[MobileRatty] tag: body

Robotic suit that helps people with mobility problems available for rent in Japan

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 12:31:37 +0000

Cyberdyne a new company in Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan will mass-produce a robotic suit that reads brain signals and helps people with mobility problems. HAL- short for hybrid assistive limb -is a computerized suit with sensors that read brain signals directing limb movement through the skin. The robotic suit will be available for rent in Japan for ¥220,000 ($2,200) a month .The invention may have far-reaching benefits for the disabled and elderly. The 10-kg battery-operated computer system is belted to the waist. It captures the brain signals and relays them to mechanical leg braces strapped to the thighs and knees, which then provide robotic assistance to people as they walk. HAL comes in three sizes — small, medium and large — and also has a one-leg version for a ¥150,000 ($15,000) rental fee. The one –leg version weighs approximately 6 kg (excluding battery). Mr Sankai Cyberdyne's chief executive said a full device that covers the entire body is also being designed, though it is unclear when it will be available commercially. Some European nations have already expressed interest, and HAL may soon be on the market there, but U.S. sales are still undecided, Sankai said. Daiwa House Industry Co. will lease HAL suits to Japanese care facilities for the elderly and others for those with disabilities. It plans to rent 500 units over the next year. Source:-

Name the Thing Contest - 63

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 03:16:49 +0000

The prize this week is a clamp meter, it will let you go green by spying on you power consumption with ease. One hint, this item has been featured on Hacked Gadgets in the past so with a little looking you are guaranteed to find it. This contest will run for one week (Oct 11 - Oct 16, 2008) . Ending time is based on central standard time. To enter, identify the item pictured above and give an example of what can be done with it. Please do not give the answer in the comments.

Send an email to contest @ hackedgadgets.com with "Name the Thing Contest" as the subject, and the message body consisting of:

The name of the item in the above picture
An example of what the item pictured above can be used for

The winner will be chosen at random from all of the correct entries.

Below is a picture of the prize.

Samsung SGH-A637: a simple 3G phone with support for navigation services

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 12:12:00 +0000

The company Samsung officially presented its simple mobile phone model A637, made in the form-factor "monoblock". Deepening the simplicity of the phone is visible at a glance - from the rounded forms of body and keys, and ending with the color of the phone - white bylym. In the same vein, functional phone is not available against the backdrop of such models, except that support for GPS navigation services and opportunities to work in third-generation networks. It added that the phone will be distributed among the North American mobile operator AT & T.

Other specifications Samsung SGH-A637:

• Support for communications standards: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, GPRSRS / EDGE Class 10; UMTS 1900/850 MHz
• Dimensions: 86.6 h45h20, 6 mm
• Weight: 92 gr.
• Display: 1.9-inch, a resolution QCIF, TFT, displaying more than 262 thousand colors
• Camera: 1.3 MP with support for video
• Messaging: SMS, MMS, E-Mail, IM
• Support for the music service operator
• Built in MP3 player
• Integrated Internet browser
• Support for Java applications
• Sound: 64-tone polyphonic ringtones, MP3-ringtones
• Support memory card format microSD (up to 8 GB)
• GPS Navigation
• Other applications: Calendar, Calculator, Notes, Tasks, values and conversion rates, Voice Alarm Clock, World Clock

10 Ways to Ditch Guitar Hero and Score With Real Groupies [Thank Giz It's Friday]

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 12:00:00 +0000

So, Guitar Hero: World Tour is set to drop on the 26th. That is all well and good if you are a fan, but the last time I checked, record labels were not handing out millions of dollars to Guitar Hero virtuosos so they could tour the world and score with groupies. The only way that is going to happen is if you learn how to play a real instrument and get yourself on stage. That is where the following gadgets can help.

Drums:

Drum Kit Shirt: Sure, you could by a real drum kit—but that can be expensive. This drum kit shirt plays seven drum sounds when you tap different areas and it will only set you back $30. [Think Geek via Link]

Drum Table: Yup...it's a table with drums built-in. The way I see it, this would be a great way to score with the ladies when everyone is drinking at a party. I mean look at this dude, he seems well on his way to a foursome. Prices range from $800 to $2,900. [Musical Furnishings via Link]

DrumPants: By dismantling a MIDI keyboard and hooking it up to his pants with a couple of piezo transducers, Tyler Freeman was able to turn his legs into playable drums. If you throw the shirt on top of this, you would basically turn your entire body into a giant kit. [Link]

