Technabob » space invaders

Space Invaders Alarm Clock Becomes a Gmail Notifier

Conner Flynn — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:00:58 +0000

Remember that retro looking Space Invaders clock we told you about last year? It was pretty cool by itself, but now it has become even more functional. Designer Grant Gibson turned his into an awesome Gmail notifier.

He pulled out the battery pack and put an Arduino Nano inside as well as some other parts. His genius has converted the clock into an email notifier. Whenever he gets an email, the clock moves from side to side, playing the Space Invaders music.

Check out the video. I love the way this thing moves and lights up. This is a hack that any Invaders nerd will want to do, but only a few of us will ever answer the call. Grant Gibson, we salute you.

[via Make:]

The Space Invaders Called, and They Want Their Phone Back

Technabob — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 23:00:32 +0000

You know my rule. Slap some Space Invaders on something, and I’ll probably post it. Ok, I won’t post just anything with an Invader on it, but if it’s remotely interesting, I’m a pushover. Take, for example, this Space Invaders bedecked phone.

The vintage British Trimphone is covered with decoupaged Invaders fabric, wrapped around its face and on its handset too, courtesy of UK artist Vicki Lee (aka “lovekittypink“). From the looks of things, this is an earlier level of the game, and the Invaders should be moving slow enough that you should be able to shoot down most of them with ease.

And this isn’t just any phone. It’s a genuine old-school ROTARY phone. Can you even still use those here in the U.S.? Heck, do people still have landlines? Well, either way this particular rotary dial Space Invaders phone is actually set up to work in the UK, and it’s creator claims there’s a US adapter available, so what do I know? It’s available over on Etsy for £160.00 (~$255 USD).

Space Invader Chocolate Bar: The Invasion Melts in Your Mouth, Not in Your Hand

Conner Flynn — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 12:30:52 +0000

Space Invaders chocolate is an awesome 8-bit treat that is actually made up of 23 pixels of chocolate. Looks tasty doesn’t it? We have so won this war against the aliens. Eat up for King and country. Binge my fellow geeks, binge!

These chocolate Invaders are made at Fruition’s chocolate workshop in Shokan, NY. For $20(USD) you get the invader chocolate bar weighing 50g, a special edition laser engraved wood box, an invader mini-poster, invader sticker and an invader postcard.

If you want to give your fellow geek or geekette a great holiday gift this year, just head over to the Chocolateinvader website and order yours now. I wouldn’t mind finding one in my stocking. They are made fresh from whole beans to finished Invader, which takes about four days.

[via Superpunch]

Space Invaders Waffle: They’re Invading Breakfast, Is Lunch Next?

Range — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 15:00:38 +0000

Sure, this Space Invaders waffle look delicious, but it makes you wonder if they’ll ever invade your other meals. I don’t think there’s any danger of that, but are there other meals that can be shaped like Space Invaders?

The waffle is part of an exhibition at London’s The Outsiders Gallery from the infamous street artist Invader, who puts Space Invaders on just about anything. Naturally, the Space Invaders waffle will be making an appearance since the title of the show is Attack of the Space Waffles. The best part is that you’ll actually be able to eat some for yourself, as a Space Invaders waffle maker will be doling out hot waffles to visitors during the show.

If you’re in London between December 2nd and 24th, swing by the show, you’ll get to see a brand new mosaic, an invaded disco ball, and a 20-minute documentary. And waffles.

[via Arrested Motion]

Space Invaders Pixel Ring: Way Better Than a Crummy Diamond

Technabob — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 02:11:06 +0000

If you’re a lover of classic video games, then you’ll probably dig this retro-style ring, made to look like a Space Invader. What I really love about it is that it’s not just a solid shape, but it actually looks like its made up of pixels.

Each one is handmade by Virginie Millefiori, who creates all sorts of cool jewelry, including an entire collection of Invaders-inspired wares. In this particular case, the ring is made from gold-plated brass, then hand-enameled in white to create the pixel effect.

While the ring in the picture above is clearly a different (non-pixellated) Invader, I couldn’t resist posting a picture of a cute girl rockin’ an awesome Space Invaders ring, and showing it off for the camera. This particular ring sells for $50 (USD) over on Etsy, and it would look great along with a matching pendant, don’t you think? You can also order them in silver-plate or different shades of enamel on request.

You can check out more of Virginie’s Invader collection over on flickr.

Fancy A Game of Space Invaders Solitaire?

