A Cool Gadget

In case you’re looking to geek out your 4th of July BBQ, here’s an idea for you- make mushroom burgers that look like the 1-up mushrooms in Super Mario Bros. After all of the Mario-themed cakes and cupcakes and whatnot, it’s refreshing to see someone branch out into the savory realm.

Instructables user momo! created this masterpiece and describes the process right here. She dyed the bun with food coloring and made the spots out of mozzarella circles.

What I like about this most is that the burger is actually a mushroom burger so it doesn’t just look like a 1-up mushroom, it tastes like one too. Of course if you’re more of a traditionalist you could go with cow flesh and just top it with some mushrooms. Regardless, I think a plate of spotty green buns would be a definite head-turner at any event. Especially if you happen to wear overalls, a cap, and an oversized mustache.

[via CraftyCrafty]

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The Icon Watch is a simple, clean design that celebrates the days of 8-bit graphics.

While the watch was designed by Japanese design firm & design back in 2005, it only recently became available for purchase at MOMA. They only sell the black and white version, but a white-on-white version is also in production, according to & design’s website.

The watch is made of an ABS and stainless steel body with a polyurethane band. Pick one up for $75 from the MOMA store. Although, with those chunky watch hands, it looks like most of your time-telling would be at best an approximation.

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If you thought the Mini Cooper was small enough already, get a load of these Mini Mini Cooper flash memory devices.

The Mini drives are the latest wacky USB devices to hit the streets. Each one is a 1:48 scale replica of an actual Mini. And just like a real Mini, you won’t be able to fit your luggage in there - but you will be able to store thousands of images, MP3s or a couple of videos.

And if the car flash drive wasn’t cool enough, check out what happens when you dock it with your computer. The headlights light up! Sweet.

If you’re wondering why the ones in the images above don’t look like today’s Minis, that’s because Vavolo will be shipping a variety of designs, including the retro Austin Mini pictured above, a rally Mini and (my personal favorite) a Mini police car, designed for transporting really tiny criminals.

Expect the Mini USB Flash drives to ship this August from Vavolo.

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Remember the ape/monolith scene from Kubrick’s classic 2001:A Space Odyssey? Apparently these apes didn’t get the memo that it wasn’t an Odyssey [console] at all, but actually an Atari 2600.

This imaginative t-shirt by Akron, Ohio illustrator psychoreindeer reimagines that fateful monkey moment with a gigantic Atari joystick in place of the big black slab. According to reindeer, in addition to the schmancy silkscreened artwork, the t-shirt “comes with two sleeves and a even a hole to stick your head through”. Bonus!

While the apes in the film might not have understood the meaning of the monolith (not to mention most of us who sat through the nearly 3-hour long movie either), the primates on this t-shirt probably spent the rest of the day debating between a round of Pitfall or River Raid once they found the joystick.

I guess we now know why apes have opposable thumbs.

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We live in a world of extremes. At the same time that everyone is trying to get their hands on the largest LCD TV that they can possibly fit in their living rooms, some gadgets just keeps getting smaller and smaller. Take, for instance this teensy palm-sized helicopter.

Measuring in at just 4.65 inches long, the minuscule MX-1 chopper takes the crown for the Worlds Smallest remote-controlled helicopter (besting its closest competition, which measures in at about 6-inches long).

It’s actually so small that it stows inside of its own recharger/remote control when not in flight - and the remote fits in your pocket. The body of the copter is built from durable EPP foam, which should keep it safe and sound even if you do bump it into your ceiling. There’s even a little flashing blue LED on the helicopter so you can fly it with the lights switched off.

Ready to hit the skies? The tiny MX-1 is available now over at ThinkGeek, and priced at $49.99 USD.

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I’m kind of an insomniac, so I don’t usually oversleep. But for those of you who like to hit the snooze bar 10 times before waking up, even though you’ve absolutely got to be awake on time, this super-loud alarm clock should do the trick.

The Screaming Meanie 220 portable alarm clock offers three settings: normal (75dB), loud (95dB), and earsplitting (120dB). To put those decibel levels in perspective, the lowest setting is as loud as a vacuum cleaner. If you happen to crank it up to the highest level, you’re somewhere between sitting in the front row of a rock concert and sitting in front of a jet engine. And just to make sure you don’t oversleep, there’s 5 and 10 minute “pre-alarms” which remind you that the REAL alarm is coming. While you can turn off the pre-alarm with a single button press, you need to press three buttons at once to shut off the main alarm.

While they’re certainly not pretty to look at, I can pretty much assure you that you won’t sleep past the buzzer with one of these things. So if you’re ready to be jarred awake, you can find one at the Perfect Present for about $36 (including shipping).

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Awwww. What could be more adorable than these plush little versions of classic Nintendo characters?

The only thing even more sickeningly sweet than the little squishy Mario is this plush and huggable mini-Yoshi.

All of these plush little guys are handcrafted by Kelley of LittleElfToyshop using a technique called needle felting. Her Nintendo creations are made from 100% wool, and despite their delicate look, they’re designed to last for years (so long as you don’t let the dog use them as a chew toy).

You can find Mario, Yoshi, and these Luma Stars along with some other fun handmade creations at LittleElfsToyshop on Etsy.

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I’m a sucker for lightsabers. Sure, I’d really like to have an authentic one that could sear off limbs or disintegrate your foes in a single swipe, but as an inhabitant of the real world, I generally have to settle for cheap toys instead. Now your Nintendo DS can get in on the action thanks to these little saber-inspired styli.

The officially licensed lightsabers are perfect for playing games on your DS, especially for a round of Lego Star Wars (or maybe you can just save them until The Force Unleashed hits this September). While they’re too big to fit into your DS’ stylus slot, it’s a small price to pay to have the coolest stylus on the block.

You can pick up a 3-pack of the standard ones for $7.99, but you really should drop the $16.99 on a pair of the ones that actually light up thanks to LED blades. Sweet.

[via View From Heaven via GoNintendo]

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Sure, we’ve all seen plenty of iPod docking stereos, but by and large, they’re pretty much made out of plastic or metal. So what do you do if you’d rather have something a little more organic? Why not check out these nifty wooden iPod docks out of Japan.

monoDO’s new STACK iPod docks are made out of natural hardwoods, making them ideal for those who’d rather cut down a tree or two instead of make something out of plastics. Eh, to each his/her own, I say. Sound is provided by a pair of 1-watt per channel amplified speakers, concealed behind perforations in the wood.

STACK docks come in either American Walnut (iPod Classic/5G or Nano 3G) as well as Scandanavian Birch (iPod Nano 3G). Prices range from ¥9,800 ($92 USD) to ¥10,800 ($102 USD).

At this point, I haven’t been able to source these outside of Japan, but hopefully somebody out there will bring ‘em stateside soon. For now, you’ll just have to check out the monoDO site for more info (just brush up on your Katakana beforehand).

[via Tendance]

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Get Grandma to work on this hand-knitted Transformers washcloth and you can wipe your face with that lovable logo each night before bed.

You can get the pattern here, although since I don’t understand knitting terminology it might as well be in Japanese, which as we know I also don’t understand too well. The photo is from zakkalife, who made this specimen for her 5-year-old and who is currently ruminating on the idea of making a whole bunch of these and putting them together into a blanket.

Knitting your kids novelty washcloths by hand, eh? What a super lady. My mom made me use regular washcloths like everyone else. I didn’t even realize how deprived I was as a child until just now. In fact, I’m only sharing this with you because I am certain that a Transformers washcloth is very likely that one thing that’s been missing in your life, preventing you from attaining true happiness and fulfillment. So, you’re welcome.

[via Craft:]

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