These $150 Earbuds Are Probably the Only MartinLogan Speakers Someone Can Afford

MartinLogan makes expensive speakers. They're the kinds only the most anal-retentive audiophile would consider buying. The company's Motion Vision Soundbar costs $1500, and forget about the top-end CLX speakers. Twenty-five grand? No, thank you. At $150, the new Mikros 70 in-ear monitors aren't a bargain, either—but if they sound good enough, your average joe might actually consider them.

On specs alone, the Mikros 70 headphones might look like others on the market: They're aluminum with 6.6mm drivers, so they should deliver a nice mix of tones. The Mikros 70 are in-ear buds, so the little gel tips seal sound into your ear canal, making the low-end sound better and blocking outside ambient noise. The headphones are definitely designed to be used with a phone, as they come with an inline remote and microphone. The headphones have a sensitivity of 98dB (@ 1kHz), which is high enough that the output from a phone is plenty to drive the headphones.

So if these headphones are better than the rest, it's because of superior engineering that doesn't show on specs alone. MartinLogan is a company with quite a pedigree, so hopes are high. They may or may not be worth the money, but one thing's for sure: They're freaking gorgeous. More here.

This Ice Cream Cart Runs on Sunshine

In New York City, the instantly-recognizable tinkling of the Mr. Softee truck approaching is the hallmark sound of summer. Those old white trucks might deliver melty dairy goodness, but whatever comes out of their tailpipes can't be good for the planet—which is what makes thesesolar-powered ice cream carts so awesome.

Designed by Springtime, a Dutch design venture, the carts have solar panels on the roof, which juices up the batteries to keep the scoops are ice cold. It totally makes sense that in the thick of July, you'd use the oppressive power of the sun to keep the fridge running. When it's this humid, you constantly feel like a pot of cooked rice, and ice cream is the perfect thing to cool you down. More here.

Charge Your iPhone with Burning Pine Cones

The idea is brilliantly simple: burn whatever you find in the woods—sticks, leaves, pinecones, whatever—and let the stove transform the heat into electricity you can use to charge via USB—and it should provide about the same output as your laptop. No bulky solar panels, no extra battery packs—though it will add an extra two pounds to your kit. And since it's a real fire and not some extra charging gadget, you can actually use it to boil water and cook with—and that's really why you're sitting out in the wood anyway, right? More here.

Camping Cutlery Adapters Make Your Marshmallow Stick Far More Useful

Most campers don't have the outdoor skills necessary to build a shelter, set a trap, or even start a fire. But there's one thing even the most amateur outdoorsman can make—a marshmallow stick. And with these cutlery adapters, that primitive tool can then be used to consumer more than just s'mores.

Designed by Sharon Myoung, the S&S cutlery simply requires a camper to find a stick, shorten it to a usable length, and then sharpen the point so it can be twisted into a threaded bolt. Assembly really only requires minimal skill levels, but the final product can vastly improve your outdoor dining experience. More here.

This Outdoor Table’s Recessed Grooves Stop the Wind From Blowing Away Your Meal

When the weather is beautiful you want to spend as much time as you can outdoors. And that includes enjoying meals on the patio, which designers Marco Marotto and Paola Oliva make even more enjoyable with their conceptual dining set that stops the wind from blowing everything away.

The Bye Bye Wind set of table and chairs look like your typical plastic patio furniture, but the table's surface features recessed areas for plates, cups, and serving trays that prevents them from being swept away by even the strongest of backyard winds. And for each guest's sitting comfort, the back of the chairs feature small pockets for stashing a phone, keys, or anything else that's uncomfortable to keep in your pockets during a meal. 

The center of the table even has a plastic bottle crusher so you can keep empty beverage containers safely stowed, and from the looks of the design the Bye Bye Wind set should be fairly easy to produce using the same techniques as other plastic furniture. More here.

A Quad-Core Computer for $130

When Raspberry Pi released their diminutive, ARM-based PC for $35, people were rightfully chomping at the bit to get their hands on something so cheap and small and hackable. But the 700 MHz, single-core ARM 11 processor it wasn't exactly a powerhouse. Enter Hardkernel'sODROID-X, which packs a quad-core Samsung Exynos chipset on a 3.5 inch motherboard.

With each Cortex-A9 core clocked at 1.4 GHz, the ODROID-X also has 1 gigabyte of RAM, a Mali 400 GPU, six USB ports, ethernet, audio in/out, Micro HDMI and an SDHC reader. Plus it's capable of running Android or Ubuntu, giving you computing flexibility. Sure, it's no Ivy Bridge, but the Exynos processor is pretty amazing for its size. And for $130, this little chipset could become the heart of your next DIY project. More here.

