Free MMA pick challenges for electronics, cash and other great prizes: www.insidenation.com Mayhem “blazes” through the first stage in under three minutes He didn’t make it to the next stage though, as only 30 fastest competitors did advance.
Video Rating: 4 / 5
Deaf people can benefit from a smoke alarm that emits a strong odor of wasabi. The Japanese device has been shown to wake deaf sleepers within three minutes.
Let’s be honest for a moment: an awful lot of the stuff we cover here at CrunchGear isn’t really necessary. All the silly USB gadgets, geek gizmos, and other doodads are fun to own, but don’t make your life demonstrably better. So I was pretty excited when I was given the opportunity to review The Torch from Wicked Lasers. Billed as the world’s brightest flashlight at a whopping 4,100 lumens, this seemed like the kind of thing that might be worth having. I mean, who doesn’t like flashlights? They’re great for when the power goes out, and to take camping, and are a generally practical gadget that does make your life better.
The Torch costs $300. That’s a $300 flashlight, friends. It comes with a custom rechargeable battery, and a custom battery charger. My first indication that the Torch was more than I would ever need in a flashlight came when I realized that the battery charger included a heat sensor, to ensure that the battery didn’t overheat during the charging process.
The Wicked Lasers website has video of the Torch frying an egg, as well as lighting paper and matches on fire. I first thought “Wow!” and then I thought “Why on Earth would I need a flashlight to fry an egg?” I was skeptical that the Torch would actually light fires, so tested it for myself:
Yes, the Torch does, indeed, light fires. You’re probably thinking, like I was, that this would be a great addition to your camping gear: no more matches! Then, like me, you’d sit down and read the product manual and become disappointed. The big, custom battery for the Torch provides approximately fifteen minutes of actual use, suddenly making this a not-quite-as-useful flashlight as you first thought.
Making things even worse, you read that the Torch should only be used for about three minutes at a time, lest the thing become too hot to hold. Indeed, the Torch gets hot during use.
The only legitimate use I can find for the Torch is, surprisingly, home safety. I’m not a gun owner, so I’m at a disadvantage if my home were ever to be invaded. But with the Torch, I think I actually stand a fighting chance against an intruder. This thing is so bloody bright that it will cause severe damage to a person’s eyesight if shone directly at their face.
The Torch, I can safely say, is not going to make your life better. The only people who will want to buy the Torch are those people who insist on being able to say that they own the brightest flashlight in the world. And I’ll wager that these people never actually use the Torch once they buy it.
By Chris Scott Barr
Lets say you’re in the kitchen, and you’ve decided to heat something up in the microwave. You’ve got two, maybe three minutes to kill, what do you do with the time? Chances are you’ll just stand there staring at your food as it spins round and round. Well wouldn’t it be cool if you could watch a quick YouTube clip to pass the time? Soon you may be able to do that very thing, right from your microwave.
The Castoven is a working prototype microawave which features a built-in 10.4-inch LCD screen in the door, along with a pair of speakers. When put something I to cook, it finds a random YouTube clip (of a similar length of time) and plays it while your food is cooked. It does however, currently require you to have it hooked up to a computer to work. It’s possible that they may be able build one directly into the unit in the future. No word on whether they plan on releasing this to the public for sale, or if it will simply be another concept gadget to tease us. (Video after the jump.)
[ Asiajin ] VIA [ CrunchGear ]
Did you know you can recharge your mobile devices without an actual power outlet? It’s true! You can use solar power, magic, or little alternators like this YoGen charger.
It’s a simple device that comes with mini-USB and iPod tips — other tips are available, too. There’s a little pull out ripcord that you yank back and forth which, in turn, generates a trickle of electricity for whatever’s plugged into the other end.
The product packaging promises a “rate of charge similar to standard chargers.” I can’t really verify that but I can tell you that after about three minutes of tugging, my T-Mobile G1 phone went from 29% battery to 30% battery – so plan accordingly. You’re not going to replenish half your battery in a timely manner. We’re talking emergency minutes here.
And though the review unit sent to me came with an iPod tip along with the mini-USB tip, I got the following message when I took my iPhone for a whirl with the YoGen:
Fun. Owning an iPhone is like living with your parents after you’ve turned 18. You come home late and/or drunk, they yell at you, you counter with “I’m an adult now!,” to which they reply, “As long as you live in our house and eat our food you play by our rules.”
You like free food, the house is spotless, and you have no money for rent anywhere else, so you shut up. Similarly, you want the cool iPhone, and you quickly find out that you can’t plug anything into it that isn’t a white cable. Tough but fair (and admittedly overly simplistic).
Whatever the case, I’m guessing/hoping this issue will be worked out by the time the production-quality units ship on December 9th. YoGen’s store page lists iPods and iPhones as compatible, but if you’re thinking of buying one for your iPhone you may want to wait and see what other owners have to say once the units start shipping. As for mini-USB devices (like the other phone I tested) there shouldn’t be too many issues (if any).
The $40 YoGen Charger is available for pre-order in clear or black colors and with Apple + mini-USB connectors or LG + Nokia + Sony Ericsson + micro-USB connectors.
Order YoGen [YogenStore.com]
There you are, racing from Terminal A to Terminal Z so you can catch that flight home, which departs in exactly three minutes. You’ve got your carry-on bag trundling along beside you, and your trusty laptop bag thrown over one shoulder. Every step causes that thin pleather strap to slide a little farther down your shoulder, until *blam* your laptop bag drops to the floor, tripping you in a pile of shame and misery. You need the booq Tapian shadow.
As you can see from the photo above, the Taipan shadow “features an innovative luggage trolley pass-through. This unique feature unzips across the back, allowing the user to slide a luggage handle through the bag for easy transportation when handling multiple pieces of luggage.” Travelers around the world will appreciate this innovation. Starting at $80, it’s not terribly expensive, either.