Skype-Enabled WiFi Internet Tablet

Nokia N810

Congrats to Nokia for putting out a pure Internet phone. The Nokia N810 is not a cellular phone, but it does have built-in Skype so you can call wherever you have WiFi access. It also has an integrated GPS receiver so you can find you’re position on preloaded maps, a 4.13” screen, a Mozilla based web browser, an integrated VGA camera and an optional 10GB memory card. Looking for a full-featured internet device without a phone attached? Take a look at the new Wi-Fi- and Bluetooth-enabled Nokia N810 Internet Tablet ($480; Nov. 2007). The device's 4.13-inch 800x480 screen and slide-out QWERTY keyboard enable great web browsing, IM, and GPS functionality, with Skype, video chat, and music playback from an optional 10GB memory card rounding out the feature set. It's an iPhone without the phone, only better.

Slacker Portable

Portable Internet Radio Lets You Create Your Own Station

The problem with Internet radio is, of course, that you can’t listen to it on a radio because it is not broadcast on radio waves, so really its not radio at all.

The Slacker Portable solves that problem by caching the music on its flash memory and refreshing it whenever a WiFi connection is available.

The great thing about radio is that it exposes you to new music, so if your tired of the same old, the Slacker is a good alternative. It has a 4 inch screen that provides a good deal of background on the artists that are playing, as well as album art. ‘

As you listen, you can refine your preferences creating your own personal radio station with new artists that follow your taste. You can’t do that on old fashioned radio.

Create and shape stations on slacker.com from a catalog of over 2 million songs; buy the portable, and Slacker ships it to you with up to 10 of your stations preloaded. Each station ranges from one hundred to hundreds of songs, depending on how deep the category is (Slacker has over 100 preprogrammed stations), or how often you listen to the station. Heart, Ban, and Skip buttons let you refine your musical preferences on the run.The best part? Channels refresh whenever you hop onto Wi-Fi. We've been waiting for this one for about a year; now that we have our hands on it, we can definitely say it was worth the wait.

Cheap Internet for Travelers

RovAir WiFi

The blogosphere is buzzing about a new service called RovAir. Rather than paying high hotel fees or subscribing to long term (and pricey) broadband aircard services, travelers can spend as little as $5.95 per day for internet servcie. RovAir ships one of their cards to you overnight, or sends it by messenger if you’re close by, and with minimal effort you’re connected wherever you go.

They’ll connect you while traveling on the train, while staying in hotels and even waiting for your flight at the airport.

For business travelers, hotel WiFi is as important as a cell phone. Each month, I fly about 30,000 miles and spend a third of my nights in hotel rooms. I’ve found that only about half the hotels I stay in offer free in-room WiFi. The rest charge up to $14.95 per day for internet access, which is ridiculous considering the amount of money business travelers already spend at hotel bars and restaurants, gift shops and other services.

RovAir intends to target the traveler needing internet connectivity while on the road, but will charge in a day pass format. The most significant advantage RovAir has over its competitors is that the customer would not be limited to the confines of the Wi-Fi service located in the airport, hotel, or café. RovAir’s mission is to provide its users with superior high-speed internet connectivity combined with unparalleled mobility in an internet day pass format.

Free Nation-Wide Wireless Internet

FCC Approves Bandwidth Auction

In a huge decision that could revolutionize web access in the United States, the FCC announced that the excess spectrum, created when TV goes digital, will be auctioned off.

“The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Friday gave a tentative stamp of approval to a free, national broadband service that will block access to porn,” PCmag.com said.

Google has pushed hard to have this happen, while the phone companies, like T-Mobile, have battled it with just as much gusto.

The FCC will finalize all the details and begin auctioning off spectrum as early as 2009.

Zap-X Eco Car by Lotus Design

The Zap-X is a concept that will be in production stages in 2008. The car will get you 350 miles on a ten minute charge, and will cost you roughly one cent per mile. The car includes docking stations for all your gadgets as well as a wi-fi enabled on-board computer with Hi-def video.

It’s about the size of the Prius and has the body of a Lotus APX. It’s a beautiful car with some amazing technology. Of course, it’ll set you back at least $60,000.

Union Jack Lotus Exige S

Patriotic Auto Wraps

Want to show your patriotic side in style? Consider a full-body car decal.

