techshout.com: Thanko, a company known for its innovative products has rolled out a new keyboard. According to FarEastGizmos, the computer peripheral has a built-in fan to keep users’ hands cool.

Many times users’ hands sweat due to the prolonged usage of the keyboard, especially in the humid conditions. In such cases Thanko keyboard users can simply turn on the fan switch and continue working in comfortable environment.

The built-in fan blows strong cool air, so that it is convenient for users to work. The keyboard measures 51×22x3.5 cm.

As of now the Thanko keyboard with integrated fan is only available in Japan. The Thanko fan keyboard is available for 6,650 yen.

Thanko Keyboard with Built-in Fan Introduced [techshout.com]

Engadget: Directly rewarding efforts with results, now that's the way to get someone moving. As we've seen time and time again, providing a clear, undiluted motivator is a perfect way to make fitness a top priority in life, and that's exactly what Takara Tomy is hoping to achieve with its pocket-friendly Jinsei Game of Life pedometer. Essentially, this device is a portable version of the famed Game of Life board game, but users are purportedly not allowed to take a turn unless they take 300 steps first. Additionally, two players can take on one another via the "communication mode," but there's a good chance the most chiseled among you will take home the gold regardless of luck. Out this month in Japan for ¥3,675.

Jinsei Game of Life pedometer makes you exercise to play [Engadget]

Gadgetell.com: I cannot help but think there will be a specific type of individual that will purchase this, without offering up any stereotype’s I am sure you can think of at least one.

While this looks like nothing more than a severed cable, its actually a 2GB flash drive, and its certainly one that will not get stolen that quickly. My biggest concern would be leaving this laying around on the table and having my wife coming in the room and tossing it in the trash can thinking it was junk.

Severed cable that offers 2GB of built-in storage [Gadgetell.com]

Gadgets Weblog: I have kids now, and I'm already dreading the day when I have to let them go out on their own for the night for a date or with their friends. If I'm not willing to totally trust them by then, I could use the Keruve to keep track of them.

All I would need to do is attach the watch-like device to my child's wrist. Assuming my kid would let me do that, I would let my kid know that it won't come off without the use of some special tools. This device is a GPS transmitter that uses cell-phone towers to give the correct location, and I can track my offspring with the GPS receiver, which has an LCD screen.

I'm not sure where you can get this particular device, as the company is in Spain, and I cannot read the official website. I have a hunch we will be seeing a surge of products like these as our youth continually finds more ways to get into trouble.

Keruve lets you know where your children are [Gadgets Weblog]

The MEMENTO Memory LifeBook is a well designed and effective scientific mobile gadget that serves as a solution to people who suffer from dementia. The wearable device aids communication and memory as well as help keep track of objects and day-to-day agendas.

As quoted by the inventor, Peter Sin Guili: "The care of dementia patients is one of the society's largest medical and social responsibilities… The rapidly aging population and the extrapolation of increase number of dementia patients in the future sees a prominent growing market and demand for product solutions (Assistive Technology) to enable elderly individuals diagnosed with the condition to carry on their everyday activities independently for as long as possible."

The product facilitates the memorizing of events and helps those who suffer from dementia live their lives as efficiently and regularly as possible by maximizing their cognitive abilities and enhancing their self-reliability. It assists with contact maintenance, upkeep of daily tasks, keeps track of agendas, medication dosages, an 'intelligent camera' and more. Due to the increasing numbers of dementia patients and the costs of medical aid, this break-through device poses as a wise answer.

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TrendsSpotting.com is a trends agency focused on developing exciting tools for Trend Spotting. We follow current trends and are constantly looking for new ones. We specialize in trends research and the social media. Dr. Taly Weiss, TrendsSpotting CEO, is a Social Psychologist, with extensive experience in branding strategy and marketing research. Feel free to explore our trend spotting tools on www.trendoScope.com.

Crave: In the hypercompetitive business of game chairs, it's easy to get carried away. But at least one manufacturer is sticking to the basics.

Rather than adding more external bells and whistles, Capcom's "Reactor Video Game Chair" has concentrated on the chair itself with "eight high-impact vibrating motors" positioned in the upper and lower back as well as the seat "so that every bump or blow is felt by the gamer."

