<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rss version="2.0"
	xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
	xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"
	xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
	xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
	xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/"
	xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"
	>

<channel>
	<title>Technabob &#187; weird</title>
	<atom:link href="http://technabob.com/blog/tag/weird/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://technabob.com/blog</link>
	<description>Cool Gadgets, Gizmos, Games and Geek Stuff</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Sun, 27 May 2012 20:00:08 +0000</lastBuildDate>
	<language>en</language>
	<sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod>
	<sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency>
	<generator>http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2</generator>
		<item>
		<title>Oyasumi Goodnight Keep Bra Brings Women Unnatural Perkiness</title>
		<link>http://technabob.com/blog/2012/05/23/oyasumi-goodnight-keep-bra/</link>
		<comments>http://technabob.com/blog/2012/05/23/oyasumi-goodnight-keep-bra/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 23 May 2012 15:00:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Hazel Chua</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Geek Wear]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Strange + Wonderful]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bra]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[funny]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[japan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[weird]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://technabob.com/blog/?p=94724</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Some women&#8217;s vanity extend to more than just their mugs. Yes, aside from making sure their face is free from fine lines, creases, and wrinkles in all the wrong places, another huge concern is their bodies. Specifically, the chest area.
Saggy boobs are no fun. And, well, the thought of&#8230;]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Some women&#8217;s vanity extend to more than <a title="Pin Up! Face Supporter Mask Promises to Get Rid of Sagging Cheeks" href="http://technabob.com/blog/2012/05/22/pin-up-face-supporter-mask/">just their mugs</a>. Yes, aside from making sure their face is free from fine lines, creases, and wrinkles in all the wrong places, another huge concern is their bodies. Specifically, the chest area.</p>
<p><span id="more-94724"></span>Saggy boobs are no fun. And, well, the thought of them isn&#8217;t very pretty. But it&#8217;s a fact of life and it will come with age to most women &#8211; but if you&#8217;re trying to be part of the exception, then you might want to look into the <em>Oyasumi Goodnight Keep Bra.</em></p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-94733" src="http://technabob.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Oyasumi-Goodnight-Keep-Bra.jpg" alt="Oyasumi Goodnight Keep Bra" width="600" height="333" title="Oyasumi Goodnight Keep Bra photo" /></p>
<p>The non-wire Oyasumi bra promises to help you maintain a firm bust while you&#8217;re sleeping. It&#8217;s not too tight or uncomfortable, so you&#8217;ll still be able to get a good night&#8217;s worth of sleep even when you&#8217;re wearing it.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-94734" src="http://technabob.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Oyasumi-Goodnight-Keep-Bra1.jpg" alt="Oyasumi Goodnight Keep Bra1" width="600" height="220" title="Oyasumi Goodnight Keep Bra1 photo" /></p>
<p>There isn&#8217;t any proof that these will actually work, since some scientific studies actually say that wearing bras at night won&#8217;t make them any perkier, nor will they cause cancer or stunt growth.</p>
<p>That said, if you&#8217;re still interested in giving it a whirl, then you can get one from the <a href="http://www.japantrendshop.com/oyasumi-goodnight-keep-bra-p-1387.html">Japan Trend Shop</a> for $78(USD).</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://technabob.com/blog/2012/05/23/oyasumi-goodnight-keep-bra/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Pin Up! Face Supporter Mask Promises to Get Rid of Sagging Cheeks</title>
		<link>http://technabob.com/blog/2012/05/22/pin-up-face-supporter-mask/</link>
		<comments>http://technabob.com/blog/2012/05/22/pin-up-face-supporter-mask/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 22 May 2012 16:30:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Hazel Chua</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Health + Fitness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Strange + Wonderful]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[beauty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[face]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[japan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[vanity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[weird]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[women]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://technabob.com/blog/?p=94723</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Most women aren&#8217;t afraid of getting old. No, what they&#8217;re actually afraid of is <em>looking &#8230;</em>old. Fine lines, wrinkles, sagging skin, and fat accumulating in all the wrong places &#8211; it doesn&#8217;t conjure up a pretty sight, does it?
