AirKick Human Water Catapult Defies the Notion that People Can’t FlyStumble This

While you can’t buy an AirKick Catapult, if you live in Germany, you can rent one from Jochen Schweizer, or, if you have the skills and just the right amount of crazy, you could probably build one. What the AirKick does is nothing short of awesome. Read on to find out.

As stated by Jochen Schwiezer:

It propels participants through the air in a pre-calculated parabolic trajectory using a special combination of air pressure and water recoil technology. The participant sits in a specially constructed seat at the back end of the catapult arm and 3,2,1…Liftoff. He sets the device in motion himself by pushing a button. Approximately 60 Liters of water are then forced through a rocket nozzle under the seat. This pressurized water (8 to 10 bar of air pressure) propels the participant 8 meters though the air for a cool and refreshing splash down in a swimming pool.

One can safely assume that the AirKick Catapult and similar devices are not safe for children or people living in litigious societies. While this could be a lawsuit waiting to happen, it could also be just about the most fun that you will ever have, ever.

Jochen Sweizer via Baller House

James Bond Gadgets - The Spy Micro Camera Watch

Check out this cool spy gadget, the Spy Micro Camera Watch.
This cool spy gadget looks like any other wristwatch, except it has a built in spy camera which is capable of capturing video at a resolution of 352 x 288. It comes with 2G of storage and records video in AVI.
There is also a built in rechargeable battery which can be recharged via USB and you can also transfer files to your pc via USB.
The Spy Micro Camera Watch is available to buy online for $236 from Brando.

160GB PlayStation 3 on the way to America

Besides the wire keyboard for PS3 yesterday, Sony also announced the arrival of the 160GB PlayStation 3. The console will come together with a Dual-Shock SIXAXIS and Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune. It is expected to be available in November at $499 and the 80GB “Core Pack” announced at E3 will go for $399.

The U.S version will offers a voucher for the PS Network game PAIN while the Euro 160GB includes €70($103) of free “downloadable content” vouchers.

Press release after the break.

FOSTER CITY, Calif., Aug. 20 /PRNewswire/ — Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) today announced plans to introduce a new 160GB PLAYSTATION(R)3 (PS3(TM)) computer entertainment system in North America as part of the limited-edition Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune(TM) PS3 system bundle. The increased storage size enables entertainment enthusiasts to store even more movies, television shows, and games downloaded from PLAYSTATION(R)Network, as well as more videos, music, and photos from their personal collection. Slated to launch in November for $499.99 (MSRP), the 160GB PS3 system will come bundled with the hit game, Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune(TM), a PLAYSTATION Network voucher for PAIN, and a DUALSHOCK(R)3 wireless controller. The previously announced 80GB PS3 system ($399.99 MSRP) has started shipping to retailers.

“As PLAYSTATION Network continues to evolve with our recently launched video delivery service and more exclusive games, PS3 owners are demanding more storage capacity,” said Jack Tretton, president and CEO, SCEA. “Consumers also are utilizing PS3 as an entertainment hub for their digital media, placing content such as their entire music collection on the hard drive. The 160GB PS3 system addresses this growing consumer demand in a compelling bundle that delivers significant value.”

he Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune PS3 bundle includes the following components:
— 160GB PS3 system — The 160GB PS3 is a complete entertainment system comprising a Blu-ray(TM) Disc player, HDMI output, an integrated Wi-Fi connection, and Cell Broadband Engine(TM).
— Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune — A 400-year-old clue found in the coffin of Sir Francis Drake sets a modern-day fortune hunter, Nathan Drake, on an exploration for the fabled treasure of El Dorado, leading to the discovery of a forgotten island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The search turns deadly when Drake becomes stranded on the island and hunted by mercenaries. Outnumbered and outgunned, Drake and his companions must fight to survive as they begin to unravel the terrible secrets hidden on the Island.
— PAIN PLAYSTATION Network Voucher* — PAIN boldly tackles a rarely explored area of video-gaming … comedy. The unique mechanic of the game allows the player to load a character into a human-sized, ultra-powerful slingshot, and fire the character into an active, physics-controlled environment, filled with precarious and humorous situations. Download PAIN from PLAYSTATION Store (http://store.playstation.com) to your PS3 system with the included voucher.
— DUALSHOCK 3 Wireless Controller — DUALSHOCK 3 wireless controller provides the most intuitive game play experience with pressure sensors in each action button and the inclusion of the highly sensitive SIXAXIS(TM) motion sensing technology.

