Stroller keeps tabs on speed, miles
— -- This weekly roundup takes a look at the practical and sometimes quirky aspects of tech products.
Stroller keeps tabs on speed, miles
The word "Origami" usually refers to the Japanese art of folding paper, but the word will mean a lot more to the users of a new high-tech stroller with that very name. The Origami does "fold," and at the touch of button. No worries about hitting the button accidentally: Built-in sensors keep it from folding when a child is in the seat. The loaded stroller also features an LCD dashboard with a thermometer, a speedometer, an odometer, a tripometer and a lifetime tripometer. Plus, it has daytime running lights for day trips and brighter pathway lights for nighttime walks. With an optional cable accessory, you can even charge your phone while you walk. Priced at about $850, the stroller from 4moms has four cup holders, a reclining seat, a sunroof, and the ability to buckle-in a car seat or bassinet. The Handle Bar Bag and Cell Phone Charger costs $40
This spider likes salt
Your little mad scientist won't need batteries to make the eight-legged robotic Arachnoid run. Powered by salt water, this robotic spider comes in a kid-friendly kit that lets children build and test-drive their very own toy. When activated with a salt water mixture, the fuel cell module (a magnesium metal sheet), can operate the spider for about five to seven hours. Want the spider to stop crawling around the room? Remove the model, rinse it with tap water and dry it off. The Salt Water Fuel Cell Giant Arachnoid Kit from OWI Robotics costs about $18.
Shredder takes care of paper and more
If spring cleaning has you wishing you had a safe way to get rid of all your private papers, you could try ripping everything by hand. Or you could put a shredder to work. One such model, the Stack-and-Shred 60X from Swingline, could be up to the task. Designed for home offices, the compact shredder can turn a stack of 60 sheets into a pile of incomprehensible cross-cut shreds of paper. Despite its compact size, the self-feeding shredder is able to handle tough material, including credit cards, staples and paper clips. The SAS 60X lists for about $300 but can be purchased for closer to $150. Want to handle a bigger stack of papers? The SAS 80X can devour a stack of 80 pages. It lists for $400 but is available for less.
Labeler lights up the night
Organizing your piles of this and that? Epson's LabelWorks LW-400 Label Printer can help keep everything in the right place. The label maker has enough memory to store up to 50 labels, so you don't have to retype commonly used tags. It also can work with a variety of print modes, including barcodes, mirror images and cable wraps. If you're working in a dimly lit area, such as an attic or closet, the LW-400 model's two-line backlit LCD screen can help you see what you're typing. It costs about $50.
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