If you&#8217;re concerned about your own face and are absolutely terrified]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Most women aren&#8217;t afraid of getting old. No, what they&#8217;re actually afraid of is <em>looking </em>old. Fine lines, wrinkles, sagging skin, and fat accumulating in all the wrong places &#8211; it doesn&#8217;t conjure up a pretty sight, does it?</p>
<p><span id="more-94723"></span>If you&#8217;re concerned about your own face and are absolutely terrified at the thought of having to get plastic surgery one day, then you&#8217;ll be relieved to hear of the bevy of alternative gadgets that the Japan Trend Shop has for women like you: the <a href="http://technabob.com/blog/2012/02/29/hana-tsun-nose-straightener/">Hana Tsun Nose Straightener</a>, the <a href="http://technabob.com/blog/2011/10/13/eye-slack-haruka-eye-massager/">Eye Slack Haruka</a>, the <a href="http://technabob.com/blog/2012/01/23/chin-exerciser/">Rhythm Slim Chin Exerciser</a>, the <a href="http://technabob.com/blog/2012/02/03/face-slimmer-mouthpiece/">Face Slimmer Mouthpiece</a>, the <a href="http://technabob.com/blog/2012/02/18/kogao-smile-lines-face-belt/">Smile Lines Face Belt</a>, and the <a href="http://technabob.com/blog/2012/04/23/houreisen-face-exercise-mask/">Houreisen Face Exercise Mask</a>.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-94732" src="http://technabob.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Face-Supporter-Mask.jpg" alt="Face Supporter Mask" width="600" height="333" title="Face Supporter Mask photo" /></p>
<p>Another one to add to the list is the <em>Pin Up! Face Supporter Mask</em>, which promises to keep your facial skin tight and taut as you sleep. Aside from keeping your face locked tight, the red tape is lined with germanium and <em>binchoutan</em> (white charcoal) to retain heat to ward off sagging (at least, this is what it says on the product page. I had no idea that heat wards off sagging now?)</p>
<p>Anyway, if you&#8217;re interested in getting one of these, then you might want to head over to the <a href="http://www.japantrendshop.com/pin-up-face-supporter-mask-p-1404.html">Japan Trend Shop</a>, where it retails for $110(USD).</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://technabob.com/blog/2012/05/22/pin-up-face-supporter-mask/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>NYPD Arrests Designer for &#8220;Planting False Bombs,&#8221; But He Was Just Putting Up Art</title>
		<link>http://technabob.com/blog/2012/05/22/nypd-arrests-designer-for-bombs/</link>
		<comments>http://technabob.com/blog/2012/05/22/nypd-arrests-designer-for-bombs/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 22 May 2012 14:30:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Hazel Chua</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Geek Art + Craft]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Interactive]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[art]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[news]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NYPD]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Takeshi Miyakawa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[weird]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://technabob.com/blog/?p=94722</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The name Takeshi Miyakawa might be familiar to you if you&#8217;re into contemporary art. Miyakawa is a huge name in the art scene with his unusual installations and thought-provoking works of art.
Unfortunately, some people from New York and the NYPD don&#8217;t agree. Miyakawa was arrested last Saturday (May 19th) for putting&#8230;]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The name <a href="http://tmiyakawadesign.com/" target="_blank">Takeshi Miyakawa</a> might be familiar to you if you&#8217;re into contemporary art. Miyakawa is a huge name in the art scene with his unusual installations and thought-provoking works of art.</p>
<p><span id="more-94722"></span>Unfortunately, some people from New York and the NYPD don&#8217;t agree. Miyakawa was arrested last Saturday (May 19th) for putting up some new illuminated sculptures in the city.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-94729" src="http://technabob.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Takeshi-Miyakawa.jpg" alt="Takeshi Miyakawa" width="600" height="396" title="Takeshi Miyakawa photo" /></p>
<p>So here&#8217;s what happened: Miyakawa was putting up his art installations (which were inspired by the &#8220;I Love NY&#8221; plastic shopping bags from the NY Design Week 2012) when a resident complained about how he was going to get the lights down from his tree. The call got redirected from 311 to 911, and the police eventually came and arrested Miyakawa for &#8220;planting false bombs.&#8221;</p>
<p>Do these look like bombs to you?</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-94731" src="http://technabob.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Takeshi-Miyakawa1.jpg" alt="Takeshi Miyakawa1" width="600" height="450" title="Takeshi Miyakawa1 photo" /></p>
<p>A lot of people were outraged that this happened to Miyakawa. He&#8217;s currently being held at Rikers Island without bail, and a judge has recommended that he be held for mental evaluation.</p>
<p>A <a href="http://www.facebook.com/groups/418544204843603/">Facebook group</a> has since been started to show support for the artist. Its wall is flooded with words of support and encouragement for Miyakawa during his detainment.</p>
<p>[via <a href="http://www.spoon-tamago.com/2012/05/20/brooklyn-designer-arrested-for-planting-false-bombs/">Spoon Tamago</a>]</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://technabob.com/blog/2012/05/22/nypd-arrests-designer-for-bombs/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Cupcakewurst Is the Best Cupcake-Filled Sausage in Town</title>
