Singapore's very own toy and comic convention

If you love gadgets, chances are you will fancy comics and toys as well. It's one of those geek things that seem to come together. Fans will be delighted to know that there will be a Singapore Toy and Comic Convention happening in June. Now, while you can't expect the scale of the famous Comic-Con International held in the US, this localized convention will have its own appeal.

For one, manga (Japanese comics) will probably be more prominent than the western superhero comics. Toys that are popular in Asia, like those from Kubrick, will also feature strongly. Though held in the Republic, companies from around the region, including Taiwan, Malaysia and Japan, will be exhibiting their products. This will be more of a business opportunity for them as they seek out distributors, though it will also be a feast for the public's eyes as toys that might have never reached Singapore get showcased.

One interesting tidbit--Maxsoft, Nintendo's distributor in the region, will be showcasing its newest games including Wii Fit. This Wii game has a health slant to it and will be released in the US at the end of May. Chances are, it will already be available for sale before Maxsoft showcases it at the convention, but at least we now know the console game will be arriving for sure.

The Singapore Toy and Comic Convention will be open to the public on June 28 and 29. It will be held at the Suntec Singapore International Convention & Exhibition Centre with no admission charges.

Materious' umbrella tells you when rain is coming

Sure, you can have the weirdest umbrella inventions, but none of these actually tell you when the rain is coming. Which is the whole point of carrying a brolly, right?

Apparently, the Forecast prototype goes all the way back to 2005 and the idea behind it is really simple. The umbrella comes with a docking station which is able to pull weather data off the Internet via Wi-Fi. Electric leads will then light up an LED on the handle with varying intensity to tell you the likelihood of rain. So you know whether to bring the brolly with you on your way out.

Sounds brilliant, as long as it doesn't get us fried in a rain puddle, or make us look like a goldfish-bowl Martian.

Credit: Materious

Let sound waves do the dishes

Given all the bizarre turntables that show up on Crave, we thought this would be yet another one of them upon first glance. Instead, it turned out to be an example of another popular trend we don't understand: Ultrasonic cleaning gadgetry.

The SWV-08AM megasonic cleaning device from Conway supposedly will eliminate all the disgusting "dirt and agrochemicals" on the surface of everything from fruit to frying pans with little or no detergent, according to Engadget. And it has a built-in P-Sediment filter (doesn't everyone?) to maintain the ultra-purity of its water. Germaphobes, rejoice.

Via Crave CNET

Urwerk's air-powered watch

On a traipse through Chinatown Singapore recently, my attention was riveted by a man behind a plate glass, eye loupe pinched to one eye like a Cyclops. Peering myopically at watch components so tiny they were almost invisible, I held my breath as he cleaned each bitty part with supreme care. Those of his ilk may soon be a vanishing trade if Urwerk's air-powered watch becomes the next new standard.

For now, it's likely the world's first timepiece to use this method of regulating the winding system. Given that it employs a three-position selector switch that controls the level of air compression generated by miniature twin turbines, which in turn control the rate of automatic winding, this is a surprisingly compact watch. The German-made UR-202 is best seen, so check out the promotional video below. There seems to be no price listed, though given its airy stature, you can expect some pretty inflated figures.



Via Gizmag | Photo credit: Urwerk

Combining the Segway with skiing and strollers

We've intimated before that the Segway isn't exactly our cup of tea, but we're frankly afraid of going down that route again for fear of reprisal. So without judgment, we herewith present another item on said machine that seeks to improve upon the design, regardless of how one feels about it.

Designer Sarah Park has drafted a concept that would outfit the famed personal transporter with dual handlebars that Gearfuse describes as a skiing-like steering mechanism. The size of the handlebars would be similar to those of a baby stroller and navigated in a similar fashion. Given the Segway's history in this department, it might not be a bad idea to consider something like this. We're just not so sure about the description of it being "similar to pushing a stroller and skiing down a slope"--imagery that's reminiscent of the shootout scene in The Untouchables.

Via Crave CNET | Picture credit: Coroflot

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