archive for November, 2007

speakers not worth the paper they’re printed on

Xenics Music Cube Cardboard Speakers

Now I’ve seen some cheap speakers in my days, but even the chintziest ones I’ve seen were at least made out of plastic. Not these. These ones are fabricated from thick paper stock.

Xenics Music Cube M speakers offer up some truly low-fidelity sound thanks to their flimsy cardboard construction. Heck, they don’t even come…

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November 30th, 2007 comments (2) stumble it! digg it! author: technabob

filed under: audio strange + wonderful

on/off coffee mug

On Off Mug

This simple, clever mug automatically indicates its current state of mind when you pour a hot beverage into it.

In its dormant state, the mug offers a black “OFF” display, but once your hot coffee or tea hits the inside, it gradually transforms to read “ON”. A heat sensitive pigment changes the color of the…

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November 30th, 2007 comments (19) stumble it! digg it! author: technabob

filed under: design just plain fun

etree el lamp: make like a tree and get out of here

ETree Electroluminescent Lamp

This amazing floor lamp uses strands of brilliant electroluminescent tubes to form into an nearly infinite number of flowing organic shapes.

Designed by Jesus Felipe and Silvia Grimaldi of UK-based Nimble Critters, the ETree lamp is more of an interactive sculpture than simply a lamp. Each of the light’s 10 bluish-green “branches” can be bent…

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November 30th, 2007 comments (2) stumble it! digg it! author: technabob

filed under: design interactive

tiny video players make me squint

Mini Video Players

Don’t you find it odd that on one hand, our LCD and Plasma TV screens can never be big enough, but on the other hand, gadgets are getting smaller screens all the time.

This new pair of video players are about the size of a credit card, and offer up video on teeny tiny screens.…

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November 29th, 2007 comments (3) stumble it! digg it! author: technabob

filed under: gadgets mobile tech video

antique camera conceals webcam

Retro Webcam

Looking at its boxy leatherette exterior, you might think this was an old camera from the 1920s or 30s. But you’d be wrong. In fact, it’s a digital webcam that you can hook up to your computer for capturing video.

The RetroCam connects to any PC via USB and mini cables (for audio). The camera…

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November 29th, 2007 comments stumble it! digg it! author: technabob

filed under: computing digital imaging retro

philippe starck wrapped watches: analog gets modern

Phillipe Starck Wrapped Watches by Fossil

The latest watches from renowned French designer Philippe Starck may look incredibly modern at first glance, but their roots are firmly grounded in analog technology.

Starck’s new Wrapped watches feature an electroplated face which conceals almost the entirety of the watch hands. A small sliver of the hands shows through an open ring in the…

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November 29th, 2007 comments (3) stumble it! digg it! author: technabob

filed under: design timepieces

nes parts get the chocolate treatment

NES Chocolates

Handmade by eBay seller buttlesscutlass98 (great name, eh?) these milk chocolate bars are cast in the perfect likeness of an NES controller and cartridge.

Now I’ll be the first to say that I’d be a little wary of handmade chocolates for sale on eBay (by a guy with buttless in his name especially), but if…

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November 28th, 2007 comments (1) stumble it! digg it! author: technabob

filed under: strange + wonderful video games

guitar hero hits the commodore 64

Shredz64 Guitar Hero on Commodore 64

If you’ve never bothered to get out of the 80’s and upgrade from that old Commodore 64, it turns out you don’t have to miss out on modern video games. Heck, why shouldn’t you be able to play Guitar Hero on your C64?

Toni Westbrook’s Shredz64 project aims to interface a Playstation GH controller with a…

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November 28th, 2007 comments (14) stumble it! digg it! author: technabob

filed under: hacks + mods retro video games

mario gets the etch-a-sketch treatment

Etch a Sketch Mario by the Etch-a-Sketchist

You’ve gotta hand it to the Etch-A-Sketchist. The stuff he’s able to pull off with his little red sketch toy always blows my mind. One of his latest creations is everyone’s favorite little plumber, Mario.

Other recent drawings from the master of metallic filings include such pop icons as Hall and Oates, Master Chief, and…

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November 27th, 2007 comments (5) stumble it! digg it! author: technabob

filed under: just plain fun video games

fortune cookie usb drives save memories (in bed)

Vavolo Fortune Cookie USB Flash Drives

Don’t expect to crack these fortune cookies open to predict your future. Just like the real deal, they don’t taste very good either. But they will store your files and keep them safe.

The latest in the “Freshly Baked” series of USB flash storage devices from Vavolo, the fortune cookies come in both 1GB ($29.99)…

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November 27th, 2007 comments (5) stumble it! digg it! author: technabob

filed under: gadgets just plain fun

ipod catches fire

iyule

For those of us in Northern climates, there’s not much worse than standing outside waiting for the bus in the freezing cold. Sometimes your coat, scarf and gloves just aren’t enough to keep you warm. So I’m pleased to tell you about the latest in portable fireplace technology, the iYule.

While it actually won’t keep…

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November 27th, 2007 comments stumble it! digg it! author: technabob

filed under: just plain fun media players

u27 space capsule media player splashes down

U27 550 Speaker System

With a name like U27, this all-in-one desktop audio system may sound like some sort of old German submarine, but its looks are clearly inspired more by Apollo 13 than by Das Boot.

The system combines both an MP3 player and a compact speaker system in a single conical device. Just plug it into an outlet,…

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November 27th, 2007 comments stumble it! digg it! author: technabob

filed under: media players