Sonos PLAY:3 Streaming Music Speaker Launched

After making it’s way successfully through the FCC the new Sonos Play 3 streaming music speaker has this week been officially launched. The Sonos Play 3 is the smallest streaming music player in the Sonos range and measures just 5.2 x 10.6 x 6.3 inch. Yet packs in three speakers in the form of a single tweeter and two mids, each with its own Class-D digital amp, and supported by a passive, rear-firing bass radiator.

The Sonos Play 3, as with other Sonos gear has been designed to provide an easy way to streaming music from the Internet or your local storage solutions and fully supports Spotify, which has finally just been launched in the US.

The Sonos Play 3 is now available for $299 and comes complete with a remote control. It can easily be paired with the Sonos Dock, and used with the Sonso Bridge network adapter to easily connect to your home network for $49.

OnStar FMV Mirror Hits Best Buy Pre-Order

I mentioned back in January that OnStar was moving to an accessory option that would work for just about any car rather than a GM only service. To get OnStar into the vehicles the driver needed to buy the mirror packing the tech inside. Best Buy has announced that it is pre-ordering the OnStar FMV or For My Vehicle mirror right now.

The mirror can be pre-ordered for $299.99 and installation will cost another $75. The service the mirror needs to work starts at $18.95 monthly or $199 per year. I would assume that amount to be only for basic services like turn-by-turn directions and automatic calls to 911 in an accident.

The mirror has GPS tech and accelerometers inside to call for help in an accident and tell the responders where you are. The mirror won’t be able to offer the other features that GM cars give like automatic door unlocking. It can help find your vehicle if it is stolen. The mirror also supports Bluetooth calls and you can use it to make phone calls using OnStar as well.

Robot Band Covers “The Beautiful People”

A funky robot band called the End of Life, or EOL for short has been recorded playing a cover of Marilyn Manson’s “The Beautiful People”. The ELO band consists of a robotic cello, electric guitar, drummer, together with a scanner.

Watch the video after the jump to watch how well the robot band performs the cover, however no information has been released as yet regarding tour dates.

The video took around two months to record and program the instruments and its creator says that there might be another video in the making detailing the circuits, parts and tools which were used to construct these amazing musical robots.

SHOWWX+ Pocket Pico Projector Now Supports HDM

If you are looking for a pocket sized pico projector, the Microvision SHOWWX+ might be worth a good look as the company has now upgraded their pocket sized pico projector to support HDMI connectivity. The non-HDMI version of the SHOWWX+ was released in November 2010 and was designed to provide a convenient pocket presentation device by linking to mobile devices.The new version is now equipped with HDMI and is still the same pocket size and can project an image up to 8 ft wide and is compatible with tablet and smartphones wich run iOS and Android, together with a few Nokia devices.

The mini pico projector can connect to devices with HDMI port or MHL-HDMI adaptor support ing 480p video and is compatible with Apple direct connect component cable – iPhone, iPad, and iPod (TV-Out applications).

On a full charge the SHOWWX+ Pocket Pico Projector can run for 2 hours continually and measures just 60 ( W) × 118 ( H) × 14 mm ( D) and is available to pre-order for $370.

Oh The Humanity! Hilarious Water Jet Pack Fail Leaves You In Stitches (Video)

The setting is a Fox 5 San Diego morning newscast featuring this dude on a water-powered jetpack. The good stuff happens at the 0:08 mark when the expected aero-stunt gets off to a lousy start. How lousy? You’ll have to watch it yerself. See the video after the jump.

Here it is!

But like all true adventurers, not even a surprise submersion could dampen his spirit. See him soar!

The best part for us was when it cued to the studio anchors, who both looked like they could hardly get a word out. Priceless.

Aha! If we’re not mistaken, the grinning fail guy is strapped onto a variant of the JetLev that first came to our attention earlier this year.

Designer Builds See Through Bubble For Antiseptic Nature Views

The thinking behind this transparent ‘bubble hut’ suggests a return to nature, but actually achieves the opposite. As creations by French designer Pierre Stephan Dumas, the bubble line includes variants for every conceivable outdoor environment, be it a tranquil lakeside or a forest clearing. Problem is, why the insulation?

