Sep 22 2009 Toy Teaches Children About Life And Death
Now I'm not saying this is the best way to explain to your daughter what happened to Mr. Fluffernutter, I'm just saying I can't think of a better one. Your parents: be thankful I'm not one of them. EXCEPT I TOTALLY AM. Your other father and I made you!
Thanks to Yopoleo, who made has never run over anything but the time limit when giving an acceptance speech.
Sep 10 2009 Military Experimenting With Airless Tires
We've known about airless tires for a while now here on Geekologie, but now the US military is getting involved and testing them sums of beaches out on some of their vehicles. But not their tanks -- they don't have any air to begin with, silly!
The advantages of airless tires are obvious: they can't be punctured and they never go flat. But it clearly takes a lot of science to get the proper material that can stand up to the pressure of a multi-ton military vehicle sitting on top of it.
Nice, military, but how about some REAL airless tires. I'm talking about hover wheels, bitches! I know that shit exists, we stole the technology from the aliens. GET OUT OF MY HEAD GOVERNMENT! Quick, somebody Reynolds Wrap me, STAT!
May 21 2009 Dunlop Sponsored Car Sets Loopty-Loop Record, There's A Loopty-Loop Record?
Dunlop, in a move to prove that their tires won't explode even while upside-down, made a giant loopty-loop and had some tiny car ride through it. Not much more to say, except I could have done two consecutive loops. On fire. While banging a dinosaur. In the backseat.
Loop-the-Loop Dunlop World Record [metro]
Thanks to Andy, who once rode a roller coaster with his hands up the whole time.
Apr 21 2009 How To Mount A Tire Using Starter Fluid
This isn't a new concept so you may have already seen it done. And if you have, congratulations, you just won a Geekologie t-shirt. Just leave an 'OLD!' message and your home address in the comments and I'll open a checking account in your name get that right out. For the rest of you, this a video showing how to mount a tire on a rim using starter fluid. And according to my calculations, it has the perfect fire:danger ratio to make it worth trying yourself. But remember: there's no such thing as too much lighter fluid. Or, place like home. *click click click* Wow, forgot how much I hate it here.
Flickr (different video)
and
Youtube
Thanks to Michael, who once rotated Optimus Prime's tires in exchange for a ride.
Mar 16 2009 TA-DA!: Hubless Motorcycle Runs On Magic
This is a motorcycle with hubless wheels. Unfortunately, due to my tiny, dinosaur(loving) brain, I'm incapable of understanding how such future technology works. So this is when I copy/paste some quotes and wait for the next meteor to hit.
Hubless wheels work by fixing the rotating parts (brake ring, bearings, hubless rim) onto the outer side of a non-rotating inner ring that attaches to the motorcycle's swingarm or forks.
Advantages include decreased unsprung weight, reduced structural stress (no spokes to transmit forces through), increased braking leverage, more accurate steering, reduced vibration and a lower center of gravity.
Well hot damn! Let me just grab my leathers and we'll hit the road. I get to ride on the back though -- I'm rocking my chaps commando style. Hey, car behind me, get a load of this sexy ass! Haha, I know where you're going -- straight to BONERTOWN, USA! Oh, looks like you naturally swerve a little to the left.
Hit the jump for more pictures and a video of the magical wheels.
Continue Reading " TA-DA!: Hubless Motorcycle Runs On Magic "
Feb 12 2009 The Universe Is Apparently A Big Metal Donut
And all along I thought was a little plastic danish. Shows you how much I know (read: everything). So yeah, ghost of Karl Sagan: I know you're reading this, feel free to chime in and back me up whenever you want.
At first, this polished object looks like an ordinary ring. But it's much more than that. This is a model of the universe, which, according to one increasingly popular theory, is not flat, circular, spherical or saddle-shaped, but more like a "3-torus," or doughnut shape. It's also a whole lot bigger then you may have imagined.
