Researchers get ticklish to discover origins of laughter

"Hi honey, how was your day?"

"Oh, pretty good - I tickled some chimps for a bit and then started in on the babies..."

Not a typical day in the office for most of us perhaps, but when British researcher Marina Davila Ross of the University of Portsmouth, England began a study to trace the origin of human laughter, she knew she was going to have to get hands on.

She and her colleagues tickled three human babies as well as 21 orangutans, gorillas, chimpanzees and bonobos. They recorded the laughter sounds that resulted from each bout of tickling, and were able to identify some sounds which indicate humans and apes may have a shared laughter heritage. (I'm guessing they also identified that tickling babies and primates is a fun way to spend a day).

To think, at school I was under the misapprehension that science was boring.

Image: Thomas Lersch via Wikipedia.

Birdsong radio woos its fans (for the last time)

Here's a sweet story, or even a "tweet" story... No, I'm not rambling on about Twitter yet again - I'm talking about real birds this time.

After British digital radio station OneWorld was taken off the air, the BBC had nothing to replace it with. So they replaced music with... recorded birdsong.

Almost half a million listeners tuned in over the 18 months "Birdsong radio" was running, many of whom, like author Sir Terry Pratchett, found it "relaxing". Some fans were city-dwellers who never get to hear birds singing in real life.

But at the start of June, the idyll was over: The BBC's new station, Amazing Radio, which will feature unsigned artists, was launched, and Birdsong radio was no more. Huh. I guess it was more of a sad story, really. Shame there isn't room on the radio for upcoming musicians and nature's own, isn't it?

Image: Wikimedia.

Bomb USB flash drive will not harm your data

Any guesses on why the heck would anyone think of making a bomb-shaped USB flash drive ? We got no clue either.

But apparently this design by Joel Escalona Studio was intended to create a “metaphoric and conceptual object designed to be shown on a desk or a work place, not so much to carry around”. Just as well. Imagine carrying this thing around, say when you are aboard a flight. And God help you if you were daring enough.

It is still a concept that is looking to explode - oops - find producers.

Via OhGizmo.

Soundblock iPod speakers look like LEGO blocks

Elecom has brought out a series of docks for the iPod Nano called Soundblocks that are perhaps the most good-looking ones in the mini-dock category. They measure only 2 x 16mm, and are available in atleast a dozen appetizing colors - just so that you can match your iPod with the appropriate one. Seriously, what more could you want? Well, I for one, would like to know if they sound as good as they look.

The speakers are priced at around $42.

Via TechFresh.

Drape fashion around your ears with Zumreed Dreams headphones

Imagine what a pair of good-looking headphones can do to your personality. The truth ? Not much. Though it wouldn't be an utterly foolish idea to be aesthetically competent now, would it ? The Zumreed Dreams ZHP-005 headphones can perhaps help you along, given that they are striped chic and are available in 5 bright colors to match with your audio player.

These retro-looking colorfully striped headphones are sure to make a few heads turn to ogle your own, and you can pretend to be so immersed in music that the attention hasn't affected you. For the more serious, the headphones specs indicate decent performance too - they have a frequency response of 20 Hz - 20kHz, a 40mm driver unit and 1.2m length of cord, and come padded with soft earpads for a comfortable fit around the ears. Enough said.

Get yours from AudioCubes at $65.99.

Via The Red Ferret.

Samsung Gets Highlights

Yesterday, the Samsung Highlight hit shelves. A slim and curvy number, the Highlight SGH-t749 is a smartphone with a full touchscreen and style for days. With it's rubberized casing, the Highlight is easy on the hands. With vibrant colors like the bright red and orange "Fire" and the cool turquoise "Ice," the phone is seriously easy on the eyes.

In lieu of a QWERTY keypad, the Highlight has a QWERTY touchscreen that can be accessed much like the iPhone. It also has a number of customizable widgets, allowing quick and easy access to some of the user's favorite apps. The screen is has a respectable 240 x 400 pixel resolution which comes in handy when you're cruising the web on the full size web browser.

iHouse Builds the Better Faucet

Remember that old MGM cartoon "The House of Tomorrow," where we were given a glimpse into the future of the modern household? While it was silly and over-the-top, it got one thing right, today's house is totally different from the appliances of 1949 or even 1990. And thanks to companies like iHouse, the House of Tomorrow is closer to becoming the House of Today.

