TV – Page 4 – NerdBeach

Pandigital Kitchen Technology Center is Dedicated Kitchen Computer

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A dedicated kitchen information computer is something that I have thought should have been on the market a while back. Pandigital is doing exactly that with their Kitchen Technology Center.

The center is a touchscreen device that gives you preloaded recipes, a browser for more recipes, a music player, a HD video and TV player, and a photo display. The part that makes it work is the touch screen, since often in a kitchen you will not have your hands free enough for a keyboard. I just hope that the unit is clean friendly, at least if you are anything like me during the construction of a recipe.

The specs on the digital kitchen aid include 1 GB of memory and 15 inch 1280×720 resolution screen. The Pandigital Kitchen Technology Center will cost $400, and it should be available in August.

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JVC NX-PN7 Dual iPod Speaker Dock

Greg Chaffins

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Having an iPod with a dock has become so commonplace and accepted that we now have multiple dual iPod speaker docks on the market. JVC's Entry, The NX-PN7 Dual iPod Speaker Dock features dual chargers for iPod or iPhone, AM/FM Tuner, and Audio Input. The unit also features video out for supported devices, allowing users to play their iPod video content on a home TV or monitor.

This could work great for couples that both carry iPod/iPhone devices, as well as for anyone who maintains two such devices. Given that it would be easy to have an iPhone with an iPod Nano for workouts or running, I can see the need for such a device better than I could at first glance.

The JVC NX-PN7 Dual iPod Speaker Dock costs $149.95 and is available now.

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Invisible Face Mask Hides Your Face From Cameras

Greg Chaffins

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Cameras are all around us nowadays, and chances are this trend will continue. This is a simple project, yet it can yield very satisfying results for blocking a camera from picking up an image. This could be useful in certain circumstances when privacy is desired.

The project list is very minimal, only a hat, High Output IR LEDS, wire, and a battery. Basically the LEDS are mounted into the hat wired at various locations, the LEDS are wired to a battery, and the battery is attached to the back of the hat. The light emitted from the LEDs, like most TV remotes, are not in the visible range. This means that no one will see the LEDS when they are on beyond their physical appearance. The video shows the details:

While it is a simple and straightforward project please note that the LEDS do put out strong light at extremely close ranges, even if it is not visible to most humans, so please avoid staring at them for extended periods of time. Also, this information is being presented in interest of DIY projects, and should not be used for any kind of negative activity where use of such a device violates existing laws or codes.

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Civil Engineer Is off the Power Grid for Both his Home and Car

Greg Chaffins

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Mike Strizki is one of my heroes. The 51 year old civil engineer did engineers in general proud by shucking the grid and building his own solution to the energy problem.

Mike's home is hydrogen powered, as is his Mercury Sable. The alternative power process starts in his garage, where 56 solar panels charge up 100 backup batteries and feed power to his house, as well as power an electrolyzer for the hydrogen creation process. The hydrogen created from water and power is used to not only power his home and car, it also can be used in a fuel cell stack.

On some days the solar panels produce more than 90 kilowatt-hours of electricity, more than nine times the required power of his fully electrically stocked home (50 inch plasma TV, 3 household computers, kitchen appliances and more included).

The price for the green power system is a bit daunting, but Mike used $100,000 of his own money and figured out a way to get more than $400,000 in grants from various sources, including the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities. Sharp, Proton Energy Systems and Swagelok.

Way to go, Mike Strizki.

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