THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, May 13, 1996 TAG: 9605110087
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E5 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: TECH TRACK
GADGETS AND GIZMOS FOR THE NEXT CENTURY
SOURCE: BY JAMES SCHULTZ, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 65 lines
JUST WHEN you thought there was nothing left to buy for that special large-animal veterinarian in your life, along comes the award-winning Cow Jack.
According to promotional literature, the Australian device ``features an adjustable frame which forms a cow stretcher . . . enabling a pain-free lift.'' Which is surely good news for both human and bovine.
The Cow Jack is just one of 1,500 inventions that will be on display later this week in Pittsburgh in that city's Expo Mart, during the 12th annual Invention/New Product Exposition. Exhibitors from 30 countries will be on hand with the latest in gotta-have gizmos.
Here are several more items that piqued our curiosity here at Tech Track.
The Lawn Buddy: This is a must-buy for anyone tired of the usual laconic flora and fauna. Billed as America's ``first automated lawn ornament,'' the lawn buddy - available in the shape of a raccoon, skunk, chipmunk, gopher, rabbit or squirrel - pops up from your garden to deliver a personalized greeting.
No word yet on whether the device comes bundled with extra insurance to protect against lawsuits filed by those traumatized by the sudden appearance of a verbal woodlands creature.
The Personal Talker: This cordless, hand-held voice amplifier could be the breakthrough shy people have waited a lifetime for. The PT may prove useful in quelling riots, getting the attention of headphone-wearing adolescents or speaking with high-volume assurance at company meetings.
Easy Sharp: Correct those maddening rubber defects by resharpening the edge of your car's windshield wiper blades. Easy Sharp is also available for airplanes. And, as a press release claims, ``Easy Sharp holds up to eight quarters for tolls and telephone calls'' (which you may need to make if your hand slips).
The Permanent Magnetic Suspension System: This British gadget enables homeowners to magnetically suspend artwork or other decorative objects in midair. Unfortunately, at present there is no ``couch potato'' booster pack that would move tired homeowners from sofa to bedroom at the push of a button.
TanSafe: Another advance from Britain, and one that reminds us that we are all naked under our clothes. TanSafe garments supposedly ``block the harmful UVA and UVB rays of the sun.'' Which, come to think of it, are usually responsible for turning us an enviable shade of reddish-bronze.
But what do we know? MEMO: ``Tech Track'' appears every Monday in the Daily Break. Readers with
ideas for future columns are invited to contact staff science and
technology writer James Schultz at (804) 446-2599, or via e-mail at
schultz(AT)infi.net
Visit Tech Track on Pilot Online's Fun page at
http://www.pilotonline.com/
ILLUSTRATION: TANSAFE
TanSafe garments supposedly ``block the harmful UVA and UVB rays of
the sun.''
by CNB