Technabob » expensive

Custom Zelda: Twilight Princess Shoes: It’s Dangerous to Walk Barefoot, Take These!

Lambert Varias — Tue, 22 May 2012 19:30:09 +0000

…or any other footwear. Walking barefoot can be quite dangerous. But not as dangerous as a walking bear foot. But that’s a fake topic for another fake day. Right now we’re looking at a pair of Vans slip-ons painted with the Hylian shield design from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.

These shoes were made by KyozoKicks, maker of custom footwear with art from games such as Phoenix Wright, Minecraft, Okami, Sonic and more. I actually like all of those more than this design, but unfortunately KyozoKicks isn’t selling those anymore.

The Twilight Princess Vans slip-ons are indeed for sale, but you better have a link to a fat wallet to cop a pair, because KyozoKicks is selling them for the grass-slashing, pot-breaking, chicken-throwing price of $195(USD).

[via Fashionably Geek]

CordLite Illuminated iOS Cable: A Simple Solution for a Very Simple Problem

Lambert Varias — Tue, 22 May 2012 18:30:07 +0000

This is how much technology can coddle us: someone’s come up with a charge and sync device for iOS devices that has built-in LEDs to make it easier to plug it in in the dark. I usually just use my iPhone’s own light or feel which end is which, but why go through such arduous processes when you can buy a solution right?

But even though I think the CordLite is overkill for its intended purpose, I see its value if I treat it as a Swiss Army cable. It’s a cable and a flashlight!

Pledge at least $30 (USD) to CordLite’s Kickstarter fund and you’ll be one of the first to own one if it goes into production. I suggest you order a backup CordLite for when you can’t find the first one.

[via Zagg]

Nintendo Game Boy Watch: Because the Actual Game Boy Didn’t Have a Clock Function

Lambert Varias — Mon, 14 May 2012 23:00:05 +0000

Today’s handheld videogame systems all have built-in clocks, but if you want to see the time on a Game Boy the closest you can get is the Watch Boy, an official Nintendo merchandise released back in the 90s. The design of the watch is unabashedly childish, which is why it’s awesome.

Despite the fact that it’s a wristwatch, I think the time-telling function of the Watch Boy is just a bonus. You’ll look at it not to figure out the present but to remember the past.

The Watch Boy is no longer in production, adding to its appeal to collectors and gamers alike. It’s not surprising then that a seller on eBay is asking for at least $100 (USD) for his Watch Boy, and the price will keep going up until the auction ends on May 19th. That’s a ridiculous price for a plastic and rubber wristwatch, but I say it’s worth it.

[via Fancy]

Zelda Fireplace Art Will Warm Your Heart, But Not Your Body

Lambert Varias — Sun, 13 May 2012 18:00:43 +0000

Do you have a decorative fireplace? That’s the opposite of dangerous, but you still shouldn’t let it be alone. Equip it with the Zelda Fireplace Art, aka The Lazy Man’s Fireplace: set it and forget it. You don’t have to worry about it burning out or burning your house down.

The painting depicts the fire graphic from the Legend of Zelda game and can be ordered on canvas or wood.

You can order the Zelda Fireplace Art from James Bit Originals on Etsy. The list price is $110 (USD), but prices may still vary depending on the measurements of your fireplace. If you’d rather have something a bit cleverer – 8-bits cleverer to be exact – you can also try making a papier-mâché version of the graphic.

[via Fancy]

Goliathon Steampunk Nerf Gun Seems to be as Heavy as a Locomotive

Lambert Varias — Tue, 01 May 2012 14:00:29 +0000

Built by Professor T. Lemetry, the Goliathon is the result of weaponizing “all the horsepower of a full-size steam locomotive”, resulting in a gun so powerful it can “level a building, down an airship, or turn a man inside out.” Aside from being an excellent modder, the good professor also has a colorful imagination. The truth is that the Goliathon is nothing but a toy.

The Goliathon is a heavily modified Nerf Vulcan Blaster. To the professor’s credit it does look like it a weapon from another time, or at the very least something that can be used as a bludgeon. It has various metal embellishments, including copper piping, 4 gauges, a valve wheel and other brass trinkets.

Punkers of steam should head to Prof. T. Lemetry’s Etsy shop Steampunk 101, where the Goliathon is being peddled for $350 (USD).