		<link>http://technabob.com/blog/2012/05/21/cupcakewurst-sausage-cupcakes/</link>
		<comments>http://technabob.com/blog/2012/05/21/cupcakewurst-sausage-cupcakes/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 21 May 2012 13:30:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jack Kieffer</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Geek Art + Craft]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Strange + Wonderful]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[awesome]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cupcake]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gross]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[meat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[weird]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://technabob.com/blog/?p=94579</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Mmmm&#8230; all geeks can appreciate a good slab of meat. While bacon is usually the first choice among us techies, and bacon plus cheese plus bacon is a close second, sausage is always appreciated at my annual <em>Tetris&#8230;</em>/Cosplay/Steampunk/Apple fest. (Yes, I have one of those, and no, you&#8217;re not]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Mmmm&#8230; all geeks can appreciate a good slab of meat. While bacon is usually the first choice among us techies, and <a href="http://technabob.com/blog/2012/05/13/bacon-pie/">bacon plus cheese plus bacon</a> is a close second, sausage is always appreciated at my annual <em>Tetris</em>/Cosplay/Steampunk/Apple fest. (Yes, I have one of those, and no, you&#8217;re not invited. This is the internet &#8211; for all I know, you could be an evil cat who feeds on happiness. Like most cats.) The Cupcakewurst combines the best of the best into one delicious treat: sausage casing filled with baked cupcake batter, put on a sliced open Long John, and topped with raspberry jelly.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-94580" src="http://technabob.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/cupcakewurst-cupcake-hotdog-thingies-1.jpeg" alt="" width="600" height="899" title=" photo" /></p>
<p><span id="more-94579"></span>At first look, this seems to be pretty disgusting. At second look, it seems to be still disgusting, and I am beginning to wonder whether or not I would eat it. Perhaps if we had this same setup, except without the animal parts covering my cupcake, then we&#8217;d be okay. Bacon frosting was one thing, but cupcake-filled sausages? This might be too delicious for <del>my weak stomach</del> mankind to handle. UP THE VOMIT BAG MANUFACTURING BY 200%! OCCUPY WALLSTREET!</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-94581" src="http://technabob.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/cupcakewurst.jpeg" alt="" width="600" height="600" title=" photo" /></p>
<p>Stef of <a href="http://www.cupcakeproject.com/2012/05/cupcakewurst.html">Cupcake Project</a> makes these beauties by pouring a bunch of chocolate cupcake batter into animal intestines, and then putting them on a grill. (Yep.) Ah, what the heck &#8211; I&#8217;d buy twenty, just because I like to support the geeks who are out there trying to come up with amazing food combinations. And, hey &#8211; who knows &#8211; maybe these are delicious! It&#8217;s kind of difficult, with the current technology, to taste things via the internet. It&#8217;s much easier to walk around and then lick your shoes in order to find out what the ground had stuck to it. <em>*Licks shoe*</em></p>
<p>If you are a fan of the cupcakewurst treat, then you&#8217;ll want to check out the <a href="http://technabob.com/blog/2011/10/12/meaty-mona-lisa/">Meaty Mona Lisa</a> and the <a href="http://technabob.com/blog/2012/03/01/automatic-cupcake-vending-machine/">Automatic Cupcake Vending Machine</a>.</p>
<p>[via <a href="http://foodbeast.com/content/2012/05/17/cupcakewurst-is-now-a-real-thing/">Foodbeast</a> via <a href="http://www.incrediblethings.com/food/cupcakewurst-cupcake-filled-sausages/">Incredible Things</a>]</p>
<hr />
<p><em>Jack Kieffer owns <a href="http://www.incrediblethings.com/food/cupcakewurst-cupcake-filled-sausages/">Cool Gizmo Toys</a>, a blog that loves all kinds of geeky stuff</em></p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://technabob.com/blog/2012/05/21/cupcakewurst-sausage-cupcakes/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Clothbot Robot Climbs Pants with Ease</title>
		<link>http://technabob.com/blog/2012/05/17/clothbot-fabric-climbing-robot/</link>
		<comments>http://technabob.com/blog/2012/05/17/clothbot-fabric-climbing-robot/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 18 May 2012 00:35:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Technabob</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Future Tech]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Robots]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Strange + Wonderful]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Weird Science]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climbing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cloth]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[robot]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[weird]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://technabob.com/blog/?p=94453</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[We&#8217;ve seen some unusual robots around here over the years, but this is definitely one of my favorites in recent memory. This little guy is designed to be able to easily climb cloth surfaces.

