Aug 17 2007 Galactic Suites Space Hotel
Galactic Suites, the first space hotel, is scheduled to open in 2012, a scant 5 years from now. For the low, low price of $4 million you get an unbelievable 3 night stay in outer space.
During that time guests would see the sun rise 15 times a day and use Velcro suits to crawl around their pod rooms by sticking themselves to the walls like Spiderman.
Throw in one of those Las Vegas style directories of intergalactic three-hootered space hookers, and you can count this guy in (and $3,999,984.25 short on payment). Why's it got to be about them making money, why can't it be about me makin' space love?
One more of a proposed suite after the jump.
Aug 17 2007 Reactable Musical Table
The Reactable is nuts. It kinds of reminds me of that far crappier home version you can buy where you move little plastic shapes around to change the noise it makes (what was the name of that thing?). But this one is way cooler, and almost more fun to watch than to listen to. I watched several videos of it, and while it seems to sound more like space invaders than music a lot of the time, it's just...so...mesmerizing. I want one for my living room, and I want it to react to whatever I want to put on it. Maybe a cat, stapler, sock, my ding-a-ling, you know, whatever.
A video after the jump.
Aug 17 2007 Mix Tape USB
If you have ever lived, then you know what it is like to listen to the radio with your finger on the record button waiting for your request to come on so you can make the most awesome mix tape ever for your middle school girlfriend. Well Suck UK, the company that has a fascination with both cardboard and retro is dropping a USB drive inside a fake cassette tape to bring back the memories. It even has the track listing area to fill out. Seeing this really took me back to 7th grade. One minute I'm recording "I Will Love You Forever" and the next it's "I Hate You and Want to Throw Myself from the Top of the Jungle Gym and Die". Ah, love.
Mix Tape USB [engadget]
Aug 17 2007 Fake Video Game Consoles
Some store in a Mexican mall is selling video game consoles in boxes that look alarmingly similar to the XBox 360 and Playstation 3. Except they're called the X-Game 360 and Powerstation 3 (why not go all the way and just use the same name?). Apparently, soon to be unhappy customers will find an 8-bit NES type system in the box. The price tag in the picture is allegedly in pesos, so you'd only be out $25 if you did bite. This reminds me I should probably try to cancel the Mentendo Wee and A-hole iPoo I ordered off the website. I knew their deals sounded too good to be true.
Fake Video Game Consoles [Maxconsole]
Aug 17 2007 Body Heat Electricity
Those clever German researchers are at it again, this time over at the Fraunhofer Institute. They have developed "entire electronic systems" that can run off of body heat turned electricity. The picture above shows a wireless transmitter being powered by the heat given off by a person's hand via a thermoelectric generator. Of course the wireless transmitter only needs 200 millivolts to operate. So when they say "entire electronic systems" can run off body heat, I think what they meant was pretty much nothing. Wake me up when I can power a portable videogame system by holding it. Ka-ching! Don't steal that idea.
Body Heat Electricity [engadget]
Aug 17 2007 Magazine Creators Not Familiar With Internet
From the "we live in a cave on a distant planet" department comes Official Meeting Facilities Guide's magazine "OMFG". Now right there on the cover it indicates that they have a website (also omfg.com) which 1. I am surprised was not already taken by me, and 2. might indicate that maybe somebody involved would be internet savvy enough to realize that the name you have chosen is horrible. They were probably sitting at the boardroom table kicking around ideas for a name, and had them narrowed down to "LOL", "WTF", "STFU", and "ROTFLMAO" before finally just going with the classic "OMFG".
Magazine Creators Not Familiar With Internet [neatorama]
Aug 17 2007 Man Pimps iPhone
If you haven't heard this already, some lunatic in India is pimping out his iPhone for 500 rupees (approximately $12) per 15 minute session. Anyone interested can "see/touch/feel the new APPLE IPHONE". Please note that the viewing is supervised, so you can forget about stealing it. Which is a smart idea, because the last time I was pimping electronics and appliances unsupervised someone stole my Frydaddy deep fryer. You live and learn, but my fries will never have the same golden crispiness.
Man Pimps iPhone [gizmodo]
Aug 16 2007 Connectable Coffee Mugs
Designer Jonathan Aspinall has developed coffee mugs that can be linked together to form a six mug chain that can (allegedly) be easily carried. Each mug has a plus shaped male connection on one side, and matching female on the other. Now I don't know about you, but if I was sporting these around the office one morning, I imagine they would be in a coworker's trunk by mid-afternoon. I'm sticking to my trusty urine sample cup. People don't even come into the cubicle, let alone think about stealing my mug.