But as pure design, however, this is golden. The supposed features are impressive too. Noise cancellation and air renewal keep the interior fresh and comfy, with none of those odious nature odors. There’s ample space for nice furniture as well, though how you fit a large bed through its opening is a mystery.

These igloo-shaped abodes do present a problem though. If you’re already outdoors, why shield yourself from nature? The designer claims staying inside such bubbles prevents humans from negatively utilizing the natural environment around them. What’s wrong with taking advantage of nature for your own comfort? It’s not as if a few campers with sleeping bags will wreck an ecosystem in a couple of nights. (Unless of course the same campers dump toxic waste in a nearby water source, tsk tsk.)

So maybe these novelties are better in the manicured confines of say, hotel resorts, public parks, and tranquil nature spaces inside cities. If so, then they are good ideas made real.

If you think this is grand, each bubble variant costs $10,987.

Android Powered Mirai Sano Robot Controls Your House

But will it control you? We can’t tell. Judging by its name alone, the Sanyo-made Mirai is the latest uber-gadget that uses Android OS, which is another boost for the Google guys as they now possess the technology to control the future. It’s Japan only though.

Anyway, as illustrated above, the Mirai Sano is a robot that keeps your house in order. Think minutely adjusted temperature, air conditioning, and kitchen appliances.

Of course, while the gadget inclined may embrace the Mirai warmly, it does inspire reservations. Reservations such as: why allow an autonomous appliance to run your house?

Also, it might inspire more than a few psychological horror movies about humans oppressed by their household AI. Wasn’t there a Simpsons episode along these lines? If we remember correctly, Pierce Brosnan was voicing the evil robot.

A while back, some anonymous commenter posted something along the lines of ‘I always knew Google will be the real Skynet.’ How true, how true.

Moving on, the Mirai Sano hits Japanese retail outlets on Friday. It looks affordable too.

SensoGlove helps improve your swing

If you are a huge fan of golfing, and practice your swings religiously, surely you are always on the lookout for something better to help reduce your overall score. It can be said that the game of golf does subscribe to the adage “practice makes perfect” in some way, but not 100%. After all, once you have conditioned your muscles to swing in a certain way, correcting or improving that swing could prove harder than expected.

Well, good thing there are tools out there which might help you improve your swing to a reasonable level. We are looking at the £49.99 SensoGlove, where it was specially constructed from ground up to help you improve your game. After all, the right grip goes a long way in the make up of a perfect swing, and a slight miscalculation or overexertion of strength might send the ball flying far from where you intended.

To put things in a nutshell, the SensoGlove is proud to be the first and only golf glove that sports built-in sensors. These sensors will go about reading the pressure of your grip constantly, where all information will be relayed to an on-board computer which will send a warning whenever your grip ends up like that of Emperor Palpatine’s – which is too tight, thanks to a system of beeps and visuals.

It is hoped that the SensoGlove will slowly but surely condition you to stop gripping your clubs far harder than you need to, resulting in a smoother and more consistent swing so that your resulting scores will tumble just like Humpty Dumpty. There are sensors built right inside every finger, with the SensoGlove’s LCD display letting you know just which finger is working too hard.

Even better is the SensoGlove’s ability to read your grip pressure whenever you address your swing, letting you change and adapt from old ways at it happens, without having to recreate such situations. Talk about neat!

The Solar Fountain Birdbath

Since summer is here for us folks living in the northern hemisphere, it goes without saying that birds would like to come out and frolic as well, and if you set up a birdbath, they would definitely love to have a go at it. However, getting that birdbath’s water to act as a fountain all by itself would require electricity, and you can either use magic, plug it in to your power outlet, or rely on solar energy as theSolar Fountain Birdbath does.

The name itself gives the game away, where your birdbath will perpetually deliver a spring of gently cascading water, courtesy of the solar panel that is located in the center of the fountain that ensures the internal pump remains powered continuously. Only moderate sunlight is required to power the fountain for up to six hours after an eight-hour charge. $179.95 to go green in your garden? Not too shabby at all.