The Clothbot was designed by a team from the Chinese Academy of Science, and it uses&#8230;]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>We&#8217;ve seen some unusual robots around here over the years, but this is definitely one of my favorites in recent memory. This little guy is designed to be able to easily climb cloth surfaces.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-94472" title="clothbot" src="http://technabob.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/clothbot.jpg" alt="clothbot" width="600" height="612" /></p>
<p><span id="more-94453"></span>The Clothbot was designed by a team from the <a href="http://english.cas.cn/">Chinese Academy of Science</a>, and it uses a special set of gripper wheels to help it ascend textiles. The tiny robot weighs just under 5 ounces, but is incredibly adept at handling the challenging surface of fabric. In the demo video below, we see Clothbot climbing a shirt, and then pair of pants:</p>
<p><iframe width="620" height="495" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/3LzZmCJzU0M?fs=1&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>Why, you may ask, would you need a robot that can climb your pants? Its creators think that the Clothbot could be the foundation for small robotic pets that could climb on us, or the slightly more ridiculous idea of a robotic cellphone which could saddle itself on your shoulder to free your hands &#8211; guess they never heard of a Bluetooth headset. They also suggest the idea of robotic &#8220;body inspection.&#8221; Um, no thanks. On the other hand, tiny robot pets that climb on us sound kind of fun &#8211; at least until Skynet gets a hold of them.</p>
<p>[via <a href="http://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/robotics/home-robots/clothbot-has-no-trouble-navigating-your-pants">IEEE Spectrum</a>]</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://technabob.com/blog/2012/05/17/clothbot-fabric-climbing-robot/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Man Eats Own (Chocolate) Brain</title>
		<link>http://technabob.com/blog/2012/05/15/chocolate-brain/</link>
		<comments>http://technabob.com/blog/2012/05/15/chocolate-brain/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 15 May 2012 14:00:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Lambert Varias</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Geek Art + Craft]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Just Plain Fun]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Strange + Wonderful]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[3d printing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[brain]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chocolate]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[geeky]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mri]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[weird]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://technabob.com/blog/?p=94193</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[If you ate your own brain, what does that make you? A zombie cannibal? A short-lived Hannibal? An attraction at a goth carnival? Or just dead? Fortunately Andy Millns will not be burdened with any of those associations, because he only ate a piece of chocolate cast from a mold&#8230;]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>If you ate your own brain, what does that make you? A zombie cannibal? A short-lived Hannibal? An attraction at a goth carnival? Or just dead? Fortunately Andy Millns will not be burdened with any of those associations, because he only ate a piece of chocolate cast from a mold made from a 3D print made from an MRI of his own brain. Which makes him a geek.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-94194" src="http://technabob.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/andy-millns-inition-3d-printed-chocolate-brain.jpg" alt="andy millns inition 3d printed chocolate brain" width="600" height="541" title="andy millns inition 3d printed chocolate brain photo" /></p>
<p><span id="more-94193"></span>The cranial confectionery was the brainchild of 3D tech company <a href="http://www.inition.co.uk/">Inition</a>. I&#8217;ve already outlined the steps above, but in case you need something that makes more sense, watch the video below:</p>
<p><iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/42116935" width="620" height="349" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></p>
<p>They would&#8217;ve skipped a couple of steps if they just used <a href="http://technabob.com/blog/2012/04/23/3d-chocolate-printer-2/">this 3D printer</a> instead, although I guess it would take way longer. Inition also put up an <a href="http://www.instructables.com/id/Edible-Chocolate-Brain-from-MRI-Scan/">Instructable</a> for those interested in eating chocolate brain, including an MRI file containing a scan of Millns&#8217; brain. I can&#8217;t decide which is weirder: eating a chocolate brain based on another person&#8217;s brain or one that&#8217;s based on your own brain. Or that <em>Chocolate Rain</em> song.</p>
<p>[via <a href="http://www.ubergizmo.com/2012/05/chocolate-3d-brain/">Ubergizmo</a>]</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://technabob.com/blog/2012/05/15/chocolate-brain/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Jedi Academy Exists, Midichlorians Not so Much</title>
		<link>http://technabob.com/blog/2012/05/14/jedi-academy-irl/</link>
