WASD Keyboards uses Cherry MX mechanical switches, so after creating your design you’ll choose the color and type of switch you want. You can also order a dampener if you don’t want the trademark clicking sound that mechanical keyboards make. You can also choose the font of the text on each key and whether the text will be engraved or lasered in. If you really want to get creative you can upload your own design or even send custom art for each of the keys.

Above is my design for a Technabob-themed keyboard; you can see more at WASD Keyboard’s website or have a look at the gallery below for more user-created designs.

Head to WASD Keyboards to design and order your own V1 Custom Mechanical Keyboard. Prices start at $140 (USD). The company also sells a Semi-Custom version of the keyboard, which is still brimming with tweakable specs.

[via Gamerfront via The Red Ferret Journal]

The Zen Table has two sizes – a coffee table measuring 56″ x 39″ x 19.5″ and a smaller desktop version measuring 13″ x 9.5″ x 2 1/2″. Both are made of bamboo and equipped with an SD card slot and a USB cable. The SD card slot is for the bundled SD card which will have several programs that instruct the table’s electronics to create patterns, but you can also send commands from a computer to the table via USB.

In addition, the coffee table version can also be equipped with a 3G modem that will allow it to receive new designs, as well as allow the user to control the table from an Android or iOS app that Hallam is currently developing. That means you can have the Zen Table write messages to people at the table or have it draw naughty images when your parents have a visitor. The possibilities are frightening. Here’s a demo of the Zen Table in contemplative action:

Here it creates something more modern:

Fancy eh? Kickstarter supporters thought so as well. Hallam put up a fundraiser on the crowdfunding website and was able to exceed his original target. I’m not sure when and for how much the final products will be sold, but the people who pledged at least $499 (USD) on the project are eligible for a kit containing the parts for the desktop version of the Zen Table, while $749 got them the same model but fully assembled. Two people pledged at least $4,999 to get their own coffee table Zen Table and one rich and lucky person shelled out at least $7,499 to get the 3G version of the coffee table. Meanwhile I’m still waiting for the iZen Garden app to go on sale for less than $5.99.

Head to Hallam’s YouTube channel to check out more videos of the Zen Table in action.

[Kickstarter via The Awesomer]

Mouserugs look a lot like the actual thing because they’re basically miniature scale models of fancy oriental rugs. FiberLok, the company who makes them, photographs and scans actual rugs as the basis for their product. If a scanned rug happens to have a defect or imperfection, the resulting Mouserug will have it as well. The designs are not printed on the rugs; each one of the millions of nylon microfibers that make up each Mouserug is dyed with the needed color for added authenticity.

I want that Tibetan Tiger Rug. I’m sure my mouse would love it. Mouserugs sell for about $19(USD); you can order at Firebox or directly from their official website. I’m not sure if they’re all the same size, but Firebox says that the three models that they’re selling (there are tons more at the official website) measure 9.8″ x 7.1″. I also suggest you get one of these.

The watch is digital, and has a dual-zone time LCD face with date, alarms, timer, tachometer, pedometer and a “sailing option,” though it’s not clear what added info that mode displays. Proceeds from sales of the watch will be put toward the restoration program of music milestones at the GRAMMY Museum, so at least it’s for a good cause.

The I-Gucci GRAMMY special edition watch sells for $1,395(USD) over at the Gucci online store. There are other models starting at a “low” price of $1,250 and going up to $7,900 for the diamond encrusted one.

[via Pursuitist via Ubergizmo]

Aside from looking neat, the lights also serve another purpose. As you’ll see in the video below, the blinking animation gets slower as the battery of the device being charged nears its capacity, finally fading out when charging is complete.

The Dexim Visible USB cables are available on Amazon, but for some reason the USB-to-micro-USB models are being sold for $60 (USD) – way more expensive than the iOS-compatible variants, which are priced at $15-$20. So if you have an Android phone or any other device that has a micro-USB charging port, you should consider importing one from Sanwa Direct(JP) instead.

[via Digital Trends]

Made by artist and photographer Mishka Henner, the width of each page in Astronomical represents a distance of 1 million kilometers (about 621,000 miles). Naturally it begins with the sun in the first two pages of volume 1. The rest of the books are nothing but blackness, interspersed with the planets where appropriate. The picture above shows the Earth – we’re on page 155 of volume 1. Meanwhile Pluto is on the 6,000th page of the set. Perhaps there are aliens lurking in the other pages.

