GadgetLiving

Acupressure is similar to acupuncture, without the needles. Certain areas of the body, when stimulated, can help other areas, or relieve an ailment.

This gadget gives natural relief for motion sickness without the use of medication because it stimulates the median nerves located at the inner wrists, which is supposed to help reduce the nausea many people suffer from in cars, boats, and planes.

You can buy the Motion Sickness Relief Wrist Band at Hammacher Schlemmer.

“Similar to acupuncture, but without needles, the device transmits gentle electrostatic pulses to the wrist; the median nerves have been shown to affect the nerve stimulation between the brain and stomach. Designed for use 30 minutes prior to travel, it does not require abstaining from food or drink and does not interfere with medications. (Not for use with cardiac pacemaker.) Water-resistant adjustable band. Built-in battery provides 22 months of use before requiring factory replacement. 1/2″ H x 1 1/4″ W x 9 1/2″ L. (1 1/4 oz.)”

This beautifully handcrafted glass Weather Forecast Beacon uses wireless technology to translate radio weather data signals into brilliant colors that create a glowing, desktop forecasting device.

It uses standard weather map colors indicate the day’s high temperature in your location. If there’s going to be precipitation the Beacon’s color will pulse.

You can buy the Weather Forecast Beacon at National Geographic Online Store.

“You can also go to the manufacturer’s website or phone an 800 number to set your beacon to display forecasts for four major U.S. cities, and set it to detect wind speed and gardening conditions. Daily forecast temperatures are broadcast from the National Weather Service to your beacon. Weather signals cover 90% of the country and may be unavailable in some remote areas. Upgrade capability available for an additional fee. 4 1/4″W”

Have you ever tried to jump rope in a confined space? If you have, then this gadget should fascinate you.

Since there’s no actual rope, you can skip in limited space indoors, and not hit the ceiling with the rope, or trip for that matter. It even makes a snapping sound with every jump to help you maintain proper jumping rhythm.

You can buy the Ropeless Jump Rope at Hammacher Schlemmer.

“You can input your height and weight into the device, and the LCD on one of the handheld units informs you of calories burned, jump repetitions, and exercise time, or the device has a “talking” mode that informs you of exercise progress. Part of the training regimen of professional boxers and Olympic wrestlers, jumping rope exercises your cardiovascular system while exerting less stress on knees than jogging, strengthens your arms and shoulders, and ten minutes of jumping rope can burn as many calories as running an eight minute mile.”

This Rechargeable 12V Battery Booster by Solar is easy to use and lightweight.

It’s compact, weighing only 18 Lbs, and in that little package is enough power to jump up to five vehicles on a single charge.

You can buy the Rechargeable 12V Battery Booster at Shoppers Choice.

“900 peak amps. LED battery status indicator. Automatic recharging. 23 inch Heavy-duty cables. DC outlet to power 12 Volt accessories. 1 year limited warranty.”

Would you enjoy watching a 44″ TV from 9′ away? Would you like to lug that TV around with you so that you can watch it wherever you go? Not so much.

Instead check out this portable media viewer that wears like a pair of sunglasses, and uses two high-resolution LCDs and two removable stereo headphones to provide a viewing experience equivalent to watching a 44″ television from 9′ away.

You can buy the Personal Movie Theater at Hammacher Schlemmer.

“…a personal movie theater that allows you to watch video privately from a connected video iPod, game console, DVD player, media player, or television. Developed from U.S. military technology, the viewer generates 24-bit true color (16 million colors) and provides a 23 field of view for wide pictures with 3/4″ eye-relief (so you can wear your eyeglasses if needed). The LCDs provide 320 x 240 resolution, and may be focused individually from +2 to -5 diopters and tilted up to 15 for a custom fit; a soft, hypoallergenic adj ustable nosepiece and an optional head strap ensure comfortable viewing. Its rechargeable battery provides up to five hours of continuous operation and requires a four hour recharge. Includes AC adapter, A/V cable, iPod cable, head strap, and carrying case. (4 oz.)”

This dual cassette player allows you to convert your old school cassette tapes to MP3 files.

Just plug it into a laptop or desktop computer (PC or Mac) with the USB cable, install the recording software onto your computer, and play your chosen cassette. The music gets converted into MP3 files and stored on your computer.

You can buy the Cassette-To-MP3 Converter at Hammacher Schlemmer.

“The software detects pauses between songs and breaks them into individual tracks so you don’t have to stop the software and the cassette simultaneously, and the player has a metal/CrO2 and noise reduction settings. High-speed dubbing allows you to speed up conversion times. Plugs into AC. 5 1/4″ H x 16 1/2″ W x 8 3/ 4″ D. (5 lbs.).”

This terrarium is a Winner of the Parents’ Choice Gold Award, and for good reason. By peering through the magnifying lens children can watch their miniature world bustle with life.

This enclosed landscape is an educational and endlessly fun way for children to observe plants, animals, and insects. This wonderful gadget is recommended for ages 8 and up. It needs four AA batteries, and it measures 12″ L x 12″ W x 7.5″ H.

