When I first saw this device, I thought it was some sort of new TV antenna or something. Not that we need one, since TV is getting all digital on us.

I was very surprised when I found out this contraption is actually a wind turbine from a famed designer named Philippe Starck, a man who literally came out of retirement to create this energy-efficient device.

Believe it or not, this wind turbine thing can somehow crank out twenty to sixty percent of the power necessary for a house. This also has an unusual aesthetic, and this design comes in stainless steel, signal orange, or even transparent.

There is no doubt that future homes will want to be less dependent on “the man” for energy as their power bills keep climbing. Renewable sources such as solar and wind are the answer, but the question is: how effective are they?

I tried to find a photo of this turbine that would show the size of this item, and I was surprised by its scale. I have no idea if the device requires this odd looking frame to make it work. Maybe that’s how you channel the wind.

This device costs about $633, and should be available for homes in September.

Source
[ Philippe Starck’s Wind Turbine Design copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
Pressy idea: Educational Toys

Do you remember back when only the super-wealthy could afford to have video cameras? Now, with today’s cheaper digital camcorders, practically everyone has one. Of course, the one trouble that everyone has is transmitting digital formats directly to DVD.

Fortunately, Sony has created the DVDirect DVD Burner, a device that is starting to gain some popularity in the consumer video camcorder market. The DVDirect DVD Burner allows the transfer of content from other media straight to a DVD without the PC middleman.

The Burner has a 2.5 inch color screen that allows you to preview your material. It also has five memory card slots for transferring digital video content, and has a dual recording mechanism to store up 8.5 GB of footage on a DVD+R Dual Layer Disk. It even has an automatic DVD tilting along with menu creation in four different design styles.

Not only can you connect your camcorder to the DVDirect DVD Burner, but you can connect your VCR or DVR as well. There is the option of recording clear photo slideshows and videos in high definition AVCHD video from Sony HDD or Memory Stick camcorders to DVD format, which is playable in Blu-ray compatible devices.

You should be able to purchase the Sony DVDirect DVD Burner for about $229.99.

Source

[ Sony DVDirect DVD Burner copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
Pressy idea: Educational Toys

The hoodie shown here may look like just your average hoodie, but it has a bit of added protection for skateboarders.  In the picture where you see the darkened sections, all but the one at the neck, are spots with added pads.  When you take a nasty spill, it will help protect you from injuries.  Also the spot where your hands slip through has another built-in pad.  When you just want to wear the hoodie as a normal hoodie or it needs washed, the pads can be removed by unzipping the pouch.

The lightweight material is said to be loose so as to not restrict the skater from any movements.  It also has an added hole for your thumb.  Having something like this would be a great way to get the younger more reckless skaters to wear pads without feeling like a dork.  I know I’ve never seen a teen around town that actually takes the time to put on a helmet or pads before turning to their friends and saying the dreaded line.  “Guys, watch this!”  That never ends well.  The Cali Hoodie was designed by Ravi Itiravivong and although it isn’t quite ready to be released for retail just yet, hopefully it will make its way there.

Source: newlaunches
[ Cali Hoddie keeps skateboarding safe copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
Pressy idea: Educational Toys

First off Happy 4th of July folks! Fancy celebrating with a $50 gadget voucher? Vote for this weeks coolest gadget and leave a comment explaining why, winners will be announced Monday.

It’s quite a diverse collection this week, have fun.

Broadband Internet in your Car

Now here’s the way I’ll be able to read Coolest Gadgets on the road! A complete Broadband internet kit for your car, with a remote control, a wi-fi hub, tv, etc… Just what I wanted to grab! Cool!

The full post can be found at Car Tuning Central.

Rapid Read BBQ Fork Thermometer

Never overcook your meat or eat it too rare again. Just poke it with the fork, set the temperature and wait for the beep.

The full post can be found at S2999.

EZVision Eyewear

The EZ Vision Eyewear lets users enjoy a full cinematic experience without any annoying interruptions. By putting on the EZ Vision uber cool glasses, film buffs are able to block out any irritating background noise, using the built-in stereo earphones and zone out like zombies to watch their movie in complete and utter peace!

