Author: ChipChick.com

Now if you are going to recycle candy boxes, why not make them into a boombox! This super adorable recycled Boombox has a pair of matching speakers, and works with just about any MP3 player via its 3.5 mm jack. It also features a cutout that will sit your iPod/iPhone perfectly. We also love the fact that it has a handle – I dare anyone to walk down the street with this thing and get a crew together to breakdance. The Recycled Boombox retails for $18 bucks from Urban Outfitters.

When iLuv showed us the iMM190 App Station in person back at CES, they really couldn’t tell us too many specifics but it was probably the most unique iPod dock for your bedroom/office we had seen throughout the entire show. Well it’s finally now available to consumers for $89.99.  What makes it special is the iLuv’s App Station is  a new type of dock for the iPhone/iPod that features an application called “iLuv App Clock” that transforms it into alarm clock with a large digital display and also tells you the weather. The app itself is available for free from the App store but when conjoined with the iMM190 App Station it also allows full cross-functional access to the user’s iTunes library and many more features. In addition to the App, this multimedia speaker dock offers some impressive sound quality which we got to see first hand. The iMM190 App Station is available now at

We have been pretty quiet on the iPod dock front for a while, because really, there hasn’t been anything worth reporting about. Well this nice little stereo boombox certainly is interesting enough. The Santok Stereo boombox with SRS is a docking station for both the iPod and iPhone, but what is really unique about it is the fact that it has a VFD display with a sound sensitive visual equalizer. Some other features include 12 Watt speakers,line-in port, digital clock, radio tuner and touchpad with remote. It also has a nice sleek black finish making it very appealing in a bedroom or office setting. The Santok SMC1000 Boombox iPod Dock retails for £99.99 ($150.00).

So slowly, but surely a few of CES’s interesting gadgets are making its way to market and the ErgoMotion Keyboard from Smartfish is just one of them. For those that may not remember the ErgoMotion Keyboard from Smartfish, it is much more than just an ergonomic keyboard – it actually adjusts to your typing skills with its internal motion system that studies your typing techniques and adjusts the keyboard accordingly, to give you the most comfortable typing experience ever. This is basically a keyboard that moves with you, and this ultimately leads your wrists and hands to be adjusted without cramping up after hours of use. The ErgoMotion Keyboard will retail for $129.99 and is available for pre-order now. It also comes in either black or white and is expected to be released in May.

We have always been a fan of Geekware, a site that specializes in recycling old computer parts and accessories and turning them into even cooler gadgets. Well they have done it again by taking old iMac and G3 keyboards and turning them into Magnetic message boards and clocks. No we aren’t talking about the iMac aluminum keyboards of today – we mean the ones from the candy colored days of the iMac, before the Mac keyboard became sleek and sexy in silver and white.  What Mac lover wouldn’t want this hanging in their home? The recycled iMac and G3 keyboards retail for $29.95 to $34.95 respectively.

From March 11th through 16th, 40 top high school scientists have come together in Washington D.C. for the annual Intel Science Talent Search competition (Intel STS). The Intel Science Talent Search is essentially the country’s biggest science research competition which offers the opportunities for high school seniors to present their research to a group of distinguished scientists. These students are competing for $630,000 in awards with the top winner receiving $100,000 from the Intel Foundation.

We headed to D.C. this Sunday to meet with these young geniuses and to learn about their projects and what inspires them. Just like during our experience covering ISEF last May, at times we were left scratching our heads and feeling a little lost, but ultimately we left the event blown away by the intelligence of these young men and women. Overall these kids impressed and wowed us with their originality, dedication, and thorough work. Read on for a sampling of some of the finalists and their projects.

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Otana Jakpor – Woodcrest Christian School, Riverside, CA

Project: Indoor Air Pollution: A Comparison of Fine Particulate Matter (PM 2.5) Emissions from Paraffin and Soy Candles

It turns out that outdoor pollution isn’t the only kind of problematic pollution – indoor pollution is also a significant environmental issue. Otana decided to research the difference between paraffin candles, which are the most common type of candle used, VS soy candles. She did this in order to see which candle created less pollution in an indoor environment. Her research determined that paraffin candles can create an unhealthy amount of indoor pollution that exceeds the current outdoor air quality standard. Meanwhile, soy candles contribute less to indoor pollutions, and are ultimately healthier to use. Today Otana is now a volunteer for the American lung Association, and she plans on sharing her findings with the American Lung Association and the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

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Frieda Fein – John Adams High School, South Bend, IN

Project: Investigations of Faunal Diets at Pokagon Village Site to Determine
Farming Practices of the Pokagon Band Circa A.D. 1830

Frieda, who has a passion for archeology, decided to work on a project that would let her solve history’s puzzles through scientific research. Her investigation sought to clear up why the U.S. government allowed the Potawatomie tribe (aka the people who where apart of the Pokagon Band) to stay settled in the Midwest, at a time when the government was aggressively pushing Native Americans out of their lands. During her research she identified isotopes in bones of animals raised by the tribe. High isotopes helped her to determine that amise was used to feed the tribe’s animals. Feeding animals amise was actually an European-American lifestyle, so this discovery indicated that the tribe must have been farming the land and operating with some kind of European-American lifestyle. Thus, the U.S. government allowed them to remain on the land because they must have believed that the tribe was ultimately good for the land’s development. Frieda’s research here will ultimately help the Potawatomie tribe understand their ancestors more.