It also comes with head-mounted 3D speakers, according to Slippery Brick, but the best feature in our view is its "variable massage mode" to unwind from a particularly stressful session.

Capcom game chair tingles the spine [Crave]

The Red Ferret: This Klimatec Base 1 AirWater Machine is a self-filling water cooler which extracts water from the air, purifies it and serves it up in nice refreshing dollops of goodness. Or something. We’re talking 20 litres every 24 hours, it can be solar powered and you can attach an optional fridge unit for super coldness. Sounds like a pretty neat plan, eh?

Klimatic Base 1 AirWater Machine - self filling water cooler extracts drinking water from the air [The Red Ferret]

Axitron is preparing to release it’s Axitron ModBook, a revolutionary slate-style tablet Mac that enables users to draw and write directly on the screen. Until now, with the exception of using a Wacom Tablet, Apple has not introduced a tablet style notebook for their OS X platform.

The Axiotron Modbook boasts a 2.1GHz+ of processing speed, 1GB+ of memory, and the full-range of Apple MacBook connectivity via Ethernet, USB, FireWire®, Bluetooth and AirPort® while running the OS X v10.5 Leopard platform. The tablet is also equipped with a built-in iSight camera, optical drive and internal GPS.

Axiotron’s innovative design and manufacturing process integrates an Apple® MacBook® computer, state-of-the-art Wacom® pen-enabled digitizer technology and Axiotron’s own proprietary hardware and software components into a complete tablet solution, the Axiotron Modbook.

Christopher Aceto currently heads Thottfield Inc., a small multimedia and communications consultancy based in Toronto, Canada. Always on the hunt for innovative and exciting ideas, his passion for the creation and production of ground-breaking technologies and services has granted him the opportunity to act as a creative consultant for various companies and industries throughout the world.

Popgadget: This portable photo printer looks like a Sanrio lunch bucket for kids, which is perfect actually, as it gives off the impression of something light and easy to carry (which it is). The compact Canon SELPHY CP770 photo printer is one of the newer additions to Canon's SELPHY line of compact photo printers, and seems made for that person who is just so impatient to print photos that he/she must print while the party is still going on.

The actual printer is the top part of the bucket; the basket space is used to store your paper and other supplies. Comes with an A/C cable, but with an optional Canon battery pack, you can take this anywhere. When you're ready to print, you can either insert your camera's memory card into one of the slots on the printer, or print wirelessly from your Bluetooth-enabled camera phone. Maximum paper size is 4x8. Big buttons, large display for previewing your photos (2.5" TFT display), and automatic red-eye correction make this very user-friendly, even for grandma.

Print photos during your picnic with Canon SELPHY CP770 printer [Popgadget]

Crave: Ah, the elusive video phone. We've been hearing about that miraculous invention since we were kids, seeing prototypes displayed at Disneyland's house of the future. But despite an occasional product on the market, visual telephony has yet to take off for the masses.

So the closest thing we may be able to get is something like the new "GE PhotoPhone," first seen at CES in January. Although it doesn't stream video, the device does at least display digital images of whomever is ringing based on a visual form of caller ID. And when no one is on the phone, it still serves as a 7-inch picture frame in either black or silver finish.

'PhotoPhone' shows you who's calling [Crave]

Inhabitat: Well, we just spotted some breaking greener gadget news that are sure to get Apple fans excited! Drumroll please..

Apple just filed a patent to infuse their hand-helds and computers with a thin film of solar cells, paving the way for a new generation of gadgets with battery life boosted by the sun. The patent approaches the prospect from every angle, with schematics to stack photovoltaic cells beneath the entire surface of their portables - including the screen!

The patent states a variety of possible applications: “Solar cells are typically stacked with other layers made of transparent or semi-transparent materials… Some of these layers may be used for display or input purposes, and some layers may be coated with various materials or they may be etched with product logos or other patterns.” It goes on to explain that devices could display the performance of the solar cells on their screens next to the battery bar, or even on top of the cells themselves.

It will be interesting to see if the use of photo-voltaic panels in portable electronics will contradict the current consumer trend towards smaller and smaller gadgets, since a large, flat surface is required for solar to have any degree of efficiency.

