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USB-Powered Lunch Bag Keeps Your Meal Warm


Hungry for a hot lunch at your desk every Monday through Friday, but don't want to stand in line for the microwave? The USB-powered heated lunch bag is probably something you'll want to look into, then. It apparently keeps your food at a steamy 140 degrees Farenheit all day, though it gives us pause that we're warned to "make sure the plastic container that you store your food in is of a certain grade and quality" to ensure that there's not "an adverse chemical reaction," but we figure that's probably a minor concern. We don't know if the bag will ever be available in the US, but we have a feeling that if it is, it'll be at least double the size of the current iteration.

[Via Everything USB]

How to Turn Your Scanner Into a Grainy Camera


Here's a DIY project not for the weak-of-heart (or impatient). MAKE, a magazine completely dedicated to the art of DIY, has intriguing directions on how to turn your flat-bed scanner into a nifty camera capable of taking grainy black and white photos.

You probably have a scanner sitting around somewhere (likely untouched and collecting dust since 1999) and the magnifying glass can be had for $.99 from a local store, but we're pretty sure most of you don't have foam core on hand. Unless you're an arts and crafts fanatic ordering the foam core to create the focusing mechanism for this scanner-camera probably isn't worth while.

It's a neat project, but seeing as how you could probably create a similar effect with a digital camera and 'Photoshop' we cant imagine wasting the time and man hours to build this one-trick-pony. Check out the video above for step by step instructions. [From: MAKE, Via: GeekSugar]

Heated Mouse Pad Keeps Your Fingers Toasty

Heated Mouse Pad Cooks Your Fingers
In keeping with our legal requirement to cover every piece junk that plugs into a USB port, we present you with the heated USB mouse pad.

With the winter months quickly kicking into gear, those of us with substandard heating in our homes and apartments will be looking for ways to stay toasty while sitting in front of our PCs. Of course, wrapping yourself in blankets and drinking cup after cup of hot cocoa won't keep your extremities consistently warm. And while you can put on big fuzzy slippers, typing in mittens is all but impossible.

But for 1,980 yen (about $20) you can pick up a USB-powered heated mousepad that will keep your digits, and your pointing device of choice, heated. In fact, you could probably cook on this thing, which can sustain temperatures of about 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit).

We like to keep warm too, but we're not sure that melting your mouse is worthwhile. [From: OhGizmo!]

Keyboard Cools and Heats Hands While You Type



Keyboard comfort is something most people don't think about, but are glad to have. Ergonomic keyboards that place your hands in the proper typing position have been on the market for years. Now, temperature control is part of the program if you put this Thanko USB keyboard (equipped with built-in cooler and heater) on your desk.

It may be a little bulky, but that's to accommodate the three -- yes, three -- fans integrated into the bottom of the device. And you're not stuck with simple-minded binary on/off or hot/cold settings on this baby -- a control wheel on the side of the keyboard gives you complete control over the range of cool to warm blasting out towards your precious paws.

The keyboard costs about $50 and is available from the Thanko Web site, though we hope you read Japanese. (The cooler-only version is available on RareMonoShop.com for about $70. Why the big price difference? Shipping plus a fluctuating Yen?) [From OhGizmo!]

The Mind-Reading Controller for Video Games



Those who love video games but are hampered by poor hand-eye coordination will be happy to hear that biofeedback is on its way to the living room. A California-based company called NeuroSky showed off the newest version of its headset (called Mindset) at this week's Tokyo Game Show, and the response has been positive.

Essentially, the device is hooked up to a PC (playing a custom-made game) and can tell whether the player is focused or relaxed. It moves the on-screen character accordingly, as your brain waves prescribe.

"We brought this to the game show as a new interface, a new platform for game creators," NeuroSky managing director Kikuo Ito told AFP. "Once people get used to the idea of using brain waves for various applications, I hope we will see various products using this technology," he said.

In long-distance learning courses, for example, teachers could monitor whether students were attentive, he said, adding that train drivers and motorists could use it to judge their stress levels and alertness. And girlfriends could tell whether or not their boyfriend was listening to them.

Wait, maybe this is a bad idea. [From: SMH]

Five Things to Consider Before Buying a Computer





So you're buying a new computer? Well, you're in luck, because there's never been a better time -- they're faster, smaller, and more powerful than ever before, and they don't necessarily have to cost you an arm and a leg (in fact, plenty of decent desktops and laptops can be had for less than $500). But should you get a Mac or a PC? Laptop or desktop ? Specs-wise, what difference does having an AMD or Intel processor make? And if you're planning on getting a laptop, how do you make sense of the alphabet soup that is Wi-Fi (802.11a, b, g, n)? Well, dear reader, and potential buyer, Switched is here to help you wade through the spec lists you see on those Sunday circulars and help you make the best of your computer money. Take a look at our crib sheet of five things to consider when picking out your new computer, which starts on the next page, so click below....

