Gadgetell | Tech News, Reviews, and Interesting Things

Britain’s lollypop ladies, the equivalent of our school crossing guards here in the US, have just been issued cameras and portable DVRs to record incidents of “lollipop rage” or school zone road rage. The cameras record traffic from both sides and feed their footage to an Archos portable DVR. The system was developed by a British firm known as Routesafe, and several local authorities have already implemented it in their communities.

“It’s unbelievable that we have to take this action,” says the chairman of the Local Government Association’s transport board, “but the lives of children are at risk from increasing numbers of drivers who are so selfish that they are willing to put lives at risk by refusing to stop for 30 seconds at a school crossing.”

Road rage is becoming an increasing problem in the UK. Anyone caught by this new system will be fined £1,000, which equals roughly $2000 US, and also have 3 points placed on their driver’s license. 

Via [Gizmodo]

Boosted has just introduced a trio of new headphones, the Grande (pictured above), Pequeno and Stiloso (pictured below), all of which are available in a few colors and are designed for the “technologically savvy individual.” The headphones all have a standard 2.5mm jack, come with a variety of adapters and feature an in-line microphone that will allow you to switch between your music and call.

The Grande headphones are an over-the-ear style, while the Pequeno are an on-ear style and both feature a soft touch surface with swivel earcups. The Stiloso offer a classic vintage look. The Stiloso and Grande headphones are currently available and retail for $52 and $70 respectively.

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Samsung is treating all you couch potatoes out there with their latest products that might make you burn your wallets—the HTS-AS720 Home Theater System and the BD-P1500 Blu-ray player. Samsung is really teasing us with these new products as you would certainly want to have not just one but both of them. Because how good is a home theater system if you don’t use a BD player with it, right?

So, first up we have the HTS-AS720 Home Theater System with its 5.1 channel receiver, subwoofer and six satellite speakers all boasting of 650 watts total power. Adding pleasure to the viewing experience is an amplifier that features Dolby True HD Support and DTS HD pass through. 

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While we are taking some time getting our full thoughts down, we wanted to show off the pics of the latest gadget to make its way into the Gadgetell headquarters. Its the Kicker iK500 iPod speaker system. While we have the iK500 which is made exclusively for the iPod, Kicker also has the zKick ZK500 for the Microsoft Zune.

Aside from the obvious difference that one is made for the Zune and the other for the iPod, they both offer the same features. The systems both ship with a remote control that offers a full range of options, and have two 5-inch woofers, two 3/4-inch tweeters, one 6-inch square reflex subwoofer that are powered by a 40-watt stereo amplifier. In addition they both have a 1/8-inch stereo aux-in jack and stereo RCA out. They both measure in at 8.5 x 19.2 x 8.4-inches and weigh 9.2-pounds.

The iK500 includes eight dock inserts that will allow for just about any iPod to fit snugly in place, and the ZK500 comes with three inserts to fit the various available Zune players. The iK500 and ZK500 both retail for $299.99 and are currently available. During our (so far brief) testing the system sounded great and worked well with a variety of iPods, to include the nano, Shuffle and even the iPhone, while in airplane mode. Be sure to check back for our full review and in the mean time enjoy the pics…

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Only days after the announcement of the NFC-enabled Nokia 6212 Classic, there is already an NFC-compatible accessory that goes with it. The Parrot PARTY Black Edition, according to its makers, is the first in the world to commercialize Near Field Communications Technology or NFC. What this means is that not only is it small and portable, but it will be very easy to pair up with compatible devices and pump up the volume. It’s not just easy, it’s ridiculously easy. Think knocking the two devices against each other and you get the picture. Other than being NFC-enabled, this baby also comes with a built-in Class-D amplifier, two drivers that collectively pump out 6 watts of power, Stereo Widening, and a so-called Virtual SuperBass technology. It’s portable and will have a rechargeable battery, so you can take it anywhere you go with your NFC-enabled device. The cost? A mere UK£ 79.00 or about $160 US. Pirate crew not included.

Via [Pocket Lint]

Genius has just released their new 3D surround sound quality headphones, the GHP-05 Live. The GHP-05 Live features enhanced true bass levels that contribute to producing that 3D surround sound quality. The GHP-05 headphones also offer a wide acoustic range which should offer good quality with a variety of audio from classical to vocal music.

Genius has built the GHP-05 Live’s true 3D sound quality using precise echo phase control that creates clear and natural sound. This is the same technology that enables engineers to power amplifiers and speakers to make the sound moves around in a super low-bass, upper high-treble and pure vocals. Giving credit to the headphone’s soft velvet padded ear they should offer comfort for extended wear.

With a price tag of $59, the GHP-05 Live headphones come with an extension cable, a 3.5mm-RCA converter and a 6.3mm gold plated adapter that can be connected to any audio devices. The GHP-05 Live looks cool and sporty although some may get turned off by its bulky design, especially now that there are smaller and slimmer headphones available in the market today. But for loyal users of Genius products, the GHP-05 Live would be a good addition to other their other Genius speakers.

Product [Genius] Via [Business Wire]

The point of anything that doesn’t work as advertised always evades me, and the case of this USB mouse speaker is no exception. Worth $14 and an ounce of your patience, Brando’s USB mouse speaker will play music from any iPod, PC, laptop, CD player, mobile phone or any other compatible sound source via a standard 3.5mm plug. It has a handy switch for turning it On/Off, as well as for adjusting the volume. A rechargeable lithium-ion battery powers it, and a complimentary neck strap is even included in the box for added “convenience” and “portability”. It’s got the basic features of your average portable speaker covered so far, but one thing it doesn’t do it act as a real computer mouse. I guess the exterior was done all in the name of style, then. If you can call its violet “headlights” stylish.

Via [GeekAlerts] Via [Coolest-Gadgets]

Meet the Micropod SE from Scandyna, a Danish speaker company (the country, not the pastry).  Scandyna has been at making speakers for 40 years and does so with a certain flair.  Kinda makes you want to crawl inside one of these things and make some honey.

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The BTA-01 from intempo is going to be a great product for anyone wanting to turn their old speakers, for example iPod speakers with built in dock converter, into Bluetooth enabled speakers that will pick up music from your mobile phone or mp3 player.

Small, compact and easy to set up the BTA-01 is compatible with any Bluetooth v1.2 device, weighs 80 grams, and measures 23.6 x 19.6 x 3.9 inches. It will work up to a range of about 33 feet.

Available in gloss black for around $80.00 it looks like a good, cheap way of extending the life of your old speakers and making use of that swanky new cell phone you have.

Via [Pocket Lint]

The new EQ5 portable wireless speaker from Motorola promises sound with a wallop despite the fact that it is so small that it fits within the palm of your hands! It doubles as a speakerphone when paired with a phone, and features echo-cancellation and noise-reduction for clear communication. The integration of controls permits the system to automatically pause to take phone calls; you don’t have to stop the music yourself.

Motorola boasts that it is a global communications leader, a company whose artists and scientists are revolutionizing broadband, embedded systems and wireless networks. They are known for their introduction of cutting-edge technologies that are stylish as well. The EQ5 portable wireless speaker stands up to Motorola’s claim, although will not be available until spring of this year. Some of its other neat specs will include: play time up to 8 hours, a rechargeable, non-replaceable battery, Bluetooth availability, speakerphone and controls for hands-free functionality, bass ports for improved sound and a 3.5mm jack to connect to non-Bluetooth enabled music-players.

Via [New Launches]