iPhone apps are getting more and more niche all the  time. Dynamic Controls, a company that specializes in wheelchair control units, unveiled an iPhone app that lets wheelchair users control their electronic wheelchairs via an iPhone or iPod Touch.

Dynamic Controls unveiled the new iPhone app at the RECHARGE conference in Germany, which is a trade show for the special needs community. As you can see by the pictures above, the app displays various information like speed and heading, and allows the wheelchair user to adjust various settings on the chair, like the seating angle.

The iPhone will connect to the wheelchair via Bluetooth, IR or WiFi, or through computer mouse control. A ‘chair doctor’ feature will diagnose any problems with the wheelchair and report it to the user, as well. The app also features web access to Dynamic Controls’ website, which will feature news that appeals to wheelchair users. Remember, with the full power of an iPhone, a wheelchair user would also be free to surf other websites if they didn’t want to read about advancements in pro-grip wheelchair wheels.

Dynamic is selling an optional attachment that will secure the iPhone to the wheelchair. Dynamic’s control units will also allow for iPhones to charge off of the wheelchair’s battery. The application can be used with any existing Dynamic Controls wheelchair unit and any 3G iPhone. The iPhone app is set to be released in April of 2010.

Panasonic announced a new digital photo frame that also doubles as an iPod dock and audio system. It could also be an audio system that doubles as a photo frame and has iPod docking capabilities. Or is it an iPod dock that can offer you audio system features and conveniently display your favorite pictures?
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Whilst not the first device offering to read printed material via text to speech (the previously featured Plustek V100 Bookreader being an example) where the newly unveiled Intel Reader positively excels is in pulling together the required technology into a somewhat more easily portable gadget (it measures in at around the size of a paperback book) that makes it easier to relocate – though, admittedly, it would be a little far fetched to call it a pocket friendly device (handheld, yes).
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What would you like your digital photo frame to be able to do besides displaying endless slide shows of your favorite photos? Most of the current digiframe offer more and more extra features and the one that we’re looking at today is also trying to tempt customers with various new tricks.
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While they’re not sitting on pink with dreary sales leading to slashed profits, Nintendo have officially unveiled today the new DSi LL with availability starting from November 21, in Japan, and are all geared up to release the new Nintendo Wii Fit Plus, tomorrow.

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I’ll admit from the start that digital photo frames aren’t included in my favorite gadgets list. And I’m particularly annoyed with digital photo frames that pitch other features to us. Maybe it’s just me but I don’t want my digital photo frame to double as a TV, wireless printer or a phone. I’d want it to do one simple thing: show me slideshows and pictures starring the ones I love.
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Yamaha have now released their PDX-60 iPhone/iPod Portable Player Dock (which, incidentally, we initially featured here on TFTS back in July) which, thanks to utilising Yamaha’s yAired wireless technology, allows you to remotely locate your iPod or iPhone whilst listening to the ‘superior sound quality’ of the PDX-60 dock – meaning you can keep your device at immediately hand whilst listening to your tunes.
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How many hours do you spend in front of the computer? Does your back hurt? What about your joints and in particular your knees? There’s no point in denying it, the more time you spend at your desk whether at work or at home, the more likely to visit the doctor for a work-related condition.
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Spring Design have just unveiled their new eBook Reader, known somewhat oddly as “Alex” which, aside from being the first eBook Reader to be based on Google’s Android OS, also boasts dual displays – specifically a 3.5” touchscreen and a 6” e-Ink display, as well as offering both WiFi and 3G connectivity allowing for internet browsing.
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Pure have introduced their latest portable DAB/DAB+ radio in the form of the beautifully retro inspired Pure Elan II which, along with also offering an FM tuner with RDS, comes with ReVu technology allowing for the pausing and rewinding DAB/DAB+ broadcasts.
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At the beginning of the month we featured Joby’s latest development of its exceedingly popular Gorillapod flexible camera tripod, namely the iPhone/iPod Touch friendly Gorillamobile, but we passed over another development of its flexible ‘attach to anywhere’ ball and socket based tripod, the LED Joby Gorillatorch, which promises hands free illumination making it ideal for those fiddly jobs around the home where working one handed whilst holding a traditional torch is less than ideal.
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By way of a brief heads up for those of you who are non-US based but who have been itching to get their hands on Amazon’s Kindle E-Reader as amazon have now confirmed the release date and pricing concerning their new Kindle, known as the Kindle International.
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Personally, with (currently free) online services such as iPlayer here in the UK (you’ll doubtless have your own particular catch up services) that are already readily assessable whilst out and about via phones and connected PMPs we do wonder quite whether this newly unveiled FLO TV Personal Television, being that it requires you to sign up to a paid subscription service in order to view programming, will find a particularly large market – but if you are happy to stump up monthly payments to access TV on the go, it may well be of interest.
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We’ve often talked about how digital photo frames are evolving to encompass ancillary functionality and now along comes the D-Link Xtreme N DIR-685, which serves as both a 3.2” digiframe and a 802.11 router in what is, I’m sure you’d agree, once of the most curious amalgamations yet.
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When we come across killer deals here at TFTS we feel obliged to offer you a heads up and, to that end, if you’re in the market for a digital photo frame you may be interested in the 7” Sony DPF-D70 digiframe that’s seen its price dropped by a not inconsiderable 30% on Amazon today.
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Having posted a couple of days ago about the Sony DPP-F700 Digital Photo Frame, which comes with integrated color printer allowing you to gain hardcopies of your photos, we now have this Exemode Yashica DVF828 digital photo frame that comes complete with onboard scanner allowing you to add images to the frame’s memory directly from hardcopies.
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Okay, saying that iHome’s new iP88G dual iPhone/iPod docking clock radio could save relationships may be going a little too far but, if you live with someone and you both own iPhones and/or iPods (or any combination therein) and you have a standard single dock you’ll know that when charge is running low there’s a battle to secure access – not so with the iHome iP88G.
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In an age where digital photo frames are increasingly offering expanded capabilities way outside their original remit such as net access and PMP capabilities Sony have recently unveiled a digital frame, known as the Sony DPP-F700, that won’t just serve to showcase your digital imagery (oh no, that’s just so yesterday) but, thanks to an integrated Dye-Sublimation printer, will allow you to gain color hardcopies to keep, savour or just pass on to others-  to perhaps press home that, yes, your holiday way outclassed theirs or your kid is cuter than theirs or, just perhaps to prove you’re your digiframe is…well, you get the picture.
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QNAP Systems have confirmed the immediate availability of its NMP-1000 Network Multimedia Server which they describe as being a ‘set-top player crossed with a NAS server’ which includes Bit Torrent serving allowing end users to store and playback content (including Full HD content) throughout the home as well as access net related content such as YouTube, Flickr courtesy of remoter browser capabilities and even share iTunes libraries.
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If you’re looking to expand your home theater setup with a HD projector then BenQ hope that you’ll find yourself swayed by their newly announced W-Series projectors which take in the BenQ 720p HD W600, 1080p HD W1000 and 1080p HD W6000, all of which utilise Texas Instruments DLP front projection chips.
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I’ve seen my share of multi-function gadgets over the years and I can honestly say that the majority of them have been pretty useless. So when I came across the Weather Alarm Clock Photo Triple Frame from ExpertVerdict.com I nearly did a double take. Not only is this thing a digital photo frame, it combines a mini weather station and alarm clock in the same unit? You owe it to yourself to at least take a look at this one. (more…)