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David Liu – Lynbrook High School, San Jose, CA

Project: Semantic Image Retrieval and Interactive Exploration of Large Image Collections

Watch out Google, this kid has a potential Goggles competitor on his hands. David Liu has created a system that is able to understand and recognize the content of images. This kind of tech can potentially be used in an image based search engine, the likes of Google Goggles. However, David has so far used the technology alongside NASA Ames researchers to help recognize oil pipeline threats in aerial images. That means that the algorithm that he has developed can be used to spot an oil pipeline, effectively averting a threat before it can cause damage. Furthermore, his technology can also be used for correlating medical images with databases of known disorders.

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Angela Yeung – Davis Senior High School, Davis, CA

Project: Distributed Learning for Dynamic Spectrum Sharing in Cognitive Radio
Networks: A Decision Theoretic Approach

There was a lot of hoopla over the FCC’s recent sale of the 700mhz spectrum because there isn’t much room left in wireless spectrum, or at least that is what they want you to think. Angela Yeung conducted cognitive radio research to address issues ranging from “losing cell phone signals to the interoperability of radio communications between different specialized forces in the military. ” In the end, she discovered that the wireless spectrum isn’t as crowded as you might think, but the real problem lies in the fact that the wireless spectrum is being poorly managed. As a result she is working on ways to identify and predict when different areas of the wireless spectrum aren’t so busy, so that people could potentially use these wireless frequencies when they become available. This is a very important breakthrough, considering that this study might eventually make it possible for average people to actually use the wireless spectrum more so than it is right now.

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Sunanda Sharma – Shrewsbury High School, Shrewsbury, MA

Project: Modification of Developing and Mature Brain Circuits in an Autism Model

Sunanda Sharma decided to research Autism, which is a very commonly misunderstood disorder. She concluded that in order for autism to be properly studied by scientists, they must also understand interaction between genetics and the social environment of someone with autism.

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Erika Aiden DeBenedictis – Albuquerque Academy, New Mexico

Project: Traveling the Interplanetary Superhighway: An Autonomous Spacecraft Navigation System

Until now, getting around the solar system has required a ton of energy for spacecrafts. But Erika has come up with a much more fuel efficient way for spacecrafts to navigate the galaxy, not to mention that it can also be a lot faster. Her Interplanetary Superhighway concept claims that the gravity an movement of planets can be used to move spacecraft through a solar system, kind of like the way a ship makes it’s way across the ocean using the power of wind on its sails. Erika has even developed software which can be used as a navigation system for spacecrafts to better navigate these kinds of paths.

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Nicholas Mycroft Christensen – Wetumpka High School, Alabama

Project: Do You ‘ear Wha’I’ear?: Lowering Voice Frequencies in Real Time to Revolutionize Hearing Assistance Technology

Nick himself has been impacted by hearing loss, so he set out to find a way to improve hearing assistance devices. He developed a real time algorithm that not only can improve the performance of these devices, but also other devices like cellphones, TVs and radios.

For more images from Public Day at Intel Science Talent Search 2010, check out Chip Chicklets.

Well we all could use a new dating website but how about one with a unique twist? CanDoBetter.com is a social networking site that lets you post pictures of your possible dating partners. Once the photos are uploaded, the sites gives users three choices to vote – he can do better, she can do better, or a perfect match. The Web site immediately shows the percentage of other users who agree or disagree with you and is specifically targeted for couples in relationships. This will be the second time the site has launched since it inception and now you will be able to utilize both facebook and Twitter to help find your perfect match. So lets see if strangers do a better job of finding your kismet than you.

Panasonic is the next to jump on the 3D bandwagon, and their announcement today keeps this new technology moving forward but at an affordable price. Their 3DTV Play, lets you connect your compatible GeForce-based desktop or notebook PC to a full HD 3D TV. 3DTV Play has been designed so that you use the active-shutter (or passive) glasses supplied with the new 3D TVs, with the synchronization between the TV and the PC happening over the HDMI 1.4 interface. This means you will be able to play your entire library of 3D games including watching 3D Blu-ray movies, etc… But the best part is Panasonic is letting everyone see their new technology for themselves on a 15 city road trip that will let you see 3DTV Play in action on new Panasonic VIERA full HD 3D TVs. 3DTV Play will be available later this spring and retail for $39.99.

