Sci-tech

Nike iPod Watch

If you're an owner of a non-Nano iPod (or a non iPod owner), you're probably looking forward to Nike's Speed+ iPod-replacing watch to save you the trouble of buying another iPod. In addition to Speed+, Nike has three other watches to compliment, not replace, the iPod Nano. The first, Nike's Flight+, will be released on the first of May. The volume and track controls are built into a "rocking bezel" around the Electroluminiscent backlit screen. The second, a lower-end bracelet called the Amp+, has its own LED display which can show the time or the iPod control status. You also get an iPod shuffle control pad to adjust volume, playback or call up the Nike Sport kit stuff. The third one, Aero+, seems to be the male version of the Flight+. It's less feminine and comes with two colours as well.Once again, these compliment the iPod + Nano system instead of replacing the Nano like the Speed+ kits.

The Shoe Rolodex

There's not a day that goes by that we're not thankful that most women don't own 18 pairs of shoes in the entire spectrum of the rainbow as illustrated in the picture on the right. But if you are such a shoe freak, this Rakku Designs shoe rolodex will keep your footwear as organized as your contacts. At a price of only $65, it's comparable to other shoe organizers and shoe trees, but is more compact so you can fit - they claim - 30 pairs of shoes in it. However, it only fits up to a men's 10.5, so guys, you're out of luck.

The Remote Controlled Balloony

Japan's toy giant Tomy unveils a flying balloon named the "Pucaripet" which can be steered by a remote control unit utilising a micro fan attached to the lower section of the balloon, during a press preview in Tokyo. Tomy will put it on the market in April with a price of 34 USD.


World's Smallest 2-Legged Robot

The Omnibo2007 i-SOBOT is the smallest 2-legged robot in the world. It's just 96x67x165mm and weighs only 350g. An internal gyro-sensor gives is maximum flexibility while an attached IR remote control has voice command features and pre-programming capabilities. If you clap or play music, the i-SOBOT will dance to the beat. It goes on sale in July from toymaker Takara Tomy.

Beijing Aims to Tame Traffic by 2008

Beijing's psychopathic traffic and the 2008 Olympics are on a collision course; pollution coats every urban surface; and now, according to a new government survey, 33 percent of residents cite the capital's clogged streets as their number one concern - putting gridlock ahead of medical care and employment on Beijing's list of frustrations. In response to this mess-in-the-making, the government has put 40 billion USD into expanding the antediluvian subway system and building new roads to handle the expected flood of Olympic visitors. Today Beijing has four subway and light rail lines totaling 114 kilometers; by 2008, that will expand to nine metro lines and 200 kilometers. Current plans call for Beijing to have the world's longest subway network by 2020, with 19 lines totaling 561.5 kilometres - surpassing even London's venerable underground. In 2006, 370,000 new vehicles were registered in the city, which now has 2.87 million vehicles for 15 million residents. The number of vehicles is expected to reach 3.3 million by the time the Summer Games begin.

BluOnyx, the Tiny Home Server

Most of us desire for a tiny home server to replace the whirring, vibrating recycled desktops that have occupied our closet in times past. The BluOnyx, alas, is only a media server, not the ubuntu-powered everything-and-the-kitchen-sink. But it is tiny, being the size of a credit card and about a centimetre thick. And it's a capable little bugger, able to stream from PCs, internet sites and peripherals (accessing the web and other network storage via a WiFi connection). It offers 12 hours of battery life and will be priced from about 100 USD and up when it becomes available.

Concierge: Like a GPS For Your Shopping Cart

Who said shopping carts had to be dull and gray? Not Springboard Networks. The folks at the Canadian-based company are looking to bring those rattling dinosaurs into the 21st century by pairing them with a touch screen LCD that will keep track of your purchases and also tell you what aisle to go to for your Doritos fix. The device is still in its early stages, so you may want to stick with online grocery shopping in the meantime.

Compiled by IMRAN H. KHAN

Source: Gizmodo.com and Wired

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