I am old enough to remember and have owned several LED watches in the early to mid 1970’s. Unfortunately I was not longsighted enough to keep hold of any of them after their rapid rise was followed by an overnight decline.
These watches were one of the first commercial incarnations of the then new digital LED technology, but when Light Emitting Diodes were superseded by the liquid chronograph display, these watches disappeared – literally in weeks.
The big name (as I remember) in these watches was Pulsar who made a number of stainless steel stylish models. Some had a gun metal finish and the initial red displays were later supplemented with the alternative blue displays. Even Omega brought out an LED watch and anyone without one was seriously out of fashion.
Today the originals of all of these LED watches can fetch considerable sums of money, but there are alternatives for anyone seeking a retro copy.
A company called “Connect” manufacture copies of the most popular “Pulsar” model and other manufacturers do the same with a range of designs that replicate the watch fashions of 1971 to 1978.
If you want one of these watches, then the internet is the place to buy and they start at less than $50 (or £40) and arrive in a presentation box.
Here are a couple of links to sites offering these legacy products although most will be out of stock having just seen the Christmas rush.
They are, http://www.shopwiki.co.uk/detail/q=Retro+LED+Watch+-+Blue/d=Retro+LED+Watch+-+Blue/jumpToFirst=t/ and http://www.led-watch.com/index.htm - enjoy!
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Infra red thermometer
The infra red thermometer is a new product that has been made by a company called Kidz-Med Inc.
So what is the benefit of an infra red thermometer over a regular one?
The answer is very simple, an infra red thermometer is a “non contact” thermometer that takes a temperature reading from a human being or animal without the need for any physical contact.
The thermometer, called “thermofocus”, reads body temperature through a reading taken from the radiated heat that leaves the body, so it requires no thermometer-to-skin contact.
This new thermometer is also very accurate when used properly.
The reading should be taken by pointing the thermometer at the forehead (which has a main artery supplying it) and this produces results that are superior to all non invasive standard thermometer readings.
Naturally, taking the temperature of most people is not a problem, but for babies and young children this device allows clinically accurate and reliable readings without body invasion, or frightening the patient.
Sorry, no link for this one!
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Wind-up products
Two type of free energy come from “solar powered” and “wind-up powered” products and these days there are plenty to choose from.
For this post I am going to look very briefly at some of the options available for wind-up products, or products that were once described as clockwork.
The oldest and most popular wind up product is of course the time piece which comes in many guises from wrist watches to grandfather clocks. But with modern and enhanced wind up units, far more energy demanding products can now be run “energy free” using this power source.
The first big wind-up product was the radio and today wind-up radios include DAB radios as well as regular AM and FM units.
Torches, flashlights and lanterns are another highly suited product for wind-up technology.
These items can sit unused for many months allowing standard batteries to run down without use, but wind up technology means that they can be available and charged at very short notice and no cost.
They are also light weight compared with their battery counterparts.
Further wind-up products include chargers that can regenerate rechargeable batteries, or batteries for items like mobile phones, usb devices and mp3 and 4 players.
An alternative to windup power is kinetic power where the product, e.g. a torch, is shaken to generate power in a similar way to the winding mechanism. In general, these products are harder work and require more human energy to charge them.
Monday, December 15, 2008
A Bathroom Gadget
Here is a very gimmicky, but very clever bathroom gadget that combines a toilet with a washing machine.
Is this a joke?
No, it really is a serious and actually very sensible utility and one that sees space saving as a premium.
The product is a highly stylish and comparatively flat washing machine that is wall mounted above a WC or toilet that sits below it. The toilet is partly encapsulated by the design of the washing machine that includes a recess for the uplifted toilet seat.
The big benefit of this product is that it saves space. The wall space above a toilet is always dead, so this clever device makes use of it in a room that is a utility only area.
There are two other advantages too. Firstly, all necessary plumbing will already be in place and secondly, the washing machine recycles the water that it uses to flush the toilet.
It will also make an interesting talking point for anyone who uses the bathroom!
You can see this novel product here, http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/la/green-ideas/look-washer-on-top-of-toiletwashup-by-sevin-coskun-046270 although it would appear that it is still a prototype for now.
Is this a joke?
No, it really is a serious and actually very sensible utility and one that sees space saving as a premium.
