Jay Garrett’s Gadget News

Now, my memories of caravan holidays aren’t the most glamourous.
Between 4 and 6 people and a dog sharing a thinly skinned mobile home on the cliff tops of Filey on the North Yorkshire coast isn’t exactly the same as mooring up in Monaco is it?
But if we had the Tabbert Paganini it may have been [...]

So, you have a Wi-Fi enabled mobile and you’re wanting to check up on what goodies this site has to offer before you get on the train or plane.
You open up your browser and select the airport or stations Wi-Fi only to be sent to a ‘Pay To Browse Page’ - NOOOOOOOoooooooooooo………..
Here’s a neat trick [...]

O2’s just revealed the results of its first NFC trial.
This is the jobby that allows you to pay for things using the wireless power of your mobile blower.
The next phase is to whack this tech into the SIM cards themselves so that more phones can be used as a mobile wallet.
Declaring the trial a [...]

I can remember my brother coming home from piantballing covered in bruises but sporting that grin that says he was actually enjoying this form of ‘friendly fire’.
Now, this is more my thing:
The Paintball Panzer from Funtrak is a mini-tank that will spew forth colourful death (well, pain at least) whilst keeping your body haematoma free!
The integrated [...]

TheElectricPig have a very cool article and listed their favourite 5 iPhone applications for all you Londoners.
Some I’ve already mentioned before but there’s some other great gems.
They cover all from helping you select a restaurant, GPS tagging your ride so that you can find it again through to weather reports (how very British).
TubeStatus (£free)
Urban Spoon [...]

This is a handy little USB Charger from Brando.
Stick it on your keychain and when you need a mobile phone recharge just find the nearest USB socket, attach the phone’s battery and power up as needed.
Granted you may find yourself sneaking a charge from internet cafes, random strangers working on laptops in the park but [...]

Not to be out done by the Korean in-car web browser Chrysler have decifef that we need a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot right in our ride!
According to Twice.com, Chrysler’s parts division will begin selling “a Mopar car cellular/Wi-Fi hot spot, expected to be the first of many Internet offerings from the car companies” starting August 25th.
It [...]

Here’s another natty free app for the iPhone!
Anyone living in London, or indeed that visits London on a regular basis, will be aware of our lovely underground train system.
Where it is generally reliable there are those occassions where you have to be somewhere at a certain time and need that up-to-the-minute information regarding the state [...]

Most of have seen those solar-messenger bags that charge your gadgets from the power of the sun - and most are pretty bland looking if we’re perfectly honest.
Well this line of bags from Sakku uses old sails for the material of the bag itself so it’s doubly good for the environment so green points for [...]

It’s time to outgeek those that think a GPS/DVD/CD/Mp3 player in the car is the height of in-car tech.
Check out the KNGT icom MK1 which gives you on-the-road multi-media web browsing a-go-go!
Granted, it will work better in its native home of Korea as they must have better wireless coverage than in the average British town [...]

Are you a geek that’s also a petrol-head?
IWOOT have the perfect USB hub for you!
For the tiny sum of £29.99 you get a hub that shakes, revs and changes gear.
You know you want one!!
VRRRRRRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrroooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooow!

Putting London and Marketing together isn’t always a good idea.
Reports have it that deodorant manufacturer Right Guard has created an armpit-based TV advert which has cleverly been dubbed “pitvertising.”
I’m guessing that this would only be useful on the tube, Overland, buses and DLR and the human hording would have to stand all the way.
To be honest, sometimes [...]

I love classic VeeDubs. I still have the Californian number plate from my Karmann Ghia Coupe that I had imported back in 2000.
So it’s good to see the Westy getting a revamp.
This hi-tech machine is the Westfalia Verdier Camper.
At the moment it’s a concept but that doesn’t stop me wanting it.  
Forget the ‘basic’ accomodation offered by the original.  [...]

Opening up canal-ways is just one way to relieve congestion on roads and offer a greener alternative to the way we transport heavy goods.
SkyHook International and Boeing intend to build the Jess Heavy Lifter (JHL-40).
This airship is able to lift up to 40 tones in one load and travel up to 320 kilometers without refueling.
The [...]

The Police riding mountain bikes.
The Police on roller blades.
The Police riding scooters.
Now, none of the above really strikes fear into me, a law abiding citizen. 
So I’m guessing that hardened criminals would just point and laugh at that selection quite openly.
Until, that is, they realise that the scooter is the Lamperd Less Lethal’s new T3 Mobile Defender.
The scootery [...]

Driving fast.
The main goal for me to pass my test back in ‘89!
Fortuantely I bought my own car as soon as I passed - then, unfortunately, crashed it 3 weeks afterwards.
Well, Tiwi is here for those who also use parental controls on the satellite channels to keep your kids nice and safe.
Using GPS and a smattering of cellular connectivity [...]

ZAP mentioned this green vehicle at the Detroit Motor show earlier in the year and it looks like the company has now finally turned out a prototype.
Looking like an American retro-rodded version of the Grinall Scorpion it apparently isn’t capable of moving off the parking lot on its own just yet.
That should soon change as it was reportedly on [...]

3 years in the making and now the power assisted Live Luggage is here!
And there will be a “world premier” on June 26th.
The PA series of checked baggage features a 12V NiMH rechargeable battery pack supplying power to the wheels when the handle is gripped and the bag is tilted.
The bags weigh 10.6kg (23-pounds) which [...]

I apologise for the headline but sometimes I just go with the first thing that falls into my little mind.
Back to the story.
Merc have been mulling over which direction to go with their eco-cars and, according to the news filtering through the media, Merc could be out with their electric Smart car in 2010.
During a recent interview, Daimler’s [...]

Looking like the result of a love-triangle between a Segway, Rolly and a Miuro this is the new A.M.P. (Automated Music Personality or Ampbot) from Sega-Hasbro.
Ampbot stands 2.4-feet tall and features an MP3 player / iPod cradle on its back, stereo speakers, and the ability to follow, chase and interact with its owner.
Sound comes out via a 5-inch mid-range speaker in the chest and a pair [...]