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Let me introduce you to this Norwegian beauty known as Anna Konda. Sounds great, until you realize that ’she’ is but a high-end water pistol prototype that not only shoots out water but uses it to propel itself as well. Individual joints on the snake are able to handle up to 1,450 psi of water pressure, allowing it to move about constantly without flailing all over the place like a rogue garden hose. The internal water delivery system also helps to keep everything running cool, enabling it to fight flames and other explosive situations much more effectively.

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Is there nothing Lego cannot build? Guess not, as some hardcore Lego fans have managed to come up with an actual working electronic V8 engine that was created entirely from Lego Technic pieces. It took the inventor approximately half a year to come up with this, but I must say, the result is stunning to say the least. Good thing it doesn’t need any grease to run as things could get really messy from there onwards.

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What is the one thing that you should always carry with you in case of an emergency? A bottle of your own blood, of course!

Of course not. What we’re suggesting here is something lighter - the idea of carrying a bag of blood-like liquid with your blood type printed boldly on it. And you wear the Blood Drip Cellphone Strap on your cell phone or other small gadget. If you live in Japan, where some believe that your blood type is indicative of your personality, this cell phone strap can signal a subtle hint regarding your character to someone you’re trying to impress.

According to this belief about a blood group-personality connection, my worst traits are that I am critical and indecisive. Well shut your face will you, I am confused about whether to buy this cell phone strap or not. For the rest of you folks, it’s available from Strapya World for $5.82.

Via Slippery Brick.

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Now this takes GPS navigation to a different level. Sex and the City star Kim Cattrall, better known as Samantha Jones to her fans, will be offering navigation instructions in her breathy voice to TomTom navigation device owners.

That should be an interesting change from the robotic generic voice that blares out directions in most GPS devices.

The idea is to add "some spice to the ride, allowing drivers a fun and unforgettable journey," says TomTom, which is locked in a fierce battle with rival Garmin for market share.

On the road, Cattrall’s voice will give more than the standard instructions such as "Turn left" or "Drive 2.4 miles and then take a right." She will say lines such as "This is the city, darling. Anything goes" or "Don’t touch my Manolos!".

Now that should be enough to freak some drivers out.

The good news is that this is not a standard feature on all TomTom devices. Interested users will have to pay $12.95 to download and install the voice on their device.

"Celebrity voice downloads are one of the many features TomTom offers to our customers to personalize their driving experience," says Jocelyn Vigreux, president of TomTom in a statement. "With Kim Cattrall’s voice helping them to navigate their trip, TomTom customers will not only travel safely and with less stress but will also be amused along the way."

Tom Tom’s site has some audio samples available on their website.

Cattrall is not the only celebrity voice available on the TomTom GPS device. John Cleese, Burt Reynolds, Curt Schilling, Dennis Hopper and even Mr. T are available for download. These voice tones are being provided for TomTom by a Los Angeles, California-based four year old startup called Navtones.

Garmin users don’t need to feel left out though. Navtones says it will offer downloads for Garmin and Mio users in six weeks.

Photo: Kim Cattrall (The Heart Truth/Flickr)

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Dell has released two more displays for the desktop in the form of the S1909WX and the S1709W. Both displays will share a 16:10 aspect ratio and a resolution of 1,440 x 900, which means you can’t use it to play back your movies in full HD if you’re rocking to a Blu-ray drive. Despite that, either monitor can be wall-mounted thanks to a VESA mount. The former targets a wide audience with 1,000:1 contrast ratio and 300cd/m2 brightness, while the latter is more suitable for the business market thanks to its 600:1 contrast ratio and 250cd/m2 brightness. You can pick up the S1909WX for $199 while the smaller S1709W is slightly cheaper at $179.

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Yesterday’s stock tumble has hit tech businesses hard. Nasdaq, which is primarily tech businesses, fell nearly 200 points, and several big tech businesses saw similar drops.  Apple fell 18%, AMD nearly 17%, and Intel over 10%. Similarly, Google saw its stock fall over $50 to $381 a share. That’s nearly a 12% drop.

“Apple’s business is driven by the consumer, and the consumer is getting hurt because of higher oil prices” that leave less money for cool gadgets, said Trip Chowdhry, an analyst at Global Equities Research in San Francisco. Large enterprises, such as airlines and shipping-dependent retailers, also have less money to invest in IT, he added.

The current crisis has consumers wary of doing any discretionary spending, something that is causing great concern among retailers and manufacturers.  They are already facing the possibility that holiday orders may be severely restricted if the bailout currently being battled over in Congress doesn’t go through.  With no bailout, credit lines will be hard to come by, and retailers rely on credit to acquire their inventory.  With the holiday shopping season right around the corner, this could be disastrous.