		<comments>http://technabob.com/blog/2012/05/14/jedi-academy-irl/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 14 May 2012 17:00:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Lambert Varias</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Just Plain Fun]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Strange + Wonderful]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fun]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[jedi]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lightsaber]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[star wars]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[weird]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://technabob.com/blog/?p=94113</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It turns out we don&#8217;t have to journey for a long, long time or travel far, far away if we want to be Jedi, because there&#8217;s an academy right here on Earth. The New York Jedi club offers classes for <em>Star Wars&#8230;</em> fans on using lightsabers. Or at least replicas]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It turns out we don&#8217;t have to journey for a long, long time or travel far, far away if we want to be Jedi, because there&#8217;s an academy right here on Earth. The New York Jedi club offers classes for <em>Star Wars</em> fans on using lightsabers. Or at least replicas of lightsabers, and I don&#8217;t think they have a course on the use of the Force either.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-94114" src="http://technabob.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/new-york-jedi-club.jpg" alt="new york jedi club" width="600" height="381" title="new york jedi club photo" /></p>
<p><span id="more-94113"></span>The classes are run by Flynn Michael, who doesn&#8217;t seem to teach an actual fighting technique so much as share the style and choreography of lightsaber battles from the <em>Star Wars</em> prequels. Obviously the biggest draw about the club is the community, meeting and playing with other fans. Because no Padawan wants to role play alone. Here&#8217;s a short feature on the club by Diagonal UK:</p>
<p><iframe width="620" height="379" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/2jW0joAtnsU?fs=1&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>Use the force of the Web and head to the <a href="http://newyorkjedi.com/">New York Jedi website</a> for more info, or to apply as a Jedi Web Designer. I wonder if there&#8217;s also a Sith Academy somewhere in this wide and strange world of ours. But at only two members maximum that will be a much lonelier club.</p>
<p>[via <a href="http://www.theviraltrend.com/viral-media/jedi-academy">The Viral Trend</a>]</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://technabob.com/blog/2012/05/14/jedi-academy-irl/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Man Implants Magnets on Wrist to Hold iPod Nano, Must Have Not Heard of Straps</title>
		<link>http://technabob.com/blog/2012/05/10/implanted-magnets-ipod-nano/</link>
		<comments>http://technabob.com/blog/2012/05/10/implanted-magnets-ipod-nano/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 10 May 2012 16:00:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Lambert Varias</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Geek Art + Craft]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hacks + Mods]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Strange + Wonderful]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[body]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[funny]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ipod nano]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[magnets]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[weird]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://technabob.com/blog/?p=93841</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[&#8230;then again, that&#8217;s like saying people who like permanent tattoos must have not heard of marker pens. Whatever the case, no, you are not on The Onion. Body piercer Dave Hurban really did install four magnets on his wrist, and yes, mounting an iPod Nano on that wrist is one&#8230;]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>&#8230;then again, that&#8217;s like saying people who like permanent tattoos must have not heard of marker pens. Whatever the case, no, you are not on <a href="http://www.theonion.com/">The Onion</a>. Body piercer Dave Hurban really did install four magnets on his wrist, and yes, mounting an iPod Nano on that wrist is one of the reasons (if not the only reason) that led him to do it.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-93842" src="http://technabob.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/idermal-magnet-ipod-nano.jpg" alt="idermal magnet ipod nano" width="600" height="282" title="idermal magnet ipod nano photo" /></p>
<p><span id="more-93841"></span>The proof is in the video below. There&#8217;s a bit of blood and drilling through skin and flesh involved (you have been warned,) but even if you don&#8217;t have the stomach for it, the image above shows the end result, so you&#8217;re not missing much.</p>
<p><iframe width="620" height="379" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/QKVNVoBScFA?fs=1&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>And so now Hurban is much cooler or less cool or not cool at all depending on which YouTube commenter you ask. The only thing we can say with certainty is that he&#8217;d better be careful around MRI machines.</p>
<p>[via <a href="http://youbentmywookie.com/wtf/idermal-because-some-apple-users-are-just-that-cool-16341">You Bent My Wookie</a>]</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://technabob.com/blog/2012/05/10/implanted-magnets-ipod-nano/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Voicelok Voice Authenticating USB Drive: Watch out for Impressionists</title>
		<link>http://technabob.com/blog/2012/05/09/voicelok-voice-authenticating-usb-drive/</link>
		<comments>http://technabob.com/blog/2012/05/09/voicelok-voice-authenticating-usb-drive/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 09 May 2012 22:00:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Lambert Varias</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Computing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gadgets]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mobile Tech]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Strange + Wonderful]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[flash drive]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hammacher schlemmer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[usb drive]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[voice recognition]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[weird]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://technabob.com/blog/?p=93703</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[We&#8217;ve seen voice authentication as a security measure in movies and TV shows, but is it really practical on a flash drive? Wrench Monkey Studios think it is. The company&#8217;s Voicelok USB drive lets you add an audible password, so everyone around you can hear what it is. Just kidding.