Dave Forbes’ LED-TV Lab coat set for Burning Man

I’ve seen attempts at mixing displays with clothing before, and they usually end up being a stiff screen on loose clothing.

Yeah, it isn’t really a good fit, but Dave Forbes has created a 160 x 120 LED video coat that somehow plays video all over. You can watch a video of it after the jump, and you can see how it works.

You can see that it is pretty DIY, and is essentially circuit boards and LED flex boards hot glued to a lab coat material. The video feed stems from the iPod, and you can see that there are knobs for adjusting the color, brightness, and even a way of toggling it to black and white.

Dave Forbes plans on wearing this coat at Burning Man in the summer. He will have to change the batteries every hour or so, though.

I’m not certain what Dave Forbes’ long term plan is with this lab coat television. In all honesty, I don’t see a practical need for clothes that work as a video screen. Unless one wants to be a walking television commercial at a convention or something.

Still, you have to admire the neat factor of something like this. I’m guessing that you could not sit down in it unless you want to break it. Something tells me that once we get to the age of flexible displays, we’ll be seeing much more durable examples of TV clothing.

Mophie Pulse gives Haptic Feedback to iPhone games

We have covered Mophie’s products many times before, and they are most famous for the Juice Pack. For those who don’t know, the Juice Pack is a battery cover for the iPhone that gives it some extra power when it is needed.

Mophie is working on another device that can improve the iPad’s performance, especially in the area of gaming. The Pulse is designed to house the iPhone, and it provides haptic feedback allowing the user to “feel the difference between hundreds of sensations”. There are also stereo speakers that boost and enhance sound.

I got a chance to try out the Pulse a while ago, and I believe that it was either in CES last January. I tried it out with Angry Birds, and it made destroying green pigs a more explosive experience. Considering that the mobile gaming platform is booming, it is nice to see something that makes the iPhone boom with it.

I was told that it was “coming soon”, and sadly, I am still hearing that. I think that one of the things that the Pulse could do is create some game controllers on the housing. Then the iPhone could be turned into a GameBoy, or a Super Game Boy that is better than the Super Game Boy.

Apple and WiTricity team together for wireless charging

I have to thank my wife for sending me the Source for this story. She sent the Source link via IM with a message that read “Have you heard about this wireless extension cord?”

All I could think about was: “How can you have a wireless extension cord?” That’s like an oxymoron. This is the magic of WiTricity, based on wireless charging research from MIT.

The idea is pretty simple: a circuit converts standard AC electricity to a high frequency and feeds it to a WiTricity source, like the flat rectangles that you see on the left in the photo. A WiTricity device tuned into the same frequency as the source can get power through “resonant magnetic coupling”. As you might have imagined, it is good for lighting, television, computer, not to mention video and audio components without plugging anything into the wall. I got a video from the WiTricity Showcase after the jump.

Apple apparently loves this technology, and has put together a patent application so users can power their computer, keyboard, mouse, or other electronic devices.

Personally, I could use this technology now, as I keep forgetting to charge my phone when I am at home. If I could just leave it in the room, and let it charge wirelessly, I would be glad. Yes, this is technology that I and many others would welcome to the market. My only concern is how safe it is. Leave a comment if you know more about it than my Sources.

Ten One Design unveils Fling mini game controller

It must be said that the world of smartphones with touchscreen displays have launched plenty of new casual games, not to mention complex ones as well which require more than just tapping furiously on the display. Of course, the use of your finger(s) to manipulate a certain in-game avatar might take some getting used to, but what about those who prefer to have something more tactile?

Enter the Fling mini tactile game controller from Ten One Design – this particular model will go one step further compared to the Fling for iPad that was unveiled at CES 2011 earlier this year in Las Vegas – being a smaller version that ought to make a splash with other touchscreen capable devices. What does the Fling mini do? For starters, it will play nice with just about any smartphone model on top of the directional pad of any applicable game, helping you achieve an unprecedented level of control and superb response for a fully immersive gaming experience.

