The Geek Church

Hopefully, you parents have given some thought to how your children are perceiving you. I know that my children see two parents who are constantly on laptops, and I can see that they are eager to embrace a digital culture.

Since they are too young to have laptops of their own, we occasionally allow them to use ours. Right now, my daughter likes the Disney Fairies site, and yes, I worry about someday having to be concerned as to what my daughter views online.

Until then, I think I will let my daughter have my own little digital world on her mimobot. If you aren’t familiar with mimobot, they make designer USB Flash Drives. Mimobots generally have this big head going on, as you can see in the image. They have a lot of famous characters represented from Star Wars and DC Comics.

In fact, the one in the image is called the Golden Panda mimobot by ShanDurRah. I received it at a trade show, and my daughter and I named it Pandora. (I thought it was clever, and yeah, it was sort of my idea to name it that, and I was glad my daughter agreed to it.)

Pandora is special to my daughter, as she can store photographic memories on it. It seems like every time I take pictures on my phone, she wants it on her mimobot, and it is easy to put them on there. She loves looking at the mimobot like I enjoy looking at old photographs of cherished memories.

If you are parent, and want to get in on this mimobot action, then you should head over to the mimobot site and purchase one or more.

Apparently, when Microsoft is not working on shopping carts that follow a user around, they are working on computers like this.

This concept computer uses a transparent OLED display (made by Samsung) as well as Microsoft’s own Kinect. This allows you to reach in (or more accurately, behind) and manipulate your apps and windows. Somehow, there is depth sensors to capture a user’s finger positions that translates into input commands.

I suppose that this is is where I am supposed to imagine a world where users can manipulate their computer in a 2D or 3D world. In all honesty, I think we are trying to do more and more on our computers simultaneously, and we could use something like this in the future as our computers are doing more and more. I think it is odd to have my fingers in back of the screen rather than in front.

There is a video after the jump that you can watch. Until then, keep wondering what the future will bring.

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I think we all know that our phones just run out of juice, and it is starting to become necessary to carry around an external battery with us. When I was at the MyCharge booth last January at CES, I was told that more people are getting external batteries, and this has created a market where people need to accessorize with their external charger.

The POWER Charger 6000 from Zimri Speakers is only available in black and white, which do go with everything, really. No exotic color catalog available, but the POWER Charger 6000 is excellent at what it does.

The POWER Charger 6000 is a 6000 mAh battery that charges via USB to micro-USB connection. It has not one, but two USB ports that allow an output of 500 mAh (standard charge) and 1200mAh (quick charge). So now you can charge two devices at once, provided you have a USB adapter which is pretty common these days.

Like certain products from Mophie, it has a button that shows the amount of charge is in the black or white box. The advantage of the POWER Charger 6000 is that it is small and can fit in one’s pocket.

You should be able to get the POWER Charger 6000 on the Zimri Speakers site for about $59.99.

With Mobile World Congress (MWC) in full swing, we are going to see a lot of new phones. We have already reported on several including the Galaxy Beam, the Huawei Ascend D, not to mention the 10.1 inch Samsung Galaxy Note.

Nokia has announced the 808 PureView, and it has one big feature going for it that is worthy of a headline. I suppose that 41 Megapixels could be too much for a camera phone, but I will leave it up to you to decide. This is a Carl Zeiss lens, and it will make most cellular phone photos look sharper. In fact, it “combines seven pixels together to create a ‘pure’ pixel”, and can also shoot 4:3 ratio at 38 Megapixels.

Other features include a 4-inch ClearBlack AMOLED display, 16 GB of internal storage, 512MB of RAM, microSD expansion of up to 32GB, battery life of 6.5 talk time, and a 1.3 GHz processor. Just to let you know, this is no Windows mobile phone. Instead, it is a Nokia Belle OS, which is also formerly known as Symbian.

The Nokia 808 Pureview costs about $600 and will be out in May.

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Having attended many events with DJs, I am very certain that it is a lot harder than it looks. A company known as DJ Tech Tools makes it “easier” with a controller with many buttons.

