The LG Chocolate BL20

Chocolate seems to be theme when it comes to developing new phones. Chocolate bars like the new LG BL20 Chocolate is the new addition to its older brother the BL40.

The LG BL20 may not have the splendor of the BL40 but is definitely an-awe inspiring device to be reckoned with. The chocolate series is back and here is the ingredient that keeps the chocolate sweeter than it is.

The latest BL20 Chocolate comes with a spectacular lively screen and a touchpad for easy navigation. To add to the functionality it has a sliding keypad that steers away from both traditional designs. Definitely the LG BL20 is a fashion phone and here are some of its core features.

First of all the LG BL20 by far is the slimmest of all LG slider phones available in the market. It only measures 106.9 x 50.8 x 12.3 mm, and the handset can still fit in your pocket. It only weighs at 115g just above the average phone you would encounter.

It has a 2.4 inch screen big enough for you to glide your hands through. Screen resolution is by far the best feature of this phone supporting 240 x 320 pixels at 262K colors. Just behind the back lies the LG BL20 Chocolate’s 5 megapixel auto-focus camera fully equipped with Schneider-Kreuznach certified optics. In addition to that, it also has an LED flash which can be used as a source of video light.

The LG BL20 also has some useful applications, this include an organizer, a calendar, a To-Do app, memos, Alarm settings, calculator and stopwatch just to name a few.

The new Chocolate series by LG is a great all rounder phone featuring all the best bits mold up into one. Not only it is powerful enough but it is also great to suite as a fashion statement.

Win a LG 42″ LCD TV (UK only)

Hi, I’m excited to report that LG have kindly agreed to give to one of our UK readers a cool new 42″ LCD Television, the LF7700 (which we reviewed).

We are running the contest on our UK spin off site UK.Coolest-Gadgets.com and the rules are pretty simple. The easiest way to follow the contest is to subscribe to the UK site via email or RSS.

Good luck everyone and apologies to our none UK readers, we’ll have more global competition prizes soon.

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Grilletto BBD makes BBQ easy and fun

Since summer’s here, why not take advantage by bonding with the rest of the family through social gatherings in your garden with a BBQ grill? We know that the very thought of it can be quite daunting for some due to the amount of cleaning up that one must do, but the Grilletto BBQ is different as it not only cooks but self-cleans as well!

For one the Grilletto Portable BBQ is ready to cook in just seven minutes. Second, there’s a massive cooking area that converts into a roasting oven so you can cook up a feast that includes anything from beef burgers to a Sunday roast. And third, this handy portable BBQ self cleans! With carry handles that double up as sturdy legs, this fold away portable BBQ is perfect for camping trips and tucking into a good old British barbecue from anywhere in the garden to the great outdoors – just unfold and start cooking! Double cast iron grills adjust to four cooking heights so you can really show off your culinary skills, and when you’ve finished cooking simply fold up the BBQ and it burns itself out, preserving the unused charcoal for later. All the ashes collect in the base making for an easy clean up and a snuff out pouch means you can pack the portable BBQ away straight after you’ve finished cooking.

Sounds so easy, although we’re sure that no matter how far self-cleaning technology has progressed in the future, there are a handful of folks out there who still believe that they should do the cleaning themselves to make sure that everything is spic and span. If you fall under the latter category, then the £63.95 Grilletto Portable BBQ is not the thing for you.

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Nite Glowring

Not everyone of us are privileged enough to live in homes or apartments that have decent lighting as we walk up to them, let alone those automatic lights which come with a sensor to detect whether there is someone at the doorstep, turning on its spotlight so that you will have an easy time looking for your keys in your handbag. With the Nite Glowring, things could be different for the rest of us ordinary plebeians.

The manufacturers of our Glowrings, who produce military equipment and other need-to-see-at-night items, have taken this everyday nugget of basic science and made it their business. A Glowring is small enough and tough enough to attach to anything you might need to use in the dark, a bunch of keys being the most obvious. But because they can glow for up to a decade, you can leave them hanging off things that only come out once in a while like fishing gear and camping equipment. It does have to be pretty dark to see the glow, but that’s the point.