This read-through really drives the point of the collection home:

Believe it or not, you can actually buy your own copy of Astronomical for your own bookshelf. Contact Mishka and he’ll gladly make you a whole set for £100 (~$157 USD). Honestly I think we just need the one set and any more would be a waste of paper, but that’s just my two cents.

[via io9 & CultureLab via Laughing Squid]

This over-the-top looking setup gives you a comfy ergonomic leather seating unit with touch-screen controls, and a view to kill with three computer displays positioned just right for you to lean back and enjoy. The whole thing is motorized too, so you can adjust the angle of your environment without getting up out of your chair. It’s also got a work surface for a keyboard and mouse, and the monitors can be positioned at a flat eye-level if you want to get some work done.

They system wraps you entirely in its scorpion like design, ensuring an immersive experience equaled only by strapping on a super high-def head-mounted display (which doesn’t exist today.) Each LED-backlit LCD screen is a full 24″ display, with HD resolution, and they all connect up to your computer via a set of three HDMI cables. It’s also got built-in LED lighting both above and below the seating area, and a THX surround sound system. Each one is hand-built to your exact requirements, and even has an air filtration system on board.

MWE offers the Emperor 200 in other colors, so if white isn’t your thing, you can go with something a little bolder like red or black – which makes the whole scorpion thing much more effective. Priced at a whopping $44,750 (USD), this thing is definitely the Porsche of computer workstations. Though for that price, they should throw in a computer with the proper display cards an Xbox 360 and a PS3. The chair should have a massager too. Really, how much would that eat into their profit margins to throw those in?

If $45k is too rich for your blood, you might want to check out MWE’s “bargain priced” Emporer 1510, which does away with the fancy finishes and touchscreen remote, (plus you need to BYO displays), but is considerably more accessible with prices starting at “just” $6,200.

The iConvert measures 12.1″x 4.4″x 2.8″ and weighs only 1.44 lbs., but it’s powered by an AC adapter so it’s not as portable as the iPad. As you’d expect, you need to download a complementary app to use the iConvert, but aside from that it seems like there’s no other setup required. It’ll scan documents between 2″ to 8½” wide, with the usual preview, save and delete options. And it has that neat animation where the document looks like it’s going into the tablet. Take that, desktop scanner!

Head to Brookstone to pre-order the iConvert for $150 (USD). I like that it’s easy to setup and extends the functionality of the iPad, but I still think it’s overpriced. But that’s because I rarely need to scan documents.

[via Cult of Mac via SlashGear]

Aside from the iPod/iPhone dock, the I931X can play MP3 files over its two 15W speakers via USB or SD/MMC storage devices or through a device plugged into its auxiliary 3.5mm input jack. It also has an alarm clock function. So hip-hop. Thankfully, it still retains its granddaddy’s AM/FM radio function and headphone and microphone inputs. It can be powered via AC, but like all boomboxes it can also be powered by batteries.

Put on your your fingerless gloves and head to Lasonic’s Veentage to order the I931X Limited for €284 (~$366 USD). Or not; it’s currently sold out but the shop promises to have 50 more units available by the end of January. I’m sure those will sell out fast as well so keep checking that link if you really want your own unit. But if you’re willing to settle for a less shiny unit, you can always get the I931X Classic, which is slightly cheaper at €249-€269 (~$321-$347 USD).

[via Fancy]

The tech was developed by New Zealand-based fireplace manufacturer Escea and is currently available in their two latest models, the DX1500 and DL850. Both fireplaces can be operated remotely by an iOS app – shown above – eliminating the need for a dedicated remote control or any conjuring skills. An Android app is also being developed. Both models can also be integrated with home automation systems.

The list of character-building activities continues to dwindle. What’s next, an app that pitches tents? I would buy that. I have built my character using weakness and resignation.

[via Design Milk]

But you can be the king (or queen) of your very own throne, albeit the octopus kind.

Maximo Riera’s handmade leather Octopus Chair is sort of creepy, but it does have a certain look and feel to it that reminds me of thrones – or a chair for an evil supervillain.