Hazel Chua — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 12:45:51 +0000

Lately, I’ve been seeing a lot of Space Invaders-themed stuff. Although some aren’t things I’m very fond of (like the Space Invaders silk tie), there are some that I definitely think are worth getting (like the Space Invaders Alarm Clock and the Space Invaders Multi Tool.)

And another thing I really wouldn’t mind having?

This deck of playing cards from Art Lebedev Studios is made with a distinct Space Invaders theme. Instead of the usual Jokers and Kings and Queens, you get to throw out alien Aces to trump them all. The suite of each card is printed on it as well, below the letters or numbers indicating the card’s identity (I don’t how else to call them, but you know what I mean.)

And when you’re playing solo and just completed a round of solitaire? Conjure up the Winning Solitaire sculpture (at least in your head to congratulate yourself.)

[via The Awesomer via Oh Gizmo!]

Taito InvaderCade iPad Arcade Cabinet, No Quarters Required (Just 200 Bucks)

Conner Flynn — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 05:01:53 +0000

By now we all know the iCade, which was the first enclosure for the iPad that turned it into a mini arcade machine. Then came the Atari Arcade Duo Joystick, which provides a more open arcade experience. Now behold Taito’s InvaderCade.

That’s right, what we have here turns your iPad into an old time Space Invaders arcade cabinet. The cabinet may only have one button and a ball-top joystick for your gaming, but it also offers a charging dock with stereo speakers and a headphone jack. This looks like a must-buy for Space Invader geeks like me.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

It will hit Japan on October 11. We have no idea if or when it will arrive on our shores. Unfortunately, the launch price for our Japanese friends works out to be about $205 (USD). Yes, that is more than twice the price of the iCade and Atari’s offering is expected to be just $60. Both have more buttons. You are really paying for that Space Invaders branding. They may have to lower the price to compete, unless Space Invaders loving geeks are richer than I thought.

[@johnnyram via GameSetWatch via TUAW]

Swanky Space Invaders Silk Ties: Would You Trust an Alien Around Your Neck?

Range — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 12:00:08 +0000

These ties are perfect for the geek that needs to dress up, now and again. The Space Invaders Silk Ties are made by UK neckwear makers Projector and they come in a variety of different colors, infusing a bit of style into any geek’s attire.

The ties feature a simple pixel print down the middle, inspired by the Space Invaders video game (though they’re clearly not exact replicas of the original aliens.)

They are made out of 100% silk and come in six different colors. The ties are made in the UK and ship everywher. You can pick up your own Space Invaders tie over on Etsy for $30. That’s not bad for a silk tie – especially one with space invaders on it.

[via Geek Alerts]

Space Invaders iPad, iPhone and Laptop Cases from Case Scenario

Conner Flynn — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 11:40:04 +0000

We love us some Space Invaders around these parts, especially when they keep all your gadgets looking colorfully retro. These items just please the young geek inside of me who pumped way too many quarters in way too many arcade machines.

Case Scenario’s new Space Invader cases for iPhone 4, iPad 2, iPod Touch and laptops, look super awesome indeed. They come in both hard and soft cases, with several styles available. You can get a white or black background with colored aliens, a mirror design or a monotone design.

These cases will still allow you to use all of your device’s buttons and functions and are priced from 29.99€ (~$42 USD) to 59.99€ (~$84 USD). Normally I would call that expensive, but the quality of the cases and the graphics should be well worth a purchase.

[via Case Scenario]

Banknotes Pixel Art: Pictures Worth a Thousand Bits

Lambert Varias — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 13:00:10 +0000

You’ve probably heard of the controversial Bitcoin, a digitally generated peer-to-peer currency. Some people think it’s a great idea, while some think it’s inherently worthless and is doomed to fail. All I know is that these pixel art banknotes are a great fit for Bitcoin.

I bet Dhalsim knows how to stretch his dollar, amirite? These banknotes were created by members of Pixel Joint as entries to one of the website’s weekly contests. The top prize went to Stefan Bogdanovic aka Mrmo Taurus for his Space Invaders-themed currency, which he called 40 Credits:

I had to enlarge each piece from their original 200 x 100 resolution to 600 x 300, so any degradation in quality is my fault. Check out the gallery for more:

You don’t have to pay a cent to view the other entries on Pixel Joint. I wish someone made an “It’s Over 9000″ dollar bill. Or a Mushroom Kingdom gold coin – save up a hundred and you get an extra life! Or Hyrulean Rupees. Man, I should’ve joined the contest.

