Gadgets

For some people $129 may be a lot of money for a smoke alarm. But the new 'Nest Protect' is packed with technologies not usually included with your average smoke alarm. The device is the work of Nest Labs, a company that made its name a couple of ... years ago with an automatically adjusting thermostat capable of cutting energy bills by up to 20 per cent. The company's new smoke alarm features built-in WiFi. It automatically sends messages to your mobile phone when the batteries are beginning to run low and will also send an alert if it detects a fire -- meaning that if you are away from home you ... (view more)

Disney has developed a way to use a sheet of paper as a power source, thereby eliminating the need for batteries. The concept is being tested and, if those tests prove successful, the idea could be used to make Disney children's books. But it could ... also prove useful for a range of gadgets. The system uses electret, a material that permanently holds an electrical charge. It works with static electricity, but can be compared to a magnet. Teflon, more commonly associated with non-stick cookware, is an electret material. If you rub Teflon against paper, it creates an opposing electrical charge in ... (view more)

An electronics firm has unveiled a wristwatch device that helps parents stay in touch with young children. It's aimed at people who think their kids are too young to have a smartphone. Filip Technologies says its watch, which is called the 'FiLip', ... is aimed at children aged 4 to 11. Although the FiLiP watch uses smartphone technology, it only performs a few functions and has just two buttons. (Source: myfilip.com ) Pressing one button will place a phone call. However, the child can only choose between one of up to five pre-programmed numbers. The phones using those numbers can also call or ... (view more)

A Japanese phone company is working on a pair of spectacles that can automatically translate text. The device works even if the user is looking at a language with a different alphabet system. The device is produced by NTT Docomo and is known as ... 'Intelligent Glasses'. It's only a prototype at the moment, but was recently shown off at an electronics show in Japan. The glasses feature a frame-based camera and a transparent lens that can display information to the user. Among the main uses: translating text from documents before a user. Unlike some visual translation tools, the system can ... (view more)

The US Air Force (USAF) has signed a deal to develop a new platform that could solve the problem of unreliable global positioning system (GPS) tracking in densely populated urban areas. It could also help drivers, but through cars rather than mobile ... devices. While a sophisticated technology, the principle of how GPS works is remarkably simple. A fleet of satellites orbit the Earth at a consistent speed, meaning their precise location at any particular moment is known. Each satellite is constantly beaming signals to the ground, with each signal bearing a timestamp. As soon as a device on the ... (view more)

A video of comedian Louis CK ranting about his kids' use of smartphones recently went viral on the Internet. But two Canadian parents are doing more than just complaining about their kids' obsessive smartphone use -- instead, they're ditching any ... and all gadgets released after 1986. Guelph, Ontario's Blair McMillan (26) and girlfriend Morgan (27) say they grew tired of their two kids -- five-year-old Trey and two-year-old Denton -- constantly spending their days glued to various iDevices, including Apple's iPhone and iPad. Blair was especially frustrated with his children's complete lack of ... (view more)

Samsung, maker of the extremely popular 'Galaxy' smartphone, is reportedly planning to announce its very own 'smartwatch'. In fact, that announcement could come as early as this September. South Korea-based Samsung is planning to reveal details for ... its new smartwatch at a Wednesday, September 4, 2013 event, reports Bloomberg News. A likely setting for such an unveiling: Germany's IFA consumer electronics trade show. Like the Galaxy smartphones, the rumored smartwatch device will feature a special version of Google's very popular Android operating system. It's also been suggested that the new ... (view more)

Think you're a safe driver because you use hands-free technologies to communicate with friends and family while behind the wheel? Think again. The American Automobile Association (AAA) is recommending drivers not use such tools at all while driving ... their vehicles. The recommendation follows a study by a cognitive distraction researcher and his team at the University of Utah. The researchers carried out a series of tests that showed drivers could still be distracted when using hands-free communications tools. AAA chief Robert Darbelnet said the group's suggestion to avoid the technology might ... (view more)

A group dedicated to protecting civil rights has released a high-tech bracelet that can automatically send out a location-based alert if the wearer is kidnapped. However, the organization says it needs financial assistance to protect more workers. ... The bracelet is produced by the Sweden-based Civil Rights Defenders group, an independent organization that sends workers into foreign countries to help prevent human rights violations. The idea for the bracelet came after the 2009 death of Natalia Estermirova in Chechnya. She was kidnapped and later found murdered. The organization believes she was ... (view more)

Fujitsu has revealed a special, high-tech walking cane with built-in satellite navigation features. The firm has also unveiled a smartphone specially designed for elderly users. Fujitsu's 'Next Generation Cane' allows users to set a route and get ... directions through an LED display positioned at the top of the handle. That display provides directions in the form of a a large yellow arrow; if the user turns the wrong way, the handle vibrates to alert them. (Source: bbc.co.uk ) The device also allows friends and family to track a user's location. It's possible to set the cane to send an email ... (view more)