large enough to fill the whole row or column which makes them a good starting point. It becomes more difficulty in later levels though, which makes rare colors and empty fields the best starting option.

Color Pic-a-Pix is a great little puzzle game, ideal for a short break and for users who like to to try something different for the change.

U.S. luxury retailer Brookstone has launched a new set of cufflinks which come with built-in WiFi hotspot and USB storage. Simply unplug the first cufflink, plug it into your laptop then you can share your Internet connection to anyone in range. Basically the first cufflink is able to turn your laptop into a WiFi router [...]

Kinect has done wonders for Microsoft and now the company is looking to bring the technology out of the realms of video gaming. According to The Daily, Microsoft is reportedly collaborating with Asus to build a Windows 8 laptop. Apparently, The Daily was able to land its hands on two different prototypes.

According to the rumors, Kinect sensor is likely to be placed alongside notebook camera. The notebook is also expected to come with a bit of bling in the form of LED lights right below the screen. Incorporating Kinect technology into laptops would mean that you would be able to operate your computer with gestures like wave of hands or fingers. This development would be essentially very important for letting disabled people use computers.

Microsoft is not expected to produce these laptops under its own marquees, but it is speculated that the technology will be licensed out to manufacturers like Asus. Microsoft is currently busy finalizing Windows 8, which is likely to hit the markets soon.  The company is also looking into the possibilities of incorporating Kinect technology into other devices.

During CES this year, Microsoft announced a desktop variant of Kinect and it is also rumored that the company is working on developing a Kinect enabled TV. Other rumors suggest that it might be working on a set top box equipped with Kinect.

Microsoft to Bring Kinect to Laptops: Collaborates with Asus is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com

Kinect has done wonders for Microsoft and now the company is looking to bring the technology out of the realms of video gaming. According to The Daily, Microsoft is reportedly collaborating with Asus to build a Windows 8 laptop. Apparently, The Daily was able to land its hands on two different prototypes.

According to the rumors, Kinect sensor is likely to be placed alongside notebook camera. The notebook is also expected to come with a bit of bling in the form of LED lights right below the screen. Incorporating Kinect technology into laptops would mean that you would be able to operate your computer with gestures like wave of hands or fingers. This development would be essentially very important for letting disabled people use computers.

Microsoft is not expected to produce these laptops under its own marquees, but it is speculated that the technology will be licensed out to manufacturers like Asus. Microsoft is currently busy finalizing Windows 8, which is likely to hit the markets soon.  The company is also looking into the possibilities of incorporating Kinect technology into other devices.

During CES this year, Microsoft announced a desktop variant of Kinect and it is also rumored that the company is working on developing a Kinect enabled TV. Other rumors suggest that it might be working on a set top box equipped with Kinect.

Microsoft to Bring Kinect to Laptops: Collaborates with Asus is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com

Here in the U.S. and in much of the Western world, we take many of the little things for granted. For instance, if you want a power strip, you just head down to your local Best Buy or other mega-chain store and buy one. But in some parts of the world, even relatively small stuff like that is out of the reach of many households and neighborhood businesses.

While it’s an unusual concept, it’s not a surprise that one young entrepreneur in the Kiandutu slums of Kenya has decided to build his own power strips. Amos Njoroge really wanted to be a professional an electrical engineer, but lacked the resources to go to school and earn a degree. Instead, he decided to take his self-taught skills and set up a small assembly line where he churns out wooden power strips that he sells in his neighborhood. I love how he calls his tiny start-up “Gigantic Electronics.” Think big, Amos. Think, big.

Like me, your first reaction was probably that a wooden outlet strip is probably not the safest way to distribute electricity – especially in damp environments. But as long as it remains dry, wood is nearly as good of an insulator as plastic or ceramic, so I don’t think it’s dramatically more of a shock hazard. They are painting them with something in the video, so that might help seal out the moisture too. On the other hand, my scientific instincts tell me a wood outlet strip is way more of a fire risk than a plastic one, but that’s just me.

On the other hand, this self-taught skill and spirit of ingenuity is helping Njoroge and his co-workers make a living in one of the poorest parts of the world, while at the same time providing his community with a product that’s in demand. Hopefully, any fears about safety will be unwarranted, and Amos will continue to see success in his budding endeavor.

[via Afrigadget via Reddit]

Welcome back to another weekend of game deals for you to enjoy! You might notice that this week is a bit slower than previous weeks ... but there are still some great deals! As a reminder, I have refocused on only those sites I feel bring great deals AND great customer experience to the table, including Amazon, Beamdog, Desura, DotEmu, GamersGate, Mac App Store and Steam. Also, I am more tightly focusing on deals of 75% off or more, with occasional 50% sales, but in addition will also be trimming back to fewer than 25 deals per site to keep the list under control. I am continuing my 'top weekend deals' section where I grab my favorite 5 or so deals of the week and provide direct links! For these games I select based on how good the game is as well as how sweet the deal - but each week there are great games at fantastic discounts! And as always thanks to the crew at Deals4Downloads for their help finding everything. This week I am also going to start properly alphabetizing my list by store! TOP WEEKEND DEALS!

