Keeping the dog out of the garbage can or your cat from going through your underwear generally calls for a lock and key scenario. But that’s hardly a geeky answer and won’t condition Rex to think twice before he digs through bacon grease and chicken bones.
Enter the SpyNet Laser Trip Wire. Yup, the same tech we grew up watching in movies – Catherine Zeta Jones comes to mind – is now ready for your kitchen, living room, heck even your cubicle.
The system includes a transmitter that beams a laser to a receiver unit, as well as 2 mirror units to expand its reach around corners and through door ways. If someone, or something crosses its path an audible alert will be sounded, notifying you that there is an intruder in your midst. You’ll need 6 AAA batteries to power this setup, but they should last up to 5-10 hours with continuous use, at least that’s our best guess based on our laser experience.
A typical shoe store probably has just a few hundred pairs of shoes on display, which seriously limits consumer choices. The adiVERSE shoe wall displays up to 4000 shoes, allowing customers to scroll, zoom and rotate as if they’re holding the real thing.
Okay, so nothing beats holding the physical object. But if anything is gonna come close in terms of a compelling “online experience” it has to be adidas’ adiVERSE shoe wall. In addition to being able to look at the shoes from any angle, you can narrow your choice by selecting gender and then modify the shoes according to your color choice. The Intel Core i7 powered adiVERSE wall can also facilitate the skeptic, by letting consumers read objective reviews and tweets from around the web, good or bad, at least according to adidas.
Selecting new shoes is as easy as using an iPad. Just place your finger on the screen, swipe and the shoes rotate. Once you’ve found a shoe of your liking you can proceed to checkout by entering your initials. Following that an adidas store employee will approach you with a tablet where upon you can complete your purchase or send the desired shoes to the cash desk.
The adiVERSE shoe wall is currently being used in adidas’ flagship store in London, England on Oxford Street.
Whoa. Is it the weirdest-looking motorcoach we’ve ever seen? Yup. But it’s also the most luxurious. The Elemment Palazzo ($TBA) is the ultimate in wheel-based travel, offering a well appointed, tastefully designed interior that mixes clean, modern lines with classic flourishes, a fully automatic liftable flybridge lounge that pops out of the roof, a couch area that transforms into a bar at the push of a button, a programmed central control for one-stop settings updates, remote video access in case you need to go outside, and an automatic gangway. Basically, if you’ve got the money, and you’ve just gotta travel via roadway, you need to be travelling in this. [via]
Oh hell yes. We’ve seen multi-tools with a multitude of different components, but there’s one in the new Gerber Steady ($65; Spring 2012) that’s going to have us carrying it everywhere we can: a tripod. That’s right, among the 12 total components you can find in the Steady are fold out legs and a standard tripod screw, making it the perfect companion for photographers on the go. [Thanks Uncrate]
If only we’d had this in middle school. The Electric Paper Airplane Conversion Kit ($20) is exactly what it sounds like — a motor-driven propeller for your dead tree creation that can extend flight time up to 90 seconds, clips easily onto the nose of your plane, is made from carbon fiber so as to not weigh things down, and recharges in 20 seconds off the included, three AAA-powered charging box, getting you back up and flying in as little time as possible. [Thanks Uncrate]
So it’s a little behind schedule — it was originally set to debut in 2010 — but it looks like the first few ICON A5s will be taking flight late next year as the ICON 100 A5 ($140,000). This limited-edition run of Light Sport Aircraft will feature a custom pearl white, satin finish exterior, with metallic, high-gloss accents in red, black, and metallic silver, but will otherwise retain all the features of the standard A5, including retractable landing gear for flying off land and water, a carbon fiber airframe, a 100-hp/120-mph Rotax 912 ULS engine (that runs on both auto and aviation gas), and folding wings. [Thanks Uncrate]
We’re already living in the future, so why is it we still need silly things like cash and credit cards? Google Wallet (Free) is aiming to get rid of those relics from a bygone era by connecting your credit card — Citi MasterCards or Google Prepaid cards only, to start — with your NFC-capable Android phone to let you pay at any PayPass-capable terminal, and also letting you take advantage of exclusive Google Offers to help you save money at the same time. Next up? The flying car.
Our thanks to Gillette for sponsoring our mobile articles this month.
This is the ultimate in personal travel. At the European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition in Geneva last year, Eurocopter and Mercedes-Benz jointly presented the EC145 Helicopter, the first product in the new Mercedes-Benz Style range. At this year’s EBACE on May 17, the Mercedes-Benz Style EC145 helicopter made its world debut. Tailor-made for luxury-class business and private travel, the luxury helicopter has its interior done by Mercedes-Benz designers, so we can imagine the luxury and comfort it’s going to offer.
The interior of the EC145 Mercedes-Benz Style draws inspiration from automaker’s range of high-end luxury vehicles. They have used quality materials, elegant woods, ambient cabin lighting and multi-function boxes. Prof. h.c. Dr. Gorden Wagener, head of design at Mercedes-Benz, said…
The interior design of the EC145 ‘Mercedes-Benz Style’ helicopter represents the classic passion of the Mercedes-Benz design language and fulfils the very highest expectations in terms of elegance, luxury and comfort.