The product is a highly stylish and comparatively flat washing machine that is wall mounted above a WC or toilet that sits below it. The toilet is partly encapsulated by the design of the washing machine that includes a recess for the uplifted toilet seat.
The big benefit of this product is that it saves space. The wall space above a toilet is always dead, so this clever device makes use of it in a room that is a utility only area.
There are two other advantages too. Firstly, all necessary plumbing will already be in place and secondly, the washing machine recycles the water that it uses to flush the toilet.
It will also make an interesting talking point for anyone who uses the bathroom!
You can see this novel product here, http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/la/green-ideas/look-washer-on-top-of-toiletwashup-by-sevin-coskun-046270 although it would appear that it is still a prototype for now.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Solar powered fountains
Garden fountains are one of the latest home products to feature a solar energy power source.
Using solar energy to supplement a central heating system, or to bring up the ambient temperature of a swimming pool, are among the more mainstream solar energy applications. However, small scale solar powered products are the big innovation in the home and gadget market right now.
Solar power cells for anything from mobile phones to usb devices are the obvious applications, but ornamental garden fountains are another.
A garden fountain requires a fairly small pump and, furthermore, is generally only required in full operation on warm sunny days.
This makes it a perfect solar power device.
How solar fountains work
The fountain, or more appropriately the fountain pump, requires solar matting or some solar cells for the generation of electricity. This solar catchment area need not be too expansive and because of this there are some novel ways of using solar matting for decorative as well as a functional purposes.
A great example of this is to float “purpose shaped” solar matting around the fountain spout giving the impression of a leaf or water Lilly.
These custom fountain kits blend in well and avoid the need to set up a solar collection zone away from the pond or water feature.
For more “power demanding” pumps, or multiple water spouts, a proper solar collector will be included in the fountain kit. This will include a cable to connect the pump to larger areas of solar matting, or fold-up panels that can be laid out, or opened up in a sunny area.
Solar fountains of this type require no mains electricity, so they are easy to install and completely safe.
For more information, you can check out: http://www.watergardeningdirect.com/acatalog/Solar_Fountain_Pumps_153.html.
Using solar energy to supplement a central heating system, or to bring up the ambient temperature of a swimming pool, are among the more mainstream solar energy applications. However, small scale solar powered products are the big innovation in the home and gadget market right now.
Solar power cells for anything from mobile phones to usb devices are the obvious applications, but ornamental garden fountains are another.
A garden fountain requires a fairly small pump and, furthermore, is generally only required in full operation on warm sunny days.
This makes it a perfect solar power device.
How solar fountains work
The fountain, or more appropriately the fountain pump, requires solar matting or some solar cells for the generation of electricity. This solar catchment area need not be too expansive and because of this there are some novel ways of using solar matting for decorative as well as a functional purposes.
A great example of this is to float “purpose shaped” solar matting around the fountain spout giving the impression of a leaf or water Lilly.
These custom fountain kits blend in well and avoid the need to set up a solar collection zone away from the pond or water feature.
For more “power demanding” pumps, or multiple water spouts, a proper solar collector will be included in the fountain kit. This will include a cable to connect the pump to larger areas of solar matting, or fold-up panels that can be laid out, or opened up in a sunny area.
Solar fountains of this type require no mains electricity, so they are easy to install and completely safe.
For more information, you can check out: http://www.watergardeningdirect.com/acatalog/Solar_Fountain_Pumps_153.html.
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
Magnetic mattress covers
Magnetic mattress covers, often called magnetic toppers, use magnetic therapy to relieve pain, soreness and fatigue. They help relax the body and thereby improve the quality of sleep.
At least these are the claims that are made of them.
The concept behind magnetic mattress toppers
The magnetic therapy works by taking a quilted material that is embedded with small magnets. A single bed may use a topper with as many as 200, or even 400, small magnets in it.
Each of these magnets are powerful enough to create a small magnetic field, but small enough to go unnoticed by the person resting on them. They are stitched into the body of the quilted topper or mattress protector.
The magnets polarise together to create a catchment area above the beds sleeping surface and this in turn enables the magnetic therapy to go to work on the person sleeping within this magnetic field.
Do they work?
Although these magnetic toppers have no hard and fast evidence to support their pain relieving effectiveness, some initial support has been given to their “possible” benefits by a number of experts in the field.