&#8230;]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>We&#8217;ve seen voice authentication as a security measure in movies and TV shows, but is it really practical on a flash drive? Wrench Monkey Studios think it is. The company&#8217;s Voicelok USB drive lets you add an audible password, so everyone around you can hear what it is. Just kidding.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-93704" src="http://technabob.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/voicelok-voice-authenticating-usb-flash-drive.jpg" alt="voicelok voice authenticating usb flash drive" width="600" height="473" title="voicelok voice authenticating usb flash drive photo" /></p>
<p><span id="more-93703"></span>When configured with an audible password, Voicelok will not be recognized by a computer even if it&#8217;s already plugged in, not until it &#8220;hears&#8221; the password via its built-in microphone. The phrase has to be 2 to 4 syllables long, but the real password is your own voice. It&#8217;s the way you say the password that unlocks the drive. It&#8217;s your voice that rouses it from slumber. Your voice brings it to life. Your voice makes it believe it can love again. What?</p>
<p><iframe width="620" height="495" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/zXI5QQ41Gck?fs=1&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>But obviously you still don&#8217;t want to say the password aloud when you&#8217;re in a crowded place. You&#8217;re just alerting spies and ninjas that you have top secret data and a high tech flash drive. Here&#8217;s where the secondary color-coded input comes in. Voicelok has two switches that toggle two LEDs, one red and one green. I think it&#8217;s even more secure than the voice password. Watch the video below to see what I mean.</p>
<p><iframe width="620" height="495" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/A7tCBORcnnk?fs=1&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p><a href="http://www.hammacher.com/Product/81697">Hammacher Schlemmer</a> is selling the 8GB Voicelok USB drive for $50 (USD), but I guess inconvenience is the real price for added security. That confounding initial setup would drain my patience. Then again, I don&#8217;t have top secret data to protect. But that&#8217;s just what I would say if I <em>did</em> have top secret data. Does that mean I <em>do</em> have top secret data? Is it so important that even <em>I</em> don&#8217;t know about it? But that&#8217;s just what I would say if I <em>did</em> have top secret data and <em>do</em> know that I have it. Wait. So do I have top secret data or not? Aaaaargh&#8230;</p>
<p>[via <a href="http://www.voicelok.com/">Voicelok</a> &amp; <a href="http://bonjourlife.com/voice-authenticating-usb-drive/">Bonjour Life</a>]</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://technabob.com/blog/2012/05/09/voicelok-voice-authenticating-usb-drive/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Cthulhu Ski Mask is R&#8217;lyeh Creepy</title>
		<link>http://technabob.com/blog/2012/05/09/cthulhu-ski-mask/</link>
		<comments>http://technabob.com/blog/2012/05/09/cthulhu-ski-mask/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 09 May 2012 17:00:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Lambert Varias</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Geek Art + Craft]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Geek Wear]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Strange + Wonderful]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cthulhu]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[funny]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[h.p. lovecraft]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[knit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mask]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[weird]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://technabob.com/blog/?p=93715</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I know, I know the pun doesn&#8217;t make sense, but so does Cthulhu. And that&#8217;s the theme of this product so I was actually being clever. I just didn&#8217;t realize I was being clever that way. And that&#8217;s one of the reasons why the folks at Toy Vault are cleverer.&#8230;]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I know, I know the pun doesn&#8217;t make sense, but so does Cthulhu. And that&#8217;s the theme of this product so I was actually being clever. I just didn&#8217;t realize I was being clever that way. And that&#8217;s one of the reasons why the folks at <a href="http://www.toyvault.com/">Toy Vault</a> are cleverer. The other reason being their indoctrination of crowd funders to back their Cthulhu Knitted Ski Mask.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-93721" src="http://technabob.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/cthulhu-ski-mask-by-toy-vault.jpg" alt="cthulhu ski mask by toy vault" width="600" height="455" title="cthulhu ski mask by toy vault photo" /></p>
<p><span id="more-93715"></span>The Cthulhu Knitted Ski Mask is just like the <a href="http://technabob.com/blog/2011/01/02/cthulhu-ski-hat-stay-warm-in-your-nightmare/">Cthulhu knit ski hat</a>, except it has one hell of a unibrow and more upper case letters in its name.</p>
<p><iframe frameborder="0" height="460px" src="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2092804470/cthulhu-knitted-ski-mask/widget/video.html" width="620px"></iframe></p>
<p><a href="http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110705203444/glee/images/3/38/Orson-welles-clapping.gif">Bravo sir. Bravo.</a> I bet half of the backers pledged just because of that superb pitch. Come brethren, summon your browsers and head to <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2092804470/cthulhu-knitted-ski-mask">Kickstarter</a>. A sacrifice of at least $20 (USD) gets you a Cthulhu Knitted Ski Mask. May your fellow skiers or robbers have mercy on your soul.</p>