Guitars:

Angel Sword Guitar: Slay your fans with rock and slay your enemies with steel. Too bad this nerd axe is a one of a kind item. [Link]

Gibson's Robotic Guitar: If you are too lazy to manually tune your guitar, this Gibson will do it for you at the push of a button. Servos tune the guitar to one of seven presets with A440 as a default and the remaining six based on hit songs. Unfortunately, this limited edition instrument will set you back well over $2000 if you manage to find one. [Gibson via Link]

Moog Paul Vo Edition: Moog, a company known for their synthesizers, have branched out to the world of guitars with the Paul Vo Edition. What makes it worth $6500 you ask? Well, it sure as hell isn't looks. However, it does claim to have "infinite sustain." Sure, you can already achieve similar effects with pedals, but the Moog product site claims that it is "like no other sustainer; infinite sustain on every string, at every fret position and at any volume. You may have heard sustain before but not with this power (we call it "Vo Power") and clarity." [Moog via Link]

Synthesizers:

Beamz: The Beamz system uses a series of six lasers that play sounds from instruments like the guitar, violin and even the cowbell when the beam is broken with your hand. If it feels like a Sharper Image gadget to you, good call. Beamz was on sale there before the company went belly up. Don't let that deter you though. You can still get your hands on one from the Beamz website for $400. Oh, and this video is the most hysterically uncomfortable thing I have watched in a long time. [Beamz via Link]

Korg DS-10: Unlike Guitar Hero, you can actually use this game to make music. Basically, Korg took their famous MS-10 synthesizer and squeezed it onto a DS. It features a four-part drum machine, six-track (analog synth x 2, drum machine x 4) /16-step sequencer, delay, chorus and flanger sound effects and the ability to exchange sounds and songs and play multiple units wirelessly. Currently available in Japan for 4,800 yen ($48). [Korg DS-10 via Link]

Piano:

Mini Grand Piano: Have you priced grand pianos lately? Yeah, we are talking tens of thousands of dollars. The good news is that this version from Segatoys will only set you back $570. The bad news is that each one of the playable keys is only 4mm wide. It may be mini, but you can still play like mozart with a stylus. [Audiocubes]

"Alternative" Instruments:

Light Up Tambourine: Okay, maybe cool instruments aren't your thing. However, that doesn't mean you can't rock out. Hey, Davy Jones got lots of chicks playing one of these back in the day. Available for $15. [LB Toys]

Air Guitar (Bonus): So you are good at Guitar Hero but you lack actual musical ability. No worries—you always have air guitar. And if you are wondering how you can get groupies doing something so lame, check out the video of air guitar champion Ochi Dainoji Yosuke doing his thing. So the lesson here is that it's not what you play but where you play it. I'll bet groupies are into anyone performing on a stage. Available for around $4. [stuff4me]

[Image via CNET.au]

Cute Bird Paperclip Holder

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 10:41:23 +0000

Usually people put their paper clip in a boxes to hide it in order to make their desk looks clean and tidy but sometimes it would makes the paper clip unable to easily reached when it needs and would be easily broken when its placed with another old clips. I know how it feels like when we wanted to put those paper clips in our table so bad so that when we need it we would be able to taking it quickly from our desk but in the other side we also wanted to makes our desk looks clean and tidy without any paper clips gadget be scattered around in our desk.

If you would like to easily taking the paper clips from your desk without created a mess by scattered around the paper clips, you would be able to order the Chirping Bird Paper Clip Holder which is not only able to hold your paper clips in its body but its existed eye-catching color would able to cheer up your desk. The offered color is varying.

There is another ability of this cute unique Chirping Bird paper Clip Holder which along with its name, it is also able to chirps when you touch it.

Product Page and type “CHIRPING BIRD PAPER CLIP HOLDER” in search box

Don’t forget to visit out Pet Gadgets categories!

This post was taken from Cutie Gadget, a Gadgets Gifts Blog.

Cute Bird Paperclip Holder

Future Of Mobile 2008 Competition

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 08:10:11 +0000

Our Commander and Chief Matt has been given 2 tickets to the Future of Mobile 2008 show in London on the 17th & 18th of next month and has decided to offer one of our readers the chance not only to spend the a bit of time with himself (that's a whole other competition) but to attend the event with him.

The Future of Mobile show (or FOM for short) features answers to questions like:

How will the threats and opportunities of increased openness affect you?

