No doubt you’ve dropped your iPhone from a height that warrants a broken screen or cracked back.  But like many, you’ve gotten lucky despite being engrossed in a state of fear induced frenzy.  That’s why we recommend that all those with a penchant for buttery fingers invest in case that will extend the iPhone’s life, and yours, by more than a few inadvertent drops to the concrete.

G-Form, a company that’s products protect beyond any rational need (see the videos here and here), is back in the lime light with a new iPhone case that can shield Apple’s handset from even the hardest of slaps, literally.  What are we talking about?  Hit the above video to see, but to paraphrase, G-Form is so confident in their iPhone case that they launched Apple’s handset into a hockey net at 82mph off the back of a hockey stick.  If the company is to be believed, and we don’t see why not, the stick achieved over 30,000psi of force on the case, enough to shatter your face.  The result is a fully functional iPhone with a slight, snowy dusting.

It’s no secret that car manufactures road test their vehicles in the public domain.  To keep their worst kept secrets, well, slightly more secret they’ll generally finish the car in a vinyl covering or some sort of atrocious paint job.  Fortunately, that has never fooled anyone and good thing, because if it did we wouldn’t have this video of the BMW i8 prototype electric/gas hybrid vehicle being tested in inclement weather (i.e. snow).  Donuts aside, which is what you’ll see in the above clip, the i8 can supposedly achieve 87mpg, though that mileage will no doubt very with acceleration, traction and tomfoolery.

Safe to assume that we’ve seen just about every type of iPhone case that has managed to escape the confines of a Chinese sweat shop.  That is until we received an email today pointing to a case called the WipeCoin.   Honestly, we didn’t know what to expect, but what we found was actually surprising, despite the fact that their pitch is slight flawed relative to their product offering.

The WipeCoin, as we mentioned is a case for the iPhone.  Simple enough.  It protects the edges and back of the iPhone.  But what makes it unique is the circular coin shaped protrusion at the lower left corner.  Drag your finger over it and you’ll unhinge a thumb sized plastic dot that sports a microfiber cloth adhered to its underbelly.  This allows you to easily, or painstakingly, clean your iPhone’s screen without dirtying your shirt.

Now, the reason that WipeCoin’s pitch is a bit flawed, is that they emphasize, at least in their chosen videos, that handsets tend to attract bacteria like a moth to a flame.  Unfortunately, this microfiber cloth, while it will clean the fingerprints and grease from your screen will do nothing to remove the dirt that adheres to your iPhone.  Furthermore, most of that dirt resides on the rear of the device, a place their microfiber cloth isn’t necessarily designed to reach.

Nonetheless, we tip our hats to WipeCoin for a unique product and hope to them all the success.  You can grab the WipeCoin case for $20 in black or white.

So there you are, in your hotel room, surfing the web on your iPad.  You’d like to crank up the tunes and get Will Smith jiggy with it, but that tiny speaker on Apple’s tablet just won’t suffice.  That wouldn’t be the case if you had got yourself the Sound Cover, a case that can boost the volume of your iPad by as much as 300%, or so the manufacture claims.

Unlike other all-in-one devices, which generally shine in one area and suffer in another, the Sound Cover looks legit when it comes to protection, style and audio quality. There are three colors to choose from (red, black and blue) and they’ll even have a Bluetooth wireless version for those that don’t want to resort to plugging in using a 3.5mm headphone cord.  All the ports will be left exposed allowing you to charge your iPad or increase the volume, and for those that are looking to catch a flick or watch a show on Hulu Plus, there is a aluminum kickstand to prop things up.  The NXT stereo speakers of the Sound Cover are powered by a built-in rechargeable battery, which means no pesky AAA batteries to fiddle with.

The Sound Cover is a Kickstarter project.  If you’d like one you’ll need to drop $100, which will net you a $29 discount over the retail version.

Cold fingers on the slopes may not only be dangerous from a Frostbrite standpoint, but can prove to be a significant distraction from enjoying that freshly packed powder.  Sure, you could opt for those reheatable pocket warmers, but those are only good while you have your hands stuffed inside your pocket and often require boiling water to reset them.  Forget that.

Warmthru Heated Gloves run off a set of included 7.4V rechargeable batteries that will keep your fingers and hands toasty warm.  Unfortunately, the battery pack is not integrated into the glove liner itself and instead wraps around your arm, just below and attaches to the glove using a small cord.  At 100% heat the heated glove liners will last up to 4 hour or 6 hours at 50%.

Included in the package are a set of waterproof ski gloves that have been outfitted with rubber dots for added grip, a charger compatible with the car that is able charge both batteries simultaneously and two rechargeable batteries.

