Radio controlled shark [link]
We’ve probably all used RC cars at some stage during out life, but one of the hottest toys right now is the helium filled RC Shark. Controlled by an infra-red remote, the shark swims through the air with a realistic swimming motion. There’s also a Clownfish version if you don’t want to scare the kiddies. For just US$29.99 it’s good value for money and would make a great gift this Christmas.

iCADE – iPad Arcade Cabinet [link]
If you have an iPad and are tired of your kids enjoying those fancy Xbox graphics, take them back in time and let the enjoy the classics. The iCADE arcade dock/stand for the iPad, paired with games like Atari Greatest Hits, this will deliver a mini version of your arcade memories. At US$89.99 it ain’t cheap, but on the upside, there’s no slot to steal your quarters.

Equalizer T-shirt [link]
Be the life of the party with this shirt that has a real-life equalizer built-in. It responds to the noise around, making it great for parties or concerts. It takes 4 AAA batteries and has a removable battery pack to be washed. Currently available for US$29.99.

Fitbit [link]
Too many of us spend too long at the desk and don’t prioritise exercise, often sleeping patterns are also sporadic. The Fitbit helps solve both of these issues. A small clip that attaches to your pants pocket, it constantly tracks the number of steps, stairs climbed, calories burnt, hours slept in a day and wirelessly uploads that data to compare online. While big in the US, it’s only a matter of time before this technology makes its way to Australia. Your geek could be an early adopter for US$99.95.

Anything gaming
It’s hard to go wrong if you’re loved ones are into gaming of any kind. If they don’t have a console, then get one, if they like handheld, then get one. If they already have a console or handheld, then look into games and accessories for it. Gaming provides many hours of entertainment so you don’t have to be concerned if your present will get used, it will. Just keep an eye out of cues on what genre of games they want, driving, strategy, musical, turn-by-turn etc.

Eye-Fi Wireless SD Card [link]
This is no standard SD card for your camera, the Eye-Fi card adds Wi-Fi to your camera. It’s frankly amazing they can fit the storage and Wi-Fi chip in a package that small, but they can. This works by uploading your picks to a specified online service the instant a Wi-Fi connection can be found. For those wanting to share instantly, there’s no faster way of getting your content online, for those wanting an instant-backup, it’s also a great solution. Sure they cost more and aren’t available in larger sizes, but its a great solution to the problem until camera manufacturers build it in.

QR Code Christmas Cards [link]
Those funky images spreading throughout the web, magazines and outdoor signage is now invading Christmas cards. It’s actually a really smart idea, particularly for business Christmas cards. The recipient will scan the QR code with their phone and be taken to a website or contact card of your choice. While that’s cool, a card alone is never a present, so best to stick a gift voucher inside.

Anything 3D Printed [link]
Most households still only have a lame ink-eating 2D printer, but online services now custom items to be printed in 3D. Prices and materials vary, but your creativity is pretty much your only limitation. These things are so rare and so unique (mostly once offs), that there’ll be massive Xmas point coming your way if your loved one unwraps one of these.

Parrot AR.Drone [link]
This Wi-Fi enabled quad-copter called the AR.Drone is controlled either indoors or outdoors using an Android or iOS mobile devices. This gadget actually packs loads of technology like stabilisation sensors and front and downward facing cameras. If you know someone else with an AR.Drone you can actually battle using augmented reality, virtually firing rockets and machine guns to earn points again your opponent.

The great thing about these drones is that they’ll hover by themselves and even correct if you push them. You can setup automated flying programs and impress your friends at the touch of a button. Alternatively you can fly manual, using the gyroscope tilt sensor in your mobile device to change direction and acceleration. Better still is that there software is open for developers to create interesting applications like Kinect integration.

As with anything technology-related, look around for the best deal, recently EB Games sold out of these in minutes after offering them for just $150. Just make sure you pick up an extra batteries, those 4 spinning blades are hungry suckers.

Samsung is in dire need of some advice regarding patents, it seems. Another play in the ongoing patent struggle between Samsung and Apple has resulted in Apple giving Samsung some ‘workarounds’ in order to finally appease Apple’s demands. While this may seem like a good idea, it almost seems like Apple is just deliberately trolling Samsung for a laugh – though it is entirely possible what they’re asking for could result in a change in Samsung’s design choices.

