If you’ve got a cat, then you know what amusing pets they are. Everything about cats is fun, except for the dreaded litter box cleaning. Scooping out the poop is a really nasty job. That’s why the Litter-Robot is so terrific. Seven minutes after a cat uses it, the Litter-Robot gets to work and its patented litter sifting process gently separates the waste clumps from the litter and deposits the clumps into a large waste drawer lined with a plastic bag. All that’s left behind is clean litter for the cat’s next bathroom visit. The sifting system is so efficient that owners save up to 50 percent on litter as compared to manual scooping. The robot uses any clumping kitty litter and its waste drawer is lined with a kitchen garbage bag. If you travel a lot, the Litter-Robot is really great. See it in action at www.litter-robot.com.
The x-Ar from Equipois is the world’s first exoskeletal arm support system for manual tasks. Designed to assist with a wide range of activities in industries where people work with their arms outstretched for long periods of time, such as electronics assembly, the x-Ar simply attaches to a human’s arm and provides dynamic support throughout the user’s range of motion. It is anticipated that the use of the x-Ar could greatly improve and contribute to a reduction in work related sprains, strains and other musculoskeletal disorders associated with work related repetitive motion injuries. Equipois believes that the x-Ar will change the way people work in a broad range of industries, from manufacturing to health care to bioresearch. The company also has versions under development to help disabled people control their arms and legs, enabling them to perform basic life tasks. To view the x-Ar in action visit www.equipoisinc.com/products/xAr/.
From AVG Technologies comes a new security solution for Android tablets. AVG Mobilation for Android tablet gives Android tablet users peace of mind knowing that their valuable data and device are protected, using cloud based security technology that is simple to use, always up-to-date, and light on the device and battery life. AVG Mobilation for Android tablet can scan apps, settings, data and media files in real time for viruses and other malware. If the tablet gets lost or stolen, it can be remotely traced and wiped to protect privacy. The backup feature also protects contacts, call logs, bookmarks, messages and installed applications to an SD card. The “app locker” can password protect any app on the phone to prevent children from using certain applications or data. Download the security solution free through www.droidsecurity.com.
“iPhone Obsessed: Photo Editing Experiments with Apps,” by Dan Marcolina just released from Peachpit Press (www.peachpit.com) is part inspiration and part how-to. The book is filled with eye-popping images and coverage of over 47 of the best iPhone photo applications. The Apple iPhone with its built in camera and app processing opens a new era of photographic expression. iPhone Obsessed shows readers how to harness that creative potential. Marcolina explains his unique techniques on combining app effects such as blurs and vignettes, high dynamic range, film looks and painting. to turn snapshots into statements. iPhone users not only learn some advanced techniques on integrating Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop, but also how to think about image taking on the mobile device. When scanning one of the 75 tags printed in the book with the free iPhone Tag Reader (http://gettag.mobi), up will pop full screen video clips of the author giving app overviews and step-by-step image tutorials along with links to many other resources and surprises. All are custom designed for this book and use the mobile format. The book is available either in print or an electronic version.