Great for executive transportation, family trips, and leisure and sport trips, the EC145 Mercedes-Benz Style helicopter seats from four to eight passengers. The seats can be adjusted or removed for different seating arrangements or luggage space. There is no word on pricing for now, but we know it will be out of the budget for many of us.
Jason Fitzpatrick —Public declarations and diatribes have their place, but sometimes you need a private space for your thoughts, dreams, and ramblings. Whether you crave a digital or analog tool, you’ll find it in this Hive Five.
Earlier this week we asked you to share your favorite journaling tool. We’ve tallied the nominations and now we’re back to share the top five journaling tools. This week’s Hive Five is a mix of online and off, digital and analog, and a rather interesting sample of how Lifehacker readers like to record their thoughts for future reflection and posterity.
Many a person has started journaling by simply opening up the default word processor on their computer and setting to work. Microsoft Word is a fixture on hundreds of thousands of personal computers, and many Lifehacker readers found it more than adequate for their journaling endeavors. On top of creating documents in a commonly used format, most of us use Word at work and at home and are already quite familiar with the interface, formatting, and shortcuts. Being comfortable with your journaling tool of choice goes a long way towards encouraging you keep at it.
Pen and Paper (Analog, Variable Cost)
Long before people were pecking out their missives on typewriters, let alone keyboards, they were quietly scribbling them onto paper. In an age of instant sharing and easy digitization, many of you showed a strong affinity for recording your most private moments with the solidly analog and difficult to share medium: pen and paper. For many Lifehacker readers there is no substitute for the privacy and ease of use that comes with keeping an old fashioned paper-based journal. Among the variations of the pen and paper motif you submitted, readers showed a distinct passion for high-quality pens and Moleskine notebooks. Rich paper and smooth flowing ink is apparently the icing on the cake of analog journaling. Photo by MShades.
Designed as a sophisticated note taking tool, Microsoft OneNote can easily do double duty as a journaling tool. If you like to drop photos, music, and other media into your journal entries, the file integration of OneNote makes such journal keeping tricks a cinch. The app can also easily link together your journal entries by text links and tags. OneNote’s Windows Mobile client and hand-writing recognition make it easy to record your thoughts during the day and dump them into your journal when you return home. If you’re unfamiliar with OneNote, our review of OneNote 2007 is worth a peek.
Evernote is a wildly popular application for capturing and organizing all manner of information thanks to its trifecta of desktop application, web-based interface, and mobile client. For many readers, it makes sense to simply work their daily reflections into the tool they already have at their fingertips. If you’re using Evernote as your personal journal, you can leverage the text recognition and tagging to make your journal entries available and easily search friendly. If you’ve avoided journaling because you consider it antiquated and hardly something a busy modern person takes the time for, Evernote makes it easy to write when you have the time, since it’s almost always with you thanks to a web and mobile phone presence. The free account can easily handle basic journaling, but if you find yourself needing more storage or use of the multimedia functions, there is a $5 a month premium account.
While blogging is usually intended for a larger audience, many of you used blogging software to maintain a personal journal. Among the blogging tools used, WordPress was a clear favorite thanks to its ease of use, ability to keep entires completely private, and a free-as-in-beer price tag. Using blog software as your journal tool has several benefits: You can log into your journal from anywhere, tag your entries, use text and calendar-based search, and take advantage of WordPress’s vast extensibility to customize and tweak your journal to include all the tools and information you desire. WordPress will run on your own web server (including your personal home web server), or you can sign up at WordPress.com for a basic account.
Now that you’ve had a chance to check out how your fellow readers journal, it’s time to cast your vote to determine who will be quill-wielding king of the self reflection castle.
If you’re aghast that your favorite method of journaling—cuneiform tablets anyone?—didn’t make the Hive Five, or you’ve just got a great journaling tip burning a hole in your pocket, share your thoughts in the comments below.
Got a gadget that needs fixed, a handle that’s rubbing you the wrong way, or just an urge to play with the adult equivalent of Play-doh? Get yourself some Sugru ($10-$20). This modeling clay/super glue/alien symbiote forms a lasting bond between a variety of materials, and cures to a tough silicone overnight, making it weatherproof, flexible, and generally indestructible. If only we could say the same about our gadgets.
While blogging is usually intended for a larger audience, many of you used blogging software to maintain a personal journal. Among the blogging tools used, WordPress was a clear favorite thanks to its ease of use, ability to keep entires completely private, and a free-as-in-beer price tag. Using blog software as your journal tool has several benefits: You can log into your journal from anywhere, tag your entries, use text and calendar-based search, and take advantage of WordPress’s vast extensibility to customize and tweak your journal to include all the tools and information you desire. WordPress will run on your own web server (including your 