Way cooler than Austin Power’s ride, the Discovery Channel featured a piece on this customization process, starring a Lotus Exige S with a Union Jack pattern.

Auto wraps are skins for your cars that let you customize their appearance without doing so permanently.

After the it was shown on How Do They Do It?, the car made its way on tour to Lotus dealers around the UK; this would be a fun one to spot whizzing by you!

Auto wraps are cool for many things, not just personal expression. Considering it took four people only about 10 hours to wrap this sports car, imagine how easy it would be to turn sexy cars like this one into speedy billboards?

Hemp Cars

Lotus Uses Hemp for Eco Friendly Body Panels

Lotus motors is searching hard for a car that will represent the 3 R’s: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. One of the ingenious ways they are reducing car weight is by making body panels out of hemp composites in the Eco Elise.

Hemp takes very little energy to produce. By mixing it with a polyester resin a body panel can be produced. Lotus has reduced electricty bo 14%, gas by 30% and water 11% at their Hethel, England headquarters. If they can get this concept car to market, their green cause will be greatly enhanced.

Noisemakers for Electric Cars

Lotus "Safe and Sound" Technology

A couple of very rare electric Tesla Roadsters were crunched in wrecks recently, leading to speculation that they are just too darn quiet. Immediately, concern for the blind at crosswalks became an emergency issue.

Lotus jumped on this obvious need and came up with a gizmo that makes a Toyota Prius sound as obnoxious as a diesel truck.

The “Safe and Sound” system has a speaker behind the front bumper to give out a warning signal. Where I come from, this is referred to as a “horn.” It’s similar to the noise maker idea developed by some Stanford students.

The system uses a speed sensor on the accelerator to control the vroom-vroom sound. You only hear it as the car approaches, and it cuts out entirely when the car's engine takes over at higher speeds. Considering all of the emerging vehicle technology out there, Lotus could have sunk its R&D;dollars into just about anything.

Snowmobiles of the Future

The Lotus Ice Vehicle

The Lotus Ice Vehicle is being developed to help with research on the Moon Regan TransAntarctic Expedition.

Details on the exact specifications of the Concept Ice Vehicle (CIV) are very slim, but we do know it does have a radar to detect crevasses in the snow.

Powered by biofuel and light enough to be manually pulled across difficult terrain, it is the first of three expedition support models.

The photos that have been released are just teasers, but never mind Antarctic expeditions: this looks much more fun than a snowmobile for the rest of us!

Diamond-Set Lotus Europa

Special-Edition Sports Cars

To commemorate the 60th anniversary of Lotus automobiles, the British sportscar manufacturer has released a custom diamond-set Europa to be unveiled on Sunday, September 14th in Hethel, Norfolk.

The car has been kept tightly under wraps, and it’s no wonder: The Lotus Europa anniversary edition is valued at £150,000.

£111,000 of the Europa’s value comes from the sparkling diamonds that adorn the car, courtesy of Winsor Bishop. The diamonds are a prominent design feature of the black matte metal gear knob, tachometer and speedometer. Hidden LED accent lighting will ensure the diamonds are noticed at every turn.

The exterior of the car features a high-gloss black base mixed with tiny glass flakes.

We were delighted to work with Lotus on this exciting project and are thrilled with the sparkling results,” remarked Sophie Croydon, Director of Winsor Bishop. “Diamond setting a car was a first for Winsor Bishop, by specifying 164 beautiful Round Brilliant Diamonds with a market value of £111,100, we have helped create a truly unique Lotus Europa.

Cell Phone Pistols

A man in Naples, Italy was literally able to shoot his mouth off with this cell phone look-alike that was recently confiscated.

The Italian police seized the weapon in a raid on a Mafia gang, and the “phone” that even featured a fake display turned out to be a pistol with four .22 caliber bullets.

The transformer became a gun by sliding the keypad, making the stubby antenna the barrel. It is fired by touching a key on the keypad.

A police spokesman said: 'This is the first time such a weapon has been seized and shows the sophistication that the crime syndicates are turning to. 'Tests are being carried out to see if it has been used recently or has been involved in any shooting attacks.' The raid in a Naples suburb was part of an operation against the Gionta crime family of the Camorra, the port city's version of the Mafia.

50 Km/H Folded Airplanes

The Electric Paper Plane Launcher ups the ante on that co-worker who insists on flicking elastic bands your way. The office will never be the same if the whole department is packing these cool gadgets.

