Technabob » fun

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]

Bang Bang Doorknobs: Open Up, or I’ll Shoot!

Hazel Chua — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 22:00:24 +0000

When the police encounter a locked door and can’t kick it open, they just shoot the doorknob and push their way inside. At least that’s what happens in the movies, anyway. For us ordinary, non-law-enforcement citizens, getting a locked door open is pretty boring because we just use a key (or risk getting arrested.)

That said, these Bang Bang Doorknobs by Nikita Kovalev are really something else. Basically, these doorknobs are based on the look of 9mm Makarov pistols. To open the door, just pull the trigger and open.

I don’t know you’re supposed to lock your doors with these doorknobs though, as I don’t see any slots for keys or anything else. Maybe it has something to do with cocking the gun, or maybe these are strictly for interior doors which don’t lock.

[via Freshome via Nerd Approved]

Social Shower Curtain Has Easy to Adjust Privacy Settings

Lambert Varias — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 23:00:00 +0000

The shower curtain for Facebook addicts. The part where your profile pic appears is a transparent sheet, so you can pose for uh, the other people in your bathroom, I guess. Just like your profile on the site itself, it’s a celebration of your willingness to sacrifice your privacy in order to stay in touch and/or have your existence validated! Yay! Boy I am so much fun to be around.

Note that the profile on the curtain is actually of the curtain itself, not yours, so try to keep your poses respectful. Head to SpinningHat to reserve your own Social Shower Curtain for £14.99 (~$23 USD). Timeline not included.

[via Laughing Squid]

8-Bit Tie: Perfect if You’re Interviewing to Be a Video Game Character

Range — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 17:00:41 +0000

While it’s been around for a while, the pixelated 8-Bit Tie might still be cool to wear around if you’re a big fan of retro video games, especially if your office has a casual dress code.

Oh, and there’s a good reason why this tie absolutely has to be a clip-on. If it weren’t, it would create a triangular pattern at the knot instead of blocky pixels, so no can do. Besides, making it a clip-on makes it just that much more geeky. The tie is made out of microfiber and polyester, so you can also use it to clean the screen of your tablet or smartphone.

It would be funny to find a matching 8-bit suit, so that you’d basically be just a few blocks of pixels when you dress up. The 8-bit Tie is available from ThinkGeek for $14.99(USD) in red or blue.

[via GeekAlerts]

Weird Questions Tech Job Interviewers Asked this Year

Shane McGlaun — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 16:00:16 +0000

I have gone through several job interviews over the years. When I worked in the medical field and could kill someone with the wrong button press, all they wanted to know was that my license was good and I would show up for the night shift. When I took the job here, all Technabob wanted to know was if I’d post the required number daily; he still doesn’t know I skipped English class more than I went. (I do now – Ed.)

Glassdoor.com’s annual list of the strangest questions asked in job interviews this year is in, and tech firms are featured a lot with some strange questions. Do you think you could answer these?

My personal favorite is one said to be from a Google interviewer who asked “A man pushed his car to a hotel and lost his fortune. What happened?” This question sounds like something plausible if you forget to fill up in Vegas. Here are some other winners…

“How many people are using Facebook in San Francisco at 2:30 p.m. on a Friday?” — Asked at Google, Vendor Relations Manager candidate

“If Germans were the tallest people in the world, how would you prove it?” — Asked at Hewlett-Packard, Product Marketing Manager candidate

“Given 20 ‘destructible’ light bulbs (which break at a certain height), and a building with 100 floors, how do you determine the height that the light bulbs break?” — Asked at Qualcomm, Engineering candidate

“How would you cure world hunger?” — Asked at Amazon.com, Software Developer candidate

“You’re in a row boat, which is in a large tank filled with water. You have an anchor on board, which you throw overboard (the chain is long enough so the anchor rests completely on the bottom of the tank). Does the water level in the tank rise or fall?” — Asked at Tesla Motors, Mechanical Engineer candidate

“Please spell ‘diverticulitis’.” — Asked at EMSI Engineering, Account Manager candidate

“You have a bouquet of flowers. All but two are roses, all but two are daisies, and all but two are tulips. How many flowers do you have?” — Asked at Epic Systems, Corporation Project Manager/Implementation Consultant candidate

“How do you feel about those jokers at Congress?” — Asked at Consolidated Electrical, Management Trainee candidate

“If you were a Microsoft Office program, which one would you be?” — Asked at Summit Racing Equipment, E-commerce candidate

I guess the idea is to get the potential hires to think out of the box and see how they react to the strange and unexpected. I’ll paste in some of the questions from other tech firms below for you to answer in the comments.

