Archives for July 2006
Sleep Doctor
Juniper Foo | Jul 11, 2006
More pillow talk from the land which has brought you the Bust Pillow, Lap Pillow and Boyfriend's Arm Pillow. This one's a little more effective in bringing on those zzzs. Cushioned within the Sleep Doctor are sensors that will measure head and body movements to calculate just how much "pleasant sleep" you're getting on a scale of 30 to 95 percent. After analyzing slumber patterns, it then offers no less than 40 types of advice on a tiny screen. Not good enough for the sleep-deprived? Well, Japanese firm Lofty has also programmed some interesting pillow talk, ranging from "why don't you take it easy tonight? Try taking a long bath", to "you've been sleeping great, keep it up". Here's a little trivia to sleep on: Japan suffers one of the world's highest rates of sleep deprivation due to long working hours. Such insomnia costs the country's economy a cool 3.5 trillion yen (US$30.52 billion) a year, mostly in lost productivity. No sweet dreams here.
(This is just a display image; for the actual device, click here.
Price: 45,000 yen (US$392.40)
Availability: September in Japan and overseas, including parts of Asia and North America.
Device: Sleep pillow
Basic specs: Soft urethane fabric
Hanics Bluetooth Bone Conduction Headset
Juniper Foo | Jul 07, 2006
World's first stereo Bluetooth headset using bone conduction? Well, Korean company Hanho Electronics (Hanics) claims it's the first to market, though the device wears a less-than-elegant form that resembles a head clamp far more than a headset. For those still living under a rock, bone conduction transmits sounds through vibrations that move from the skull to the inner ear's cochlea. Apparently, this is kinder on your ears than the usual method of sound hitting the outer eardrums. Besides stereo support, this headgear is also capable of switching between music playback and phone calls via Bluetooth. Hmmm… one wonders if you get a double jolt of jaw/bone ache when vibrate mode is activated on bone conduction?
See picture taken at CommunicAsia | bigger image
Price: N.A.
Availability: Japan in July, Europe and UK in September
Device: Bluetooth headset with bone conduction technology
Basic specs: Runs on rechargeable Lithium-polymer battery
Murder, she heard
Edvarcl Heng | Jul 06, 2006
Advertisement: Flashy murder weapon required
- Simple to execute functions
- Looks good enough to die for
- Able to carry off a killer tune
- Small enough to be bumped off in event of police search
Looking for one? The iPod nano seems to fulfill the malefic requirements. According to ex-Marine Brad Collum, the little MP3 player can be a lethal murder accessory in the wrong hands. It can be rigged up to deliver a range of death-dealing options, from poisoned tea bags to a DIY earphone garrote wire. It's so simple, even grandma would have no problems dealing with the brat next door. Killing me softly with his song? Immortalize The Fugees' number by dedicating your next manslaughter to the band. 
More killing ways here
Disclaimer: CNET Asia does not condone the use of the iPod nano to hurt others.
UV-monitoring keychain
Juniper Foo | Jul 06, 2006
Sun's up, which is all year round in the tropics. Fortunately for airconditioning, life's bearable along the equator. But for sun worshippers, here's where Brit firm AU-MY's UV monitor-on-a-keychain is a handy-sized guardian angel insofar as your skin's health is concerned (read: Premature aging, sunburn, cataracts and skin cancer). This gizmo not only has a countdown timer to keep track of how long you've been out in the sun, it will calculate your recommended exposure time once you input data like your personal skin type and sunscreen's SPF (Sun Protection Factor). It even automatically updates the recommended exposure time when the intensity of those harmful ultraviolet rays changes, making this one hot little lifesaver to tote around.
Get a closer look here
Via CNET News.com blogs
Price: 11 pounds (US$20.10)
Availability: More info at AU-MY Web site
Device: UV monitor
Basic specs: Time, date, daily alarm, stopwatch, temperature display, splashproof
Blue rings on Samsung's new cameras
Damian Koh | Jul 05, 2006
It seems like not only the Korean chaebol's Ultra Edition mobile phones have turned anorexic, the company's latest NV-series digicams have, too, gone on a diet. Among the three new models introduced, the NV7 looks the most promising with its CCD-shift image stabilization system which is similar to what the now-defunct Konica Minolta used.
The three models--NV3, NV7 and NV10--all sport black aluminum casings (a welcome relief from the typical silver cameras) with Samsung's Advanced Shake Reduction feature. However, the NV7 is the only one that does it optically.
Apparently, Samsung, like Casio, believes that the megapixel race is far from over. The NV10 is a 10.1-megapixel shooter housed within a compact body, putting it in direct competition with the Exilim EX-Z1000. For the snapshot crowd, the company has also introduced the NV3, which undoubtedly looks a lot like the Digimax i6, albeit with a more stylish design.
What's most interesting about the NV7 and NV10 models is the inclusion of a new Smart Touch feature which uses soft buttons surrounding the LCD to control camera functions. Nice--but we said the same with Sony's touchscreen Cyber-shot N1 as well, until the novelty wore off. So, we'll wait and see. According to Samsung Singapore, at least two of the above-mentioned models would be coming to Singapore in the next quarter.
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