The full post can be found at Gaj It.

ArchPort Wallet Shoe

Are your shoes ringing, or is it just your feet barking? The revolutionary offering of ArchPort Shoes by Matt Potts has an integrated wallet feature (detachable) into the arch of the sole with a port-like look. They are open to house cash, credit cards, ID, keys and other random items. Good part is it allows you to confiscate the contents without taking away your shoes.

The full post can be found at Elite Choice

Ovei Home Theater Pod

The Ovei is a beautifully designed piece of home theater bliss for one. Word on the street is that the designer for this thing was Lee McCormack and that it was engineered by McLaren Applied Industries. It looks comfortable in an airline seat cum coffin sort of way and it has climate control (the same type of climate control that is used in F1 cars. And it comes with an F1 inspired price tag of approximately $100,000.

The full post can be found at Uber Review

Green Piece - Wind ups

Charging your MP3 player can be a thing of the past with this wind-up media player. Not only can you play music and watch movies but it also has an FM radio, voice and audio recording, an integrated torch and it can work as an emergency mobile phone charger.

The full post can be found at Decide What To Buy.

Miracle Berry Tablet

Each pill rewires the way your palate perceives flavours for up to two hours, so you’ve plenty of time to try tons of previously unpalatable things, from raw radishes to neat Tabasco. The possibilities are endless, the sensations amazing. Even foodie sceptics are going gaga over these taste-distorting tablets

The full post can be found at Random Good Stuff.

Edamame Popping Game

Japanese Green Soybean is really great for snacks and fun because you can pop the soybean, and eat it. Now, how about feel the joy of ENDLESS soybean popping? You can do it with this funny and cute little gadget “Bandai Puni Puni Edamame Bean”. As a gadget, it’s useless, but as a keychain and toys, it’s fun and beautiful

The full post can be found at Cutie Gadget.

Thanks to all the sites for their submissions now over to you guys for voting (don’t forget to leave a comment with your reason for a chance to win $50):

What is this weeks coolest gadget?

• Broadband Internet in your Car
• Rapid Read BBQ Fork Thermometer
• EZVision Eyewear
• ArchPort Wallet Shoe
• Ovei Home Theater Pod
• Green Piece - Wind ups
• Miracle Berry Tablet Miracle Berry Tablet
• Edamame Popping Game

View Results

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If you write for a gadget themed blog and wish to be included in next weeks contest check out the CGOTW instructions page.

[ Win $50 with the 3rd Coolest Gadget of the Week copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
Cool Gift Idea: Digital Picture Frames, check out our reviews.

It’s official. The world is gizmo-gadget obsessed. Even in gambling. I reckon it stands to reason that if you grow up in the digital age where everything is virtual and everyone has a password like they have a cellphone, it only stands to reason that, like newspapers before them, poker tables are rapidly going the way of the doo-doo. The Pokermate Table not only gives players touchscreen interfaces to use for game play and betting, it’s also yet another guard against card counters who seek a legal, but wholely frowned upon gaming advantage.

The idea comes from the fact that more and more gamblers are learning the game from online casinos, and as such, simply are more used to playing the game virtually than holding a pair of aces and eights in their hand. There’s a main screen for everyone to keep track of the game from a bird’s eye view. It also calculates pots (and side pots) and rake, and keeps track of everyone’s chips — all without error. And the interface even automatically deals players their virtual cards and players just tap on the corners of the hand to reveal the cards.

But seriously, aside from winning virtual pots that credit your account, where’s the fun? Where’s the excitement of holding that one card short of a flush and drawing that card you need and actually holding it? The feel of the wax, staring intently at your opponents face over their hand as you desperately try and crack their tell? And where’s the fun of not being able to toss in your chips or sliding a gigantic pile into the center as you go all in? It’s kinda spoiling the fun like electronic slots ruined the whole jackpot experience.

It may go a long way towards catching cheaters, but this gizmo doesn’t sound like fun to me.

