Toktumi Toktumi offers affordable PBX (Private Branch System) functionality. You can receive and place calls from the phone or the computer, the application has a neat Search-to-call feature that allows users to search for a person or company name in their computer, dial the phone number and access in one click a Google map to locate the person/company address. It cost $12.95 a month plus 2 cents per minute and you can try it before subscribing. BloCafe BloCafé=(Blog+Live Forum+Live Public Conversation)*pushing message. With BloCafe users can host live forums to share files/cooperate on files shown at their computer desktop with attendees while they’re talking, provide live conversation rooms to attendees to allow them talking in public, send push messages to attendees, and write their blog. (Read the full post about ‘DEMO 08, Message in a Bottle Session’…)
![Smart Carpet Can Help Seniors Who Fall and Can’t Get Up [Magic Carpet Ride]](/wp-content/thumbs/smart-carpet-can-help-seniors-who-fall-and-cant-get-up-magic-carpet-ride.jpg)
Yes, the Life Alert slogan is cliche, but how can you avoid it when talking about a “smart carpet” that can assist the elderly when they fall? The carpet is the brainchild of researchers at the University of Missouri, and it has the capability to electronically monitor a senior’s location and sound an alert in the event of a fall. This is made possible using a new sensor that can be printed on thin, flexible sheets using equally flexible and inexpensive “organic ink.” These organic Ink sensors can be utilized in the thousands on a sheet layered between a room’s carpet and carpet pad. Currently, the researchers are working on a system that would feed the data collected by the sensors to a computer for display and electronic analysis. (Read the full post about ‘Smart Carpet Can Help Seniors Who Fall and Can’t Get Up [Magic Carpet Ride]’…)
Pandas love bamboos, and if you’ve ever taken bamboo shoots at a Chinese restaurant, you’ll probably be able to identify with China’s endangered animal. This bamboo-inspired stereo speaker concept definitely looks good in any living room, featuring WiFi connectivity, an integrated LED display that shows the equalizer (very cool in my books), MP3 line-in, remote desktop synching, and a CD player. The entire speaker concept consists of three parts - right/left channel wireless speakers, a base station and a control ring (think of it as the One Ring). A solitary charge provides you with up to a dozen hours of use. Hopefully this will be able to make it to the production line one day. (Read the full post about ‘Bamboo Speaker Concept’…)
These headphones have been shown by Monster during CES (take a peek at our coverage), but I had a little bit of private time with Monster Cables and the Beats by Dre headphones, in the Apple store on Stockton in an Francisco. The story behind the name is that Monster and Dr. Dre co-designed the headphones. Jimmy Iovine also contributed to the design. Like most of you, I’m not an audiophile, but after testing them I have to admit that they sound a lot better than the average headphones. I will probably ask my (audiophile) buddy Eugene (who reviewed the Shure E500) to test them and share his opinion with you. The headphones are powered by AAA batteries, and look better in real-life than they do in the product photos, in my opinion. Come back soon for our full review. Available this summer for an above-average price of $400. Tags: digital, buyers guides, camera, electronic toys (Read the full post about ‘Monster Cables Beats by Dre Headphones Hands-On’…)
![New DirecTV Satellite Capable of 150 HD and 1,500 Local Channels [Home Entertainment]](/wp-content/thumbs/new-directv-satellite-capable-of-150-hd-and-1500-local-channels-home-entertainment.jpg)
The latest DirecTV 11 satellite just built by Boeing has the capacity to up the total capacity of their programming network to 150 national HD channels and 1,500 local channels. So get ready to fire up those HDTVs—the satellite is expected to launch in March. [Boeing] Tags: lcd, PDA, cameras, cable (Read the full post about ‘New DirecTV Satellite Capable of 150 HD and 1,500 Local Channels [Home Entertainment]’…)
![Ace Bayou Wireless Audio Recliner Rocks Your Buttocks [Rockin Furniture]](/wp-content/thumbs/ace-bayou-wireless-audio-recliner-rocks-your-buttocks-rockin-furniture.jpg)
The magic behind Ace Bayou’s new recliner lies in its ability to wirelessly receive audio from devices like MP3 players, home theater systems and gaming consoles—and it uses the space inside the chair to amplify the sound. Other features include a built-in 2.1 sound system with two forward-facing speakers and a subwoofer, a fire retardant foam core with black vinyl finish, and the ability to daisy-chain multiple chairs together. Plus it looks pretty damn comfortable if I do say so myself. No word on pricing or availability. (Read the full post about ‘Ace Bayou Wireless Audio Recliner Rocks Your Buttocks [Rockin Furniture]’…)
The Samsung i900 that we has posted about recently is now being rumored to not be running Windows Mobile as originally expected. Instead, at least according to a confirmation that PhoneMag received, the i900 will run the same OS as the F700v. The i900 is expected to be available this September and feature a 3.5-inch 240 x 400 display, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, integrated GPS, 5-megapixel camera, FM radio, TV-out and a microSDHC slot with support for up to 8GB. Via [IntoMobile] Tags: amps, gadgetry, game, consumer technology (Read the full post about ‘Samsung SGH-i900 rumored NOT to run Windows Mobile’…)
Looks like Japan isn’t only the Land of the Rising Sun, but it ought to be dubbed the Land of the Many Cell Phones as well. Nokia is tipped to release its dual-slider handset known as X02NK soon. This smartphone will come with a 5 megapixel camera with auto-focus, a Carl Zeiss lens, Nokia Maps support, GPS navigation, and rather lengthy talk times (160 minutes in WCDMA mode and 240 minutes in GSM mode). There is no word on pricing, but the Nokia X02NK will be available this April in a choice of red, storm blue and white colors. Guess this is one of those rare moments where Japan gets a handset later than the rest of the world - it is actually a Nokia N95 if you look closer. (Read the full post about ‘Nokia X02NK To Hit Japan’…)
Posted Jan 29th 2008 4:57PM by Nilay PatelFiled under: CellphonesWe’d heard that the iPhone 1.1.3 update was causing major problems with SMS message order, but a new support doc up on Apple’s site points to a relatively simple fix: turning on automatic date / time updates. Apparently the problem is caused when the internal clock doesn’t match up to the carrier clock — which seems like it’ll be a continuing annoyance for frequent travelers, so hopefully a better solution is in the works.[Thanks, Dan]Tags: electronic toys, consumer electronics, video, gprs (Read the full post about ‘Apple posts a fix for iPhone 1.1.3 SMS ordering problem’…)
Seasonal Affective Disorder, or winter depression, or “where the hell is the Sun”, can be treated by gadgets that mimic the sunlight you’re otherwise not getting. The special name for these gadgets is “lamps”, or “lights” if you’re going strictly scientific.