MIX STIX can help you drum your way through the kitchen

They are cooking "gadgets" that double up as drumsticks, but not of the eating kind. MIX STIX is an innovative set of wooden spoons that can not only help you rustle up your meal in style, but also aid your musical inclinations by becoming a pair of drumsticks as you flip them around.

Designed by Ignacio Pilotto & Jason Amendolara, MIX STIX are a pair of beechwood spoons, one solid and the other slotted like a musical note, and made specifically for dual use as spoons-cum-drumsticks. Sounds pretty logical, doesn't it?

Now I wonder if there is any amongst us who hasn't used kitchen cutlery for purposes other than cooking - breaking into impromptu musical compositions, for instance. Or letting your spouse know explicitly that you are frustrated with the day's proceedings, for another. Thank your stars that nobody has let their imaginations stretch as far as the latter idea just yet.

Watch out for the spoon sisters to hit Urban Outfitters stores this fall.

Via OhGizmo.

From Table to Speakerbox: K-Box Transforms Any Surface into a Speaker

Speakers with all their wires and complicated set-up instructions may go the way of the dinosaurs if multimedia company Kerchoonz has its way. The Scottish company recently went to market with the K-Box. About the size of a standard cell phone, the unassuming black and purple device can turn any flat surface including tables or windows into a speaker.

Using a patented "Gel Audio" Technology, the K-Box passes sound through the surface making it resonate producing some impressive bass. It has speakers to produce mid and high range frequencies. With a standard 3.5mm audio jack you can simply plug it in to your laptop, iPod, phone or gaming system and get some amazing sound.

Retailing at $74.99 plus shipping and handling, the K-Box has approximately 20-hours of battery life and can be recharged via a USB cable.

Nike Unveils New and Improved SportBand

Whether or not you love running or loathe it, Nike has released a new product to make the experience a little more worthwhile. The footwear company has released an updated version of the Nike+ SportBand. Like it's predecessor, the SportBand records the number of calories burned, the distance covered as well as the pace via a transmitter placed in a Nike+ Shoe or tied to the shoestrings of a regular running shoe.

Some notable improvements are the enhanced display for easier reading and enhanced water-resistance through a welded seal. The biggest improvement has to be the fact that now running fanatics can keep track of their progress sans the bulky armband that used to house your iPod. It's as simple as strapping on the SportBand and start running. The streamlined wristband is lightweight and also doubles as a watch.

What's your favorite (imaginary) gadget?

After 15 happy months, my time at Popgadget has come to a close (I know, I'm sad too. But I won't cry. *sniffsniff*)

In that time, I've loved writing about the weird and the wonderful in the world of tech. I've seen some inventions that made perfect sense (every home should have a disco coffee table) and others that boggled my mind (USB breast warmers - enough said).

So this article in The Guardian about household gadgets that haven't been invented but should be got me thinking. I hate taking showers (and don't get me started on baths) but obviously I have to, or I wouldn't have any friends. And no-one would serve me in shops and restaurants and stuff.

Why has no-one invented the dry shower yet? Haven't we been taunted for years with the notion that we would one day be vibrated dry (which sounds like fun and possibly a new weight loss idea)? Get onto it engineers, please. I may not be blogging about gadgets anymore, but I'm still keeping an eye out for great inventions of the future.

What would you like to see?

Powramid is a power strip with a difference

Have you ever seen a multi-outlet power strip that isn't boringly rectangular? Or have you even considered that it needn't always be so? Well, someone else did. And in the process, they probably revolutionized the profile of the plain power strip altogether - by designing a pyramid-shaped surge protector called the Powramid.

This 6-outlet power strip is conveniently shaped like a pyramid, and has a green LED light that acts as a surge indicator. The advantage of the new shape is multifold - the larger AC adapters can fit into the outlets with ease, the power strip itself occupies lesser space, and your device wires can be shorter than those required for a rectangular power strip. Only advantages, this one. The outlets are priced between $24 and $29.

Via The Gadgeteer.

Wi-Fi detector cap-and-shirt make you a moving status indicator

Don't be surprised if kids point at you and scream, "Look Mommy, that cap is lighting up!". Or if people around disperse rather quickly as your T-shirt lights up without warning. The good part? Well, to know that you are near a strong 802.11b/g Wi-Fi network that you can crawl into and shut out the external world. And I think that's a handsome compensation for the trouble you would have taken to dress yourself up with either this Wi-fi Detector Cap($14.99), or the Wi-Fi Detector Shirt($19.99) from ThinkGeek.