The additional storage space of the 160GB model will benefit consumers, as several highly anticipated PLAYSTATION Network and PS3 games along with add-on content will be available for download soon, including PAIN Amusement Park, Ratchet & Clank(R)Future: Quest for Booty(TM), SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation, and The Last Guy(TM). The bundle is also a great option for consumers who want to utilize PLAYSTATION Network’s video delivery service, which offers new blockbuster movies and popular TV shows for download on an ongoing basis.

PS3 momentum has soared in 2008, starting with Blu-ray becoming the
high-definition standard and following the launches of key franchise titles, including Gran Turismo(TM) 5 Prologue, Grand Theft Auto(TM) IV, and Metal Gear Solid(R)4: Guns of the Patriots. That momentum will continue into the holidays and beyond, as PS3’s software lineup will offer the most depth and breadth of any platform across the industry, delivering highly anticipated exclusives such as BUZZ!(TM): Quiz TV, LittleBigPlanet(TM), Resistance(TM) 2, MotorStorm(TM) Pacific Rift, and Killzone(TM) 2.

[via New Launches]

Viliv S7, an ultraportable that take into account

The UMPC Viliv S7 these Intel-based Atom, just as there is to do is to realize that if this is really an ultraportable (or a really big calculator).

This gadget has a 7-inch screen (1024 x 600) touch and that can be moved as if it were a Tablet pc with 1GB memory DR2 Ramda, 30 to 60GB of memory in hard drive, 802.11g WiFi, a tuner Domestic digital tv, video compatible with 720p, Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR, internal GPS (SiRF Star III chip) and a range of Intel processors Atom 1.3GHz, 1.6GHz and 1.86GHz.

Is a real marvel, considering that most of the ultraportátiles are more or less of this kind and this is really thin, has nothing to disparage the rest of ultraportátiles. In truth, a machine that take into account in these coming months.

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Fedex Mouse

My friend shows me a mouse where she received it from Fedex, it’s free gift from Fedex. So I decided to take some shots of it and share with you guys and gals. This optical mouse has a blue glow at the inside and shaped like an airplane. The air plane horizontal stabilizer will work as the left click and the right click. It is a cute and
collectible mouse overall.

iPod Casette Player

It looks like I have seen this picture somewhere before for quite some time. I’m not sure if it is a modified cassette player or it is just a concept. It could be just a concept, the cassette looks bigger than the player. But if you wanted to convert your iPod to Old Sony Walkman, you can check it out here.

[via Ubergizmo]

WowWee Femisapien Humanoid Robot is Available

It’s finally available. WowWee has released the Femisapien female robot known as EMA the kissing female robot, priced at $99.99 at WowWee online store.
Meet RS Femisapien, the latest in the line of sophisticated, walking, talking, personality packed robots from WowWee. Intelligent and interactive, RS Femisapien speaks her own language called emotish which consists of gentle sounds and gestures. There is no remote required; interact with her directly and she responds to your hand gestures, touch, and sound.

[via TechFresh]

Speed Vest has got your back

The Speed Vest is one those devices that looks good in concept, but I’m not certain if it will work in practice. It is a simple device that spells out your speed limit on your back, as if you’re wearing a team jersey with ever-changing numbers.

This Do it Yourself Project is designed by Brady Clark and Hykle Hansen. The vest is powered by an Arduino computer, an open-source embedded platform that is powered by an Amtel microcontroller.

As for the display itself, it uses electro luminescent wire that glows brightly with just a small amount of high voltage. One AA battery can power the Speed Vest for up to six hours, while a 9 volt can power the Amtel microcontroller for the same amount of time.

So, you can ride with this jacket for a little while without having to worry about power. I don’t know if the inventors of this device plan on mass marketing this, but you would think they would use the same method of numbering that is used on LCD alarms and calculators. Otherwise, there is a lot of glowing spaghetti mixed up in the back of that jacket.

Even if this does get mass marketed, I don’t know why you would want this particular device. I mean, if it was made a requirement for all bikers to wear so cops could check their speeding, then these numbers could be faked.

Source

PSP-3000 in details

Here’s a little clearer explanation of the new PSP-3000. I have pasted the PSP-2000 and PSP-3000, so you can compare them, not much changes right. Some expect it to have touchscreen unfortunately it is not written any. The mic, the PSP-3000 comes with built-in microphone which allows users to use it for skype or other communication tools and also game that requires microphone.

