Techalyzer

In the gadget world there is always some new piece of technology guaranteed to light up your world.

One type of gadget that seems to never lose its popularity is the laser pointer. You can get this type of pointer in green, red and all sorts of other colors.  However nothing beats the Five in One Geek Pen which is a laser pointer and much more.

With the Five in One Geek Pen you can twist the shaft one way and you will get a ball point pen. Twist it again and you get a stylus tip for tapping your palm pilot or cell phone.  You press a button and cycle through it to turn on a flashlight, laser pointer and UV light. Furthermore the shaft of the pen is flexible. It is just over five inches long and takes a couple of cell batteries to run.

Yet another fad in high tech lighting is digital graffiti. These are multicolored LED lights with magnet backing. They glow pastel colors and you can stick them anywhere there is metal. Some even will recycle through a rainbow like selection of lights. The idea is that you can use these to spell a word or message the same way you would write graffiti.

Do you want to feel more secure walking through the rain in the dark?  For twenty five dollars you can buy a black umbrella with LED lights beneath to light your path in a stormy light. This very practical umbrella also can help ward off crime if you should happen to be walking through a dark area of town. 

If you are into ecology you might enjoy wind lights. Mathmos wind lights are small turbines with lights in them that start glowing whenever there is a breeze around. They are very charming and decorative to look at on a dark windy night. You can get them in a variety of colors. They look nice blinking in a garden as the wind strikes them and encourages them to glow every now and then. They are packaged on an eight inch tall spear that you poke into the ground.

Have you always wanted to spell things out in glowing neon. Now you can order two by three inch neon letters online. These are three by three inch neon letters. Buy individual letters to form your own phrase or statement, connect to the power supply and you’re done. Low heat and low power consumption makes it ultra safe to install and use.  The best is that you only have to order the letters that you need to make your sign.  Up to 22 letters can fit in one unit

If you are into psychic stuff you will love the latest telekinesis gadgets on the market.

One of the most interesting is Mindset. This is like a computer game with a headset that allows you to try and influence what is going on inside your computer screen with your mind.  A spaceship appears on the screen and using the power of your thought you are to attempt to influence which direction it goes or even make it stop.  The headset attaches to your “third eye” and other places on your forehead that are thought to be sensitive to psychic activity.  This is made by a company called Neurosky and they retail for about $199.00.

The company OCZ is coming out with a similar device. This company has a second-generation wireless version of its Neural Impulse Actuator gaming headset in the works for this summer. It is worth about three hundred bucks. In this one concentrating on a single point can cause a barrel to emit flames.

The software, he says, distinguishes which brainwave patterns represent two basic mental states: a visual focus on a single point, in which a frequency known as beta waves dominate, or a state of relaxation, in which a lower frequency known as alpha waves dominate.

The software works by detecting algorithms that can accurately detect states of arousal, excitement, meditation or concentration. The algorithms are the results of patterns of reactions that have been developed by testing people from many age groups, genders and races and also in all kinds of environments.  In essence this type of machine measures your depth of consciousness rather than anything and it is not really purely a psychic mind receiving device. However it is largely being marketed as one.

The technology is also based on an old experiment where computer wired monkeys were able to manipulate robotic arms so they could feed themselves.  These experiments were supposed to prove that reality could be altered using only brainwaves.

Originally these systems were not designed for gaming at all. They were designed primarily for paralyzed patients suffering from Lou Gehrig’s disease or spinal injuries. Subtle movements could produce real life results for victims of diseases who wore the specially designed headsets.

Even older toy companies like Mattel are getting into the act. Mattel is developing an $80 game called Mindflex, where players move a floating ball magnetically by adjusting their concentration level. The goal is to put the ball through a tiny obstacle course of hoops and cups using only your mind power. 

Yet another game is Uncle Milton’s Star Wars-themed toy. It is called Force Trainer. It will allow children to move a sphere up and down in a transparent tube using thoughts captured by a headset.

There are a number of weirder luxury gadgets coming out this Spring.  Some of them are really novel and worth mentioning here.

The ShotCarver is a good example. It turns your ordinary fruit into shot glasses. Just insert the ShotCarver into your apple, pears or other fruits, twist and remove it. Then all you have to do is fill it with alcohol.   If you let it sit for a bit it is likely that some fruit flavor will be infused into the liquor as well.  For instance you could take a shot of apple flavored vodka and drink it inside a green apple shot glass.The cost of this cute little gadget is about twelve bucks.

Along the same lines is something called the Candle Carver which chunks out the center of any piece of fruit so that a candle can fit inside of it. This can give your table a really natural look.

Usually an extension cord is a fairly ugly object.  Usually they are nothing more than a straight line of rubber.  A jewelery designer named Natalie Coste makes beaded extension cords. She uses giant wooden beads to dress them up so that they don’t look as ugly on floor. Of course this can still look like a heap of tangled necklaces.  This is a pretty expensive bling and strictly for the well-heeled. A ten foot extension cord costs about $330.

If you like retro stuff you will like the QTV Digital Photo Frame. It looks just like an eighties portable television and is available in tacky pink or yellow. It’s more than just a reminder of the Brady Bunch. It has a lot of digital functions including it’s 3.5″ TFT LCD screen. It has a photo viewer, FM radio, alarm clock, MP3 player and video player. The QTV has both a USB and SD Card slot to load up anything.  You want to watch on it.

If you like blinks it is time to get rid of that dull grey mouse of yours and inject some glamour onto your desktop.  You can now get a Diamante mouse that is studded with glittery fake diamonds. It is ten times three centimeters – roughly the same size as one of those binged out cell phones. It is compatible with USB and highly recommended if you want to make your workstation look less dull and corporate.

Also quite glamorous are the new touch less gadgets. You can now get touch less trashcans, touch less faucets and touch less toilets.  This is because these appliances have a smart chip anthem that uses harmless invisible infrared technology to sense when you are within six inches of the device.  Believe it or not you can now also get a touch less shower curtain.