Addy Wood

Archive for the ‘Gadget News’ Category

Mobile phone market is flooded with new age handsets from various mobile manufacturers as the need of mobile phones are increasing day by day. Still customers, look for something special in their mobile phones. Reading such a mindset of people, the world renowned brand Apple has come up with smartphones, business phones and iPads. The company’s latest offering Apple iPad has behold the entire user world. It comes full of jaw dropping features and stunning looks. This latest gadget from Apple is getting very popular due to its features and the deals that the customers are getting. Lets have a look at it

The most attractive feature that is making news all over is the gadget’s screen. Apple iPad has an outstanding 9.7 inch massive screen which comes equipped Multi-Touch feature and a resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels.

The gadget has an eReader application with whose help you can take out a book from the bookshelf present in the phone and read it, making experience a real book reading. This features helps you to read through the book even at night or in the dark as till you read the pad’s back light is always on. Truly this features is a booker’s paradise. The user also gets a life like picture and video quality on this screen that makes it perfect for gaming and internet surfing.

Apple iPad even has an MP3 player that supports various file formats AIFF, MP3, WAV, H264, MPEG4 so you can enjoy many music file formats and need not convert them from one to another. The outstanding gadget has battery back-up of 10hrs that always keeps you going.

Gained immense success since its launch, with Apple iPads selling as hot cakes, the Apple iPad deals are also on a great demand. iPad Deals are available on all prominent networks such as Vodafone, Virgin, T Mobile, 3 Mobile, O2 and Orange. With these deals one can get amazing free gifts like laptop, digital tv, lcd tv, gaming consoles, iPod, bluetooth headsets, play station, mobile accessories etc. You can opt for the deal you like and get your own gorgeous Apple iPad.

With computer technology advancing the way we design and create, new gadgets are available all the time. A market that is becoming increasingly popular is gadgetry for the bathrooms. From comfort to style, these interactive bathrooms feel like they come from a star-ship, but are simple enough to use that your whole family will enjoy them. Here are a few of the most popular items.

The Shower

A very popular trend is a shower that remembers your temperature preferences. These showers come with presets that can be programmed to control the water temperature digitally, so that you don’t have to fiddle with hot-and-cold basin mixer taps anymore. No more blasts of cold water to the face – these devices preheat the water to the specified temperature, so that you’re showers are the same level of comfortableness every time. Some even allow you to program profiles for each member of the family. And because of wireless networking capabilities, these shower systems can also be accessed from anywhere in the house.

Entertainment Systems

You can now listen to your music wherever you go, including your bathroom. Apple has created a water-resistant speaker that allows you to rock out to your tunes in the shower. If that’s not big enough for you, some manufactures provide products that can produce a full, home-theater system that is built into your bathroom and even matches the décor. Sit back and relax in the tub while watching the news or your favorite show with flat-screen TV sets installed in your mirrors or jet-tubs. You don’t have to miss a minute of it!

Wake-Up Call

Tired of cold feet in the morning? Now you can install radiant heat under your bathroom tile to warm your toes. Turn it on, or attach a timer, so that it’s preheated by the time you struggle out of bed. Even your toilet seat can be heated to a desired temperature, with easily installed appliances. Your bathroom will be welcoming and cozy place to use with these gizmos installed.

Relax at Home

Now you can visit the spa while never leaving your home. Tubs and showers are available that include everything from specialized shower heads to mood-lighting with up to seven unique lighting schemes. Steam showers, rain showers, and a variety of massaging and therapeutic water systems can be installed in your home, to create a relaxing and health-promoting environment.

Mirrors

Even mirrors can be touched up, with gadgets in place to help them stay clear and fog-free even from the warmest showers. With these heaters in place, your mirror will be dry and ready-to-use the minute you step out of the tub.

