Popgadget: Personal Tech for Women

Dumbbell Alarm Clock Makes Exercise Like Clockwork

With American waistlines on a steady increase, it's important that we use every spare second to fight the battle of the bulge. Fred & Friends, maker of fun and practical products has just what the doctor ordered with it's latest creation, the SHAPE UP. This handy little gadget pulls double duty as an alarm clock and a free weight.

Simply set the alarm for your usual wake up time and catch a good night's sleep. When it's time to wake up, the alarm sounds, but unlike regular alarm clocks, you can't shut it off with an uncoordinated, early morning button push. To turn off the alarm you have to do 30 reps with it.
That's right, you actually have to exercise in order to turn off the racket.

SHAPE UP is as environmentally-friendly as it is health-conscious. The clock comes packaged in a clear recycable box. Perfect for a health buff or someone that needs a little gentle prodding to get to the gym, the SHAPE UP makes a great gift.

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Posted by sherri Category: home | appliances
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Fulton Innovation Wants to Turn Your Sofa into a Wireless Charger

With our lives becoming increasingly digital, we need an ever growing amount of gadgets to keep up. And where there are more gadgets, there are more wires and clutter. To combat the problem, many companies are going the wireless route using routers to keep our gadgets connected to the net, but technology to wirelessly charge our toys has been slow in coming. But if infrastructure manufacturer Leggett & Platt and Fulton Innovation have their way, soon gadget geeks will have a stylish and comfortable way to keep all their digital necessities charged and ready.

]]> Fulton Innovation is the creator eCoupled Intelligent wireless power. The system delivers electricity to devices via near-inductive coupling and microprocessor technology. There are of course other proprietary algorithms and technology that goes into it, but that's on a need to know basis. Fulton has taken their tech and combined it with Leggett & Platt who makes a number of different things including furniture parts to create furniture that can charge your gadgets by simply placing them down on the furniture.

Prototype designs including a work table, an executive desk, and lounge and residential seating were recently unveiled at the 2009 NeoCon World's Trade Fair. The exhibit also showcased eCoupled-enabled cell phones, lamps, and laptops. Anxious to see if this technology goes to market. If it does, it has the potential to change the way we interact with our tech and our recliners.

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Posted by sherri Category: home
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New website encourages parents to Panic About Babies

It seems like expectant parents are always being faced with incredibly scary information (like the fact that if you're pregnant, that baby is going to come out of you, and it is going to hurt, or that you are going to be sole caretakers of another human being, that kind of stuff). "Don't panic!" Parenting books exude, while you're hyperventilating into the paper bag they came in.

Well, a new site launched this week by popular "mommybloggers" Alice Bradley (aka Finslippy) and Eden Marriott Kennedy (of Fussy fame) takes a total different tack.

]]> Called Let's Panic About Babies! it takes a tongue-in-cheek look at totally panic-worthy scenarios, like becoming pregnant or having a baby that looks like Ernest Borgnine. An antidote to the preachy perfectionist parenting advice sites out there (you know who you are) LPAB is sure to be a relief to new parents everywhere - and is pretty darn funny for anyone else, too. Think of it as The Onion of parenting.

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Posted by Diane Category: on the web
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Another USB hub that's much more

Here's yet another USB hub with a difference - this one has an integrated luminous calculator for number crunching, a mouse pad and a 3-port hub, all rolled (out) into one entity.

The USP of this device is that it lights up with a "blue, moody light" that illuminates the calculator making it look pretty fetching (in complete darkness, ofcourse). And it is super-slim too, measuring just around 4mm in thickness. The calculator can be switched off and used as a mouse pad, or as a USB 1.1 (only ?) hub. The device itself runs either on external power supply or a single battery (power adapter / battery included).

Well, if you haven't bought yourself even one of the zillion USB-hub-cum-this-'n-that devices yet, head on to GizFever and check this one out. Costs $17.99.

Via Engadget.

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Posted by kanchana Category: devices | misc gadgets | peripherals
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14 year old girl discovers supernova

We're more used to seeing news stories about teenage girls running up astronomical cell phone bills than having an interest in astronomy, but 14 year old Caroline Moore is clearly exceptional. Caroline, who is from New York, was scouting the night sky with her amateur telescope when she spotted celestial object SN 2008ha (catchy name, huh?)

The supernova is an exploded star located 70 million light-years away from Earth (approx) and no-one had ever identified it before. It appears to be unusually bright.

As Alex Filippenko, the leader of the supernova group at the University of California in Berkeley told Softpedia.com:

“Coincidentally, the youngest person to ever discover a supernova found one of the most peculiar and interesting supernovae ever."

Kudos, Caroline - keep up the great work!

Image: NASA.

