USB oil burner threatens everything you hold dear

There was a time in the not-too-distant past when if your apartment, dorm room or palatial mansion smelled like Cheetos, Diet Coke and unwashed laundry, there was simply nothing USB-related you could do about it. Sure, there were wall outlet fragrance "plug ins," scented candles, canned air fresheners, and of course windows which could be opened -- but not one of those was USB-powered. Of course, those days are long gone, because a random Chinese sweatshop has dreamed up another modern-day marvel: the USB oil burner. If you're like us (and we think you are), there's nothing you want to do more than pour scented oil into something that plugs into your computer. Available in rose and peppermint, $7 each

UK study finds no link between illness and cell phone towers

Researchers in the UK have all but debunked the theory that cell phone towers, or electronic interference, is making people physically ill. A recent study done by Britain's Health Protection Agency (HPA) said that they could find no scientific evidence that feelings of anxiety, nausea, and tiredness occur due to the presence of electronics, or GSM and 3G cell phone equipment. The tests, carried out in 2005 and reported in Environmental Health Perspectives today, claim that when neither the researcher nor the subject knew if cell signals were being emitted, the number of symptoms reported was not related to signals present. Participants did report feeling ill, but it was independent of any cell phone signals, "Hence the range of symptoms and physiological response does not appear to be related to the presence of either GSM or 3G signals," the study said. Yeah, right, next thing you know they'll be telling us those voices we hear aren't "real" either.

DIYer crafts robotic flusher to save time, impress guests

If you're not exactly keen on dropping a substantial amount of dough in order to grab one of those snazzy Toto toilets that flush as you walk away, why not devise your own flusher that not only removes the need to stand around and hold the handle down for ten or so seconds, but also captures data on exactly how many times you visit the lavatory. Apparently, an artful fellow decided to do just that, and the resulting robotic flusher requires but one momentary press in order to successful flush any rigged toilet. And yes, the video (crank the volume!) is awaiting you after the break.

Belkin N1 Vision router displays speed and bandwidth

Belkin is finally adding some action to the wireless router game with its newest entry, the N1 Vision. Instead of the uninformative and confusing blinking lights which adorn most routers, the N1 has a full monochrome LCD display which tracks your upstream / downstream speeds, logs your bandwidth, displays date, time and network access key info, and also shows you what devices are connected and how much bandwidth each one is eating up. Clearly an ideal solution for those of you requiring cold, hard facts with which to confront roommates about their rampant "film" downloading. In addition to all the displayed data, the N1 sports 802.11n, gigabit ports, a link rate of 300Mbps, a range of up 1,600 ft., and a hefty $199.99 price tag. Check some more pics after the break.

Alarming 'Ring' concept vibrates finger to wake you up

There's no shortage of bizarre creations that prevent you from oversleeping, but a Meng Fendi concept could actually help you (and your partner) wake up on the right side of the bed for a change. The simply-titled "Ring" sports an alarm clock dock with two times and a pair of wearable hoops, which enables you to wake up at a different time than your third-shift-workin' SO. Moreover, the elastic vibrating rings are donned at night, and simply provide a constant buzz to get your attention rather than wrecking your rest with a piercing array of beeps. Click on for a few more shots.

The Enertia electric motorbike

The electric motorbike scene is so in right now, with the fourth that we've written about in the last two months being the Brammo Enertia. The Enertia is a plug-in bike that does 0-60 MPH in under 4 seconds and can go for up to 50 miles on one charge. Brammo is an Ashland, Oregon-based manufacturer that designed and built the bike, making sure that the bike has six 12 Volt lithium-phosphate batteries -- which don't blow up when punctured, unlike Lithium Ion models. It only weighs 275 pounds too, and most of the weight is near the road because the fuel tank isn't needed. The only problem now is the price: $14,995 for the "Carbon" model, and $11,995 for a later model once production is ramped up.

