Samsung Omnia M runs off Windows Phone platform

 

When we talk about smartphones from Samsung, most of us would think of the Android operating system that is so prevalent among the major smartphone manufacturers, including the behemoth that we know of as Samsung. Well, they have their very own in house operating system as well known as the Bada OS, but Bada has not really taken off in a large way, and could be confined as a niche operating system in the end. Samsung, too, has dabbled in the world of the Windows Phone platforms but the thrust of their smartphone business had always been Android-centric.

Well, we are glad to say that with the Samsung Omnia M, the hegemony of the Android platform has been interrupted albeit for a while. Also going by the model number GT-I8350, the Samsung Omnia M is a Windows Phone-powered smartphone that is ideal for social and entertainment multi-taskers, and official word has it that the Omnia M will arrive in Europe first, before it makes its way to the rest of the world at specified times.

Just what does the Samsung Omnia M deliver upfront? It will, of course, feature top-notch multimedia capabilities as well as a wide array of social connectivity options, making the Omnia M ideal as a smartphone for non-stop entertainment, content sharing and the ability to keep in touch in whatever way that suits you. It will come in a stunning design that is pleasing to the eyes, making you think that the 1GHz processor inside works faster than it is, coupled with a vividly large 4” Super AMOLED display.

Featuring an ergonomic contoured casing which ensures the device will reside comfortably in your hand, the aforementioned expansive 4.0″ Super AMOLED display has reduced glare to deliver an incredible viewing experience, letting you view messaging, multimedia and Web content in brilliant color and clarity even if you are under bright light conditions, without sapping your battery life significantly.

Any takers for the Samsung Omnia M if you want to have a go at the Windows Mobile platform this time around?

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Onion Goggles – Don’t Cry for your Dinner

Here at Coolest Gadgets we have reported on camera goggles, night vision goggles and even beer goggles, so today I thought I would introduce you to Onion Goggles, made specifically to help keep the tears away while preparing dinner.

I often wonder who cut up the first onion, had a horrendous tear jerking reaction and decided to eat the darn things anyway, but I guess I’m glad they did.

Your tears are caused by irratating compounds being released when the cells of the onion are damaged by the blade of your knife. The tears that follow are released when your body attempts to dilute the stinging chemical.

I’ve tried peeling my onions underwater, after they have been chilled or even holding my breath, the only thing that works? Buying frozen pre-chopped onion at the grocery store, but they don’t taste as good and they’re just too expensive!

Welcome Onion Goggles, made especially to combat this age old problem, these comfortably designed goggles fit snugly against your face and a soft foam seal presses around your peepers keeping out the offending fumes, and keeping your mascara intact. So if a box of tissue isn’t your idea of a cool kitchen gadget, Onion Goggles may be for you. Get yours from our friends at ThinkGeek.com for under 25 bucks

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NEATGEAR’s Genie app – Printing, No Strings Attached

I use my iPad a lot. I do find that not being able to print from it easily is a bit of a pain. Same thing with my Macbook, I keep finding myself unplugging the printer from my desktop and plugging it into my laptop.. again, just not as convenient as I would like. I wondered to myself, should I just invest in one of those AirPrint printers… but my printer is still perfectly fine. What’s a girl to do?

Well, lucky for us, NETGEAR just announced the release of their new Genie App upgrade that enables printing from an Apple, iPhone, iPad and iPod touch to any networked or USB printer. With this nifty NETGEAR Genie App upgrade, iOS device users are no longer restricted to AirPrint-compatible printers. The NETGEAR Genie App upgrade dramatically overcomes previous AirPrint compatibility limitations to give users the freedom to print to any USB or networked printer. Yipee!

The NETGEAR Genie, is available for PCs and MACs and provides what they like to call a “home network dashboard” that enables folks to monitor, connect, and control their home networks and also to diagnose and automatically fix network connectivity issues.

With this awesome upgrade the NETGEAR Genie App also renders any printer AirPrint-compatible, whether connected wirelessly to the home network, USB-connected to a PC, or connected through a USB port to a NETGEAR ReadySHARE print-capable router. While a PC or a Mac is on, the NETGEAR Genie App enables printing from iPad, iPhone and iPod touch devices on the same network.

The Windows OS and Mac OS NETGEAR Genie App upgrade is now available for download for free at netgear.com  NETGEAR Genie is also available to download for iPad, iPhone, Android Smartphones and tablets from the Apple store.

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The Power Bean – It’s got your Back

Okay, so you have the latest and greatest Android phone on the market and it does all kinds of cool stuff, you use it for work and for fun, heck, you don’t know what you’d do without it. I love all the neat stuff our phones are capable of, but they all have two very important characteristics in common, they all go dead the same way, and at the same time, just when you need it the most!