Hat Tip - D’Vice
[ Pokermate table makes the game digital. But where’s the fun in that? copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
Cool Gift Idea: Digital Picture Frames, check out our reviews.

Although the latest studies show that over half of America now enjoys a broadband connection, the other half simply says they are just fine with that twirling handshake and crawling download speeds. According to the latest Pew Internet & American Life Project study, the flashing VCR crowd stick with overpriced and snail-slow dialup not because simply because don’t have to have the fastest Internet access on the block.

The total percentage of dial-up only preferences totals out at about 10 percent of Americans. While a whopping 55% enjoy broadband internet servicing for video and audio downloading, the remaining 35% either don’t have broadband in their area just yet or consider it too expensive. The remaining just don’t have a need for blinding internet access as they use the internet for checking email and the occasional google search and of those, 35 percent of dial-up users said nothing was going to convince them to get broadband service.

What’s interesting is that even though internet growth is near exponential in this country – rapidly replacing letter writing and television watching, 27 percent of adult Americans don’t Internet users at all. Who are these people? Mostly retirement age and low income American’s, according to the study, but still, that’s nearly a quarter of Adult America who doesn’t use either at home or work. So much for the bridge to the 21st century.

Hat Tip - Digital Trends
[ Flashing VCR crowd speaks, no broadband for them copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
Pressy idea: Educational Toys

Sure, normal backpacks are all well and good for students, but what about us sporadic world trekkers who only need to whip out a backpack when we go traveling? We certainly don’t need a big old sack sitting around, taking up even more of our home’s storage, which admittedly, we can’t sacrifice. We’re becoming decidedly cramped up in here.

That’s why the Go Anywhere Backpack is so cool. When you’re not using it, it literally folds into a pocket sized bulge. While it might be a little too large to actually fit in your pocket without looking like you have some kind of abnormal growth, it’s certainly a whole ton more compact than a normal backpack.

The Go Anywhere packs are feather-weights. They weigh nearly nothing compared with standard backpacks. And can you fold your current backpack into a small sized ball that can fit in the palm of your hand? I think not. For those who are too self conscious to wear the straps over your shoulders, there’s also a duffel bag version available.

The Go Anywhere packs are made with a durable 70D rip-stop taffeta, which also is a pretty lightweight material. Perfect for hiking, camping, or a light walk on the beach. UrbanTrend doesn’t have a price available just yet. So those of you eager to check out this pack will have to wait just a tad bit longer. We can’t imagine the price being anymore than $30 at most though.

Product Page via Fashionably Geek
[ The Go Anywhere Backpack fits in your palm copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
Cool Gift Idea: Digital Picture Frames, check out our reviews.

Even the manliest of men need to admit that they need food to survive. Preferably a nice juicy steak with a hot baked potato, but of course a slice of strawberry cheesecake would do. The point is that you can stock up on every tool in the catalog, but a nice pair of eating utensils is always an investment worth making.

Of course, with this outburst of industrial design influence, everything is being mixed and mashed into one beautiful product of productivity. These eating utensils are made for not only eating, but for crouching down for some butt-crack revealing plumbing, or even fixing a loose spark plug on your vehicle.

Each gadget features two sides. The fork, knife, and spoon side is perfect for chowing down on some grub. While the opposite site features a common tool for all of those handy man jobs you (wish you could) do. And even better, they even come shipped with a special tool set for keeping in storage.

Well, at least that’s the idea. As of now, they seem just a result of one designers imagination. But we’ve seen kitschy-er items reach fruition. Hell, we might even give these gadgets a try if we ever have the opportunity to fix something without our families running to the phone for an emergency maintenance call. Apparently self-repair is scarier to them than the repair bill.

Design Page via The Design Blog
[ Cutlery for the handy man copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
Gift Ideas: The Coolest Gadgets Gift Guides.

Some people say that Blu-ray might be the DVD killer. It’s already outed HD-DVD and has established itself as the high-def video standard. I’m yet to own a Blu-ray disc myself. Other than the Blu-ray disc that ships with the PS3 and of course the games which come with the logo emblazoned on the covers. But this might just make me give on the HD disc revolution.