A hot red launch pad and battery-powered rotating discs can send an aerodynamic foolscap airliner screaming through the air at 50 km/h. Now that’s workplace amusement!

The unit comes with suction cups on its base, so once you find the projectile’s ideal trajectory, it stays put until the next mid-air battle commences!

Subway Car Studios

The Village Underground is a community for struggling artists in London, England. Furniture designer Auro Foxcroft came up with the concept of rescuing abandoned subway cars and turning them into low-rent studio space.

For just £15 a week, creative types can lease out the ditched public transport vehicles to use as a workspace. The subway cars are located above a restored brick walled warehouse which can be used as a gallery to show their art.

There are plans for similar settlements in Berlin, Lisbon and Toronto.

Portable Internet Access

Internet access is a major issue with the modern traveler, especially when they must head to remote locations where traditional workstations are unheard of.

SolarNetOne is essentially a “Internet-in-a-box terminal network system,” as Springwise quips. Photovoltaic solar panels power a small-footprint server and terminals equipped with LCD monitors, 15,000 applications and full mobile office and web browsing capabilities.

SolarNetOne has both an Ethernet hub and Wi-Fi coverage within a two-mile radius. The eco-friendly project uses no more power than a 100-watt light bulb.

There is currently a SolarNetOne installation at Katsina State University in Nigeria, images of which are found in the gallery.

30-MPG Sports Cars

Lotus hasn’t produced a new car in 13 years, so the Lotus Evora had its own buzz even before its debut at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show.

After the Lotus Evora was unveiled, however, buzz grew to a roar as attendees learned that this four-seat sports car boasts a fuel economy of over 30 miles per gallon and enough trunk space to accommodate a set of golf clubs.

Among the Lotus Evora’s other creature comforts include a navigation system, Bluetooth, Alpine stereo system, and an option to nix the rear seats in favor of a luggage rack. It’s thought that the Lotus Evora was produced as a direct competitor to the Porsche Cayman.

"The Evora proves you can have phenomenal performance, fuel efficiency, elegant design and practicality" in a sports car with four seats, says company CEO Mike Kimberly.

Ballpoint Pen Artwork

Richard Sarson concentrates on the big picture and not on the details of how to get there or which medium to use to explore shapes.

Sarson uses simple materials--like a compass, thread, ballpoint pen, or marker--to make complex designs. A ballpoint pen was used to make the circle of lines drawn edge to edge on newsprint that appears first in the gallery. But despite how simple his work sounds, one miscalculation or slip, and Sarson’s piece of art is a disaster.

World's Biggest Ad

5 Acre Dubai Real Estate Sign

The world’s largest banner ad for a Dubai real estate company is also one of the most viral. The five acre ad for Sorough Real Estate made it to the Guinness Book of Records,

“Now here’s the cool part— it lies flat on the ground along flight paths where it will be viewed from the air by an estimated 14 million people over the next year,” according to real estate blog Sellsius.

“This has viral WOM potential. That’s big time branding.”

“The site in Dubai is part of an international network of mega advertising at airports planned by Ad Air.”

It’s also one of the only ads around today that’s achieved viral status without the use of sex or the internet.

Google Earth Games

Remember the Where’s Waldo books you loved as a kid? Now you can play the high-tech, ultra-modern version with Google Earth!

Where On Earth Is Waldo? is the creation of Melanie Cole, a Media Art student who came up with the idea for her graduation project.

The glasses-clad, lanky geek in the striped white and red tee, matching hat (complete with pom-pom), jeans and his trust cane has been painted on Vancouver, BC rooftops, creating a larger-than-life game of Where’s Waldo!

The final project will be shown as part of the Emily Carr Graduation Exhibit 08 in May.

Art for Google Earth

Want to be featured on Google Earth? One artist did so badly, he went about creating an extreme piece of art he hoped would be picked up by the satellite cameras.

To date, there’s no sign of Henk Hofstra’s urban river.

The Dutch artist painted the streets of Drachten, The Netherlands a vibrant shade of blue with the hope of creating the illusion that the city was built on water.

Will this become the next big thing in art? Creating images so tremendously large with the intention of it being picked up by Google Earth? Was that the thought behind this Dubai ad too?