Look closer, and you'll notice a minuscule speck on this model. It looks like a tiny flaw at first, but upon closer inspection, you'll see it's a precise wine glass shape. That's us. The tiny area depicts the known universe, showing a timeline of its entire life, from the Big Bang starting at the glass's stem, expanding to where we live today.
I get it -- so what they're saying is that the known universe is a wine lover. So do you think it's a Merlot fan or more of a Chardonnay kind of universe? Mad Dog 20/20, huh? Awh yeah, I knew I was living here for good reason! Now stop hogging the bottle, Universe, Jesus you're a boozehound.
Mind-boggling model of the doughnut-shaped universe makes you feel really small [dvice]
Jan 28 2009 Make Your Own LEGO Valve Steam Caps
Want to make your own LEGO valve stem caps for your full-scale LEGO car? No problem. Take a LEGO block, hollow it out, glue in a regular cap, and PRESTO, some jerk steals them within the first week. Which reminds me, remember when you used to steal the hood ornaments off luxury cars and wear them as a necklace? Well I still do that.
Hit the jump for another picture in case you're dying to know what one looks like on the inside (who isn't?!)
Oct 30 2008 Why?: The Samsonite O(MGWTFBBQ)BAG
The Samsonite OBAG is a rolling suitcase in which the two compartments remain level with the ground while the unit is pulled along. Because, let's face it, dizzy clothes are unhappy clothes. It can also easily be dragged up stairs or thrown down an elevator shaft. Unfortunately, high maneuverability comes at a cost: namely storage space. There isn't any. You might as well just pack a tire instead -- that's what I do. Leaves my clothes smelling nice and rubbery. Oh, and what's this -- hello spinner hubcap! *BLING*
Hit the jump for a bunch more pics.
Jun 30 2008 Buzzball Could Be Fun, Could Be Pukey
Evento's Buzzball is is a giant ball with a seat in it that's being hailed as a one-person roller coaster.
At the heart of the Buzzball is a dual motor configuration, enabling the pilot to control the motion and direction of travel via left and right control triggers, which provides power to the driving wheels.The amount of power applied to each wheel will determine the direction the Buzzball moves.
Once the Buzzball is in motion the pod maintains an upright position until the pilot turns, causing the pod to rotate inside the ball against the direction of travel, which applies a braking force and the pod to lock with the ball. This causes the pod to rotate with the ball until the weight of the pilot and pod overcomes the inertia forces and causes the Buzzball to change direction.
This is when the fun starts, as the speed will affect the degree of rotation of the pilot and pod from a partial barrel roll to complete and multiple rotations!
Okay, so let me give it to you in layman's terms: You get in this giant freaking ball, pull some levers and shit, and the next thing you know you're puking, and, oh God, drowning in a creek. Now that's what I call a good time.
Hit the jump for a video of the ball in action.
Apr 23 2008 Exhaust Jack Takes The Work Out Of Jacking
So you got a flat tire, what do you do? Call AAA for help? Make out with your passenger? Cry and punch the steering wheel? Or do you get out there and change the damn thing? You know, changing a tire really wouldn't be that bad if the jacks that come with cars weren't the biggest pieces of shit ever made. Well thankfully, now there's an easier way. Introducing the Exhaust Air Jack ($130). You just throw the orange bag under the car's lift point, attach the hose to your exhaust pipe, and presto, you burnt your hands because you forgot to let the pipe cool before touching it. Not sure if inhaling the bag afterward makes you talk funny like helium, but my guess is no, unless that's how dead people sound.
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]
Aug 8 2007 Tweel Airless Tires
Michelin has developed a new airless tire that looks pretty freaking sweet - the Tweel. Tires without air you say? I didn't believe it myself (and still don't really), but allegedly they're real. Tweel you say? Yeah, about that. They look more like Bladez, or Razorz to me. Or maybe just Batmobile wheels. But whatever the case, they still have a long way to go to top my cinderblock tires. They fit every make and model, and look great on all the cars in my yard. Just ask my neighbors, they love them.
Thanks to vanman for the tip. One more picture of someone parking like my girlfriend after the jump.