Sounds like £9.95 well spent if you tend to live the life of a night owl, retiring for the ‘night’ when the garbage trucks and street sweepers are starting to make their rounds.

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The MP3 Clock DX

I still strongly prefer the classic look of this type of clock over the fancy new clocks packed full of LED lights. However, my alarm has far too many benefits to give it up for a clock that doesn’t even do half of what it can. Well although this clock features a very classic look, it at least has a little bit of a modern twist. It won’t work as a dock or double as a radio, but it at the very least can utilize MP3s to wake you up first thing in the morning.

The clock has a very large sound bank to let you choose between different alarm sounds. Instead of choosing one of those, you could also add favorite songs or strange sounds you’ve recorded yourself. With the ability to record your own sound effects and use those, you could wake up every morning laughing, just as long as you get creative. To keep this running it uses 3 AA batteries. It’s compatible with Windows XP and Vista, so those on a Mac not using Windows will have some issues. To pick this up it’ll cost you ¥ 3,850.00 or about $41.

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Halo RC Vehicles

There have already been several different Mario Kart toys that you can play with when away from the game. Finally Halo is getting a little love now too. Thanks to the Big Bad Toy Store, you can now own a remote control Halo themed toy. Giving you even less time during the day that you’re not playing with something that is related to your Halo addiction.

If you need a few minutes outside, there’s no reason to neglect your love of Halo. Just grab one of these and you can continue while you’re outside. There are three different toys up for sale right now. There is the R/C Mongoose with Master Chief, the Warthog with 2 figures and finally the IR Control Flying Hornet. That last one does actually fly and all of the preorders of that one are already sold out. The Hornet would have cost you $38.99, the Warthog $23.99 and the Mongoose for $23.99 at Big Bad Toy Store. The other two still can be preordered if you hurry. They will be officially out as of August of this year.

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Devil Mummy USB Flash Drive

Most people have their own personal version of what a mummy should look like. Some go for the cartoon look and others prefer something a little more terrifying that might be seen in some classic black and white horror movie. Either way though, I can’t imagine many people picture a devil mummy, but now you can own one. Well you can own a USB drive that is shaped like a devil mummy at the very least.

This USB drive is probably going to confuse most people and I can’t imagine those horns are too secure, but at least it’s different. This is just proof yet again that if you can think it up, it’s probably sold somewhere in flash drive form. This comes in a total of three different sizes, 2GB, 4GB and finally 8GB. The 2GB will cost you $16.99, the 4GB $25.99 and the 8GB $40.99. You’ll find this odd USB drive on Gizfever.

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Microsoft Zune HD confirmed

“She loves me, she loves me not, she loves me…” At least that is what it feels like with the Microsoft Zune HD ever since rumors of it started flying around the Internet. Microsoft has just confirmed that the Zune will make its metamorphosis from caterpillar to a beautiful butterfly with the Zune HD - a new piece of hardware that will bring unprecedented levels of enjoyment for your portable listening and viewing experiences, and with it, hope that will place it in a viable position to at least threaten the iPod’s dominant position in the portable media player market.

What’s new with the Zune HD, you ask? Well, it will feature an integrated HD Radio receiver that enables users to tune in to higher-quality sound compared to traditional radio on the go. Users can also help themselves to the extra song and artist data broadcast by HD Radio stations in addition to extra channels from their favorite stations multicasting in HD. If you find that not according to your liking, there is always the option to switch to its HD2 or HD3 channels for additional programming.