Odd Google Earth Sightings

It’s incredible how different the world looks from an aerial perspective, which is why Google Earth is so fascinating. The satellite photos pick up the neatest things, like this giant grid of pastel coloured rectangles.

The image from 5°5’28.85"S 81°7’36.44"W, near Paita in Peru, looks like an enormous makeup palette. What is it really? Who knows, but it’s more fun to pretend this the beauty station of the secret world of giants.

Aerial Art

As the satellite image resolution gets better and better, expect to see more massive sculptures like the 200 foot long giant pink rabbit. This toy rabbit sculpture was knitted by Gelitin, a Viennese Art collective and placed on the slope of the Colletto Fava mountain in the Piedmont region of northern Italy - a place called Artesina in near Cuneo.

What amazes is the knitting was done over five years by an army of grannies. The rabbit is constructed from waterproof material and is stuffed with straw.

The sides of the bunny are 20 feet high and the designers hope hikers will try climbing up to relax on top and take in the view. It’s a view that includes the “heart, liver and intestines” spilling out its side as if the bunny had been dropped from space.

The rabbit will remain there until 2025.

Branded Urban Forestry

This umbrella tree is awesome and totally blew me away. It is visually striking, yet oh so simple. The guerrilla art installation was created by Sam Spenser who named the piece ‘Bloom.’

He worked with famed champagne company, Veuve Clicquot, who provided him with umbrellas in the perfect pantone reference as their iconic bottle labels.

Spenser, a Goldsmiths Art College graduate, was also asked permission to have his piece installed at The Wapping Project in London.

60 Ft Urban Lava Lamps

Now this is PR at its best for the lava lamp! A city in Grant County, Washington proposed that a 60 foot tall lava lamp be erected in the center of the town. The hope of the installation would be to “provide worldwide interest and positive publicity for the City of Soap Lake.”

This is a win-win situation for these guys; with the viral nature of the proposition, they are getting PR coverage even if the proposal does not go ahead, and if it does, well, that would be awesome!

The Lunar Baby Thermometer

Humanized Temperature Gadgets

Zen: it’s the best way to describe it. We’ve all had a parent touch our foreheads to see if we have a fever. Designer Duck Young Kong has wed the loving touch of a parent with technology in his uber-elegant Lunar Baby Thermometer.

It’s not as high tech as taking temperature through the ear, not as Norman Rockwell as taking it orally, and definitely not humiliating like rectally. But, it’s simple and human!

“Checking the temperature by scanning the forehead with this device is easier and faster, since it eliminates the need to insert an external tool while holding them in a still position,” the designer says.

“After simply placing the device on the forehead, a beeping sound followed by a flashing LED alerts the user when it is done. In addition, the user can clearly see the temperature on the LCD screen, while holding the device to their baby [or sick little kid].”

This is the creme brulee of the temperature taking world…

Sometimes we think there is no way to improve on a technology, no way to to make it more human, more beautiful, more zen. Sometimes it seems like there is an impenetrable wall to advancement. (The Lunar Baby Thermometer) shows otherwise. This wonderful, ergonomic, new forehead thermometer just SCREAMS human touch!

Eccentric Children's Decor

The Electric Pink Rocking Sheep

Who knew rocking horses still existed? This gallery proves that not only are the kiddie rockers still being produced, they’re actually being targeted towards the most affluent, fashion-conscious parents out there!

The gallery above includes a variety of luxurious, high-fashion and, um, rather eccentric rocking animals (they’re not just horses anymore) from Vivre. My favourite, hands down, is the electric pink rocking sheep!

Oxymoronic Fashion Pristine Smut

The creativity and unique beauty arising from the fashion world never ceases to boggle the mind. The latest collection from Pristine Smut pushes the envelope in their designs that are a fusion of knitwear and jewelry.

St. Martin graduates Liria Pristine and Rosie Kent have somehow brilliantly combined Liria’s knitwear with Rosie’s jewelry ideas. Rosie represents the ‘smut’ part of Pristine Smut, imparted by the pair’s signature motif of “a pair of golden legs akimbo.”

The line is an interpretation of the 1920s Jazz Age, which is manifested in Pristine Smut’s chunky knitted jewelry, egregious headpieces, massive earrings, and an elaborate harness.

Fuel Cell Supercars

The Honda FC Sport Concept

It looks like a flattened space ship, but it’s actually the Honda FC Sport fuel cell, a zero-emission electric concept being officially unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show tomorrow.