<p>[via <a href="http://www.dudeiwantthat.com/outdoors/winter/cthulhu-ski-mask.asp">DudeIWantThat</a>]</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://technabob.com/blog/2012/05/09/cthulhu-ski-mask/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>G.I.A. Interactive Robot Gives You Creepy Face Time</title>
		<link>http://technabob.com/blog/2012/05/09/g-i-a-interactive-robot/</link>
		<comments>http://technabob.com/blog/2012/05/09/g-i-a-interactive-robot/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 09 May 2012 15:00:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Conner Flynn</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Interactive]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Robots]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Strange + Wonderful]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[creepy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[face recognition]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gesture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[projector]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[robot]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[weird]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://technabob.com/blog/?p=93664</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The G.I.A. (Gestural Interactive Automaton) is a robotic sculpture that was created by Daniel Jay Bertner. It is mounted on the wall and it is basically a projection sphere and a webcam attached to three servo-controlled articulating arms. A human face is projected onto the sphere, and that face that&#8230;]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The G.I.A. (Gestural Interactive Automaton) is a robotic sculpture that was created by <a href="http://danbertner.wordpress.com/2012/05/05/g-i-a/">Daniel Jay Bertner</a>. It is mounted on the wall and it is basically a projection sphere and a webcam attached to three servo-controlled articulating arms. A human face is projected onto the sphere, and that face that will watch your every move.<br />
<span id="more-93664"></span><br />
<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-93672" src="http://technabob.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/GIA-Robot.jpg" alt="GIA Robot" width="600" height="450" title="GIA Robot photo" /><br />
The face follows you around and changes its expression according to your reactions, creating interaction. Daniel wants to bridge the gap between man and machine through this process, which uses open source motion tracking and facial recognition software.</p>
<p><iframe width="620" height="379" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/0fb56yl-tpE?fs=1&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>Think of it like those paintings where the eyes watch your every move and follow you. It&#8217;s like that, but better/creepier. You may very well have nightmares after you watch it watching you.</p>
<p>[via <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/08/interactive-robot-mimics-emotions-follows-you-around/">Engadget</a> via <a href="http://www.geeky-gadgets.com/g-i-a-interactive-robot-mimics-emotions-follows-you/">Geeky-Gadgets</a>]</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://technabob.com/blog/2012/05/09/g-i-a-interactive-robot/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Minecraft in Minecraft: The Inevitable Has Occurred</title>
		<link>http://technabob.com/blog/2012/05/07/minecraft-in-minecraft/</link>
		<comments>http://technabob.com/blog/2012/05/07/minecraft-in-minecraft/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 07 May 2012 18:00:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Lambert Varias</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Hacks + Mods]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Strange + Wonderful]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Video Games]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[awesome]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gaming]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[geeky]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[minecraft]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[weird]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://technabob.com/blog/?p=93566</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The last time I posted about a <em>Minecraft</em> map that recreates another videogame I said I couldn&#8217;t wait for <em>Minecraft: Minecraft</em>. And now it&#8217;s here, albeit with a different name: <em>Mineception&#8230;</em>. It&#8217;s also more primitive than I expected, although in hindsight I didn&#8217;t really have an idea of]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The last time I posted about <a href="http://technabob.com/blog/2012/04/15/minecraft-dota/">a <em>Minecraft</em> map</a> that recreates <a href="http://technabob.com/blog/2011/09/11/minecraft-zelda-adventure/">another</a> <a href="http://technabob.com/blog/2011/08/21/pokemon-minecraft-mod/">videogame</a> I said I couldn&#8217;t wait for <em>Minecraft: Minecraft</em>. And now it&#8217;s here, albeit with a different name: <em>Mineception</em>. It&#8217;s also more primitive than I expected, although in hindsight I didn&#8217;t really have an idea of what <em>Minecraft</em> in <em>Minecraft</em> would look like. Man this post is so search engine optimized.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-93567" src="http://technabob.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/mineception-map-by-codecrafted.jpg" alt="mineception map by codecrafted" width="600" height="383" title="mineception map by codecrafted photo" /></p>
<p><span id="more-93566"></span>Made by codecrafted, <em>Mineception</em> has two major parts: a virtual map where you see the tiny version of <em>Minecraft</em> and a control interface for selecting blocks, building and jumping. From what I can tell every action save for moving needs to be done by pressing a button on the control interface, then looking down on the virtual map to see the action take place. Sounds tedious? The zoomed out view of the control interface redefines tedious.</p>
