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Designed primarily for military use, these LightSpeed binoculars are capable of transmitting "untappable" voice and video signals to another set of binoculars using infrared.
The high-lariously named BSODomizer is a little gadget that interfaces between a computer and monitor to display an image at either random intervals or when triggered by an IR remote control. The best use of this kind of toy, of course, is reminding Windows devotees like myself that the nerld-famous (nerd world) BSOD is always lurking around the corner, along with a Mac user who's waiting to screech "Get a Mac! Get a Mac!" like the most annoying parrot ever.
While Nintendo hasn't even announced the next Wii, a DigiTimes source claims that a company named Pixart Imaging is already set to provide Nintendo with the infrared chips for their next generation Wii device. (Pixart already supports the current Wiimote and products from Intel and Logitech.) While not necessarily the worst news, I'm sure at least a few of us were hoping for a solution to avoid those constant "point your Wiimote at the screen" error messages. Oh well, Nintendo could release the Wii2 with non-interactive, rotting banana controller and it would still sell a bajillion units. [DigiTimes via MaxConsole]
My old office used to have those irritating IR-sensor lights, so if you were working late and popped out—say to the loo—for more than a few minutes, you'd be welcomed back to uninviting darkness: now you can have the same facility in your home thanks to Black&Decker's LightsOut. Well, actually it's quite a neat gizmo—it's battery powered, and simply mounts directly over a light switch, which it then throws for you if it doesn't detect movement in front of its sensor. Plus it turns the lights on when you enter. You can even change the "off" preset delay time, up to 30 minutes. Handy if you forget to switch the light off in your garage—like I often do. No word on pricing yet. [NewLaunches]
Most R/C cars are controlled by radio frequencies and a miniature steering wheel, but this car follows a dot of infrared light wherever you want it to go (similar to a cat chasing a laser). The only catches are that the car doesn't look to read throttle commands and it can only recognise light up to 5 feet away, so you can't point the beam at the top of Mount Rushmore and watch the tiny vehicle dutifully scurry its way up...yet. Running 20 minutes per charge, the complete kit goes for a reasonable $US50. [RichardSolo via Dvice]
This remote-control car has an infrared follower system built in, so you steer it simply by pointing the IR beam from the controller somewhere ahead of the car, and it works out where you want it to go. So yes, it's a simple remote control for those who can't be bothered to learn how to steer their toys with a joystick or wheel and throttle remote. Or kids. Ah... now I understand. The "magic dot" can be up to five feet ahead of the 9-inch car and it'll still work, and you get about 20 minutes of racing, cat-bothering action from one charge of its batteries. Available now for US$49.95. [RedFerret]
The more practical app of this personal radar project is in robot navigation systems—always a good sign when the functional side of something is robots—but it's small enough to be mounted on a car's bumpers to help spatially challenged drivers navigate the rollercoaster of parallel parking. (Unless they've got a schmancy car that does it for them.) Expect to see a smaller, cuter version with mobile phone integration for Japanese school girls any day now. [Pyro Electro]
Despite looking like a freaky PC case-mod for your head, researchers say this helmet may serve as a treatment for Alzheimer's disease. It directs low levels of infrared light at the skulls of Alzheimer's sufferers in order to combat the disease by stimulating brain cell growth.