With the financial trouble Detroit’s Big 3 automakers have faced in the last months, the LA Auto Show, which opens to the public tomorrow, could be a pretty grim venue… for some. For others, like Honda, it will be an opportunity to shine.

While not exactly an image of beauty, vehicles like the Honda FC Sport fuel cell promise thrive, at least for a while, in an economy where gas prices have become an overwhelming daily limitation.

Fast Food Financial Bailouts

Burger King’s Guerrilla Wallet Campaign

Burger King’s latest guerrilla marketing campaign involves a cash-stuffed wallet that is meant to reward Good Samaritans. Agents were sent out in Chicago and Orlando to intentionally drop their wallets in a public place.

Inevitably, these wallets are picked up by a stranger. Upon opening the wallet, they see a note from Burger King that says, “Don’t worry about lost & found. The King wants you to keep this wallet and everything in it.”

The Burger King wallets contain real cash in amounts that range from $1-$100, a Burger King gift card, a map of area Burger King fast food restaurants, and a mock driver’s license that features the King.

Pop-up Sportswear Stores - The 'Reebok Flash

This bold, brightly colored pop-up store was designed by American designers Formvision for sportswear brand Reebok.

Reebok’s first ever pop-up store ‘Reebok Flash’ is located in a 3,000-square-foot gallery space in New York City and will be open until mid-December.

The flash store sells Reebok shoes designed in the 1980’s and also exclusive limited-edition shoes and clothing designed in collaboration with visual artists including Rolland Berry, John Maeda and the estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat.

"The design of the space plays with sense of depth and perspective, tricking the eye by extending three dimensional shapes into distorted graphic patterns,” say Formavision.

Hybrid Taxis in Dubai

Chevrolet Tahoe and Malibu Cabs

10 hybrid vehicles from General Motors will be added to Dubai’s current fleet of taxis in January 2008. GM will deliver the new vehicles starting this month, shipping five Chevrolet Tahoe hybrids and five Malibu hybrids.

The addition of the hybrid cars is part of Dubai’s wider plans to provide a transport system that is environment-friendly.

The eco-friendly cars will undergo a one-year trial to assess their efficiency in Dubai’s weather conditions and advantage over ordinary taxis. If successful, Dubai will increase the number of hybrid taxis and introduce hybrid buses in the roads in the future.

According to Terry Johnsson, president of General Motors Middle East Operations, the GM hybrid vehicles have the ability to save up to 50% on fuel in city operations.

Wheel Shaped Hotel

Dubai Promenade

Dubai property developer Nakheel announced the construction of the world’s first wheel-shaped hotel this week.

The Dubai Promenade is a new waterfront community in development, and one of these buildings will be a five-star hotel shaped like a donut.

“The hotel’s unprecedented shape and structure will be spectacular and no other skyline in the world offers anything like it,” the hotel’s senior general manager, Ali Bin Damithan said.

With stunning view of Dubai’s shoreline and of The Palm Jumeirah, the Promenade will be located between the ocean and the Dubai Marina. It’s expected that upon completion, the Promenade will be home to about 10,000 residents in over 2,000 residential units.

“The development places an emphasis on open space and waterfront lifestyle with an expansive promenade opening up the seafront to residents and visitors,” Casa Dubai explained. “In addition to a selection of commercial and residential towers, cafes, restaurants and retail offerings will span the length of the entire waterfront. Dubai Promenade will have its own marina with more than 60 berths.”

The images show loft-like architecture, with high ceilings and enormous windows to let in maximum daylight and offer breathtaking views.

They expect to complete construction by mid-2008.

Credit Crunch Cell Phones

Cricket Launches MOTO VE240

Cricket Communications launched their latest budget-friendly cell phone, the MOTO VE240, in the Tulsa, Oklahoma market today. The candy bar-sized phone is geared specifically at the cost-conscious set, bringing MP3 and Stereo Bluetooth music, removable memory and USB file transfer capabilities at a price point that hovers around $90.

Motorola hasn’t hit a handset homerun for this demographic since the RAZR, so it’ll be interesting to see how Cricket’s Tulsa release of the MOTO VE240 will fare. Cricket Communications is the first carrier to release the MOTO VE240; its early sales may be a glimpse into the attitudes consumers will take into this holiday shopping season.

