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Latest Gear Live Videos
Dyson challenges its engineers to build racers from spare parts (video!)
Posted by Andrey Malskiy Categories: Smart Home, Mods / Hacks, Videos,
UK-based vacuum cleaner manufacturer Dyson recently held a competition to see which of its engineers could design the fastest racecar using just spare vacuum cleaner parts. Just like the vacuum clears, there were some very creative car ideas. Some worked well, while others were novel in concept only. Check out the video above to see the geekiest race to take place so far this year.
Gallery: Dyson challenges its engineers to build racers from spare parts (video!)
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IKEA reinvents HDTV with Uppleva (video!)
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: HDTV, Home Entertainment, Smart Home, Videos,
IKEA is coming to the rescue of wives everywhere who are fed up with the endless mess of tangled wires in the living room with its Uppleva HDTV. Yes, IKEA is making it's own HDTV, and it's pretty wonderful. First, the tech: 1080p LED display, Wi-Fi-ready, 400Hz, FM radio, DIVX HD, with three USB inputs and four HDMI inputs as well. So, what makes this television so special? It's the fact that the actual display part is just that - a display. All of the goods are built into the surrounding furniture, which is also part of Uppleva. For example, the television also has a Blu-ray player built-in - but it's located beneath the monitor, in the console area. All the wiring is built into the furnite, so it's not visible.
You can add in your own components, of course, and the wiring is handled the same way, allowing everything to be neat and tidy. Also cool? There is a vast array of colors and designs. Uppleva is modular, so you can build it out in any way you see fit. Expect it to launch in the fall for 6,500 Swedish crowns (that's $960 to those of us in the USA.) Wanna get a peek at how it works? Check out the video after the break.
Click to continue reading IKEA reinvents HDTV with Uppleva (video!)
Gallery: IKEA reinvents HDTV with Uppleva (video!)
2011 Holiday Gift Guide Giveaway: Shenzhen 6-inch White Ceramic Chef’s Knife
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Features, Smart Home, Women, Men, Under $100, Under $25, Under $250, Under $50, Under $500,
We're giving away this next item featured in our 2011 Holiday Gift Guide, and it's a product that we weren't even sure we'd like at first, Take a look at the Shenzhen Knives White Ceramic 6-inch Chef's Knife. When we first looked at it, we thought it was gonna be a cheap, dull knife unworthy of any further attention. We were very, very wrong. In fact, it's become my daily go-to kitchen knife. The sharpness of the blade is more than capable of handling meats, hard fruits and vegetables, as well as softer items as well. Since it's ceramic, it stays sharper than a steel knife, and holds its edge longer. It also won't rust, and is resistant to acids, germs, and oils. The best part, though, is that they aren't even that expensive. You can get this knife on Amazon for $25.
Seriously, I've been using this knife almost exclusively for all my cooking over the past couple of weeks, and it has yet to let me down.
Okay, now on to the details of the giveaway. We've got a Shenzhen 6-inch White Ceramic Chef's Knife to give away,
To enter, use our contest widget:
The contest will run through November 29th, and is open to US residents. A winner will be chosen randomly from all eligible entrants.
Gallery: 2011 Holiday Gift Guide Giveaway: Shenzhen 6-inch White Ceramic Chef’s Knife
2011 Holiday Gift Guide: Star Wars Chop Sabers
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, Smart Home, Techies, Under $100, Under $25, Under $250, Under $50, Under $500,
How's this for a unique 2011 Holiday Gift Guide entry? They're lightsabers, they're chopsticks, and they'll change the way you experience your favorite Asian foods. Grab these Japanese imports from ThinkGeek and deftly maneuver your food with the power of the Force. We're not sure if you know this, but Yoda has been known to carve his Thanksgiving turkey using his lightsaber.
Go forth, brave Jedi warriors, and use your chop sabers to mix just a little extra wasabi into your soy sauce. You can handle it. It is a known fact that eating sushi with chop sabers vastly strengthens your ability to ingest horseradish products. (By the way, did you know that researchers are trying to make a smoke alarm for the deaf using wasabi vapors? We're debating whether it would be more annoying to wake up to the sound of a fire alarm or the punch in the nose that only wasabi brings. What do you think?) Either way, wield your weapons and ready the way for a truly epic eating experience. You can get a pair of Chop Sabers for $9.99 (a 23% discount!)