APPLE FILES SOLAR PATENT: MacBook going solar? [Inhabitat]

Have you heard to the one of the most popular Japanese comic Death Note? A powerful Notebook with the ability to cause the death of a person in an accurate timing written beforehand. Now, we have a Life Index Watch, a concept developed for a Timex competition that keeps track of your remaining days based on personal biometrics. Sounds cool is'nt it!

Productdose: Would knowing how much time you have left make you live life to the fullest or would it paralyze you with anxiety? The technology is coming when your biometrics can give you an approximation of your remaining days. Worn like a patch on the skin, the Timex 2154 watch won't tell you if a truck is going to hit you but based on your fitness, stress, nutrition, sleep, and environment it will let you know when your most important date of all is set to arrive.

Life Index Watch [Productdose]

DVICE: Maybe you're a spy or you've got schematics for the next hot gadget locked away on your hard drive, but either way you're going to want to lock your files down. That's where the DataLocker Drive Enclosure comes in.

The DataLocker is an enclosure so you'll have to supply your own 2.5" SATA hard drive, which is the standard size drive for laptops. After that, you create a 6-digit passcode that you punch in on the unit's backlit touchscreen. Tap it again to lock that sensitive info down. It's powered and enabled by your USB port. Plug it in, put in your code and access your data.

Security doesn't come cheap, though. Get ready to drop $100 — you can find your average 2.5" enclosure for $10.

Protect any hard drive with the DataLocker Drive Enclosure [DVICE]

The Cool Hunter: One of the biggest problems that people have with iPods is that unless you have a diploma in hacking, it is extremely difficult to share your tunes, especially without getting a computer involved. That is of course until now. Want the latest album from your friends' iPod? Simply connect both iPods to the miShare unit, press the button and away you go. It's kind of like swapping football cards in the playground, although much cooler.

Providing that your files are not DRM protected (that's digital rights management to you technophobes), everything from movies to photos to songs can be transferred. Even entire playlists. Nice. There is however one downside – for now the unit does not work with the iPhone or iPod touch, although we are told that a firmware update is being looked in to.

MiShare [The Cool Hunter]

Crave: Sure, you can have the weirdest umbrella inventions, but none of these actually tell you when the rain is coming. Which is the whole point of carrying a brolly, right?

Apparently, the Forecast prototype goes all the way back to 2005 and the idea behind it is really simple. The umbrella comes with a docking station which is able to pull weather data off the Internet via Wi-Fi. Electric leads will then light up an LED on the handle with varying intensity to tell you the likelihood of rain. So you know whether to bring the brolly with you on your way out.

Sounds brilliant, as long as it doesn't get us fried in a rain puddle, or make us look like a goldfish-bowl Martian.

Materious' umbrella tells you when rain is coming [Crave]

Gadget Reviews: If you like digital photography, and want to show your pieces of art to friends or family, you would probably prefer to watch them in a slideshow on a TV screen than on a tiny camera's display. Unfortunately, such task requires computer and some time to convert or select photos. This gadget will make this job a lot easier. In fact, it does not require computer at all!

Convert photos to DVD without computer at all [Gadget Reviews]

Popgadget: It really bums me out to see a nice idea being implemented on a piece of outdated technology.

Take this palm-fit adjustable optical USB mouse from USB Fever, for example. It's got a pretty ingenious "lengthening" component that allows the mouse to become up to 16 mm (0.63 inches) longer. This ability to "grow" makes the mouse a compelling choice for travelers who have previously shied away from travel mice because of their diminutive size.

But why a USB mouse? Yeah, it's great that the USB cable is retractable and adjustable "to fit your application" and all that, but it's not 1990 anymore. Cut the cords, people.

Adjustable optical USB mouse [Popgadget]

NYT: MILLIONS of families once snapped Polaroid photographs and enjoyed passing around the newly minted prints on the spot, instead of waiting a week for them to be developed. Now, Polaroid wants to conjure up those golden analog days of vast sales and instant gratification — this time with images captured by digital cameras and camera phones.

This fall, the company expects to market a hand-size printer that produces color snapshots in about 30 seconds.

Beam a photograph from a cellphone to the printer and, with a gentle purr, out comes the full-color print — completely formed and dry to the touch.

