RYNO is one wheeled Segway, again

I don't care if they say it's self balanced, clumsy people like me will STILL fall on my ass.... hehe.

RYNO is one wheeled Segway, again: "

For some reason reason, there has been an excess of one wheeled vehicles like the Honda U3-X, the PUMA by GM and Segway, as well as the eniCycle.

So, why should I report on the RYNO? Well, you can see from the video here that, from the back, this looks just like someone who is riding a motorcycle.

Seriously, if I was behind a person riding the RYNO on the freeway, I would probably just think: “oh, it is a guy (or girl) on a motorcycle”. Then if he or she were to turn a corner, I probably would say: “hey, that thing has just one wheel!”

This is actually the reason why I like the RYNO. I think that the Segway has this reputation of being sort of white and nerdy. If you don’t believe me, just listen to the song “White and Nerdy” by Weird Al Yankovic.

However, the fact that I was able to mistake a RYNO for a cool motorcycle, even if it is only from behind, is a testimony to balanced vehicles everywhere.

I’m not certain if this RYNO is going to be mass-marketed, or if it simply a concept vehicle of some kind. Either why, I would love to know what RYNO is supposed to stand for. Perhaps it is not an acronym, but just put in all caps to make it sound cool like vitamin water is in all lower case letters.

Source

Dell Aero available today for $100 with AT&T contract

You know, being a techie, I never thought to read upon this device. I might have to take a stroll over to the AT&T store to play with this and see how it is.

Dell Aero available today for $100 with AT&T contract: "

We'd actually kind of assumed this thing had been deep-sixed as faster, better phones have passed it by all summer long, but nay: Dell's Aero is finally in the land of the living. You can score the 3.5-inch 640 x 360 Android phone today with two-year AT&T contract for $99.99, though only through Dell's interwebs -- it's still "coming soon" to AT&T's site. Features include 2GB of onboard storage with microSD expansion, triband 3.6Mbps HSDPA and quadband EDGE, a 5 megapixel cam, and a 3.67-ounce claimed weight that makes it "one of the lightest" Android devices money can buy. Follow the break for the full press release.

Update: After checking with Dell, we've learned that the Aero is indeed still running Android 1.5, though the company is quick to note that it's actually a 'superset' with a 'tremendous amount of customization' with features like handwriting recognition and Facebook baked into the platform. We'd argue Dell still has a bit to learn from HTC on how to iterate its customizations as quickly as Google can pump out Android versions -- but maybe they'll figure it out by the time the Thunder comes out.

Continue reading Dell Aero available today for $100 with AT&T contract

Bathtub with hidden storage

For those who just have no space at all...

Bathtub with hidden storage: "

Anyone that has every looked at an uninstalled bath tub has seen the insane amount of unused space. Underneath of those tubs is just air and the same along those walls of the tub in most cases. Well one company decided to actually use that space for something constructive. Instead of leaving them as open air, there are hidden compartments on this Stowaway Bathtub.

I really hope that the compartments are heavily sealed off to prevent water from spilling in when you have a little kid that gets a little overexcited with their game of battleship. The compartments can hold all sorts of toiletries or extra supplies for your bathroom. It’d be great for a bathroom that is a little short on size. These GW International creations are supposed to start hitting stores right on the first of September. I imagine they won’t be cheap, but they would be pretty handy.

Snazzy Napper is here!

Haha, I guess it's better than using the disgusting stinky blanket they give you on the plane. Come to think of it, don't they make you pay for that now??? Maybe paying more for business class IS worth it. Sheesh.

Snazzy Napper is here!: "

Some of you might remember when we covered the Blue Travel Set a while ago. It is essentially a Snuggie with pockets in it for gadgets.

I found this particular Snuggie derivative that has been making a subtle splash on the Internet since last week.

This is the Snazzy Napper, and I have included an ad after the jump so you can see how to “Snazzy Nap”. Like the aforementioned Blue Travel Set, it has pockets for your gadgets.

As you can see, it fits over your head and partially covers your face, in order to block out sunlight that would otherwise disturb your rest. It also has a specially designed hole for your nose “for easy breathing”.

The basic version of the Snazzy Napper just covers your head and part of your chest, and it looks like it has this cute sheep design. In all honesty, I would have left it blank, but it costs about $14.99. I believe it is the $24.99 version that comes with a blanket and has the “Z-Z-Z” pattern on it.

Okay, now I would like a word from our readers. Would you actually wear a Snazzy Napper in public? I might be willing to wear one on an airplane, but only if I was sitting by a window seat. There, you could get a little bit of privacy. As for sitting on a bus or train with this thing on, then you might as well put a design on it that looks like a target.