Secondly is the improved LCD, PSP-3000 new LCD screen features the anti-reflection technology, which allows users to see the screen more clearly in well-lit places and outdoors. According to PSP fanboy which refers to Engadget Japan, the screen has a stronger contrast ratio, and faster response time. Color gamut is twice as wide, the contrast ratio is improved 5 times and the response time has doubled.

For colors, you can choose from “Piano black”, “Pearl White” and “Mystic Silver”.

The new PSP will hit stores in Japan, Asia, North America and Europe from October 2008. Check out the Sony announces the PSP-3000 at Leipzig GC 2008 after the break.



[via Slashphone]

Compose Listen and record your own symphonies

Check out this tech gadget concept designed by Ouyang Xi, He Binbin, Zeng Li & Li Bo that allows you to compose your symphonies with ease. If you want to leverage your passion for music Compose Music Tablet could be your mobile composition solution. This musical notepad is only a design concept at the moment but looks like a great idea.
The pen is also a mic that you can sing into and then dock in the tablet to hear what you’ve got. You can also write music directly on the display and it holds a built-in library of classic tracks for the entire orchestra. It also accommodates a built-in library of classic tracks made for the entire orchestra.

Designers: Ouyang Xi, He Binbin, Zeng Li & Li Bo

Source

The iLuv turns your iPod into a Home Theater component

So, with Apple reporting that over 50,000 movie rentals a day out of their iTunes store, one has to wonder if all those people are watching those movies on anything from postage stamp sized screens to those nifty iPhone widescreen numbers? Wouldn’t it be nice if iPod fans could download a movie and then watch it on their big screen TV? Sure, there are connectors to do such a thing, but what about enjoying the 5.1 Dolby surround sound that comes with it? The iLuv Slim Desktop Video iPod Dock and DVD Player with 5.1 Channel Home Theatre System does just that. And at a price of under $200, it makes for a very attractive home theater option.

But it doesn’t handle just what Cupertino throws at you either. In addition to connecting, powering and charging your iPod, the iLove Home Theater Dock will also play DVD movies, CDs, MP3s and more. It’s 175-watt RMS delivers a peak 350-watt output and in full Dolby 5.1 surround sound. Control of the iPod comes from the included remote control and creates an on-screen display for easy navigation of the iPod’s audio and video content. In addition, it can output media from the iPod through S-Video or AV output – which makes one wonder if it can exploit the analog window or if copy protection prohibits it.

The iLuv System also supports DVD/VCD/MP3 CD/Audio CD/ JPEG CD/Kodak Picture CD and includes remote AV cable and iPod dock adapters.

From Amazon for a very affordable $187 in change.

Source - The Grid

New video technique marries video and stills improving images

Researchers at the University of Washington have developed a special effects technique that marries digital stills with video footage in order to overcome bad exposure and missing detail in the video image.

Called Space/Time Fusion, the technique works by taking video footage that’s blurry or overexposed and substituting the digital information with that of a properly exposed and focused still shots of the same subject. The technique can also remove unwanted subjects or objects like they were never there. And all done automatically thanks to an algorithm in the Space Time Fusion software which analyzes both video and digital imagery and then marries them together at similar points.

The results are more natural lighting conditions, sharper backgrounds, and bolder colors that were once washed out due to inferior video chips. But what’s really cool is that by taking and comparing similar stills that don’t have any unwanted subject matter in them, the software can pick out and replace people and things that obscure the image and replace them with background that naturally looks like it belongs.

Other applications include: High resolution/definition video; High dynamic range video; Creating painterly (NPR) video; Video stabilization; Easy video editing

But don’t be looking for this software to hit the market anytime soon. At the moment, it only works with video cameras that are “locked down” and still to match the still images. Until the researchers are able to use in motion based situations, this software will remain largely theoretical. But that’ll change since the major breakthrough has already been made. And it’ll turn the video world upside down when it does.

Check out the video of Space/Time Fusion here.

SOURCE – D’Vice

The Computer-Mouse Star for those committed to looks instead of comfort

This is one of those products that you can tell they really strive to get a product name that is really out there and over the top as far as creative goes. They call it the Computer-Mouse Star, they should give the guy that named it a raise. I never could have come up with something that original. It just describes the product so perfectly, after all it is a computer mouse that is shaped like a star. Which is no doubt extremely ergonomic and overly comfortalbe all around to use.

