I have been hearing lots of chatter in the tech world regarding the rise of NFC (near field communication) technology in the mobile market, and I have concluded one thing: this is the future of quick merchant transactions. For many people, the wallet will soon be obsolete.

The basis of this conclusion is not from first hand experience. I have not even seen Google Wallet in action yet. What I do know is that the ubiquity of smart phones, and how they have become a central hub for content in our daily lives has created a perfect recipe to combine the two things many people have on them at all times.

A little over a year ago, I started seeing this new iPhone case which contained a slot in the back to store your credit cards. Many of my friends eliminated the need for their wallet because they simply slid their credit cards into the little slot, thus consolidating down to just one item. NFC essentially takes that concept even further, and turns  everything digital into just one device.

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The geniuses over at ThermaCELL have come up with an amazing device that lights the way (pun intended here, people) toward a fun outdoor experience:  the Mosquito Repelling Outdoor Lantern scares away the bugs!

This incredibly small and light lantern’s base fits in the palm of the hand, yet provides enormously bright LED-powered light while it deters insects for a 15 x 15 foot radius.

Does it work?  Well, yes it does!

This lantern is small, gives off a good amount of light on my deck but is not overbearing and is the best thing that I have ever witnessed for getting rid of the vampire-sickly mosquitoes and their friends.

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Leave it to the British to come up with a sticky product capable of suspending any phone without the use of hands.  They must have taken their iPhones and stuck them to the office walls during teatime before deciding on the gadget’s name as “nohands.”

Is the skinny 2×3 inch polymer “nohands” handy?  Well, in a manner of speaking, yes, yes it is.

The rubbery feel to “nohands” reminds one of silly putty, except that this little rectangle can bond to any smooth surface or electronic device with just a twist, and it leaves behind no residue or marks of any kind.

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As a guitar player, I’ve never been fond of instruments on the tech market. Pressing the little colorful plastic tabs (not unlike a children’s toy) on video games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band never did it for me. There was nothing out there for the modern shredder looking to venture into the electronic world of music, that is, until the Misa Kitara.

A new instrument, the Kitara is a digital stringless guitar, which includes a touch screen and an interface that allows the player more control over sound. That’s right, no more plucking or calluses. Instead, the sleek 24-fret neck contains buttons for each note one would normally find on an electric guitar. When playing, press the button for the desired note with your left hand and use your right on the touch screen to manage the sound and digital effects like distortion, modulation, and delay.

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It’s not even Thanksgiving yet so, you know what that means? Time to start thinking about Christmas. What better way could you possibly celebrate holidays than by knowing you aggravated the hell out of your closest friends and family!

The world famous Annoy-a-tron got a festive makeover just in time for the Holiday season, so now you can give that special unsuspecting someone a gift that will keep on giving. The TannenBomb looks like an innocent thoughtful Christmas tree ornament but, when your loved one hangs it on the tree, a switch is triggered that causes it to come alive with the sounds of beeps, mosquitoes, crickets, and elf giggles at totally random intervals.

With it’s festive stealth box this Trojan Horse is sure to find it’s way right to the Christmas tree and with it’s pressure sensor switch, it will be sure to have plenty of juice left for many years to come. Grab a TannenBomb prank Christmas tree ornament and drive anyone on your list crazy for under $12.

Bushnell has upgraded their Backtrack Personal GPS with the release of their new Point>5.  This new GPS system is great because it has so many features and it’s very simple to use.  You basically just push a button when you’re in a location you need to remember and then when you want to return the Point>5 will direct you back with a big easy to read arrow and distance.

The obvious uses for this are camping and hiking.  Maybe you want to go off trail and do some exploring, I like to pretend that I’m Bear Grylls whenever I’m camping.  With this cool gadget you can set a marker at your campsite and your set to play man vs wild for as long as you’d like, or until your wife makes you come back to start the fire.

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It used to be that camping meant getting out and being one with nature.  You could leave behind all of your worries and cares and just enjoy the great outdoors.  Sometimes it’s nice to turn your phone off, forget about your inbox for the weekend and eat some s’mores.  However if you have a smart phone and you’ve spent $400 buying every survival app on iTunes you may want to bring that phone with you.  Who knows when you may need to use the built in compass or access the army field guide to see if those berries are safe to eat.  But you can’t do that if you drained the battery listening to Lady Gaga during your 3 hour hike into camp.

Brunton has come up with a solution for you, a portable hybrid solar charger.  Solar chargers have been around for a while but the Brunton Restore has some unique features that you need to know about.  First, it is a hybrid charger.  That means you can clip it to your pack and it will charge while you’re hiking or fishing but you can also charge it at home before your adventure using the USB or DC adapter.  Second, it only weighs 7.2 oz, that is light enough for even the most hardcore backpacker out here.  It is also water resistant, comes with a tough rubber shell and a power gauge so you know how much energy is left.

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Who says that wind turbines have to be thirty feet tall and extremely expensive? Last year Google hosted a wind turbine design contest and the winner was Clarian’s Jellyfish.

The Jellyfish is a 36 inch vertical-axis wind turbine (VAWT) that can be plugged in directly into your electrical sockets and can generate roughly 40kWh a month on a moderately windy day. There is no fancy setup necessary and with only one moving part, maintaining the turbine is easy enough for regular home owners. It is also comes equipped with WiFi and WiMax in order to create a point-to-grid system.

The power that these small turbines generate is not much (40kWh a month can power a room that contains CFL bulbs), but harnessed collectively and tied interactively with the local utility grid there can be significant environmental and system reliability benefits. Chad Maglaque, the creative genius behind Jellyfish, states that these turbines are the PC of renewable energy stating “We could have 10,000 of these sitting in a city, networked—it’s like a virtual utility…”

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South Korean scientists have introduced the new MetalCell, a battery that is modeled after a design created 2,000 years ago in Baghdad, now called Baghdad Batteries. The original design used terracotta jars, copper cylinders and an iron rod. When an acidic solution was added it could have generated low-level voltage.

The MetalCell is a unlike other rechargeable batteries in that it is: 1. refuelable 2. takes seconds to recharge. According to a S.E.G. Inc. report, The battery contains either magnesium or aluminum plates. Addition of salt water, creates a chemical reaction and generates electricity. Adding extra salt water will recharge the battery until the magnesium dissipates. The battery can charge anything from flashlights to night vision goggles to laptops. While saltwater creates the preferred chemical reaction, addition of urine can also help charge and power the cells.

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The idea of creating wireless electricity was actually around in 1890 and was invented by Nikola Tesla. The basic idea consisted of an electromagnetic induction that states that electric current flowing through one wire can induce current flow in another wire. Tesla’s idea, however, did not work.

Now a team at MIT, headed by Marin Soljacic has found a way to make wireless electricity, AKA WiTricity, a reality. Much like Tesla’s original idea, Soljacic created a pad that contains a powered coil that creates a magnetic field. In turn this magnetic field induces a current to flow through a secondary coil (any portable device like a phone or BlackBerry). This electricity then charges the device’s rechargeable battery. Everything is done wirelessly and in some cases a battery may not even be necessary!

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