Dec 14 2007 Playing Guitar Makes Lightsaber Thing Vibrate
Take a guitar, plug in a VOX AmPlug, and then attach an OhMiBod vibrator to that and what do you get? A vibrator that responds to what you play on the guitar! Cool. The Vox AmPlug is really just a little amp you can plug headphones into, it's the OhMiBod vibrator that makes all the magic happen (it will also plug into the headphone jack of an MP3 player, etc. and respond to that music as well). Talk about becoming a true Guitar Hero. Yeah buddy. Hook it all up, start jamming out on some Stairway To Heaven, and soon you're lucky lady will be in heaven. Or she'll break up with you and start dating a Stratocaster, which is what happened to me. Stupid vibrator-guitar combo, I hate you.
A funny video of the magic wand/lightsaber in action after the jump.
Continue Reading " Playing Guitar Makes Lightsaber Thing Vibrate "
Dec 14 2007 USB Batteries Are USB Rechargeable
We posted about the USBCELL batteries before, and now they're available for purchase. USBCELL is a product line by Moxia Energy that features USB rechargeable batteries. Right now the company only has AAs for sale, but 9Vs are coming soon, along with cell phone and device batteries. The AAs are $17.49 for a two pack, or $160 for twenty. Pretty expensive, but I like the idea. I want some, but I'm going to hold out until they're a bit cheaper. I just don't have $18 to spend on batteries right now -- I already owe my parents $60 in rent. Which is pretty f***ed up, charging your own son rent. So what if I'm 30, I'm still trying to find myself. Say, maybe I'm in this bong. *bubble, bubble, hack, cough* Nope, not there. "WHAT DO YOU WANT MOM? NO I'M NOT SMOKING IN THE HOUSE. SHUT UP! I RENT THIS DAMN ATTIC, I CAN DO WHAT I WANT! I KNOW I'M LATE ON RENT, IT'S COMING. LEAVE ME ALONE!"
thanks to Anexio, who needs no recharging to pleasure the ladies, for the tip
Dec 14 2007 Little Pig Toy Gets Squashed, Retains Shape
Lokulokus are little pig toys out of Japan that you can smush the hell out of but will regain their piglike shape in a few seconds. They're pretty damn amazing and only cost $2-$3 in Japan. Unfortunately I couldn't find any online, so somone either send me a link to a seller or some of the actual pigs, because they're awesome and I want some. No word on how toxic the stuff they're made of is, but I imagine it's pretty damn toxic. I mean that stuff has properties like nothing I've ever seen. I'm thinking these little bastards came from outerspace. I'm talking alien technology people. I'm just hoping they're friendly aliens, because if the rest of their technology is anything like this, they can destroy us whenever they want (or at least violate our you-know-whats).
UPDATE: Official website (in Japanese) kindly sent to me by Neema
A MUST, MUST, MUST SEE VIDEO AFTER THE SPLAT.
Continue Reading " Little Pig Toy Gets Squashed, Retains Shape "
Dec 14 2007 Reflection Watch Features Mirror, The Time
The Reflection watch costs $159. For that money you get a mirror you wear on your wrist that transforms into a watch with bright red LEDs when you push a button. To me it looks a lot like a men's watch, which seems to be the wrong demographic for such a device. I mean, I don't need a damn mirror -- I know I'm fugly. My girlfriend always carries a compact with her and uses it frequently, because she feels she needs to look good all the time. Me? I always look like I got drunk and passed out in a ditch the night before -- which I usually have. But you don't see me checking the mirror. I look like I got hit by a bus and I know it. Just like I know I smell like shit. But you know what, f*** deodorant, it's unnatural.
Reflection watch looks cool [ubergizmo]
Dec 14 2007 Bike Has Infinite Number Of Gears, Cool!
'The Ride' is no ordinary bicycle. Nope, it's got a 'NuVinci' transmission that uses ball bearings and metal disks to create an infinite number of gears.
Twist a dial on the handlebar, and ball bearings in the bike’s NuVinci transmission tilt between two rotating metal discs. (Your pedaling turns one disc; the other transfers power to the rear wheel.) As the balls tilt, they touch the discs at varying angles. This changes how fast the wheel spins relative to your pedaling—slowly for low gear ratios, where pedaling is easy but the wheel doesn’t turn much, and quickly for high ratios. The balls can roll to almost any angle, giving you precise control over the bike’s torque (and your exertion).