[via Dude I Want That]

Rage + Steampunk + Laser = Awesome Pistol

Lambert Varias — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 13:00:56 +0000

Handheld weapon maker Patrick Priebe aka AnselmoFanZero is back with another laserrific armament. It’s a revolver with a design inspired by the Settler Pistol from the FPS game Rage, but with less grime and more brass. Also, instead of bullets, it’s loaded with a battery and fires a laser beam.

I love how the guns’ barrel acts as its battery compartment. I don’t love the laser. It’s BRIGHT. Seriously you might want to wear goggles just for the video. You definitely should wear goggles when firing this pistol because it has a 1.5W blue laser, enough to instantly blind eyes and burn skin.

Priebe said he sold the unit shown in the video for €600 (~$790 USD), but he can also make a “slightly simpler version” for less. I wonder what he’ll make for $5. A drawing of the gun perhaps? If you have more money than I do, just drop him a line on YouTube or Facebook. Also give me some of your riches.

BrewCave Walk-in Cooler & Kegerator: The Beer Lover’s Happy Place

Lambert Varias — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 19:30:04 +0000

The BrewCave is to beer lovers what a walk-in closet is to a fashionista. Or what Disneyland is to a kid. Or what a room filled with the things that you love is to you. It’s the perfect cave for your man cave.

The BrewCave is made of metal-skinned panels with 4″ insulation cores. It can fit up to 30 cases of beer along with 4 kegs of more beer. As you can see it also has a built-in dispenser, so your guests can get a drink without interrupting your alone time with your cache inside. It has a 3/4hp refrigeration system designed to maintain an icy cold temperature of 32°F.

You can order the BrewCave from Kegworks for $6,349 (USD); pay $400 more and you get an insulated steel floor. It will be delivered as individual panels and thus will need to be assembled, so you’d better be sober when it gets to your place.

[The Green Head via Gizmodo via Geekologie]

Disc Mount: Organize and Decorate With a Button

Lambert Varias — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 17:30:23 +0000

There are a lot of cheap and easy ways to organize CDs and DVDs. You can put them in disc racks, binders, cylinders or just place them on a shelf. All of those are great for storing a large number of discs, but if you want to have easy access to your favorite game, music or video, you might want to get some Disc Mounts.

Disc Mounts work just like the buttons that hold discs inside a typical case, except they’re magnetized. This way you can both display the artwork on the disc and have easy access to the disc itself.

It’s easy to see the downsides of this tool though. For one, you need to have a magnetic surface. Also, if you clean your room as often as I do – which is approximately zero times per lifetime – the discs are bound to gather dust because they’re exposed on the backside.

If you keep your place metal object-filled and dust-free, you can order Disc Mounts from Laboratory 424. $7.95(USD) gets you a dozen buttons.

[via HolyCool]

Karaoke Anywhere for the iPad 2: The Most Dangerous Apple Accessory Ever Made

Lambert Varias — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 20:30:28 +0000

Are you looking for a way to let the world know that you can’t sing but you don’t care anyway? There’s a stand for that. The Karaoke Anywhere for the iPad 2 is basically a speaker with two microphone inputs, allowing you and a friend to assault ears anywhere there’s an AC outlet.

The stand itself can be adjusted from a horizontal position up to a 75° angle. Below there’s a 10W speaker with knobs for volume and echo in front. I don’t know what the third knob does, but that’s not the strangest thing about this product. Watch the video to see what I mean.

Does that sheep shearing game only work if you have the stand? Do you have to play the game before you can sing? So many questions, only one way to find out. Take one for the team and order the Karaoke Anywhere stand from Japan Trend Shop. $178(USD) gets you the stand, an AC adapter and two microphones. Murder possibly included.

Solid Gold C-3PO & Sterling Silver R2-D2 Figurines: The Luxury Items You Weren’t Looking for

Lambert Varias — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 14:00:27 +0000

C-3PO and R2-D2 are precious to the Star Wars galaxy, having saved its citizens countless times and providing comic relief in a handful of instances. You can’t put a price on their contributions. Or can you? Because these scale models of the droid duo are pretty darn expensive, what with them being made with precious metals.

The two figurines were released to ~~cash in on~~ commemorate the 35th anniversary of the first Star Wars film, A New Hope. The C3-PO figurine is hollow and only measures 1.26″ x 3.94″ x 1.89″, but it is made of pure gold. Artoo’s figurine on the other hand is made of 0.999 sterling silver, but obviously it’s even smaller than the one of C-3PO, measuring only 1.41″x2.36″x1.54″. I think I like Threepio better in his dirty ~~brass~~ golden armor.