Hellooooo Kitty

On my way to a vendor sponsored dinner and saw this...

k@t ^_^

Camel dolla dolla bill y'all.

k@t ^_^

Blues and BBQ Weekend

So Miss Audrey Allure and I planned to go out to a concert in Williamsburg and then the Blues and BBQ at Pier 54.  We attempted to go to the concert but it was pouring so hard we decided to leave the line.  We waited about 20 mins before we said "fergit it."  Lol.  By the time we got back into the city the rain let up somewhat and we decided to take a chance and walk over to the pier.  The BBQ looked good but we didn't buy any there, we stayed for a little while to listen to the music but it started to drizzle so we decided to head back to the car before it started pouring again.

Hehe, thought this was a funny graffiti pic.  We saw this walking towards the concert... right before it started pouring.

While walking over to the pier we saw some kind of street fair/festival going on.  There were dancers on the street, not sure what holiday it was but they were dressed in some kind of outfits, we were guessing Mexican.

There's the pier....

Gee, good thing I left my weapons at home... hehehe.

Mmm, look at that cooked meat.  I'm sure it looks tastier when the pork is actually "pulled."  It sure smelled delicious.

It was rainy so they lines weren't that long but it looked like they were busy before judging by the small crowds by the little tables they had set up.

Not one table free.

This line looked more crowded.  I think it was cheaper and a little more famous.  This stand was set up by Brother's BBQ.  A pretty famous BBQ joint in Times Square.

The blues band performing, the crowd was mostly behind us since all the chairs were filled with little puddles of water.  We stood for a little while then got bored.

A very soaked Miss Audrey while filming the performance on her Blackberry.  She's going to kill me for posting this pic of her... hee hee.

Back in the car, and just in the nick of time, it started pouring buckets!  Again!

Stopped by TGIFridays for dinner.  I had the beef stroganoff and that's Miss Audrey's frozen drink, don't remember what it was but it looked yummy.

Despite the rain it was a nice relaxing day.  Nothing crazy went on, it went relatively smoothly.  Not looking forward to work tomorrow but the bills have to get paid.  *sigh*  Hope you all had a great weekend too.

Logitech Wireless Illuminated Keyboard K800

Oooh, it's illuuuuuminated.

Logitech Wireless Illuminated Keyboard K800: "

Logitech wants you to spend more time playing or working in the dark with their latest addition, the Wireless Illuminated Keyboard K800. As its name suggests, this keyboard will come with backlit keys that have not yet lost its novelty, although Logitech is nice enough to throw in wireless connectivity this time round for those who are looking forward to the day where they can truly lead a wireless life. The backlight will adjust itself automatically based on the amount of light in the room thanks to integrated ambient light sensors, while motion sensors will detect whether those are your hands that approach the keyboard, turning on the backlight in the process (and vice versa, of course). Manual lighting adjustments lets you tailor the brightness based on your personal preference, while an On/Off switch makes it easier for you to conserve the K800’s battery life. It ought to hit the market later this month for $99.99.

Foreign Flick Fridays

I know this is technically not a foreign film but I am a big fan of independent films as well.  This was filmed in Queens, where I grew up and live now, so it's interesting to see if I can recognize any of the neighborhoods.  

Choking Man

Jorge is a morbidly shy Ecuadorian dishwasher toiling away in a shabby diner in Queens, NY.  From his solitary kitchen corner, Jorge quietly attempts to forge a bond with Amy, the newly hired Chinese waitress, but even though she tries to reciprocate, the gulf the separates them may be too large.  On the job he is continually tormented by a coworker, and at home, in his Harlem apartment, under the psychological control of his domineering "roommate," he battles his inner demons.  Choking man captures the feeling of claustrophobia and almost literal asphyxiation newcomers to America experience as they struggle to find a place and purpose in the strange land.  

Colorware freshens up BlackBerry Pearl 3G and Flip UltraHD with bodacious new paintjobs

You know if I were younger I think I could get away with carrying something that looks like this around. Now? Not so much...

Colorware freshens up BlackBerry Pearl 3G and Flip UltraHD with bodacious new paintjobs: "

Say, are you finding your 3G-equipped BlackBerry isn't looking quite so Pearlescent now that the Curve has also gone 3G and BlackBerry 6 seems to have moved things along (a bit)? Maybe it's time you gave that zany bunch at Colorware a call, as they've just started taking orders for repainting Pearl 3G (aka 9100) handsets into whatever shade of awesome you desire. Prices are still ludicrous, starting out at $165 for a respray or $640 for a brand new phone, though if you want some more affordable customization, you can opt to send in your Flip UltraHD for a $50 change of hue (or grab a new one for $260). Sure, none of it makes much fiscal sense, but then blinging out your gear was never about rationality anyway.