You can buy the Discovery Biosphere Terrarium at the Discovery Channel Store.

“* Realistic rock and landscape formations with a built-in lagoon
* Holds water, soil, rocks and plants
* A miniature, self-contained world
* Cozy nooks for creatures to hide in
* Encased in clear plastic for the best view
* Digital readout displays temperature and humidity inside the dome
* “Rainmaker” cools off critters with spray mist
* Includes bug cup & tweezers
* Magnifying window for a close-up look, even underwater
* Instructions included
* Easy to take apart and clean”

With this Digital Messaging Switch Plate you can record a message up to 20 seconds long. You can leave reminders for spouses or kids. “Dad, don’t forget to pick me up at six”. Dad will hear the message when he turns on the light.

The unit can be set to lock in one message, or you can change the message with a touch of a button. Easy to install, no wiring, just replace the existing single switch plate cover.

If you love Star Wars then you have to get this, and really, who wouldn’t want R2 in their home?

R2’s head houses a DLP projection system with superior 1,500:1 contrast, and can project movies, TV shows, images, and video games from his radar eye at 1024 x 768 resolution onto walls up to 16 1/2′ away. That’s the equivalent to an 80″ screen! He can also rotate the viewing angle up to 65 to project images onto your ceiling.

You can buy the R2-D2 Home Theater System at Hammacher Schlemmer.

“One of R2’s mechanical arm housings in the front of his body has a DVD/CD player that can play DVDs, audio CDs, and more. R2’s anterior louvred vents rotate to reveal a docking station that fits most iPods (including video iPods), so you can play music or videos through his two 20-watt built-in speakers, and an acces s panel adjacent to the docking station conceals slots for memory cards and a USB port, allowing you to project digital pictures anywhere in your house. His rear logic display has an LED message center that alternates between R2s current function and random light patterns, and a terminal panel in the the rear has all audio and visual connections for connecting headphones, external speakers, video game systems, TVs, and more. R2’s sensors keep him from falling off tables or down stairs while he moves forward, backward, left, right, and pivots; a mounted model of the Millennium Falcon conceals a remote that provides complete control of all R2’s functions.”

This GPS receiver gives real-time traffic information, and its maps accurately guide you through the United States (including Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico) and Canadian provinces (including the Yukon Territory).

It receives traffic information using Traffic Message Channel technology, a pop-up message appears on the screen indicating traffic congestion, and provides you with an alternate route to your destination. Imagine no more traffic jams. Think of the time you’ll save.

You can buy the Traffic Avoiding GPS.

“The system allows you to add your own points of interest or download your own car icon to appear on the screen instead of the standard directional arrow. It provides fast route calcul ation and instantly notifies you if you take a wrong turn, all in a clear, audible voice. It has 2GB of flash memory that contains extensive driving maps, including thousands of restaurants, gas stations, hotels, and more, while also providing room for MP3 storage, its built-in FM transmitter allows you to play music through your cars radio; it has an SD card slot for additional memory. Maps appear in top-down 2D or three-quarter 3D mode for your preferred navigation style. The bright and wide 4 1/4″ LCD touchscreen provides 480 x 272 resolution, and automatically adjusts its brightness based on current lighting conditions. The unit can be powered by a car cigarette lighter, or via its built-in rechargeable battery for portability; battery provides five hours of operation.”

If you really wan to play a practical joke on your golf buddies, this is the way to do it.

The ball is made to resemble a real golf ball, except that it zigs and zags at a touch of the remote control, allowing you to fool your friends as they watch their putts drift wide of the cup, or watch yours go right in every time.

You can buy the Remote Control Golf Ball at Hammacher Schlemmer.

“The joystick on the discrete remote control lets you direct the ball within a 100′ range. The ball can operate on three different, selectable frequencies, allowing you to race two at a time. Runs on the included 1.2-volt NiMH rechargeable battery for up to four hours on a single charge; the transmitter requires one 9V battery, and the recharger requires two AA batteries.”

Spend less time searching for lost balls and more time playing with these Golf-Ball Finding Glasses.

The lenses of these glasses block out 90% of long wavelength light (dark colors such as greens and browns), and let shorter wavelength light (such as whites and yellows) pass through unimpeded, so that golf balls are easy to find.

You can buy the Golf-Ball Finding Glasses at Hammacher Schlemmer.

“Developed in Canada by two nuclear engineers who grew tired of losing golf balls to dense rough, these glasses rely not only on their patented light-selective pigmented lenses, but on the principles of visual physiology as well: when scanning a large area (such as a fairway), many objects that are in plain view dont register to the viewer, simply because of the overwhelming amount of visual information. When the darker hues are filtered out of the field of vision, there are significantly fewer objects for the brain to process, and thus a golf ball stands out even more readily. The technology behind these lenses underwent six years of research and development, and incorporates a plastic resin frame with formfitting wrap-around styling to eliminate peripheral light. Frame is flexible and fits comfortably without pressure points; the lenses are scratch-resistant polycarbonate. Includes durable nylon carrying case for quick access to lenses during play; case clips to belt or golf bag.”