All this will cost you, though.  Total price for one pair (available in S-L) is about $220.

Comic fans will have another chance on July 3rd to enjoy yet another iteration of the Amazing Spiderman.  For you non nerds out there, or those who have been living under a rock for the last 10 years, the first Spiderman movie, while decent and a massive success at the box office, lacked the gusto and pizazz comic book fans came to expect from the series.  That, and it was too literal of a translation from book to screen, which often doesn’t hold up due to the bright colors and “high context” scenes.  Superman is another example of this failure, where as the recent Batman series from Chris Nolan is anything but.

Following the first movie, Sam Raimi, the series’ director pushed out 2 sequels and although the second one was a financial success, it fell short of fan expectations.  And the third Spiderman movie, well, that was just down right laughable and had us questioning if Raimi had directed the movie while under the influence of a narcotic.

But good news!  The series is getting a reboot and might actually satiate fans with what appears to be a somewhat engrossing story that doesn’t deviate too far from the familiar. Peter Parker must face of against the city police commissioner (Mary Jane’s father played by Dennis Leary) and all the while is challenged by the Croc, an original nemesis in the comic book series.  The stunts alone, at least so far, make the movie a far more compelling story than the previous iteration, though Parker will still be adorning the silly red and blue costume.  Nevertheless, we have high hopes for this iteration of one of the most popular comic book heroes to date.

Based on an idea software developer Simon Hallam sketched in a notebook back in 1997, the interactive coffee table is built on the idea of a Japanese Zen Garden but incorporates electronics and robotics that that sculpt geometric patterns and images into a field of microscopic silicone beads beneath a glass top in real-time, sort of like an Etch-a-Sketch.

But there’s more since uses can experiment and come up with their own designs and patterns simply by connecting their computer to the table or using a simple SD card. There’s even an app that can communicate with the table via a 3G modem, while SMS messages allows owners to interact with the table from practically anywhere.

Another cool aspect of the table is that it’s also environmentally friendly. It’s made from renewable bamboo that’s durable. The Zen Table is also constructed using tempered class and has internal lighting. Currently a Kickstarter project, there’s two version of the Zen Table: a large coffee table and smaller desktop version. Those that pledge $499 receive a complete kit with all the parts needed to build their own desktop version of a Zen Table, while $4,999 or more will get you a full-sized Zen Coffee Table.

The idea of a self chilling can isn’t exactly new.  In fact, word of an actual beverage manufacturer using such a piece of tech has been circulating for longer than we can remember.  Aside from the technological hurdles, price is a massive deterrent since it could very well increase the cost of a $1 soda three to four fold.  However, all these speed bumps haven’t stopped Joseph Company International (who?).

They’ve got plans to release the first self chilling can (no outside power source needed) to the commercial marketplace by the end of March.  The beverage will be called West Coast Chill.  Each can of West Coast Chill will cost $3 and with the push of a button can drop the temperature of the can’s contents by 30 degrees in just 3 minutes time.

Now, we know what you’re thinking: you’re worried about to the green house effects of such an apparatus.  Well don’t.  According to Gizmag they’ve used “activated carbon derived from organic renewable vegetable materials, and carbon dioxide reclaimed from the atmosphere.”  In other words they’re harmless to the Earth’s atmosphere and can apparently be easily recycled into future West Coast Chill cans.

That NeverWetSpray was cool, but odds are it wouldn’t stop you from being set alight.  We don’t know too much about this guy, or his material, but one thing is for sure: his creation is edible yet can protect you from the burn of a blow torch (to say the least).  Last we checked you don’t want to attempt this at home.

So you probably noticed that we mentioned that the material is edible.  Yeah, pretty awe inspiring.  The creator says he has been eating it for years and is healthy as an ox (our words, not his).  Sure, it doesn’t look tasty, or down right palatable, but we’re big fans of anything that won’t pollute our rivers and damage our supposed Ozone layer (more).

We’re just left with a few questions.  Is this the same material that NASA was going to buy to replace the tiles found on the hull of their space shuttles?  And if not, where can we get some and for how much?

Needless to say, the above video is unrelated to gadgets.  But we just can’t stop watching it!  Why?  The cinematagrophy is solid to say the least and those moves are surreal – take for instance the inverted handstands.  As it happens this year’s Beat Battle, which took place in Germany, has already transpired (January 21st), but you can catch a fair bit of the action on YouTube.

Long ago Acura discontinued the all mighty NSX.  Despite being a futuristic car of its time, it still managed to garner a small following and loyalty that is equitable to that of Porsche owners.  So who knew that Acura would finally reissue the vehicle in a concept format that perfectly mimics the original body shape yet boasts a set of updated lines and curves that makes it a more than a suitable fit for the year 2012.