But keep in mind though: having this piece of furniture won’t bring you any prestige, though you might gain some fame as being the loony person who bought a chair with an upholstered octopus for about $53,550 (USD).

And if you can afford such a thing, then I doubt you’re after the “riches” part of being royal.

[via Oh Gizmo!]

The Empty Memory drives come in two variants, each with its own subtle visual trick to indicate vacuity. The Structure only has an outline of a body while the Transparency is, you know, transparent. The functional part of the flash drives take up only a small part of the whole thing.

The message is supposed to be that you’re going to fill that emptiness with your own memory, a metaphor that fails when you consider that the drives don’t change appearance when the drives are no longer empty. But still, they’re really nice to look at. I particularly like looking at the shot with the Structure drive plugged-in.

Logical Art’s online shop is now accepting pre-orders for the drives, which by the way are cast from stainless steel, hand-polished and finished in various colors. If the title didn’t already clue you in, that previous sentence should prepare you for their price tags. The drives are only available in 4GB capacity and sell for £48 (~$73 USD) for the standard stainless steel finish and £60 (~$92 USD) for the gold or rhodium variants. I know, you could get a 1TB external drive for just a few dollars more, but will it have the fancy illusion? And can you wear your terabyte drive as a pendant? I didn’t think so, peasant.

[via Logical Art via MoCo Loco]

The madness didn’t stop there: other items auctioned off by Snail Games “included a sheath for Hook of Departure which was sold for $1,600 whilst a a Lordly Spear Sheath fetched $2,500. Other relatively modest purchases were made with pre-paid time cards amounting to just $15 whilst enhancement materials went for a mere $30.Meanwhile, rare mount that characters can take advantage of in the game cost an estimated $70 during the sale.” Suddenly that Diablo 3 Auction House makes a lot more sense.

…

Seriously though, how did we get to this? Are we that bored and sheltered that our priorities are now so skewed and misplaced? Or does that sword deal one-hit kills while leaving a trail of unicorn-riding strips of bacon in its wake?

[via Daily Mail via Slash Gear]

The simply-named GamePad by 60beat looks a lot like a PS3 controller – down to the button layout– except with odd smudges on the case. It works with the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch and requires no battery because it’s plugged into the headphone jack.

I’m sorry sir, but this is a classic controller. Now, the GamePad seems like a decent peripheral for the dedicated iOS gamer right? Not really. Or not yet, at least. The video didn’t mention two of the GamePad’s weaknesses. First of all, it’s currently only compatible with two games. TWO. If you’re not into Aftermath or Bugdom 2, the GamePad is not for you. That’s a niche of a niche of a niche market right there. And even if you were into those two games, you still have to justify the controller’s price – 60beat is selling it for $50 (USD). It’s a great idea but I think we should all pass on this one until more games support it.

[via Joystiq]

Are they actually made of rocks? I’m not sure, but the description sure implies that that is the case: “Each luminous stone is crafted and finished by hand to make it appear like a real stone as found in nature! The only difference is that this stone emits a wonderful soft ambient light.” And it looks like a radioactive sperm cell with its cable exposed.

Their prices are rock sculpture-ish as well – Nova68 is selling the ambient rock lights for $295 (USD) to $635 depending on the size of the rock; light bulb not included. I really am intrigued by these lamps; it’s a shame we don’t have more images or videos of them. I mean, at those prices these can’t be just papier-mache or plastic cases can they?

[via Fancy]

This road-worthy Batmobile replica was built with a 3.5 Liter GM350 Crate engine and comes complete with a rocket exhaust flamethrower. It makes you wonder how that passed the DMV inspection. It also has roll-top dashboard doors, a flashing red beacon, a Bat Phone, an automatic Batbeam antenna grid and a glowing Detect-a-Scope radar screen, whatever those are.

The Batmobile’s 280hp engine will take you from 0-to-60 in 5 seconds, and to a top speed of 90mph (better hope the criminals can’t outrun you.) Oh yeah, and it gets 9 miles per gallon, so you’ll be heading to the Bat Gas Station frequently. You can get yours directly from Firebox for the low price of £120,000 (~$188,000 USD). Enough said!

