A Cool Gadget

Since the average work day affords so few opportunities to assert one’s ninja prowess, you can make up for that with these ninja tacks by Chromoly.

They’re designed to look like you’ve just gone through a fit of rage and thrown ninja stars at your bulletin board from across the room. However, it’s all an optical illusion created by their clever design.

All I’m saying is, if you get pushed around at the office, this might be a low-maintenance way to mysteriously imply you have mad secret ninja skills and could snap at any moment. Unfortunately, they’re just a prototype, but hopefully someone will realize how awesome they are and start producing them.

[via DesignBoom]

Share This

I spent a hefty portion of my Memorial Day weekend playing ping pong, so perhaps that’s why this lamp made of hundreds of table tennis balls seems extra appealing to me right now.

The Dutch designer Diaz Kleefstra meticulously put together this hanging lamp so you can have diffuse light while toeing the line between über chic and über geek. It’s called the ‘Bettine’ lamp because it’s named after famous female Dutch table tennis player Bettine Vriesekoop. What’s that? You’ve never heard of her? You mean, you don’t have her commemorative Wheaties box on your collectibles shelf?

They also offer tabletop and floor lamp styles. You can buy the hanging lamp for just under €400 (which is around US$600 at the moment) directly from Studio Kleefstra.

[Doesn’t Captain Kangaroo have one of these in his house? Ed.]

Share This

Ever find the need to use your computer while standing out in the rain? Me neither. While the handful of folks who really need to could drop a few thousand bucks on a military-grade waterproof laptop, here’s a much simpler, brute-force solution for keeping your laptop safe and dry on a rainy day.

Just slip your laptop into one of these oversize plastic sleeves, press the zip seal closed, and it protects your precious portable from the elements. Once your laptop is safely inside the bag, it should resist drips, rainwater and dust (and presumably spills of Red Bull too).

Keep in mind that the design isn’t 100% waterproof, as there are holes in the back to provide ventilation for your computer. That said, I don’t recommend throwing your laptop into the swimming pool in any event.

Japan’s Thanko offers the weather resistant plastic sleeves in two sizes, so most laptops should fit in one or the other. They retail for ¥1980 each (appx. US$20). Now all you have to do is figure out how to read Japanese, and convince them to ship them overseas.

In the mean time, start breaking out some Ziploc freezer bags and see what you can MacGyver together for yourself.

Share This

Not that I think this will really save you in an earthquake, but in case you’re the type of person who likes to be as prepared as humanly possible- I present the S Band EJ, a desktop seismic updater from Sankosha. This little gadget can (supposedly) clue you in to the Richter reading of the current quake at your location and at the epicenter, and also tell you when, and to what degree, the aftershocks will reach you.

I predict that by the time you’ve figured out what your seismic updater is telling you there is a good chance you will already have been crushed by falling debris so I’m not sure this is money well-spent. But if you’d like to know more about this product, I can refer you to the simple and easy-to-read diagram below, which I’m sure will clear up any questions you might have about this product.

OK, what I think we’ve all learned here is that unfortunately it looks like unless you can read Japanese pretty proficiently, ordering/understanding this gizmo online is not going to be a walk in the park. The US $4,200 price tag might also be a slight hindrance for you. But if you’re either a) fluent in Japanese, b) insanely wealthy, c) addicted to potentially useless gadgets, d) terrified of earthquakes, or e) all of the above, then feel free to check out the product page and let me know if I’ve missed any key details.

[via Trends in Japan]

Share This

SwashBot 3 is one crabby lookin’ robot- but most impressively he is 100% homemade. For a scrappy little fellow, he’s got some impressive moves.

SwashBot 3 is the latest RC robot in the SwashBot series, following the cute and crabby SwashBot 1 and the more impersonal, wooden SwashBot 2.

Creator Crabfu, who is also an artist and animator, created SwashBot 3 to be a robotically delicious blend of cuddly, clever, and crabtastic. SwashBot 3’s body is made out of neat moldable plastic pellets called ShapeLock and he has movable LED eyes. He is controlled by a ridiculously large remote control (straight from the Star Trek prop closet) that can move his body and eyes in different directions.

