Bridging the gap between classic calendars and high-tech displays, this paper-like system lets you see your days, weeks and months in a conventional fashion while being tied into a high-tech system. Japanese traditions of painting, calligraphy and demure decor have given rise to the Magic Calendar from Japanese Android Experiments, something that lets a new-fangled interface look classic and familiar for users.

It appears like a paper calendar on your wall, but in reality it syncs with your Google Calendar account, updating itself as your appointments and meetings change over time. Thanks to e-paper, it can be synced but look static at any given time, giving you the dynamic information of a smartphone schedule in a comfortable and traditional format. The use of e-ink also reduces the energy requirements of the calendar. Of course, formats can also be edited thanks to the device’s flexibility.

“Why, though, go to the trouble of having this wall calendar? If the focus is on keeping track of dates and events, then your smartphone or laptop carries the information you need. The question, actually, can be turned around to why not.
Neither would you need a painting or hanging tapestry to get through the day but they are quite nice. So is the e-ink display. bringing numbers to life on the wall, drawing in family members to dates that impact their routines.”

“I think that as technology development progresses and these types of products are developed, the boundary between analog and digital things will disappear,” says its inventor. “Interestingly, many comments from those hearing about the calendar have been overwhelmingly positive: Shut up and take my money just about summed up the positive reactions.” It is, pardon the wordplay, a pretty magic cal.

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Throw it off the top of a building or down some stairs, or carry it in a bag without padding, and the Durabulb will take the licking keep on ticking (or lighting, as it were).

The lightweight LED uses 80% less energy than conventional bulbs and its rugged design means it also requires a lot less packaging, saving on space and materials for shipping that would wind up in a landfill.

The flexible, shatter-proof design is thanks to a bouncy polycarbonate plastic shell. It was tested by throwing it 100 feet and attempting to smash it with a tennis racket. It was also mailed without a box through the US postal service and worked on the other end. The bulbs can last up to 10,000 hours.

“Lighting Science is committed to creating products that promote sustainability and low carbon economies,” said Pete Rumsey, Executive Vice President of Business Development for Lighting Science. “By choosing the lightweight Durabulb instead of other LED bulbs, Americans have the opportunity to reduce the CO2 emissions associated with LED lights by 20,000 tons a year. That’s the equivalent of driving a car across the United States 16,213 times.”

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A touching substitute for physical contact in the digital age, this ring is designed for remote relationships, letting you feel your lover’s pulse wirelessly (and them to feel yours).

The Touch ring links to your wireless device and taps into the internet to share your pulse with a paired device on a partner’s finger. The ring glows and the jewelry is made of stainless steel or solid rose gold and a crystal sapphire surface that prevents scratching. All in all, as wearables go, it looks quite elegant, and can feature an inscription, too.

While it may not replace FaceTime, Skype or personal contact over the long haul, it does provide a hand-holding reminder of your loved one when you are forced to spend time apart. “After long waiting, for those who wonder how HB Ring in Rose Gold and Jet Black looks on hand. The red lighting stripe shows the real-time heartbeat of your loved one directly on your ring. Pre-orders of limited series coming soon…” It may never be a perfect replacement to IRL snuggles, but it sure is a neat new way to keep in touch.

The post In Touch: Ring Shares Long-Distance Hearbeats Remotely first appeared on Gajitz.

The smart toothbrush trend that started with sonic brushes is being taken to the next level with upcoming Prophix video toothbrushes letting you see inside your own mouth, live on your phone while you brush.

A small HD camera records high-definition videos and pictures of your mouth, probably giving you a closer look than you ever thought you wanted of everything you’re doing right and wrong in your daily routines.

A series of interchangeable attachments including a picking tip and tiny mirror are aimed at helping you get things cleaner once you see more closely what’s wrong. Having a camera also helps you keep track of changes (hopefully improvements) over time in terms of areas brushed.

At $400, this will be one of the most expensive electric toothbrushes on the market, seemingly more than the app or the camera additions should be worth (twice the price of a high-end Sonicare) but perhaps worth it for people with persistent oral hygiene issues.

The post Oral Fixation: Toothbrush Camera Joins Internet of Things first appeared on Gajitz.

Each little ‘match’ features a stick-mounted LED that comes in a variety of colors and illuminates when pressed and can be left on for hands-free activity.

In total, a single little pack of these matches can provide 64 hours of emergency lighting, each individual stick ‘burning’ for 8 hours before flickering out.

Designed by Matchbox Instruments, the design is currently a prototype and its components disposable, but they hope to bring it to market with rechargeable or replaceable battery options.

Sure, you could also carry a flashlight, but this is small and handy, something you could toss in a purse or pocket or bug-out bag.

The post 64 Hours of Light: Pack of 8-Hour Emergency LED ‘Matches’ first appeared on Gajitz.