Link's shield developed by Baltimore Knife & Sword Co
This week in gadget happenings, someone develops a real-life Zelda shield, details of Oppo’s next ultra-thin phone are leaked and someone is trying to develop a waterproof disco ball speaker.
Link’s Hylian Shield
Those familiar with the character Link from the Zelda series would instantly be able to recognise his distinctive shield, the Hylian Shield, named after the Hylian triangle based in its centre, which he takes into battle to take on a variety of different foes.
And now, following on from a tradition which wants to make the virtual reality into reality, Baltimore Knife & Sword Co have gotten togheter a team of swordsmiths and armourers and according to CNet, was a lengthy process that involved super heating, an anvil, a plasma cutter and an MIG welder.
It’s not just been built with cheap metal either as inlaid within it is a mixture of bronze and silver which is then heat treated to give extra strength, so it’s not just super cool, but super strong too.
Oppo and its bezeless phone?
While not confirmed, a video that has been doing the rounds online appears to show that the Chinese phone manufacturer’s next handset, the Oppo R7, will be rather distinctive given that it appears to come as one large screen without bezels, following on from the likes of Samsung and its Edge range of phones.
The apparent proof was shown in a leaked video of the Android-powered handset which little details of its hardware being known, bar the fact it will support 4G broadband and a rear-facing camera that boasts 20.7MP.
Likewise, no release date has been given either so for the moment, speculation will have to tide us over until Oppo make an official announcement about their new phone.
Nexus player hits the UK, and by association, Ireland
The Google Chromecast’s bigger sibling has hit the market finally in the UK, and Ireland by association, is available in Ireland, at least o buy online.
The Nexus Player was first shown off in October last year and promised itself to be a both a similar device to Apple TV to act as an independent device to stream online content, while also becoming a games console with Android-powered games.
It even comes with its own controller to show that its dip into games is not just an afterthought.
The console has been made available on a number of websites including Google’s own Store, Currys/ PC World, Amazon, John Lewis, Argos and eBuyer, but not all can be purchased if living in Ireland.
In terms of price, the whole Nexus Player package, including controller, will be a more expensive than the affordable Chromecast coming in at stg£114.99 (€157.80).
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Nexus Player with remote. Image via Google
Rock-On Sphere
It’s loud and brash but promises to allow you to listen to your music in the pool through a speaker that is reminiscent of a disco ball from the 1970s.
But its creator Andreas Haase believes his Kickstarter project is on to a winner,and his Rock-On Sphere is the gadget to have this summer.
Connected through Bluetooth, the speaker is reportedly fully waterproof and packs 30W of speaker power, 2 on each side of the ball.
Also prepare to be blinded by its series of LED lights that shine much like a disco ball and keeps going thanks to its 1,500mAh battery.
Haase’s Kickstarter finishes on 22 April.
Rock-On Sphere image via Andreas Haase/Kickstarter
Logitech MX Master Wireless mouse
If you’re a hardcore PC gamer, you wouldn’t be caught dead with a standard mouse that would come with a desktop and, as a result, companies are now spawning computer mice that look as if they should be in fighter jets.
So step forward the Logitech MX Master Wireless mouse which, following on from this comparison, resembles a stealth aircraft with its peculiar shape that Logitech say is designed to fit the hand perfectly.
According to the description of the mouse, it also features a speed-adaptive scroll wheel that lets you auto-shift from click-to-click to hyper-fast scrolling as well as a thumbwheel for side-to-side scrolling and page switching.
It’s certainly going to be a bit pricer than your average mouse with a price tag of €103.99 when it launches here next month.
The Logitech MX Master Wireless mouse. Image via Logitech
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