Continue reading Colorware freshens up BlackBerry Pearl 3G and Flip UltraHD with bodacious new paintjobs

Tube Concept system of mass transit

This is a cool gadget....

Tube Concept system of mass transit: "

Check out these people with their round wheel-shaped vehicles. It reminds me of this thing that General Grievous rode in that Star Wars Episode III movie.

This is part of something that my Source calls the Tube Concept, and it is a revolutionary system of mass transit.

It is similar to the Metropia that we reported on about a week ago. Essentially, every commuter has one of these vehicles, which can be then be driven to monorail-like transport to get around even more. You can watch the video after the jump, so you can see it for yourself.

If you didn’t watch the video, just think of it as driving around in a big donut, and then putting it on a rack where donuts are stored on their side, and having that rack moved. This rail network moves at high speed, at about 160 kilometers an hour. Or, I could use the comparison that I used for Metropia. It’s like driving a car, parking it on a bus, and resting in your car while the bus does the work.

What makes it different from the Metropia is how these vehicles park. The user just puts it in a “lot” that is essentially one giant vertical tube nine meters tall.

Boy would I love to see this concept become a reality. I doubt it will in my lifetime.

Source

---

Check out the Coolest Gadgets 2008 Gift Guides, Christmas shopping made easy.

[ Tube Concept system of mass transit copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

iWiz dev does good, becomes Apple App Store director

Haha! I don't know if I would actually pay money for this but I think I would download it for fun for a day. Hehe.

iWiz dev does good, becomes Apple App Store director: "

To be perfectly honest, we can't believe the above image is running on Engadget either. But with all the ongoing hoopla surrounding the App Store approval process, we'd be remiss if we didn't hep you to recently reported news that Phillip Shoemaker, director of applications technology at Apple, seems to have a healthy sideline developing iOS software with names like iWiz and, ahem, Animal Farts. We'll let you hit the store yourself if you want to learn more about these fine products (search for his company, Gray Noodle). For Apple's part, the company states that the apps were submitted and approved before Shoemaker got the job -- and that, indeed, he was hired in part because of his experience as a developer. Now, if we could only get that Pocket Pain Doctor guy a real job. He looks like he could use one!

Update: We also thought we'd mention that, although Apple stated that the apps were submitted and approved before dude got the job, Shoemaker Tweeted that he had his new employee orientation on March 9, 2009 -- and that Gray Noodle was still publishing apps a month later. What does this mean, exactly? We're not sure (and we're not sure we care), but we figured we'd throw it out there nonetheless.

Nokia X3-02 Touch and Type puts a touchscreen on your Series 40 featurephone

Looks like Nokia is stepping up their game. It's about time. Pfff....

Nokia X3-02 Touch and Type puts a touchscreen on your Series 40 featurephone: "

Nokia has just revealed its X3-02 handset, which does the unthinkable and marries a relatively standard 16-button keypad with a 2.4-inch QVGA touchscreen. Now, we might have our reservations about Nokia's S40 OS being able to translate to a touch-friendly UI, but the beauty of this phone is that touch comes as essentially a free extra rather than the fundamental navigation paradigm. It's augmented with 3G, 802.11n WiFi, and Bluetooth 2.1 connectivity, and the whole thing is wrapped within a 9.6mm-thin brushed aluminum shell. All that, and the X3-02 will only cost €125 (before sales taxes and subsidies, as usual) when it launches later this quarter. See it on video after the break.

Update: Nokia has informed us the X3-02 uses a resistive touchscreen, no real surprise given its price.

Gallery: Nokia X3-02 Touch and Type press pics

Continue reading Nokia X3-02 Touch and Type puts a touchscreen on your Series 40 featurephone

Questlove in LIC

Hung out with my cousin Miss Audrey Allure today.  Questlove was dj'ing at PS1 in Long Island City.  I had a great time.  It's been quite sometime since I've gone out and just enjoyed myself.  It felt really good and Miss Audrey is always good company because she's so chill.  ;o)

This is a shot on the way to the venue.  I don't think I've ever walked this way, we're right by the Citicorp Building.

Another building along the way....

The famous graffiti building.

We decided to grab a bite to eat before heading off to the venue.  Saw a smooshed cantaloupe on the way.

I forgot the name of the diner but it was a classic old school New York diner.  Hehe.

I forgot to take a picture of my lunch before I ate it but I had a chicken and spinach wrap with seasoned curly fries.  Mmm, mmm, mmm.  

Finally made it in there.  Looks like the crowd is growing.

They even had a kiddie pool there.  The kids looked like they were having a blast.

