According to AdMob, a mobile advertising network, the Sidekick II is still in the top 20 handsets in the United States. This stat is based on ad impressions, so take it with a grain of salt. However it’s still interesting to see it ranking so high over 4 years after it’s release! Of course the iphone has taken the number one spot, but we’re not sure why more recent Sidekick models aren’t showing up. If you want to check out the full report, you can grab the PDF.

via Washington Post

I’m sure there are many Coolest Gadget readers who can’t live unless there is a Bluetooth headset attached to your ear. I’m sure that you have noticed a few problems that come attached to them, like mild discomfort and bad reception.

Fortunately, Ditech is on the job and worked to improve Bluetooth headsets with VQABlue solution. VQABlue is software available to headsets, and the user does not have to increase the memory of his or her headset for it.

VQABlue also improves the dual-microphone design, and now users can wear headsets in a way that is most comfortable to them. That means no more fiddling around with the headset until the caller actually has to be uncomfortable to hear his or her calls.

Ditech has also created “bi-directional algorithms” which can actually improve voice quality on both ends of the call. Many of the audio improvements on headsets today can improve the quality on the other end of the call, but not the sound for the caller.

Other dynamic features include Adaptive Noise Cancellation, Acoustic Echo Control, Enhanced Voice Intelligibility, and Adaptive Listener Enhancement.

VQABlue is available directly from Ditech, and can be downloaded from CSR’s website as a plug-in. As for the price, you can send an email to info@ditechnetworks.com or call 1-800-234-0884.

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If you thought the field of nanotechnology is too serious for simple folks to ever comprehend, then take a look at Nanobama - a fun project created by a team of research scientists at the University of Michigan, to bring awareness about what nanotechnology can offer to the world of imaging. Headed by John Hart, this team has come up with miniature faces of U.S President-elect Barack Obama made from carbon nanotubes - tiny hollow cylinders of carbon with the diameter of each being tens of thousands of times smaller than human hair, but possessing a strength several times greater than steel.

These "nanobama" structures are so tiny that their images have been taken using optical and electron microscopes. To give you an idea, each face of Obama that you see in the image above is roughly only ten times thicker than human hair! Why Obama? Not a political statement, says the team. However, it is an attempt to bring the many uses of nanostructures into public understanding, an effort which they hope will spawn public and private support for further research and education in the nano domain.

For the curious, there is also a step-by-step account of how the entire endeavor was carried out. Awesome.

Via Boston.com.

VUDU has just rolled out the VUDU XL2, a new Internet movie player that was specially designed for professional home theater installations, providing the best quality picture possible in a product that is small and compact enough to occupy a mere one rack unit (1U) of space.

In addition to providing access to hundreds of titles in VUDU’s proprietary HDX format and with the largest HD library available on-demand, the XL2 will allow the most discerning home theater owners to choose from more than 10,000 titles for instant viewing. The exterior of the new rack-mountable VUDU XL2 sports an aerospace-grade aluminum bezel that features a glowing VUDU logo. Inside, the XL2 is built from the highest quality components, delivering the best picture available. Designed from the ground up to seamlessly integrate into custom theaters, the XL2 offers a terabyte of storage, enough to store more than 500 films at your fingertips. XL2 also offers IP and IR control that allow it to be integrated into most high-end home control systems, 1080i HD output over component, and the ability to route and switch HD signals through the home with the use of off-the-shelf video switchers.

The VUDU XL2 won’t come cheap though (style and substance rarely does in case you haven’t noticed), as it will retail for $1,299 a pop from over 1,000 VUDU-certified custom installers.

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While laptops are great devices to tote around, sometimes we do wish they can be as comfortable to use as an actual desktop. Desktop replacement models aren’t exactly the most portable devices, which is why the Laptop Cool Table from Arbella works great if you want more comfort when working on your laptop, no matter where you are.

The Laptop Cool table was developed to make the laptop more comfortable to use. The table instantly turns your laptop in to a portable desktop by raising your computer with quick adjusting legs to a comfortable level. Lifting the laptop up relieves your sore wrists and back and also keeps the hot battery from burning your legs. Built in USB fans help cool your laptop and prolong its life. Lightweight and compact design allows it to go from the boardroom to the dorm room and anywhere else you roam.