The printer, which connects wirelessly by Bluetooth to phones and by cable to cameras, will cost about $150. The images are 2 inches by 3 inches, the size of a credit card. The new printers are so lightweight that a Polaroid executive demonstrating them recently had three tucked unnoticeably into various pockets of his trim jacket, whipping them out as if he were Harpo Marx.

Instant Digital Prints (and Polaroid Nostalgia) [New York Times Online]

Pedal the plug out with Eject Powerstrip. It is a forward-looking redesign of a powerstrip that would allow people to easily, safely and enjoyably unplug their devices.

People don't unplug their devices because:
1) they are lazy
2) they are too old or disabled to bend down
3) their powerstrips are located in areas they can't access without accidents (under tables, drawers)
4) when dealing with cheap powerstrips, unplugging a device can be dangerous.

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TrendInsights. A blog to inspire, stimulate creativity and trend spotting.

Gizmodiva.com: One thing all of us hate about Light outs and Load shedding is the deprivation of music. There are a thousand emergency products combining 3 or 4 factors. But Life+Gear’s LifeLight compiles all the stuff you’d want in one single pillar, like a radio, a directional compass, a night light, a regular 15super bright light with 20,000MCD LED’s, an emergency decibel siren, emergency signaling flashers and the ‘favoritest’ of all, the external speaker to connect to the iPod or any other MP3 Player. This stuff rocks! LifeLight sells for 50 bucks.

Lifelight is an emergency light cum iPod jack during dark hours [Gizmodiva.com]

purCushion integrates a microphone that connects to mobiles over Bluetooth, meaning you only have to rest your head on the pillow before you can chat.

The funny shaped pillow is 660mm long and its cotton velvet surface has several buttons for pairing your phone, answering calls and the like. The built-in battery provides up to eight hours of continuous chatter and it’ll snooze in standby for up to 300 hours.

Via RegHardware

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TrendInsights. A blog to inspire, stimulate creativity and trend spotting.

Gadgets Weblog: I always liked iPod docks, and some of them are getting pretty original in their construction. For example, the High School Musical Clock radio for the iPod.

As you can see, it's shaped like a locker. Open it up, and you put your iPod within. It also has an integrated AM/FM tuner, a sleep timer, and snooze button. All of it is stuck with the High School Musical franchise stamp, a reminder of the time when high school was clean and platonic.

Well, if you're interested, just walk down to the local Target and put down $59.99 for it.

High School Musical iPod Dock [Gadgets Weblog]

Gadgets Review: Are you paranoid about the fact that your girlfriend or boyfriend is cheating you? Do you want to know, what numbers she just dialed and what SMS had sent? You can hire a private detective for all this tasks, but his services may cost you more than expected. Listening devices are expensive to buy and need a special equipment to listen… There is a solution, which is not based on eavesdropping, and uses a very interesting method of spying: it scans the main chip of every GSM cell phone - SIM card!

This Cell Phone Spy Data Extracktor look just like an ordinary USB Flash drive. However, do not judge it by its size - it can be a powerful tool if used correctly. Just insert the SIM card in the device, plug it in the PC and you will be able to see all the numbers that was dialed through that SIM, even deleted ones! It can also restore deleted SMS messages and call logs, so nothing will be hidden from you. The manufacturer claims, this is the first SIM reader in the world that can actually see deleted messages. More than that, this gadget can be used in peaceful ways, to make backup copies of a phonebook or messages. Or you can make a full SIM card backup, buy a clean SIM card if needed and load your stored backup data on it.

SIM Card reader to restore deleted messages and call logs [Gadgets Review]

TrendHunter: The Credit Card Pig Bank concept is a logical evolution of the ole’ saving piggy bank or donation box. It allows you to swipe your credit card into the adorable pig and voilà, a pre-determined amount of money is transfered from your bank account into the saving/ donation account.

Every time you slide the credit card through the card reader, the software automatically connects to your private bank account and some amount of money will be transfered. The amount could be set by a software installed on the computer to which the pig will connect automatically via bluetooth.

High-Tech Savings & Donation - Credit Card Pig Bank [TrendHunter]

Australian IT: Like the promise of the paperless office, wearable electronics - specifically gadgets integrated into clothing for ease of movement - is a concept that has been long hyped but not really delivered until now.