The dancefloor...

There he is in the flesh, Questlove.  Oh, he's the little guy in the left corner with the mic.

Oh no!  The decorations are blowing away in the wind!  Watch out y'all!  Heads up!

Miss Audrey and I chillin' by the carpeted wall.  It was warm and breezy.  Nice day to be outside.

We ended up in Starbucks to have a refreshing drink before we went back home.

All in all it was a nice day.  I am now enjoying our free month of HBO and catching up on the movies I never got to watch in the theaters.  

Foreign Flick Fridays

This week I've decided to do a documentary.  Here's a brief description below.  Who doesn't love a good documentary about Kung-Fu.  As you all can see I didn't do the Monday Review like I was going to originally.  I think out of sheer laziness... hehe.  I'll get around to it although sometimes I think that I don't really have much to say about some movies....

Needle Through Brick

A documentary about the struggle for survival of traditional art and culture in the face of a rapidly changing and modernizing world told from the perspective of time-honored Chinese Kung-Fu masters.

 

USB Turtle Optical Mouse

Haha, I don't know if I would be embarrassed to use this in public. Just like my duckie earphones my cousin Grace got me, but surprisingly I DO use my duckie headphones! So maybe I would.... :P

USB Turtle Optical Mouse: "

I swear turtles are quickly becoming the new frogs. Before there were tons of frog themed household items, but turtles being just as lovable, are quickly catching up. This Tortoise Turtle USB Mouse is one way to show your love for the little guys. For being a novelty mouse it still looks comfortable to use, which is definitely not always the case.

The turtle has all the usual features, it’s USB powered, has a scroll button as well as the typical 2 buttons. It’s also, thankfully, an optical mouse. It says it’s comfortable for both right and left handed use, but being a left handed person I can’t say that I’ve ever had the urge to use the mouse with my left hand. It’s currently in stock and ready to be shipped, all you have to do is pay the $15.99 charge. You can find it through Source Square.

Foreign Flick Fridays

I haven't watched a lot of French films but this looks a little interesting.  Maybe I should do a Friday Flick Review post on Mondays....  sounds like a plan.


Une Aventure

Cecile and Julien begin their new life together.  Julien works long hours in a video library, a world full of pictures.  Coming home late one night, he encounters a young, beautiful, disturbing woman in front of his building.  She seems lost, as if in a dream.  She mumbles something to him, like a call for help, and vanishes.  Since this strange encounter, and maybe for the first time in his life, Julien is confused, becoming obsessed by the mystery.

PSHHH.

Ha ha! Saw this on a blog I'm following. I don't know why I found this so hilarious but I did.... I love Winnie the Pooh.

PSHHH.:

Bad Bear!

Bear is so not not allowed on the bed.

Apparently someone pushed back the covers to create himself a little nook.

It just happens to be the same size as Bear!

Bad Bear!

China to build ginormous buses that cars can drive under

Wow, I guess with that many people in China you have to figure out how to control congestion. Hehe.

China to build ginormous buses that cars can drive under (video): "

Seriously, this is the future that China's envisioning: huge friggin' buses engulfing smaller cars on the road. Despite the silly picture and the eccentric '3D Express Coach' branding, this cunning project by Shenzhen Huashi Future Car-Parking Equipment actually makes sense. The idea is to make use of the space between regular-size cars and bridges, thus saving construction costs as well as minimizing congestion impact by allowing cars to drive underneath these jumbo buses. Fancy hitching a ride? You better start planning your move to Beijing's Mentougou district, which is where Huashi will commence building its first 186km of track at year's end. For now, enjoy the Chinese demo video after the break (translation text at source link).

Continue reading China to build ginormous buses that cars can drive under (video)

Hiroshi Ishiguro creates his creepiest robot yet, the Telenoid R1 (video)

Eeeesh, that is creepy as hell!

Hiroshi Ishiguro creates his creepiest robot yet, the Telenoid R1 (video): "

Sure, creating freakish humanoid clones is Hiroshi Ishiguro's primary hobby, but his latest work takes a couple steps outside the Uncanny Valley. The Telenoid R1 telepresence robot trades extremities for an androgynous doll-like body, which researchers at Osaka University and ATR describe as 'soft and pleasant' but strikes us as something we'd see crawling out of the depths of hell on stump-like arms. (Perhaps Ishiguro was going for Casper the Friendly Ghost.) The $35,000 prototype transmits both the voice and head motions of a remote operator, allowing dutiful Japanese individuals to visit their elders via internet-equipped PCs, and a final version will actually go on sale later this year for around $8,000 should said elders agree with the latest in puffy white design. Watch a sample visit after the break.