They have recently updated this device with a 3D gyroscope. It has a 16-button layout that can be used as midi triggers and then configured with a piece of software that allows the buttons to be customized with different colors. There is even three buttons on the side that can do some cool stuff as well.

The Midi Fighter 3D will also improve the DJ’s performance as he or she doesn’t have to just stand there in front of his or her equipment. Now he or she can dance around and use the accelerometer to make all kinds of cool sound. Where you plug in the USB cord There is a video of it after the jump if you want to see it for yourself.

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Microsoft must have several departments devoted to concept technology, and they recently demonstrated an early prototype at an event in Redmond, Washington. This is a Kinect-enabled shopping cart from Whole Foods, and I totally recommend watching the video above so you can see the future of shopping (maybe).

Apparently, you can download your list to this cart, and so it knows what you want when you arrive at the grocery store. The cart is self-propelled, and it looks like it can go from aisle to aisle finding the items. All you need to do is put the items in. It even scans the items as you place them in, just to make certain that you didn’t pick the wrong item. You can see that the man in the video bought some gluten-free pasta by mistake.

I don’t know about you, but I just don’t see these carts working in real life. Part of the problem is that crowded grocery stores might not be able to accommodate automated carts. Then again, Nevada just approved automated cars, so are automated carts out of the question?

By the way, the company who helped develop this automated cart technology is Chaotic Moon, who developed that brain-controlled skateboard. Now, if we can just develop automated carts with arms that can take food off the shelves and put it in the cart, then I would never have to grocery shop again.

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Some of you might have noticed that we are covering a lot of mobile phones lately, but that is because of Mobile World Congress (MWC.) I’m not certain why Sony decided to announced four cameras, but they have added a quartet of cameras to their Cyber-shot family.

They look quite similar, and I will start with the DSC-TX66 which has a 3.3-inch “Xtra Fine” OLED touchscreen with 1920 x 1080 video recording. It has a 18.2 Megapixel sensor, and should cost about $350.

Another is the 16.2 Megapixel DSC-TX20, which is, in a word, “rugged”. It can withstand a fall of five feet, withstand temperatures of 14 degrees Fahrenheit, and, as you can see in the picture, they can tolerate water (about 16 feet under). It will cost about $330.

The last two, the 18.2 Megapixel DSC-WX150 and the 16.1 Megapixel DSC-W690, are apparently the “world’s thinnest 10X optical zoom cameras. They are priced at $250 and $180.

Let’s see how these do when they are released. Unfortunately, I don’t have those release dates.

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By now, you probably know about the Galaxy Note. It was unveiled at CES, and it was given some major coverage with a Superbowl commercial.

There has been a lot of talk about whether or not the Note is a phone or a tablet. A recent update of the Note was just announced by Samsung at MWC, and this one has a 10.1 inch screen. This is definitely a tablet.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 has a 1.4 GHz dual-core processor and it has 1GB of RAM with storage capabilities of 16/32/64GB, and there is possibility of upgrading with the microSD slot for an additional 32GB worth of memory. In addition to the 1280 x 800 PLS TFT touchscreen display, it has a 3 Megapixel rear-facing camera and a 2 Megapixel front-facing camera. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi, HSPA + 21Mbps, as well as Bluetooth 3.0.

In addition to these features, the new version of the Note will have an S-Pen that allows for such applications like the S Note and the S Planner. You can create content and joining notes and sketches, just like you see on the commercials.

By the way, this will also have Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) on board, but I don’t have any word when this tablet will be available. Considering I have the same information on the Samsung Galaxy Beam.

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Right now, there is a big event in Barcelona, Spain going on called Mobile World Congress (MWC). A lot of cool phones like the Galaxy Beam are being announced, and Huawei, a smartphone company that you might have heard of before, has unveiled “the world’s fastest smartphone” with the Ascend D.

The Ascend D has a 4.5 inch 720 p screen, and it has a quad-core K3V2 with 16 core graphics processor and LTE available. It is about 8.9 millimeters thick and has a 1800mAh battery, which is capable of lasting a while “one to two days”, apparently. As for the camera, it has 8 Megapixels on the rear and 1.3 on the front facing. It is an Android phone, and it will have Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich).

