gadget n review

LeapFrog recently added Tag Junior to their line of edutainment products for the wee ones. The Text and Learn children's "PDA" hasn't been officially announced yet, but details are slipping out from the U.K. Toy Fair, so here's what we know about the must-have device of the year: boasting a full QWERTY keyboard, the Text and Learn has a calendar (for learning dates), phonics functions (for learning... phonics) on the keyboard, and games to teach spelling and basic computer skills, as well. There's also some "texting" -- the child can interact with their onscreen buddy / guide, Scout. The Text and Learn is set to launch in August for about $30. [Via Engadget ]

Motorola Aura mobile phone is the latest offering from Motorola extraordinary luxury. With features 16 million colors, lens display of rock layers saphir 62 carat Swiss-made, 2 megapixels camera, stereo Bluetooth, microUSB, four-band GSM, microSD and multimedia capabilities. This mobile phone sold at price $ 1999.99. Inspired by luxury watches and handcrafted design, Aura is a unique handset that breaks convention and re-establishes artistry in mobile device design and manufacturing. Combining superb craftsmanship and a distinctive interface, Aura delivers a sensory experience that is second to none for those with refined tastes.

The WAVE-HOME multimedia communications device actually pulls double duty as a VoIP phone and a home networking controller, as it provides an expansive 7-inch 800 x 480 resolution touchscreen for web browsing, photo viewing and interacting with all manners of connected widgets. Furthermore, the unit packs a 1.3-megapixel camera, inbuilt speakers, an Ethernet jack, SD slot, USB connectivity, a FM radio module and support for digipen input. This iriver product fit for a desk. [ Engadget ]

Liquid Image is releasing a High Definition Scuba Series Camera / Video Mask at the 2009 CES show in Las Vegas January 8th – 11th. Thr Scuba Series allows scuba divers to capture underwater photos and High Definition digital video hands free. The HD video is 720P (1280 x 720) and records at a rate up to 30 frames per second with audio. The camera mode features a 5 MP (2560 x 1920) still image. Each Camera Mask will be tested and certified to a depth rating of 35 meters / 115 ft during production. This new model has adjustable light attachments available to help bring out the color and detail that is generally lost while diving below 5 meters. To take a photo or a video, the diver lines up the crosshair marks on the mask with the object, and then presses the capture button. LED lights inside the viewing area indicate the mode the camera is in when activated. The digital images and video may be downloaded to a computer through the High Speed USB cable provided, or through a Micro SD/SDHC...

We can never get enough of funky headphones and Aerial7 delivers with their hip-hop urban feel headbangers. Their product line consists of funky colors that are certainly eye-catching and would probably appear to burgeoning DJ’s as they seem to be on the bigger side. Prices are reasonable ranging from $49.99 to $79.99 for Tank, Chopper, and Matador (names of the headphones). If you insist on wearing this with your iPhone than you may be more inclined to purchase the pair named Tank as they include an extra cable with a microphone for answering phone calls. [ chipchick ]

The Samsung i8510 InnoV8 is a high-end Symbian S60 smartphone packing Wi-Fi, GPS, and an 8 MPx camera. While it has been assumed since its European launch that this device would not be available on North American shores due to its lack of the 3G frequencies for this region, a listing on FCC changes that. This government agency has approved a version of the i8510 with North American UMTS/HSDPA support, as noted on its website. Samsung InnoV8 is a slider-based smartphone with a QVGA (240 by 320 pixel) screen and numeric keypad, the Samsung i8510 comes with Symbian S60 Feature Pack 2 (v3.2) and a host of hardware and software that makes it one of the most feature-packed devices available. In addition to the aforementioned Wi-Fi, GPS, and 8 megapixel camera, this model features 16 GB of internal memory, a microSDHC card slot, built-in FM tuner, 3.5 mm stereo headphone jack, support for Bluetooth Stereo, and an optical mouse. The Euro-version of the i8510 retails for about $600 and can be ...

A new MacGyver-esque cellphone hack could bring cheap, on-the-spot disease detection to even the most remote villages on the planet. Using only an LED, plastic light filter and some wires, scientists at UCLA have modded a cellphone into a portable blood tester capable of detecting HIV, malaria and other illnesses. UCLA researcher Dr. Aydogan Ozcan images thousands of blood cells instantly by placing them on an off-the-shelf camera sensor and lighting them with a filtered-light source (coherent light, for you science buffs). The filtered light exposes distinctive qualities of the cells, which are then interpreted by Ozcan's custom software. By analyzing the cell types present in a much larger sample, a more accurate diagnosis can be made in a matter of minutes. No more sending blood away to a lab and waiting days or weeks for the results. [via Wired]