New 2012 iPhone Body Reportedly Leaks, Gives the Glass Front its Time to Shine

KitGuru has unearthed what it claims is a "test sample" with the glass front panel roughly intact. Sitting next to an iPhone 4S, it's suggested that the new model would stuff in that bigger screen more through a better use of the available area -- there's much less blank space than on the iPhones we've known since 2007.

These Rugged Headphones Should Brighten Up Your Workout

Essentially a toughened-up version of the excellent Klipsch S4i earbuds, these little fellas come in red, yellow, orange and blue, and are, happily, water-resistant. They pack the same 8.5mm dual magnet drivers as their non-rugged cousins and come with an Apple-compatible inline remote/mic to boot. What's more, they look really quite nice. Well, if you like primary colors.

They're due to hit the shelves next month for $99. More here.

A Privacy Chair That Draws All the Attention to You

The Booth lounger is a good way to say "I don't want to talk to you but I kindly invite you to stare at me." With a removable hood, you can send the memo that although you don't want to be bothered, you still welcome attention and intrigue.

At first glance you might guess this chair was designed by Lady Gaga. But it actually comes by way of ADDI, a Swedish design house. Sweden, maybe you were. More here.

The World’s Most Aerodynamic Triathlon Bike

Often in athletic competitions an athletes biggest advantage comes from their gear. So if you're a cyclist after a first place finish, Cervélo's P5 triathlon/time trial bike has been designed and engineered to be the most aerodynamic ride on two wheels.

To ensure the bike slips through the air with as minimal resistance as possible, Cervélo has gone to great lengths to minimize drag. Including hiding every single wire and cable inside the P5's curvaceous frame, and using unique surface finishes on different parts of the bike to optimize airflow. And since the P5 is designed for longer competition rides, there's even streamlined spots for stashing water bottles and snacks.

Cervélo claims the engineering improvements made to this version of the bike could result in shaving up to 30 seconds off of a 25-mile ride, which could easily mean the difference between a medal and just finishing the race. And while at $6,000 it's definitely far more expensive than a Schwinn, as far as professional racing bikes go it's a downright bargain. More here.

Bits Stored on a Single Molecule Could Lead to Petabyte SSDs

If there's one fact of computing life, it's that there's never enough storage, and if you think it's bad now, just wait 'til you're downloading 4K movies. Still, research is at least keeping up, and now scientists can store bits of information on single molecules—which could pave the way for petabyte SSDs.

The project, undertaken at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, saw researchers embed a magnetized iron atom into an organic molecule made up of 51 atoms. The idea is that the organic shell protects the information stored in the central atom, while its magnetization allows data to be stored.

In fact, by applying current to the molecule, it's possible to flip the lone atom's magnetic charge, altering the resistance of the molecule. Subsequently measuring its resistance allows the researchers to read the state of the atom, and then change it again and again. That process means the molecule is capable of storing a bit of data. The result is published in Nature Communications.

Typical magnetic drives currently need 3 million atoms per bit so, in theory, a device made using these new molecule bits could pack in 50 thousand times as much data in the same size. That's the same as having a standard SSD capable of storing petabytes of data.

Except, it's not quite that easy. You'd have to find some way of addressing each and every molecule in the drive, which is an insane idea. In reality, a device would include so much circuitry that—even using nanowires—it wouldn't offer quite the capacity boost that reasoning promises.

The concept, however, could well inspire similar techniques that could be used to shrink current SSD technology by orders of magnitude. So the petabyte SSD might not be quite as ridiculous as you first thought. More here.

Tiny Charging Cable Keyring Juices Androids and iPhones Alike

Carrying around a charging cable is a fact of life if you use your smartphone for more than just the occasional call. But instead of packing the bulky cables that came with your iPhone or Android handset, just slip this tiny USB adapter onto your keychain for emergency battery top-offs.

In addition to a 30-pin dock connector for the iPhone, the iBattz also includes a microUSB adapter for charging most Android handsets from a laptop or a PC. It's also got a microSD slot turning it into a miniature card reader or external storage device. And last but not least, a pop-out pin for removing the iPhone's SIM card tray. More than enough functionality to justify its$30 price tag, particularly the first time it saves you from a deceased battery. More here.

This Bowl Will Always Be Exactly the Size You Need it to Be

The Stretchy Bowl is the easy-to-store fruit basin that never wants to disappoint. Composed of a white metal base (which requires minimal assembly) and a matching metal hoop wrapped in a layer of breathable, elastic fabric, this bowl is always the right size to accomodate your haul of produce.

