by Alison - on January 30th, 2013
Vintage is in! Retro anything seems to attract attention. For some of us we flashback to our younger days. Others that are too young just think retro equals cool. More unique creations pop up on the market every day. Creative types seem to be looking at what many of us consider ‘old and trash bound’ and turn it into functional products, some even gadget-y. Wish I could say I was that creative!
If you are looking for a way to stand out and charge your gadgets take a look at BOSS Lamps. A creative Canadian electrician decided to put his knowledge to use in a fun way. After acquiring a variety of parts and pieces, scraps and salvage, a line of lamps with special flare have been created. BOSS Lamps offer a sort of industrial looking retro feel for a 40W bulb. The charging station versions include a socket and two USB ports to make it not only stylish, but functional. Available to ship in the US and Canada, BOSS Lamps run from $68 to $92 and are being sold directly on Etsy. So if a combo lamp/charging station makes sense for some table in your life, take a look at a more unique solution.
Meet NODE, a device that enables its attached, state-of-the-art sensors to communicate with your phone. Via conditional Bluetooth or Bluetooth 4.0 Low-Energy, information from the variety of sensors available is sent to a NODE app or â€" down the road perhaps other likeminded apps â€" on your device. Six different options exist for what you can measure with NODE and its modules:
Crowdfunding has to be one of the biggest buzz words of the last year. Kickstarter and Indiegogo really put a different spin on how to create a product. Unfortunately, many good products don’t achieve funding goals. A new type of crowdfunding site began to emerge to help move these unfunded projects along, give inventors more infrastructure and feedback while also protecting buyers. Christie Street does just that and took on a product that is now funded and slated to launch this summer.
For the die hard grill master I recommend protecting yourself from the elements. Don’t let mother nature ruin your food or ability. Invest in a Grillzebo™! The metal roof protects you and your grill. Side tables and a hanging rack give you space for food, spices and tools. Rechargeable, overhead lights give you perspective on the whole space too. Sure, Grillzebo will cost you (
When it comes to home-based security monitoring solutions, you will not be able to go wrong with Swann Security, and the company has recently announced the debut of their Bolt HD mini high definition action camera, where it was first introduced at CES 2013. The Bolt HD camera is a mini HD camera/DVR combo that comes in a rugged and waterproof form factor, alongside a bunch of mounting options that will enable outdoor enthusiasts to relive their most extreme moments over and over again. So, what do you get after parting with $199.99 for the Bolt HD camera?
SafeSound Products might not be a name that resonates with many of you out there, but just for the record, they are the designer of innovative accessories for active consumers, and have just announced the availability of Airbudz. Just what the heck is Airbudz? Well, they are the first-ever alternative earbud solution in the market that will let ambient noise in, so that you can hear what else is going on around you without remaining restricted to your own world. Of course, some folks out there might dispute SafeSound’s assertion here at being the “world’s first†(we ourselves are wary of that kind of claim always), so leave a comment if you know some other company that beat SafeSound to it, otherwise forever hold your peace.
Everyone wants to go green these days, it is the “in thingâ€, and you will definitely score brownie points with just about everyone, especially among those Greenpeace activists. Well, here we are with Griffin Technology and one of their latest coups, which would be snagging the exclusive distribution rights of Papernomad products across North America. Based in Austria, Papernomad is a company that develops organic, customizable, tear- and water-resistant sleeves for a range of popular devices such as the iPhone, iPad, iPad mini, MacBook and Samsung Galaxy S3. As they are made of a specially-engineered paper material, they deliver the perfect canvas for personal expression and creativity. 
I am quite sure that all of you readers who grew up in the late 1970s and early 1980s would have had fond memories of boomboxes as you hung out with the rest of your mates, generally subjecting yourself to corny music (in retrospect, as always) and even more outrageous fashion. That happens all the time to me, no worries, but in this day and age, if you were to dust off the best boombox of yesteryear and have an ample supply of D batteries, it will still not be able to get the party started with this iPod and MP3 generation. Taking more than a year of research and development, SOUL Electronics is pleased to announce the portable, wireless entertainment system known as “Party in a Box P910â€.
Have you ever wished that there were moments in your life where you could have recorded the particular conversation because a dispute rose up later on that concerned “who-said-what†â€" definitely a sticky situation that nobody would like. Well, here is something that might just help you out, the MeCam which has been described as a small hands-free video camera which can be pinned to a shirt or worn as a necklace, while carrying enough internal memory to capture a couple of hours of first-person footage.
under various circumstances. Maybe as the driver gets near it lights your way to the door. The Swarm (right) will also offer a ‘uni-light’ concept on the rear lights where the lighting sort of swims based on the cars action. Left turn means the Swarm piles to the left for example. Quite a concept for sure. Face it, right now the lights just look cool, but if safety and practicality come into play they may be onto something. Stay tuned to see where Audi takes their creative automotive lighting.
