The makers of PhotoBlocker spray claim that their product will make your license plate invisible to photo radar, red light cameras, and infrared and laster cameras. Special crystals in the spray will reflect back the flash (or light source) used by these cameras, making your license look like a bright blur. Would this actually work? Would it be legal if it did? They say that the spray is invisible to the naked eye, which means that it won't be of much use if a cop pulls you over. Personally, I've always thought someone should make a stealth car, made out of the same material as the stealth airplanes. That would be cool. (via Red Ferret)
The Times reports on a group of European researchers who are developing a robotic cockroach. This tiny robot, dubbed InsBot, will infiltrate cockroach communities, assume a leadership role, and then lead the insects out into the light (and to their doom). The researchers hope that someday people will use these robo-roaches as a way of controlling roach infestations. This all sounds so bizarre that I'd assume it was a hoax if it wasn't reported in The Times. But I've got to assume they've done their homework and aren't trying to pull our leg. The researchers are also looking into robotic chickens, sheep, and guinea fowl. (via We Make Money Not Art)
If you'd like to go hunting, but, for one reason or another, you don't want to get up from your computer, there's a new option available: remote control hunting. Live-shot.com is a site that allows its members to control, via the internet, a pan/tilt/zoom camera located on a ranch in Texas. The camera, in turn, is connected to a rifle. Aim your shot and fire away. Sounds a little odd, but I guess there's no reason a system like this couldn't be set up. But currently live-shot will only allow you to remotely fire a gun that's in a shooting range. But their site promises that in the near future they're going to allow members to remotely hunt animals such as sheep, antelope, and wild hogs. They'll even ship you the meat from your kill. I don't know quite how the remote control hunting will work (what if an animal never wanders within sight... will your gun somehow be mobile?), but the concept of it has the Texas Parks & Wildlife Commission worried. They're considering a new regulation that would ban "hunting by remote control" (look at the second-to-last bullet point under 'white-tailed deer'). I think I'd support such a ban. The fusion of video games and real-life hunting seems a little disturbing.
This software sounds like a joke, but I'm pretty sure it's real, in the sense that it's a product you can actually buy (whether or not it works is another question). It's PawSense, the software utility that catproofs your computer. "PawSense analyzes keypress timings and combinations to distinguish cat typing from human typing. PawSense normally recognizes a cat on the keyboard within one or two pawsteps." If it senses cat typing, it'll automatically block any further keyboard input and play a loud noise to scare the cat away. So this should deter those cats who like to sneak onto the computer when their guardian isn't looking and work on their own weblogs.
Here's an odd product from Samsung-Italia. It's the Fidobag. The site explaining the Fidobag is in Italian, but apparently it's a suitcase that will respond to the voice of its owner and come at their command (that would be useful for finding a bag in an airport). Also, if someone tries to steal your bag, all you need do is call out and the Fidobag will start to 'bark' at an intensity of 197.5 decibels, thereby stunning and exposing the would-be thief. Gizmodo offers a more complete translation of the site. Although the Fidobag does seem like it would be useful, it just seems way too odd to actually be real.
It's a Truth Detector, Decoder and International Timepiece in One! Just ask a person a question as they hold two fingers against the watch's bio-feedback sensors. "The more bars appear on the screen, the less likely it is they are being honest. Look for other clues, such as rapid eye movement or a flushed face to help you decide." The one customer comment at the bottom of the screen says that it's "Better than expected." Not exactly a ringing endorsement, but I still can't imagine that the thing would be anything but useless at actually spotting lies.
Today Apple announced the iPod photo, an iPod that will allow you to view pictures as well as play music. But they also introduced a new product that's getting less attention: the iPod sock. The socks, priced at the non-bargain price of $29, will come five to a pack, each sock in a different color. Their purpose will be to "keep your iPod warm". According to the Mac Observer, "Those in attendance offered Mr. Jobs a round of enthusiastic applause when it became clear that this was indeed a real product." I'm not so sure. An iPod sock? That's got to be a joke. First of all, it doesn't allow you access to the controls, so it's entirely useless. Second, if it's real, why is there no mention of it on Apple's site? And third, there's already a well-known (and far superior) iPod sock already on the market: Maneesh's Super Case. CNET has a picture of the iPod sock warming an iPod.
Peptalk seems to be positioning itself as the mobile phone service provider of choice for Dutch marijuana lovers. Check out its website, pepyouraddiction.nl, where you can see that its corporate logo is a hemp plant. Marijuana is, of course, legal in Holland... and PePtalk is a Dutch company, but the weird thing is that beyond that PePtalk doesn't seem to have any rational connection to marijuana. It's as if they just liked the idea of being a pot-lover's phone company... without offering pot lovers any benefit from choosing their service over another. As this article at Strand Reports notes: PePtalk do not actually seem to express any views on cannabis on their website - other than their name and logo. And although they offer many premium rate SMS services, none of them seem to have anything to do with daily cannabis prices - or where you can locate your nearest cannabis coffee shop! But maybe that is in the pipeline?
The eBay seller of this laptop with two display screens claims that his strange invention is the "most exciting and freshest idea to hit the technology market." True, I've definitely been in situations where this would have come in handy. But the fatal flaw in the idea is that it doesn't do anything which a projection device or video output port wouldn't do just as well, for a lot cheaper. Which leaves one wondering if this guy seriously believed that anyone would offer him $850,000 for this invention, or whether it was all just a joke.
This may be perfectly legitimate, but it seems a little hoaxy to me. It's an anti-cellphone-radiation scarf. "The scarf makes it easy to keep an effective shielding between your cell phone and your skin. Thus your body tissue will not absorbe radiation from the cell phone. Scarfs from handy-fashions.com are fancy and at the same time the most effective protection against microwaves." Like I said, maybe this thing actually works. Maybe wrapping your head in a silver scarf really will shield you from microwave radiation. But it seems rather aluminum-foil-detector-beanie-like to me.
Rumors of a new wireless iPod (i.e. no headphones cord) have begun floating around based upon this advertising poster that was supposedly "IM'd to a family member of a person working in an Asian PR firm by accident." Hmmm. Since I just got an iPod about two months ago, it would suck if a new and much better model came out so soon. But then again, that would be just my luck. However, I have a feeling that the advertising poster is just a fake.