It's called the NuVinci because da Vinci made a sketch of something similar back in the 1490's. The bikes are available now and cost $2,995 for a standard version and $3,995 for a Signature series. Note: the signature is not da Vinci's. I really want one of these bikes, and I dig their retro styling. I'm tired of my bike, it one has one gear. And only one tire too. Someone stole the other one when they took my seat. It hurts to sit on. :(
'The Ride' Bicycle Has An Infinite Number Of Gears (Thanks To da Vinci) [ohgizmo]
Dec 14 2007 Interactive Cooling Fan Art Exhibit Is Neat
Dutch artist Daan Roosegaarde has created a piece of art that would give the guy responsible for this thing a raging boner. The piece is entitled Flow 5.0.
Flow 5.0 is an interactive landscape made out of hundreds of fans which reacts to your sound and motion. By walking and interacting the visitor creates an illusive landscape of transparencies and artificial wind.
Basically the fans adjust their direction and speed based on your movements around them, making for a very cool experience (!). It's on display until January 3rd in Ljubljana, Slovenia at the Kapelica Gallery. If anyone goes or has seen it, feel free to let us know how it is. I won't be able to make it, so I'll just have to settle for my own fan art, which are pictures of me that my adoring fans have sent in. Like this one, from Shirley Stevenson, age 8, of Dayton, OH. It's a crayon picture of she and I hanging out on the playground. Very well done Shirley, but from the look of your drawing, you could afford to lose some weight. Get to the gym and draw me another picture in 10 years, when you're not such a little piglet.
Two more pictures and a cool (!, I did it again) video after the breeze.
Continue Reading " Interactive Cooling Fan Art Exhibit Is Neat "
Dec 14 2007 Gun Purse Scares Away Would-Be Attackers
The Pursuader (notice the clever name) from designer James Piatt is a leather purse made to look like a gun.
For the girl on the move the Pursuader features a handy cell phone compartment in the clip. Constructed by interlocking laser cut leather this handbag has no stitching. This is a combination of old-world craftsmanship and high technology. Create the look no one can refuse.
Interesting. They run $289 and are perfect for scaring away thieves, attackers, and terrorists. To complete the ensemble may I suggest an Army helmet and a real gun in one hand, which should be waved around constantly like you're a crazy person. Which you will be if you take my advice. What the hell do I know about personal safety in the real world, I live in the blogosphere. Not really, the blogosphere is make-believe and a stupid word that I can't believe I just used. I don't live there anyways, I live in my parent's atticsphere.
Two more pictures after the jump, including one of a woman in a bikini which I haven't formed an opinion about yet.
Continue Reading " Gun Purse Scares Away Would-Be Attackers "
Dec 14 2007 Make Huge Multi-Touch Screen With Wiimote
In the video above Johnny Chung Lee (from such videos as Spirit Fingers: Tracking Your Fingers With A Wiimote) shows you how to make a huge multi-touch display using a Wiimote and some infra-red LEDs. It's pretty impressive. And you know what else is impressive? The size of the pancakes I had for breakfast, those things were monsters! Just kidding, I didn't eat breakfast. Unless a cigar and a pint of gin counts. Oh and glue, I huffed some glue.
Johnny Lee's Wii Projects Page
thanks to Jab, a man who multi-touches hot chicks all the time, for the tip
Dec 13 2007 Mobile Notetaker Digitizes Your Analog Notes
The Mobile Notetaker attaches to the top of any pad of paper and digitizes your notes for download to a computer later (and translated to editable text). It can store up to 50 standard pages of notes or doodles, and costs $170. It's aimed at solving the same problem of analog vs. digital notes that the FLY Fusion Pentop Computer is attempting. I need one, because I take really good notes at meetings with my boss. Okay, they're more like drawings. My latest is called "Mr. Abelman gets an arrow in his head and squirts blood everywhere". It's a picture of my boss, Mr. Abelman, with an arrow in his head and blood going everywhere. It really got me into creating art around the office to brighten the place up. Unfortunately I got fired when I was caught working on another art project of mine. It was a rather brilliant performance piece I came up with entitled "Me boning the secretary on the boss's desk during his lunch break". Turns out he hadn't gone to lunch yet, just the bathroom.