[via Game Set Watch]

Space Invader Alarm Clock Shuffles from Side to Side, Dares You to Shoot

Conner Flynn — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 12:15:06 +0000

Sometimes when I hear sounds from old games I get nostalgic. Space Invaders was a good one. All of that pew pew pew as the aliens march from side to side, striving to get closer to our planet.

I bet you can hear it clearly now since I pointed it out. How about an alarm clock that not only wakes you by playing Space Invaders-eqsue sounds, but goes the extra distance by actually moving from side to side just like it does on screen? When you see it do it’s thing, you’ll have an urge to shoot it, just like in the game.

Sound good? Of course it does. We all love Space Invaders. Aside from the movement feature, this alarm clock may be a bit plain looking, but I am digging the retro buttons and the style of the digits. It will cost you £12.99 (~$21 USD) over at I Want One of Those.

Space Invaders Cross-Stitch Helps You Score

Technabob — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 18:00:42 +0000

If you’re going for a high score in Space Invaders, it’s important to know which aliens are worth the most points, right? Well, here’s a handy way to keep those point values top of mind all the time.

While I usually think of grannies, lace doilies, and Lladro figurines when I think of cross-stitch art hanging on the wall, even I’d be proud to hang this Space Invaders cross-stitch on my wall. While it doesn’t show the entire playing field, it does give you the important legend listing the scores for all four invader types, but still shines no light on how much you can expect for shooting down their green spaceship.

You know, that spaceship makes me ponder something I never thought of before now: How the hell do invaders fit inside that thing? Maybe they’ve got some sort of shrinker ray? Or are they just really flexible? All I can think of now is is some sort of alien clown car routine now.

But I digress. The Space Invaders sampler measures about 7.8″ (h) x 6″ (w), and was handmade by Knitforvictory, and is available over on Etsy for $25 (USD).

Infinity Invaderz Watch Lands on Your Wrist

Technabob — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 18:44:24 +0000

While my personal favorite Space Invaders wristwatch has to be this one by Romain Jerome, I don’t have $10,000+ to spare, so it won’t be making its way to my wrist any time soon. Thankfully, the guys at ThinkGeek have us mere mortals covered, with the decidedly more down-to-earth Infinity Invaderz watch.

Ok, so the Infinity Invaderz watch isn’t exactly official Space Invaders merch, but you can definitely see how its grid of LED dots were heavily influenced by the 8-bit arcade invaders of yore.

The metal watch features a green and black background grid, and time is displayed with little blue LEDs to indicate hours and minutes. Plus, every time you press the button, the blue LEDs do a little animation before settling on the time (or date). In terms of specs, the Invaderz watch has a sturdy stainless steel case and leather band, and should look great on any gamer geek’s wrist. It’s available now over at ThinkGeek for just $34.99 (USD).

Tiny Space Invader Arcade Cabinet: Easy to Look at, Hard to Play on

Lambert Varias — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 12:48:00 +0000

I wasn’t aware that there are enthusiasts that love making miniature arcade cabinets. And they don’t just make beautiful cases, like the ones we’ve featured before, their machines are actually functional. One of the newer ones is this Space Invaders cabinet made by YouTuber vcoleiro1.

The cabinet is a mere 7″ tall, 3.5″ wide and 4.5″ deep. Inside it are the guts of a GBA SP. Vcoleiro1 used resources from Arcade Art Library and Vectorlib to create the cute cabinet art. Surprisingly enough – at least for me – the joystick and the buttons actually pre-made; vcoleiro1 bought them from Digikey and eBay respectively.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Does that classify as a portable handheld? Feel free to email Vcoleiro1 at vcoleiro1[at]gmail.com if you want the full instructions or if you want him to make you one. Hopefully his asking price will be as small as the cabinet.

[via Hot Blooded Gaming via Kotaku]

$10,000+ Space Invaders Watch: Drop Down, Reverse Direction and Empty Bank Account!

Technabob — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 15:46:10 +0000

This wouldn’t be the first Space Invaders watch I’ve featured on the site. It’s not even the first rare Space Invaders watch. But it is – for sure – the first one to cost $10,000. Actually, the guys over at Perpetuelle are just guessing at that price. It could be somewhere between $10k and $15k for one.

This thing of geek beauty from watchmaker Romain Jerome is being made in collaboration with TAITO, and they look awesome. Each one will feature a steel case “coalesced with fragments from the Apollo 11 capsule.” So these invaders have actually been in space to a certain extent.