“The MOTO VE240 is a phone that will help customers discover the wide range of our unlimited services and experience Cricket’s value innovation,” said Jeff Toig, vice president, product marketing for Cricket. “The phone is a slick, stylish fashion statement for our customers that will allow them to access the music and features they crave. Coupled with our unlimited wireless service plans, the new VE240 is a great gift for all ages."

Anti-Scar Bandage

Memory Polymers Preserve Your Beauty

Stanford University scientists have now developed and patented special bandages to prevent the stretching and raising of scars. They are made from special “memory” polymers which remember their shape once applied. Very strong adhesives or sewing and stapling during surgery have to be used to keep these bandages in place until the wound heals flat.

This is a great innovative as those scars which form after surgery or injury are raised, tough and ugly to look at. They remain unpleasant and unsightly reminders of the trauma long after the body has healed. These scars develop either by the tissue stretching whenever the patient moves during the healing process or gets bumpy because of underlying swelling.

The new bandages could be that kiss that really makes a wound better.

Treetop Restaurants

The Yellow Treehouse

This stunning treehouse restaurant was designed by Pacific Environment Architects in New Zealand. The company was commissioned by the country’s Yellow Pages as part of a promotion for the phone book.

The pod-like café will seat 18 people, is 10m wide, 12m high and is built 10m up a 40m tall Redwood tree. The lighting creates a dramatic effect at night as it glows through the wooden slats. There is clear acrylic under the roof for protection during rainy weather. To get to the treehouse restaurant, a 60m long walkway has been designed.

Speed Unlimited Guerrilla Campaign in Buenos Aires

Speed Unlimited is a fizzy drink from the Energy Drink category. The first one that came to Argentina in 1997. It was created in Austria. It contains Taurina, caffeine , vitamin b2, b6, c and minerals that promise to stimulate the body and give energy.
The promotional campaign, is launched from the website www.speed-unlimited.com.ar as a new army ready to combat. This army is composed by girls, fictitious armaments (in this case the product is combined with the blood, the brain and the body). Speed in its campaign considers itself as Irak, and shows that power is religion, and as a result, power is Speed. To show the power in a no-traditional way and without highlighting the characteristic of the product, it made an army of beautiful women ready for everything, that dance in discos, pubs, car races, motorcycle races, and motorboat races, etc. Some of them offer a show of lesbianism from places where everybody can watch them, they kiss and caress to be the center of attraction. Their contract with the enterprise says that they can’t talk to the customers, they are a command group that do specific actions for promotion of the energy drink during a short time, and then they go to another point of promotion.
This summer in Buenos Aires the centre of operations was at “KU” disco in Pinamar, at the seaside of the province, where there were two huge posters on the walls of the disco showing George Bush’s face, the president of the United States and Yasser Arafat´s face, ex president of Palestine, highlighting that Speed is Religion.
Speed breaks ethical rules, achieves that everyone in the night life talk about their products. It doesn’t appear as its competitors at traditional media (radio, TV, etc). Its marketing is based on actions in the points of the purchase, and in the streets with means of transport like vans, lorries, hummers, limousines, helicopters, etc.

Cardboard Children

Sneeky Cut Outs Scare Drivers Slow

Realistic, life-size cardboard cut-outs of children are being used in a Northeastern Ohio neighborhood to slow down speeding cars. Mike Wood of West Salem, Ohio says that he originally started printing life-size posters of grandchildren for their grandparents. The darn things look so real, though, that they effectively slow traffic to a safe speed. Mr. Wood is now selling the children props for $60 a piece. People are stopping to buying them and he is even getting calls from police stations and neighborhood associations.

This is very similar to the Fake Prostitutes, which were cardboard cut out signs used to drive down rising rent prices:

Canada Introduces $10,000 Speeding Ticket

Canada has introduced its highest speeding ticket and one of North America’s most expensive. Anyone daring enough to zip down the road at 50 km/h (31 MPH) over the posted limit can now be dinged with a $10,000 penalty for “street racing” and up to six months in jail. Driving down a lone country road with no other car in sight? Even though you won’t be running the risk of injuring other motorists, the fine still applies “even if the accused motorist is driving alone on an otherwise empty road.”

Speed Trap Alerts via SMS

Looking for a new way to dodge speed traps set by police? Look no further than Trapster.com, a website that has created new technology to allow motorists to alert other motorists using their mobile phones to offer details on speed traps they encounter on the road.