Do you love being outdoors? Is your idea of vacation involve spending time observing wildlife in their natural habitat? If so, an African safari vacation may be the ideal vacation for you. African safari vacations are popular right now. They’re so popular that you’ll find many travel agencies and companies offering packages designed to provide tourists a taste of African safari adventure. These package tours are accompanied by experts. If you choose to go with one of these African safari vacations, you’ll mostly stay in lodges and camping grounds. Don’t worry though — hot showers will be available. There’ll also be a cook in the tour who’ll prepare your meals and barbecues.

Kenya is a popular destination for African safari vacations. There are packages that include a beach holiday. With 40 national parks and game reserves, you’ll have plenty of things to see in Kenya. For instance, you may travel to the Kimana Game Sanctuary that’s located at the foot of the famous Mount Kilimanjaro. Mount Kenya National Parks and Masai Mara are two other popular Kenyan national parks. The former boasts of a rich rain forest while the latter has plains that stretch for hundreds of miles. If you’re headed to Kenya, you’ll be accompanied by a guide who will drive you and the others either in open back trucks, 4×4 vehicles or mini buses. If flying is your thing and you want to see the landscapes from high above, there are African safari vacation packages that include flying in a small plane. You’ll see giraffes, leopards, crocodiles, gazelles, zebras, hippos and lions during your African safari adventure in Kenya.

South Africa is the ideal destination for your African safari vacation if you’d like to see different landscapes (e.g., semi-dessert, old forest, open grassland, wetlands, etc.). South Africa’s Phinda region can be explored by foot, air or car. There are also African safari vacation packages that include exploring South Africa by boat. Expect to see lions, buffalo, rhinos, leopards and elephants. You’ll see packs of hyenas and wild dogs, leopards and elephants when you tour the Madikwe Game Reserve.

Uganda and Rwanda are also popular African safari destinations. Uganda is the perfect destination if you want to see chimpanzees and lowland gorillas in their natural habitat. Gorillas abound at Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. To see a variety of bird species, pick an African safari vacation that includes a tour to Uganda’s Mgahinga Volcanoes in its itinerary. You’ll see elephants, giraffes, antelopes and birds when you tour the savannahs in the Queen Elizabeth National Park. Another popular destination in Uganda is the Murchisson Falls National Park. The waterfall is a wonderful sight and the wildlife include baboons, warthogs and zebras.

Rwanda is a haven for mountain gorillas. The slopes of the Parc National des Volcans is where you can see about 300 mountain gorillas. If you want to see lakes, forests, volcanoes and waterfalls, and mountain and lowland gorillas in their natural surroundings, go on an African safari vacation to Uganda and Rwanda.

Five years ago, a 512 MB of audio player was cool, people were satisfied then, since they need not to bring bulk of CDs just to listen to music when outdoors. Today, this device may sound obsolete as more and more sophisticated gadgets are released each year.

Most portable music players now have a minimum of 8 GB capacity, you can store hundreds, if not thousands of songs from your favorite artists and actually can collect their albums inside the device.

Music players now even have extra features that makes them superior from others, some mp3 players now have FM receiver, small LCD screen for videos, and high resolution cameras for recording videos. Some are even more sophisticated features as you can even surf the net, check your email and view videos and listen to music online. Some manufacturers are now trying to pack these wonderful features in a single device, cellphone.

If you are looking for this type of gadget, it is good to read some reviews and know the basics of this gadget before actually going to stores and purchasing one.

First you need to understand what you really need in this gadget. How do you want to use it, how often do you want to use it. Do you want to use it in your car? In boarding planes, subway trains, cabs, buses? Do you want to use it while working out in the gym or jog around your neighborhood? Do you want to record clear audio and video and convert it to other format? You have to know these things for yourself to get the best possible unit that would really fit your needs.

Some mp3 players may be very ambitious to pack all these features for any possible needs, but those unit that has all these features are bulky and may not be very handy and comfortable to carry, especially when you are on the go.

But the good news is, most of these features are already present on those handy gadgets.