Dec 13 2007 Kids Make NES Controller Computer Case
Some students in Sweden made a good looking NES controller computer case for a school project. They did it for $300 and put an old computer in it. It looks pretty alright, especially for a school project. I'm getting a little bitter that I never had any cool classes in school where I got to do something like that. Well, except for shop class with Mr. Pegfingers. That was a fun class. He taught me the only important lesson I ever learned in high school: how to make a bong.
Two more pictures of the case after the jump.
Dec 13 2007 Man Converts Cordless Drill To Tesla Coil
The picture above shows a cordless drill a man modded into a little handheld Tesla Coil. As is evident from the picture, the little coil is great for things like, um, making a light bulb glow like a plasma globe. Neat buddy, but can you mod a cordless drill to put holes in wood and other objects? Because that, my friend, would be frickin' sweeeeeet.
Video of the coil in action after the shock.
Continue Reading " Man Converts Cordless Drill To Tesla Coil "
Dec 13 2007 Power Cord Has Plugs All Along Its Length
This conceptual extension cord has plugs all over it, so you can plug things in at different lengths of the cord. It was designed by Wilson Song, and probably won't work. Feel free to chime in and explain why it won't work, or what it would take to make it plausible. Just because I have a lab coat on doesn't mean I work in an electrical lab and understand these things. No sir. Wearing this lab coat means I'm sneaking into the clinic to steal urine samples for a drug test I have to take this afternoon.
Extension Cord Extreme [yankodesign]
Dec 13 2007 Home Theater Features Terminator Theme
We've seen Star Wars and Star Trek themed home theaters in the past, and now comes a Terminator one. Darren Mortenson put this all together himself, and allegedly on "a reasonable budget". The picture there shows a television, but there's also a projector so he can watch movies at a cool 159" (see other pictures). Doing all the work himself even scored him CEDIA installer certification. Not too bad Darren, now come over and hook my basement up. I want a damn home theater down there, right now it's just empty. Well, except for my wife chained between a washing machine and a stove. But maybe we could incorporate her into the theater if we went for a Star Wars "chained up Princess Leia and Jabba the Hutt" theme. She'd make a great Jabba. Now I just need an attractive chick to play Leia. Any takers ladies? *wink*
Check out more pictures and a full list of specs after the jump.
Dec 13 2007 Contura: Diplay Your Profile In Ring Form
The Contura ring is a ring that displays your face in profile along the entirety of the band. You send the company a picture of your (or a loved one's) facial profile and it's custom cut into a ring. Prices start at $625 for stainless steel and go up to $5,730 for platinum. Neat, but I'm skeptical as to how accurate they are, and I suspect that they really just sell two rings - generic male and female ones. So I'm going to put them to the test. I'm sending them a picture with my tongue sticking out, a wicked goatee, and a unicorn horn affixed to my forehead. If it turns out to not be a hoax, at least I'll be getting my money's worth.
Dec 13 2007 Litroenergy Micro Particles Glow For 12 Years
MPK is a glow-in-the-dark paint company that has recently announced a new product -- Litroenergy. It's made of self-luminous micro-particles that are cheap, non-toxic, and will keep a glow for over 12 years. They never need to be exposed to the sun or recharged in any way, they just glow like hell. The material can be injection molded or added to paint and can glow in any color desired. "The light is said to be equivalent to a 20 watt incandescent bulb" and the cost of a glowing 8 x 12" object is about $0.35. Awesome! I love green technology and I love this stuff. It's going to be all over the place in no time. And by "all over the place" I mean "all over my genitals", because they're hard to find sometimes.
New Light Glows For 12 Years [treehugger]
Dec 13 2007 Gold Pills Are, Um, I Don't Even Know What
These $425 capsules are dipped in and filled with 24-karat gold and you're supposed to eat them to "increase your self-worth". Which isn't true, because if you do ingest them you'll just be increasing your "self-stupidity" and "self-flushing-money-down-the-toilet". I'll kill you if you buy them. Just down a jar of gold glitter if you're that hell-bent on having gold shit, it's a lot cheaper. My fiancé demanded I buy her a capsule, because she thinks she's all high-class and can just waste my money. Well she'll be getting the gold glitter treatment, because I sure as hell am not paying for these. She hasn't noticed the diamond in her engagement ring is just a piece of glass from a broken windshield, so I think I'll be fine.