As you add more fruit to stretchy fabric disk, the bowl deepens. Without anything in it at all,HooknLoop's Stretchy Bowl ($59, with your choice of red, blue, or gray fabric) can be stored flat. So convenient! More here.

Foxconn Fanless Nano PCs get Priced, Dated and Tweaked

The giant manufacturer recently made them official, detailing a few unexpected tweaks in a Russian language press release. Now decked out in a sleek black finish, the nettops will sport the same I/O, but one image courtesy of FanlessTech hints that DVI might be thrown into the mix despite lacking a mention in the official press release. The AT-5250 model won't be walking the Cedar Trail with an Atom D2700 as originally planned -- instead, its sights are set on a 1.86 GHz D2550. On the other hand, the AT-5600 will pack a Radeon HD 6320 alongside the anticipated AMD E450 APU. Surpassing their presumed sub-$200 price tag, they're set to ring up at $260 and $280, respectively, when they launch this September. More here.

Scientists Find Molecule That Will Make Your Teeth Cavityproof

Scientists have discovered a new molecule that will make your teeth cavityproof and may change dental care forever. They have appropriately named it Keep 32—for your 32 teeth—and it can kill the bacteria that produces cavities in 60 seconds flat.

José Córdoba—a researcher at Yale University—and Erich Astudillo—from the Universidad de Santiago, Chile—claim that this molecule can be added to any dental care product, from toothpaste to mouthwash. In fact, they say it can be added to anything, even candies and chewing gum.

As long as the product stays in your mouth for 60 seconds, it will eliminate the dreadfulStreptococcus Mutans, making your tooth cavity proof for a number of hours.

They started the research in 2005 and now they are aiming to have this product in the market in 14 to 18 months. Once they go through human safety trials in the United States, they want to license the patent to dental care manufacturers like Colgate or Procter & Gamble, as well as companies like Hershey's or Cadbury.

If the Evil League of Dentists don't kill them first, that is. More here.

Dracula, The Mummy and six Other Horror Classics Coming in a Blu-ray set October 2nd

Universal Classic Monsters: The Essential Collection will arrive on shelves October 2nd, and pack eight classic horror movies, all restored so they can be seen in the highest quality possible. Among the releases is Creature from the Black Lagoon restored for Blu-ray 3D (yes, like Dial M for Murder it was originally shot and released in 3D back in 1954), as well as Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy, The Invisible Man,Bride of Frankenstein, The Wolf Man and Phantom of the Opera. 

This is all a part of the ongoing Universal centennial celebration that's seeing its vaults unleash many of our favorites for the first time in high definition. Of course, the downside of a pack like this is that it's pricey -- the MSRP is $160, but it's available for preorder on Amazon currently priced at $112. More here.

This Skateboard Ceiling Fan Does 900s All Day Long

Over at Notcot's experimental studio they wanted to find a novel way to liven up the boring ceiling fan that hung over their heads. And since they were fans of gleaming the cube, they decided to replace its wooden blades with skateboard decks.

The mod was surprisingly easy, simply requiring the decks to be drilled so they could be bolted to the ceiling fan's angled metal brackets. And even though the decks have a lip at the front and back, the final mounted results were still properly angled to provide a refreshing downdraft. A word of advice if you're thinking of tackling the same DIY mod on your own fan, though. If you're recycling a used deck make sure to remove the skateboard's trucks and wheels first since the added weight would probably burn out the fan's motor well before this heatwave passes. More here.

Wireless Power Transferred Through Thick Concrete Could Mean Electric Cars That Charge While You Drive

One of the biggest issues preventing the electric car from taking over the roads is their incredibly limited battery life. But researchers at the Toyohashi University of Technology in Japan have demonstrated a new system that could let electric cars constantly recharge while they're being driven.

Their research has resulted in a system that's able to transfer somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 to 60 watts of electricity through almost 4 inches of concrete, allowing the power source to be safely buried beneath a roadway. And specially adapted tires which are wired into a vehicle's power system could then harness that electricity and use it to top off the battery.

At the moment the system exists as a low-power proof-of-concept of the technology, and would require about 100 times more power to actually charge an electric car's battery while it was running. But they claim the components needed to ramp it up are cheaply available, and the system could even work with concrete layers almost eight inches thick if needed. More here.

Ice Cream Sandwich Consumed by One in Ten Android Devices

The latest Dashboard numbers for Google's Android operating system have been released. The verdict? One in ten devices is leveraging Ice Cream Sandwich as their mobile OS of choice. 