The Fling mini will come with a special spiral design that actually creates physical resistance for you to experience greater directional control. It will function with just about any iPhone or iPod touch game that uses a directional pad or virtual joystick, where among them include Meteor Blitz, Aralon: Sword and Shadow, Super Mega Worm, Robokill, Blade of Betrayal and Dink Smallwood.

Just like the Fling for iPad, if you want to make use of the Fling mini, just launch the game of your choice, secure Fling mini’s center control over the game’s directional pad and you’re more or less good and ready to go – all there is left to do would be to place your thumb on the center control in order to experience unprecedented ease of navigation in-game.

With a translucent and flexible design, it will offer an unrestricted view of all on-screen action. Not only that, throwing in suction cups will pave the way for simple attachment and detachment for spontaneous gaming sessions. Each purchase will come with a microfiber bag, making it perfect for on-the-go storage while doubling up as the perfect screen cleaning cloth that will help you do away with unwanted smudges and fingerprints.

You can purchase the 2-pack Fling mini for $24.95 if you (and your gaming fingers) are interested.

The Portable Power Max from i.Sound

I must have a thing for chargers today. After I just finished reporting on the Superhero, I’m now going to talk about the Portable Power Max from i.Sound.

The Portable Power Max can’t back up the information your mobile device, but it can charge more than one mobile device. This tiny box is essentially a big 16000 mAh battery that plugs into the wall to charge. It has five USB ports that allow the user to charge a great amount of mobile devices, and it also includes a mini/micro USB cable.

The Portable Power Max has an LED status to make sure you know how much power is left in the big battery. Clearly, this device is meant to be used in emergency situations, as it has a built-in flashlight so it can be used in the dark.

Just to let you know, the included cable does not come with the 30-pin connector for an iDevice. So you had better bring that white cable with out. However, a device like the i.Sound Portable Power Max could definitely come in handy, as reduce some clutter of charging cables.

The i.Sound Portable Power Max is available at the i.Sound site for a price of about $129.99.

The iOmega Superhero saves the day for your iPhone

It is either great arrogance or confidence that motivates iOmega to call their backup and charger for the iPhone the Superhero, so I had to see whether or not it lives up to its name.

After all, most superheroes from movies, television, and comic books tend to swoop in and save the day. I suppose that this Superhero saves an iPhone from running out of power at a critical moment. Not only that, it has the ability to back-up photos and contacts on its included 4GB SDcard.

This keeps your photos and other information backed up in a secure place, and makes it easy to transfer this information to a new iPhone in case yours is lost, stolen, or destroyed. You can upgrade the card to more memory if you want to store more photos or data as well.

The Superhero is quite easy to use as the user just puts it in the dock, and a progress bar tells you when the back-up is complete. You will need to download an App for it to work, and you will need iOS 4 as well. At least the App is free.

All in all, the Superhero is a handy place to backup the data on your iPhone, which is needed in an emergency situation. So it really is a superhero, in a way. If you feel that your iPhone is crying out for something like this, head on over to the iOmega website and lay down $54.99.

iPhone 4 Gaming Add On Looks Awesome

We have featured a number of different gadgets that can be added on to your iPhone or iPad to give you some extra controls whilst playing your favourite game, the latest one is from designer Alan Li and it is the coolest one we have seen so far.

As you can see from the photos it is basically a case for the iPhone 4 that adds some gaming controls as well as a built in speaker, have a look  at the photos below.

This looks like a great concept, and we hope some manufacturer picks Alan’s design up and puts it into production, as it looks like it would be an awesoke accessory for iPhone gaming.

Augmented Reality Cinema Brings Movies To Your Location (video)

A great new concept called the Augmented Reality Cinema is being developed which would allow movie buffs to actually see the movie clips play out in their originally filmed locations.

By using GPS the application leads you to locations around the UK and then plays your favourite movies using augmented reality over the top via your iPhone allowing you to see the movie in location. Watch the demo after the break to see the Augmented Reality Cinema app in action.