Connectable Coffee Mugs [yankodesign]
Aug 16 2007 Wind Up Media Player
Wind-up radio inventor Trevor Baylis is now dropping a wind-up media player very cleverly named the Trevor Baylis Eco Media Player. It can be charged via USB or hand crank, and (although I don't believe it) one minute of cranking powers the device for approximately 40 minutes. It has all the features you would expect from a media player (except maybe this one being the size of a brick) and retails for around $350. Someone come up with a gerbil wheel mod for this thing and then you'll be onto something: a media player with a damn gerbil attachment that I still won't buy. Maybe.
Wind Up Media Player [tech.co.uk]
Aug 16 2007 USB Paper Shredder
I own every USB gadget imaginable, and the USB Paper Shredder is no exception. Why use a wastebasket version when this little guy will do you just fine. It's perfect for shredding those incriminating notes you and the pretty secretary exchange all day. I've had mine for awhile now, and it has never done me wrong. You should have seen the time I told my wife it was a curling iron! Oh the hilarity that ensued! Good times, good times. We're divorced now.
USB Paper Shredder [Product Site]
Aug 16 2007 Airplane Security Collar
Above is the schematic for an invention by Italian Paolo Valletta that is um, well, it's like a shock collar for dogs, except it injects your neck with a tranquilizer if you start acting up on a plane. Using this device, the flight attendants would be able to knock out any passenger on the plane, or all if necessary. Which, at least for me, is entirely unnecessary. After my typical pre-flight liter of bourbon and handful of sleeping pills I'm usually peaceful. This thing would probably kill me.
Airplane Security Collar [livescience]
Aug 16 2007 Metalstorm 1,000,000 Rounds Per Minute
Metalstorm, a company run by kids that grew up loving guns and never stopped, has a gun that can fire over 1,000,000 rounds per minute. The weapon uses stacked bullets in multiple chambers, fired by electronic triggers to achieve its ridiculous rate of fire. 1,000,000 shots a minute? I don't think there is anything I can do that many times in a minute, except maybe suck at life and have an ugly face. Besides those things I've got nothing. While the gun is pretty radical, it needs to make cooler sounds, and I think I could do just as much damage to those boards with a cannonball. Or maybe a trebuchet.
Metalstorm 1,000,000 Rounds Per Minute [OhGizmo]
Aug 16 2007 Executive Foosball Coffee Table
Looks can be deceiving. Take for example this foosball table. You're probably thinking to yourself, "Well that is simply the most awesome foosball table I have ever seen." And I'm with you on that, I was thinking the exact same thing when I first saw it. There's just two problems. 1. It cost $6,700, and 2. It's freaking tiny! They totally trick you with that picture, what a sham. Anyways, if you have that kind of money to spend on a coffee table, call me and I'll come curl up in front of your couch indefinitely for the same price. I also come in an ottoman model.
One more picture exposing their trickery after the jump.
Aug 16 2007 Jetpacks Are Awesome
The 2007 Rocketbelt Conference in Niagara Falls just took place this past weekend, and based on the pictures and video, I'd say it was awesome. Growing up in a brothel, I always wanted a jetpack so I could fly away and say goodbye to sad times forever. Well twenty years later, I'm still here, and only now am I starting to think that these jetpacks are getting safe enough for me to finally say goodbye. I mean sure there has always been a door, but nothing quite says "I'm getting away from you crazy hookers" like blasting through the roof with a jetpack and crash helmet.
A video of a jetpack ride after the jump.
Aug 15 2007 Unusual Ladder
If you've been thinking to yourself "I need the stupidest looking ladder that is also the most impractical", then your wait is over. The Cima Ladder has arrived. Made of composite materials and painted either green or pink, it looks ridiculous and you'll probably fall off it. According to the company some of the major inspiration behind the ladder was "like climbing a tree, (the ladder) brings us closer to the basic nature of climbing up to reach the top, climbing as a metaphor of growth and self elevation in life."
Well if that is not the hippiest load of crap I have ever heard. Ladders are made so you can break into 2nd story windows, and have nothing to do with self elevation (except the literal sense). I wouldn't be caught dead climbing this ladder to hang myself.
Unusual Ladder [Official Site]
Aug 15 2007 Cell Phone Protection Spray
This one is for the Geekologie ladies out there. Clarins (A UK based cosmetic peddler) has been banned from claiming their new Expertise 3P spray protects against cell phone radiation. Mainly because it sure as hell doesn't. However, there is hope. I happen to have a spray that does protect from radiation, wrinkles, cancer, sunburn, blemishes, cankers, harelips, you name it.
