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TheVoltMakers

There are plenty of dynamo based hand chargers for your electronic gadgets.  What makes the VoltMaker better or different?  First of all, they have the best infomercial video I have seen in a while.  If nothing else it is worth a laugh… watch it below.  Secondly they create power by twirling or spinning the dynamo around.  This 6-inch, 10-ounce dynamo charger has a 2,000 mAh battery and can also be wall charged “if you are lazy”.  You get all that goodness for $69… strap on the flashlight attachment and the new total is $89.  Yes I am on the list for three, hoping they hit their $200,000 indiegogo goal.

Domino's Helicopter Pizza Delivery

At first glance this Octocopter remote controlled pizza delivery in London seems like a clever gimmick to generate some viral advertising for Domino’s.  And guess what, here I am writing about it… so it worked.  With that said, the Octocopters (like the Turbo Ace X88-J2) are getting better and better.  They can now carry decent payloads (in this case two large peperoni pizzas), and can stay on track (via GPS) for long distances, have better battery life, longer range wireless video transmission, and better visual controls with FPV systems  (like the fatshark system).

Less employees needed to deliver the pizza, less wasted fuel, less liability, etc… So, remote controlled helicopter pizza deliveries could actually become a reality someday.  There are a few obstacles to overcome though.  Video of the Domino’s helicopter pizza delivery after the break.

German Train Drones

Another new day, another new way to used drones.  Seems like all of those sci-fi movies of the past are coming true.  Soon your every move will be recorded from drones that you can’t see or hear flying above.

In this case, a German railway network, Deutsche Bahn, is deploying drones to catch people trying to graffiti on their trains.  In 2012 alone their trains were defaced about 14,000 times, costing a whopping $9.8 million dollars to repair.  The company will start using the graffiti hunting drones in their larger depots.  Since most graffiti takes place at nights when it is darker and quieter… the drones are nearly silent and have infrared cameras.  No surprise that Deutsche Bahn will be seeking criminal prosecution.  These drones can fly at altitudes of 492 feet for 80-minutes at a time with a top speed of 33-mph.

DR500GW-HD Review

Before I get right into my review of the BlackVue DR500GW-HD Vehicle Video Recorder I think it is important to add a bit of backstory about my search for the best car dvr/camera.  I have been trying to find the “perfect” vehicle video recorder for quite some time and have tested a myriad of products.  Most of the vehicle cameras with built-in DVR are manufactured in China.  This alone shouldn’t be a bad thing, but for some reason it is.  Of the 10+ car cameras I have tested, all of them were made in China.  All of these Chinese units had some combination of subpar manuals, cheap build quality, low video quality (don’t let the use of the term “HD” fool you), unacceptable night time viewing, etc…

So, when I found the BlackVue DR500GW-HD (made in South Korea) I was excited but skeptical.  While I believe that products made in South Korea are higher quality than Chinese products, I had seen so many bad vehicle video recorders and wondered if I would ever find a good unit.  Read on for my DR500GW-HD Review.

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DJI Innovations is no stranger to high end remote controlled helicopters and drones.  Their S800 (Spreading Wings) Hexacopter has been a favorite choice among serious hobbyists.  I happen to own the S800 with the Wookong-M autopilot system and while I love it… it is incredibly difficult for a new user to setup.  You practically need a PhD to figure out the ESL manual, assemble the beast, and then tune it for flight.  Things just got a bit simpler for new users who want to enter the multi-rotor GPS enabled space thanks to the Phantom.  Read on for the DJI Phantom Review…

Posted on Mar 21 2013 - 8:25am by Russ
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BikeSpike

While a bike lock might protect your ride from a casual/opportunistic bike thief, it won’t stop someone who really wants to steal it.  Short of keeping your bike stored safely indoors, there aren’t too many great options.  Well not yet, anyways.  Another KickStarter project, BikeSpike, is trying to get funded and become a reality.

To be honest, I am getting a bit frustrated with all of the great KickStarter projects.  Why?  Because there are so many great ideas that aren’t “real” products yet.  In other words, I want to buy these products now.  As in today!  With that said, I think the BikeSpike is worth signing up and waiting for.  Read on for details about the BikeSpike GPS tracker…

Remember the waterproofing company Liquipel from last year?  Well they just got some competition from a new company named HzO.

The HzO coating is called WaterBlock and claims that it protects better than the competition (aka Liquipel).  The WaterBlock technology is applied via a “chemical vapor deposition process” and protects against most liquids (water, beer, soda, juice, etc…).

“The coating process offered by other companies sprays a thin hydrophobic coating on both the interior and exterior of the device which can aid in driving away light splashes to the device, but leave microscopic gaps and openings that allow water, humidity and moisture to eventually seep through and damage the internal sensitive circuitry, especially when submerged.”

Currently HzO is going after the OEM (original equipment manufacturers) instead of the users.  This means that you can’t send in your current gadgets.  You can only hope they are successful selling to companies like Apple, Canon, etc… 

Google Kia UVO

The Korean car manufacturers (think Hyundai and Kia) are making a serious go at it.  There cars are improving massively, looking better, and stealing market share from the older goats.  In this case, Kia is going to improve their UVO eServices telematics in a big way by teaming up with Google.  The Google/Kia system will debut in the Kia Sorento CUV and will allow users to send directions and locations (from a smartphone or web) to the cars UVO system.

Read the full Kia press release after the break.

Seecom Surveillance Robot

The Secom autonomous quadcopter is a high tech flying surveillance robot.  You no longer need to go outside to protect your domicile… just launch the Secom Helicopter and watch the live video feed from the safety of your living room.

Seecom’s autonomous flying surveillance robot works by detecting and following intruders.  The unit uses a laser-guided camera system, LED lights for night vision, and wireless video link. 

Burrito Bomber Plane

Yep… it was only a matter of time before the local food delivery guy on the scooter was replaced by a UAV remote control airplane??  The Burrito Bomber is just that, an unmanned autopiloted remote control airplane that can carry a 3-inch diameter 500 gram burrito.  The burrito is then dropped on the exact location and delivered by parachute.  More information and video of the Burrito Bomber after the break.