The application is still currently under development at the moment and just a concept so very little is known about pricing and release dates. But as more information becomes available we will as always keep you updated.

HDMI to Mini DisplayPort Cables Deemed Illegal And Needed To Be Recalled

This week the HDMI Org has issued a blow to manufacturers of Mini DisplayPort to HDMI cables saying that the product is unlicensed and should not be sold, requesting the cables be recalled and manufacturing stopped. The Mini DisplayPort is extensively used by Apple throughout its range of systems, together with Toshiba and a few other manufacturers.

In an interview with the Tech Radar website the HDMI Org explained the reason behind their decision and why the Mini DisplayPort to HDMI cables are illegal, saying that the HDMI specification defines an HDMI cable as having only HDMI connectors on either end.

Also the HDMI Org explains no testing has been carried out on these types of cables to check they are complaint with HDMI standards.

“The CTS clearly defines necessary tests for all products defined in the HDMI Specification. Since this new cable product is undefined in the Specification, there are no tests associated with this product. It cannot be tested against the Specification.”

All is not lost just yet though as the HDMI Org does understand that their is a need for this type of cable.

“We do recognise that there may be a market need for a cable solution rather than a dongle solution. However, at this time, there is no way to produce these cable products in a licensed manner.”

Maxim 2 In 1 Is An Incredible Kitchen Gadget

Of course, real cooks will sniff at the idea of precisely measuring ingredients. But for those just going about the business of improving their culinary chops, the Maxim 2 in 1 could prove mighty useful. What it is is a measuring cup and weighing scale in one.

It might not be the ideal tool for cutting edge fusion cuisine, but with the Maxim in a kitchen, you’re assured a useful weapon in your food preparation arsenal. The measuring cup part is obvious, but its dual role as a scale is, uh, just as obvious. Instead of pouring the liquid, place the portions that need measuring inside the sizable plastic cu and a built-in scale will indicate the weight in a small LCD screen n the handle. Easy, right?

A few words of warning: very hot liquids could melt the Maxim 2 in 1′s cup, which is plastic. Also, don’t soak this in water as it might damage the LCD screen and its electronic parts.

As a battery powered device, the Maxim 2 in 1 uses a CR2032 battery. It’s currently selling for an affordable $34.

If multi-purpose kitchen equipment is the wave of the future, an somebody please make an cutting board that doubles as a tablet PC? Okay,wait–that’s a bad idea.

Supercollar Really Is A Super Dog Collar

Made of polypropylene. Steel wires. A retractable rubber handle. You’ll think feral animals are the kind of beasts on whom this Supercollar will be imposed on. Not quite, as it’s meant for the average mutt you consider a best friend aside from the person you share innermost secrets to. Strange comparisons aside, this Supercollar is something you should know about.

Ahem! The Supercollar is supposed to be a comfortable canine-friendly contraption for trips out of town. Why so? Having a handle on your dog. Not so much to restrict the animal, but to get a hold of it when the occasion permits.

According to the Supercollar people, it’s so tough, it can pull a car. Okay, point taken. It’s not like the neighbors have pet tigers they’d need a super strength collar to keep the feral beauties at bay. Moving on…the Supercollar is unique in that when not in use, it comfortably rings your favorite pooch’s neck. Nos tress, no discomfort.

The Supercollar is currently selling for $49.95.

Western Digital has a heart for Mac owners

When it comes to additional storage for your precious data, surely the name Western Digital would have come across your mind. Well, Mac users might have had their brush with the Western Digital range in the past, but those never really jived in terms of design with what Apple offers. Not anymore though, as Western Digital’s latest generation of the popular My Book Studio external hard drives were specially designed to be aesthetically compatible with Mac computers and Apple Time Machine.

Heck, there is even a 3TB capacity model in the pipeline, where the new design will sport a brushed aluminum casing that matches the appearance of a Mac computer. Not only that, the aluminum case is used for more than its beauty – it will also do its part to keep the drive running cool when in use. Needless to say, Western Digital will promote the use of its own Caviar Green drives within, partly because it does away with the need for an internal fan, further reducing noise levels while extending the life of the drive.

