The Mapod is probably the first GPS device that has the iPod style 'click-wheel' interface.

This is really good, because the click wheel is really easy to use and will be very handy when using the GPS device while driving.

Taiwan based E-Lead has released the specifications of the Mapod.

• Measures 0.75 x 5.6 x 3 inches
• Comes with a 3.6 inch touchscreen
• Built-in GPS antenna
• Ability to plug in an external antenna
  

I am not sure about the battery life and/or availability of maps.  The pricing has not been released.

More pictures ahead...

Andrew Maynard has designed this futuristic looking mobile home (BOB)! 

BOB is "a hybrid home of the future, a mobile living tool for tomorrows generation of nomadic wanderers. Somewhere between a tent, a house and a Winnebago, BOB explores the relationship between the basic human requirements of travel and shelter."

This is a simple, yet practical "TechSnack"!  For approx $32.00, you can work on your laptop - even in bright sunlight!

From the ITHelper site:  Laptop computers are frequently used in outdoor environments where sunlight and glare make screen viewing very difficult due to screen wash-out. The Comp shade blocks most of these visual impediments and increases apparent screen contrast, thereby reducing eye-strain and helping to control "Computer Vision Syndrome" (CVS).

The Comp shade also helps to provide viewing privacy which is especially needed for laptops used in public places. This patented design can be folded closed while remaining attached to your laptop, so it is always with you when you need it.

Hitachi Maxell has developed the next-gen ultra-thin DVD using a 'nanoimprint' technology.

The new DVDs are 1/3 the thickness of current DVDs and can still hold approx 4.7 GB of data.

Hitachi has also announced a new 'volume optical storage technology' that allows us to store a TERRABYTE in a compact device!

This 'TechSnack' is really a simple 'low' tech thing!

The 'carry' handbag is made up of 2 layers of felt and a single zipper!  Yet, the design allows you to 'transform' it into an awesome looking bag (at least for the ladies!)... Unzip it, and it lays completely flat!

Although it is made from 'factory waste', it costs a whopping $108.00!  Guess 99.99% of that money goes to the 'designer'!

This rugged "Tank Chair" can be used by people who are, unfortunately, disabled and have a sense of adventure in their hearts...

The Tank Chair, an off-road wheelchair, can go anywhere outdoors.  Streams, Mud, Snow, Sand, Gravel, etc., are no problem!  This can also climb up and down stairs.

Additionally, couch potatoes, who are tired of 'virtual' off-roading in their favorite video games can do the real thing.... now, with comfort!

Nooooo.. don't swat that fly!  It's an autonomous, ultra-light aircraft that weighs only 10 grams!  This one mimics the ubuquitous fly!   

Researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, have developed the FlyBot, that has a wingspan of 14 inches.  They claim that one day, this will be shrunk to the size of an actual fly!

To mimic the fly's vision, the researchers installed two tiny, low-resolution cameras, one over each wing. A microchip-sized gyroscope keeps the microflyer stable.  Onboard signal processing and control software give the autonomous vehicle its insect-like behavior.

In their most recent experiment, the researchers tested the aircraft in a 7 x 7-meter (23 x 23-foot) room with walls painted in vertical strips of black and white.

The microflyer navigated on its own for nearly five minutes.

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These 'glow in the dark' key rings are pretty cool!  They dont need any batteries and they keep glowing for 10 years!

The Glowring is made up of a pressurised laser sealed glass tube. 

This Gaseous Tritium Light Source (GTLS) emits a really bright neon glow in the dark.  You can even see it from upto 20 feet away.

It's pretty cheap (approx $18) and I think its a pretty nifty 'techsnack'!

So, you think that your cellphone is filled with all kinds of bells and whistles?  I bet it doesnt come with a movie projector!

Iljin Display, a South Korean company has come up with a small coin-sized laser video projector that can fit inside cell phones!

Through this projector, you can project a 7 inch full color screen on a wall, through your cell phone.  

Although 7 inches doesnt seem a lot, I bet these guys will keep innovating to the point where you can project a very large screen.

Cell phones are getting smaller and are packing more features.  All these require a great deal of battery power.  I dread to think of the day when I have to lug a car battery just to keep my gadgets powered!

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This is a comprehsive collection/collage of USB drives in various 'flavors'!  Some are true TechSnacks!  Thanks to a colleague for sending me these pictures. 

More pictures ahead... 

I wonder why nobody thought of this before!  Well, maybe somebody has...but I am yet to come across an 'illuminated sink'.

Or, consider an 'illuminated bathtub'!

I think these are cool, practical and of course, expensive! The sink costs $250  and the tub costs $1500!

Update: The sink/tub is made of polyethylene and it can be fitted with either a multicolor, programmable LED light or with a regular light fitting.  Thanks to a guest (from Canada?) for commenting on this topic!

This simple, yet intriguing clock won the top prize at an international design fair. 

When switched off, it looks like a block of wood. Plug it in, and it shows the time, through the wood!

The 'wood clock' consists of a thin layer of veneer that allows the light from the LEDs to pass through, albeit subtly!

It's a nice (but expensive) conversation piece! Costs approx $176.00 (gulp!)

TechSnack is all about delicious tidbits of technology and gadgets. 

But, occasionally TechSnack comes across something that is cool, weird and unique!

I think this is a cool...ummm...thing! How would you like to have a 'natural' armchair in your lawn?

By 'natural', I mean an armchair that is an extension of your lawn itself!

Yep, you can now have your own 'grass armchair'!

Purves & Purves, a UK based furniture maker is selling this 'grass armchair' for approx $113.00.

The chair is self-assembled with 14 cardboard frames and 100 gram pack of grass seeds.  All you do, is to find the right spot and fill the 'chair' with 240 liters of soil. 

In 10 days, you will have your own 'natural' arm chair that is an made out of grass!

This Voice Stress Analyzer can be used as a Truth Detector.  This gadget uses the Psychological Stress Evaluator (PSE) and the Voice Stress Analyzer (VSA) 'algorithms' to detect stress in a person's voice that usually manifests when the person is not speaking the truth!

It also has a built-in "result indicator" that instantly displays 'truthfulness'!  According to the product description -- "In addition to the continuous measurement of a person's speech pattern, the Truth Detector analyzes its own data to give you cumulative results".

I feel that this is a really cool product.  Honestly! 

Wait... my 'truth detector' is now glowing RED!

Rana Creek - a landscape design firm, has a designed a truly unique concept - The "living wall panel".

The wall panel is made of sheets of metal that feature various 'cuts'.  Through these cut grow various cacti, succulent plants, etc.

According to Rana Creek, the panel also acts as a rainwater catchment system.

You may also be interested in their huge 'green roofs'.  More pictures ahead...