Cell Phone Protection Spray [therawfeed]
Aug 15 2007 Knife Game Robot
Having grown up watching Aliens, I've been playing the knife game (or 5 finger fillet) since I was old enough to smear crap on walls (although I wasn't very good). Well now 5VOLTCORE has built a robot called the knife.hand.chop.bot that plays the game for you, you just supply the hand. The robot looks less than impressive, and goes pretty damn slow. I mean, with my finely tuned masturbatory skills I can pretty much do this at the speed of light.
A video of the robot playing about as fast as my grandmother after the jump. And then one of a kid who knows what's up.
Aug 15 2007 Apple Aluminum Wireless Keyboard
If you haven't already seen it, this is Apple's new aluminum wireless keyboard. And wow is it thin. Although I'm not sure it's capable of supporting the weight of my hands. They're made of manliness and brawn and weigh roughly 70 pounds each. And you know what they say about men with huge hands. That's right, ladies, they break keyboards.
Product Page [Apple]
Aug 15 2007 HypoSurface Moving Wall
Right when I thought my naked lady wallpaper was the peak of wall design, Hyposurface has to come out with a wall that can react to sound and movement (as well as spell out words, make pictures, etc.). It runs off of compressed air, and based on the video, I'd say that I need these for pretty much every room of the house. Except for the bedroom, in the bedroom I want to replace my bed with one. Because well, I'm a man that appreciates the motion of the ocean. And the ladies I've been bringing home lately have been prone to popping the waterbed.
UPDATE: A Shorter video has been added after the jump since the longer one was removed.
Aug 15 2007 Cardboard PSP Arcade Cutout
Do you get so stoned that you can't tell the difference between a piece of folded cardboard and a several hundred pound machine at the mall's arcade? If so, then the Suck UK design firm has got a product for you. It turns your PSP into, well, a miniature cardboard arcade machine. Available in September, I imagine it's too high tech for the old quarter on a string trick to work. But that's okay, because there's still the laundromat. Do your laundry for free and meet the easiest women in town.
Cardboard PSP Arcade Cutout [Product Reviews]
Aug 15 2007 Waterproof iPod Case
Tired of shark fighting with no tunes? The iS2 brings the dream to life, allowing users to dive to unheard of depths (almost to the bottom of the deep end, 10 ft.) while your iPod shuffle remains safe and dry. The thing doesn't come with waterproof earphones though, so you're on your own with that one. I still need one though. After all, nothing says "I am a lover of music" more than listening to the classics while getting laid in your kiddy pool as neighbors drive by honking.
Waterproof iPod Case [OhGizmo]
Aug 14 2007 Luxeed Rainbow Keyboard
Your regular keyboard just not ridiculous enough? Then get the Luxeed Rainbow Keyboard. Each key can be programmed to be a different color as well as only light up when you press it. Because really, isn't the whole point of a keyboard to let everybody know you're gay and also give you seizures? No? It's not? Hold on, I gotta go make some calls.
Product Page [Official Site]
Aug 14 2007 Sony Develops Bendable Display
Sony has released video of a 2.5-inch display that you can bend without breaking (Note: do not attempt with your LCD). The picture quality looks bearable and I'm excited about getting my hands on one. Sony is still trying to work out kinks in the cost of production, so they're probably going to be out of my allowance's price range for awhile. Sony's thin film transistor and electroluminescent technologies make the display possible, and at only 0.3-mm thick, I think we can all agree that this television is damn near pencil thin.
Video after the jump.
Aug 14 2007 Spyke The Pet Spying Robot
Meccano (famous for its Erector Set like building toys) is about to drop Spyke, a WiFi compatible robot that can be controlled via the internet. It is advertised as both a home protection robot (takes picture and sends email if motion sensor is activated) and pet checker. What a happy day this is! Now I can check on my pets while I'm at work. Hey look, there's my dog eating cat turds out of the litterbox! Oh joy, the cat is peeing in my monitor again! The robot is sweet, but some things are better left a mystery.
Spyke The Pet Spying Robot [BotJunkie]
Aug 14 2007 Robot Bartender
If you don't like talking to anyone when getting drunk, then check out the Digital Beverages MyFountain (which we will now refer to as the Robot Bartender). It basically looks like a monster piece of crap that sits on a counter with a touchscreen that makes drinks. It holds 12 bottles of liquid happiness and can be programmed to make any drink with said bottles. The only real benefit I see in this thing is it not knowing when to cut you off. Oh, and don't tell me that damn thing squeezed those pieces of fruit out its pipe. How did those get there, Mr. Bartender Robot?