While details are scant, we do know that a hybrid powertrain will propel this futuristic car off the line and will be further complemented by an all-wheel-drive traction system.  That said, the engine will be composed of a naturally aspirated V6 that powers the rear wheels and electric engine that powers the front ones, with the ability to send power to the outer wheel during a turn.  All said and done total horsepower should top out at 400, at least according to Motor Trend.

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Launch date?  No clue, but Jerry Sienfeld and Leno want one (see above commercial).

The Star Wars brand will echo into eternity. Ok, it might be an exaggeration, but the brand is iconic and to this day could sell ice to eskimos. Unfortunately, the Star Wars video games, at least of recent on the latest generation of consoles has been lack luster. Hopefully that will now change as Lucasarts has finally announced the release date of Kinect Star Wars.

This game will incorporate Microsoft’s Kinect camera allowing gamers to finally fully emerse themselves in Jedi action without a controller. Players will be able to slice and dice their foes by cutting the air with a would be sword as well as move objects utilizing the “force” just by raising their hands in front of them.

Based on the demo video above, it looks like the game runs on a wire system, which means once you defeat an enemy you’ll automatically walk to your next destination, where upon you might be faced with a “force” task or jump that can be achieved by performing the correct hand or body gesture. At the end of the day it’s probably not the Star Wars game for the hardcore fan, but it should provide some much needed fun for those looking to blow the dust off their Kinect.

Kinect Star Wars will release December 31st, 2012 and is currently available for preorder from Amazon for $50.

Since that date is so far away, we’re half expecting the game to change as well as the release date (it doesn’t make sense to release it after Xmas).

Teens these days are finding interesting ways to occupy their time. Two 17-year-old Canadian teens use a home-stitched parachute and some equipment they found on Craigslist to send a LEGO man 80,000-feet into the air. Two weeks ago, Mathew Ho and Asad Muhammad attached the small LEGO plastic figurine sporting the Canadian flag to a helium balloon (launched by a football pitch) and sent it into space.  The two captured the entire journey of its decent, which lasted 97 minutes using four cameras. They also attached a GPS receiver to the Styrofoam box that carried the cameras and LEGO man. The entire project took about four months to prepare, where the boys spend every Saturday working on building everything. LEGO even sent the boys a note of congratulations, stating how amazed they are by “the creative ways in which Lego fans” use their products.

Paintings by their very nature are fixed.  And by fixed we mean they’ll never change in terms of composition.  Some just can’t live with that idea and that’s perhaps what motivated Scott Garner to build this moving painting.

He started by dressing a standard LCD TV with a custom wooden frame to give it the appearance of a normal painting.  Next, he used a a rotating mount from Ergomart, which allowed the set to be rotated by hand without falling off the wall.  He then added a a spatial sensor from Phidget and coded what he calls a “simple C’ application that works in tandem with the sensor, which feeds the data to the screen.

The result? Turn the TV on its axis and the fruit, plate and vase will fall in the corresponding direction.  To sell it a step further, he also used a “camera tied to the sensor data with all lights and objects parented to it so they rotate in unison.”

It’s a pretty compelling piece of art work that any tech hound would probably be willing to invest in.

In our humble opinion the T-Rex is still the car come motorcycle to own.  It offers unparalleled speeds, agility and all together fun.  After all, it’s basically a motorcycle minus all the danger.  But, arguably half the fun is rooted in risk and hence why this quad bike is stomach churning attractive.

Under the hood is a V8 3.0L Ferrari engine, which can rocket the four wheeled beast to 150mph.  The bike weighs just over 500lbs and with 250HP it’s no surprise that it’s ultra fast.  However, with tires as thick as they are and a setup that looks like it is built for the straights, we can’t imagine a high speed turn would be a good idea, so good thing that it sports four 324mm brake discs.

If you’re still intrigued, you might want to know that it’s probably not road legal, but it is for sale for $263,000.

Zombie movies shot up in popularity over the last few years.  It’s not the first time.  Back in the late 80s there were a whole hoard of films that depicted the genre in all its gory, blood flowing ways.  Fortunately, for us that’s as far as the fantasy has exceeded.  In other words, we have yet to see a real life zombie, but in the event that we do DoubleStar will have you equipped with their  Zombie-X AK rifle with an electric chainsaw.