He can’t cook or anything like some other robots I know, but he’s still really cool - especially for that teeny tiny contingent of folks (like myself) who are San Francisco Giants fans of a certain era and remember the much loved/much maligned Crazy Crab. Best. Mascot. Ever.

[via Laughing Squid]

Share This

Sure, you could go install a copy of Stella if you want to play Pitfall on your computer (or any other Atari 2600 game for that matter), but this handy carrying case lets you get up and running without installing any of that pesky software.

Philly textile artist NovellaMarie’s Pitfall laptop case is covered with an intricate needlepoint scene of Activision’s classic platformer.

Oddly enough, the featured scene comes from the Apple IIC version of the game, not the Atari 2600, but I won’t tell if you won’t.

Each handmade bag comes with a sturdy adjustable red shoulder strap, and offers a padded polka-dotted lining to protect your precious laptop (13-inch or smaller models only). You can find the Pitfall laptop bag over on Etsy for $150 USD.

Share This

Ever heard the saying “If these walls could talk”? If this invention ever makes it into production, your walls soon could get a voice of their own. This new technology has the potential to turn just about any surface, including your walls, into a speaker.

Johns Hopkins materials scientist Michaely Yu and his team claim to have invented a material which could allow for piezoelectic sound devices to be placed in areas previously thought to be too challenging.

The invention provides for a resin polymer which possesses piezoelectric properties usually found only in very heavy, brittle materials. If the early findings hold up, the flexible material and could be used to produce a coating which could create speakers embedded into wallpaper or even speakers that could be folded in two.

[Patent Application via New Scientist]

Share This

Oktoberfest may be months away, but that doesn’t mean you can’t start preparing now, does it? If only we could get our grubby little paws on one of these super special Super Mario Brothers 1up ’shroom beer mugs, we’d be ready to belly up to the bar right now.

These old-world Bavarian beer mugs were hand-formed from clay and relief-printed with Mario’s familiar life-giving mushrooms.

Unfortunately, these handcrafted 1up mugs aren’t available in stores, and were only made in a limited edition as gifts for clients of design publication Die Krieger des Lichts (aka Warriors of the Light).

I’ll personally buy a six-pack for the first person who manages to get their hands on one of these and sends it my way.

[Tint via Flickr]

Share This

Perfect for those of you who like a little geek with your chic (or is that the other way around?), this quirky QWERTY keyboard design wallet helps you keep all your personal items in order.

The wallet offers plentiful storage for credit cards, cash, spare change and even a checkbook, but no matter how hard you press on the keys, it still won’t control your computer (although it really should.)

Designed by California indie crafter QuietDoing, the QWERTY pocketbook [$44] is covered with a bold black and white keyboard fabric, coated in clear vinyl (for added durability), and lined with a lime-green and navy-blue vinyl interior.

Guys, don’t despair. The QWERTY wallet isn’t just for the ladies. There’s also a bi-fold men’s version available too [$28].

You can find QWERTY wallets and plenty other clever accessories (I especially like this funky turntablist wallet) over in QuietDoing’s Etsy shop.

[Thanks for the tip, RoadsideScholar!]

Share This

I’d like to send a warm welcome to the latest and greatest member of the Technabob family, Karen Merzenich. Karen has just joined our writing team, bringing her unique viewpoint and wit to the pages of this humble little website.

She joins the Technabob ranks as a contributing author, and will be helping to bring you lots of offbeat and entertaining geek craft, design, and other fun stuff.

Karen is the founder and owner of MailboxTees, a t-shirt subscription service, and writes about tech, design, art, and shopping for the MailboxTees blog.

A former pastry chef, she also writes about food and cooking on off the (meat)hook. People are surprised to learn that this seemingly normal lass is actually a closeted sci-fi geek who has a full-size Galaga arcade game in her guest room, and who spends many a day and night trolling the deepest, darkest corners of the internet for obscure Stargate fan fiction.

Here are just a few of her initial Technabob posts, (with many more to come):

• Humanoid Robot Learns to Make an Omelet
• Legend of Zelda Shoes for all you Link Wannabees
• Control your TV with your Watch; Look Like a Dork

Anyone with a real live Galaga machine in their guest bedroom is cool in my book.

[Be sure to check out Karen’s other websites: MailboxTees, MailboxTees blog, and off the (meat)hook.]

Share This