Classic and the step-up Pro, provide weight sensing technology tied into a front and rear footpads to help you control your speed. As you step on the front (acceleration) or rear (braking) pad the board communicates your force to the on board computer and the electric motor speed adjusts accordingly. Want more speed? Press harder. Want to lightly brake? Lighter pressure should do. You can achieve max speeds of 15 or 17 MPH, depending on model. You can take on small to medium sized hills, and you can completely brake even on a steep hill. On a full 110V charge (220V available upon request) the Classic will take you 5 miles and the Pro â€" with its Lithium Iron Phosphate battery â€" will carry you 10 miles. Each battery is rated to 250 and 500+ cycles respectively and replacements will be available. With the regenerative braking and minimal power usage the ZBoard is carbon footprint equivalent of up to 1500 miles/gallon. Crazy.  Can you just push and ride? Sure, but expect to move slowly. ZBoards began shipping in October and are currently on a 10 week waiting list, which means you can get it just in time for Spring cruising. The 
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There are rides, and then there are rides. I would certainly lump this highly customized Toyota Sequoia under the latter, thanks to the effort of the folks over at Lexani Motorcars. In a nutshell, they have managed to customize a Toyota Sequoia by padding it with its fair share of armor just in case you happen to be in a tight spot, but just in case that is not enough for a rogue country’s dictator, the Toyota Sequoia has also been kitted out with bling, where you will find exclusive creature comforts such as wine coolers and huge leather seats that would certainly make any rock star feel at home inside. This luxurious SUV does seem to target folks who want the best of both worlds â€" security as well as entertainment and being treated like a king. 
Back in the olden days, if you had a good idea brewing in your head, you needed to gather enough folks to buy into your idea so that they can throw some money your way (as an investor, of course, not for you to take that dough and swindle it on wine, women and song). Well, the modern day method of raising funds have taken an online persona, and here we are with yet another fruit of the Kickstarter tree â€" the Snappgrip from cooltopia. Just what the heck is the Snappgrip? Well, Snappgrip has been described to be a snap-on camera controller which will transform your smartphone into point-and-shoot cameras. Wait a minute here, aren’t the latest smartphones well equipped enough to function as a decent entry level point-and-shoot camera? Perhaps there is more than meets the eye to the Snappgrip.
When it comes to modern day devices, there is nothing quite like making sure it runs on the latest software update so that it will “purr†along nicely, and this is what Samsung intends to do with their latest release of the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update to two of their tablets which was introduced not too long ago â€" the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 as well as the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2. The thing is, only Wi-Fi versions of these models will be able to enjoy the Jelly Bean update, so owners of the cellular versions will have to play the patience card and wait.
I do wonder sometimes when a particular device such as a speaker is waterproof, how would it affect the way that you use other devices connected to it? Case in point, CES 2013 saw the announcement of the NUU Splash Bluetooth speaker that is clearly waterproof, helping you enjoy your favorite tunes the next time there is a poolside or beach party, but have you ever gave thought to the device streaming music to it? Is your smartphone or portable media player waterproof? Sure, this would mean additional expenditure on your part to purchase a waterproof case, but surely there are no waterproof notebooks out there â€" at least, not yet. 
A majority of the devices we write about fit into a breadbox. Which is sort of the optimum size for what we define as a gadget. Yet gadgetry should not be limited in size â€" so say all the car manufacturers at CES and electronics giants like Samsung. Gadgetry should improve the conveniences we already enjoy in life. Like our fridge!
Sure, you love spending the day at conventions and tradeshows like CES, but there are moments when you realize that it totally slipped your mind the day earlier to power up your smartphone, leaving you with less than 25% to go through the day. Which is nigh impossible considering what a power user you are. Good thing there are peripherals out there to the rescue, such as the iBattz BattStation Tough Pro 12,000 mAH. Yes sir, this bad boy will come in 7200mAh, 8400mAh and 12000mAh configurations, retailing for $29.90, $39.90 and $49.90, respectively. 
For those of us who are office drones and cubicle slaves, surely you are familiar with the concept of a notepad? No, I am not referring to the simple text editor stashed away under a nest of menus in older versions of Windows, but rather, the traditional paper kind. Yes sir, those useful pieces of paper that lets you jot down important information on the spot. Well, perhaps it is time to bring things up to speed in the 21st century with the Boogie Board Jot 4.5 LCD eWriter that has just been announced at CES 2013.