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(Innovation) Elastic Bows Make Gift Wrapping Impossibly Easy

Few people dislike giving gifts, but most of us hate the expectation that they need to be properly wrapped first. It's why gift bags must be a billion dollar industry at this point, and why these simple elastic ribbons could possibly be the greatest to happen to birthdays since cake and frosting.

They do take the surprise out of the gift, but they make up for it other ways. The giver no longer feels discouraged after battling gift wrap and Scotch tape for half an hour, and the giftee can reuse the elastic for office-related tasks. There's nothing left over that needs to be tossed or recycled, and even at $12 for a pack of ten in two different sizes, they'll probably be more appreciated than a giant wad of tissue paper. [Animi Causa]

(Fact) In China, more people now access the web through a mobile than a PC

Not that we needed yet another data-point explaining why China is such an important mobile market or anything but Reuters is happy to provide one. On Monday, it reported that for the first time ever,more people in China access the web on a mobile device as opposed to a PC. The data comes from the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) and says that of the 632 million internet users in China, 83 percent (527 million) used a phone or tablet to do so. That compares with 81 percent of the connected population accessing the web through a PC, with some overlap between the two of course.

(Gadget) Belkin NetCam HD+ Wi-Fi Camera with Glass Lens and Night Vision

I’ve avoided playing with “home” monitoring cameras because (1) I live in a tiny condo in San Francisco, and (2) my son is 8 now and we’re past the baby monitoring stage. I do have friends and family with small children, so I figured I owed it to them to stay on top of this technology.

So, you happen to have picked up a brand new Samsung Galaxy S5, and cannot wait to show it off to the rest of your mates? It goes without saying that a brand new smartphone ought to be accompanied by a protective case of sorts in order to make sure that any kind of damage will be minimized should it happen to suffer from an accidental drop or knock. Moshi, a long time accessories provider for various mobile devices, is back again with the announcement of the custom-tailored SenseCover for the Samsung Galaxy S5. The SenseCover happens to be a touch-sensitive flip-cover case which is capable of offering 360-degree protection for the flagship smartphone, while giving you the opportunity to answer or reject calls, as well as turn off alarms even when the cover is closed.

Apart from that, there is also the free Moshi SenseCover app that will pair with the case so as to enable additional features and functionality, as you can then check on notifications, play or pause audio, and snap Instagram-ready pictures as your device remains protected within the slim case.

The SenseCover will also boast of a shock-absorbing inner shell, where it comes with complete back- and front-side protection, including a flip cover with a magnetic clasp that ensures that the cover remains neatly in place or folded back out of the way whenever the case is open. This happens to make it one of the slimmest Samsung Galaxy S5 cases with 360-degree protection, and thanks to its soft hybrid interior, your device will be well cradled thanks to the refined metallic leatherette cover which helps it stay far away from unwanted shocks and scratches.

If you are interested in the Moshi SenseCover for Samsung Galaxy S5, it can be picked up for $44.95 a pop as it arrives in black or pink. Up the protection ante with the iVisor’s advanced anti-glare screen protection, where it saves your screen from scratches and smudges.

Press Release

[ Moshi delivers SenseCover for the Samsung Galaxy S5 copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

(Tech) The WOW! Computer – a Simple PC just for Grandma

You know how it is., If you go ahead and get your parents a computer, you will either be involved in lifetime tech support, walking them through every single step of sending an email… forever. Conversely, the thing will sit there, only to be used when you happen to be there for a visit, at which time you will teach her to turn it on…AGAIN. You know your folks would love being able to be “online” Why does it have to be so hard? Well, check out the WOW! Computer, made especially for seniors. The Wow! Computer is a tower-less system, that is easy to use, with a cool touch screen design. The setup is simple, just plug it into the power, click in the internet cord and voila, you’re online. Yes, there are built in games, email, video chat, calendars, and the system even includes Text-to-Voice that can read your emails out loud. The WOW! Computer’s email is incredibly user friendly, including its extra large print and step by step instructions. The WOW!’s innovative screen also gives granny one touch access to some of the net’s most popular websites, and an easy way to surf the rest of the worldwide web. The system consists of an Intel 847 Celeron Dual Core Processor, a 22 inch high definition monitor, a 500 GB hard drive, an optical drive with a tray in DVD player, speakers, a webcam with a microphone, and a 6 in one memory card reader, as well as 4 USB slots. So if you know someone who would love to enter the age of technology, but never quite knew how you were going to get them there, the WOW! Computer might be just what you’re looking for. Head on over to firststreetonline.com for a whole lot more information, or to order one for around 1100 bucks.
[ The WOW! Computer – a Simple PC just for Grandma copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