[Glassdoor.com via Mashable]

Action Movie FX iOS App: Get Your Freddie Wong On

Lambert Varias — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 15:00:52 +0000

Do you want to launch a missile on your cat or crash a car in your bedroom? Really? Why would you want to do that? Go to your room and think about what you thought of while the rest of us have fun with the Action Movie FX iOS app.

Action Movie FX comes to us from none other than J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot Interactive, and lets you add explosive special effects to a clip with just a few taps on your iOS device. Choose an effect, record the scene where you want the effect to take place and then cue when to launch the effect. After a couple of seconds – and a Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol ad – your video is done. Here’s a quick sample from the guys at Slash Gear:

Take that, table! The app comes with two effects – missile attack and car crash. The other effects – tornado and chopper crash and fire fight and airstrike – are available as in-app purchases for $0.99 (USD) per pair. Still not impressed? Here’s Mad Ass Gamers‘ demo of all the effects:

Attack the iTunes Store with your mouse (or finger) to get Action Movie FX. Your videos won’t be as sweet as the ones made by Freddie Wong or as overwhelming as Michael Bay’s effects vomits, but then again it’s a free app. I tried it on my iPad and it’s really easy to use. The Mission Impossible ads are not that annoying since they only pop up when the app is “processing”, although I don’t know if the ads will still be there even if you purchase the additional effects.

[via Slash Gear]

Boombox Piñata Drops Beats (and Candy)

Technabob — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 13:00:25 +0000

I for one think that every party should have a piñata. I don’t care if it’s a birthday, a christening, a wedding or a wake. Smacking objects with a bat while blindfolded until candy pours onto the ground is just perfect for any occasion. But for your next piñata, don’t just get one of those boring old rainbow donkeys – go for something a little more fun, like this boombox piñata.

This particular piñata was made by Etsy seller Fuzzy Lollipop, and looks just like a retro ghetto blaster – minus the actual speakers, cassette player and zillion D-cell batteries to weigh it down. Instead, you fill this one with delicious candies, then proceed to beat on it with a large stick.

I suppose you could just go buy an old thrift shop boombox, rip its innards out, fill it with candy and take a crack, but the flying plastic shards might cause additional injuries beyond just the blunt-force trauma risks of the baseball bat. So if you’d like to go the safer route with this cardboard and crepe paper boombox piñata, you can grab it over on Etsy for $65(USD) now.

Google Lets it Snow in Your Web Browser

Shane McGlaun — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 20:23:14 +0000

Here in Texas, it is rare to get snow, so when winter rolls around all we can do is throw handfuls of that foaming hand soap around and pretend its cold. We can go years without seeing any sort of snow around here and if you live in a similarly warm climate, you might want to check out the new Google Easter Egg which turned up this week.

All you have to do to check it out is hop over to Google and enter “let it snow” into the search box. After a second, you will see snowflakes start to fall down the screen. They get heavier over time and then your screen will eventually frost over.

After a bit, a button on the search bar comes on that says “Defrost”. If you hit that button the snow continues to fall, but it won’t fog up again. This is pretty cool. After this one and “do a barrel roll“, what would you like to see for Google’s next Easter Egg?

[via PCMag]

Tamagotchi Is 15 Years Old: Is Yours Still Alive?

Range — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 16:00:21 +0000

I remember the Tamagotchi “virtual pet” craze from years ago. It’s definitely something uniquely Japanese, but it did have global appeal too. If you were one of those original Tamagotchi fans, then you’ll be happy to find out that Bandai has just released a special 15-year anniversary edition Tamagotchi.