I guess they’re reserving the pure carbonite Han Solo figurine for the 100th anniversary. The figurines are available for order from a Japanese company called Imperial Enterprises Inc.

The C3-PO figurine will cost you ¥500,000 (~$6,000 USD) while the R2-D2 figurine is being sold for ¥150,000 (approx. $1,800). If you still have extra cash, IEI is also selling an oversized 2.2lb. Star Wars coin that’s also made of sterling silver. Hit the link below for more details.

[via Crunchyroll via Luxury Launches]

Men In Black Neuralyzer Replica Doesn’t Work. Or Does It? I Can’t Remember.

Lambert Varias — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 18:00:52 +0000

The Neuralyzer is one of the most powerful gadgets in science fiction, able to erase memories in a flash. So I guess it’s a good thing that Factory Entertainment’s 1:1 scale replica of the Men In Black’s signature tool doesn’t actually work, unless you’re looking to blind someone temporarily.

Agent J calls the Neuralyzer “the flashy thing”, and that moniker applies with this replica as well. As we can see in the picture above it has flashing lights, but other than that we don’t know what other bells and whistles it has.

The Neuralyzer replica may not make people forget, but it has two negative aspects that could make people forget about it. First is the price: Entertainment Earth is taking pre-orders for the limited-edition prop for $400 (USD). Second is its release date of September, which is long after Men In Black III has hit theaters. I’d urge you to get Master Replicas’ flashier Neuralyzer replica but it’s even more expensive than this one, so I suggest you consider these modest alternatives as well.

[via The UberReview]

Katamari Damacy Sculpture: The Prince Shrugged

Lambert Varias — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 14:00:15 +0000

Katamari Damacy is as recognizable for its bright and happy graphics as for its unique gameplay. But this somber sculpture featuring the Prince in the titan Atlas’ iconic pose doesn’t look inappropriate at all, especially when you consider that the Prince is the only productive entity in the game’s story, the task of rebuilding the heavenly bodies resting on his tiny shoulders.

The sculpture was made by Flickr user Everfalling for his sculpture class at the Academy of Art University. He wanted to make something inspired by Katamari Damacy but was also interested in creating his own version of Atlas holding up the world on his shoulders when the idea hit him. The sculpture is made of bronze, weighs 9 pounds and is 8″ tall. The Prince and his Katamari are actually separable, but given the game one can imagine that the Prince isn’t holding up the ball but is stuck to it.

Everfalling is willing to make copies of the sculpture for sale. Just contact him and be prepared to shell out $600(USD). Better start gathering money. It would be awesome if he could make the Katamari magnetic so you can actually stick things to it. Check out Everfalling’s Flickr page for more images.

[via Gamefreaks]

Iron Man Mk. II Autopsy Movie Suit Up for Auction

Lambert Varias — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 17:00:02 +0000

Proof that even robotic suits have a corpse: a dismantled Iron Man Mk. II suit. I’m sure most of you who’ve seen Iron Man 2 can still remember the scene where James Rhodes (played by Don Cheadle) took one of Tony Stark’s armor to a military base and tore it down to see how it works. This is the prop used in that scene, and Marvel’s going to auction it off.

The suit stands 6’3″ tall and was handcrafted using “vacuum metalized fiberglass resin.” Sounds fancy, but obviously fiberglass is weaker than whatever high-tech material Stark used in the movies and comics. As you can see some of the armor plates have been detached from the suit, exposing cables, circuitry and other fake electronics.

The auction will be held at the upcoming Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo on April 14; online bidding will also be possible. The minimum bid for the suit is $60,000(USD). Hopefully whoever gets this turns it into a wearable suit.

[via Profiles in History via I Watch Stuff]

Final Audio Muramasa VIII Headphones Cost as Much as a Used Car

Range — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 13:00:29 +0000

Recently, I’ve been contemplating a pair of $1500 Sennheiser HD800s, but those cost but a fraction of Final Audio’s ultimate headphones, which will set you back a cool 8 grand. But if you like the words handmade and Japanese, you’ll probably covet these cans.

Final Audio’s Muramasa VIII luxurious headphones look beautiful, but tech specs are a little sketchy at this point. One thing for sure is that they’re heavy – they weigh nearly two pounds, which is a lot of extra weight to carry around on your head. They include a two-way 40mm driver with a 16 Ohm impedance and 108dB sensitivity. The drivers don’t have a separate tweeter, which is one of the reasons they say they are so heavy.