“Trapster works like this: Go to the Web site, and sign up for a free membership. Then download the Trapster software to your cell phone or PDA. Tenereillo said that most current-generation cell phones, Blackberries and other PDA’s can accommodate the Trapster software,” CNN says.

If you see a police officer yourself while on the road, all you have to do it punch in #1 on your phone or dial their designated toll free numbers. Any other trapster.com users are then alerted by phone whey near that same trap.

One great thing about that is that it's hands-free," says Tenereillo. "You don't have to be looking at the phone or even be holding it to be notified of the speed trap -- which, of course, is safer, because you don't have to take your eyes off the road to be notified of the trap." Trapster was launched in April, and while Tenereillo declined to comment on the exact number of subscribers, he did say the site is booming. "We're going crazy, we've had so many people sign up that it's been hard to keep up with," he said. "We initially had some capacity issues as a result, so we had to re-do some of the architecture." In May, Trapster also became integrated with Dash Navigation Inc., an Internet-connected GPS device for vehicles that can be mounted on the dashboard. Trapster relies partly on the WiFi technology provided Skyhook Wireless Inc., a Boston-based firm that provides positioning services that depend on various WiFi access points. It also relies in part on satellite-based Global Positioning Systems.

Fake Speed Bumps

Philadelphia Using Psychadelic 3d Tricks to Slow You Down

Philadelphia is now using fake speed bumps to slow you down. The city is testing out the tactic at approximately 100 intersections.

The belief is that the high tech 3d decals will freak you out… But I think they’d work better if you were intoxicated, at which point you shouldn’t be driving at all.

Charles Denny, the city engineer noted, “The goal is to change the mindset. The goal is to get the drivers to be less aggressive. We want them to go what the speed limit is, not to assume that its a recommended speed, to know that its a speed limit that’s appropriate on residential streets.”

A more powerful technique was used several years ago when a US school board decided to create fake cardboard cutouts of little kids. You’ll only almost run over a fake kid once before you slow down in school zones.

Where Disco & Touch-Screens Meet

Eyecandy Sound Lounge and Bar

If you’re heading to Las Vegas you have to check out the Eyecandy Sound Lounge and Bar. Where else can you find touch-screen tables in the world renowned entertainment capital?

The chic bar is inside the Mandalay Bay hotel and casino features, “Unrivaled technology that will redefine the Las Vegas nightlife experience,” according to the hotel.

“Featuring high-tech twists on the classic cocktail lounge, eyecandy combines interactive touch tables, revolutionary sound stations and a dance floor with an ever-changing landscape.”

The smooth yet vibrant colors give the lounge that retro-meets-futuristic feel everyone wants to experience these days. The touch-screen tech was created by Canadian company, Realizations who also created the club’s iPod tables! Each high tech table cost Eye Candy several hundred thousand dollars each!

While many Vegas restaurants will let kids in to eat, you won’t find any youngsters at this hip establishment. Surprisingly, this 21+ lounge in the center of the hotel’s casino floor is non-smoking, so anyone looking to get out of the smoky clouds of the casinos may find this a refreshing alternative.

This is even better than Twentyfour in London!

Check out the gallery to immerse yourself in the world where disco and touch screen technology unite. Don’t forget to scroll down for the video clip below London’s 24 feature.

LED Bathtubs

The Underwater Disco Light Show

The Underwater Disco Light Show offers a psychedelic bath without LSD or even psychotropic prescription drugs.

The disco light effect is produced by LED lighting in four colors moving around to create a disco-like atmosphere and there is a button that changes the pattern.

Wouldn’t these lights be kind of uncomfortable when you’re sitting buck naked in the tub? And WTF would anyone need this for anyway?

DIY Home Night Clubs - Disco Designer

If you like the idea of installing a European-style, in-home lounge and your very own disco at home, Disco Designer will be more than happy to help. The business, which has an online store, will install unbreakable LED Disco-Panel Bubbles that can be affixed on any wall or floor. These lights pulse on and off to the beat of the music creating a hypnotic, psychedelic effect. Pricing starts at $492 for a 4-pack bubble set. Check out the video to see the bubbles pulsing to the beat.

