The UberReview » Technology

Sheet Clock Lets You Tell The Time With Your Eyes Shut

C. S. Magor — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:38:23 +0000

Twenty-five years of unhealthily heavy computer use have seen to my being exceptionally short-sighted, so much so that without glasses or lenses, I would struggle to make out the digits on a nearby clock. My solution to this has been to keep my cellphone within reach, but the idea of this sheet/clock has me hoping that one day I may no longer need to. Think about it, a clock incorporated into a mattress that would let you feel the time.

How does it work? The sheet has a special pocket that holds the clock, which is largely constructed of silicone. The heavy lifting comes via slats of EPS “(electroactive polymer, used for artificial muscles).” When zapped with electricity the relevant slats expand to show the time.

[Yanko via CG, Unpluggd]

Coming Soon, a Self-powered Remote That Doesn’t Need Batteries

C. S. Magor — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:52:33 +0000

The folks at NEC Electronics (NECEL), a subsidiary of NEC, are working on something interesting; a remote control that powers itself and doesn’t need batteries.

How does it work? There are no magical manipulations here, just pure science, of the sort that has been powering upmarket watches for years. The power for the remote comes from electricity that is generated by vibrations from the wielder’s movements when he/she picks it up and presses buttons.

Folks in the future will probably laugh at how quaint the good ol’ days were when I tell them that, “when I was a boy, remote controls had batteries”.

The first consumer models should be out some time in the next couple of years. [NECEL via OhGizmo]

Diaper Monitor System Runs on Pee

C. S. Magor — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:41:30 +0000

Researchers at Japan’s Ritsumeikan University have developed a pee-powered diaper monitoring system that will allow anyone who cares for small children or the elderly to know when they are due for a change.

A sensor is placed in the diaper; and a chemical reaction that occurs when the sensor comes into contact with urine is used to create the electricity that is needed to notify parents or staff – as long as they are within 3m of the soiled diaper.

I definitely think that this has more application in medical/daycare scenarios as most parents will not want to know the moment mini-them fills their pants. It will just make them feel guilty for waiting as long as they do.

[Crunch Gear via Coolest Gadgets]

PowerZoa Lets You Power Your Gadgets Up or Down, Remotely

C. S. Magor — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:47:20 +0000

The PowerZoa is a cool little system for those folks that can’t remember to turn their gadgets off, or even worse, can’t remember if they remembered to turn them off.

The PowerZoa transmits power usage details to a secure website which you can log into and turn your stuff on or off.

Until now, this sort of stuff either involved prohibitively expensive installations, or a new house with a tech-savvy builder (Panasonic put this sort of technology into their Japanese houses).

[PowerZoa via Gizmodo, DVICE]

Tele Scouter: Japan’s NEC Takes Aim At Interpreters With Head Mounted Projection Device

C. S. Magor — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:44:12 +0000

Japan’s NEC hopes to do away with the need of human translators/interpreters with a new system that they are hoping to bring to market. The visible parts of the Tele Scouter are an eyepiece, a front-mounted camera and mic, and a small computer that the user wears around his or her waist.

The camera/mic combination picks up sound, the computer transmits it to a server that translates it then sends it back and the eyepiece projects a translation in a pre-selected language onto the user’s eyeball.

The initial plans for the device are for providing engineers with high-resolution guides and manuals to help with the installation and repair of equipment. Considering the price-tag of about $8.2 million for a single system that could serve up to 30 people, I would say that the products that they are aiming to support are their supercomputers, which can have multi-million dollar price-tags on their own.

They are planning on selling 1000 of the systems over the next three years. [CNET]