Sirius, XM receivers may play both sides

Amid the takeover rumors, merger talk, blackouts, and general struggle and strife for consumers just trying to listen to some decent radio, it appears that a glimmer of hope may be breaking through all the noise. In an outrageously detailed letter to the FCC, a gentleman named Michael Hartleib calls for the agency to more clearly define the differences between "Dual mode" and "Interoperable" radios, and outlines how (using the latter variety) existing XM or Sirius receivers might be able to access both networks simply by having their firmware updated. The technical missive also suggests that the companies may be deflecting attention away from this fact in an attempt to bring "updated" receivers to market which have the aforementioned capability, when all that is really needed is a simple software tweak. Naturally, we can understand why he'd want to go straight to the FCC -- it's not like Sirius or XM are expected to discuss this possibility, and we think it's safe to assume that if they merge they're going to gouge customers into buying a new radio, instead of updating the ones they currently own.

It will make you chase your alarm clock to really wake you up

Runaway alarm clock, what a wonderful idea! We have seen and reviewed so many different alarm clocks that hardly any idea can impress us now. However, the new gadget will really make anybody who sleeps too well wake up.

Shooting your alarm clock or getting a puzzle done does not mean you getting off the bed. However this one will really make you chase it around the room.
Now more snoozing for 10 times before you get out of your bed. It will make you run around to catch the bustard and turn it off. It will, of course, be helpful for sleepers.

Spy Clock with Hidden Camera built in

I don't really know what would you want to watch after in your home except for your children but here is a gadget that will let you do that. A spy camera is built into a wooden clock and will transmit what it captures wirelessly in the area.

If you really want to spy on somebody you can give this gadget to your friends or not friends as a gift and be able to see what they are doing. Camera transmits the video signal at 2.4 GHz so your will be able to receive the signals if you are somewhere in the neighborhood. Beware, because other people might catch the signals too.

React unveils the Reaper Guitar Hero controller

We're not sure what to make of React's claims that current Guitar Hero controllers are "basic" and "uninspiring," since we can think of plenty of rockers who wielded those classic Gibson shapes, but even still, React's new Reaper Guitar Hero axe looks pretty sweet. The wireless PS2 controller features a J-Bass-on-steroids body shape, glossy black neck and some wild skull graphics guaranteed to intimidate your challengers. No word on price, but React tells us they'll be popping up in Best Buy later this month. Check the read link for some more pics.

Researchers tout 500GB optical discs

Compared to some of the recent optical disc advances we've seen, 500GB may not seem like all that much, but according to the researchers behind the so-called "Microholas" project, they've found a means to cram that amount onto "regular" HD DVD or Blu-ray discs. The key, it seems, is a new microholographic recording technique that makes use of nanostructures inside the disc to squeeze in as much data as possible. They're apparently not quite satisfied with the results just yet though, saying that they expect the technology to one day let them store a full terabyte of data on a single disc, which they assure us will not be used to "stash away a thousand movies," but instead be used for "secure long-term storage."

iPhone hacked for shell access

Well, that didn't take long -- the hacker crew of IRC channel #iPhone has managed to enable shell access to the iPhone just a week after its release. There's not a lot to the hack -- the iPhone's 30-pin dock connector features the same pinouts as the iPod, so creating a serial connection simply involved connecting up a resistor, ground, and RS-232 level converter and running a few commands from iphoneinterface. The resulting shell is pretty basic, but features a TFTP client -- meaning that we should see a flood of attempts to open the iPhone up in the coming weeks (as if we wouldn't anyway).

Chinese welder killed by exploding cellphone battery

It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt, and unfortunately, the latest case of exploding battery syndrome led to something far worse than a minor injury. Reportedly, a 22-year old Chinese welder actually perished after a cellphone battery residing in his pocket exploded. The eruption was so violent, in fact, that it "broke a rib and drove the remnants of the pack into his heart," and while rescue crews were able to get him to a hospital, he passed away shortly thereafter. Currently, the manufacturer of the phone and battery are being withheld, but expects in Jinta were dispatched in order to conduct an investigation.