Gold Pill makes you poop glitter for $425 [dvice]
thanks to Jacob and JohnyG30 for the tips
Dec 12 2007 Pencil Bench Is, Get This, Made Of Pencils
The Pencil Bench is a bench that has a seating surface made of 1,600 pencils. Which is a lot. All the pencils fit into holes in the bottom so you can remove and use them if you desire. It's made by Boex 3D Creative Solutions and will set you back $2,450 -- a ridiculous price for a few pieces of wood and a shit-ton of pencils. You could make this in an afternoon. I bet they didn't even use the pencils with good erasers. I bet those are the ones that smear your writing instead of erasing it. God I hate those things. And while it may support Mr. 28" x 32" in the picture, what about a full figured model like myself? What happens when I set all of my 42" x 28" down on that bitch? I'll tell you what happens -- a bunch of cheap pencils get rammed up my ass. And then I'd have to get my girlfriend to pull them out for me like she did after that time I begged her to stick a Coke bottle up there aliens left a bottle in my ass during an abduction.
Pull Up a Pencil and Have a Seat [yankodesign]
Dec 12 2007 World's Highest Tennis Court Is High As Hell
Yes the picture's real. Burj Al Arab in Dubai is home to the world's highest tennis court (at times). At 210 meters (about 690 feet), it's pretty far up there. Way higher than I'd feel comfortable running around hitting a ball. The court doubles as a landing pad when there aren't any matches being played, and as a place to shit your pants the rest of the time.
Video of Andre Agassi and some other guy playing tennis up there after the jump. I like how at the end they just start wailing balls off of the side trying to hit things. Because that's what I would do.
Continue Reading " World's Highest Tennis Court Is High As Hell "
Dec 12 2007 Smart Beer Coasters Aren't That Smart
A company called Sentilla came up with the idea for these "Smart Coasters". What makes them smart you ask?
The coasters know when a drink is placed on top of them and when it is removed.
The coasters can blink in different ways depending on the amount of beverage remaining.
The coasters notify each other when new things occur (a drink is placed on them, removed, etc).
The coasters provide "visual feedback" using lights embedded within them.
The coasters are wirelessly interconnected.
They're not for sale, but you can build them yourself using the little pervasive computer that Sentilla has available. No word on the cost, but they're probably more expensive than setting your drink on a magazine. Allegedly the coasters have been used to create a whole bunch of new drinking games. My favorite of which is Epileptic Seizure. Basic gameplay consists of falling off your barstool and convulsing on the floor like a fish out of water. Fun.
Video of a seizure waiting to happen after the jump.
Dec 12 2007 OMG, OMG! I Need A Freaking Jet Pack!
We've featured the rocket belt in the past, and even some cool footage from a jet pack convention, and now comes a new jet pack from Jet Pack International! "These turbine jet packs are supposed to have much greater flight time and be much safer than traditional jet pack technology. It is supposed to travel 16km without refueling." Not too shabby. The consumer model will come with all the training necessary to fly it safely and will run $226,000. Damnit! That's a quarter of a million dollars -- I don't have that kind of dough. Maybe if I tell them I don't want the training course I can get it for cheaper. I absolutely must have one though, I promised myself I wouldn't die until I've made love with a jetpack on.
A MUST SEE VIDEO OF ONE OF THEIR EARLIER PACKS IN ACTION AFTER THE JUMP. IT'S AWESOME!
Dec 12 2007 The Shotcaller Calls The Shots (Of Beer)
I remember the days in college when we'd play Power Hour. Except it's not so much a game as it is drinking a shot of beer every minute for an hour. Ah, fond memories. Well if you still play now you can buy the Shot Caller device, which flashes a light and makes an audible announcement every minute so you know when to drink. It's nice and big too so it'll be easy to read when things start to get blurry. It costs $15 and can be set to any length of time you want to play. Which is actually a lie, because when I tried to set it for "the rest of my life" the thing started smoking and then exploded.
