Tune that dial - Index of
Tune that dial - Index of
Tune that dial - Index of
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info & market gadgets & musthaves<br />
Hovering globe<br />
Shake those numbers!<br />
You’re probably already familiar with pocket torches<br />
<strong>that</strong> you shake to generate the necessary energy.<br />
The same principle has now been applied<br />
to pocket calculators. The little calculator<br />
shown here has a small tube at the top<br />
with a magnet inside <strong>that</strong> can move<br />
back and forth. When you shake the<br />
calculator, a coil surrounding the tube<br />
generates enough electrical energy from the<br />
moving magnet to power the calculator for a<br />
short while. That’s naturally something else than a<br />
calculator <strong>that</strong> runs on solar cells or uses water as a<br />
source <strong>of</strong> energy.<br />
Seen at: www.gadgets.co.uk<br />
It’s still something special to see<br />
a metal globe hovering in the air<br />
thanks to a magnetic field. Here a<br />
bit <strong>of</strong> electronics and a coil are used<br />
to attract the globe just enough to<br />
keep it hovering in the air. Various<br />
models are available. Last year we<br />
had a very modern one, and this<br />
time we chose an ‘antique’ model<br />
with a nice 20-cm globe. The base<br />
<strong>of</strong> the copper-coloured frame houses<br />
a full-fledged microcontroller <strong>that</strong> adjusts the magnetic<br />
field 16,000 times per second.<br />
Seen at: www.gadgets.co.uk<br />
USB slippers<br />
USB rocket launcher<br />
This article is full <strong>of</strong> all sorts <strong>of</strong><br />
gadgets with USB interfaces, but<br />
this is really the best <strong>of</strong> the lot.<br />
This miniature rocket launcher<br />
has a rocket holder with three<br />
foam-rubber rockets. You can<br />
use the included s<strong>of</strong>tware (Mac<br />
and PC versions) to aim the rockets<br />
horizontally and vertically<br />
and then fire them. The propulsive<br />
force is provided by several<br />
springs in the rocket holder, and<br />
the range is approximately 3<br />
metres.<br />
This rocket launcher has become so popular <strong>that</strong><br />
hackers have already developed modified s<strong>of</strong>tware<br />
for it. Several successor models have also<br />
been sighted already.<br />
Seen at: www.gadgets.co.uk<br />
Roll-up keyboard<br />
If you <strong>of</strong>ten sit in front <strong>of</strong> your computer until the wee<br />
hours, it can get pretty uncomfortable sometimes, especially<br />
during the cold season. However, you can avoid cold feet with<br />
these USB-powered electric slippers. These fluffy slippers can be<br />
connected to any computer with a USB port (PC or Mac) or even a<br />
game console. The heating element is washable, and it warms the<br />
slippers to a maximum temperature <strong>of</strong> 48 °C. Now <strong>that</strong>’s comfort!<br />
One caution: make sure your computer has enough USB ports<br />
and a hefty power supply, since otherwise it probably won’t to be<br />
able to handle all these USB gadgets.<br />
Seen at: www.usbgeek.com<br />
Electronic Lederhose<br />
This pair <strong>of</strong> electronic Lederhose (leather shorts) comes from the<br />
Bavarian clothing manufacturer Lodenfrey. This traditional south-German<br />
garment is fitted with an MP3 player with 512 MB<br />
<strong>of</strong> memory and a built-in (or should<br />
we say sewn-in) control panel. It also<br />
has a handsfree function for your<br />
mobile phone. Now you can slap<br />
your thighs, listen to music and make<br />
phone calls all at the same time.<br />
Seen at: www.lodenfrey.de<br />
This keyboard (the musical kind) has 49 keys and a USB port (which<br />
is where it draws its operating power) along with another convenient<br />
feature: your can roll it up. That’s something keyboard players who are<br />
familiar with normal ‘hardcase’ keyboards will certainly appreciate.<br />
Especially since this flexible USB keyboard can hold its own<br />
against its space-gobbling cousins. The keyboard<br />
features eight percussion instruments,<br />
demo songs, vibrato and other effects, a<br />
metronome, and much more. You can<br />
also compose your own rhythms if<br />
you want. The beat can be adjusted<br />
from a sedate 40 beats per minute<br />
to a nerve-wracking 208.<br />
Seen at: www.usbgeek.com<br />
High-tech ballpoint pen<br />
This is something we all need! Now<br />
you don’t have to chew on your pencil<br />
during a drawn-out press conference.<br />
Instead, you can listen to relaxing<br />
music with this high-tech MP3 ballpoint<br />
pen. Thanks to its generous<br />
storage capacity <strong>of</strong> 512 MB or 1 GB,<br />
the pen is also suitable for long meetings.<br />
After you’ve listened to all the<br />
music, you can simply switch on the<br />
built-in FM radio. If somebody happens<br />
to say something interesting,<br />
the built-in microphone will pick it<br />
up nicely for you, so<br />
you don’t have to miss<br />
anything. The rechargeable<br />
lithium-ion<br />
battery is good for 7<br />
hours <strong>of</strong> operation.<br />
Seen at: www.usbgeek.com<br />
16 elektor electronics - 12/2006
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