In addition to the Ascend D, Huawei Chairman Richard Yu announced two other phones at MWC with the Quad XL and the Ascend D1.

I don’t really have any price or availability date for any of these three phones, but they apparently will be available in the United States.

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For a long time, I have seen the concept of pico projectors for cellular phones. For example, Motorola and Microvision was working on a concept about 4 years ago. I have worked with small projectors before, such as the ones from 3M, and they are pretty thick.

Somehow, Samsung managed to make the projector thinner, and put it in a 12.5 mm thick smartphone known as the Galaxy Beam. This projector is capable of projecting an image that is up to 50 inches wide. Hopefully the Beam will have some good sound so you can watch a video with quality sound. Most projectors that I have tried out don’t have the big sound to match the big image, and you usually need to attach speakers to get some good sound for an authentic movie experience.

The Galaxy Beam has a 4 inch 480 x 800 WVGA TFT display, 6GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage that can be expanded to up to 32GB via microSD card. As for the cameras, it has 5 Megapixels on the rear-facing side with built-in flash, and then 1.3 Megapixel front-facing camera.

I don’t have a price for “the world’s thinnest projector phone”, but it should be available sometime in Q2. I suppose time will tell if all phones will have a projector as a standard feature like they all have cameras.

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I think we all have had to do self-portraits with our cell phone cameras and digital cameras, just so we have good looking profile pics. These can be quite difficult as you awkwardly hold the camera with one hand.

Fortunately, XShot is here. If you aren’t familiar with X-Shot, it is a camera/cell phone accessory that extends like an umbrella pole. I got a chance to try out the Pocket XShot for myself, and this collapsible pole is 6.5 inches, but extends to 30.5 inches. You know how most cameras have that screw-in hole so you can mount them on a tripod? The Pocket X-Shot has that, and this is how you mount your camera on the Pocket XShot. Taking a picture has to be done with a camera, as there is no button on the Pocket XShot to take a picture.

In addition to the Pocket XShot, I also got a chance to try out the XShot iPhone 4/4S Case. This is a case made for everyone’s favorite Apple cellular phone, and it has these clips that conveniently snap on so you can mount your iPhone on the Pocket XShot or the tripod that you see in the picture to the .

You should be able to get the Pocket XShot on its official site here for $29.95, and the iPhone 4/4S case here for $34.95.

Some of you might remember our recent report on the Zboard Electronic skateboard, and I would like to present another advanced development in skateboarding technology with this brain-powered technology.

The Board of Imagination from Chaotic Moon Labs has an Emotiv EPOC headset, this is a high-resolution, neuro-signal acquisition and processing wireless neuro-headset. This technology has been around for a long time, but for some reason, we don’t really use it for our home computers.

According to a quote from my source, the controls are simple as you visualize yourself somewhere and then imagine how fast you want to go to that point. If you want to slow down or speed up, just think it! Full speed is 32 miles per hour, and it has a 10 mile range.

So, are we looking at an age of mind-power skateboards. Considering that this particular board was conceived and made in 48 hours, it could use a little more work.

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Oregon Scientific, makers of a lot of cool stuff like the Gaiam Watch SE338, has decided to get into the tablet market with the MEEP.

Yes, it is called the MEEP, sort of like the alien character on Phineas and Ferb. If you don’t know what I am talking about, then you really should. However, all name-contesting aside, this MEEP could bring about a new revolution of tablets to the schoolroom.

The specs look pretty impressive as the MEEP runs on Android 4.0, a 7-inch Neonode zForce touchscreen display, and Wi-Fi enabled. The MEEP looks like it could be a fancier version of the Amazon Kindle Fire, and it is $50 cheaper at $149.

Look for it in August, and something tells me my kids are going to love to play “Where’s My Water” on it quite often.

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Mobile World Congress 2012 is next week, but I am seeing many new phones already creep their way in full focus. Already, I am seeing a Quad-core smartphone from LG, and a new 3D Optimus Cube. It looks like Samsung now has the Rugby Smart.