Boy, oh boy – just more and more robotic vacuums seem to be coming along. This latest one may not be as well made as the iRobot ConnectR, that also sports a camera to be able to record video and send footage over the internet. But alas, this Chinese version is already available, where ConnectR has been keeping us waiting or awhile now. The Intelligent Robot Vacuum Cleaner with Wireless IP Camera also cleans your house and you can control it to clean your home anywhere, anytime – remotely. You can drive it around like a toy to vacuum, or you can use it to talk to or record video of anyone in your home. It’s also a great device to use to keep an eye on kids or even pets while you’re at work or on vacation. The downside is the price…even for Chinavasion standards, the Intelligent Robot Vacuum Cleaner with Wireless IP Camera costs a whopping $494.78. Maybe you should just hold out for the authentic iRobot version instead..

If you love Mario or any Nintendo character as much as we do, then you’ll probably be super jazzed to be able to carry around this portable light projector that projects a Mario Kart character on any surface.  The Mario Kart Wii Light Projector looks like a miniature version of a Wii remote and at a press of the ‘A’ button, it will project 1 of 6 characters available in the game: Mario, Peach, Luigi, etc. Each item is sent out blindly as typical with any Japanese toy, so you don’t now who you will be getting, if it will be Mario or some lame character – so you’ll be effectively forced to buy many of these packs until you finally get your man. Luckily the price isn’t too bad. The Mario Kart Wii Light Projector Gacha comes in packs of 2 and retails for £5.95 (US $9)

We’ve never been much for creatures with several pairs of legs, but in this case, the Spiderpodium is very appealing. This plastic gadget stand is made of 8 bendable legs that are designed to grip, holster, and dock your iPhone, or any other similarly sized gadget. You can even use it to holster your iPhone on your bike’s handle bars while you’re riding. However, we certainly don’t advise trying to watch a movie while you ride a bike, lest you hurt your legs, and you certainly don’t have eight of them like the Spiderpodium does. The Spiderpodium is available for preorder now for £14.99 ($23 USD) and it will be available on March 29th. It will also be available for $19.99 in the U.S. starting on April 15th.

This is the first time we’ve come across Lapaporter, yet we’re still quite impressed with their selection of leather mobile phone, ipod/iPhone, and laptop accessories. In particular, their leather braid laptop sleeves are very unique with their braid leather pattern. This sleeve is available in black or black coffee for 229.00EUR (about $315 USD). Alternatively, you could pick this kind of leather style for your phone or iPod. And sure, these cases are certainly expensive, but at-least they look the part.

Even more 3D goodness for all and this time you don’t need to buy an expensive TV, you just need a Wii or X-Box 360.  Attack of the Movies 3D is the first-ever 3D shooter for Wii or X-Box 360. Just put your included 3D glasses on and grab  your Wiimote or 360 controller and blast hordes of enemies as you travel to cinematic worlds in a 3D movie type environment reminiscent of the 50’s. Fight invasions of Aliens in Cosmic Combat or get all terminator-like in Robot Rebellion. There is four player multi-player available and 4 pairs of 3D glasses are also included. The game is very arcade style and replayability is high as you can fight and see unique areas depending on your choices throughout the game. Getting to play the game a bit in person was fun but the 3D wasn’t really popping off the screen as I anticipated but instead enhanced the depth of perception which alone is amazing. It is certainly an affordable way to bring 3D entertainment home to the consumers without a breaking the bank. Expect Attack of the Movies 3D to be released in the Spring from Majesco.

A few days ago we got a hands on with the Durable XpanD X102 Series active glasses. We had been trying out different 3D glasses for the last few months now – from the simple paper ones too humongous black ones. So it was nice to try on a pair of 3D glasses that weren’t all that hideous or huge, and that didn’t leave me a headache from wearing them for too long.

My overall first impression of the Xpand X102 is that they are certainly durable. These glasses are being marketed to a crowd of early adopters, as well as fans of the whole Avatar experience. I got to play two 3D based video games and watch a few short 3D movies while wearing the glasses. Unfortunately, I wasn’t all that impressed with the 3D based games – one being Avatar. In fact I was left with a yearning for some Dramamine. However I was, very impressed with the way the glasses interacted with the 3D specific movies. The experience was rich and deep. While some of the movies displayed 3D in the traditional sense of popping off the screen and in your face, many of the short movies allowed you to experience the depth and perception in a new and unique way that really immerses you in to the film.