In a prime example of the domino effect, if consumers stop buying gadgets and tech products, manufacturers will be forced to cut back on advertising, causing a possible fallout in that industry, which could then affect newspapers, magazines and other media outlets that rely on advertising to make money.  According to a report by RBC Capital Markets, 40% of consumers plan on spending less money on electronics in the next 90 days.  With the holiday season being the prime time for tech companies to roll out new products and make big profits, this year’s season could be far from jolly.

Read[PCWorld]

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Wireless headsets are convenient but having to charge them regularly is not. Headset manufacturer Plantronics agrees.

The company has filed for an interesting patent for a headset that will be powered through movement of the head.

That includes "subtle nods, turns and shaking," as well as physical activity such as "walking, running, climbing stairs, riding in a vehicle, riding a horse, riding a bicycle, scooter, skateboard, skiing and climbing a mountain."

 According to the patent, the headset would comprise a processor, an acoustic transducer, and a kinetic energy converter coupled to a power cell for powering the headset.

The patent application explains that the motion of the head drives the micro-movements of a movable element such as a rotor or flywheel with respect to a conductor such as a coiled wire or trace array.

This induces an electromotive force (EMF)  or voltage, which is used to charge a power cell that supplies power to the headset.

Even when the headset is not worn, the movement and vibration of it in a purse or a vehicle would contribute to its charging ability, says the application.

The patent was filed in late 2007 but was published last month.

Now you might want to start practicing your head bob.

[via New Scientist ]

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I have to say, sometimes people scare me, or in this case specifically some parents scare me.  I keep waiting to listen to the news to hear about a child sent to school in a giant roll of bubble wrap.  There are just some parents that see danger lurking around every corner even with the smallest of things.  One thing I never ever even considered dangerous was a dimmer switch.  I mean seriously, who finds a dimmer switch dangerous?!   At first I prayed that the Electro Puff Lamp Dimmer was just a bizarre concept design, but no such luck.

Someone actually paid to have it manufactured and some crazy parents I’m sure are snatching them up.  The switch works by you gently tapping it and it will change the light to a different level of brightness.  The puff is made from recycled carpet fiber and conductive yarns.  It also is stain-resistant and antimicrobial, which is good since this is meant for people with kids.  It’s safe for ages 8 and up and you can pick it up at the MoMA Store for $35.

Source: OhGizmo

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Millions of disgruntled Facebook users are calling for a boycott. The reason is the popular social networking site’s new design, which changed user profiles from an all in one page to a tabbed interface.

Several Facebook groups have sprung up to protest the change. One, called “1,000,000 Against the New Facebook Layout,” has nearly 3 million members, while two others, “Petition Against the New Facebook” and “I Hate The New Facebook” have over a million members each.  Even though it’s extremely likely that the memberships of all three groups overlap, the numbers are still impressive.

“The goal is to send a strong signal to Facebook. For every person that takes the time to join this group, there are more out there who are upset,” said Jessica Fishbein, one of the administrators of the “1,000,000 Users Against the New Facebook Layout” group and a Facebook user for about two years.

Users say they dislike the new tabbed interface because it’s clunky and forces people to click around to find the information they’re looking for.  They also prefer the former interface’s more discreet feel and subdued presentation.

Facebook claims it has been monitoring the groups and tracking the complaints, but some group administrators say they haven’t heard a word from the site.  Facebook also claims it is receptive to member feedback.  Whether they get the message about the new layout remains to be seen.  Similar boycotts by eBay sellers, irate over the auction site’s new policies which they claim are anti-seller, were unsuccessful in bringing about any change.

Read[PCWord]

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The Handheld Aquarium by Sega Toys could best be described as a Virtual Pet, which haven’t been popular since the early nineties. In fact, I think that is when Sega Toys peaked with their Sega Saturn.

The full color graphics are certainly better than anything the Tamigotchi had back in the day. In this case, the user gets to take care of a fish, or some other marine animal like a dolphin.

The underwater pet will grow, and there is an extra bonus as well, because the virtual pet’s space will somehow expand. I am assuming this is a virtual expansion, because there is a tiny screen on this handheld aquarium.

The user, or virtual pet owner, also has the option of playing three different mini games with their pet, and hopefully isn’t punished too hard if they fail in their responsibility. If you are wondering what I mean by that, just picture a little kid picking up their Handheld Aquarium only to find that their virtual aquatic friend is floating on his or her back. Yeah, that’s a pretty gruesome image, and the little tyke may never watch Finding Nemo again.

The Handheld Aquarium is available at the Japan Trend Shop for $59.

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