Dec 12 2007 NES Controller Backpack Takes Me Back
The NES Controller Backpack is available from 80sTees for $40, which isn't too bad for a backpack. Especially one with sweet-ass NES controller styling. It's got one large compartment and three smaller ones, so there's plenty of room for all your stuff. This thing really takes me back to my youth. Just like seeing the elderly woman at the bar last night with a Hypercolor shirt did. Can you believe that -- a geriatric at the bar with a Hypercolor shirt on? I was blown away. I tried to slip her the tongue but her dentures fell out. It was still pretty romantic though.
Classic NES Controller Backpack [ohgizmo]
Dec 11 2007 Super Mario Energy Drink: Awesome!
Apparently there's a Super Mario energy drink out and I couldn't be happier about it. It's called Super Mario Bros Power Up! Energy Drink, which is a pretty awesome name, not to mention a great play on 'Power Ups'. It comes as an 8.4 oz can of blue-raspberry tasting deliciousness that's sure to have you bouncing off the walls and banging Princess Peach for hours. Unless it has some of that mushroom that Mario's holding in it. Which, based on his eyes, I'd say it does. In which case you've got to be careful with the stuff. The last time I ate a mushroom that looked like that I drove my girlfriend's car into a creek because a cow standing in the road told me to. It even knew my name, and I'd never met that cow before in my life. True story.
super mario power up! energy drink: just add vodka [technabob]
Dec 11 2007 Optimus Prime Costume Is Sadly Questionable
We've certainly seen our fair share of Optimus Prime here at Geekologie. We've seen cakes of him in truck form and Transformer form, a sick Optimus computer case, along with a whole bunch of other Transformer costumes. And here comes another. These are screenshots from a video of a guy who made a 10-foot tall Optimus Prime "costume". I put costume in quotations because, while he does stand inside the thing, his limited mobility makes it more of a "wearable statue". I do think it's great looking though. If "great looking" means Optimus Prime is out of proportion and standing immobile in a driveway while kids gawk at him. But still, I've got to hand it to the guy, I could never do anything like that. But it's because I've got better things to do and I don't wear freaking suspenders. Fine, it's because I don't have any friends to help me put the suit on.
A 3:00 video of the guy putting the suit on after the jump. You see him trying his best to 'roll out' at the end.
Continue Reading " Optimus Prime Costume Is Sadly Questionable "
Dec 11 2007 Bluetooth Bracelet Vibrates To Incoming Calls
The LM Technologies LM959 Bluetooth Vibrating Bracelet alerts you to incoming calls by discreetly vibrating. It also vibrates to warn you if you travel further than 5 meters away from your precious phone. It'll charge in 3 hours, last for 100 on a charge, and costs $48. The company sent me one to test out and I've got to say, it's not as good as having your cell phone vibrate in your pocket. Because it doesn't give you a boner, and I like boners. Just my own though, not the one on the guy standing behind me in line at McDonalds. His makes me nervous.
Bluetooth bracelet makes sure you feel incoming calls [dvice]
Dec 11 2007 Vacuum + Broom = Vacuum Broom, Wow!
The Vacuum Broom from designer Wilson Song is the lovechild of a vacuum and broom that were locked in the same closet overnight. I heard a mop insisted on a threesome but they wouldn't have it. Anyways, the hollow broom bristles have suction ducts inside that allow for the vacuuming of small particulate, while the unit also acts as a traditional broom, sweeping larger debris into the dustpan. Interesting concept, but I question how well it would work. Although I don't really care. I don't clean floors, that's the maid's (read: wife's) job. Ha, ha, just kidding honey. No but seriously make sure the house is clean and dinner is on the table when I get home.
Two more close-ups after the jump.
Dec 11 2007 Star Wars AT-AT Wins Modeling Contest
Dimitri Kaliviotis made a badass AT-AT model that recently won a "wreck" themed modeling contest. As you can see, the 1/32 scale AT-AT has certainly seen better days.
This entry is a heavily modified ATATRON kit. The ATATRON kit is a garage kit which is not commercially available but a few models have been made over the years. I managed to get hold of one because I was commissioned to put some finishing touches on the prototype model and to make the molds for it, so later I was given one of the castings as a “bonus gift”. However the ATATRON I got was one containing mostly reject cast pieces. So Instead of repairing the reject/miscasts I decided to use those imperfections in my favor.
I too use my imperfections in my favor. Instead of being bummed out about how ugly I am and crying about the face God gave me, I turned the situation around and got a great gig scaring kids in the "Haunted House of Disfigured Freaks" at the county fair. I get $5.50 an hour too. Here's to living the high life!
