Crigler-Najjar syndrome is a disorder that inhibits the breakdown of poisonous bilirubin in the body, which can lead to yellow skin and eventually be fatal. To treat the disorder, sufferers are forced to expose their skin to a specific blue light for hours on end, usually in a modified tanning bed. In an attempt to create an easier form of treatment, Philomeen Engels has developed the Ledwrap, a suit made of breathable material with flexible disks of LEDs. The Ledwrap emits the correct color of light necessary to treat the disorder, and it enables a much more fluid and comfortable treatment. The final benefit of the Ledwrap is to give the wearer the proper data files necessary to end the tyrannical reign of the MCP once and for all.
Electrical engineering students at the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands have created the world's largest 3D-display. The display consists of 8,000 suspended ping pong balls that each contain a red LED light. It will be used to play games of 3D snake, 3D pong, and 3D duckhunt, and it will display SMS messages and simple animations. The display will be revealed on April 23, and remain open to the public until a wino inevitably enters and gets trapped in the strands of welcoming light.
If you thought those thirteen year old skateboarders in your neighborhood were annoying, just wait until their skateboards start blasting whiny emo rock. Skatesonic is a project that places special electronics on the trucks and wheels of skateboards to produce music. The music varies depending on the surface that the skateboard is rolling over and the different way people ride. The skateboards can be hooked up in unison, so a group of skateboarders can each play their own "instrument." If I wake up one morning because a bunch of skateboarders are "jamming" together on the sidewalk in front of my home, I'm going to start pelting them with VHS cassettes of Grind.
ThinkGeek is now selling an clever GPS tracking device. About the size of a USB thumb drive, TrackStick GPS Data Logger will record its exact coordinates every few minutes. It has no display, but when you can plug it into any computer, and it can sync up with Mapquest or Google maps to show you where it's been; the time, date, and altitude of each reading; and its speed and direction traveled. The small form factor of the TrackStick lets you place it practically anywhere, and the battery life will last between 5 to 7 days. Simply place one of these in your pocket and you'll know exactly where you were during that night of heavy drinking, providing you with helpful clues when you try to figure out why you woke up next to so many unconscious transvestites.
The people at MusicThing have found an eBay auction for an electric guitar made from an old Sega Genesis. If early reports are to be believed, this thing "looks cool, sounds cool." Finally, all those hours spent alone playing Sega in your room because no one wanted to be your friend will transfer to all those hours spent alone playing the Sega guitar in your room because no one wants you to join their band.
Motorola has patented a new technology that will silently shock you the next time you receive a call. The technology uses a special stimulator pad that is worn on the skin of the user. The phone sends a single to the pad when it receives a call, which activates a set of electrodes on the pad and silently notifies the user. This patent is Motorola's attempt to inform the user of a call in a completely silent manner, as even vibrating alerts make some audible noise. When not used as a call notifier, the stimulator pad can be used as part of a simple ab training routine. Through Motorola's patented technology, you will gain a six pack of abs so strong, you can crack a chestnut on them. Or so the legend goes...