Paramount has announced their release of The Godfather Collection: The Coppola Restoration on Blu-ray in 1080p high definition and offering English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 Surround sound. The four disc tome features all three Godfather flicks as well as an extra disc with a truly impressive list of extra features and documentaries.

Each film is show in BD-50 dual-layer presentation, with a frame-by-frame restoration overseen by director Francis Ford Coppola himself, as well as cinematographer Gordon Willis. Each film includes an audio commentary by Copolla, with the fourth disc featuring multiple featurettes, galleries, deleted scenes, storyboards and trailers.

When the Blu-ray discs drop on September 23rd the whole collection will cost you $120. But luckily for you, we’re giving you the early bird special. You can pre-order the Godfather Collection now for the special price of $86.95 from Amazon.

Press Release and Product Page via PS3Fanboy

[ The Godfather Collection on Blu-ray copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
Gift Ideas: The Coolest Gadgets Gift Guides.

If only the old pulp novelists had gadgets like this to work with. Can you imagine how much shorter mystery stories of the past would be with modern forensics? Forget the heavy thinking detective. Technology is the Sherlock Holmes of modern times.

Japanese company Carrot Systems (apparently ran by bunny rabbits) has produced a flashlight with an integrated video camera and a sleek streamline design. The flashlight is touted as an awesome tool for crime scene investigators who want to capture a dynamic peek of any dark and seedy crime locations.

The AD-1500 Video Flashlight records video with its mini CMOS camera and built-in microphone. As long as you’re not too intrigued by the rookie puking over in the corner, you could pick up every single bit of crime information, literally not being left in the dark. The camera records in MP4 format right onto microSD cards. Up to 2GB of video time, or around 180 minutes.

Now hold onto your socks for some heavy hitting specs. The AD-1500 features 128 MB of on board storage, 300,000 pixels, 640×480 resolution, photo storage in JPEG, USB compatibility, and a special infra-red mode which works in ranges of 4 meters. Cha-ching! This is the jackpot for forensic detectives. Cost? You’ll be looking at about $800.

Product Page via CrunchGear
[ Flashlight with integrated video copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
Cool Gift Idea: Digital Picture Frames, check out our reviews.

A few months ago, I got pulled over for speeding on the highway. The officer told me that the speed limit was 45 mph, but I could have sworn it was 55, maybe even 65. Of course, the officer was not about to let me go back and check, and as it turned out, I think I had just missed the 45 mph speed limit sign.

Needless to say, I settled the ticket out of court, but it would have been nice to have some device on my dashboard that tells me what the speed limit is. Granted, that might condemn me on my next ticket. It would be hard to convince an officer that I didn’t know what the speed limit was when it’s glowing on my dashboard. However, if that number is less than what the officer says the speed limit is, I would be so vindicated!

That is exactly what Vauxhall Motors, a British subsidiary of General Motors, has done. This speed limit detector can take 30 pictures a second, and then analyze these pictures with image recognition software. Once it detects the speed limit on the signs, it posts the correct number on the dashboard.

The Vauxhall speed limit detector is planned to appear on the upcoming Insignia sedan, and could be available on 2010 models of United States cars.

Source

[ Vauxhall Motors Speed Limit Detector copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
Gift Ideas: The Coolest Gadgets Gift Guides.

Sometimes Sci-Fi themed speakers can come off overly cheesy.  Usually due to too many details on very cheap materials.  This new USB speaker is fairly simple in looks and manages to just look cool without being over the top.  Somehow, Brando has managed to come out with a lighted speaker without it looking like it should be paired with a blacklight or lava lamp.  Although it still looks overly fitting for a geeky room, it still is not what I’d call tacky.