Rod Tanks of Smart Fabrics is looking for a market for wearable electronics. In many ways, that's surprising. At first glance, particularly in an era when mobility is prized and just about everyone seems to be armed with personal music players and mobile phones when they venture out on the streets, it would seem the notion is a sound one.

Every year, the world's major consumer electronics exhibitions showcase apparel with built-in gadgetry and equipment that can be used to adorn various parts of the body, and predictions are made that wearable electronics is a market set to take off.

Recent Consumer Electronics Shows in Las Vegas, for example, have shown off micro LED-infused clothing, T-shirts that light up when they detect wireless hotspots, and luminous bedclothes suitable for reading by.

This year, CES had a range of exploding and vibrating gamer vests, with one even sending a puff of air into your ear when a virtual enemy mortar whistled past your head.

In recent years, fashion houses such as Dolce and Gabbana, Louis Vuitton and Prada have been quick to form alliances with electronics (and particularly phone) manufacturers to cross-market their products. Yet we still seem as far away as ever from the time when our favourite gadgets become commonly integrated with our clothing.

Rod Tanks, the managing director of Smart Fabrics Australia, one of the few local companies dedicated to the concept of wearable electronics, is confident the concept's time will come, but it still faces challenges, he says.

"The market in general will take off," he says. "Cast your mind back to the first mobile phones, which were like carrying bricks around, and there were probably only about half a dozen streets in Sydney where they could work.

Devices to get dressed with [Australian IT]

Sony USB memory stick - 5 different storage capacity ranged from 1GB, 2GB, 4Gb, 8GB to 16GB compatiable for both Mac and Windows. It has a cool LED lit and high speed reading transfer rate of 31 MB/s.

Availabilty in Japan around March. Price - 22,800 yen ($210 USD equiv.) for the 16GB model.

Via Slashgear

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TrendInsights. A blog to inspire, stimulate creativity and trend spotting.

Shiny Shiny: If you've ever attended a trade show or, indeed, gone on holiday, you'll know it sometimes something of a challenge to cram all your geek gear into one bag. It can be done but usually means sore shoulders and unusual bulges.

The Jelly Click can't do much about the former, but it can help streamline your packing. Just flatten for transit, and puff up for use. So simple, you have to wonder what would happen if the person sitting next to you thought you were smug and / or weird and stabbed it... It's a concept, so worry not.

Jelly Click inflatable mouse for tightly packed gadget bags [Shiny Shiny]

Here is what everybody is talking about! The Mac Airbook!

CoolHunter: The new year – the time for change – the time for resolutions – the time for the latest announcements from MacWorld in San Francisco. We oohed when Steve Jobs pulled the first iPod Nano out of the small pocket in his jeans. We counted the days until we could feel the new iPhone in our own hands. And just this morning, we marvelled when the world’s thinnest laptop was pulled out of an envelope.

Weighing just 3 pounds, a remarkable 0.16 inches at its thinnest point and merely 0.76 inches at its maximum height, the MacBook Air was born. Typically as laptop computers have become smaller, sacrifices to the size of the screen as well as the size of the keyboard had to be made. Miraculously the new MacBook Air did not suffer on account of its weight loss. The design includes a 13.3 inch widescreen display using LEDs that consume less power and still provide a sharp picture. And forget about cramming your fingers while you’re typing, the MacBook Air has a fullsize, backlit keyboard as well.

But naturally size alone is usually not enough to impress us. Along with the features and programs we would expect to find on any new Apple computer, the coolest new addition is the multifunctional trackpad. Of course we’re used to Mac’s two-finger tap and two-finger scroll trackpad features. What excites us here is that multi-touch innovations created for the iPhone have been adapted for MacBook Air.

Would other Technology Titans jump on this Thinnovation bandwagon to vie for the ever increasing tech savvy consumers' market? Lets see!