A TON more pictures after the jump, because I'm sure you've all been good girls and boys this year.
Dec 11 2007 USB Business Cards May Be Coming Soon
The M++CARD is no ordinary business card. No sir, this thing has memory storage on the back, allowing a potential employer to attach a USB adapter and peruse all the information (resume, portfolio, etc.) stored on the little bastard. They're definitely slicker than the portfolio DVDs I was handing out to companies last year. Of course it didn't help I was giving out the wrong disks the whole time. Portfolio and Pornfolio really look similar when you're reaching into your briefcase for a DVD. Luckily the puffy-paint I used to decorate the tops made a lot of them unreadable.
USB Business Card [newlaunches]
Dec 11 2007 Galaga Quilt Keeps You Warm, 8-Bit Style
Can you tell I'm cold this morning? I am. All I can think about is stretching out on a bearskin rug with a lovely lady and getting under this quilt. Because bearskin rugs and 8-bit video game quilts were practically made for each other. This Galaga quilt measures 60 x 60" and is 100% cotton. It was made by CarolinaPatchworks and is available for $475. It reminds me of this Pac Man rug featured awhile ago, because of all the old school awesomeness. I've been quilting for years and I've never made anything half as cool. Oh you didn't know I quilted? Hell yeah I do, and I'm all man. All man you hear! To prove it I'll drink this whole bottle of bleach. *Glug, glug, glug* HA! Nothing to it. Now watch this mule kick me in the nuts, I won't even flinch.
Staying Toasty Warm with Galaga and a Good Book [uberreview]
Dec 11 2007 Newspaper Brick Maker Starts Fires
If you have a fireplace and can't get a good blaze going (you're a little girl), maybe you should consider the Newspaper Brick Maker. It costs $30 and turns old newspapers into firestarting bricks of goodness. It might make you feel better than you would if you just threw old newspapers away without recycling them. I must say, I received one as an early Christmas gift from my girlfriend and it works great -- as a meatloaf mold. The idiot failed to notice the house we've lived in for two years doesn't have a fireplace.
Note: It's almost time to start accepting new girlfriend applications again. I'm just waiting to see the look on her face when she opens her Christmas present -- a set of keys to a sports car that doesn't exist. After that I'm dropping her.
Fireplace Brick Maker [ubergizmo]
Dec 10 2007 Available NOW: Cell Phone Watch For $200
You may recall the Hyundai Cameraphone Watch we reported on in October. Well this isn't it. But it is a cell phone watch. Available from ThinkGeek now for $200, it's an unlocked GSM cell phone and PDA all stuffed into a package you wear on your wrist. You'll need service with AT&T/Cingular or T-Mobile for the little guy to work (sorry for now Verizon and Sprint users) and it comes with a whopping 60MB of built in storage. I was considering one, but I had the guy that runs the clinic out the back of a Chinese restaurant install a cell phone in my brain. Unfortunately, I think some stray lo mien made its way in there as well. I'm thinking with noodles, man!
A picture of the included accessories and a huge list of specs and features after the cut.
Continue Reading " Available NOW: Cell Phone Watch For $200 "
Dec 10 2007 Toyota's Pod-Car Thingy With Fancy Lights
Toyota recently displayed a new concept vehicle they've been working on. This is what it looks like -- a lounge chair that will suck your brain out while you're cruising. With lots of neon-ish lighting thrown in for good measure. The thing stands upright at slow speeds and then reclines at higher ones. You can even adjust the color of the thing to whatever suits your fancy with the push of a button. Apparently it can drive itself on special highway lanes in Japan. No word if those 'special' highway lanes are kin to the 'special' bus I used to ride to school, but if they are you'll probably have to wear a helmet.
Two more pictures of the thing showing its colors, along with a video showing transformation, etc. after the jump.
Continue Reading " Toyota's Pod-Car Thingy With Fancy Lights "
Dec 10 2007 The Elderly Green Machine: Solar Wheelchair
A group at Southern Taiwan University of Technology have created the world's first solar-powered wheelchair (which may or may not be true). Allegedly the thing runs entirely off solar energy and needs no plugging in. It was designed to be gentler on the environment and prevent people from being stuck out in the rain because their traditional electric battery ran out. So apparently it runs on rain too and not just sun. Because most of the time it's raining out there isn't much sun. What can I say, I'm a keen observer. But you know what there is a lot of when it rains? Worms. That's because when rain mixes with dirt it makes worms. It's a chemical reaction or something.