There is no word on pricing though, so you’ll have to contact them to find out.

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I’m not sure if an SSD is all that good for a desktop, but well… Who knows?

[Source]

The Incite features Windows Mobile 6.1, so it plays well with the MS Office docs, Outlook and the like.  It’s camera is a 3mp jobber and the 3” display has 240x480 QVGA going for it.  A bonus stylus tells you fingers may or may not be the best input device.  As a note, the Samsung Epix also offered a stylus and I found most tasks (save for clicking the close box in the upper left) were easily done with fat fingers.

Interestingly the screen is haptic (a buzzing is made so you can feel when pressing keys) and the onscreen keyboard comes in two varieties: a basic QWERTY keyboard in landscape or a 20 key keyboard in portait.  The switching between the two is automatic based on the devices orientation.

Other bonus features include aGPS, WiFi and Bluetooth; staples for any business user.  Also in there is AT&T’s video share, “the first-ever service in the U.S. that allows users to share live video over wireless devices while participating in a voice call.“  The unit has an SD memory slot that is 16GB card compatible according to the press release but the AT&T site disagrees, saying it can handle 32GB. 

Product page [AT&T]

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Here's the thing about this review: If you're the sort of person who doesn't get a deep satisfaction out of holding and using a perfectly crafted object, no matter how humble, you're probably going to think I'm crazy.

But if you know the joy I do when you encounter an elegant, well-balanced knife, or a pen that fits your hand just right, or an operating system that just makes sense -- well, you'll understand it when I say that this torque wrench from the Italian firm Effetto Mariposa is just a sheer joy.

Bikes these days, constructed as they are out of carbon fiber and other exotic materials, practically require the dedicated home mechanic to invest in a torque wrench. There's are few sounds in the world more depressing than the sickening crack of your new $300 handlebars being broken by over-enthusiastic tightening. A torque wrench insures that every fastener on your bike is as tight as it should be, and no more.

The Guistaforza is simple and elegant -- a knurled handle with a receptacle for quarter-inch bits at one end, and a knob for torque adjustment at the other. The torque scale is metric, so it's newton-meters all around, which isn't an issue for bike folks, as that's how most specs are published. The adjustment range is from 2 to 16 Nm, which is perfect for most of the small bolts on a bike, although it won't handle things like bottom brackets that require much more torque.

Use couldn't be easier. Find the right bit from the included set (which should cover most cycling needs), stick it in the holder, use the knob to set the desired torque, and start to tighten. When you reach the specified level, there's an audible and tactile "break" that signals it's time to stop. Clean and easy.

We got the red pro model for testing, which the company says is good for 5,000 clicks before it needs to be recalibrated -- which is free for the pro model. Most home mechanics won't tighten that many bolts in a lifetime. Just remember to dial the torque setting to its lowest level after you use it to keep things calibrated.

But beyond the function is just the sheer beauty of this thing. It's extremely solid, and a little smaller than many torque wrenches. There's just a feeling of pleasure that comes from picking this little guy up and using it, and a piece of mind that comes from knowing you're not about to ruin your ride.

It's not cheap: $250 for the pro model. But bikes aren't cheap either, and this will pay for itself the first time it keeps you from totally screwing up. I'd also prefer if it ratcheted, which can speed up your work.

But overall, the Giustaforza wrench is a tool that's earned a permanent place in my toolbox, and one that I'll love to pick up each time I need it.

Now here's a paradigm shift when it comes to your vehicle's set of wheels courtesy of Resilient Technologies’ non-pneumatic tire (NPT) system which relies on a honeycomb of unspecified polymers that keeps on going even though 30% of the material is missing, helping you get to your destination safely. No longer do you have to worry about punctures, and it boasts greater flexibility, better load support and less heat produced when driving. The gaps also work great in helping shrapnel pass through instead of being lodged inside. Guess the Army's going places now, eh?

FROM GAMERTELL - This past week several sites reported that Sam’s Club was offering a rather incredible Wii bundle deal for Black Friday but we’ve come to learn that the ad was “doctored by an as yet unknown party”... MORE »

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