July 7th, 2008
By Alice Hill
RealTechNews
We cover the classic Nintendo game “Duck Hunt” from time to time. (take a look at some earlier posts below and then get back to this one, we’ll wait.) Today, we found a very serious shooting simulator from Marksman Training Systems AB called the ST-2. It is designed for shooting instructors and from the excerpt below, you can see this is no toy.
Shooting
The simulator can be used with most shotguns and rifles. The camera sensor that registers gun movements and shooting direction can be easily attached to the barrel of your own gun. The shooting direction is calibrated by a single shot at a calibration target. The shooting scenarios include moving and fixed targets. Starting position, trajectory, speed of the targets are parameters that can be altered by the user creating a wide variety of scenarios to practice on. Hit position and the effectiveness of the shot are evaluated according to all contributing factors: ammunition load and weight, range, target size, trajectory and speed.
Diagnostics
The diagnostics provided by ST-2 after a shot
- Illustrates how you missed
- Why you missed
- If you have correct gun fit
- Helps improve your shooting technique to increase success in the field and competition
Source: Marksman Training Systems AB
We Say: No pricing yet, but my guess is that unless you are Bill Gates or some other very bored billionaire, this one is not showing up in the home anytime soon.
More Ducks
–Kill the Dog from Dog Hunt < --New & difficult
–Duck Hunt + Doom = Duck DOOM< --don't miss
–Play the Original Duck Hunt Online
–DIY: Build a Sniper Rifle for Duck Hunt < --sick
June 27th, 2008
By Alice Hill
RealTechNews
Geeks and fashion do not see eye to eye and that’s ok. Some call gadget bags the new “Man Purse” while this new accessory makes even the clip-on tie look stylish and hip. Introducing the USB Necktie 2.
The concept is simple. instead of adding a huge USB powered fan to your necktie as the USB necktie 1 did, why not hide the fan in the fabric of the tie yourself and enjoy the cool breeze? Practical and stealth.
Source: Thanko.jp via Everything USB
We Say: uhhhh, not cool
June 17th, 2008
By Alice Hill
RealTechNews
I just completed a solar installation in my home that was north of $50K (ouch) and can tell you there is no such thing as the comfort and ease of a peel ‘n stick solar installation. Or is there? A company called Lumeta makes the PowerPly 380, a self adhesive solar panel that does away with the complex installation of panel racks and so on.
“Power-Ply 380 Roof Integrated Photovoltaic (RIPV) module is designed for flat roof applications and is easily installed over TPO, PVC, EPDM, Modified, and Built-Up roof systems. Its unique design combines high-efficiency cell technology with direct roof application to maximize energy generation for a given roof area. In addition, it eliminates the need for racking systems or other mounting structures that penetrate the roof, resulting in faster installations and less distractions for building owners.”
Alice’s Take: Sounds good, but not sure how it all hooks up. Worth looking into for a small installation like for a water heater. Of if you can though, go solar regardless. I save almost $1,000 a month and much much more once the system is paid for and all the rate continue to climb.
More info
Source: Lumeta via Red Ferret
June 17th, 2008
By Alice Hill
RealTechNews
Need we say more? For those trapped at work and unable to let loose on Guitar Hero or Rock Band, we proudly present an open source version called Frets on Fire that you can play on your trusty old keyboard.
So what is the catch? No one is negotiating with Aerosmith if you get our drift. Or as the developers put it:
Where can I get more songs?
A: While the in-game songs are admittedly awesome, one does start craving for a little variety before long. Lucky for you there are a number of ways to get more tunes for the game:
* Compose a new song with the game’s built-in song editor. All you need is an OGG music file and some patience. There are some tools to help you out as well.
* Go out and buy Guitar Hero™ 1 or 2 and use the built-in importer to bring the songs into the game.
* Check out the songs on community sites such as Keyboards on Fire, FretsOnFire.net, FOF.Spain, etc. Once you have a new song downloaded, just extract it under the data/songs folder.
We Say: Sounds like more work than we’d like, but still worth the download.