Hardware-wise, you will get a spanking new bright OLED touchscreen display that allows you to flip through music, movies and other stored content with relative ease, where the 480 x 272 resolution on its 16:9 widescreen display works perfectly well to convey visual stimuli without being a pain to your eyes in the long run. A HD-compatible output also allows you to playback supported HD video files from the Zune HD courtesy of a premium HDMI audiovisial docking station straight onto a HDTV in 720p resolution - although this will require you to fork out more dough as the HDMI audiovisual docking station is sold separately. A full-screen Internet browser with multitouch support and Wi-Fi connectivity completes the list of features.

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The hi-tech souvenir - Cable Car USB Drive

Typically the search for a souvenir lands you a shot glass, t-shirt or even a goofy spoon that could never actually be used. However, San Francisco is taking a slightly more hi-tech approach to the usual boring souvenirs. Instead of picking up a post card that will only get tossed in a desk drawer and forgotten, you could pick up their novelty USB drive. Don’t worry, it’s not some 50MB drive that could never be used on a regular basis.

No, these Cable Car USB Drives go up to 16GB, giving you plenty of room to toss files onto. It’d also mean instead of having a useless souvenir, you’d have something quite useful. The only downside is that a shot glass is never outdated, however, someday a flash drive will. So although it would be useful now, you might find it silly to hang onto it later. The drives come in blue/red and green/red. Then to top things off, they come with 30+ pictures of San Francisco already on the drive. It retails for $36.99 (for the 16GB drive) on Amazon, or it can be picked up at the Cable Car Museum.

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The 3-in-1 Retro Adapter for the Wii

Technology moves so quickly that many gadgets get tossed out and forgotten. However, gamers aren’t always so quick to toss aside old gear. After spending so much time bonding with and getting used to an old controller, using a new one is just never as good. There is the Classic Controller that was created for the Wii, but it’s still just not the same. So for those that still have their old Nintendo controllers, now you can put them to good use on your Wii.

This 3-in-1 adapter will allow for you to hook up the original NES, Nintendo 64 and Super Nintendo controllers to your Wii. For those of you that tossed out your old controller, you might want to be on the lookout for replacements. Komodo and Innex are supposed to be officially announcing the adapter at this year’s E3. It’s supposed to be priced right around $19.99 once it does come out. Of course, that won’t be until mid-June, which isn’t all that far off.

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Bike Moto Horn

Get your bike motor humming and people jump out of your way.

Revving the Moto Horn!

Rev it up!

Did you ever wish that your piddly little bicycle was a fearsomely noisy motorbike? Course you did. It’s why you stuck spoke-bothering lollipop sticks in your forks and bent your mudguards inside out. ‘Phturrrrrppplll!’ But if you were really cool you bought one of those rev-able vroom-vrooming soundboxes.

The Moto Horn is an exact replica of the deafening spring-loaded noisemaker coveted by every bike-loving kid back in the 70s. Simply attach it to your handlebars (via a peasy clamp system), give it a twist and prepare to have your eardrums assaulted by its realistic (well, sort of) revving noise. Think Strepsil-less dinosaur gargling chainsaws and you’re halfway there. VROOM, VROOM!


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Self-charging mobile

Meet the Chairman. We’re talking VIP but Very Important Phone as opposed to Person, because the Chairman is a new phone with a difference.

The clue is in its maker - Ulysse Nardin, watch maker extraordinaire. This phone takes top-of-the-range watch technology and teams it up with a touchscreen giving us a stylish hybrid handset. Its built-in battery is charged by the kinetic energy generated by the moving rotor so that your phone charges without you even noticing, while it’s working.

But if you thought this was a gimmick phone, think again. Ulysse Nardin have created an interesting multi-touch smartphone. Complete with Wi-Fi, 5 megapixel camera and 2.8 inch screen, the Chairman ulysse-nardin-the-chairman-rotorcertainly sounds like a phone to look out for. Release dates and price are currently under wraps but we’ll keep you posted.