Robot Bartender [OhGizmo]
Aug 14 2007 Lasonic iPod Boombox
If you're anything like me you spent the 80's rocking a Member's Only jacket and carrying around a ghetto blaster and a piece of cardboard so you'd be ready to break anywhere and everywhere. Well Lasonic is releasing an updated version of one of their most popular Boombox models of the 80's that includes a freaking iPod docking station. I just hope I can still run it off of D batteries. This thing is so awesome that I can't even show you a real picture of it because it would burn your retinas out and blow your eardrums simultaneously. So there is a graphical representation for your viewing pleasure. And by viewing pleasure I mean it was more than enough to give me a little twitter down there.
Lasonic iPod Boombox [Newlaunches]
Aug 14 2007 Leather Dragon Backpack
Are your attempts at scaring women and small children on the streets failing? Well then check out this leather dragon backpack made by Bob Basset of Ukraine. Bob, who if you can't tell is a dragon fanatic, made the thing entirely out of molded leather and black magic. While I can appreciate all things dragon I just have the feeling that this thing won't go over well anywhere but the annual renaissance fair (or a late night DnD session). All I know is that I used to have a real pet dragon named Firestorm and we would fly all over the world together. Until I slayed him to make the sweetest pair of assless chaps you ever seen.
A couple more of the bag after the jump.
Aug 13 2007 Typing Speed USB Light
Because all things USB make my heart race I bring to you the USB Typing Speed Light. When you are not typing the light is yellow, when you start it turns blue, and the faster you go the brighter it gets. Of course I have no need for the likes of this because I know exactly how fast I type. I don't. I have a gorgeous personal secretary that does my typing for me - I just have to talk. Which is what I'm doing right now. Isn't that right sugarlips? Why don't you come over here and sit that sweet fanny on the captain's lap? But add the link first.
Typing Speed USB Light [Tokyomango]
Aug 13 2007 Solar Powered Bikini and Gaming Bra
The Siggraph 2007 Convention (Special Interest Group for Computer Graphics) went down last week and there were a number of interesting innovations displayed. Among them was an updated solar powered bikini that was first shown in 2006. The bikini generates enough power to charge an iPod or cell phone. I had this idea years ago, except it was a pair of men's swim trunks. The only problem was that the world doesn't produce enough solar cells to cover my ding dong. I would have been able to power the whole state though.
New this year was a bra and boxer set that can be used to control different aspects of video games. Which is pretty sweet, because Hold on to the Boobies might very well be my most favorite game ever. Just a heads up though folks, stay away from one player mode - it's not fun.
Solar Powered Bikini and Gaming Bra [Gizmodo]
Aug 13 2007 Hacker Camp Uses Porta Johns For Hubs
The Chaos Communication Camp in Germany is using their supply of blue porta johns for hubs to help ensure that connections stay high and dry. This makes perfect sense, because why use a porta john as a bathroom? That would be ridiculous. This is the only logical means of protecting those connections. I mean covering things in big blue tarps is only for the cars in my driveway (I'm all class). Seriously, who needs a bathroom anyways when there are so many other people's tents around?
Aug 13 2007 Suitcase Chair
If you hate using public seating like me, then you know how important it can be to have a personal sitting device available at all times. Enter the suitcase chair. In case you couldn't tell, it's a suitcase that turns into a chair. We may have a regular da Vinci on our hands here this thing is so brilliant. I was just thinking the other day I wished that my good for nothing suitcase could transform into a sweet chair with fake carbon fiber veneer. Not only that, but the excitement of getting to pick up all my stuff after it's been dumped on the bus station floor nearly had me in tears I wanted one so bad.
Suitcase Chair [2DayBlog]
Aug 13 2007 USB Panic Button
The Panic Button is a USB gadget that fires up one of three "stress relieving" screensavers whenever you push it. While the screensavers are questionable (atomic bomb, punch your boss, and an excel spreadsheet look alike), I believe the idea itself has some merit. If you're anything like me you've learned that yelling "I wasn't looking at porno!" when anyone walks by your cubicle doesn't make the porno you're looking at disappear. Now, I'll just flip the top on this bad boy, yell "Fire in the hole!", mash the button, and dive under my desk until the coast is clear.
USB Panic Button [Reg Hardware]
Aug 13 2007 Electronic Meat Sniffer
For those of you out there that like to cook, here's a little something to help determine if the meat that someone slaps on your grill is safe to eat. With the push of a button the SensorfreshQ Freshness Meter will let you know if meat is fresh (green light), must be used soon (yellow), or nasty (red). Apparently red is defined as when "the bacteria colony count exceeds 10 million colony forming units per gram." I don't know what that means but it sounds frightening. As a side note, I tested my meat and got the yellow light, so time is limited ladies - to the basement (but be quiet, my mom is sleeping).
Electronic Meat Sniffer [Cooking Gadgets]