There are also an increasing number of people who use these products and who claim to have received pain relieving benefits from them.
At least these are the claims that are made of them.
The concept behind magnetic mattress toppers
The magnetic therapy works by taking a quilted material that is embedded with small magnets. A single bed may use a topper with as many as 200, or even 400, small magnets in it.
Each of these magnets are powerful enough to create a small magnetic field, but small enough to go unnoticed by the person resting on them. They are stitched into the body of the quilted topper or mattress protector.
The magnets polarise together to create a catchment area above the beds sleeping surface and this in turn enables the magnetic therapy to go to work on the person sleeping within this magnetic field.
Do they work?
Although these magnetic toppers have no hard and fast evidence to support their pain relieving effectiveness, some initial support has been given to their “possible” benefits by a number of experts in the field.
There are also an increasing number of people who use these products and who claim to have received pain relieving benefits from them.
Friday, December 05, 2008
Fibre optic star field
This is a rather bizarre, but interesting and entertaining product that is perfect for the bedrooms of children. It allows you to turn a ceiling into something that resembles the night sky, in other words a mini home planetarium.
The Fibre optic star field arrives in a sort of kit form and comprises a large number of small fibre optic cables, all sourced from a central supply.
The cables arrive amassed together and you simply remove the packaging, separate the individual cable strands and start your project.
The way it works is very simple, but quite time consuming. You make a plan of the position of the stars on the ceiling and then drill small holes (large enough to take the optic strands) at the points where you want the stars to appear.
The cables/strands are then fed into each (star) hole from above to produce a complete mini solar system.
For complex designs two or more kits can be combined and suppliers of these "fibre optic star fields" will usually make up custom designs for those who want them.
The same kits can also be used in other rooms and on other surfaces, e.g. walls, to create a range of eye catching and entertaining effects.
For more reading etc, you can check out his website: http://www.starceiling.co.uk/star_kits.html.
The Fibre optic star field arrives in a sort of kit form and comprises a large number of small fibre optic cables, all sourced from a central supply.
The cables arrive amassed together and you simply remove the packaging, separate the individual cable strands and start your project.
The way it works is very simple, but quite time consuming. You make a plan of the position of the stars on the ceiling and then drill small holes (large enough to take the optic strands) at the points where you want the stars to appear.
The cables/strands are then fed into each (star) hole from above to produce a complete mini solar system.
For complex designs two or more kits can be combined and suppliers of these "fibre optic star fields" will usually make up custom designs for those who want them.
The same kits can also be used in other rooms and on other surfaces, e.g. walls, to create a range of eye catching and entertaining effects.
For more reading etc, you can check out his website: http://www.starceiling.co.uk/star_kits.html.
Thursday, December 04, 2008
3D Photos
Three dimensional photos are nothing new, but in the past they have been quite crude and simple with a main foreground object, like a person or pet, projecting out from the rest of the picture.
Things have moved on though and aside from paying for the transposition of a standard photo into 3D, you can now buy software for your PC that does the very same thing – and displays it on your high definition monitor.
This kind of technology is still in its relative infancy and the conversion of 2D to 3D is far from perfect. Even so, very good results can be obtained and from comparatively cheep software.
3D Galleries
Another variation of this 3D theme, but one that you can only use on your digital equipment, is to create a 3D gallery.
You can see some examples of this at http://www.mypictures3d.com/galleries.html, but in essence you are able to hang your favourite picture in a range of amazing 3D environments that include the interiors and facades of building, plus nature scenes and some spectacular futuristic creations.
Many of these 3D galleries can also be saved or converted into 3D wallpaper of even screen savers for your PC.
Things have moved on though and aside from paying for the transposition of a standard photo into 3D, you can now buy software for your PC that does the very same thing – and displays it on your high definition monitor.
This kind of technology is still in its relative infancy and the conversion of 2D to 3D is far from perfect. Even so, very good results can be obtained and from comparatively cheep software.
3D Galleries
Another variation of this 3D theme, but one that you can only use on your digital equipment, is to create a 3D gallery.
You can see some examples of this at http://www.mypictures3d.com/galleries.html, but in essence you are able to hang your favourite picture in a range of amazing 3D environments that include the interiors and facades of building, plus nature scenes and some spectacular futuristic creations.