The phone has a 3.7 inch WVGA Super AMOLED display, microSD memory card slot on its 4GB of internal memory, HSPA+ connectivity and 1,650 mAh battery, with Android 2.3 Gingerbread. So far, no plans to go all Ice Cream sandwich.

What really makes the Rugby Smart excellent is that it is constructed by military standard 810F which is dustproof, can withstand high temperatures, and withstand water for about a half-hour. It looks like this thing has a major grip thing going on.

The Ruby Smart should arrive on the AT&T for about $99.99 with a two-year contract.

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Some of you might be looking forward to the Daytona 500 on February 26, and most people would think that racing and environmental protection don’t necessarily mix. However, Roush Fenway has decided that all its Sprint Cup and Nationwide teams will switch to Valvoline NextGen motor oil technology for the rest of the 2012 season.

NextGen motor oil is made from 50 percent recycled motor oil. This “Closing the Loop” program is “for professional drivers and everyday consumers alike – is a step towards reducing our dependence on foreign crude oil and preserving our existing resources by collecting and returning your used oil for recycling, and then refilling crankcases with NextGen”.

As you can see in the video above, Valvoline is pretty proud of this development. Considering that automobiles use 3 billion quarts of motor oil each year, it is a well-known fact that 800 million quarts are not disposed of properly. Sadly, one gallon of oil can contaminate 100 million gallons of drinking water.

You will notice that Advance auto Parts will reward those who Close the Loop with a $20 mail-in gift card offer. If you would like more information, just click on this site here.

Most people have personal Wi-Fi networks in their house, and it is practically a necessity these days. Securifi has recently announced the Almond, a wireless router for “the rest of us”.

The Almond is unique because it has a 320 x 240 pixel 2.8 inch touchscreen to make it easy for setup and maintenance. Users of the Securifi Almondwill not have to memorize an IP address, and they can secure the device with a password that displays on the touchscreen. You don’t need to operate it through a PC or Mac at all.

The Almond has 300Mbps MIMO throughput, two internal antennas, WPA/WPA2 security, and full 802.11 b/g/n compatibility. You should be able to purchase the Almond for about $70 sometime during the Spring.

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I see a lot of interesting iPhone cases, but this one is the M-27 iSteady Shot, and comes with handles and a wide-angle lens.

The M-27 is made of aircraft-grade aluminum and is 3/4 of an inch thick. It has a detachable 37mm wide angle/macro lens with a 130 degree view and crystal clear optics. The mount also has a place for tripods, microphones, and all sorts of other accessories.

Hopefully, this is going to start a whole new style of iPhone cases that are built for taking pictures. With all the apps that are out there now to help with pictures, I don’t see why not.

Yeah, it isn’t looking so good for cameras these days. If you want in on this new brand of iPhone camera action, order the iSteady Shot M-27 here for about $99.99.

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This is one of these devices that you really have to say: “it’s about time”. I know that this isn’t too much of an inconvenience, but why should I get up to preheat my oven if there is an app for that.

Samsung’s Zipel is an oven with some built-in Wi-Fi that can communicate with an Android smartphone, and it can “dial the oven in just right for 160 different dishes”. This App also features the ability to display the number of calories of any particular food.

So far, I don’t have any word of price, but it should be available soon in Korea. Is it possible that all ovens could be wirelessly synced with phones? Please say it is so.

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In addition to the 3D Optimus 3D Cube, LG has some other news with the unveiling of the company’s first Quad-Core processor smartphone the LG Optimus 4X HD. Considering that the company introduced the world’s first dual-core smartphone one year ago, it is sort of fitting that they are introducing their “next milestone”.

This guy has a 4.7 inch True HD IPS LCD with 1280 x 720 resolution, which is pretty large. It has a 1.5GHz quad-core Tegra 3 CPU, 1GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage.
It also has 12-core graphics processing unit (GPU) for good gameplay. It will also run the latest version of Android OS, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

As for the camera, it is an 8 Megapixel BSI (Backside Illumination) sensor camera with LED flash, and the whole thing is 8.9 mm slim.