The numbers, which are current as of July, put Gingerbread (Android 2.3) in first place with a 64-percent install base; followed by Froyo (Android 2.2) with 17.3-percent and ICS with 10.6-percent. Jelly Bean (Android 4.1), announced just last week at Google's IO Developer Conference, was not included in this instance of the report (as it is not officially available yet). More here.

Are You Comfortable With Airlines Researching You on Google?

According to the London Evening Standard, British Airways is beginning a program in which employees google the faces of passengers for upcoming flights so that they may immediately greet them upon entry to the airport gate/airplane. Some feel this is an invasion of privacy. But is it really that big of a deal? More here.

How to Make Your iPhone Charge Wirelessly

Wirelessly charging your iPhone would be pretty great, but not with the dumb cases that inductive charging requires. That's why this mod from Tanveer is so great. A regular iPhone that charges when you set it down. The future!

Here's what you'll need, according to Tanveer, in addition to some serious soldering skills:

patience
a steady hand
soldering tools
a spare charger port assembly
very thing gauge wire
a spare back cover
a wireless charger circuit (probably homemade from parts)

It's a pretty involved hack that will obviously void your warranty. You not only have to solder tiny wire to tiny pins, but you've got to add 1mm of give to an iPhone back panel. It takes some serious work, but for a 1mm-thicker iPhone that you don't have to plug in to charge? Kind of worth it. More here.

Samsung Announces 75-inch ES9000 Smart TV for Korea, With Similarly Gigantic Price Tag

Anyone looking to fill half of their lounge with Samsung LCD just got a new size to choose. In short, if you loved the LED-backlit display of the 55-inch model, you're going to adore the ES9000, which features the same smart TV brains alongside a retractable webcam unit housed on the top edge. The bezel is a mere 7.9mm and Samsung has decided to coat the frame in a gentle Rose Gold coating which.

That premium finish is matched by a premium price tag, however, and will hit checkbooks for 19.8 million won (around $17,450). Despite the UK appearance, retailer John Lewis (which hosted the event) couldn't confirm whether retail models would be coming to its stores in the future. But if you can afford 75 inches of TV, you can also afford a quick flight to Seoul to pick one up. More here.

Olympus’s Google Glasses Competitor Is Really Nothing Like Google Glasses

If you thought Google Glasses looked bad, Olympus's augmented reality specs will make you want to drop dead. The company today announced an awkward, wearable display prototype called Meg 4.0, although it's nothing like Google's version.

Weighing in at 30g, the Olympus model has a 320 x 240 floating screen on the lenses that connects to the wearer's smartphone or tablet using Bluetooth. Google's, meanwhile, are meant to be largely self-contained, not dependent on a tether to an existing device.

The Meg 4.0 supposedly boasts eight hours of battery life, though that's kind of a technicality—Olympus actually expects people to use the glasses in 15 second spurts about every three minutes, which according to someone's math, amounts to eight hours total. It also looks kind of like a Praying Mantis Olympus wants you to wear on your face. The glasses also have an accelerometer, so they can tell which way the person sporting them is facing. But they don't have a camera, which has been one of the main features Google thus far has used to advertise its nerd shades. More here.

Credit Card Fork

If you're the type who tries to maintain a constant state of readiness for any emergency, Devon Briggs' folding credit card fork will ensure you never have to resort to eating with your hands at a party or fast food joint.

Made from biodegradable plastic, Devon's flat-pack fork is designed to be an alternative to your standard plastic cutlery that's not only easier to ship, but also allows restaurants or other businesses to print their logo or advertising on it. And it's an easy way for anyone to carry a backup fork, whether they've run out at the BBQ you're at, or you just forgot to grab one when buying lunch. Not to mention its obvious uses for self-defense. More here.

How To Take Photos of Fireworks With Your Phone

It just wouldn't be the Fourth of July without the climactic boom of fireworks. If you want to keep that memory all year—or at least share it with all of your friends on Instagram—these tips will help you get lovely photos with your phone, even if you're not a pro.

Some people roll up to the fireworks with a tripod and a fancy DSLR. (If you're one of those people, this handy guide from PCMag should help.) But what if the only tool at your disposal is your smartphone?Here's how to take photos of fireworks that don't suck—no fancy apps or art school degree required.

• Pick a good spot in advance: Before the fireworks even start, you should try to get yourself in a good position: staying upwind of the fireworks will keep the smokey aftermath of previous blasts from gumming up your shot.

• Get steady: Remember, you're taking photos at night so a little bit of shakiness from slower shutter speeds can turn your photo into a blurry mess. Brace yourself against a picnic table or even sit down on the ground if possible. If you're in a crowd, get cozy with your neighbor for support.