A typical solar system will reduce the need for conventional water heating by about two-thirds. Often the plumbing from a solar heater connects to a houses existing water heater, which stays inactive as long as the water coming in is hot or hotter than the temperature setting on the indoor water heater. When it falls below this temperature, the homes water heater can kick in to make up the difference. Incorporating passive solar designs can reduce heating bills by as much as 50 percent. High-temperature solar water heaters can provide energy-efficient hot water and hot water heat for large commercial and industrial facilities.

Many large commercial buildings can use solar collectors to provide more than just hot water. Solar process heating systems can be used to heat these buildings. A solar ventilation system can be used in cold climates to preheat air as it enters a building. And the heat from a solar collector can even be used to provide energy for cooling a building. The Co-operative Insurance Building in Manchester has the largest commercial solar system in the UK. I think it looks very futuristic and cool!

You can generate electricity for a single building like the co-op but there is the potential in the future to generate enough power for a power plant. The author of a recent Christian Aid report, John McGhie, said that for $50bn (

Sometimes life has a way of putting some seemingly insurmountable physical challenges in your path, especially if you are in a wheelchair. I like to think of myself as a problem solver, able to sometimes “outsmart” the problem by thinking outside of the box. A time when I had to use this “I can do this” mindset was an Easter dinner several years ago.

Easter was two days away and the whole family was coming for dinner. If I was going to get the ham thawed in time, I needed to get it out of the freezer and into the refrigerator. I decided I could get the ham on the counter and I would ask my daughter to put it in the refrigerator when she visited that evening. Good plan; the only thing is my daughter came and went and the ham never crossed my mind. Now I had a real dilemma. The ham could not sit out all night and I was not expecting other guests that evening. Every time I tried to lift the ham from my lap to the refrigerator shelf, it would drop. Now it was time for some creative problem solving. To overcome this obstacle, I created a transfer board out of a cookie sheet. I put one end of the board on my lap and one end on the shelf. All I needed to do was slide the ham up the cookie sheet to the shelf. Voila! Sometimes we just have to go about things in a different way to accomplish the task.

MS has provided me with enough challenges to last a lifetime but it has helped me realize how difficult and exhausting even everyday tasks can be. Unfortunately, sometimes these challenges are not evident to the people around us. The suggestions presented in this article are an attempt to help families understand how they can help a physically limited relative or friend. Or, these thoughts might give you insight into how to become more self-sufficient.

TIPS TO INCREASE SAFETY AND INDEPENDENCE IN THE KITCHEN

MS has forced some of us to deal with issues of limited strength and dexterity, poor vision or balance, or lapses in memory. Any and all of these problems can make it difficult and unsafe to accomplish tasks that are necessary in the kitchen. In most cases, the longer someone can be safely independent, the happier they will be.