Both the cap and the shirt serve the geek-noble purpose of detecting a nearby Wi-Fi network, and also visually indicate the signal strength. And displaying this information for everyone to see spares you from having to check the availability of a hotspot yourself. Afterall, the proverbial geek is also a well-known sloth.

Via TechEBlog.

Another USB hub that's much more

Here's yet another USB hub with a difference - this one has an integrated luminous calculator for number crunching, a mouse pad and a 3-port hub, all rolled (out) into one entity.

The USP of this device is that it lights up with a "blue, moody light" that illuminates the calculator making it look pretty fetching (in complete darkness, ofcourse). And it is super-slim too, measuring just around 4mm in thickness. The calculator can be switched off and used as a mouse pad, or as a USB 1.1 (only ?) hub. The device itself runs either on external power supply or a single battery (power adapter / battery included).

Well, if you haven't bought yourself even one of the zillion USB-hub-cum-this-'n-that devices yet, head on to GizFever and check this one out. Costs $17.99.

Via Engadget.

What's the miracle cure for cellulite?

There is none. But you knew that.

The New York Times's Catherine Saint Louis explains why. If you are beach-bound, there's really only one small ray of hope. Your cellulite may be temporarily less noticeable if the skin around it is plumped up. Cellulite creams and machines often work this way. They irritate your skin so that it swells, which disguises lumpiness a little bit for a little while.

Very irritating.

Bandai's New Notebook: Too Cute for Words

Japan is known for its of out of this world tech and it's obsession with anything cute and animated (Hello Kitty anyone?). And toymaker Bandai, creators of Girlz Connect and the wildly popular Tomagotchi digital pet, sees no reason why cute and tech should ever be separate.

Their latest creation takes the adorable cartoon character RilakKuma, a lovable bear that loves nothing more than sleeping and eating mochi with a netbook creating what could possibly be the cutest piece of tech ever. The netbook is pretty standard fare with 1GB memory, an Atom N270 processor, and 160GB hard drive. Now the 8.9-inch 1024x600 resolution screen leaves something to be desired however.

BenQ Brings You More "Joy"

Make room for yet another netbook. BenQ, a Taiwanese consumer electronics specializing in LCD monitors, digital projectors, and of course netbooks. The latest release, the Joybook Lite U102 is compact, sleek and shiny just like we like it. The latest iteration of the Joybook is being marketed for the person that's constantly on the go that wants an ultra-portable perks of a netbook without sacrificing the performance power of a laptop.

This obsidian beauty comes with a high polish finish and weighs in at 2.3lbs and is 1" thick making it unbelievably light. The netbook even has a miniature AC adapter. But with all that streamlining, the Joybook still has room for a 10.1" 16:9 WSVGA LED-backlit screen. BenQ also made sure they didn't skimp on the image quality. Videos and images can be viewed in high quality HD, thanks to the 1024x600 widescreen. Unlike other netbooks with small cramped keyboards the Joybook's keyboard is a comfortable fit, 90% of the size of a full QWERTY keyboard. There's also an expanded touchpad for easier scrolling.

Panda USB hub

Think Panda, think cute. Moreover, the one that we are going to intro is a hassle free pet that lives on a diet of data, not bamboo. Oh well, it is the 4-port Panda USB hub that deserves all the praise because it looks good, is plug-n-play, and is pretty hard to ignore. Plugging your USB drive in adorably lights up its eyes with a cool blue color that, you know, can sorta warm up your heart. At $12 it would have been an easy decision to make, if not for the hugely limiting USB 1.1 interface. Either it is that some people just don't realize what it means to make products of a minimum standard, or they don't expect to sell very much. Your guess.

Via Fosfor.

ODM Chocolate watches are a timeless indulgence

There was one predominant feeling as soon as I saw this chocolate-y brown watch (first in the image above) that I just couldn't ignore - hunger (physical), and given the fact that I had just had a satisfying lunch, accompanying fear (mental) that my carefully thought-out diet plan for the week was about to be tossed out into the wind pretty soon.