• Shadowgrounds Survivor for $3.75, Save 75% - from BeamDog
• Gray Matter for $9.76, Save 67% - from Amazon
• Dawn of Magic for $8.46, Save 58% - from Green Man Gaming
• Silverfall: Earth Awakening for $4.99, Save 50% - from DotEmu
• NeverWinter Nights 2 for $4.99, Save 67% - from Mac App Store
• Section 8 for $4.95, Save 83% - from GamersGate
• Disciples 2 Gold for $4.99, Save 50% - from Good Old Games

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

The Republican presidential candidacy is still far from decided, based on the split primaries and mixed polls so far. So here’s another source for trying to figure who’s really pulling ahead — the number of new Facebook fans that each candidate is getting, according to the Inside Facebook Election Tracker.

Mitt Romney is finally making some strong gains this month, in contrast to his Facebook performance over December. By “strong gains” I mean he’s been attracting a roughly similar number of fans to Ron Paul, the candidate who normally dominates on the web (and the clear leader last month). The two have fought for the daily lead for most of January, except for when Rick Santorum surged around his Iowa primary win on the 3rd.

Newt Gingrich, meanwhile, managed to win South Carolina on the 21st, which corresponded with his biggest gains on Facebook. But he’s still way weaker than the others. And the rest of the candidates are no longer registering any meaningful gains, whether or not they’ve officially dropped out.

Overall, Romney still has the most Facebook fans among Republicans, with 1.39 million. Paul is a distant second at 800,000. Gingrich is down at 250,000 and Santorum a pitiful 90,000.

Of course, these numbers only say so much about who’s actually the most popular. Fan growth can come through inorganic methods like Facebook ads, fan page promotions, or clever use of the news feed. And fans can come from anywhere in the world; they’re by no means primary voters. But, the gains made by Santorum and Gingrich right when they won their primaries suggests many new fans are Liking candidate pages organically, at least in the sense that users are acting on their because of larger events. Certainly, the low fan counts that these candidates are showing overall on Facebook suggest that they are not doing much of anything to reach more voters.

Paul’s fanbase could also be discounted because he consistently does well in online matchups like these, even though he has trouble winning primaries. But maybe that will change in Florida? He had the biggest day of the month recently, at 9,500 new fans on the 24th. As Brittany Darwell notes over on Inside Facebook regarding the other primary winners, the fan counts seem to start climbing right before they do well with the vote counts.

Otherwise, Romney’s position is looking stronger than ever, similar to the latest polls.

Asus is reportedly working on Windows 8 laptops that are equipped with Microsoft’s Kinect technology. The Daily recently reported that it was able to “check out” two different prototype laptops that “appeared” to be made by Asus. The Kinect sensor was built into the area where a notebook’s camera would typically reside, and The Daily also noted a set of LEDs below the screen. Microsoft reportedly confirmed that the notebooks were Kinect-enabled prototypes. As The Daily points out, a Kinect-enabled notebook could allow a user to interact with Windows 8 or play games using motion controls, much like Xbox 360 Kinect users are able to do now. It is unclear when, or even if, the notebooks will ever be released.

Read

Filed under: Videos, Humor

Do you love to hate speed cameras? We feel your pain. After all, no technology is foolproof, and we prefer our citations to come straight from a fellow human being. But what if the speed camera had a mind of its own? As in, a real brain inside its head?

Not sure where we're going with this? Allow us to explain. Rémi Gaillard, a French funny man famous for his hilarious YouTube stunts (real-life Mario Kart ring a bell?), decided to play dress-up a full nine months before Halloween. Flashes fire, antics ensue.

We suggest you stick around to the very end, as the exhibition reaches it final, perhaps inevitable, conclusion. See for yourself in the video after the break.

Continue reading Rémi Gaillard lends speed cameras a human element

Rémi Gaillard lends speed cameras a human element originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

For the huge fans of Android smartphones or the Android mascot, here comes the Google Android Modify watch that has the Android mascots on its watch face. Unfortunately, the Google Modify watch doesn’t interact with your Android smartphone, it’s just a plain watch for cuteness. The watches have been made from a collaboration between Google [...]

The little downside of a touchscreen keyboard is you can’t feel it physically. That’s why some users may prefer older models of BlackBerry devices that have physical keyboards which they can feel physically and type faster. Anyway, Apple have their way to build a better virtual touchscreen keyboard that allows you to feel its keys [...]

