Staying Out Late? Equip yourself with these High Tech Gadgets (Part 2)
Will your Halloween involve pulling off a perfect trick or simply gathering up all kinds of treats? Either way, with Motorola's two-way radio, the TalkAbout 280 SLK, you can keep in touch with your partner in crime or keep track of kids, mums, dads, and friends while on the prowl for treats.
Sure, you could use a series of flashing lights to communicate with your partner in crime. The 280 SLK has up to a two-mile range and up to 20 or 30 hours of battery life depending on the model you choose. Digital volume adjusts, enhanced channel scanning, and channel locking aid in clear connectivity. A battery meter and auto power off function keep you going, and an enhanced back-lit LCD display is perfect for low light, spooky situations.
Planning on herding a pack of preteens around the housing subdivision on All Hallows Eve? The TalkAbout 280 SLK is compact, lightweight, and easily portable. Fourteen channels and 38 privacy codes make it easy to connect to a group of users. The 280 SLK's call feature provides five distinct tones to alert you to incoming calls. The 280 SLK can be purchased with either an alkaline battery or a rechargeable NiMH battery option.
Do the night right with a gaggle of TalkAbout 280 SLKs in a variety of very cool colours including graphite, purple, green, and burgundy. Sorry, no pumpkin orange. Over and out.
Haunting Images : Nikon CoolPix 950
Most of us get into costume only once a year. Well, at least for most of us that holds true. Capture the moment on disk with the Nikon CoolPix 950. With its solid, black magnesium body and red handgrip, it looks as good as you think you do.
Pull out the feather boas, make-up, and ruby red slippers. Whatever your costume of choice, the CoolPix 950 will memorialise it with amazing accuracy. The CoolPix 950 is able to capture images of over 2 million pixels. The result is an image that can be blown up bigger, while holding more detail than other digital cameras.
You won't have to wait until you finally remember to get your film developed to see your shots. You can put on your costume, take a picture of yourself, and upload it to your computer within minutes. The lens half of the camera can rotate 270 degrees, making it easy to frame a self-portrait in the LCD monitor before taking the shot.
Now that you've dressed up and taken some shots of yourself, send them off to a family member or friend for a reality check. You may think you look cool, but your opinion may be a little skewed. We don't want you to make a fool of yourself. Unless you are going as a jester, that is.
Cautionary Note: Keep in mind that the images you send to your blackmailing friends or relatives just may haunt you for the rest of your life.
Under a Shroud of Complete Darkness : Lan Optics Nighthawk ON1X20/IR
Eggs? Check. Toilet paper? Check. Night vision goggles? Huh? If you're gonna commit the crime, make sure you don't do the time. Arm yourself with the Nighthawk ON1X20/IR night vision goggles from Lan Optics International, and you can do all your dirty work under a shroud of complete darkness.
Powerful enough to be used by the military, pilots, and off-hours builders, these night-vision goggles illuminate up to 200 yards. By using the built-in IR illuminator with an on/off switch, you can see in absolute darkness. The adjustable goggles weigh in at a scant two pounds, have a padded liner for comfort, and snaps to remove them quickly if necessary. The goggles also convert into binoculars. This is especially handy for checking out the reaction to your prank from a safe distance. Remember the old flaming bag of fresh dog droppings trick?
Once your plan has come together, it's time to celebrate your unscathed victory with the A-crowd. No need to swing by the house and change into costume. Go as a terrorist, you're already wearing the costume.
LEGO : Robotic Discovery Kit
What would Dr. Frankenstein have created if he had LEGOs? The world may never know. With LEGO's Robotic Discovery Kit and Development Kit, you can create your own monsters or recreate some of LEGOs' own inventions. The kits comes with plans that detail how to build a motorised bug that bumps its way around a room, an intruder alarm that shoots missiles when activated by light, and a robotic basketball hoop that moves and returns the ball to you.
For all of those Star Wars freaks out there, LEGO also has a Droid Developer Kit. Perfect for the Star Wars theme Halloween party. Its 657 pieces provide much entertainment as you work together to build the ultimate droid. In less than an hour, you and your guests will be able to build an R2-D2 that can move, make noises, and join the party.
You can also bring to life favourite droids, such as the battle droid from Episode I, or mix and match to create new characters. As in Star Wars, there are three different skill levels for robotics fans ages 9 and up: Apprentice, Jedi Knight, and Jedi Master.
Spooky Vision i-O Display Systems Televizer
The grass is always greener on the other side of the cemetery. Try explaining that to your sweety-grubbing preteens, who are not content with gathering in their own neighbourhood. They want to go to the land of bigger houses with promise of a bounty to match. They will relentlessly chant: How come we can't go? Everybody else gets to go. Eventually you will wear down and succumb to their demands. Just what you wanted to do, sit in the car, waiting for them to make the rounds.
It doesn't have to be so bad, in fact it could be the perfect opportunity to see that horror movie you've been meaning to rent, and without question, there's no better day in the year. How is that possible, you ask? i-O Display Systems' Televizer is the answer to that one. The Televizer is a complete personal video system that combines i-O Display Systems' i-glasses headset with Panasonic's portable P-10 DVD player.
The i-glasses create the illusion of an 80-inch screen floating in front of you at a distance of approximately 13 feet. You will be totally immersed in the flick of your choosing in both sight and sound. But don't be caught off-guard and make sure to lock your doors. This is how horror movies begin.
Demonic Droid AIBO
With eyes that glow a demonic red to convey anger, Sony's robot dog, AIBO, is a serious Halloween toy. This android canine will be a hit with late-night beggars looking for a sugar hand out. It's not the most economical jack-o-lantern replacement, AIBO carried an original price tag of £1,500.
However, that original price tag is now a non-issue, as Sony only allocated 2,000 units to the US, and it sold out in about five minutes. Hordes of gadget lovers swarmed Sony's site to try and procure this most elusive must-have on our list, only the quick and die-hard gadget fans succeeded. Now, your only real hope is to scour the online auction sites and hopefully submit a winning bid. If you thought £1,500 was frightening, wait until you see what people are bidding for them now.
This expensive robotic pooch is pretty impressive though. A color CCD camera with 180,000 pixels detects the shapes and colors of objects. AIBO is programmed to chase bright pink objects. AIBO's legs each have three motors. Fifteen other motors are distributed throughout its body to create smooth movements and express distinctive body language.
No shovel required.