There's certainly no shortage of waterproof gadgets out there for you to take along on your next swimming or diving adventure, but if you still haven't found an MP3 player that meets your needs, you may want to consider Ubanana's new uCan device, which is at least a tad better looking than some of the other wearable options currently available. You'll have to make do with a mere 1GB of memory, however, but you will get a decent 15 hours of battery life, and you can rest assured that it'll float to the surface for easy retrieval if it slips off while you're plundering the ocean's depths (up to ten feet deep, at least). Look for this one to set you back €99 (or $150), with it set to start shipping in July.

[Via Crave]

Sure, you can get yourself a personal helicopter or, if you're particularly daring, a jet pack, but what about those that crave yet more danger in short 30-second bursts? As in, rocket-propelled helicopter blades a few inches from your head-type danger. Thankfully, the folks at Tecnologia Aeroespacial Mexicana (makes of some of the aforementioned jet packs) have come to the rescue (so to speak), with their latest high-flying concept, the Libelula rocket-powered helicopter backpack. Apparently, the rockets on the tips of the blades are necessary to keep the whole rig counter-balanced, a job that would normally be done with a tail rotor on an ordinary helicopter. Of course, as you can no doubt surmise by the detailed illustration above, this one's still a ways away from getting its first test flight, but the folks at TAM do have a proven track record, so we wouldn't put it completely past 'em to get it off the drawing board sooner or later.

[Via Tech Digest]

Detecting emotional cues is hardly a new endeavor, but this so-called Robometer concept device takes a slightly different (but not entirely unique) approach to things, with it actually promising to help you feel happy by prompting you when you stray too far into tediousness. To do that, the rig makes use of a GSR lead to detect your galvanic skin response, along with accelerometers that detect repetitive movement, and a voice sensor that promises to detect repetitive phrases. Those then get translated into various warning levels, with the device ultimately letting out a voice prompt when you're perilously close to becoming too tense or unhappy. Not surprisingly, there's no indication that the project will ever move beyond the concept stage, but you can get a glimpse at what we could be missing out on in the video available at the link below.

[Via Gizmo Watch]

Oregon Scientific managed to pique our interest with its proximity-sensing Weather In Motion clock, and it now looks like it's got the solution for anyone that wishes they could take it with 'em wherever they go, with the company set to release its new Meteo weather forecasting watch. While the need for a proximity sensor is obviously eliminated this time around, the watch apparently boasts the same weather information in icon-form as its desk-based companion, along with your usual time-telling, stop watch and alarm features. Look for this one to set you back £40 (or about $80) when it's released next month.

[Via BIOS]

Sure, there's plenty of basic dive computers out there, but if you really want to get some attention under the sea, you may want to consider something like Linde Wrdelin's new "Sea Instrument," which can even be had in a special 18K yellow gold edition if you want to go all out. Whether you opt for that or the basic anodized aluminum model, however, you'll get the same transflective color display and sapphire crystal glass cover designed to be readable underwater, along with a 3-axis compass and access to all the vital information you'll need including depth, dive time, decompression stops, and temperature, to name a few, not to mention a rechargeable battery that promises to deliver 28 hours of continuous use. Of course, all that doesn't exactly come cheap, with the aluminum version alone running €2,100 (or about $3,000). Oh, and you'll also need a Linde Werdelin Biformeter watch to attach it to, which is only a few grand more.

[Via Luxist]

It's far from the only strength-boosting exoskeleton out there, but Honda's so-called "walking assist device" is one of the few that you can actually take for a test spin -- if you happen to be attending the Barrier Free 2008 trade show in Osaka, Japan next week, that is. Apparently employing some of the same technology developed by Honda for its ASIMO robot, the walking assistant is able to obtain information from hip angle sensors to help keep its wearer upright, with the device's motors also able to increase the wearer's natural stride. That, Honda says, should make the device ideal for the elderly or those with weakened leg muscles, although we're sure they could find at least a few other buyers if it ever actually hits the market at a reasonable price.

[Via Autoblog]

We were sold on (and slightly terrified of) the Sarcos XOS exoskeleton from the moment we first saw it show off its superhuman capabilities on video late last year, but if you just can't get enough of it you'll definitely want to hit up the ever-dependable Popular Science, which has now totally blown things out with the full story behind the suit, complete with some great new pics of it. As if that wasn't enough, the piece also includes some tidbits about some of Sarcos' future plans, including word that the Army plans to begin field-testing the XOS by 2009, and that the company intends to kick off a new research program this summer tasked with developing a new generator that'll be capable of powering the suit for "hours at a time." Of course, there's plenty more in the six-page feature that we're unable to sum up here, so be sure to hit up the link below for the full story.

While it's yet to be seen if eyeglass-mountable displays will become as commonly used as, say, Bluetooth headsets anytime soon, Brother Industries at least looks to be making some steady progress at shrinking 'em down to a reasonable size, and it's got a few other tricks up its sleeve to boot. That latter bit comes from its use of a retina-scanning system as opposed to a simple LCD mounted in front of your eye, which effectively uses your retina as a screen to make it appear like images are actually floating in space in front of you. What's more, while the eyepiece currently needs to be wired to a rather sizable contraption in order to pump out those free-floating images, the company says it expects to be able to switch to a wireless system and shrink things down to a decidedly more wearable size by 2010.

[Thanks, Tom]