The first set of recommendations relate specifically to the Galaxy S2 smartphone, including having a front surface that isn’t black, non-rectangular in shape or without rounded corners, non-horizontal speaker slots and no front bezel at all. Most of these suggestions describe most modern smartphones, so it would be interesting to see if Apple goes after other major manufacturers if they were to win this battle, like HTC.

The Verge noted that Apple also listed alternative options for Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1, namely:

• overall shape that isn’t rectangular, or doesn’t have rounded corners
• thick frames around the screen
• front surface that isn’t flat
• profiles that aren’t thin
• cluttered appearance

Apple believes the changes that Samsung made with its 10.1N version of the Galaxy Tab weren’t enough, and recently asked a German court to ban the new version. We’ll see if Samsung takes any further notice of Apple’s suggestions, and whether Samsung can ever finally get a break.

More @ The Verge

Nothing beats laying back in bed or relaxing on the couch, putting a movie on, and getting warm under the blankets… until you realise you put the wrong movie on or need to adjust the audio. Thus begins the awkward clamour out into the cold lounge or bedroom, fiddling with some knobs, hitting some menus, and once again relaxing.

Well Logitech aims to alleviate the aforementioned problem with the introduction and release of the K400 Wireless Touch Keyboard, a fully wireless keyboard that manages to condense a high quality keyboard and touchpad into one tiny form fitting unit.

Aimed at lounge room and HTPC users, the K400 is a compact and stylish unit, capable of not only controlling all your general media needs, but also navigating your PC at ease thanks to the multi-touch supported 3.5" touchpad and traditional laptop-esque left and right mouse keys. In accoutrement to the wonderful touchpad is a set of well positioned multimedia keys giving you quick and easy access to volume and internet home controls.

Connection and setup is a literal breeze thanks to the included Bluetooth USB receiver which literally plugs in, installs its own Windows drivers, and is then ready to be used. The wireless connection reaches up to ten meters away, more than enough for pretty much every lounge area and bedroom you could have a computer in. Included within the packaging is a set of batteries for the keyboard and the pair of them last up to twelve months, and that’s with extensive use.

The wireless signal is heavily protected thanks to the Swiss-based manufacturers inclusion of critically acclaimed 128-bit AES encryption method.

I found it quite difficult to type on the device at first, primarily due to the fact I am accustomed  to using a full sized gaming keyboard for day to day application. However once I got the hang of typing on the K400, I came to find that the keys were quite responsive and operated flawlessly. While some may not like the small amount of force you need to use to suppress the keys, I like it and the reassurance it offers, as using a keyboard like this on your lap can at times cause problems as it slides around on your lap.

My only gripe and suggestion would be that a thin rubberised surface should be applied to the bottom of the K400, which would then alleviate any minor sliding issues, and allow the keys to have their pressure sensitivity raised slightly.

Thanks to the lightweight unit, well condensed keyboard boasting a full set of pliable keys, and an impressive multi-touch supported touchpad, the Logitech K400 is an easy and high quality recommendation for anyone looking to get a long distance grip on their HTPC from the comfort of their bed, couch, or floor.

The next version of iOS is now available. In the early hours of the morning, somewhere around 4am, Apple hit the release button on the highly anticipated iOS5. With a brand new notification system, over the air updates and many other tweaks and refinements, it all sounds like software goodness.

Products compatible with this software update:
    •    iPhone 4S
    •    iPhone 4
    •    iPhone 3GS
    •    iPad 2
    •    iPad
    •    iPod touch (4th generation)
    •    iPod touch (3rd generation)

To get the latest iOS on your device, connect your device to iTunes and click ‘Check for Update’. You should receive an alert saying iOS version 5.0 is now available. Choose the download and update option, cross your fingers and the update should be on your phone.

It seems the update may not be rolling out as smoothly as Apple would hope, Computerworld reports that Apple forums were flooded with complaints about the update failing. From the twitter crowd, it seems a number were able to successfully complete the upgrade without issue.

Have you upgraded ? Had any issues ?