• Frame before you shoot: Figure out where in the sky fireworks are blowing up and position your phone in advance. You don't want to chase the shot, you want your phone to be in the right place already.

• Use the AE/AF lock: Once your phone's in position, don't take your shot right away. On the iPhone and many Android phones tapping the screen locks in the exposure and focus for your shot. Use one firework for metering, and then take the photo of the next.

• Don't be afraid of portrait mode: Depending on the scenery and your perspective, both landscape and portrait photos might work well—heck even experiment with crooked angles to see what gets the best results.

• Don't zoom:  Fireworks are SO FAR AWAY but the digital zoom on camera phones is only an illusion. Don't use it. You can always crop the photo later.

• Keep it native: Speaking of later, third-party apps introduce additional lag to your phone's camera. Keep your timing sharp by using your built-in camera app, and upload it to Instagram later.

The Fireworks Laws of Every State

If you're looking to blow some stuff up tomorrow, it's probably a good idea to know what sort of fireworks you're "legally" allowed to use according to state law. This map will give you all the information you need to know on whether fireworks are legal, illegal or incredibly lame in your state.

American Pyro actually has detailed PDFs that list the specific rules for each state. You'll have to look at those because while some states are totally gung ho about fireworks, others force you to make do with twinkly sparklers (or force you to make a road trip to a neighboring state). It's important to note though, that fireworks laws can vary within the state (county to county, etc.). Just because California is cool with fireworks doesn't mean Beverly Hills is.

Anyway. Read up on your state's rules and plan accordingly. Freedom won't celebrate itself (though it kinda does). More here.

Scientists Have Finally Made Stretchable Circuitry

Bendable electronics are nothing new. But if you're after an electronic party trick, you're going to want to get your hands on a new breed of stretchable circuitry.

Elastic electronics are something engineers have been lusting over for a long ol' time. It's not hard to understand why: current constraints mean that most circuits are solid or, at best, slightly flexible. Imagine the possibilities if your conductors could stretch to many times their length.

The problem is, though, that when most conducting materials are stretched, their material properties change—in fact, their conductivity typically drops by factors of tens or hundreds. That makes them practically useless.

Now, a team from the McCormick School of Engineering has changed that by loading a polymer with liquid metal. They took the porous polymer material called poly(dimethylsiloxane), that can stretch to many times its original size. Then they placed a liquid metal called EGaIn inside the pores, in turn allowing electricity to flow consistently even when the material is excessively stretched.

The new material, which is discussed in an article in Nature Communications, can stretch to twice its length without any drop in conductivity. That makes it four times more extendable than any other elastic conductor ever made. More here.

You Can Ship This Stainless Steel Table In an Envelope

When buying furniture that's easy to ship, you usually have to compromise on design, stability, and even ease of use. But Studio Toer is offering the best of all worlds with these stainless steel tables that fit inside a shipping envelope when disassembled.

The Postable Table's modular design not only lets it squeeze inside shipping packaging usually reserved for letter mail, but by simply increasing the number of panels included it can serve as either a small coffee table, or something that's actually useful for work and dining.

It seems like the perfect way to furnish a home if you move around a lot, until you consider the price. The smallest and most 'affordable' version measuring just 23-inches long will cost you $190. While the more usable 70-inch model is a whopping $870. But thanks to their flat, foldaway design, shipping is just $20 all around the world. More here.

Would You Use This Curved Keyboard?

WMPowerUser is reporting that Microsoft's research team is working on this curved software keyboard, leaked from an internal presentation. It even speculates that it might be made available in Windows Phone 8.

It's clearly designed for single-handed use, following the arc of the thumb across the screen and presumably using predictive algorithms to make up for what would surely amount to a lot of mistakes. Whether it's real or not is, of course, up for debate, as is the validity of the concept. I think it's a neat idea in theory, but that in reality it would be hateful to work with. More here.

Users Reporting BBM Down, Joins Instagram in Being Less Social

First Netflix, then Instagram, now BBM? There are reports along with plenty of Twitter noise that the popular BlackBerry service has headed south. This makes for one heck of an anti-social weekend if you're a photo-sharing, BBM-er for sure. More here.

Check out the response:

Today, we experienced a service issue which may have affected some of our customers in certain parts of Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Some minor issues relating to browsing and BlackBerry Messenger may still persist, but all other services are operating as normal. We apologize to any customers in these regions who may have been inconvenienced.

This Combo Trackpad-Mouse Combo Is Either Twice As Awful or Half As Good As a Regular Mouse

There's no way Gigabyte's Xenon Dual Mode Touchpad Mouse, that is a trackpad and mouse in one combination, can be any good, right? The mouse looks like a complete horror show, like using an angular Magic Mouse, and the trackpad looks neutered and drooping. I don't believe.