Many of these 3D galleries can also be saved or converted into 3D wallpaper of even screen savers for your PC.
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
Gadget coffee tables
You may not be aware of it, but there are a number of coffee tables out there that include some kind of gimmick or gadget. In other words an extra feature or visual accessory that goes beyond their normal use.
Most coffee tables are small low tables and you use them for the purpose of conveniently holding cups, mugs, or a plate or tray of biscuits at arms reach. There are though some much more interesting coffee tables that will appeal to the gadget buff, or simply someone looking for something a little bit different.
First of all, this page http://www.perfect-coffee-tables.com/index.html will tell you a little bit more (with a list of table links towards the bottom), however in summary, here is what you can get.
Lift up coffee table
A lift up coffee table has a table top that lifts, cantilevers or slides to one side allowing storage or some hidden facility to become visible. This kind of table may also have a look that belies a secondary use. E.g. This kind of multifunctional table may convert in to a PC table or have a top surface that can be elevated for working or writing.
Heater table
This kind of table is even more novel and can include a central open heater that simulates a circular hearth with burning embers and real heat. Obviously this is an outdoor patio coffee table, but it still provides a major variation on the coffee table theme.
LED table
This one is a real show stopper and it sees a glass topped coffee table populated by LED lights. To make the gadget even more inspiring, the LED’s are motion sensitive and only light up when a hand or object is placed on them or passed over them. They make an unusual talking point. See this http://www.becausewecan.org/LED_Coffee_Table_The_Wave link for more info.
See this BlogDir site - http://www.blogdir.co.uk
Most coffee tables are small low tables and you use them for the purpose of conveniently holding cups, mugs, or a plate or tray of biscuits at arms reach. There are though some much more interesting coffee tables that will appeal to the gadget buff, or simply someone looking for something a little bit different.
First of all, this page http://www.perfect-coffee-tables.com/index.html will tell you a little bit more (with a list of table links towards the bottom), however in summary, here is what you can get.
Lift up coffee table
A lift up coffee table has a table top that lifts, cantilevers or slides to one side allowing storage or some hidden facility to become visible. This kind of table may also have a look that belies a secondary use. E.g. This kind of multifunctional table may convert in to a PC table or have a top surface that can be elevated for working or writing.
Heater table
This kind of table is even more novel and can include a central open heater that simulates a circular hearth with burning embers and real heat. Obviously this is an outdoor patio coffee table, but it still provides a major variation on the coffee table theme.
LED table
This one is a real show stopper and it sees a glass topped coffee table populated by LED lights. To make the gadget even more inspiring, the LED’s are motion sensitive and only light up when a hand or object is placed on them or passed over them. They make an unusual talking point. See this http://www.becausewecan.org/LED_Coffee_Table_The_Wave link for more info.
See this BlogDir site - http://www.blogdir.co.uk
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
Manifesto
I will be using this blog to look at and review a range of new, novel and hopefully interesting products.
Some of these products will be new, others will be variations on a theme, and still more may be established products, but those where it is worth taking a look at how technology has influenced or changed them.
The kinds of products covered will include technology driven items, household utilities and the kind of purchases that you may never contemplate making!
As a couple of examples of things to come, here are two products that I intend to review in the near future.
Garden heaters, i.e. those tall and space age looking items that throw out heat in the middle of winter and make a garden usable all year long – at least in theory.
Designer radiators, i.e. radiators where function is often superseded by design criteria and the need to look good.
I will also cover some much more mundane purchases and my selections will not be determined by price, aesthetics or any commercial influences, but rather by what interests or intrigues me.
Some of these products will be new, others will be variations on a theme, and still more may be established products, but those where it is worth taking a look at how technology has influenced or changed them.
The kinds of products covered will include technology driven items, household utilities and the kind of purchases that you may never contemplate making!
As a couple of examples of things to come, here are two products that I intend to review in the near future.
Garden heaters, i.e. those tall and space age looking items that throw out heat in the middle of winter and make a garden usable all year long – at least in theory.
Designer radiators, i.e. radiators where function is often superseded by design criteria and the need to look good.
I will also cover some much more mundane purchases and my selections will not be determined by price, aesthetics or any commercial influences, but rather by what interests or intrigues me.
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