Japanese company Sanden created a vending machine that can be powered by hand-cranking. The manual system was designed to help people buy food or beverage during natural disasters where there is no electricity to run the machines. By the way, you need at least 70 cranks before it turns on.

Source: Hand-cranked vending machine offers products sans power, refreshments during emergencies

Source: How Did You Miss This Crazy iPhone-Controlled Coffee Faucet?

“Even if undiagnosed as a serious case of Seasonal Affective Disorder, there’s something incredibly disappointing about a 4:30PM winter sundown. To help combat the problem, while introducing many more intangible problems into your social life and sense of self-worth, Seqinetic is Kickstarter-ing a pair of LED ‘sun’ glasses that shed diffused light all over your eyeball region.

“Seqinetic promises to have working prototypes in its labs, but needs the Kickstarter cash for some injection-molded parts and a printed circuit board. A promised January ship date might be a little far into winter to do much good this year, and of course there’s no scientific data to back up Seqinetic’s unorthodox approach to the ‘winter-blues’ problem, but we can say one thing for sure: We’ve officially found a Snuggie for your face.”

Source: Seqinetic ‘wearable light’ glasses meant to combat winter depression

Japanese telecom company Willcom has released the Hanashicom pillow, a phone accessory that lets you do hands-free calls while lying in your bed. The pillow features a microphone and speakers for an effortless chit-chat. Willcom is giving it away for free to customers — a smart way to promote their flat-rate unlimited talk plan. The challenge now for its users: how not to fall asleep while someone is talking.

Source: Hanashicom speakerphone pillow lets you chat late into the night in comfort

The Koreans are blowing minds with their new concept tablet. Samsung Mobile Display recently showed the world a glimpse  of the future with a short video of what a tablet should look like years from now. In a 31-seconds time-travel experience, a user holds a transparent and flexible OLED-based tablet complete with 3D features. The near invisible and bendable screen display unit is not yet available on the market, but once it is, you might have a problem when you forget where you left it.

SOURCE: Samsung shows us what’s possible with a transparent flexible AMOLED

If you thought the Transformers switching ability is limited to animated robots, take a look at what forward-looking designers have come up with in the stroller industry. If you want convenience and fashion as you take a walk with your little bundle of joy in public, get yourself and your baby a 4moms Origami stroller. With the push of a button a generator powers a closing motor and an LCD readout that informs you of the right time to open and close the contraption. It is also equipped with headlights should you go for nocturnal strolls. For your child to get ahead of the competition even before it can even pronounce the word, withdraw $849 from your ATM.

Video: Youtube.com

Text: The 4Moms Origami: Look At This Robotic Stroller! Look At It!

Image: tech.mikeshouts.com

HP recently announced the Slate 2, a Windows 7-powered tablet to be released by the end of this year.  A prototype of the upcoming tablet reveals an 8.9-inch device powered by an Intel Atom Z760 1.5 GHz processor with 2GB RAM, 3G, WiFi, USB 2.0, and 30Whr battery.  The HP Slate 2 also comes with a stand/dock and a stylus.  Get ready to cash out $699 for this beauty.

SOURCE: HP Slate 2 prototype unboxed

[Image: theworldtechno.com]