It doesn’t really look nearly as interesting with the blue light off, and I’m curious how the light looks when it is bright in the room.  I still find it cool though, and it’s not overly expensive.  Which seems to be the other direction that Sci-Fi themed electronics go.  They are either tacky or expensive, one of the two.  Brando’s USB LED Light Tube Speaker is currently being sold for $22.  It comes with all the usual things every other USB speaker comes with, the speaker, a USB power cable as well as an audio cable.  Nothing exciting there, and it probably won’t impress any audiophiles but it is a neat little novelty speaker.

Source: boingboing
[ The USB LED Light Tube Speaker copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
Pressy idea: Educational Toys

Did you know the first public signs of the iPhone were way back in 1999, when Apple registered iPhone.org. Silver from iPhoneGold has put together a great timeline showing the history of the legendary iPhone, including domain registrations, trademarks. the famous 3% stock drop all the way up to the new iPhone 3G. Full sized iPhone timeline here, thanks Silver for spending a worthwhile couple of days researching and putting this together.
[ iPhone Timeline copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
Pressy idea: Educational Toys

Bang & Olufsen EarSet 2 and EarSet 3 Music of Mass Destruction UnoCycle Pen Power’s World Card Ultra The Roberts solarDAB is the first of its kind Skinit teams up with Samsung Digital Talking Compass Catty Corner Litter Box The USB Piggy Speakers are anything but dull Motion Computing launches new models Nikon D700 digital SLR now out SentrySafe launches 250GB fire and flood proof hard drive Pest Repeller Nightlight gives you an excuse to fear the dark Tyrant Alarm keeps you up with an iron fist of humiliation Apple and AT&T reveal more iPhone 3G info, App Store preview CG Wants You (for a survey) Thumbnail gallery plugin by SoftSift

[ Gallery of gadgets (07-03-2008) copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
Pressy idea: Educational Toys

Bang & Olufsen, a great North American supplier of high end home theaters and custom multi room music systems, has recently broke into the headset market with the EarSet 2 and EarSet 3.

The EarSet 2 is a Bluetooth wireless job that features two omni-directional microphones that uses Digital Signal Processing (DSP) to assist in clearer sound by suppressing wind and other background noise for the best transmission possible.

This EarSet 2 also has a great ergonomic feel as well. It has a full adjustable clip to fit on your ear comfortably, and a convenient fold out mike. This fold-out mike functions as an on/off switch for the device. Calls and volume are operated by a single, easy-to-use switch.

As for the EarSet 3, it may not have the wireless action going on, but they do have the clarity of sound that the Earset 2 has, but in both ears. Not only is it designed for talking on a cellular phone, but works well for music mobile phones, MP3 players, and is even compatible with the Apple iPhone.

You should be able to get these products from the Bang & Olufsen (B&O) website. The EarSet 2 is about $350.00, and the EarSet 3 is for $250.00.

Source 1 and Source 2
[ Bang & Olufsen EarSet 2 and EarSet 3 copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
Cool Gift Idea: Digital Picture Frames, check out our reviews.

Musician’s aren’t known for being diabolical war mongers. Most of the time they have a free-loving, peaceful anti-war spirit (if they aren’t named Ted Nugent). The U.S. Supreme Court recently rejected legislation that would have banned hand guns from public and inner-city use. This, of course, spurred some pretty nasty controversy among the old Interwebz.

Before the ban was rejected, Freaking News ran a Photoshop contest in preparedness for a nationwide hand gun ban. The concept? Make weapons less intimidating through the design of musical instruments. And boy, did users create some doozies. If names like the Trumpet Pistol and the Russian Banjo aren’t enough to intimidate, we don’t know what is.

Take for example the previously mentioned Russian Banjo, which features an assortment of rockets and bombs as the banjo’s neck and a Russian psuedo-commie star as the face design, not to mention being the prized possession of one Vlad Putin. Yet surely the totally fake instrument can whip out an impressive Deliverance twang line.

While musicians might not be running out to their local instrument stores to seek out musical weapons there is a lot that can be said about making gun-control less of a hardcore issue and more about constitutionalism. Sure, a lot has changed since our fore fathers wrote that fateful second amendment, but it hasn’t killed us all just yet. In the end, the Supreme Court did their job of enforcing the law. Like it or not, it’s what they’re there to do.