The Xpand X102 glasses themselves are rugged and are meant to work with any 3D enabled TV through an IR transmitter built into the glasses, as if it were a remote control. The XpanD X102 do not fold, but they are bendable and sit comfortable on your face for a decent amount of time. However, they do give the impression that you are wearing a modern version of the classic red view-master as glasses.

Not widely available yet for purchase, the XpanD X102 is just one of many 3D pairs of glasses that will be available soon, and it will be bundled to work with technology from leading companies such as Samsung who will be launching 3D televisions in the near future.

Personally the dust is finally settling over the whole analog to DTV transition, so I think many will be hard pressed to want to throw out their new TV’s in place of a 3D enabled one just for a few thrills here and there. But like any technology it takes time to adapt, so lets see if the 3D emergence is truly successful this time around and whether or not it doesn’t end up like Beta-Max.

The luck of the Irish will be with all of us on Wednesday the 17th in honor of St Patrick’s Day. So it was kind of odd when we received Tupperware from Geek Squad that included a bag of uncooked rice and beef jerky for the holiday. We were left scratching our heads – what is techie about this? But after we dug deeper, we realized it was a survival guide for St. Patrick’s Day. In case you get too festive that day – these eight steps will save you, when you drop your cellphone into a big glass of ale.

Step1: Turn off phone and remove battery

Step 2: Dry phone (inside and out) with a cloth

Step3: Check if you have beef Jerky or uncooked rice

If you have Beef Jerky follow the next few steps –

Step 4: Take the silica packet out of the jerky bag

Step 5: Take airtight container and place the phone and silica packet inside

Step 6: Seal the container and leave it overnight

Step 7: Eat jerky in nervous panicky way hoping cellphone isn’t dead

Step 8: Put the battery in the phone and turn it on

If you want to use uncooked rice –

Step 4: Take an airtight container and pour the uncooked rice inside

Step 5: Put your phone in the rice

Follow Step 6 and Step 8 above.

Step 8: Use left over unused rice to make sushi

There you have it one nice and dry phone no matter which method you choose!

The Joos Orange is a waterproof and Versatile “Personal Solar Appliance.” The JOOS Orange promises that it can make more power than any other personal solar charger on the market today. As a matter of fact, it claims that it can produce unto 20x more, and with their optional reflector kit – even 30 times more. It will deliver more than 2.5 hours of cell phone talk time for every hour of charging time and it has the capability of charging existing personal solar power devices. This is not the most attractive looking thing, but it certainly is very helpful when you need to charge something and don’t have access to an electrical outlet. It works with a dead battery and can be charged by USB, and it also works in low-light conditions.  The Joos Orange will retail for $99.95.

Are you worried that your young teen driver will speed to 100mph in 10 seconds in your new BMW? Well the latest gizmo over at Thinkgeek will hopefully keep that in check –  the SafeDriver Wireless Vehicle monitor. All you need to do is Plug it in, set up your personal tamper-proof PIN, and when your teen or anyone drives, it will record the highest speed and distance driven. It will also tell you about any sudden breaking. Like I’ve said before – I’m so glad these type of items weren’t around when I was growing up and still living at home, because I had one lead foot. The SafeDriver Wireless Vehicle Monitor retails for $69.99.

The Moshi Moshi MMo3i is one of the slickest iPhone bluetooth headsets we’ve ever laid eyes upon. We’re talking retro cool, meets modern aesthetics combined with modern technology. The MMo3i was designed by French designer David Turpin. The device resembles an old school telephone handset, but at the end of its base there is a weighted recharging base for the iPhone to stand and charge on. The MMo3i is covered in a black or white high gloss texture, and features a high quality speaker and mic, along with Bluetooth 2.1 technology which lets you pair and answer calls on two different Bluetooth devices. On top of that, the headset also has a 3.5mm jack for connecting to speakers so that you can simultaneously play music from your iphone on the speakers. The Moshi Moshi MMo3i from Native Union retails for HKD 1250.00 (about $161 USD).

Novothink has come out with a neat solar power charging solution for the iPhone and iPod Touch, and despite being solar powered, it manages to not be super ugly either. The Novothink Solar Surge doubles as a soft touch, non-slip finish case and it comes in several colors, including black, green, blue and white. This battery pack manages to provide your iPhone 3G or 3G S with up to 4 hours of additional battery life. The Solar Surge features a cutout so that you can easily attach it to a bag, wriststrap or carabiner.

Novothink has also come out with the Solar Planner App which provides an estimate of how much sun exposure is necessary to maintain the battery level of your iPod Touch or iPhone, based on your everyday usage and the current weather forecast. The Novothink Solar Surge is available now in Black and White from Novothink.com for $79.95 for iPhone 3G/3G S and $69.95 for the iPod Touch.