Macbook Air - The world's thinnest notebook [CoolHunter]

Gizmodiva: Monsters are hungry all the time and they are ready to eat up anything at a time, but we haven’t possibly heard of a Monster that eats up your money. Gobble and MeMe Money monsters are little chatterboxes that make hilarious and naughty comments after they eat up your precious coins and notes. Some thing like, “Money Money Money in my Tummy, Uurp!” in the tune of an Abba song. When you shove coins inside it mouth, it says, “Mmm…Jingle Jingle in my tummy” Not only this, if you don’t put your daily dose of coins, the monster gets frustrated and nags at passersby saying, “You make Gobble/MeMe angry!” This is just a glimpse of the 20 entertaining comments that it passes.

Money Monster eats up all your money [Gizmodiva]

Gadgets-reviews: Have you ever observed that your room flowers are dying? And all because you are a short-minded person when the time comes to water them. It simply takes you weeks? All you need is a flower-like gadget that won't need so scrupulous caring.

This gadget is the moving and grooving flower. Requires no water, no air and even no sun. All she needs is a tune. Just plug in the 35mm jack to a multimedia device turn the maximum volume and watch how the groove and the beat of the music makes the flower go totally crazy.

It also boasts cool speakers which make your flower pump up and down, left and right.
Has a 3 way switch button that allows you to select various tunes and dancing. Select a preferable color, whether pink or yellow or lilac and go nuts.

Movin' and groovin' flowers [Gadgets-reviews]

GearLog: The Glucoboy isn't just a standalone blood glucose meter designed for kids and adolescents; it also gives kids access to two full-length video games and a mini-arcade when used with the Nintendo Game Boy Advance or Nintendo DS handheld.

Confused? Yes, I was at first. This is how it works: to access the video games, the Glucoboy must be inserted into the cartridge slot of either electric handheld. Then, your blood glucose test results are converted into what's called "Glucose Reward Points" (GRPs), which you can use to unlock games.

The Glucoboy features a 10-second test time, 0.6 µL sample size, automatic shut-off, and 360 glucose result memory. The games included are Lost Star Saga, Knock 'Em Downs, and an arcade full of three games that have to be unlocked.

Never Fear, Glucoboy is Here! [GearLog]

Shiny Shiny: In a survey that was conducted by Barchester Healthcare care homes - not a gadget site! - it transpired that gadgets are number three out of the top five gifts elderly relatives and friends would like to receive. Ahead of those were only luxury food hampers and, at number one, experiences like yoga sessions, makeovers and hot air balloon rides.

Digital cameras and particularly gaming consoles, such as the age and gender boundary smashing Wii, were particularly popular among elderly care home residents. For some people the fact that our older generation - which includes some of the predecessors to and inspiration for today's technological wunderkinder - is still very much alive and kicking will come as no surprise; for the rest we're giving you a pre-Christmas heads up to rethink the frilly hankies, socks and fruit jellies. Head over the jump for a heartwarmingly lovely video of old people playing Wii.

Gerwiiatrics: Get grandma her own Wii this Christmas [Shiny Shiny]

Gadget4Girls: Do you already have a personal strategy of saving or spending money? Well, if not get a personal assistant! Namely a product that promised to solve the portable-storage problem once and for all. Let me introduce you the Handheld Digital Wallet by Veronica Vail.

Call it a planner, an organizer, a manager – what ever you want. This handheld digital wallet is actually an efficient aid in financial planning.

It is able to track your earning and spending which makes it possible to manage the very strategy of saving or spending. Besides, you can monitor your account(s), track your investments and make payments right from the device. The Digital Handheld Wallet houses a universal payment card. So you are the one enabled to easily make payments anywhere. The device is equipped with a security system that requires finger print identification in case you want to access financial information and make any payments or investments.

Veronica Vail's Handheld Digital Wallet [Gadget4Girls]

TrendBlog: The LucidTouch device does not look much different from the PlayStationPortable. It can be held comfortably in two and has a large touch-sensitive LCD screen, similar to that used in the iPhone. The big difference of this prototype, developed by MERL and Microsoft Research, is, that it can also be controlled using a touch-sensitive interface on its rear surface. When using the rear touch interface, the user’s fingers appear as shadows on the screen, giving the illusion they are holding a transparent device. Just highlighting the active point of each finger with a small green dot, LucidTouch is removing the problem of covering to much screen area with “fat fingers”.

LucidTouch [TrendBlog]