float

Take quick notes on your Android tablet with Hovernote

Android is great about multitasking in the sense that background applications will be suspended where you left them. That means you can go back and look at the previous app you were using, but it's going to be in full-screen covering whatever you're trying to look at now. This makes note-taking for research really difficult when you're always having to tab back and forth and can only see one app at a time.

Hovernote seeks to remedy this issue by adding a floating notepad to your Android tablet screen. That way, you can read a … Read more

Add floating IM windows to your Android tablet

Tired of switching between apps to talk to friends while using other apps or surfing the Web on your Android tablet? LilyPad HD seeks to solve that problem by making your instant message windows float above your other apps.

Instead of getting an alert for a new message in the notification area, you will see new messages as they appear in the IM window. It works just like GTalk or AIM would on your computer, except the windows are always on top unless you minimize or close them. At the present time, LilyPad HD only supports GTalk and … Read more

Behringer makes a splash with pool-friendly floating Bluetooth speaker

LAS VEGAS--One of the gadgets getting a little buzz here at CES is a spherical wireless waterproof speaker that floats in your pool.

It's called the Splash 100 and comes from Behringer, a German pro-audio company, which is surprising considering it will retail for a mere $99 when it comes out later this year.

We didn't get a chance to hear it yet (alas, the demo model didn't have sound) but it will allegedly have a 230-foot range (via a 900MHz RF signal) and deliver 3.5 hours of sound from its rechargeable battery.

Scribd launches Float, a new mobile reading app

Scribd, which has become known for being the "YouTube for documents," has launched a new app today called Float, which the company says is designed to improve the mobile reading experience.

We met with Scribd CEO and co-founder Trip Adler prior to launch and he showed us the new app in action. It's actually difficult to describe exactly what it does, but imagine it as a cross between Flipboard, Instapaper, and a filtered Twitter feed (see video below). You select various areas of interest and pick favorite Web sites to "follow" and you get stories … Read more

Pioneer demonstrates cool Floating Vision displays

Imagine a floating 3D map on a car's dashboard that drivers can interact with by gesturing with their hands. It might sound like a scene lifted from "Minority Report," but Pioneer has developed a new Floating Vision display to deliver a similar capability.

The system utilizes an LCD module to project sharp, 3D-like pictures through a special 3D lens. When combined with infrared sensors, Floating Vision allows users to touch and manipulate objects in real time, as illustrated in the above video clip from the Embedded Systems Expo in Tokyo.

Some applications for this technology include in-car navigation, and Pioneer will be offering this version to companies interested in integrating Floating Vision displays in their products. Another variant, which interfaces with the PC through a USB link, is already available.

(Source: Crave Asia via Akihabara News) … Read more

Headphone mania hits White Plains, NY

I attended the Head-Fi "meet" last Saturday at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, in White Plains, NY. Head-Fi is a grass roots online community that reviews and discusses headphones, in-ear monitors (IEMs), headphone amplifiers, and music. Head-Fi's core is its discussion forums, where on average 3,000+ posts covering all aspects of headphones are made nearly every day. Head-Fi started in the U.S., but now has meets in Canada, England, Australia, Denmark, Singapore, and all over the world! You can join Head-Fi for free or just enjoy the site. I've attended a number of NY meets … Read more

Norway oil giant floats idea for bobbing windmills

A group of scientists and engineers in Norway are testing a flotation device that could support offshore wind turbines so that they don't have to be built on shoals.

StatoilHydro, a division of the oil giant Statoil, said Thursday its Hywind floating wind turbine installed about 10 kilometers off the coast of Karmoy, Norway, in June 2009 is a success.

As a result, the company is planning to test an entire farm of Hywind turbines in Norway, and is looking to install more test farms in rough-water areas like Scotland and Maine.

The Hywind turbine is not a completely … Read more

M-Edge's waterproof Kindle case now shipping

Otterbox is known for its ultraprotective iPhone cases. Now, M-Edge, which specializes in Kindle cases, is doing the same for the Kindle, with an announcement that its first waterproof Kindle is now shipping.

The company says the Guardian is made of molded plastic and protects your Kindle in all water environments up to 1 meter deep, whether you're in the pool, ocean, or just soaking in the tub. Your e-reader is totally sealed in the case, but you can still access all the buttons through "flexible sealed button cutouts." Even better, the case turns your Kindle into … Read more

A waterproof Kindle case that floats

Otterbox is known for its ultraprotective iPhone cases. Now M-Edge, which specializes in Kindle cases, is doing the same for the Kindle, with an announcement that it will sell the first waterproof Kindle case this spring.

Santa's Sleigh is a Race Car???

It's less than 12 hours before I will be leaving on a jet plane for a holiday in Ohio with my family, so I'm gonna keep this short: I figured for the Xmas Eve edition of this video blog, I'd present something fun and festive, and I thought this little video from 2000 would suit the bill. Basically what we got here is a 12 Hours of Sebring race car float was morphed into a bright and cute "Santa's Sleigh" for a Xmas parade in Sarasota, Florida. The beginning of the vid shows some … Read more