Gigabyte says that the Xenon is world's first dual mode touchpad/mouse action, which seems sort of cool but probably foreboding on why this Frankenmouse didn't exist before. Still, there are possible use cases: balancing the touchscreen friendly Windows 8? Dabbling in some multi-touch before needing the accuracy of the mouse's 1000dpi mouse tracking? Being bipolar about mouse and trackpads?

The Xenon is pretty cheap at $40 but I can't help but think it's either ruining two independently good things or combining together to create awfulness. Works with PC, not with Mac. More here.

A Self-Heating Butter Knife: Genius or Overkill?

The knife, designed by Warburtons, heats up to 41.8 degrees Celsius, powered by AA batteries in the handle - and melts the butter just enough to spread smoothly, without gouging holes in the bread.

A button on the handle activates the battery-operated heating element and a flashing LED indicates it is on. The prototype can spread a slice of bread in 30 seconds - although it's not clear when or if it will be released, or how much it will cost.

At first, I thought that this electric butter knife—which heats itself to an optimum temperature (41 degrees celsius) in under 20 seconds—was nothing more than a frivolous byproduct of first-world culture. But the more I think of my epic struggles with a cold stick of butter sometimes, the more I think I like it.

The World’s Smallest 4K Camera Fits in the Palm of Your Hand

4K resolution video will be the next big technological leap as far as film and television goes. But it doesn't take a massive, expensive camera like the RED Epic to shoot 4K resolution video. In fact, Point Grey's Flea3 webcam—equipped with a Sony Exmor R sensor—is up to the task but is hardly bigger than an inch in any direction.

The technical feat here is that the camera is able to push video to any compatible, USB 3.0-equipped device in real-time—something that requires a fair amount of bandwidth. Obviously, resolution isn't everything, and you probably won't be shooting cinematic masterpieces with this diminutive beast, but if you need a little extra size and clarity from your image, this might do the trick. Though at $945, the only interested parties might be businesses with video conferencing and surveillance needs. More here.

Do You Still Wear a Watch?

Watches are, for the most part, a redundant technology. We have digital timekeepers in front of our faces pretty much all the time. And yet, the watch still persists—because of tradition, an appreciation for fashion and design, or straight up novelty. So why do you have a watch on your wrist ?

Nanoscale Microwave Transmitters Will Transform Your Phone

To pump out all the radio-frequency signals that let you make phone calls and consume the internet wirelessly, your phone uses small chunks of silicon to create microwaves. Science had pushed the little things as far as they could—but now a nanoscale version promises to make your phone smaller, cheaper and better-performing.

A team of UCLA scientists has developed a microwave oscillator that uses the spin of electrons, rather than the more conventional charge, to create radio-frequency waves. While that might not sound particularly impressive, it brings with it some major benefits.

First off, it means the oscillator can be 10,000-times smaller than those that are used at the moment. That is a pretty amazing leap in size, and it means that the devices will finally make their way on to integrated circuits—as their size and design is compatible with current chip manufacturing standards.

They also create much sharper frequency outputs. In turn, that means more data can be crammed into the same bandwidth from a device using such technology, and that there's less noise so they provide a cleaner voice and video signal.

Unlike many of these kinds of technological leaps, there's no obvious barrier which could get in the way of the science being translated directly into practice. But you can certainly expect somewhat of a wait before it makes its way off the researcher's bench and into your phone. More here.

Curly Hot Dog Roasters: A More Refined Take on Your Childhood Summers

For $22 you can recapture some of that childhood nostalgia in a more refined way. Made from stainless steel, the roasters have a playful, pigtail screw on the end where you stick your sausage. They're 34-inches long, so you're not going to burn yourself, and they come with a leather carrying strap. It's quite the upgrade from the improvised campfire tools of your youth. More here.

Scientists Create Wi-Fi That Can Transmit Seven Blu-ray Movies Per Second

If you think your home Wi-Fi connection is fast, think again. Scientists have been working on a new way to transmit data wirelessly, and they can now transfer a scorching 2.5 terabits of information per second.

That's over eight times faster than Verizon's fastest wired home internet connection, FiOS, that only manages a paltry 300Mbps. Or, to put it in real terms, it's the same as transmitting seven full Blu-ray movies per second. Basically, this shit is crazy fast.