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MSI X-Slim notebooks

When the Apple MacBook Air was first released and unveiled to the world, everyone was astounded as to how thin and slim the entire piece of computing was. Even until today, you won’t find any other notebook coming close to the Apple MacBook Air, never mind the fact that it isn’t exactly powerful to be on par with the rest of the other MacBook Pros in Apple’s stable. Well, other notebook manufacturers did not waste the opportunity of seeing how the Air wowed first time viewers when it was unveiled, and MSI is among one of them to leverage on the lean theme with a couple of X-Slim notebooks. MSI will make available a couple of models to the masses in due time - the 14″ X-Slim X400 and the 15″ X-Slim X600, where both of them will be released sometime in Q2 this year.

Both the X-Slim X600 and X400 are record breakers in their respective categories, having taken top spot in lightness and thinness categories. This comes across as no surprise, thanks to the use of a super slim Li-poly battery in the 14″ X-Slim X400, making the entire notebook weigh no more than 1.5kg. As for the 15″ X-Slim X600, it is slightly heavier (obviously) with a similar battery, tipping the scales at a mere 2.1kg. Both of them are also less than an inch thick (or should we say, thin?), coming with 16:9 theater-class LED displays, full I/O ports, and Blu-Ray support. The beefier X600 is more entertainment oriented as it is also accompanied by a discrete graphic card to maximize visual performance.

There is no word on pricing for either machine,. but we do know that the X-Slim X400 will come with an optional 8 cell Long-endurance battery, while those who settle for the X600 can always opt for the slightly longer lasting 9 cell long-endurance battery. Both models have kept up with the times by adopting external ODD drivers that will further keep the X-Slim series notebooks slim and trendy.

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Vtech begins to ship

VTech Communications, Inc. has just made available its latest release to those who reside in the US - their pride and joy, the IS9181. At first glance, the IS9181 might not seem as though it amounts up to much, but upon closer inspection, you will realize that the $199.95 price point does offer a rich feature set that is value for money, being a Wi-Fi music streaming device that was concocted to function as a complete music hub for the home, leaving you one less device to purchase if you’ve just moved into a new pad. For those who have already been rocking to Internet radio for quite some time already, the IS9181 takes this to a new level, where you need not remain glued to your computer just to check out what’re the latest tunes those virtual DJs are spinning, since the IS9181 is equally adept at pulling audio streams wirelessly, pumping it out for your aural enjoyment via the integrated 3W front-facing tuned stereo speakers, accompanied by the rich bass afforded by its 10W subwoofer with class D amplifiers. With over 11,000 free Internet radio stations worldwide, you’re definitely spoilt for choice once the IS9181 is connected to any compatible wireless network.

For ‘virtual’ music exploration, IS9181 users can search for stations by country, state or genre using the one-touch access button or remote control, or by visiting the comprehensive online music guide offered on www.vtechphones.com. The IS9181 un-tethers music lovers from their computers with sound quality unparalleled by PCs so digital music from around the globe can be enjoyed in the living room, bedroom or anywhere in the home.

Each purchase of the VTech IS9181 comes with a one-year limited warranty, and with the ability to hook up other MP3 players or portable media players through its 3.5mm headset jack, one might dare venture to call the IS9181 as being the all-round home entertainment hub (where audio is concerned) that will be around for a long time to come.

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Lolaloo Baby Rocker

Parents often find themselves needing to get other things done, but their infant needs rocked to sleep. Well if you need just a few moments of peace or just have to deal with your older child, this would be a nice gadget to have around. It’s actually an electronic item that rocks your child’s stroller back and forth. Putting them to sleep and giving you just a few moments of sweet silence.

It’s a German product, so it’s not all over just yet. However, it’s easy to see this taking off in other parts of the world. The device itself can run anywhere from 2 hours on up to 4 hours. You can of course adjust the intensity of the rocking to meet your child’s needs. It attaches to the stroller with a couple Velcro straps. As of now this is being sold in Germany for $174, so it is a bit pricey. The more broke parents might just opt to do the rocking themselves.

