Thursday, October 18, 2007

Barking Mad Dog Game

Don’t Wake The Dog

Can you steal his bones without waking the dog? Probably not the coolest of games out there but it beats the like of Buckaroo (then again most games do).

The thing is this particular pooch is of the aggressive, ‘almost bite your hand off if you so much as breathe near it’ variety. And almost bite your hand off he will, because if you make a dog’s dinner of retrieving the bones, the sleepy hound will wake in an instant, lurch forward and growl. Rrrargh!

Don’t Wake The Dog is available from Firefox for £14.95.

Axxen unveils Pleigo X3 MP4 player

axxen-pleigo-x3.jpg

Looking for a new MP4 player? Axxen has recently released one, namely the Pleigo X3 at KES 2007. This MP4 player does not come with any USB connector cap since it slides out using a mechanism, ensuring you won’t have to worry about losing that cap whenever you transfer files to and from it. Features include a 65k color OLED display, a 5-band equalizer, a lithium polymer battery that lasts up to 8 hours of playback, and compatibility with MPEG 1,2,3, ASF, JPEG, AVI, and WMA formats. the Pleigo X3 measures 77mm x 25mm x 9.8mm and weighs 25 grams. It will be available in capacities of 512MB, 1GB, 2GB, and 4GB. Pricing details have yet to be determined.

Source: AVing

Sol Shaver Solar Razor

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Ever gone off to the woods for a week and forgotten to bring a shaver with you? Chances are when you’re back home, your wife will probably think there’s a grizzly bear knocking on her front door, wearing her husband’s clothes instead. The Sol Shaver Solar Razor is the tool for you then, since it can be powered by the sun while offering a traditional electric razor cut. If you’re interested in picking one up, be prepared to fork out $61 for it.

www.coolest-gadgets.com

Will McDonalds force Starbucks to offer free wireless?

Starbucks vs. McDonalds

That’s Computer World’s prediction, anyway. The popular PC magazine states that the pay for wireless hotspot plan is stale and saving marketing departments competing for your money will offer wireless for free to get you in to buy their products. The longer you stay, the more you buy. McDonalds is known to offer such an inticement, and now it may look like Starbucks will … or should as well.

The prediction comes on the heals of Starbucks/Apple’s iTunes wireless store which allows users to download music they hear streaming in the any one of the 13,000 plus coffee houses. While users have to pay for the music download, the wireless access is free. So why not extend that with other revenue streams as well?

But the real issue is competition with McDonalds. The Golden Arches has recently added high quality coffee to it’s menu (that’s been rated better that Starbucks, mind you), and at least in Great Britain, the wireless connectivity is free. So why not come for the coffee and free wireless and stay for the Big Mac? Starbucks has answered the call by expanding their breakfast menu with egg sandwiches that look very McMuffin like.

In the end, it makes sense. During the depression, movie theaters had “dish night,” which they gave away free dishes with the purchase of a movie ticket. People build up entire place settings by going to the movies. When I was in college, it wasn’t uncommon to go into an all night diner for coffee and conversation, and leave after eating breakfast in the morning.

Whatever it takes to get em in the doors, that’s what Starbucks should be doing. And free bandwidth is a great way to entice them. Especially the caffeine addicted.

www.coolest-gadgets.com

Lilly House blooms right on time

lilly-house.jpg

The Lilly House is one interesting concept as it will be able to bloom in the same manner as a flower within 90 seconds. That’s pretty innovative, and I’d assume it will be able to close up within the same time frame as well. Best to equip this house with some sort of weather predicting device so that it can close before your expensive furniture gets wet.

With the push of a button, the house opens in 90 seconds like a flower and transforms from a compact container into a fully furnished and functional space with a kitchen, dining room, bathroom, bedroom, living room and library. All materials used in the Biennale house were recyclable or recycled.

If you’re interested in checking the Lilly House out, it will be located in Columbus Circle (NYC) from November 28 to December 29.

www.coolest-gadgets.com