Okay so we’re seeing a flurry of RSS based activity lately but this is just silly. A rss toilet paper dispenser? Is this a ‘wipe 2.0’ app? It certainly adds new meaning to the concept of a stickynote! Is it April 1st?
Category Archives: Devices
The perfect productivity tools
The Lifehacker was reporting on what tools she uses everyday. In addition to using Yahoo! Calendar as detailed previously, I carry around a 70 sheet spiral notebook with a cardboard cover which cost about a buck at the local drugstore. In it I write down my daily to-do’s and project lists. I manually transfer itemsContinueContinue reading “The perfect productivity tools”
Podhat
Akihabara News had a post on a Motorcycle helmet with integrated music. It evidently uses a technology called “Bone conduction” and the sound was transferred via your skull. Okay. Neat idea. But my mate Fang kludged together his own ‘Podhat’ by wiring his mp3 player on his hat and letting the earbuds dangle down. NowContinueContinue reading “Podhat”
Feel the music
A new device is helping deaf people to “hear” music through vibrations. Different instruments, rhythms and notes can be felt through five finger pads attached to the “Vibrato” speaker. BBC NEWS | UK | England | London | Speaker allows deaf to feel music
External Winamp Control
This article shows how to make a switch interface to the popular music playing software Winamp. Handy for playing mp3s without having to access the pc. Or perhaps if you lacked the dexterity to control the pc. HowTo: External Winamp Control at pasteler0
Bluetooth and PDA interoperability – again
Here I am again reporting on the PDA-Bluetooth issues I’ve alluded to in previous posts and written about in a paper about mobile technologies for people with a disability. As a result of that I’ve pointed my feed reader over at the bluetoothlounge.com. A hugely indepth article about the technical problems of why it’s soContinueContinue reading “Bluetooth and PDA interoperability – again”
Listen to Lifekludger
Yes, you can now listen to all the articles posted to Lifekludger. Under each article there is a icon and text link that reads ‘ Listen to this article’. Simply click on the link and listen. Also it means you can get the audio posts as a rss delivered feed straight into iTunes or someContinueContinue reading “Listen to Lifekludger”
XEG, the mobile phone pad
I’m not sure exactly what functions of a mobile telephone this controls (aside from the games, obviously) but if it controls more than just games, one of these type mobile phone extenders could prove handy for accessing those phones with tiny buttons. You can see a lot of close-up images from the link below. viaContinueContinue reading “XEG, the mobile phone pad”
Thunderbird’s QuickText
There’s a great extension for the equally great open source email program, Thunderbird called QuickText. This bit of software is installed in Thunderbird and acts like a macro typing device that can input long pieces of text with few keystrokes or the click of a button. QuickText is especially for email as it can recognizeContinueContinue reading “Thunderbird’s QuickText”
Colourfull keyboard
These coloured keyboards are aimed at the childrens market. I wonder though if they could be useful for anyone with colour perception issues or who might require some added visual clues to assist with typing. The culours offer great contrast and the grouping of similar function keys by colour could help with association and usability.ContinueContinue reading “Colourfull keyboard”
Motor bike with hand controls
Check this website out. This 21yo engineering student from WA has developed a motor bike with hand controls that can be used by a paraplegic or anyone without lower limb function. The thing I really like about this is the design parameter included aesthetics with the bikle having ‘minimal modification look’. He even ended upContinueContinue reading “Motor bike with hand controls”
Rotary switch adaption
Was sitting here in my office on a 31C day thinking it feels a bit hot. Was just then I remembered I could turn the ceiling fan on thanks to a switch mod my father did recently. I’d had many similar mods on rotary switches of many types done previously and as I cannot gripContinueContinue reading “Rotary switch adaption”
Talking Remote Holder
This device is a remote control and holder. The difference between it and the rest of it’s ilk is the holder asks questions when the remote isn’t put back. Probing HAL-like questions such as: “Where’s the remote?” “Are you still using the remote?” Now this is cool, and maybe I could’ve used it for theContinueContinue reading “Talking Remote Holder”
iSkype headset
This just cracks me up. This guy took an iSight camera and taped it to a pair of headphones. Reason? The iSight has a microphone and the iSight plugs into the Mac firewire port viz a digital mic input! Kludge-o-rama baby! iSkype – ReesesWiki – musing/2005-11-01 DIY Skype Headset
Robot Arms for Art
I’m forever astounded at what people will try and make. Over at robot clothes blog they’re making DIY robotic arms! All it seems in the name of Art (shrug). I dunno about an artistic arm, but I can think of a few uses I could use a robotic arm for every day… Brushing teeth robotContinueContinue reading “Robot Arms for Art”
PDAs in the iPod era
There’s been an interesting discussion going on over at Slashdot titled “Why Have PDAs Failed In The iPod Era?” As you can imagine, opinions abound. As I’ve got a personl interest in why my PDA won’t do things I need it to the way I need it to that would make my life better, whichContinueContinue reading “PDAs in the iPod era”
Wrist Wearable PC/PDA
Okay, here’s a spin on the ‘traditional’ PDA. This is a PDA you wear on your wrist. It has impressive specs including GPS, IrDA, Bluetooth and Wireless connectivity. Has 32 MB system ROM-Flash, 64 MB system SDRAM, and expands up to 1 GB through the built-in SD memory slot. Now, this I can’t see beingContinueContinue reading “Wrist Wearable PC/PDA”
RSS to lyrics
I’ve been sitting on this post for a while. I spotted this article on converting a RSS feed into a Lyrics file and thought there’s something in this but din’t really know what. Surely the idea that RSS can be read on a portable device, especially some low-cost mp3 player with a screen, would beContinueContinue reading “RSS to lyrics”
Old Phones Made Mobile
Here’s a take on the idea of converting an old style land-line telephone by hooking it up to a mobile inside it. This article shows how it’s done. I thought what a neat idea for someone needing a mobile phone with big buttons! Article – http://www.tristanperich.com/Art/Telephone/ via make – http://www.makezine.com/blog/archive/2005/10/old_phone_to_new_phone.html
Podcast University
This article from Newsday outlines how over at Purdue University the students are gettig into using podcasts. Digital recordings of lectures allow college students with MP3 players to catch lessons or just catch up wherever and whenever they want. This is excellent example of lifekludging using existing (if not emerging) technology applied to a lifestyleContinueContinue reading “Podcast University”
RSS Alarm Clock
I saw this article on how to make a RSS Alarm clock and thought that could be usefull…for someone. In particular I thought someone who has a vision impairment could benefit. So I filed it away for another day. Well, today I found my ‘someone’. Darren over at ProBlogger has some visual problems at presentContinueContinue reading “RSS Alarm Clock”
Bluetooth Sewing Machine
I can’t believe it! This neat little portable sewing machine is a beautiful piece of design, engineering and technology. It’s also got a bluetooth equipped pedal. Boy, you can get a bluetooth equipped sewing machine and I still can’t get my PDA to play music over my bluetooth earpiece. What a wonderful world. Kludge pending.ContinueContinue reading “Bluetooth Sewing Machine”
Horizontal Reading
Following on from a previous post titled horizontal computing on my previous blog, here’s a spin on a reading in bed device. While this article from popgadget talks about the device called the Rainbow book stand from the perspective of being a help for aching muscles from copious reading in bed – it makes meContinueContinue reading “Horizontal Reading”