[via Jay Mug]

The Spiral Clock was designed by Will Aspinall and Neil Lambeth. The unusual face of the clock has a red ball which indicates the current time. The ball starts by dropping into the outer part of the spiral, and then the spiral rotates slowly over the course of 12 hours, gradually moving the ball closer and closer to the center. Eventually, when 12 hours have passed, the ball drops through the hole in the center, and the whole process starts again. While it sounds kind of weird, time-telling is actually quite intuitive – if not the most precise of exercises.

It’s a pretty ingenious design if I do say so, and definitely not like any other clock I’ve seen. Each Spiral Clock is made from an aluminum body, and the spiral itself is made from cast resin. The image you see above is from the first-generation Spiral Clock, but the guys who designed it are working on a new version called the “Equitime”, expected out in early 2012. The reason for the upgrade is that it was very difficult to read the time during the 11th hour. The new version fixes this problem by changing the number spacing, and also is quieter than the original model an it’s “frog-like croaking sounds.”

Now the only other problem is that the Equitime will cost £499 (~$782 USD), so most of us won’t be buying one any time soon. If you are interested in securing one, head on over to The Spiral Clock website for more info.

[via Reddit via SuperPunch]

Apparently, NAO can also walk and learn to handle different surfaces via its built-in algorithms. The new model has a 1.6 GHz Intel processor (located in its head) and a secondary CPU in its torso. It has four microphones to track sounds and runs speech recognition software as well. Its two 30fps HD cameras will scan its environment for obstacles and also recognize faces and shapes. In addition, the robot’s movements have also been optimized so that it can avoid collisions. There are also capacitive sensors on the top of the robot’s head, allowing users to provide stimuli for Nao to react to.

NAO has prehensile hands, allowing it to grasp objects. It can walk on a variety of different surfaces and it has a ‘fall manager’, which protects the bot when it does fall to the ground. It supports Wi-Fi and is completely programmable. NAO’s built in 27.6 watt-hour battery should keep it running for as much as 90 minutes on a charge.

There’s no word on how much the latest NAO will sell for, but the last-gen model sold for a whopping $15,999 (USD) over at RobotShop. This isn’t surprising given the amount of technology in this little robot – it’s clearly not a toy. At this point NAO is only available for educational and research customers, but there are plans to make it available to (very wealthy) consumers in 2012.

[via PlasticPals]

Made by Slipstream, the mod is 5.75″ wide, 7.75″ long and 1.75″ thick. In funny units, it’s as wide as two Game Boys side-by-side, as long as the original Nintendo 64 console and as thick as something that’s 1.75″ thick. Sorry. The 4.3″ screen has both 16:9 and 4:3 modes, but it also has video and audio out ports if you want to play on a bigger screen. The battery is only good for up to 3 hours of gaming, but it comes with adapters so you can plug the Electus 64 into car chargers and standard outlets.

As you’ll see in the gallery below, the mod also has built-in controller ports. There are heatsinks and a fan inside to keep things cool. You can check out the MbB forums for work-in-progress pics of Electus 64.

Slipstream slipped into his entrepeneur alter ego zeusnpanda and put the Electus 64 up for bid on eBay. It’ll be there for a couple more days and is currently at $749 (USD) as of this writing, with a Buy-It-Now price of $995. I still like a shape and size of a couple of the older mods we’ve featured more than the Electus 64, but its case is really beautiful. It’s probably the second thing that people will notice after they get over its size.

[via Slash Gear]

Stuart Hughes, a site that sells extreme luxury items from mobile phones to furniture to homes and liquor, is now peddling the world’s most expensive smartphone at £6,000,000 (or about $9.4 million.) The easiest way to raise the value of a seemingly ordinary object is to dip it in 24-karat gold, stick more than 500 flawless diamonds on it, then store it inside of a solid platinum chest encrusted with rare gems and tiny chunks of bones from T-Rex (I’m serious, that’s what the product page says) and sell it.

And that’s not the only insanely expensive Apple device that Stuart Hughes has in store. He also has a £5,000,000 ($7.8 million) iPad 2 up for sale on the site that has a frame made from “the oldest rock the world has to offer,” Ammolite.

Fantastic sales talk, but I wonder if anyone’s ever going to fork over that much money for a device that retails for less than a thousand dollars? Hopefully, it’s at least the 3G model.

[via C|Net via Oh Gizmo!]