Source: Redferret
Resources:
–Download Frets on Fire Here
–Download Songs Here
May 19th, 2008
By Alice Hill
RealTechNews
This should not come as a shock, but today is the official first day people in the US can buy the already-popular-in-Japan Wii Fit from Nintendo. Wii Fit turns your Nintendo Wii gaming console into a fitness trainer using a special pad to measure your weight and balance. The “game” comes with a set of exercises ranging from strength to aerobics, and has been applauded for making getting fit fun, interactive (up to 8 family members can use it and compete) and for making the gaming console more than a couch potato pastime.
As you can see, the $89.99 game is already out of stock online and independent sellers have quickly jacked the price up to over $200. It was $180 when I woke up and quickly jumped to $210.
We Say: What is this, oil? Nintendo knew the game was huge and should have planned ahead, but we can’t help but wait for the day we get ours like all good addicts.
More about the game:
The primary tenet of Wii Fit is balance. Your center of balance, the point between your left and right sides when you stand upright, has a lot to do with your health. Those without an even center of balance will be unnaturally compensating for this imbalance, which causes their posture to become misaligned, increasing the possibility of putting unnecessary strain on their bodies. This is where the Wii Balance Board comes in.
Similar in appearance to a step aerobics board, the Wii Balance Board is much, much more. Easily capable of supporting weights up to a maximum of 300 pounds, it is sturdy and precise, able to measure weight and register pressure accurately when placed on a variety of flat surfaces. This advanced level of sensitivity allows for both the wide range of activities found in the Wii Fit software as well as the board’s amazing ability recognize individual players by their weight alone. More
March 13th, 2008
By Alice Hill
RealTechNews
It looks like the body of an SLR camera minus the lens– until you take a closer look. The new Olympus E-420 uses a super thin “pancake” lens to create a new hybrid camera - the point and shoot SLR.
Weighing only 13.4 ounces, the E-420 is a tad smaller than traditional SLR designs on the market today, but it packs a 10 megapixel sensor, and lets you frame a photo with the the viewfinder as well as the live view panel on the back of the camera. Nice! But the best part (if you like the concept) is the innovative pancake lens - a super thin .9 inch lens that provides a traditional 50-millimeter angle of view. Note: Olympus also released the first digital SLR with a live view monitor, the EVOLT E-330. Here is a hands-on review from a high end SLR user and his take on why this feature is actually useful.
Other notables: The camera is 5 inches wide and 2 inches thick, putting it within pocket range, and it prices under $1,000. $700 for the pancake lens version, $500 minus any lens, and $600 for the camera body plus a 14-42-millimeter lens. Source: NYT
Our Take: Looks cool, but the almost-but-not-quite styling may mean it gets a lot of stares, but stays on the store shelf. Would you buy one?
March 11th, 2008
By Alice Hill
RealTechNews
I just saw $3.99 on a gas station pricing sign this weekend, and you know it’s not going to get any lower. Being an optimist, I decided to see what other fluids are even more pricey than light sweet crude. Turns out - Ink Jet ink has now reached an unbelievable $8,000 a gallon.
We’ve covered this before, but let’s do some more math. HP is reporting that over 40% of its $2.63 billion in operating profits last quarter came from it printer business. Ink jet ink used to cost more by the ounce than Dom Perignon (still does,) but whatever way you measure it, people keep snapping up cartridges and filling up those thirsty, thirsty little printers. Source: Popsci.com
Our question: Why is this shrugged off?
March 11th, 2008
By Alice Hill
RealTechNews
Anyone who travels a lot will simply look at this device and sigh with relief. Why? Hotels are awful about providing enough power outlets near the desk - and with more and more gadgets hitting the road, it means a room strewn with charging cell phones and laptops and headsets, etc. One room I had not long ago sported a whole free outlet behind the bed - picture groping around behind that disgusting headboard.
Spec-wise, not much to say that you can’t see here. It boasts three surge protected AC outlet plugs, and will also charge two USB devices. Price: $24.99.
Product Page
Source: Belkin
Our Take: True, it means hauling along one more device and it isn’t exactly cheap, but if you really, really travel, this one is no-brainer, especially if you can expense it.