That pointy little star wouldn’t be in the least bit awkward to use or even the slightest bit uncomfortable. Well for those committed to their love for stars, this mouse would be a cute accessory to your computer. No one will doubt that you have an obsession for all things star shaped after you buy this mouse. It is being sold for 29,90 € or about $44 at design3000.de where it is currently in stock.

Source: Gadgenista

Box To Play concept music phone

The iPhone was the step towards a pure super music phone that we all needed. It proved that media and mobility could be mashed together into one compact device. With that extra proof came the inspiration that designers were looking for to create their own musical masterpieces.

The Box To Play phone from Japan’s KDDI AU Design Project is everything we expect a conceptual phone to be. It introduces a new form factor for musical phones, as it transforms into a beautiful box shape, illuminated by a graphic equalizer on all four sides.

Aside from the sweet transformation and the graphical interface, the Box To Play also has a few other tricks up its sleeve. For one, the circular disk feature on its face allows you to act the DJ and scratch along to your favorite tunes. Did we mention it also makes phone calls?

That’s right. When your not using the Box To Play to jam out to wall thumping beats, you can text your friends, use the on-board camera, or just have an old-fashioned voice-to-voice conversation. I truly don’t think we’ll be seeing a phone like this on the market anytime soon, but it’s still a cool thought to know that it’s a possibility.

Source via Tech Diget

iPhone Factory Photos

Yeah you have seen the iPhone Factory Photos not long ago, and now there’s another gallery of it found on a new iPhone that shipped to the UK. One of the MacRumors forum members found it when he activated his iPhone on iTunes, he found that the home screen (the screen you can personalize with a photo) already had a photo set against it. I wondered if the Apple is taking action on this, hopefully no one gets fired.

She’s cute…agree with me? I won’t mind to have my new iPhone with her pictures
[via Gizmodo]

Condom Ringing Tone

This morning, my mate sent me a link, it’s ar… www.condomcondom.org. I get into it and some condom condom music loaded up. O… it’s a Condom A Cappella ringtone, it’s downloadable.

The site is about: The BBC World Service Trust is producing a mass media campaign to prevent transmission of HIV in India. The campaign objective is to make condoms more socially acceptable and improve the images of the condom user as a smart and responsible person. The campaign is in four phases over one year starting from December 2007.

I have downloaded the ringtone for my phone, lol.

Sony officially announced PSP-3000

Finally it’s here. Sony has announced the PSP-3000 at the Leipzig Games Convention Yeah it has the PlayStation logo button there as rumored before. It is pretty much the same like the PSP-2000. The new features, which says “improved screen that’s better outside with no glare” and a built-in mic. This new PSP is expected to hit Europe on the October 15th at €199 ($291). Should have more info about it soon.

Burj Dubai - The World’s Tallest Skyscraper is about to complete

Awesome! The Burj Dubai tower is about to be completed. David Hobcote has taken and shared his excellent quality of the Burj Dubai, the pictures were taken from a bell helicopter with a canon 1Ds mark 3 digital camera. The under construction building which previously measures 512.m (1,680ft) tall has already beats the record of the 508m high Taipei 101 in Taiwan. At present, the Burj Dubai has reached the 16th steel level, it is now 688.1 meters tall.

Burj Dubai Skyscraper
• Height: ~ 800m – 950m
• Floors: ~ 160 – 189
• Construction start date: 2005, February 1
• Completion date: 2009, August 16

David Hobcote: The interior shot however is not the Burge Dubai but the Arab Emirates Towers shot from the 10th floor bar looking up to the upper floors also took the attached shot looking out from the window across the street with the reflection of the interior in the window cool.

[via Gizmodo]

Sony PS3 Controller gets QWERTY

Sony has released a new wireless keyboard that attached on your PS3 controller. This keyboard is made for easy text messaging and PS3 browser navigating.

It clips on over the front of the DualShock 3/SIXAXIS and the keyboard located above the main controller area.

The wireless keyboard also comes with a touchpad mode which allows for mouse input. According to David Reeves the president of SCEE, this touchpad control mode may be used in future game development.

Sony wireless keyboard attachment will be shipped in eight configurations in Europe to support the numerous language and keyboard types in the continent.
[via Kotaku]