More info @ http://www.apple.com/au/ios/

On June 16th this year, Microsoft made the Kinect for Windows SDK available for enthusiasts. This was an official release providing access to all the Kinect hardware, unlike the hacks that came before it. Since then, Kinect is being used in new and exciting ways, yep, your a creative lot.

I sat down with Stuart Tansley, acting product manager for Kinect for Windows SDK from Microsoft Research and Lawrence Crumpton, Academic Developer Evangelist, to discuss how people are using the SDK. We also discussed why we still don’t have voice controls in Australia, the commercial release of the Kinect SDK and much more.

For more info, head over to Kinect For Windows SDK. For all the creative creations, check out http://www.kinecthacks.com/.

Yesterday we heard the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 would be delayed for release in Australia upon resolution of a Federal Court order. Apple claimed that Samsung had infringed 10 patents including look and feel, and touchscreen technology in the iPad. The court has also ordered Samsung to allow Apple access to three samples of the Galaxy Tab.

Samsung has announced the launch the Australian Model of the Galaxy Tablet will go ahead as planned. Turns out the tab in question is not the same model that was covered by the court order, in fact was never intended to be sold in Australia. It’s hard to imagine how the Australian model varies so dramatically that none of the 10 patents are impacted by the variant.

The launch of the Australian Galaxy Tab 10.1 is scheduled for next Thursday, 11th of August.

Update: 11:18PM - Skype is now back in the App Store, not sure what they could have fixed in that short window. Most likely a show stopper bug they had to fix before it was released to the masses.

Apparently someone over Skype hit the go button before it was ready, but this afternoon some quick fingered Skypers were able to download the Skype iPad app. Skype even went as far as publishing a YouTube video promoting the app, before pulling it a hour or so later.

News of Skype for iPad’s availability spread quickly online, which resulted in some confused users who went searching unsuccessfully in the app store. Skype confirmed the app had been pulled via their official twitter account.

Those of us lucky enough to grab the app before it was pulled can still use it. The app generally works as expected (big iPhone version). Users can be logged into the iPad version and desktop versions at the same time, this means you can leave one and pickup on the other, right from where you left.

Maybe Skype was right to pull the app.. I did find myself in a scenario where the only way out of a full-screen chat window was to force quit the app. Was your trigger finger fast enough ? If so, what do you think ?

If not, check out this gallery.

View Skype for iPad on Flickr.

Drippler has just launched. Drippler is a service that provides users with personalized updates on the gadgets they love. With new updates shipping all the time, particularly in mobile, its often difficult to stay abreast of the latest gadget updates, news & rumours, tips & tricks, firmware & software updates, apps & games, accessories, and more.

The last few months over at Drippler have been exciting ones, with more than 10K registrations, 100K unique visitors per month, and 180K downloads of the Android app. Drippler’s primary categories include Cell Phones, Tablets, Game Consoles, eReaders, and MP3 Players.

You may be thinking the site has a similar to US site GDGT, so I put the question ‘how does Drippler differ’ to Co-Founder and CEO Matan Talmi.

“Drippler is based on automatic curation of content from leading sites across the web, and does not rely only on user generated content. This way we make sure our users never miss any important updates on their gadgets. Another thing is that we keep the users updated without them having to browse the site – besides the “My Drips” personalized page, all users receive a weekly newsletter with the top drips (updates) on their gadgets, which is custom tailored to each and every user” says Talmi.

The selection of initial gadgets is pretty decent, although the most indulgent geeks may have to wait for some of their favourites to be added. Remember, there are millions of current and past devices, so Drippler has their work ahead of them. If it’s a choice between using Drippler, or hunting all over the web for updates about your gadgets then I’d go for Drippler.

An example of the news related to a gadget you own.

More infor @ Drippler.com

Below is a summary of the events from Apple’s WWDC conference this morning. The story is still developing, so stay tuned for updates. With the cross over in time with Microsoft’s E3 keynote, it’s been one of the most insane morning in tech I can remember. So here it is.

Mac OS X Lion

Available only via the Mac App Store, a developer preview will be available today, with the public release in July. The price.. a mere US$29.99. That’s pretty low, considering Apple says it’s a major release containing more than 250 new features.

iOS5

The next version of iOS will feature a number of important updates.