Source
[ Music of Mass Destruction copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
Pressy idea: Educational Toys

Did you ever wonder why there are motorcycles motorized bicycles (motorcycles), but there are not motorized unicycles? Probably because unicycles require delicate balance just to stay up, and the high speed of a motor could really amplify the injures received from a normal unicycle accident.

Well, now there is the UnoCycle, a one-wheeled motorized wonder that uses the same principles of the Segway. I’m guessing it also uses the same balancing principle that the Audi Snook uses.

Believe it or not, the UnoCycle has only one button for its controls. There is no throttle, brakes, or handlebar, just the riders leaning in whatever direction. In fact, it uses the same Segway principle of LeanSteer. The UnoCycle has a top speed of 15 miles per hour, but the designers hope they could get it up to 40 mph.

I’m not exactly itching to try this UnoCycle out for myself. No offense to the designers, but this looks like one of those devices where you would expect a little falling before you get it right.

So if you want that experience of learning how to ride a bike again, this is for you. It doesn’t look like it will hit the general market anytime soon, but the way gas prices are going up, there will be a demand for fast, one-man fuel-efficient vehicles.

Source
[ UnoCycle copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
Gift Ideas: The Coolest Gadgets Gift Guides.

I don’t know about you, but I have so many business cards. They are in my pocket, my backpack, and somehow they are scattered all over my house. So if I ever do get around to calling that contact, I can’t find the card. I usually end up looking up their information online and call them that way.

Of course, I could always just take the information off the card and put it some kind of database, but that certainly takes a lot of time for some mindless work. Sometimes I wonder why we even have business cards in a digital age.

I could always get the WorldCard Ultra by PenPower. All I would need to do is stick a business card into the business card reader slot, and let the machine do the mindless work of copying it onto a database. If you have a Mac computer, it drops the information directly into the Address book.

This machine has already won a Red Dot Design Award, and I can see why. I could use one of these for my business, and it would certainly de-clutter my office.

The WorldCard Ultra is available for the on the Pen Power site for about $199.95.

Source

[ Pen Power’s World Card Ultra copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
Gift Ideas: The Coolest Gadgets Gift Guides.

For those of you in the UK this DAB radio is good news, it is purely solar-powered.  The Roberts branded radio called the solarDAB would be great for camping or out on the patio.  Either way it would make summer activities a bit more fun to have a radio that can go away from the outlets.  I’d say just pick up a battery powered one for that, but they always use the most inconvenient batteries possible.  That or  12 AA batteries, with this it will recharge the battery on its own.

Like all solar-powered items it charges when it’s sunny and can run directly through the power of the sun or just use the power already stored on the battery if it’s dark or cloudy outside.  A fully charged battery can run the radio for up to 27 hours.  It can also be charged up by plugging it into a regular outlet if you get desperate.  The radio gets both Band III and L, it can also connect to other audio devices like your iPod.  It is being sold in black, white, pink, red and green for £79.99.

Source: techdigest
[ The Roberts solarDAB is the first of its kind copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
Cool Gift Idea: Digital Picture Frames, check out our reviews.

Skinit has collaborated with Samsung to offer an in-box offering, distributing pre-packaged design skins with Samsung’s WEP301 Bluetooth headset.

The Samsung WEP301 Bluetooth headset features a simple yet robust design that compliments any style. With six interchangeable, easy-to-apply skins by Skinit, the WEP301 allows users to customize the headset to match their own personal style. The WEP301 features a kernel-type ear piece designed to fit securely and block ambient noise for clear communication. The headset also offers a detachable ear hook, up to five hours of talk time, and up to 80 hours of standby time. The WEP301 with the Skinit fashion package is compatible with Samsung Mobile and other Bluetooth enabled phones utilizing Bluetooth v2.0. It can be purchased for $39.99.

Well, what are you waiting for? Go pick one up if you want to stay at the forefront of technological fashion.

Press Release
[ Skinit teams up with Samsung copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
Cool Gift Idea: Digital Picture Frames, check out our reviews.