The Final Audio Muramasa VIII headphones will be released next month for $8,000(USD). Hopefully, if you’re going to buy some of these, you’ll be able to test them out first.

[via Born Rich via DVice]

Cod Fish Lamps: Insert Sea/See Pun Here

Lambert Varias — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 20:00:20 +0000

We’ve featured more than a hundred different versions of lamps on our blog, but I’m fairly certain this is the first one I’ve seen that uses a dead animal. Called Uggi Lights (Uggi is Icelandic for “fish fin”), each lamp is made from the skin of cod fish.

Each lamp is handmade by Fanney Antonsdóttir and Dögg Guðmundsdóttir, who were inspired by the Icelandic tradition of drying fish, which is done by sticking bulbs inside the creatures. Just kidding. The two designers skin cod fish and let them dry on molds, and after 3 weeks the lamps are ready to freak people out. Although they would be right at home in a seafood restaurant or island resort.

The Uggi Lights have been seen in exhibitions worldwide, although Antonsdóttir and Guðmundsdóttir have only sold a few of these lamps. If you’d like to have one of these rare creations, prepare €670 (~$880 USD) and send them an email. If it wasn’t so wrong, I’d like to have a bearskin lamp. Or one of these.

[Uggi Lights via Dude I Want That]

Hum Blank USB Drive: Air Included

Lambert Varias — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 14:00:10 +0000

We’ve seen a boutique line of flash drives that play upon the fact that data is invisible, which means we can’t see their containers being filled up even if they’re already “full” of data. Here’s another take on that amusing dissonance, an empty bottle with a USB drive cork stopper.

Fortunately the Hum Blank USB drive is cheaper than those Empty Memory drives, although it’s still way more expensive than ordinary flash drives, especially considering you’re paying extra for an empty (and small) bottle and a piece of cork. It only comes in 2GB capacity and is available for ¥3,465 (~$43 USD) from Rakuten. I wonder if scientists would find the Hum Blank useful, perhaps store a sample in the bottle and then the data about the sample in the cork.

[via Matomeno via Notcot]

Humble Hacker Keyboard: The Key to Optimized Programming

Lambert Varias — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 20:00:46 +0000

There are huge advantages to having standardized hardware, but the obvious trade-off is that people with specialized needs will find them wanting for more. In the case of keyboards for example, certain tasks will require more frequent use of some keys, which may not be placed at the optimum position in the standard keyboard layout. That’s why geekhack forum member dmw is working on the Humble Hacker, a keyboard made especially for programmers.

There are many principles guiding the design of the Humble Hacker, including hand separation, versatility – the keyboard is fully programmable – and an alternate keyboard layout. Programmers and keyboard enthusiasts, if you recognize some elements in the Humble Hacker that are similar to other alternative keyboards, that’s because dmw was influenced by the best of them, including the TypeMatrix 2030 and the Happy Hacking Pro.

Now for the bad news. In the process of building the first prototype of the Humble Hacker, dmw realized that his invention is quite expensive, “rapidly approaching” the price tag of Art Lebedev studio’s display-filled Optimus Maximus keyboard. The case alone cost him $200 (USD), and the circuit board will set him back $250. Hopefully he’ll find a way to lower the cost and mass produce the Happy Hacker. Check out the link below or the product website for more info.

[via Geekhack via This 8-bit Life]

WASD Custom Keyboards Put ColorWare to Shame

Lambert Varias — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:00:10 +0000

Computer mice come in many shapes, sizes and colors, not to mention variety in the number of buttons. But there’s less variety to be found in keyboards, or so I thought until I saw the V1 Custom Mechanical Keyboard by WASD Keyboards. The company lets users make the typing device of their wildest dreams – or nightmares.

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]

Zen Table: Etch A Sketch for the Rich

Lambert Varias — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:00:54 +0000

If you’d like to have your own zen garden but don’t have the real estate or the skills to maintain one, Simon Hallam’s invention may be a good alternative. Hallam’s Zen Table has a glass-covered surface filled with silicone beads. A sculpting head creates shapes, patterns or images using the beads based on templates or instructions in real-time.

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: Tiny Carpets for Your Mouse

Lambert Varias — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:00:49 +0000

I’ve never bought a mouse pad. Not only are most of them kitschy, I barely even need one because even my cheap optical mice works on different surfaces. That said, I would still like to get a Mouserug for my trusty Logitech. It’s the least I can do for its years of service.

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.