Well seriously, this series of digital watches from ODM are inspired by the sinful delicacy called chocolate, and though only one of them truly looks close to being one, all of them have been designed to give the effect of a bar of (foldable?) chocolate being wrapped around your wrist. Looks cool, is water resistant and is pretty reasonably priced too, at around $20. I only think that its funkiness can be carried off only by teenagers, though. Atleast, you can relax knowing that your kids are buying the healthiest chocolate that they can.

Via Design Milk.

Every girl's dream: the weightless wedding

It wasn't exactly a wedding in space, which I told you last year will happen in 2011. But it was a weightless wedding, probably the first to be held in the 30-second periods of zero gravity possible when the G-Force One aircraft flies loop-de-loops. Cost: $7500 per person, not counting the photographer.

Thanks to Jennifer Ouellette at Twisted Physics, who provides technical details on the nuptials. For a more traditional account that covers how bride Erin Finnegan and groom Noah Fulmor were dressed, plus a photo gallery, see Australia's Daily Telegraph.

Dumbbell Alarm Clock Makes Exercise Like Clockwork

With American waistlines on a steady increase, it's important that we use every spare second to fight the battle of the bulge. Fred & Friends, maker of fun and practical products has just what the doctor ordered with it's latest creation, the SHAPE UP. This handy little gadget pulls double duty as an alarm clock and a free weight.

Simply set the alarm for your usual wake up time and catch a good night's sleep. When it's time to wake up, the alarm sounds, but unlike regular alarm clocks, you can't shut it off with an uncoordinated, early morning button push. To turn off the alarm you have to do 30 reps with it.
That's right, you actually have to exercise in order to turn off the racket.

SHAPE UP is as environmentally-friendly as it is health-conscious. The clock comes packaged in a clear recycable box. Perfect for a health buff or someone that needs a little gentle prodding to get to the gym, the SHAPE UP makes a great gift.

New website encourages parents to Panic About Babies

It seems like expectant parents are always being faced with incredibly scary information (like the fact that if you're pregnant, that baby is going to come out of you, and it is going to hurt, or that you are going to be sole caretakers of another human being, that kind of stuff). "Don't panic!" Parenting books exude, while you're hyperventilating into the paper bag they came in.

Well, a new site launched this week by popular "mommybloggers" Alice Bradley (aka Finslippy) and Eden Marriott Kennedy (of Fussy fame) takes a total different tack.

What does the internet think ?

Ever wondered what that huge informational powerhouse called the "internet" thinks about a particular topic, say - Barack Obama, Swine Flu, The iPhone 3Gs, or just Dirty Laundry?

Well, being the powerful entity that it is, the "internet" ought to have a mind of its own now, doesn't it? Which is why this site called whatdoestheinternetthink tries to demystify those nagging questions which have, until now, remained unanswered. whatdoestheinternetthink analyses the search results from popular search engines (Google, Yahoo & Bing), and categorizes the final result on the topic as being Positive, Negative, or Don't Care. It also colorfully depicts the percentage of search results that fall under each of these three categories, along with a short summary of this topic being discussed on Twitter.

Pretty useful and gets quite addictive. Plus, it was quite interesting for me to know that 64.7% of the internet doesn't really care about Michelle Obama, while 71% is actually positive on Lindsay Lohan (according to Google). Hmmm.

Chanel Brings High Fashion to Automobiles

We've seen quite a few fashion houses work with automakers to create designer vehicles. Usually the fashion house designs the interior while the car company designs the exterior. But if South Korean car design student Jinyoung Jo has her way, high end fashion vehicle will soon be taking their turn on the catwalk.

Billboards that Know What You Crave

Soon those roadside billboards will be able to tell if they should be promoting those brand new radial tires or a relaxing trip just by looking at you. Thanks to A *Star, Singapore's Agency for Science, Technology, and Research, there will soon be a gender recognition program that will change the way advertising is done.

Using a complex batch of formulas and algorithms, the program can tell the difference between men and women and respond in kind, displaying the appropriate ad. The current version of the program can only scan faces that are facing the camera but the agency is hoping to release a more fleshed out version later in the year.

Via Crave CNet

Tengu makes a comeback with the new AllStars avatar

They are cute, have an astute sense of melody and can be your faithful dancing partners for the weekends, given that you - the geek - haven't been particularly successful in building many meaningful relationships since you got outta college. They are - Tengu - and these hugely popular USB devices which were earlier quite plain-jane, now make a comeback in their funky, All Stars avatar.

