Tech warriors who need to keep connected and running now have an elegant solution to turn to in Singapore. Asia master distributor Areva is offering Tekkeon's myPower ALL MP3400. This universal Lithium-polymer rechargeable battery pack should power up and charge virtually any portable gizmo, from your iPod to laptop, to digicam and portable DVD player. The MP3400 is capable of up to 19V, but what makes it nifty is its ability to automatically reset to the lowest setting after a device is connected. So there's no worries of overcharging your portable device, given the recent flaming laptop battery scare. The eight starter adapter plugs or tips should fit into most laptops or other electronic devices using a DC jack for charging. Though if your gadget isn't covered here, check for optional replacement adapter tips at the site.The exceptions are Dell and Apple whose adapters are different from the rest, but Areva assures that it will have the adapters for sale soon.
Price: S$219 before GST (US$137.66) Availability: At Areva Distribution Device: Universal portable battery Basic specs: 15.9oz, 3.28 x 6.8 x 0.92 inches, output current 4A max, 4-hour charging time, supports multiple voltages, output power 56Wh (MP3400), includes eight adapter tips to connect to most devices, leather carrying case with belt strap, one-year warranty
We change our clothing, handbags and shoes with the season. So why not the humble tile? With that in mind, American company Artistic Tile has created a clever idea that sticks. Sort of. Founder Nancy Epstein has designed the tile to adhere via a system of magnets. A layer of galvanized sheet metal between the substrate and tiles allows the latter to be changed anytime the mood strikes. Say goodbye to contractors, mortar and grout. But note that there are limited tile patterns for now, and the final bill that comes along with these tiles may prove less "attractive" than hacking up that old floor.
Blame it on CSI for a diet of corpses and gore. Fans of the forensic police drama should enjoy Dead Fred, a murdered silicone rubber penholder. Why stop at that? Get the Voodoo Knife Holder and Voodoo Doll Toothpick Holder for a killer collection. Work can be murder. As poor Dead Fred lies prostrate on your desk, you can vent those frustrations with your boss from hell by stabbing his silicone substitute with a pen. Better yet if he's named Fred!
Whatever were the creators thinking when they turned everyone's favorite galactic supervillain into a rubber mallard? Cry fowl. Still, this comes to you from a bathtub far, far away where Duck Fader attempts to turn all ye bathers to the, ah, duck side. One can almost imagine hundreds of thousands of Duck Faders cascading down the Singapore River in place of yellow rubber ducks at its annual duck race. Giving our bath Vader an evil glow are its water-activated LED eyes. All that's missing from this bobbing menace is heavy breathing. May the farce be with it.
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Price: £6.95 (US$13) Availability: At Firebox Device: Bath toy Basic specs: Made of rubber, 11 x 8.5 x 7.5cm
Peter Parker's Spidey alter ego isn't the one who can scale walls. Kiwi therapeutic masseur Chris Toal's upcoming Bodywall is an entirely new way of exercising that's not only adaptable but designed to help athletes stretch more effectively. Toal describes his invention as a stretching system which works by essentially attaching oneself to a near vertical wall and using one’s own body weight to hang from it. It's done, of course, with a little help from high-adhesion, rapid-release 3M-developed Dual Lock gloves and shoes, and a high-tech wall surface that offers spiderman-like capabilities. There's apparently enough gecko grip to hold a 200lb (about 76kg) body up. According to Toal, Bodywall can fix you in position "in the moment" of any sporting action, from a golf swing to sprinting. Which sounds all good. We'd give our eye teeth for a go at this when it's launched, but that's only if we can get our gravity-locked butt off our office chair onto the Wall.
Price: Expected to cost NZ$5,000 (US$3,297) per fixed full-size unit with gloves and shoes for six people Availability: From mid-2007, more info at Body Wall Web site Device: Exercise wall Basic specs: Bodywall fitness wall dimensions for portable and modular home units start at 1.2m wide with an extended/ unfolded height of 2.7m