(Gadget) The Schwinn CycleNav Bike Navigation – keep your eyes on the road

When you need to get from point A to B, you plug in the directions on your phone and make your way to where you need to go. This can be the case for walking, biking, taking the bus, and more. However, it’s easiest to keep track of where you’re going in your car as there aren’t exterior sounds to drown out what your GPS says, and it can sit right in front of you. When walking, you don’t need directions to come at you as quickly, as your pace isn’t going to be too fast.

However, when riding your bike you might want your information to be a bit more readily available. It’s not so easy to pull out your phone and check if you’re on the right path. If you wish you had a bit more assistance in finding your way, then the Schwinn CycleNav Bike Navigation system might be able to help you out. This is a Bluetooth device that will attach to your handlebars, and tell you which way to go.

This has an app which you will need to use on your smartphone, and it is compatible with both iOS and Android (4.1 or later). Since this is taking front and center on your bike, it only makes sense that this would also be an LED bike light to help you navigate when the sun is no longer making an appearance. If you don’t want to rely on pulling out your phone or keeping in earbuds to be able to hear what directions your phone is spitting out, this is a $50 purchase that will get you the CycleNav Bike Navigation, a bike mount, rechargeable battery, and a charging cable.

Available for purchase on Fancy, found via Redferret

[ The Schwinn CycleNav Bike Navigation – keep your eyes on the roadcopyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

(Tech) (NOKIA) Nokia Lumia 635 announced, headed for T-Mobile and AT&T

Right now, the smartphone world is more or less split right down the middle with Apple’s iOS as well as Google’s Android mobile operating systems dominating the market. There is, of course, a third pillar that is supported by Microsoft’s Windows Phone 8.1 (I will leave BlackBerry OS out of the equation), which is growing slowly and steadily with Nokia being the main driver behind sales of Windows Phone-powered devices. This time around, the Microsoft-owned company has announced the Nokia Lumia 635 that runs on Windows Phone 8.1, which has been touted to be the most personal Windows Phone experience to date.

It will feature a 4.5” FWVGA resolution (854 x 480 pixels) that can display up to 16 million colors, sporting Nokia’s ClearBlack technology accompanied by Corning Gorilla Glass 3 to add a dimension of toughness to the mix. Not only that, it also boasts of a wide viewing angle, coming in handy whenever you show off your favorite photos to a bunch of family members and friends.

Running on a quad-core 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor, this makes the Nokia Lumia 635 a mid-range performer, which ought to be more than enough to handle all of the everyday tasks that one associates with smartphones. In fact, it will do everything “normal” that you ask it to with aplomb, as the 512MB RAM offers decent support. There is also 8GB of internal memory for you to work with – meaning power users might want to avoid it and settle for something more high end instead.

Apart from that, the Nokia Lumia 635 embraces its existence with several electrifying phone shell colors that one can choose from, letting you switch according to your current mood. Not only that, the new Windows Phone 8.1 personal assistant known as Cortana will hopefully prove to help you out throughout the day.

Just in case the 8GB of built-in memory is not enough, there is another 7GB of free cloud storage on OneDrive, giving you plenty of space to stash all of the other apps, photos, videos, and more that you love. A 5MP auto focus camera with 4x digital zoom that is capable of recording 720p video as well is located at the back, all of it packed into a chassis that measures 5.09” x 2.62” x 0.36”, where it tips the scales at 4.73 ounces.