Notifications
Rather than interrupt you and demand your attention, notifications have been redone. Working much more like Android or WP7 notifications, they simply pop down from the top of the screen. Tapping on the notification takes you to more detail.

Lock Screen
Now surfaces useful info to the lock screen. This is really just catching up with other platforms.

Mail
Now supports Flagging messages, searching entire message content, draggable addresses, rich text formatting.

Camera update
You can now take photos using the volume up button. This can be done even when the phone is locked.. an idea “borrowed” from Windows Phone. Cropping, red-eye reduction, quick enhance all supported.

Updates/Sync OTA
Now delivered over the air. Now delta updates. This should mean incremental updates, not 500MB+.. finally !

Unified messaging across iOS devices
Group messaging services pretty much just died. Apple are providing a messaging platform across all iOS devices. Wi-Fi and 3G are both supported.

iPad to TV wireless
Stream the entire UI to your TV, without wires. No explanation, but clearly requires Apple TV.

News Stand
iBooks for Magazines and Newspapers

Availability
Available to developers today, released some time ‘this fall’.

iCloud

Sync Contacts, Calendar, Mail, Apps, Photos, synced across devices, for free. Mobile Me is now free.

Purchase History
Finally you can see the apps you’ve purchased before, no word on wether music has this feature. It badly needs it.

Backup
Get a new device, plug in your Apple credentials and all your content will be synced.

Photo stream
You can draw photos from the cloud. Integrates with the photos app on iOS devices, even includes Apple TV. On Windows, they integrate with the Photos Library – will be interesting to see how this plays out.

iTunes in the cloud
Download any track you have already bought from iTunes for free.

iTunes Match
Pairs your non-iTunes music, with iTunes music. Takes just minutes to match and give you permission to that music. US$24.99 per year. Saves you from uploading all the music like Amazon and Google. “An industry leading offer”.

Price
iCloud is free.

Availability
iTunes in the cloud available today, the rest when iOS5 ships.

Image credit: ThisIsMyNext

One of the most impressive companies at CeBIT 2011 is uRemote. They call it the future of home and commercial automation, I call it – awesome. uRemote allows you control your devices via your mobile phone or tablet. uRemote is available for both home and commercial applications.

uRemote works by sending a command over IP from your controller, to the devices in a number of ways. If the device is IP-controllable, great, if not, there’s a small box that can translate that IP command to IR or RF to get the job done. Over time more and more devices like TV’s, amplifiers, lights, garage doors are all becoming IP-controllable. IP-based commands are obviously preferred as demonstrated light on/off command happened instantly. As your no doubt aware there is a small delay in using the IR blaster, but when working with older devices there’s little choice.

To configure the remote device (mobile or tablet), there’s a simple web portal for you to configure devices. There’s hundreds of existing device profiles on there, so adding a new device is pretty straight forward. uRemote are actively developing profiles for more devices as well as adding support for new devices as they are released.

For home users, there are 2 options available. The table below shows the features of each.

HTA – Home Theatre Automation Package	Integrated Home Automation Package
Television Projector Apple TV Home Theatre DVD/Blu-Ray PC or Apple Mac Playstation/Xbox	Televisions Projectors Apple TV Home Theatres DVD/Blu-Ray PC or Apple Mac Lighting Air- Conditioning Blinds Playstation/Xbox Security Pool Garage Door Plus much more

uRemote integrates with existing Home Automation System running in your Home, such as Creston, Clipsal C-Bus or AMX.

The best part about uRemote is that you can send any device output, to any connected display in your house. It’s like SONOS, but for video and audio. If your down with the spaghetti cable behind your entertainment system, then you’ll be fine to set this up yourself, but should you choose to have installed for you, uRemote also offer installations services as well.

Being demonstrated at CeBIT 2011 was a combination of IP-controlled light, TV, Blue-ray player, PS3, Amplifier. If your heading to CeBIT over the next couple of days, definitely stop by and check out uRemote. In my mind it was one of the most interesting companies on display.

More information @ http://uremote.com.au