Robo Ronaldo scores midfield RoboCup goal

You've had ample time to scope out the vastness that is RoboCup 2007, but the fourth day of competition brought a little something extra in the form of an uber-talented soccer bot. The machines, which look an awful lot like those entered by Team Osaka, took to the pitch in order to give onlookers something to cheer about, and the videoed matchup between the forward and fullback captured the midfield goal perfectly. Interestingly enough, it seems that the defender either lost his footing or fell victim to a vicious headbutt to the chest, but his demise allowed the calculating shooter to line up an exquisite shot to the corner of the net. Enough color commentary, hit the read link to catch it for yourself.

Olympus' projectors and camcorders do a 360 -- still can't ollie

Olympus is experimenting with a new lens capable of a 360-degree horizontal projection or capture. Better yet, they seem to have bunged it together with video processing equipment. According to Google's translation robots, CCD-based projectors and cameras (pictured) fitted with the new "axial symmetrical free curved surface lens" are entering into a period of trial manufacture. Combining a 45-degree vertical field of vision, the Olympus camera would be ideally suited for ceiling mounted surveillance while the projector would likely be little more than a novelty in rev-1. Unfortunately, we'll have to wait for an English translation before delving too deeply into this. So why not clickity-click through for more pictures while you wait.

Sharp's KD-E1: the e-dictionary for your offspring

We've always wondered why companies kept cranking out e-dictionaries for the demographic too proud to actually bust one out in public and get their learning on, but Sharp is making amends by offering up a new model in the KIDSDIC series. The KD-E1 arrives in a colorful orange and white enclosure, and features an internal speaker, headphone jack, color display, several mini-games, stories, and songs to keep your kid intrigued in between vowels. Judging by the button layout, it looks like this is a Korean-only gizmo for the time being, but those in Seoul can try to convince their kids that this is cooler than a PSP for a stiff ₩365,000 ($397).

Nintendo DS gets camera add-on, "Face Training" game

While some have already taken their own initiative to give the Nintendo DS a camera, it looks like the rest of us will soon have a considerably easier go of it, as Nintendo's set to release its own camera for the handheld, along with a game to take full advantage of it. The game, Face Training, is designed to aid you in the practice of "facening," Wired News reports, which supposedly improves your appearance through a series of facial exercises. Likely of more interest to most however, is the camera itself, which takes advantage of DS's GBA slot, with a stand also provided to give your arms a rest. Unfortunately, there's no word on any other uses for the camera just yet, although it would seem unlikely that it'd be reserved for just one game. Look for the game and camera bundle to set you back ¥4,800 ($39) when it hits Japan (and Japan only) on August 2nd.

The duct tape server

Sometimes a mod project comes along that makes you ask yourself, "Hey, is this really called for?" And then you have to think long and hard on the answer, but this may be one of those cases (literally) where the answer is unequivocally yes. Using four rolls of duct tape, a quarter roll of translucent tape, and a Pentium P4 (with mobo, assorted drives, etc.), "Team Boom Tape" have created what seems to be the first-ever server assembled completely from tape. Yes, tape. Hit the read link and revel in all the adhesive glory.

Traffic light hack keeps tabs on your system

In an attempt to communicate more clearly to people when he is "busy" on his computer, one DIY'er in Japan has created the TrafficStop, an LED traffic light that interfaces with some custom Mac software and displays information in the familiar and easy-to-read three light system, updating the lights according to a user-defined threshold. With a hack like TrafficStop, your "work" will never again be "interrupted" by "people".

Belkin's washable mouse and Mouse Trap

In the fight against dirty mice, one can never be too vigilant -- as anyone who has ever spent time carefully cleaning and drying their beloved input device will tell you -- but now there is an easier way. Like the IOGEAR anti-germ mouse we told you about, Belkin is getting into the cleanliness game with its washable mouse, a water-resistant, USB device that you can unplug and wash in your sink (or anywhere else you've got water), which should come as welcome relief to neat freaks everywhere. Of course, once you've got that thing cleaned up, you'll need something to carry it around in, so Belkin made the Mouse Trap, a mouse pad which zips up, allowing you to take your squeaky-clean peripherals on business trips. The washable mouse hits the streets in August, while the Mouse Trap is available now.