Just another solution from Japan: an energy saving socket

The big Asian market of technology is always keen on new products that allow for resource optimization, energy saving or less pollution in our cities. For this reason, a solution which combines all this in a single movement can only be welcomed favorably by the environmentally savvy market.

In theory, the safest way to save energy in our homes and offices would be unplugging electrical appliances when you leave, but let’s face it, who likes to bend down to the ground every morning and every evening to plug in or unplug their TV set, their lamps or their office computer?

The power socket Switch is designed exactly to meet this need, and gives us the opportunity to leave our appliances in stand-by mode, but instead of unplugging them every time, one should bend down only to rotate the plug by 45 degrees, just like a light switch, hence the name.

By leaving the cables plugged into the Switch socket and rotating the plug by 45 degrees, the electricity flow towards any appliance connected is interrupted. So we will be able to leave our computer, our TV and stereo plugged in. All we have to do is rotate the plug when leaving in the morning, and do the same upon our return, in order to save energy.

What is not clear yet is whether this kind of socket will really make a difference on the average consumer’s behavior; for the common man, bending down, either to remove the plug or rotate it, is still a waste of time or, at best, an unusual gesture.

At least, the idea seems intriguing, and Switch sockets are also coming in pleasant colors; all we have to do is wait and see their impact on our energy saving habits.

Big keys, easy functions: another cellphone for grannies and kids

Generally, coming of age is associated with a somewhat low familiarity with new technologies, which is certainly not applicable to readers of this blog who happen to have grandchildren. As a grandparent, though, you may receive from your grandchildren some presents “for the elderly” which have a certain usefulness.

Among them we can certainly mention iNo CP09, a cellphone for older people and for kids, which makes ease of use its main feature, with its big number keys, a wide easy-to-read display and quite simple functions. Unlike most mobile phones designed for grandparents and children alike, though, CP09 also has a headphones output plug and an FM radio.

Its ease of use makes it suitable both for older people and for our kids. Both of them have the ability of inadvertently getting themselves into trouble or danger, and in the unpleasant event that your loved one runs into situations like these, this mobile phone has a big red SOS button on its back; just push that button, and you will automatically send a text message towards a preset number.

Furthermore, by pressing the SOS button, the preset number is called automatically, and the phone screams out a loud alarm siren, perfect to chase away molesters, kidnappers or street criminals. Just make sure that, if your kid is particularly naughty, you educate him well on the usage of the SOS key, or he might really create havoc at school with his siren!

Currently the iNo CP09 phone, manufactured in Singapore by Foresight Technologies, is being sold only on the local market, for the affordable price of 78 US Dollars.

A driving assistant robot, to avoid accidents and driving stress

For opera lovers, AIDA brings to mind visions quite different from a traffic jam in the city or on the highway, but for MIT researchers, it stands for Affective Intelligent Driving Agent, a robot designed to assist us in the traffic, giving us advice on our behavior at the wheel.

The driving assistant robot AIDA, placed on the car’s dashboard and connected to a navigation system, analyzes frequent routes, such as for example the way from home to work and vice versa, as well as environmental and weather conditions, characteristics of the surroundings and presence of businesses such as hotels, shopping centers etc. along the way.

By examining the data received from the car, AIDA learns the characteristics of our driving style, and observing the driver’s facial expressions, it can detect whether we are anxious or relaxed. AIDA communicates with the driver by means of a wink, a frown or a scared expression, to tell him that all is OK, or that he should slow down a bit.

By merging territory data received from the navigation system with this behavioral analysis, AIDA will learn to know your driving habits, the location of your home, your office and your usual destinations, and will give you directions, for example, to reach your favorite shopping mall avoiding a traffic jam.

It can also advise us to drive in a less aggressive way, thus saving energy, inform us when the tank is running out of fuel or when the car needs a general check-up.
To make it short, AIDA helps us make sure that the way from home to work is not the beginning of yet another stressful day, and that the way back home is the beginning of our well deserved rest. And with such a cute smile, how can you not love it?

Pierce those watching eyes

Do you suspect that your phone is tapped? Do you feel that someone is watching your moves? If you have this nagging doubt of somebody spying on you, it is high time you get those gadgets and buy some “peace of mind”. Personal defense is part of your personal security. Thanks to the technological developments; today you can have a wide range of personal defense gadgets to protect your privacy and also for your personal defense. These are some of them.

* Telephone interceptions defense– It gives you an alert if your phone is tapped.
* Jammer- It jams the signals of a walkie-talkie.
* Antitheft alarm- It beeps a loud alarm when a burglar or trespasser attempts to enter your premises.
* Key logger- It stores all the keystrokes hit on your computer’s keyboard so that if anybody uses your system in your absence you will know it.
* Bug sweeper-You can detect any hidden camera in your room in just 10 seconds with this gadget.

Make sure that your privacy and sensitive information are all protected with the right gadget. Don’t hesitate to spend on defense gadgets as they go a long way in protecting you. Make sure that things ranging from your mobile phone to your laptop; anything can be a bridge for the intruder to access information about your life. So wear the armor of technology to be safe from those bugs.