If you’re anything like me you are surrounded by hundreds of CDs and DVDs from years of collecting. While not all of them are worthy of keeping (Lady’s Man, anyone?) it would be nice to be able to have a record of every movie and CD in my collection so I could at least attempt to get myself organized. Something like that might even come in handy for insurance reasons. The IntelliScanner Classic from IntelliScanner can help you do just that and all you have to do is scan the barcodes while it does all the work. (more…)

If you’re anything like me you have a pet hate of cables and this is especially true when you’re trying to hook up AV equipment in your front room as the clutter of wires is hardly appealing but, thanks to KEF and their new wireless HTB2SE-W Wireless Subwoofer, you can at least remove one set of wiring from the equation should you be looking to add a new subwoofer to your home theater set-up.
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Following up from the heads up we offered you yesterday concerning the release of the Bookeen Cybook Opus e-Reader, we can now confirm that iRiver’s new e-Book reader, namely the QWERTY keyboard touting iRiver Story, is now being offered as available to pre-order though, unfortunately, only in the Asian market.
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OK, normally there really isn’t that much excitement that can be drummed up for a lowly flashlight. They’ve been around for what seems like hundreds of years (1902, actually) and they all pretty much do the same thing. We’ve seen them all; there are rechargeable one, small ones, large ones, battery-powered ones, you get the idea. But what if I were to tell you that you could purchase one flashlight and that it was guaranteed to last you for the rest of your life? And that it didn’t use any batteries? That’s what the tactical gear makers over at 5.11 Tactical want you to know when it comes to their new Light for Life Flashlight UC3.400. (more…)

If you were wondering quite whether Bookeen’s Cybook Opus e-Reader would ever see the light of day then wonder no more as its Cybook Opus e-Reader, which sports a 5” 600 x 800 resolution ePaper display (equating to 200DPI), has just been released.
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After spending hours and hours writing about seemingly random and utterly useless USB-powered devices (you know what they are, so I won’t waste more space writing about them) it’s nice to see that a company has actually taken the time to come up with a USB gadget that might, just might mean something to the world. Bayer, creators of the Wonder Drug that Works Wonders, have done it again with their latest invention, the Bayer CONTOUR USB blood glucose meter. Take one part plug-n-play USB 2.0 device, one part high-tech blood glucose monitor and one part user-friendly software program and you get the CONTOUR USB. (more…)

Now I have to admit something to my global readers; I have never heard of UK-based radio maker PURE. And for a company that calls themselves the world’s leading radio manufacturer to fly below my radar screen is inexcusable. I do hope that you’ll find it in your hearts to forgive me. Putrescent begging aside, lets get on with the show. PURE has announced today the launch of their latest DAB and Internet-connected radio, the PURE Sensia. One look at this super-sleek, kinda retro design with its massive touchscreen will have you wishing for one this holiday season. (more…)

Now I don’t want to make light of a pretty serious situation, but I have to. Last month I remember that I posted an article on something called the RomEO PuP GPS pet locator that’s eerily similar to what I’m about to cover in this particular post, at least in concept. Now I’m not suggesting that people put dog collars on their kids to keep track of them, I just had to get that out there before I could move on. OK, now I can focus. A British company called Lok8u, whose license plate-like moniker is a bit of a stretch, has just announced the release of a GPS child location system called the nu-m8 that is being touted as, “…the world’s first GPS locator that locates your child…not just the device.” (more…)

It wasn’t that long ago (December 2008, actually) that ASUS released its first generation standalone Skype-certified videophone, the ASUS AiGuru SV1, and the market didn’t seem to care all that much. For some reason, the whole idea of the videophone hasn’t seemed to gain mass-market acceptance and they continue to remain a rather small niche within the technology world. Sure, you see them in movies and in the boardroom, but they aren’t exactly sitting next to the toaster and coffee maker now, are they? ASUS is hoping to garner wider market attention with its updated version of the SV1; the new touchscreen enabled AiGuru SV1T. (more…)