Weird Keyboards for the Typing Elitist in You




If you're one of those who believes that the keyboard defines the man (or woman), we've got what you need. Asylum has compiled a list of the most distinctive typing options to date, assuming you're willing to overlook the logistical hurdles. Their list includes such hard-to-find items as the steampunk keyboard mod, as well as the aptly-named Bluetooth Laser Virtual Keyboard. Most of these are novelty items, but there are a few decent options out there that may have slipped through the cracks, including the Matias Foldable Keyboard and the decidedly strange Nostromo SpeedPad by Belkin.

Still, in terms of practicality, we're going to have to give the nod to our own keyboard roundup. Pretty much any 'board you should actually consider buying for yourself is on this list. [From: Asylum]

Kodak Releases Wi-Fi-Enabled Printers



Kodak has two new printers lined up for this fall that offer Wi-Fi connectivity, which means you can set them up anywhere in your house without having to worry about having a USB cord that reaches far enough. Of course, you can also hook them up via Ethernet or USB if you want to go the wired route. The ESP 9 AiO seems to be aimed at the home office set with its additional built-in copying, scanning, and faxing features. Both printers print in color and black and white, and also come equipped with LCD displays for managing print settings. The pair's front panels have a range of slots for importing pictures directly from your digital camera.

The ESP 7 AiO retails for $199.99 and the ESP 9 AiO is out for $299.99, and they should be in stores mid-October.

Emmy Paparazzi Using Eye-Fi Cards to Send Celeb Pics Home



Just when you think the media train (or perhaps clown car?) couldn't get any faster, it does: coverage of the Emmys goes wireless this weekend, as Eye-Fi shows up for the festivities.

If the tech sounds unfamiliar, here's how it works: The special SD memory cards fit into your digital camera like any others, except they're able to wirelessly transmit your photos over WiFi, to your computer and/or the Web.

At this year's Emmys, five selected photographers will be immediately uploading their snapshots to emmys.com, where fans will be able to see photos of their favorite celebrities in near real-time.

"Eye-Fi is dedicated to helping people share their pictures effortlessly and while those memories are still fresh," said Jef Holove, CEO of Eye-Fi, in a release from Eye-Fi. "Whether that's photos you take of your friends uploaded to your SmugMug page, or instant uploads of your favorite actor sent to emmys.com, we make it as easy as simply turning on your camera."

He left out the part where all the celbs look like "mere mortals" because there's no time for photoshopping, but hey -- nobody said being famous was gonna be easy. Makeup artists, this is your time to shine (or not, as it were). [From: Eye-Fi]

Hands-On With New Motorola H15 and H780 Bluetooth Headsets

motorola h15

Motorola unveiled two new Bluetooth headsets today, one of which -- the H15 (pictured, above) -- is about half the size of a thumb and fits discreetly inside your ear via adjustable earbuds. Available in October for $129, the H15 is a souped-up version of the equally tiny H5 Miniblue headset that came out way back in 2006, and incorporates Motorola's CrystalTalk noise-cancellation technology and EasyPair pairing technology, which reduce outside noise on phone calls and make pairing with phones a snap, respectively. Motorola also announced the H780 Universal Bluetooth Headset, which is slightly bigger and offers more battery life (about 7 hours) than the H15 (about 4.5 hours), but only costs $99.

Both headsets also have multipoint technology, which means they can pair with two phones at once --- handy for those who like to double-fist their phones (such as this writer, who tends to carry an iPhone, for fun, in one pocket and a BlackBerry, for work, in another).

We got a chance to play around with both headsets in New York City's cavernous, echo-y, and conversation-filled Grand Central Station, as well as at our local Starbucks and on city streets, with satisfying results. Both friends we called thought we were either in a "Lincoln Town Car" or a "box" (whatever that means), even though we were walking down noisy streets. To be fair, one friend heard the church bell in the distance on one call, while another could hear the a muffled version of the roar of the cappuccino machine at Starbucks, but overall both of these headsets seemed kind to callers' ears on the other end. We also found them both to be easy to pair -- in fact, the H15 automatically goes into pairing mode when you flip out the U-shaped mic, which means never having to remember how to get a headset into pairing mode again (one of our big pet peeves that makes us easily tire of Bluetooth headsets in general).

Both the H15 and the H780 are due out in the 4th Quarter, which probably means early October since they've already started shipping to stores.

Switched Video

 



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