Archives for December 2007
All I want for Christmas… are boots
Edvarcl Heng | Dec 14, 2007
Over at Singapore's Night Safari, Christmas came a little earlier in the form of oversized GORE-TEX boots. Commissioned by the Singapore Zoological Gardens and created by W.L. Gore & Associates (creators of the GORE-TEX fabric), these outsized footwear were perfect for the elephants who were recovering from foot injuries.
“The best solution we could think of was some type of protective boot that was durable enough for elephant wear-and-tear and possibly also waterproof." Said Dr Sonja Luz, a veterinarian at Singapore Zoological Gardens.
Developed over a 12 month period, these boots are perfectly suited for an elephant's stump of a foot. Though zoo officials confessed that despite the different fasteners (zippers, metal laces, Velcro) that were devised to ward off an elephant's meddling, most are at best a temporary challenge to the average elephant.
So designers had to create a shoe that's comfortable enough such that an elephant would not be tempted to take it off.
Cinderella's glass slipper it is not, but as a kicker of a shoe, it sure boots out the competition in terms of size.
SUMO-DRIVE: Nothing like the wrestler you know
Damian Koh | Dec 14, 2007
In fact, it's tiny, holds 30GB of data and sits quietly in a corner, slurping up some bandwidth. As you would already have guessed, we're not talking about the wrestlers from that weighty competitive touch sport.
Developed by Singapore's Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*Star) and commercialized by EDS Labs, Suzuki Technology has launched what it touts as the world's smallest Wi-Fi storage device.
The 1.8-inch IDE/ATA hard drive has a footprint of 111 x 78 x 23mm and is slightly smaller than a man's palm. Besides data storage, the portable drive also allows operating system independent remote file access via a Web browser when it's connected to a wireless network. However, do note that the initial setup for wireless router access still requires a computer system with either Windows (2000/XP/Vista) or Mac OS X. Linux users are out of luck.
According to a representative, the SUMO-DRIVE is based on the Linux platform and comes with BitTorrent software out-of-the-box. An internal rechargeable Lithium-polymer battery powers the drive for up to 2.5 hours on a full charge.
The SUMO-DRIVE is currently available in Singapore at S$399 for the 30GB version, but the company has plans to roll out the 120GB model in the near future.
Mogo Mouse X54: More fun than nipples
Rory Reid | Dec 14, 2007
Some people love nipples, others prefer trackpads, but neither of these laptop input devices is as good as a proper external mouse--not when it comes to gaming or image editing, or anything for that matter.
Thankfully, there's a solution: The Mogo Mouse X54. This wireless Bluetooth mouse collapses to fit into a vacant ExpressCard/54 slot--hence the name--where it automatically recharges. After 30 minutes on charge, it'll run for a good 8-10 hours from a range of up to 10m away.
Better still, the X54 doubles as a wireless remote control. Flick the switch on the rear to activate media mode, and the function of each button changes. The left and right selectors become previous and next track, the scroll pad manages the volume, and the back button becomes mute.
The X54 also comes in a "Pro" version, which includes a laser light for pointing at stuff in presentations. Neither is particularly comfortable in the hand, but they're infinitely better than a trackpad or laptop nipple. Both versions cost approximately £54.99. Grab one here.
Via CNET Crave UK
"Mini Mob" phone brings back the brick
Mike Yamamoto | Dec 14, 2007
Why anyone would want to bring back the cell-phone brick look is beyond us. Yet that's what the "Mini Mob" would like to do by stuffing modern technologies into its chunky, Flock of Seagulls-era frame.
It's really not as unwieldy as the originals, however--it's more of a scale model that's a little more than 4 inches long, according to Gadget Lab. Inside it sports an MP3 player, camera, and GSM technology (it's offered by a UK distributor).
We're not really into the '80s look, having destroyed all our Members Only jackets in a ritual burning long ago. But for those young enough to regard this period as retro chic, we can recommend a few boomboxes that would complement this phone nicely.
Via CNET Crave | Credit: Gadgets Arcade
My USB drive is faster than yours
John Chan | Dec 13, 2007
With this, you can probably copy a spreadsheet 0.5347 second faster than the colleague sitting next to you. Yeah, more power to you.
Via Akihabara News
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