Cool Hunting

HYmini
I recently got to check out the HYmini renewable power source for a bit at the Greener Gadgets Conference in NY. In fact, I poached a little charge from it for my camera, which gave me just enough juice to get me through the event. Ask anyone from the Pacific Northwest during this time of year, sunshine can't always be counted on and definitely...

Monome
Since the multi-use controller Monome first came out a few years back, it's slowly gained a cult following thanks to its attractive and flexible design. If you're unfamiliar with the device, the Monome is an ultra-tactile, interactive and adaptable MIDI interface that takes advantage of open-source software to manipulate any number of musical parameters. With a pleasing grid-based design, the programmable buttons function as...

The Best of CES
The annual Consumer Electronics Show took the breath out of Vegas last week. While there was an endless slew of things to see, we found a few stand-outs worth reporting on. Iqua 603 SUN, Solar Powered Bluetooth Headset This compact Bluetooth headset from Iqua offers all the same features as the big brands, but stands out with the innovative integration of a solar cell....

Crucifix MP3 player
Perhaps taking a cue from the iBelieve (a lanyard that made the original iPod shuffles look like crosses), Chinese electronics wholesaler Chinavision recently came out with a crucifix-shaped MP3 player for devout music listeners. It's a rather unique way of marketing technology and we can't help but wonder what the J Man would think of such a device. The player offers 1GB of internal...

Navman N 40i
The new Navman N 40i personal navigation device features a built in digital camera that takes geo-coordinate embedded pictures so you can navigate back to your favorite destinations. Packed with all the standard features, you can enter an address, or for you right brained individuals, tap a photo from your NavPix album on the 3.5"touchscreen to specify your destination. Even better, you can download...

Jawbone
Jawbone, the Yves Behar designed Bluetooth device, utilizes advanced noise cancellation technology to eliminate background noise from your call. I have been testing it out for a couple weeks now—walking on NYC streets, passing garbage trucks and ambulances, yet no one complained of the background noise and I didn't need to raise my voice to be heard. By using directional microphones and a bone...