I’m sure we’ll be hearing more about this particular phone, but MWC hasn’t really happened yet, and I don’t have a release date.

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It is always good to have an RC car, and I have tried out the Nikko brand before. The company has just released the VaporizR, a remote control car that can go on water.

You can watch the video after the jump if you want to see it in action. Be warned that it is pretty fast on the sand, but when it gets in the water, it goes at a snail’s pace. It normally does 9 mph on the ground with its two electric motors.

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In case you were worried that sports were getting far too tame, you might be interested in Ultimate Tazer Ball (UTB).

UTB is a lot like soccer, except the ball is much larger and players can apparently take it by the hands and run with it. Also, there are only four players on each side, and they stop each other using Tazers. You can watch the video after the jump if you want to see more.

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Most of us need a case for the iPhone after that whole Antennagate fiasco. However, the SmartGuard offers protection for the iPhone, and its user.

What you see here in the picture is what you think it is: an iPhone case with a can of Oleoresin Capsicum (OC). The idea is you take out the can of OC when you need it, and it has a special plastic tab to prevent any accidental discharge. It can shoot 6 half-seconds bursts from up to five feet away.

I got to admit that I am surprised that this is the first time I am seeing something like this. I have never been mugged before, but I would imagine that a mugger would want your cellular phone. Not only could they try and sell the phone and the SIM card on eBay, but they could easily steal some personal information from a cellular phone if the smartphone user isn’t too careful.

This case is available in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria for a price of $50 in black, white, and pink.

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I’ve seen motorized skateboards before, but they always seem to have some sort of hand controls or something that makes them look less like motorized skateboards.

The Zboard could change all that as it is a motorized skateboard that can sense the user’s shifting weight. There is no hand controls, but pressing on the front will accelerate and pressing on the rear and leaning back will do the brakes. If it works as well as they say it does, then more pure skateboarders will be getting on this techno-skating craze. In fact, maybe it will be a craze, because I don’t see many motorized skateboards these days.

When it comes to the motor, it has about 400 watts. It is possible to get it in two forms: the 15 mph, 5-mile range standard ($600) and the 17mph, 10-mile range Pro ($850). You should see them in March.

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You know how certain advertisements are targeted for men and certain ones for women? In the case of this billboard, it is deliberately made to be seen by women only.

Plan UK has put a billboard on an electronic display, and then positioned a camera that can scan a passerby and determine what gender he or she is. If it turns out the viewer is female, then she will see a 40-second video. A male will only see a link to the advertiser’s website.

The video is about how women need to get more of a choice for eduction in less developed countries. I may be generalizing what Plan UK does, but the ad is supposed to raise public debate on the issue of women across the globe being denied the right of education.

So I suppose what we are seeing here is Plan UK’s plan to show the men of the world what denied information feels like. I’m not going to say whether or not this is right or if this is some reverse-gender discrimination. I’m going to say that men have it coming, and it definitely says something about us technologically.

I mean, I didn’t know that we had the technology to scan someone and see what gender he or she is. In case you are wondering if we’ll have more gender-directed billboards, you should know that the ad is expensive, costing £30,000 for a two-week period. However, should this tech get cheaper, I would imagine that all sorts of gender-targeting will take place. Just imagine a billboard that is a cologne ad when a man walks by and a perfume ad when a woman walks by.

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I remember last year when a lot of these 3D phones started coming out, like the EVO 3D and the Optimus 3D from LG. It would appear that LG has started a sequel with the Optimus 3D Cube.

The 3D Cube is thinner than its predecessor at 9.6mm with about 1.2GHz dual-core CPU and 16GB of storage. What really sets the Cube apart from the predecessor is that the user can edit the 3D photos and videos on the 4.3 inch screen. All video is shot with the twin 5-Megapixel cameras that are visible in the lower right hand corner of the photo here.

Look for the LG Optimus 3D Cube sometime in March, and I’m sure that you’ll see it sometime in Mobile World Congress and CTIA Spring.

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