Heated Massage Table

What’s better than a nice, soothing massage after a particularly long day at work? You don’t think there is anything better? Perhaps you might change your mind after checking out the Heated Massage Table– not only do you get a massage of your lifetime to date, but you will also be able to relax in its literal warmth, sending you to dreamland even faster than ever before. Basically, this massage table will emit infrared heat in order to soothe sore muscles, making sure your massage therapy session is enhanced by a mile.

Heating elements within the table will be able to generate infrared heat which will penetrate deep into your tissue, helping facilitate blood flow and loosening tight muscles. The heat is adjustable courtesy of the tethered remote, while the whole surface is capable of producing heat so that your muscle aches throughout your body are relieved.

With a 2,160″ sq. surface, you need not fret about not getting enough relaxation space. The Heated Massage Table can be yours for a mere $399.95.

Cideko Air Keyboard Chatting takes the wireless route

Have you ever wondered about the magic of wireless connectivity in devices around you these days? Well, while the wireless (and for some, paper-less) dream remains alive for many, how would you prefer if your next wireless device purchase is also a convergence gizmo of sorts? We are talking about the Air Keyboard Chatting from Cideko (yes, it has a weird sounding name and we agree), where it is not only a wireless keyboard, but will also include a bevy of other functions such as a gyro mouse, earbuds and a microphone.

To put it in a nutshell, the Cideko Air Keyboard Chatting is definitely handy when it comes to talking to friends and family while you are operating a home theater or PC, perhaps even from another room if you so desire. If you want to know more about this wonder piece of hardware, read on after the jump.

The Cideko Air Keyboard Chatting boasts up to 10 hours of battery life if you use it constantly, and is good for a working radius of 30 meters. Being lightweight, it is a snap to tote around, where your hands won’t cramp up due to excessive weight, while you retain excellent control and functionality – never mind if it is being used for a home theater system or over the PC as a regular keyboard and mouse.

Move the keyboard in the air and you can activate the 3D motion-sensing mouse, while clicking with the right and left mouse buttons that are integrated on the case will work in the same way as that of a regular mouse. Gotta love the Chatting Combo keyboard that sports a 3.5mm port to make it compatible with a wider range of devices out there.

Accompanying the Cideko Air Keyboard Chatting would be a set of earbuds with mute functionality, while the LED indicators on it will show off your keyboard connection and microphone mute status, alongside the staple rechargeable battery usage time, of course. It is interesting to note that the Air Keyboard Chatting will still work with Windows 98 thansk to the drivers available, all the way to Windows 7, Mac OS 10.2 or later and Linux operating systems.

Would you fork out $79.99 for this puppy? Just make sure you have at least a couple of AA batteries on hand just in case it runs out of juice halfway.

Cideko Air Keyboard Chatting takes the wireless route

Have you ever wondered about the magic of wireless connectivity in devices around you these days? Well, while the wireless (and for some, paper-less) dream remains alive for many, how would you prefer if your next wireless device purchase is also a convergence gizmo of sorts? We are talking about the Air Keyboard Chatting from Cideko (yes, it has a weird sounding name and we agree), where it is not only a wireless keyboard, but will also include a bevy of other functions such as a gyro mouse, earbuds and a microphone.

To put it in a nutshell, the Cideko Air Keyboard Chatting is definitely handy when it comes to talking to friends and family while you are operating a home theater or PC, perhaps even from another room if you so desire. If you want to know more about this wonder piece of hardware, read on after the jump.

The Cideko Air Keyboard Chatting boasts up to 10 hours of battery life if you use it constantly, and is good for a working radius of 30 meters. Being lightweight, it is a snap to tote around, where your hands won’t cramp up due to excessive weight, while you retain excellent control and functionality – never mind if it is being used for a home theater system or over the PC as a regular keyboard and mouse.

Move the keyboard in the air and you can activate the 3D motion-sensing mouse, while clicking with the right and left mouse buttons that are integrated on the case will work in the same way as that of a regular mouse. Gotta love the Chatting Combo keyboard that sports a 3.5mm port to make it compatible with a wider range of devices out there.