Dec 10 2007 Gömböc, The Self-Righting Piece Of Plastic
The Gömböc is “a mono-monostatic object, a three-dimensional thing that has only one way to stand up." No matter how you set it down it will wobble around until it comes to rest at its single point of stability. Pretty neat. Allegedly it's the world's first self-righting object with consistent density (Weebles don't count because of their weighted bottoms). You can get your hands on a plastic one like in the picture, but it'll run you a staggering $1,300 and change. More if you want one with a collectible serial number. I guess you're paying for all the R&D that went into the thing. However I'll sell you a signed 4 x 5" color glossy photo of myself for only $100. I too only have a single stable position – passed out on the Lay-Z-Boy with no shirt on, a hand down my pants, and a beer resting on my belly. Which is what the picture is of. I still have a bunch left over after sending out Christmas cards.
Note: If someone finds a good video of the thing in action that I can embed give me a holler, there's a couple video links off their website showing it, but they were lacking.
UPDATE: Video added after the jump (thanks Chaz). You can kind of see the thing rolling around on a table from a distance, but that's about it.
Continue Reading " Gömböc, The Self-Righting Piece Of Plastic "
Dec 10 2007 Not A Good Idea: Tick Tock Timebomb Clock
The Tick Tock Timebomb Clock looks like a bunch of trinitrotoluene sticks wrapped together with a detonator (which is actually a little analog clock). It doesn't seem like a good idea. Especially not to ship to anyone or take on an airplane. Thankfully it's only a conceptual prototype from demented artist Mark A. Regelman II. Hopefully if it reaches market it'll undergo a design change and look less like a bomb and more like a Hello Kitty Clock.
this clock is dyn-o-mite! [technabob]
Dec 10 2007 eRazer Erases Your 'Naughty Files' For Good
The Drive eRazer is a stand alone device (so you don't need a functioning computer to use it) capable of erasing all the files on a drive by writing a data pattern over the entire disk. It costs $100 and can clean a 250GB drive in just short of two hours. For an extra $50 you can get one that makes multiple passes on the disk and writes random characters over the whole thing. You know, I'd consider one if I my current girlfriend was any smarter and I was worried about her discovering any of the "private pictures" I have on the computer. Fortunately for me she doesn't know what the hell a computer is. Just yesterday she mistook my laptop for a waffle maker. Luckily I caught her before she poured any batter.
WiebeTech Drive eRazer [ohgizmo]
Dec 10 2007 Batman Belt Lacks Batarangs, Everything Else
The Batman Belt Buckle is a device that keeps your pants at an appropriate height so you don't expose yourself to others. It costs $20. Unfortunately it lacks all the cool features that would make a Batman Belt cool. Like Batarangs or Bat-bolas. Good thing I read that before spending a hard earned Andrew Jackson, because I would have been pissed. The cheap bastards could have at least included a grappling hook. This whole affair is really making me question the legitimacy of the Wonder Woman Lasso of Truth I ordered from them. I think the crooked bastards may have just sent me a spray-painted bullwhip.
There's also an antique version available, in case you want more of a Steampunk Batman look. There's a picture of that one after the jump if you're having trouble imagining a brass version of the one above.
Continue Reading " Batman Belt Lacks Batarangs, Everything Else "
Dec 10 2007 New Wine Holder Necklace Lacks Class
The Wine Holder Necklace costs $25 for two and holds a regular sized stemmed glass with a stupid looking lanyard.
Keep your hands free at parties by keeping your wine close at heart! This clever little clip with adjustable strap holds a regular-size stemmed glass to your chest, giving you the freedom to snack and socialize as you sip!
They failed to mention that it helps you achieve the look of a total freaking idiot. I will admit though: when I get drunk I do tend to forget where I left my drink. At a holiday party over the weekend I ended up accusing the host of hiding it from me and punched him in the teeth. Turns out it was in my other hand the whole time! Silly me.
Wine Glass Holder Necklace, Keeping Your Wine Close At Heart [uberreview]