The team of American and Israeli researchers have used a neat new concept, where the electromagnetic waves that usually carry data are twisted into vortex beams. ExtremeTech describes the concept well:

These twisted signals use orbital angular momentum (OAM) to cram much more data into a single stream. In current state-of-the-art transmission protocols (WiFi, LTE, COFDM), we only modulate the spin angular momentum (SAM) of radio waves, not the OAM. If you picture the Earth, SAM is our planet spinning on its axis, while OAM is our movement around the Sun. Basically, the breakthrough here is that researchers have created a wireless network protocol that uses both OAM and SAM.

The combination of the two provides some amazing possibilities. So far, the researchers, from University of Southern California, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and Tel Aviv University, have twisted together eight data streams, each operating at 300 Gbps, to achieve the new record of 2.5 terabits per second. At the moment, they've only transmitted signals as far as 1 meter. That should be scaled up before long—though the researchers admit 1 kilometer is probably an upper limit.

What's perhaps most interesting is that the technique can be used to twist together an awful lot of slower data connections.

Of course, all that remains is for the team to develop the technology into something robust enough to use on a commercial scale—and there's no telling how long that might take. More here.

Was This Indestructible Axe Made By the Same Craftsmen Who Created Thor’s Hammer?

The best feature of this seemingly indestructible fiberglass-handled hatchet isn't that you can repeatedly drive a tractor over it without snapping the handle. No, it's that the axe can be used by anyone with $30 to spare—unlike Thor's hammer which can only be wielded by the mythical hero of Norse legend.

The reinforced fiberglass composite handle on this axe is not only light and durable, it's also molded to the drop-forged steel blade so that when you're in the heat of battle against firewood, there's no risk of it flying off the handle—literally. In fact, the hatchet is so tough it comes with a lifetime warranty, so if you do somehow manage to break it, a replacement is just a phone call away. More here.

D-Link Unveils Cloud Router 1200 and 2000 in Tube Form

One of the biggest appeals for us in D-Link's new Cloud Router 1200 and 2000 is that tube shape, which is a nice break from the amorphous blobs we're used to as our WiFi routers. Not to say that there aren't convincing technical reasons to like them. Both will let you remotely administrate the 802.11n router's devices from an Android or iOS app, and they both carry four gigabit Ethernet jacks as well as a USB port for some network media storage.

The differences lay exclusively in the wireless support, where the single-band 1200 caters to the frugal set at 300Mbps and the simultaneous dual-band 2000 hums along at 600Mbps. Thankfully, the prices of the just-shipping access points are both about right for what you get: the Cloud Router 1200 is a cheap and cheerful $60, and the 2000 won't strain the wallet much more at $100. More here.

Unbreakable Silicone Plates Inspired By Tropical Leaves

They're durable enough to withstand even a trip through the microwave, dishwasher, or even your oven. And besides creating an enchanting tropical feel at your next get-together, designer Nao Tamura's creations can be easily rolled up and crammed in a drawer for storage. But at $80for a set of four, you better make sure none of your guests toss one in the compost bin when they're done eating. More here.

The World’s Smallest iPhone Charger Skips The Cables Altogether

If you're a loyal iPhone user you're probably used to toting around its charging adapter and cable just in case. Apple has done a good job at making it tiny, but by cutting the cord, the JuiceBuddy looks even easier to pocket.

Like the iPhone's included charger, the JuiceBuddy packs a pair of fold-away prongs that allowing it to be plugged directly into an outlet. And hidden beneath a cap on top is the standard dock connector used by iOS devices, letting you then connect your iPhone or iPod Touch. Although, that design means it's really only going to work best when plugged into a wall outlet, so your iOS device can then perch atop the JuiceBuddy. Using it with a powerbar could be a bit of a challenge.

But for just $25—available in red, white, black, or silver—it's a nice alternative to Apple's offering when traveling. And removing the keychain portion reveals a standard USB 2 port allowing you to charge other devices as well. So it just might replace all of the charging gear you usually have to pack. More here.

Sony Patent Filing for Glasses Would Share Data Face to Face

Google might not realize it, but Project Glass isn't alone in the patent race these days. Sony has quietly applied for a patent on a familiar-looking smart glasses system whose advantage over Mountain View would be an emphasis on things in twos. Eyepieces are the most obvious, but Sony is also keen on sharing data between two friends: transmitters on a pair of glasses would send personal info through a likely very uncomfortable glance at someone else with the same eyewear. 

If your friends are more than a little weirded out from sharing by staring, the proposed glasses could still pick up information from visual tags on posters, products and virtually anything else. There's even the obligatory connection to a watch for sharing data with the rest of the world. More here.

