PC Magazine mobile analyst, Sascha Segan, reports today on the release of Cingular and Motorola's second iTunes phone, dubbed the SLVR L7. The L7 boasts a 262k-color screen, a VGA camera, Bluetooth and an IM client. You can play songs synced over from iTunes, but you're limited to just 100 songs per TransFlash memory card. Is it better than its predecessor, the SLVR L6? Well yes, but does it perform better? Sascha will have a review of the L7 for you by the end of the week.

The SLVR L7 costs $199 and is available for purchase on Motorola.com.

The thermometer is one of the best inventions known to man. Galileo is credited for the invention of the water thermometer, built in 1592. Then, the German physicist Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit developed accurate mercury thermometers in 1714. In 1730, Réaumur invented one which used alcohol, followed by the Celsius, invented by Anders Celsius in 1742.

Then the digital thermometer came out, and that was even better. Well, the cycle continues...in Japan. EJK (Ebara Jitsugyo Co) has manufactured the Contactless Thermometer. All you do is place it near the skin for 3 seconds. Traditional thermometers take about 60 to 90 seconds until you get a reading, not to mention it's so darn hard to keep it in place under your tongue. Plus, there's no need for sterilization, since you're not putting the thermometer in your mouth.

It weighs 99 grams and will be available starting tomorrow, Feb 1st, in Japan for 25,000 Yen (which is $215 USD). No news yet whether it's coming to the U.S. Makes you wonder why it took so long to come up with such a revolutionary idea!

[Thanks to NewLaunches for the scoop]

If you often connect several USB devices at one time like I do, the Belkin CableFree USB Hub sounds very exciting. It doesn't seem like a big deal from the name, but imagine hooking up your 200GB external hard drive, a printer, a flash drive, and even an Xbox 360 to your laptop, all without cables, and without restricting the laptop to a certain area.

The hub has four USB ports and a separate USB dongle receiver that connects to your PC. The only piece of hardware connected to the PC is the dongle, so if all you have is a single laptop running the show, this is a must have. In addition, the Belkin hub uses Freescale's Ultra-Wideband(UWB) technology, enabling transfer speeds of up to 110Mbps. That's almost 37 times faster than Bluetooth 2.0, at least 2 times faster than 802.11g, and best of all, it can coexist fine with both standards. According to Freescale, UWB is capable of streaming high definition video in real time, wirelessly, and the technology is already being used in the auto industry and gaming platforms.

I'm sick of detaching my devices before I can roam around the house with my laptop and this is something I can see myself investing into. One thing to note: Neither Belkin nor Freescale talks about the range of UWB. The Hub will be available in Spring 2006 for $129.99 Frosties.

 

 

 

A shout out to Gizmodo for the feed

You've probably heard of Victorinox's Swiss Army USB key, so it was only a matter of time before they came out with the Swiss Army MP3 player. The name -- the Swiss Bit S.Beat MP3 -- doesn't exactly roll off your tongue, but it combines a 1GB detachable MP3 player with several nearby sharp objects: a blade, a nail file, and scissors.

The digital display looks pretty sleek against the aluminum design. Some of the other features include a digital voice recorder, FM tuner radio, and remote control. It even comes with an arm band for all you Swiss knife-carrying joggers.  The player uses a rechargeable Lithium battery and comes with a set of headphones. I personally would've liked to have seen more tools jammed into this thing. For $160, they could've thrown in a screwdriver and a cool LED flashlight, instead of the nail file.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to Pocket-Lint for the story

Although I'll be haunted by Slovakia, chainsaws, and paid-human torture forever, at least there's something that can calm my anxieties.

Last weekend, I made the mistake of seeing Quentin Tarantino's new film, Hostel, because now I am completely traumatized. It was the most frightening, twisted, and disturbing film I have ever seen in my entire life. I wanted to throw up! Don't get me wrong, I've sat through Rob Zombie films, and they didn't creep me out as much as this one! I'll spare you the details though, in case you want to see it.

Of course, when I get in these frightened moods I tend to whine to my boyfriend for a night light in order to fall asleep. I can't help it, but sometimes I just get spooked! But, I am in my 20s, and having a night light really isn't, well, grown up. So, a company called Solutions has designed the Blue Moon Night Light ($29.95). The light actually goes underneath your bed, giving off a soft blue light, instead of a regular night light glaring in your face. And since Valentine's Day is coming up, it could also serve as a Let's Get It On ambiance. 

After this post, you'll either think I'm seriously demented for watching horror movies, or that I have a thing for blue lighting.

[Found via Strange New Products]