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Posted by Diane Category: science
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What does the internet think ?

Ever wondered what that huge informational powerhouse called the "internet" thinks about a particular topic, say - Barack Obama, Swine Flu, The iPhone 3Gs, or just Dirty Laundry?

Well, being the powerful entity that it is, the "internet" ought to have a mind of its own now, doesn't it? Which is why this site called whatdoestheinternetthink tries to demystify those nagging questions which have, until now, remained unanswered. whatdoestheinternetthink analyses the search results from popular search engines (Google, Yahoo & Bing), and categorizes the final result on the topic as being Positive, Negative, or Don't Care. It also colorfully depicts the percentage of search results that fall under each of these three categories, along with a short summary of this topic being discussed on Twitter.

Pretty useful and gets quite addictive. Plus, it was quite interesting for me to know that 64.7% of the internet doesn't really care about Michelle Obama, while 71% is actually positive on Lindsay Lohan (according to Google). Hmmm.

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Posted by kanchana Category: on the web
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What's the miracle cure for cellulite?

There is none. But you knew that.

The New York Times's Catherine Saint Louis explains why. If you are beach-bound, there's really only one small ray of hope. Your cellulite may be temporarily less noticeable if the skin around it is plumped up. Cellulite creams and machines often work this way. They irritate your skin so that it swells, which disguises lumpiness a little bit for a little while.

Very irritating.

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Posted by Tam Category: body
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Sony Ericsson Wants to Light up Your Wardrobe

As our gadgets have become more prevalent in our lives, it's also become a necessity for our tech to not only improve our lives but look good while they do it. Cell phone companies have answered the call for high-quality tech and aesthetics with phones specifically designed to function as high tech fashion accessories decked out with everything from precious metals to jewelry.

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]]> Sony Ericsson has decided that cell phones should be more than an accoutrement to a great outfit. With the help of London College of Fashion student Georgie Davies, Sony Ericsson is poised to conquer the world of high fashion. The second year fashion student was the winner of a competition brought about between the collaboration between the Sony Ericsson design team and LCF. The goal of the contest was to push the boundaries of where fashion and technology can go.

Davies winning design consisted of a mid-thigh length cocktail dress with iridescent scales running up one side of the creation. The beautiful accents draw inspiration from butterfly wings, but are more than just a pretty afterthought. The scales light up when the fashion-forward fashionista's phone rings, alerting her that she has a call in a noisy atmosphere like a rockin' party.

Tennis pro and Sony Ericsson spokesperson, Maria Sharapova recently unveiled the winning design at the internationally renowned design store Liberty. No word on if or when the dress will hit the market, but it a great example of how tech can be beautiful and functional.

via Engadget

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Posted by sherri Category: wearables
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Every girl's dream: the weightless wedding

It wasn't exactly a wedding in space, which I told you last year will happen in 2011. But it was a weightless wedding, probably the first to be held in the 30-second periods of zero gravity possible when the G-Force One aircraft flies loop-de-loops. Cost: $7500 per person, not counting the photographer.

Thanks to Jennifer Ouellette at Twisted Physics, who provides technical details on the nuptials. For a more traditional account that covers how bride Erin Finnegan and groom Noah Fulmor were dressed, plus a photo gallery, see Australia's Daily Telegraph.

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Posted by Tam Category: current affairs
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Limited edition Nooka UNDRCRWN watch up for grabs

The footwear and apparel company UNDRCRWN has teamed up with watchmaker Nooka to create this stunning Nooka UNDRCRWN watch which is now available on pre-order.

The limited edition watch (only 200 to be manufactured) has a smart, black ZenV display that depicts the time, date, and alarm functionalities in a unique graphic-like format. It is water-resistant, and sports a colorfully striped polyurethane band that is sure to get you abundant attention. If you have $275 to spare and a love for style, book one now and hold your breath until June 29th when it is going to be shipped out.

Via Likecool.

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Posted by kanchana Category: wearables
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Belkin Makes Hands Happy with Three Cool Mice

When you spend 8-10 hours a day in front of a computer, it's important that you're as comfortable as possible. The right chair, correct posture, glare guard it all works in tandem to get you through the day with as little detriment to your productivity as possible. Belkin, stylish yet functional peripheral maker has just upped the comfort ante with its latest releases, the Wireless Comfort Mouse, the Retractable Mouse, and the Bluetooth Comfort Mouse.

]]> The mice feature a new design billed as the "most comfortable mouse shape" that is supposed to hit the optimal hand position for maximum comfort, but that's where the similarities end. The retractable and wireless mice both feature an all-terrain optical engine that lets comfy peripherals work on any surface while the Bluetooth version relies on a laser optical sensor. Both the wireless and Bluetooth mice rely on batteries while the retractable is USB powered. The retractable version also prevents snags via the retractable cable.