Read More 
| Chop Sabers
Gallery: 2011 Holiday Gift Guide: Star Wars Chop Sabers
Black Friday 2011: Best Buy
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Cameras, HDTV, Home Entertainment, Hot Deals, Smart Home, Movies, PC / Laptop, Portable Audio / Video, Video Games,
Details of Best Buy's Black Friday 2011 sales have just been released, and we've got a list of all the highlights you can expect to see after the break. Doors will open right at midnight on October 25th, and tickets for the doorbusters will be handed out as early as 10:00 pm on Thanksgiving Day. Click through for a look at the goods.
Click to continue reading Black Friday 2011: Best Buy
Gallery: Black Friday 2011: Best Buy
2011 Holiday Gift Guide: Zeo Mobile Sleep Manager
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Features, Smart Home, Science, Techies, Under $100, Under $250, Under $500,
The Zeo Mobile Sleep Manager safely and easily measures your sleep patterns right from home, resulting in a more restful and restorative sleep. It's a cool way to educate yourself about how well you sleep, and teaches you new ways that may help you get a better night's rest, so we're including it in our 2011 Holiday Gift Guide. It uses three main components--a comfortable wireless headband, your iOS or ANdroid device running the Zeo app, and the MyZeo.com companion website. They all work together to show you which habits and behaviors may help or hinder your sleep, and create personalized strategies just for you. A cool and unique item for anyone, and hey, who doesn't wanna feel rested in the morning? For those without an iOS or Android device, you can pick up the Zeo Personal Sleep Manager, which does all the same stuff without the need for a smartphone, and provides an alarm clock with sleep pattern display that captures your data onto DS card. You can get the Zeo Mobile Sleep Manager for $99 on Amazon.
Gallery: 2011 Holiday Gift Guide: Zeo Mobile Sleep Manager
Here’s how the Nest Learning Thermostat works
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smart Home, Videos,
We just gave you the rundown on Nest, the new learning thermostat brought to you by one of the creators of the iPod. Now, here's a video that shows how it works. Definitely elegant due to its simplicity. You can pre-order Nest now, and they'll ship in November.
Gallery: Here’s how the Nest Learning Thermostat works
Nest: The amazing iPhone-controlled learning thermostat
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Design, Smart Home, Wireless / WiFi,
If your house is less than 20 years old, you probably have a programmable thermostat. It's probably a plain rectangle with a handful of buttons and a monochrome LCD screen, and it's probably a slight nuisance to program. It also probably isn't connected to your home Wi-Fi network. Nest is trying to change that with its new Nest Learning Thermostat.
The thermostat is a round metal dial with a circular color LCD screen that works a lot like an iPod classic click wheel. That could be because Nest was co-founded by former Apple employee Tony Fadell, one of the creators of the iPod. You can turn the temperature up or down by twisting the dial, or you can go through its menus by pressing it in like a button. It can be set to automatically change the temperature based on the time and whether you're present.
Click to continue reading Nest: The amazing iPhone-controlled learning thermostat
Read More | Nest pre-order
Gallery: Nest: The amazing iPhone-controlled learning thermostat
Lark silent alarm clock system launching June 14 at Apple Store
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, Apple, Smart Home, Science,
If you're tired of waking up your significant other (or your significant other waking you up!) when the alarm clock goes off, you may want to take a peek at the Lark. They're calling it a silent "un-alarm" clock, and the promise is that it will wake you up without disturbing those around you. How does it work? You wear a sleep sensor on your wrist, and dock your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad into the cradle. The device will now act as a bedside clock, while the sensor tracks all sorts of into about your sleep cycle. When it's time to wake up, the sensor on your write starts to vibrate, which is enough to wake you from your slumber.
The device will be available in Apple Stores starting on June 14th, and it'll cost $129. We've already got one in for review, so look for our thoughts on the Lark shortly.
Read More | Lark
Gallery: Lark silent alarm clock system launching June 14 at Apple Store
Those interested in showing their eccentric side off like clockwork will find Carbon Design's Domino Clock an item worth purchasing. The three ceramic dominoes display numeric values by the dots - one for the hour, and two for the minutes - changing from black to white in realtime. Check out the videos showing the clock in action and the mechanism development after the jump.
Click to continue reading Domino concept clock
Read More | The Awesomer