Brilliant Spinning Heatsink Cools CPUs 30 Times More Efficiently

Most computers use a two-step process to cool the CPU. First, a heat exchanger pasted to the processor draws the warmth away. And then a combination of a heatsink and fans dissipate it away from the PC. But by merging those two steps into one, this spinning cooler ends up being greater than the sum of its parts.

The Sandia Cooler was developed by the Sandia National Labs who do enough research to know a thing or two about how to effectively cool a computer. The most interesting aspect of the cooler is that it doesn't attach directly to the CPU using thermal paste—which isn't possible given it's always spinning. Instead, it sits a mere thousandth of an inch above the processor, which creates what's called an air bearing that's actually just as efficient at transmitting heat.

And as the heat moves from the CPU to the cooler, it's almost immediately blasted away via a series of fins spinning at 2,000 rpm. As a result, Sandia claims the system is at least 30 times more efficient at cooling a processor than traditional heatsink and fan methods.

And not only is it also far quieter, but the blades are spinning far too quickly to ever collect dust. So while it lets you safely overclock your system, it's also automatically keeping it clean at the same time. And maybe that's the real innovation here.

Keep Your Coat Hanging on by a String

Tired of running into your laundry with the vacuum because your clothes are strewn about the floor? Even if you buy a rack to hang them on it's still going to be in the way, unless the rack itself happens to be hanging just off the ground.

Veronika Wildgruber and Susanne Stofer's amusingly named Wardrope comes with all the hardware you'll need to suspend it from your ceiling, as well as four adjustable hooks that slide up and down its length. A weight at the bottom stops it from swinging around too much, and for around $87 you can get it in a variety of color combinations. Just go easy on the thick winter coats, backpacks filled with text books, or Tarzan impersonations, because the rack's only rated to support about 30 pounds. More here.

SSDs Cost Half as Much as They Did in 2011, So It’s Time to Upgrade

While last years Thailand floods saw the cost of HDDs skyrocket, the price of solid state drives has been slowly dropping. In fact, since early 2011 prices have dropped on average by 46 percent.

Tech Report has taken a long and thorough look at the changing prices of SSDs, and the news is good: the drops in price has been steady, but significant. That's largely thanks to healthy, if aggressive, competition between big players in the market. Except on the part of Intel, which has shied away from discounting its drives.

While such competition shows no signs of stopping, that in itself is no reason to put off upgrading much longer. If you've been telling yourself you'd switch to SSD when it got cheaper, well, it did get cheaper. More here.

The Galaxy S III Is Trying So Hard It Catches Fire

The new Samsung Galaxy S III is a great phone that's just trying too hard. So hard, in fact, that it's bursting into flames under the pressure.

Engadget is reporting a case of the phone catching fire while being used in an in-car holster. Apparently the device sparked into white flames, before making a loud bang. What's left is a pretty substantial burn and a reasonable amount of molten plastic. Fortunately, nobody was injured. Samsung has since announced:

"Samsung is aware of this issue and will begin investigating as soon as we receive the specific product in question. Once the investigation is complete, we will be able to provide further details on the situation. We are committed to providing our customers with the safest products possible and are looking at this seriously." More here.

The World’s First Remote-Controlled (LED) Light Bulb

Don't you hate getting all bundled up under the covers, your pillows in the perfect scrunch position under your head, only to realize you didn't turn out the lamp on the opposite end of the room and there's no way you'll be able to sleep with that bright bulb shining in your eyes all night? I do.

Luckily for everyone, INSTEON, manufacturers of the best-selling and most reliable home-automation technology today, have come up with the perfect way to avoid finding yourself in the predicament ever again: the world's first remote-controllable LED light bulb.

The 60W, $29.99 bulb can be dimmed via a remote control available for both iOS and Android. As soon as the bulb is screwed in, its unique network address (which is printed on the bulb itself) is instantly recognized by the INSTEON network (or any nearby devices)—which means you'll be able to easily swap bulbs out without having to go through an annoying linking process. More here.

These Pixelated Glasses are the Definition of Computer-Geek

Paris-based eyewear designer Dzmitry Samalgives a whole new meaning to the idea of so-called hipster glasses, with his pixel-inspired "5DPI" frames.

These futuristic glasses have been designed with a pixelated effect, deliberately reflecting society's fascination with an "informational aesthetic". The design clearly refers for late 1980s computerized graphics and video games such as Tetris. While computer images and graphics have been revolutionized over the past two decades, these glasses are reminiscent of society's digital roots and how technology has inspired
almost everything in use today. Even something as utilitarian as glasses can be transformed using technology. Patented model.

The frames (approx. $378) are hand-made in France, using the most current technology and can be fitted with either 100% UV protection solar frames or translucent lenses. They can be order online here.