Accompanying the Cideko Air Keyboard Chatting would be a set of earbuds with mute functionality, while the LED indicators on it will show off your keyboard connection and microphone mute status, alongside the staple rechargeable battery usage time, of course. It is interesting to note that the Air Keyboard Chatting will still work with Windows 98 thansk to the drivers available, all the way to Windows 7, Mac OS 10.2 or later and Linux operating systems.

Would you fork out $79.99 for this puppy? Just make sure you have at least a couple of AA batteries on hand just in case it runs out of juice halfway.

Apple App Store shifts over 15 billion apps

15 billion and counting – that is the juggernaut that Apple has built over the years with their App Store, having shifted that amount of apps by more than 200 million iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users around the world. We do wonder at the spectacle of it all, and just how many more apps could have been downloaded the official way instead of devious minds taking the jailbreak route? That cannot be answered at the moment, but it is certainly worth pondering over.

The Apple App Store is said to offer over 425,000 apps, with developers being credited for churnin

g out more than 100,000 native iPad apps as well. It has taken a mere 3 years for the App Store to grow to its current size, and definitely the kind of hardware which Apple rolled out over the years did play a role in propagating the purchase of apps. After all, having great software but poor hardware is never a winning combination, and vice versa. The others (Android Market and Windows Marketplace) are clearly playing catch up, with Android Market having the remote chance of eventually catching up with the App Store.

The App Store has been a hotbed for start ups and small time developers to share their genius with the world. Take for instance, Dr. Ge Wang, a Smule co-founder and assistant professor at Stanford’s Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics. He said, “We sparked musical magic when iPhone users experienced Ocarina three years ago. And now with iPad, we’ve created the Magic Piano and Magic Fiddle apps. Who could’ve dreamt an iPad would make its way into the San Francisco Symphony?”

The App Store is available to consumers in 90 countries, and it is not short on categories, where among them include games, business, news, education, sports, health, reference and travel. While Apple has paid developers more than $2.5 billion to date, it goes to show just how much more Apple has made in the same time frame to be able to afford such a payout. Here is to the next 15 billion, Apple, and watch your six!

Ballistic announces BlackBerry PlayBook tablet case

If you happen to be one of the few who picked up a BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, then chances are you aren’t too happy with the lack of software compared to the other two tablets which reign supreme at the moment – the iOS-powered iPad 2 (and its predecessor, of course) and those tablets which run on the Android operating system from Google. Granted, the BlackBerry PlayBook is solid in terms of its build, but good hardware is nothing when it is not paired up with decent software, and this is where Research In Motion (RIM) has failed.

Still, that doesn’t mean you need to toss your PlayBook away to some corner while you suffer from buyer’s remorse. No sir, you should hold fast to your convictions and bother the folks at RIM to entice even more developers to their side so that the PlayBook will be able to be on par with its rivals in the market at least where decent apps are concerned. Having said that, this would mean protecting your ‘investment’ – by getting it the Ballistic BlackBerry PlayBook tablet case.

Featuring Ballistic’s award-winning protective designs, you can be sure that your BlackBerry PlayBook is protected from most of the general dangers such as knocks, drops and scratches, making it a truly unique case to have hit the market. It is not going to allow you to use your PlayBook the next time you go scuba diving, but at least it ought to be able to handle the everyday rigors of life and more.

Boasting an impressive three layer protection, this case comprises of an inner silicone layer, impact resistant hard plastic, and a shock absorbent polymer layer, where all of them have been specially crafted so that your precious PlayBook is protected against the worst of drops. Not only that, reinforced Ballistic Corners will deliver an even stronger level of much-needed shock absorption.

Any takers for this?

Darkfin Gloves

Ever wondered how it would feel like if you had the ability of Michael Phelps? OK, so his star has been fading the past few years since his feats at the Olympics, but that doesn’t mean you can just outswim the man at your whim and fancy right now. Perhaps you need some help, and if you are not as well endowed as Prince Namor, perhaps you might want to look into a little external help that comes in the form of the £21.99 Darkfin Gloves.