 You could buy a backup battery, and as practical as that seems I have very rarely seen anyone actually do it, or you can just buy Mili’s Power Bean, designed for any Android phone that uses a mini USB type charger, the Power Bean is very capable indeed, boasting right around, 2000mAh, which, for most battery capacities is just about one full charge.

 It can only charge devices that use those little micro-USB’s to get their juice, like the HTC, BlackBerry, and Samsung. Unfortunately the Power Bean won’t work with any of your Apple iDevices. But for your Androids, the Bean’s built-in USB and micro USB cable simplifies charging, and storage. The unit also provides a unique power indicator display with 4 LED’s providing power level information.

 So if an extra battery just isn’t your style or you’d just rather have yet another slick looking little high tech gizmo in your electronic arsenal maybe the Mili Power bean is for you, you can have one almost before your next charge runs out from Amazon.com for less than 70 bucks.

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Floating Private Island

We have read of tycoons purchasing an entire island or archipelago outright with insane amounts of money, and this is something that only a few of us dare dream to actually achieve. Well, man on the street, it is time you start to think more positively with a “Can do!” attitude, and if I were to tell you that you can bring home your very own island for $329.95, what would you do? Don’t throw your head back in laughter just yet – the Floating Private Island from Hammacher is exactly what I am talking about, where it provides a place of respite for those who indulge in waterborne activities.

It is more than ideal as a lounge, swim raft, or launch pad, where it can hold up to three adults or five children on it. Constructed using durable tear- and abrasion-resistant 600-denier PVC-coated polyester that will cover its inflatable two-chambered, 26-gauge PVC bladder , a quartet of sturdy handles will make it a snap to board, tow, and even transport out of the water. There is a durable strap located in one corner that hooks to a towrope so that it can tow up to three people, while eight stainless steel mooring rings will enable you to connect several inflatable dock systems together.

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BikeGuard – QR Codes for Bike Recovery, will it work?

I have a relatively inexpensive bicycle, my husband wants us to spend more money and get some really fancy ones. I think he forgets about my less is more theory on exercise. I just don’t think having a deluxe bike is going to change how I feel about getting out in the elements and working up a sweat, and anyway, when you have a nice bike, someone will just want to take it… well, there goes that excuse.

MyAssetTag.com, is introducing us to BikeGuard, a new (and free) bike registry and identification program. This service provides its customers with free QR Code asset tags so folks can track and identify their bicycles, and since a bike is lost or stolen about every seven seconds, BikeGuard may just be part of reducing the challenge of locating and recovering bicycles for both the bike owners, and the police.

Registering your bike with BikeGuard should greatly increase the likelihood that it will be returned to you if it is somehow recovered. Obviously registered bikes have a much greater chance of being returned to owners when lost or stolen, and these registries are used as an aid by police stations in order to identify and return stolen bicycles. Often times recovered bicycles are never returned to their owners and are auctioned, stockpiled or destroyed. BikeGuard aims to change that.

Registering is easy enough, users simply create a free account at www.myassettag.com and enter the details about their bikes like the make, model, and they can even upload a photo. That creates a personal bicycle registration page that displays the owner’s contact information and all the details of the registered bike.

Lastly, you get up to three free BikeGuard asset tags that contain a quick response (QR) code that when scanned with any smartphone, will direct the user to the owner’s bike registration page. Voila! Now you just have to hope that whoever found your bike wants to do the right thing.. easier said than done. No?

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Lubricheck – Is It Okay NOT to Change Your Oil?

You know how ever since you first were learning to drive your dad told you that you needed to have the oil changed in your car about every 5000 miles? Remember how every time you didn’t do it (and that was a lot) you felt guilty and like you were ruining your car? Well, as it turns out you may have been on to something, the oil in your car isn’t always bad, and doesn’t always need changing at 5000 miles, but how can you know for sure?

Welcome Lubricheck, after all, why spend time feeling guilty or dodging your dad (not to mention wasting time and spending money you don’t have)on unnecessary oil changes, when now you can easily test your oil anytime, at your convenience. Lubricheck will tell you in less than a minute, the quality of your motor’s oil before you make a trip to the shop. You’ll know for sure whether you need to change your oil, or not.

I think saving the Earth from thousands of unnecessary oil changes (and the resulting oil disposals) is not only a money saving benefit to us, but makes pretty good ecological sense as well. Lubricheck is able to measure the acidity of your oil, (as the oil degrades, acidity increases). Acidic oil can ‘pit’ the metal surfaces inside your engine and in such a situation you would require an oil change. Lubricheck can also detect contaminants in your oil, like metal particles, water or coolant. Luricheck is not only a tool that helps you save on oil changes, it actually can give you insight as to the “health” of your car.

Lubricheck is soon to be available for under 40 bucks, so visit the website at lubricheck.com to learn more about Lubricheck and its associated record keeping apps (Lubritrack) and to be updated on its release date. Would you feel comfortable not changing your engines oil?

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