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Friday, 2 August 2013

12 HOTTEST GADGETS IN AUGUST 2013


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The Goods: August 2013's Hottest Gadgets
By Amber Williams,
Popular Science, 1 August 2013.

A spoiler-blocking web extension, Nerf's farthest-firing gun, and more.

1. Silencer

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The Chrome extension Silencer blocks spoilers from social networks by filtering out posts with words that could ruin a TV episode or sporting event. A user enters a keyword or chooses a list; for example, the Arrested Development list weeds out 38 trigger words. Price: Free.

2. Hospitality Umbrellas Rainshader

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The Rainshader is the toughest umbrella on the market. Because its 10 fiberglass ribs extend below a user’s shoulders, the helmet-shaped umbrella is less likely to invert. In wind-tunnel tests, it withstood gusts up to 38 mph without blowing inside out. Price: US$33.

3. Arduino Robot

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Meet Arduino’s first pre-assembled robot. The 7-by-4-inch wheeled robot has two microprocessors - one for the motor and one for the sensors - an LCD screen, a digital compass, and a handful of other inputs. Price: US$265.

4. Hasbro Nerf N-Strike Elite Centurion

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With a 100-foot range, the Centurion shoots farther than any other Nerf gun. To boost distance, engineers added a massive spring. They also designed a heftier dart with twice the circumference of a standard one so it gains more momentum and carries farther. Price: US$50.

5. Nvidia GeForce GTX 780

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The GeForce GTX 780 graphics-processing unit records gameplay constantly, so a player has instant proof of his epic moves. With this feature, called ShadowPlay, the GPU’s encoder auto records the last 20 minutes of action, at 1080p and 30 frames per second. Price: US$650.

6. Milwaukee Tool Fastback II

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The Fastback II one-handed utility knife opens three times faster than two-handed versions. After a user pushes a release button on the handle, the carbon-and-steel blade swings into place with a flip of the wrist. Price: US$17.

7. Devotec Industries Fuel Micro Charger

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The Fuel Micro Charger is the smallest backup cell phone battery yet. The lithium-ion battery connects via micro-USB to a phone, providing about 25 minutes of extra talk time. Engineers used flexible printed circuit boards to fit all the components in the 1.3-by-0.9-inch aluminium housing. Price: US$25.

8. Big Ass Fans Haiku LED

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The blades, motor, and lights are all integrated into the body of the Haiku LED ceiling fan, making it the thinnest one available, at just 2.6 inches thick. Air foils on the motor help direct heat away from the electronics, which control the 18 dimmable LEDs. Price: US$920.

9. Kreg Tool Automaxx Bench Klamp 3" Reach

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The Automaxx bench clamp automatically adjusts to the thickness of a piece of wood. Instead of turning a knob to hold down a two-by-four, a user just closes the clamp. When a bar within the handle slides down to the cam lock, the bar and lock engage, keeping everything steady. Price: US$31.

10. Vertus Audio Vertus

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With a pair of Vertus receivers, a user can stream music to two speakers in different rooms. The Bluetooth-enabled dongles plug into any speakers with a 3.5mm connector. Then they pair with an audio source as well as each other. They have a 30-foot range for makeshift stereo systems or indoor-outdoor parties. Price: US$89.

11. Brookstone Fogless Shower Mirror

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The Brookstone shower mirror won’t fog up no matter how steamy the bathroom gets. A user fills the cup above the 12-by-9-inch stainless-steel mirror with water. The water trickles down behind the metal, bringing it to the temperature of the shower and preventing condensation. Price: US$60.

12. Giro Air Attack

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The Air Attack helmet significantly reduces drag. After wind tunnel tests, Giro engineers found that the tapered tail on a helmet doesn’t aid aerodynamics in many situations. So they nixed it. For cooling, a suspension system holds the shell three millimetres above the head; as a result, air flows under the helmet at the forehead. Price: US$240.

Top image: Giro Air Attack. Screen captured from Giro/YouTube.

[Source: Popular Science. Edited. Top image added.]


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