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Zune and Xbox 360 in 1

Just to let you know, this product here, complete with picture, is a rumor. The source of this story comes from Team Xbox, who say that Microsoft is working on this Digital Entertainment Handheld. This is what it is: an Xbox 360 with a Zune. Your two favorite things in one package? Well, maybe not the Zune, but one out of two ain’t bad. (Not another “Zune slam”, stop it already.)

Anyway, the project is codenamed “xYz”. I am assuming the “X” comes from the Xbox 360 and the “Z” comes from the Zune. As for the “Y”, the answer to that is “because they can, and it would make money”.

Other facts are pretty sketchy at this point, but we do know that the xYz will come with a WVGA touchscreen. Assuming, of course, that it gets created.

Normally, I don’t report on something unless I have a viable source (or sources), but I am reporting on this to generate buzz. You see, I am hoping that all the chatter about this product will create a demand for an Xbox 360 Zune, and the company will make it to meet this demand. Hey, I can dream, can’t I?

Seriously, does anyone out there know if this is legit? If so, feel free to chime in with a comment.

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Bixi, Bicycle Sharing

I have a bike, but right now it is out of commission. At this present time, I would be a good customer for Bixi, a bicycle sharing program.

It works by going to one of the bike stations that you see in the picture here, and borrowing one of the bikes. All a user needs is a credit card, and then the user can ride around freely as they normally would with their own bike. Once the user is done, he or she simply returns it to another bike station.

I am not certain how Bixi keeps track of all of its bikes, but I’m told that the setup is “computer-chip based, solar-powered, and Wi-Fi enabled”.

Montreal is the first North American city to host this program, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it wasn’t the last. I’ve never heard of Bixi before, but it really is a program that is ingenious in its simplicity.

In fact, this bicycle sharing program has to be big in certain regions of Asian countries like China. I’ve seen pictures of Asian bicycle racks that rival parking garages in the Western world. If Bixi doesn’t have presence in places like these, then it really ought to.

But hey, who am I to offer advice to a bike lender? Right now, I am in need of one. Too bad I’m not in Montreal.

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UFO-shaped Electronic Drums

Do you have the beat of drums coursing through your hands that you can’t wait but to express it? Well, this concept UFO-shaped Electronic Drums by Petr Kubik ought to fit the bill if they ever make it off the manufacturing line, featuring a smooth surface that will emit a sound whenever you strike your palm against it. Needless to say, the harder you beat it, the louder the sound is, but hopefully you won’t crack the thing in the process since it isn’t made out of tough cow hide. Gotta love the psychedelic lights that appear to suit your current playing style - that certainly adds to the overall mood.

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The USB Hub with a built-in flashlight

I keep going through all the dozens of reasons that this could be useful, but then I end up canceling them out for one reason or another. I thought it might be great to sit at your computer and then the flashlight would be useful for when you’re playing with cords at the back of your computer. However, I can’t remember a time when I couldn’t feel my way around it to figure things out. I’m sure that someone could find a use for this flashlight meets USB hub though.

If you are female and for some reason like to carry around a hub with you, then you’d always have a flashlight handy for various tasks. The hub conveniently tucks into the hub itself when it’s not in use. You can hold it as either a flashlight, or it flips open to be used as a reading light. The LED light is rechargeable, so it doesn’t have to be plugged in to work. The hub itself has a total of 3 USB ports. You can purchase it for $14 from Gadget4all.

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WWF USB flash drives for sale

Active Media Products (AMP) has come to a licensing agreement with World Wildlife Fund (WWF), where the former will develop and sell a series of portable USB flash drives which will resemble the many endangered species on our earth. Each purchase will see 5% of the retail price of this product line enter the WWF’s coffers so that they can continue in their work. A no-brainer candidate would be the giant panda USB flash drive, although this is diminutive in size at just 2.5″ long. Made of PVC-free non-toxic silicone, this lead- and mercury-free drive will come in 2GB, 4GB, 8GB and 16GB capacities, where the most spacious model is tagged with an extremely affordable price point of $25.

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