These three brand new characters - Rotten, Stardust, and Woodstock - are all decked up versions of the modest Tengu underneath, done-up with abundant stickers to produce the rock-star effect. Which means, lovers of the original Tengu can retain the original threadbare looks by just removing the stickers. All yours, if not sold out yet, for a well-spent $40.

Via Chip Chick.

Samsung, Zet

Samsung’s new touch phone, Zet is unveiled. It has Samsung 6410 processor run with 800MHz, 5-mega pixel camera, 3.1’’ WVGA AMOLED display and Dolfin browser based on web kit.
Samsung makes it a non-smartphone by adding Touchwiz 2.0 UI and Samsung OS. It is impressed that it supports MS Exchange Active Sync that we only use on smartphone even though not concerning DivX Video play function. And it also contains On Board Navigation function with A-GPS. There is no source about release date.
Watch more details of Zet.

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Samsung, Zet

Fulton Innovation Wants to Turn Your Sofa into a Wireless Charger

With our lives becoming increasingly digital, we need an ever growing amount of gadgets to keep up. And where there are more gadgets, there are more wires and clutter. To combat the problem, many companies are going the wireless route using routers to keep our gadgets connected to the net, but technology to wirelessly charge our toys has been slow in coming. But if infrastructure manufacturer Leggett & Platt and Fulton Innovation have their way, soon gadget geeks will have a stylish and comfortable way to keep all their digital necessities charged and ready.

Samsung Makes HDDs Pop in Pink and Blue

Apparently nothing sells a gadget like bright colors. Samsung has just announced the release of a pink and blue version of the S2 Mini Portable Hard Disk Drive, the S Series Pop edition. The colors, labeled Ocean Blue and Sweet Pink are an obvious attempt to attract more female buyers. The Sweet Pink version is even lined with tiny heart to make it even more irresistible, because nothing makes a women swoon like a pink gadget decorated in hearts (eye roll).

Obvious and patronizing marketing ploy aside, there are no spec differences which mean the HDDs still have the same solid tech. The lightweight 2.5 inch drive is still convenient to carry and easy to use. Available with a storage capacity range between 160GB to 500GB, the S2 is great for backing up and using important files on the fly. The Auto Backup program allows users to back up files in real time or on a schedule while the SecretZone program creates a virtual drive for data encryption.

Via Engadget

Samsung, Omnia Pro B7610 instead of Louvre B7610

Samsung announced officially slide type phone ‘Omnia Pro B7610’ instead of ‘Louvre B7610’.
Omnia Pro B7610 has 3.5’’ WVGA AMOLED display, 800MHz and 5-mega pixel camera. It is told that it will be released in August with Windows Mobile 6.1 not officially but it is certain that it will support Mobile 6.5 upgrade.

Watch more details of Omnia Pro B7610.

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Samsung, Omnia Pro B7610 instead of Louvre B7610

14 year old girl discovers supernova

We're more used to seeing news stories about teenage girls running up astronomical cell phone bills than having an interest in astronomy, but 14 year old Caroline Moore is clearly exceptional. Caroline, who is from New York, was scouting the night sky with her amateur telescope when she spotted celestial object SN 2008ha (catchy name, huh?)

The supernova is an exploded star located 70 million light-years away from Earth (approx) and no-one had ever identified it before. It appears to be unusually bright.

As Alex Filippenko, the leader of the supernova group at the University of California in Berkeley told Softpedia.com:

“Coincidentally, the youngest person to ever discover a supernova found one of the most peculiar and interesting supernovae ever."

Kudos, Caroline - keep up the great work!

Image: NASA.

This 4-port USB hub also charges your cellphone

Agreed this 4-port USB hub isn't much of a looker compared to the cute ones floating around currently, but you could give it a try based on that one thing that really matters to all of us these days - more juice for our cellphones.

Though this 4-port USB hub functions like any other when connected to your computer, there is an additional port to which you can jack up your cellphone through the connecting cable provided (connectors specific to the cellphone models supported) and receive those few drops of nectar to bring it back to life. The charging itself works in dual mode. When connected to the computer, the USB hub charges your cellphone by taking power from the PC's USB port. But you can even let the hub's own internal battery charge itself through its solar panel and then connect your cellphone to the hub to transfer the stored charge.

This nifty combination of (solar) cellphone charging and USB hubbing, plus a pocket-sized form factor makes this device a wise addition to your travel bag. Available for $22 from USBFever.

Via TechChee.