Yup, we said chainsaw.  It’s not of the gas powered type and after hitting the video you’ll question how much damage the 18v wood (bone) cutter can inflict.  We sort of questioned the authenticity of the weapon itself, after all it is outfitted with a few biohazard symbols which are analogous to Hollywood. But after doing a quick search on Google we quickly discovered that Doublestar Inc is a legit manufacturer of guns that fire real ammo.  It’s also equipped with a special safety, a battery back found at the butt of the gun and a Biohazard labeled scope.

DoubleStar hasn’t said when it will go on sale, but given all the Gears of War nerds roaming the Earth, there are sure to be a few takers.

Car stereos specifically designed to hold the iPhone aren’t exactly a new piece of tech.  In fact, we’ve seen a few iteration over the years.  However, one major drawback to them has been that they’re designed to work with the iPhone and generally speaking the current generation iPhone only.   So what’s an Android user to do or anyone waiting for the next greatest device from Apple?  Say hello to the DASH from Devium.

Unlike other smartphone compatible head units, which consist of one faceplate and the body of the system, the DASH can be used with a variety of faceplates that are hot swappable and can accomodate a variety of popular phones.  However, for their Kickstarter project, and the sake of simplicity, they’re only building an iPhone/iPod compatible version, at least for now.  So, if you invest in the DASH today and 1 year from now Apple releases a new iPhone, with an entirely new form factor, Devium will develop a faceplate to accomodate the new shape and size.

Now, in terms of the Body, it will boast 50×4 watts of power and 2 preamps running at 2V for a front and rear subwoofer.  It measures  4-inches by 7-inches, which is apparently the standard double DIN size, allowing it to fit in a large number of vehicles.  A set of magnets will hold the iPhone in place and they’ve even allowed enough space for those of you that use a bumper case.    They say that none of this, not even the aluminum body will interfere with the GPS single, though it might be worth noting that the back of the faceplates will be made from plastic, which hopefully means they they’ll be on the cheaper side of things.  For inquiring minds that want to know, the 200 watt amp is built and made from Maxim, a company out of Sunnyvale, CA.

So how much do you need to spend to your get your own DASH?  $250.  They’re looking to raise $45,000 and they’ve got 57 days to go.  Something tells us they’ll accomplish this goal and much more.

Slot cars have all been forgotten, or have they?  When we were kids they were pretty common place, but that was 20 years ago, long before the Internet and the advent of super advanced and immersive video games that required more than 10-15 hours of play to beat it (case in point Skyrim).  But it turns out that Slot Cars have advanced at the same pace as the rest of our toys, as proven by this video.  We’re not exactly sure what’s going on here, but it appears to be some sort of competition hosted in a German local.  Suffice to say, the cars are traveling so stupid fast that all the fun has been drained out of the toy, though it would appear that a hair senstive trigger figure is still the key to a successful lap.

Automated driving is old news at this point thanks to a DARPA project, which pitted a handful of engineers against one and other over the last few years.  Their challenge was to outfit a production car with a system that allowed it to traverse a course without a driver a the steering wheel.  Now, BMW has developed their own automated driving system that combines a variety of sensors and has already logged time on a public highway in Germany.

The system uses 4 types of sensors: a camera, a laser, a radar and ultrasonics.  The car appears to be an everyday 5 series BMW, but step inside and you’ll see that it has been outfitted with a variety of screens and a computer system that combines the data collected from the sensors, along with GPS information, to drive itself.  The team of BMW engineers have also taken into account all the street laws, ensuring that this car of the future obeys all speed laws and never passes other vehicles on the right.  Because the system is built to learn as it drives, it can handle entirely new situations, meaning it can work on a variety of roads and in theory different countries.  However, keep in mind that BMW hasn’t said that ConnectedDrive Connect will ever be designed to operate without a driver behind the steering wheel.

But before you get too excited, you won’t see this tech emerge into the consumer marketplace for at least another 10 years.  But until then you can enjoy the above video, which shows the technology off in a real world driving situation.

Launching a new product, especially an Android one, is no easy feat.  To kick off (literally) the launch of the Galaxy Note, Samsung put a mini football (soccer) field square in the middle of Victoria train station in London, England and got 4 footballers to perform a variety of awe inspiring tricks.  And while it was no flash mob, it created enough fan fair that anyone walking by might have thought it to be one.

The Galaxy Note is one of Samsung’s latest Android devices.  It’s wedged some where between a smartphone and a tablet as it sports a 5.3-inch touchscreen and comes packed with its very own stylus.  Inside the handy device you’ll find a dual-core 1.4Ghz processor, an 8-megapixel camera with LED flash that can record full HD video, a 2-megapixel front facing camera, WiFi N, GPS and a screen that can produce a 1280×800 resolution.  The Note ships with Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), but Sammy promises to upgrade it Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) in the very near future.