Yes, this pair of gloves will give you webbed hands so that you can generate more thrust than usual, helping propel you through the water unlike ever before. Made out of durable latex, they are more or less the most high tech flippers for your hands to date. It is said that each pair of Darkfin Gloves will increase the surface area of your hands by up to 70%, and even better news is, it comes in a range of sizes to fit both genders – even kids.

LEDMaps lets you use glowing pins

Some of us might have maps on our walls, with pushpins in them to show where we have been or where we want to go. Sort of like Julia Stiles character in The Prince and Me.

Yes, I have seen it, and I prefer the original ending where Julia puts a pushpin in a map and doesn’t marry the prince. Perhaps the studio would have kept the ending if she used a more interesting-looking LED map.

The LED map is available in the United States and World map models, and have holes in each of the major cities. These holes can power LED lights, and the proper pins will glow in a variety of colors. You can even get blinking LED markers, and you can decide what the blinking ones mean.

I have to admit that it has been a while since I have seen a map on anyone’s wall. In all honesty, I am sure that Google has some sort of software that can give you a pushpin map as a screensaver. Still, I like the map on the wall, and having glowing pushpins on it is a technological update.

As mentioned before, these maps come in two types (world and United States) and both measure at 35.5 x 24.5 x .75 inches. They have 100 LEDs in a rainbow of colors, along with a power adapter with a 9-foot cord. You can purchase a map in a black powder-coat aluminum frame for $199.99 or burled wood frame for $249.99 at the LEDMaps website.

Could myCopter give us the age of flying cars at last?

Another day, another flying car. Yes, we have covered flying cars like the Terrafugia Transitionbefore, and the Transition has just received clearance from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

So are we really prepared for an era of flying cars, otherwise known as Personal Air Vehicles (PAVs)? That depends on whether or not people are going to be responsible flyers. Yeah, right. Do we really think that air-related injuries won’t spike exponentially with the advent of PAVs?

After all, I can easily see a group of teenagers out on a joyride and crash a flying car. Or a guy who has had too much to drink kill several people because of an FUI (Flying Under the Influence). Or some guy who forgot to check his gas gauge and plumets from the sky, putting a permanent crater in his town. Hit the jump to read the myCopter solution.

This is where myCopter comes in. The myCopter system is designed to created a network of partially automated flying vehicles. The purpose is to keep the flying cars out of controlled airspace, not to mention avoiding other obstacles, and fly in formation.

Fly in formation? The myCopter looks like nothing more than a cable-less cable car. Personally, I think this myCopter would take all the fun and freedom out of flying cars. However, I still think we are decades away from this type of technology anyway. Leave a comment and tell us what you think.

Ballistic HC Case gives 5 layers of protection to the iPhone 4

You read this right, your iPhone 4 can have five layers of protection. That’s more than one layer per version of Apple’s phone! Just think, but the time the Ballistic HC comes out for the iPhone 5, the numbers will be even.

We have covered the Ballistic cases before, like the LS last Christmas prior to CES. Right now, I have one beside me that looks like the one in the picture, but it is all black.

Before I talk about it, check out the layers after the jump. It’s quite impressive.

Layer 1 – Built in screen protector
Layer 2 – Ballistic shock absorbent polymer
Layer 3 – Tough impact resistant polycarbonate
Layer 4 – An additional layer of our Ballistic shock absorbent polymer
Layer 5 – Optional outer layer of silicon, with plugs for all ports

All that, plus it has a durable holster with a rotating clip. Not bad.

In all honesty, it is hard to review this case without mentioning the Otterbox Defender Series for the iPhone 4 that we reviewed about a week ago. They have the polycarbonate and shock absorbent material working for them, and I’m guessing that it allows the iPhone 4 to take a lot of damage. I believe the trademarked slogan is “Designed to Survive Life”. I would imagine that this would help my iPhone survive my most extra-ordinary day.

Right now, it is only for the AT&T iPhone only, and it can be purchased on the Ballistic Case site for about $29.99 in black/pink, black/gray, and black/black.