technabob » vacuum

pac-man roomba eats all your dirt pellets

alisha k. — Wed, 13 May 2009 12:03:15 +0000

As devices go, the Roomba is pretty cool on its own. It’s a useful machine and a fun toy all in one, so dressing it up can seem a little gratuitous. But if you turn your Roomba into Pac-Man… well, that’s just awesome. Especially if you use hilarious and appropriate sound effects.

With cleverly placed and wired yellow LEDs, a little white Roomba become a flashing, shining Pac-Man, who also apparently promises better cleaning time. The mod means he powers up when he eats carpet grime, I guess. Definitely on the list of most random (and amusing) mods ever.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

[via Boing Boing Gadgets]

cheeseburger vacuum contains meat, lettuce, tomato, onions, dust and crumbs

technabob — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 22:08:33 +0000

Here I was thinking that was the only cheeseburger-shaped household appliance was the telephone from Juno. I guess I was wrong.

Hold the pickle, hold the lettuce, dirty desktops do upset us! Now you can keep your workspace neat and tidy with this mini cheeseburger vacuum, perfect for picking up dust, dirt and crumbs from all those Fruit Loops you’ve been munching out of the box. And that silver stuff left over from scratching those lottery tickets.

Just don’t try to take a bite out of the burger-vac when you’re hungry. I know you want to, but don’t. I already tried, and it’ll only break your teeth.

Available from FredFlare for $20 (USD).

zero gravity r/c cars will have you climbing the walls

technabob — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 13:30:39 +0000

Remote controlled race cars are pretty much a dime-a-dozen these days, so I’m always happy to come across one that’s a little left of center.

Contrary to its name, the Air Hog Zero Gravity Micro R/C car does not defy gravity. However, the car does turn the world on its side by driving not only on floors, but on your walls too. Just flip the switch, place the car on the wall, and you can drive up, down, left and right all without falling off. You can even drive on the underside of a table if the surface is smooth enough.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

So how does this little car work it’s magic? The vehicles contain a special system that works like a mini vacuum cleaner. A powerful fan creates suction to hold the car to the wall, and a special skirt around the perimeter of the car keeps the vacuum seal.

The cars come in a variety of colors and measure about 4.75″ long. They run on rechargeable batteries and should run for about 10 minutes on a single charge. Keep in mind that the remote control is infrared, so it will only work when you have line-of-sight access to the car.

You can get your grubby little mitts from UK gadget retailer Firebox for £29.95, or in the US from Amazon for about $47 USD.

electronic dust bin makes dustpans obsolete

technabob — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 17:41:18 +0000

If you’re like me and live in a house with hardwood floors, keeping the place dust and dirt free can be a pain in the butt. That’s why I’m excited by this seemingly boring “why didn’t I think of that” invention.

The $59 Westinghouse SweepEZE is an automated dust bin. Just place it against a wall or in a corner, then sweep whatever junk you have on your (uncarpeted) floor in front of it, and it’ll suck it in and dispose of it automatically.

An infrared beam activates a vacuum that takes care of all the dirty work. And it’s able to pull in all sorts of things, ranging from pet hair to broken glass, thanks to its strong 600-watt suction engine. Bye, bye Swiffers!

Order the Westinghouse SweepEZE From Amazon

[via GadgetGrid]