Two versions of the watch are being made, one for day (the full color one), and one for night (with glowing “Superluminova” invaders). At as little as $10k a piece, why not buy both? Each Space Invaders watch is being made in a very limited run of just 78 pieces. Even so, if you do the math on that, once they sell out, Romain Jerome and TAITO stand to pocket a tidy sum $1,560,000. Not a bad days work for the Space Invaders, eh?

[via Obvious Winner]

Space Invader Chair Concept Needs to Be Real

Range — Wed, 25 May 2011 12:14:28 +0000

I was floored when I saw this Space Invader chair. It comes in a nice array of colors and looks pretty comfortable on top of looking fantastically retro. Sure, it’s not a Space Invaders love seat, but then again, having two of these colorful invaders in your pad would make it look even awesomer.

From this chair, you can be the Space Invaders king! It’s too bad that these are just prototypes of a chair that only some day be made by the design collective Dorothy.

I hope that these guys decide to manufacture this chair, although I have trouble seeing where you’d rest your arms. I guess like the Iron Throne from Game of Thrones on HBO, not all thrones are comfortable.

[via GeekAlerts]

Minecraft Space Invaders

Technabob — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 01:03:04 +0000

I’m always amazed by all of the crazy things that people have been able to do with the primitive forms in the game Minecraft. Remember the time that Minecrafta2z made a version of Pac-Man in the Minecraft engine? Well the same guys are back, and this time, they’ve got a bad case of Space Invaders.

Just like Pac and his pals, they’ve created an animated version of the arcade game using building blocks from Minecraft. It looks just like the original game. And though it’s not actually playable, they did add the requisite sound effects, and it’s still pretty cool. Check it out:

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

I’m not quite sure what the deal is with the giant “Lockia” telephone to the left of the playing field. Maybe it was to call mom and have her pick you up from the arcade after you’re done playing. Or maybe the extraterrestrial Invaders just need to phone home.

A Little Bit World: Classic Video Game Characters Make The World Their Stage

Lambert Varias — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 12:14:41 +0000

Made by Jonas and Simon Schwarzer, A Little Bit World sees classic video game characters emerge from a question mark block. It’s practically the low-budget version of Pixels by onemoreprod and Patrick Jean, though I wouldn’t call it a rip-off.

The animation is perfect, and it’s nice to see other games like Worms and Lemmings share the spotlight with the heavyweights:

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

If you touch Pac-Man’s mouth, you deserve whatever happens next. You can download the soundtrack at Rams Le Prince’s website. It’s the one called Russian Stealth Fighter Test Flight.

[via Gamefreaks]

Space Intruder Multi-Tool Invades Your Keychain

Technabob — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 00:55:33 +0000

Space Invaders fans, what do you do when your spaceship breaks down? You need a tool. But not just any tool – you need this Invaders-inspired multi-tool.

Yeah, Kikkerland’s Space Intruder multi-tool is yet another case of a not-officially-space-invaders-but-obviously-space-invaders product, but you get the point, right? Speaking of points, the stainless steel Intruder tool hits the bare-minimum requirements to be called a “multi-tool”, with just Philips and flat-blade screwdrivers for arms and the geek-essential bottle opener lurking beneath its alien torso-head (or is that a head-torso?)

The Space Intruder Multi-Tool has landed at Art Supply Warehouse for about $15 (USD).

Retro Arcade Cake: Baked Invaders

Technabob — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 23:10:30 +0000

Looking for a tasty treat, retro game fans? How about a Space Invader cake. Well, you can’t have one, but you can have this pixelated alien cake who looks sort of like the long-lost cousin of a Space Invader, and I bet it’ll taste just as good as a real Invader.

Spinning Hat’s Retro Arcade Cake Mold (or Mould for you Brits) is the perfect way to serve up your baked goods. With just the tiniest bit of baking skillz, you could even make a layered alien like the one shown above.

I want to make a ten-layer alien cake now, and fill it with bright green icing that can ooze out of its eyes and mouth. Yum. Oozy alien eyeball cake. Perhaps even better than the silicone cake mold is the packaging. “Bake Me to Your Leader!” Who comes up with this stuff?

Grab one (or ten) yourself over at Spinning Hat for £9.99 (appx. $16 USD). I wonder if you can take this thing out of the oven using a Pac-Man oven mitt?