All three mice are Mac and PC compatible. Set to release in the states at the end of June, the wireless and retractable models are available in Pitch Black, Midnight Blue, Fuchsia, Candy Red and are retailing at $29.99 and $19.99 respectively while the Bluetooth model only comes in black and white.and comes in at $49.99.

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Posted by sherri Category: peripherals
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Nokia N79

Falling into the category of a smartphone-that-doesn't-look-like-a-smartphone, the Nokia N79 very nicely fills a niche in the vast array of mobile communication devices by packing robust PDA features into a sleek, fashionable candybar style phone.

The N79 is perfect for the busy executive, socialite, or about-towner that wants powerful calendar, contact, e-mail, and multimedia features without the bulkiness and utilitarian qualities of a Palm or BlackBerry… or the ubiquity!

Essentially an update to the Nokia N73, the N79 feature list is long. Standouts include: Symbian S60 3rd Edition FP2; 2.4" QVGA display with accelerometer and excellent readability / light sensor control; XpressOn covers - box includes several different shells that allow you to easily switch the color of your phone – switching the shell automatically switches the screen's color scheme to match; 5MP still / video camera with flash that is protected by a slide cover (which also activates the camera); secondary front-facing camera for video calling; Navi-wheel - lets you scroll through menus or lists iPod style; FM radio with integrated FM transmitter lets you listen to your music on your car stereo without additional hardware; handles up to 8GB microSD cards giving you lots of storage capacity for music, photos, and video; also includes Wi-Fi, voice-guided GPS, Quickoffice for working on-the-go, built-in stereo speakers, and, of course, HSDPA and Java-enabled browser to make internet surfing zippy.

The N79 is power in a small package and gets the thumbs up. The only real drawback is the keys. They are, indeed, a vast improvement over the N73 and one must take into account that there needs to be a balance between the relatively large screen and the keyboard size (and that I have large fingers), but it's definitely something to make sure you check out when considering this little beauty.

Currently on sale at the Nokia online store, so take advantage of the price drop now!

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Posted by Brian Category: cell phones
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Samsung Makes HDDs Pop in Pink and Blue

Apparently nothing sells a gadget like bright colors. Samsung has just announced the release of a pink and blue version of the S2 Mini Portable Hard Disk Drive, the S Series Pop edition. The colors, labeled Ocean Blue and Sweet Pink are an obvious attempt to attract more female buyers. The Sweet Pink version is even lined with tiny heart to make it even more irresistible, because nothing makes a women swoon like a pink gadget decorated in hearts (eye roll).

Obvious and patronizing marketing ploy aside, there are no spec differences which mean the HDDs still have the same solid tech. The lightweight 2.5 inch drive is still convenient to carry and easy to use. Available with a storage capacity range between 160GB to 500GB, the S2 is great for backing up and using important files on the fly. The Auto Backup program allows users to back up files in real time or on a schedule while the SecretZone program creates a virtual drive for data encryption.

Via Engadget

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Posted by sherri Category: portable media
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Tengu makes a comeback with the new AllStars avatar

They are cute, have an astute sense of melody and can be your faithful dancing partners for the weekends, given that you - the geek - haven't been particularly successful in building many meaningful relationships since you got outta college. They are - Tengu - and these hugely popular USB devices which were earlier quite plain-jane, now make a comeback in their funky, All Stars avatar.

These three brand new characters - Rotten, Stardust, and Woodstock - are all decked up versions of the modest Tengu underneath, done-up with abundant stickers to produce the rock-star effect. Which means, lovers of the original Tengu can retain the original threadbare looks by just removing the stickers. All yours, if not sold out yet, for a well-spent $40.

Via Chip Chick.

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Posted by kanchana Category: devices | entertainment | novelty
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Coway AP-1008 Air Purifiers: Clean Air with Great Style

With summer in full swing, the pollen count is sure to be high as is dander from shedding pets.Keep your air fresh and breathable with the stylish Coway AP-1008 Air Purifiers. Slim and sleek, the Conway is a showpiece and useful gadget combined.

]]> The purifiers are Energy Star products so you won't have to worry about high energy bills. Ten minutes after the air in the room has been cleaned, the purifier shuts off all functions except air pollution detection. The high performance devices have three stages of filtering including the pre-filter that removes larger debris like pet dander, dust,and human hair. The HEPA filter, the final stage of the filtering process removes smaller particles including smoke and mold spores.

In case you were wondering, the hole in the device is more than a design statement. It actually serves as an air pollution indicator and a mood lamp.Equipped with five-speeds the Conway purifiers can purify the air in the room up to 300 square feet.

via 7Gadgets

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Posted by sherri Category: home
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