What is the future of mobile operating systems?

How to gain adoption of your apps in emerging markets

How you'll be affected by Google's latest moves in mobile

Expert analysis of new mobile services worldwide will be given and you will get the chance to see ideas and tactics for breaking down the barriers inhibiting mobile start-ups.

The ticket we are offering is worth a massive £580 and includes a 1 Day Conference Pass, lunch paid for by Matt and access to the workshops being run at the event.

Speakers at the event include:

Daniel Appelquist	James Body	Jason Langridge	Rich Miner	Doug Richard	Simon Rockman	Christian Sejersen	David Wood

Vodafone	Truphone	Microsoft	Google	Trutap	SonyEricsson	Mozilla	Symbian

Our usual competition rules apply. Simply send us a paragraph on why you should win along with your your name, mobile number and email address using our normal contact page. One entry per person please, but feel free to get your friends and family to enter too!

Find out more about the event visit : http://www.future-of-mobile.com/2008/london/

Good luck and we'll announce the winner really soon!

Posted by: John

[ Post Tags: future of mobile 2008,tracyandmatt.co.uk,competition ]

Original post blogged on b2evolution.

lomo split camera will have you seeing double

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 07:40:48 +0000

Looking for a new way to unleash your creative freedom? Check out this wacky camera which lets you combine multiple images onto a single frame of film.

The Lomo Split-Cam uses special adjustable light blockers which let you prevent the top, bottom, left or right section of standard 35mm film from being exposed before advancing to the next frame. A matching set of blinders on the viewfinder let you see exactly what your cropped areas will look like.

Sure, you can put the head of your cat on the body of your dog, but if you really want to see some creative uses, check out the Flickr Split-Cam gallery for lots of nifty multiple exposure techniques.

You can find the Split-Cam over on FredFlare for just $20 bucks.

Man Kills Bear With Stick, Sports Gnarly Scars

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 05:40:05 +0000

Stephen Colbert would be proud.

Jim West needed 60 stitches on his head and body after getting in a scuffle with a bear and ultimately killing the furry rascal with a stick. The 45-year-old man was walking his dogs, minding his own business in British Columbia, Canada, when the bear attacked him, DailyMail reports.

"'All I saw was eyes full of hatred," he told DailyMail. "I took one step forward -- smash! I swung the stick and broke it over her head."

There you have it, folks. Man defeats bear -- and he didn't need a wasp knife or any other crazy new weaponry, for that matter. Just a piece of wood and the cahones of a Spartan.

Hats off to you, West. You're going to have a lot of fun telling that story when people at the bar ask you where you got those scars.

Man kills bear with stick (and he's got the scars to prove it) [DailyMail] (Thanks, Katharine!)

Photo: rbbaird/Flickr

LG Prepping a Windows Mobile Device for Launch on AT&T?

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 03:14:33 +0000

An unconfirmed report may have LG bringing a Windows Mobile Device to AT&T. The device, known as the LG Incite will feature a 240×400 touchscreen that should sit flush with the metal body. Capabilities of the new device are said to include 3G, WiFi and Bluetooth. Not much more is known at this time.

Now that the rumor train has set course, one can only expect that we’ll be hearing much more about this in the near future… and I can guarantee the device will be on sale before or during the holiday season.

Oh, and I forgot to mention that it is also rumored to pack a 3-megapixel autofocus camera with flash. Should be solid.

[Via: Engadget Mobile]

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Numbers Behind the War on Piracy Could Be Completely Bogus [War On Piracy]

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 20:30:00 +0000

Ars Technica did an in-depth investigation into the numbers behind the war against piracy and found that Congress might as well be telling people counterfeit goods cost the economy eleventy billion zillion, for all the truth behind its figures. The oft invoked $250 billion and 750,000 jobs lost because of intellectual property theft have been repeated for over a decade, with virtually no research to back it up.

It's not just industry groups like the International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition that's quoting them either. Everyone from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to the Patent and Trademark Office to the FBI will repeat the same numbers back at you, pointing evasively to each other when asked which body funded the extensive economic analysis needed to arrive at such figures.

Ars pointed out that, even without looking for their sources, the numbers don't make much sense. 750,000 would mean 8% of all unemployed people in the U.S. lost their jobs to counterfeiting. $250 billion is more than the combined 2005 domestic revenues of the movie, music, software and video game industries. Yet policies are made from this information every day. [Ars Technica]