Lightable LED Dinner Table

Create a Halo of Light Around Any Object

This transparent LED table was designed by Julian Appelius and Fabien Dumas. When you place an object on the table, the object become illuminated by a halo of LED light… even if that object is your own hand. The design is truly awesome and would make an innovative addition to a hip lounge. You could get a LED light table for your own home, but you’ll have to accept that you’re a nerd.

Home Built Laser Harp

Light-Controlled Synth Harp in Action

Laser harps aren’t necessarily new, but this is the first time I’ve seen a home built one.

In the video, Stephen Hobley moves his hands over the laser beams projected in the air to produce music as the sensors gets blocked. My explanation of the light-controlled synth harp isn’t great, which is why you’ll have to watch the video.

“The principle is deceptively simple; a reflection sensor watches the beams, and when one is interrupted, it signals a MIDI routine to produce a tone. Sliding your hand up and down the beam can bend notes, or do anything else that you feel like encoding into the MIDI protocol,” Oh Gizmo said.

It’s wild to see, but the music is disturbingly creepy. Very Phantom of the Opera.

USB Fans for Ravers

Desktop LED Light Shows

This LED USB fan is great for ravers who can’t focus in the office, or perhaps for an impromptu light show at home. The instant light show plugs into your USB port, and is instant entertainment as the video shows.

The LED fan comes complete with a flexible neck and is just $5.

DIY Interactive Tables

Heat-Sensitive LEDs for Home Raves

The geniuses at Evil Mad Scientist have released an updated do-it-yourself kit to make your own interactive LED coffee tables. They give you a large pre-printed circuit board and a soldering kit. You then attach several hundred LED bulbs, which are relatively inexpensive. Then you put the circuit board under glass, or translucent plexiglass for an even cooler look, and the diodes respond to heat, creating the entrancing wave of light patterns.

Now instead of people going home to be wrapped in the blue glow of their TV screens, they have the option of zoning out to their interactive LED tables.

Speed Monitoring Clothing - The Speed Vest

The Speed Vest shows the speed at which you are riding your bike in large glowing numbers on the back of the vest. It recently won first prize at the Hub Bike Shop’s Bike Gadget Contest in Minneapolis, MN.

A wheel speed sensor transmits the information to the electro-luminescent wiring in the vest. It lights up thanks to a simple 9 volt battery which can last for up to six hours.

It’s a cool idea if you want to show off just how fast you can ride your bicycle, but will it be used for much else? You certainly wouldn’t want to see this on a motorbike jacket, as you would just be making it easier for the police to see if you are speeding!

Are you the type of person who love to show off, especially when it comes to speed? Well if you do, grab one of this Speed vest, a device that will let everyone know how fast you’re going with your bike.

DIY Electronic Fashion

The Programmable Lilypad Arduino

The Lilypad Arduino. Sounds like a mix between a sports car and speed boat, but it’s neither. It’s an interface that allows textiles to be attached to circuits. The result is that you can have a bra that monitors your breath or a motorcycle turn signal on your shirt, or just cool jewelry.

Making your own interactive clothes isn’t that difficult or expensive. According toTalk2myshirt.com, “What you need to start creating your own Wearable Electronic fashion item is at least the following modules: mainboard, power supply and the USB->serial board to download the software to the LilyPad mainboard from your computer.”

The total cost for all three parts is under $60, a sensor is under $25 and light sensor is under $10.

I’m getting mine ASAP!

The LilyPad Arduino is a set of sewable electronic components that let you build your own soft, interactive fashion. To get started, snag a LilyPad starter kit, which has everything you need for a first project.

Adrenaline Rushes For Shock Awareness

Irish Anti-Speeding Ad

My heart has never raced from watching a commercial until this shocking Irish one called, ‘The faster the speed, the bigger the mess.’

The video starts off with a couple smooching away at a wall and then, WHAM, one car plows into another, and it flies into the young couple, pinning them between the wall and car. Next come fast paced scenes of screaming, rescuers, blankets for covering the dead, hospital, and court footage.

In the end, ‘The faster the speed, the bigger the mess’ shockvertisement shows how it all happened—hopefully it will drive home the message that give drivers pause to think about the next time they feel the urge to use their led feet.

The commercial is born from statistics that find 30 percent of Republic of Ireland and 24 percent of Northern Ireland road fatalities are due to excessive speed. The spot is part of an increasing trend towards the use of reality-based shock and brutal honesty to deliver the message.