Filed under: Hybrid, Government/Legal, Electric

Less than a year after everyone with any sort of say in the matter seemed to agree that 54.5 miles per gallon by the year 2025 was a properly attainable goal, the California Air Resources Board has decided to change things up a bit.

In addition to CAFE requirements of a 54.5-mpg fleet average (using the government's formula, not what you see on window stickers), at least 15.4 percent of all cars sold by any major automaker doing business in California will have to be either fully electric, a plug-in hybrid or be powered by a hydrogen fuel cell by 2025. There are questions about the "over-compliance" section of the bill, which we'll be investigating further.

According to Mary Nichols, chair of the California Air Resources Board, 15.4 percent is "actually a relatively modest goal, but that's all that we're mandating." Most automakers are on board, says Nichols. "Probably the most heartening aspect of this whole rulemaking was the level of cooperation that we received from the industry... Overall, the degree of support for the package was just extraordinary."

Even if automakers are on board, though, there's still a question of who will actually buy the vehicles. While everyone wants better fuel efficiency, not everyone is willing to pay for it, counters the California New Car Dealers Association, estimating that the plan would add about $3,200 to the average price of a new car or truck. Perhaps to help dissuade such fears, Nichols added that "direct incentives to people who buy these cars (like) rebates and credits" are also in the works.

At least 10 more states are likely to follow California's lead, reports Automotive News. That would put the total number of advanced green vehicles (either with a plug or powered by hydrogen) at around three million total units by 2025, 1.4 million of which would be in California.

California breaks rank again, demands over 15% of cars sold be non-polluting by 2025 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 19:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Verizon released the DROID RAZR MAXX on Thursday for $299.99 with a new two-year agreement. The device features a massive 3,300 mAh battery and a slightly thicker frame than its predecessor, the DROID RAZR. Other than that, the handsets are identical. Droid-Life confirmed on Friday that both devices run the same exact software, in fact — the Android version on both devices features the same build number, same kernel and same baseband version. We have seen similar products in the past (DROID 2 and DROID R2D2), but they all carried slightly different software versions to accommodate various changes. With the DROID RAZR and DROID RAZR MAXX however, it looks like everything is interchangeable, so savvy users already have a wide range custom ROMs to choose from.

Read

As just about everyone should know by now, the seeds of what grew into Facebook were planted at Harvard. Might there be a bunch of mini-Zucks lurking in the dorms of Cambridge? If so, a new venture capital firm — the first housed right on the Harvard campus — wants to find them.

Dubbed The Experiment Fund, the firm describes itself as “a bridge between America’s oldest universities and storied venture capital firms.” Backed by New Enterprise Associates (NEA), the firm is made up of Hugo Van Vurren, NEA co-head Patrick Chung, and NEA General Partner Harry Weller — all of whom have a degree of some form from the school.

When I say it’s “right on the Harvard campus”, I’m not kidding — it’s going to be based out of 33 Oxford Street, which is Harvard’s School Of Engineering And Applied Sciences. It’s a bit more than a stone’s throw from Harvard Yard. With that said, the fund operates with complete independence from the university.

And if you’re not a Harvard student? Don’t sweat it too much. The fund says they’re open to anyone, “regardless of university affilation, nationality, age, or prior experience.” Being a Harvard student (or at least a Cambridge local) probably wouldn’t hurt, though.

While it seems the size of the fund isn’t set in stone yet (or at least, it wasn’t disclosed — I’ll look into it. Update: they’re not setting a cap at this point), the team says they expect to seed “several” companies with up to $250k each over the next two years.

Last spring we talked about a giant LEGO recreation of the Garrison of Moria from The Lord of the Rings. The only thing missing from the setting was official LOTR minifigs. Now it looks like these missing characters are coming soon according to a pic that has surfaced.

Apparently, a guy from the LEGO site Brickset was at the 2012 UK Toy Fair and while he couldn’t get pics inside the booth to share, he was able to shoot a pic of a photo on the side of the booth showing off the new LOTR minifigs. The photo clearly shows that the entire fellowship of the rings is coming in Minifig form.

We also have a few hi-res LOTR movie-inspired posters here which LEGO was kind enough to share with us recently, featuring Frodo, Legolas and Aragorn in minifig form:

Brickset also reports there are a number of LOTR LEGO playsets coming too, and not just the minifigs. The early pics look really cool, and I bet LEGO fans that also love the films and the books will be salivating when they arrive. I’d keep an eye peeled during the New York Toy Fair in early February for more details to emerge, or bookmark LEGO’s LOTR web page, which indicates that something is coming in Summer 2012.

[via BrothersBrick]