How families can help:
Think ready to grab, heat and eat. If some Good Samaritan fixes a large quantity of something, have it stored in the freezer in individual serving containers. Then, it can be microwaved and eaten from the same container. Microwave diner plates with covers allow you to make a plate with multiple items and then freeze it. This would be a way for a family member to offer help. Just save a serving of each dish from a meal created for members of your household. Then, when ready to eat, it just has to be thawed and microwaved. Use non-breakable containers instead of glass. Opt for small containers that hold one serving and can go from freezer to microwave. Deep walled dishes also provide sides to help scoop food onto an eating utensil. Freeze bread, bagels and English muffins to keep them from getting stale. In this way, you can take out one serving at a time. Make sure the bagels and muffins are sliced before freezing. People with poor sensation in their finger tips find it difficult to use storage bags that require you to line-up two tracks and press them together. Closing bags with twist ties or plastic clips, likewise, can be frustrating. I have everything transferred to zipper type storage bags.
Modifications to make food preparation easier:
Induction Cooktop – Because of the physical problems encounter with MS, being around an open heat source poses the risk of burns. An Induction Cooktop uses magnetic waves to cause the coils in the bottom of a pot or pan to heat. The cooktop itself remains cool and accidentally touching the cookplate will not cause burns to the skin. My research leads me to believe a Pacemaker can be affected by these microwaves, so you need to use caution if the person coming in contact with it has this heart aid. Counter-top microwave – Many homes have a microwave over the stove which can be difficult to use and unsafe for a person with limited strength. A counter-top microwave allows the user to more easily transfer hot dishes to the counter. Smaller, individual serving bakeware make the weight more manageable. Since the bottom of the container gets hot, I keep a pie or cake pan handy and just slip dishes onto the pan. Make sure you keep items level in the transfer process Convection Oven – A hot, open oven door is an accident waiting to happen for someone with poor balance; or it can be a hazard when someone with limited strength tries to lift a hot baking dish out of the oven. A counter-top-convection oven, which is about the size of a regular toaster oven, allows food to be transferred much easier to the counter. Instead of heating food from the bottom, a convection oven uses a built-in fan to circulate hot air evenly through the cooking area. I find my convection oven does a very good job of baking without burning and operating it is not difficult to learn. Basic convection ovens, without all the bells and whistles, cost between $100 and $150. Electric Frying Pan – Electric frying pans allow you to cook away from the stove and even permit the cook to sit at a table. The problem with the regular size appliances is that they are heavy and large enough to cook for a group of people. The pan I am suggesting is only 7″ X 7 ” and lightweight enough that it is easy to carry to the sink for washing. An added desirable feature is that it is the perfect size to prepare a meal for one or two small eaters. Pull-out-shelves – Objects in the back of lower, cavernous, kitchen cabins can be difficult to reach and are often forgotten. Pull-out-shelves may be a problem solver to help make this area more accessible. These shelves can be found in large, local hardware stores, and someone with some carpentry skills can usually install them. Dycem Mat – A stroke or other health problem may leave a person with only one useful hand, without the additional hand to stabilize things. The Dycem Mat is a vinyl mat used to eliminate slipping and sliding problems on shelves, work surfaces, under plates or cups; or it can be used to provide an improved grip on handles, cutlery, arm rests, walkers, wheelchair seats, trays or footrests. PenFriend – Someone who is visually impaired may have difficulty distinguishing between foods, medications, ingredients or other products with small writing on their labels. The PenFriend works by placing a label on an item and an identifying message is recorded into the pen. When the tip of the pen is touched to the label, the message is spoken. There is another assistive product I really prize and that is motorized blinds. Before I had automated blinds, if I wanted privacy at night, I would have to leave blinds closed all the time. My home was always a very dark and gloomy place. Being so cut off from the world, I sometimes did not even know what the weather was like outside. I could stand to adjust the controls but, because furniture was sometimes in my way, this was a fruitless endeavor. With motorized blinds, I just point and click and I have sunlight. These were expensive, so I selectively placed them in areas that were unreachable. For windows that I can reach the controls, I use blinds that are operated with a cord rather than a wand. Because of the physical limitations created by MS, the motion of turning a wand can be difficult for many people. When you see a person sitting in the dark, before making a quick judgment, it might be prudent to consider… which came first, the darkness or the depression?

I have discussed tips to increase independence but do not want to leave out one very important safety tip – an emergency alert button. While achieving independence, it is crucial you can call for help in the event of a fall or in another emergency. Call buttons worn on the wrist can be inaccessible if the hand that will push the button is pinned under you or in some other way inoperable. A pendant is accessible to both hands. Pin the pendant to the front of pajamas at night to keep it readily available but prevent it from flopping around. Check with your local Cancer Society, hospice, or other similar organization for recommendations in your area.

By putting a few modifications in place, you can roll away barriers preventing independence. Maybe you cannot do things the way you used to but, by changing your approach to the task, it is still achievable. Start thinking, “I can do this. I just need to figure out how”.