Bandai’s special edition is the Tamagotchi ID L (JP), and it features a color screen as well as different environments through which your digital pet can travel. The device will also wirelessly connect to other Tamagotchis in the area, and will allow them to swap items, date, or marry each other.

There are 15 male and 17 female characters, as well as new games. The device is the same size as the original, and is available in pink or purple. You can get your hands on the 15th Anniversary Tamagotchi for about $60 (USD) over at CDJapan.

[via Dvice via designboom]

Gumball Pinball Machine: Play it and Chew Gum at the Same Time

Technabob — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 23:21:09 +0000

I’ve always loved pinball machines. Sure, video games have completely replaced them as my primary form of gaming entertainment, but I still always love the tactile feel of the flippers and bumpers as they clack against the steel ball. While this pinball machine doesn’t have bumpers (or the steel ball for that matter) it still looks like fun. That’s because it’s filled with gumballs.

To play Gumball Pinball, you simply turn the crank to release three 1-inch gumballs into the field of play. Woo-hoo! Multi-ball on the first try! As the gumballs start to head South, you bat away at them using a pair of flippers. The field has a total of seven holes on it, four which will win you the gumball, and three which result in no prize at all. Gumballs you get in the right holes drop into the candy collection area, while those you miss are returned to a storage bin for later reloading.

Ok, so it doesn’t sound like it will have much replay value after you collect your gumballs, but it still looks like fun for at least a few seconds. And kids will should a blast with this thing. All told, the Gumball Pinball Machine can hold up to 1,700 gumballs (it comes with 850), and the whole machine only weighs 97 lbs, so it shouldn’t be that difficult to transport and set up. It’s available over at Hamamcher Schlemmer for $1,000 (USD).

Crouching Tiger and Turtle: Walk the Coaster

Hazel Chua — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 16:00:18 +0000

I have an insane fear of heights. Even just looking over the railing when I’m on the third floor of the mall makes my stomach just a wee bit queasy. That said, you probably won’t expect me to hop on any roller coasters soon, but that’s just what I did when I went on a trip last week to a theme park.

It was an indoor roller coaster in the dark with “twists, turns, and sudden drops,” but only for a couple of feet and nothing that kids couldn’t handle. Although I admit that yes, I did scream my head off and walked away with wobbly knees.

So for those who prefer to go at their own speed and avoid the loops and hoops, there’s the Crouching Tiger and Turtle.

The name is obviously a play on the title of the movie, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. They changed just the right words, I think, because there’s no hidden dragons on this “coaster”, because instead of riding along to crazy speeds and going for the ride of your life, you can instead choose to walk the path of the coaster.

Technabob » fun

Zen Table: Etch A Sketch for the Rich

Bang Bang Doorknobs: Open Up, or I’ll Shoot!

Social Shower Curtain Has Easy to Adjust Privacy Settings

8-Bit Tie: Perfect if You’re Interviewing to Be a Video Game Character

Weird Questions Tech Job Interviewers Asked this Year

Action Movie FX iOS App: Get Your Freddie Wong On

Boombox Piñata Drops Beats (and Candy)

Google Lets it Snow in Your Web Browser

Tamagotchi Is 15 Years Old: Is Yours Still Alive?

Gumball Pinball Machine: Play it and Chew Gum at the Same Time

Crouching Tiger and Turtle: Walk the Coaster

Hot Wheels Alarm Clock Loop-de-Loops You Out of Bed

Robots Do the Darnedest Things

Chopping Board? iPhone Charging Stand? You Be The Judge

LEGO Angry Birds: Angry Bricks?

iPlate Adds a Layer of Photoshop to Your Dinner

Dare to Be the Ammunition for the Human Slingshot?

AT-AT Pancakes: May-ple The Force Be With You (and Butter)

My Keepon Dancing Robot Ready for Pre-Orders

Wooden Rubber Band Submachine Gun: Elastics Gone Wild