<p><iframe width="620" height="379" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/GwHBaSySHmo?fs=1&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>I feel like a caveman that just stumbled upon a space station. What the hell was <em>that</em>. Head to <a href="http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/mineception---minecraft-in-minecraft/">Planet Minecraft</a> to download the map. Try and figure out how many <em>Minecrafts</em> within <em>Minecraft</em> you can build.</p>
<p>[via <a href="http://waxy.org/links/">Waxy</a>]</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://technabob.com/blog/2012/05/07/minecraft-in-minecraft/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Microsoft to Offer $99 Subsidized Xbox 360 with Kinect and Xbox Live Gold [Rumor]</title>
		<link>http://technabob.com/blog/2012/05/04/99-dollar-xbox-360/</link>
		<comments>http://technabob.com/blog/2012/05/04/99-dollar-xbox-360/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 04 May 2012 14:40:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Lambert Varias</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Strange + Wonderful]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Video Games]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cheap]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[microsoft]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[weird]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[xbox 360]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[xbox live]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://technabob.com/blog/?p=93346</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When it was first released back in 2005, the Xbox 360 sold for $299-$399 (USD). But by next week, it could cost you as low as $99 to get one. There&#8217;s a catch of course, and I&#8217;m not just talking about the fact that this is a rumor: the $99&#8230;]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>When it was <a href="http://www.videogamer.com/news/full_xbox_360_price_details_revealed.html">first released</a> back in 2005, the Xbox 360 sold for $299-$399 (USD). But by next week, it could cost you as low as $99 to get one. There&#8217;s a catch of course, and I&#8217;m not just talking about the fact that this is a rumor: the $99 Xbox 360 actually costs $459.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-93347" src="http://technabob.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/xbox-360-4gb.jpg" alt="xbox 360 4gb" width="600" height="371" title="xbox 360 4gb photo" /></p>
<p><span id="more-93346"></span>According to <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2012/5/2/2993600/99-xbox-360-kinect-subsidized-bundle">The Verge</a>, the bundle will include a 4GB Xbox 360, a Kinect, a 2-year subscription to Xbox Live Gold and a 2-year warranty. Takers will only have to pay $99 upfront, but will also have to pay a monthly fee of $15 for two years or else be fed to the dreaded Early Termination Fee monster.</p>
<p>The difference between the normal upfront cost for the bundle versus this supposed deal is an extra $39, so it&#8217;s not that bad. Even if the next generation Xbox were to come out this year, the target audience of this deal probably won&#8217;t be able to afford that new console anyway. Unless of course the new console will also have a subscription plan, in which case yes, this is a bad deal.</p>
<p>[via <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2012/5/2/2993600/99-xbox-360-kinect-subsidized-bundle">The Verge</a> via <a href="http://www.technologytell.com/gadgets/95129/subsidized-xbox-360-bundle-for-99/">TechnologyTell</a>]</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://technabob.com/blog/2012/05/04/99-dollar-xbox-360/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Slide to Unlock Now a Game: What&#8217;s Next? Power On, Power Off?</title>
		<link>http://technabob.com/blog/2012/05/03/slide-to-unlock-game/</link>
		<comments>http://technabob.com/blog/2012/05/03/slide-to-unlock-game/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 03 May 2012 15:00:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Lambert Varias</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Just Plain Fun]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Strange + Wonderful]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Video Games]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[app]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[apple]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[free]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[funny]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gaming]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ios]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[user interface]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[weird]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://technabob.com/blog/?p=93217</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The <em>&#8220;Slide to Unlock&#8221;</em> interface has become one of the most iconic features of iOS devices. It never occurred to me to think of it as a fun activity, but apparently thousands of people do, because there&#8217;s actually a game built around it. It&#8217;s called <em>Slide&#8230;</em> and what you do]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The <em>&#8220;Slide to Unlock&#8221;</em> interface has become one of the most iconic features of iOS devices. It never occurred to me to think of it as a fun activity, but apparently thousands of people do, because there&#8217;s actually a game built around it. It&#8217;s called <em>Slide</em> and what you do is – oh wait.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-93218" src="http://technabob.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/slide-iphone-game.jpg" alt="slide iphone game" width="600" height="450" title="slide iphone game photo" /></p>
<p><span id="more-93217"></span><em>Slide</em> has four modes, all of which involve sliding at least one slider, sometimes two, sometimes in two directions. Watch the video below by YouTuber FTWapps for a demo (skip to 0:25):</p>
<p><iframe width="620" height="379" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/8TXRUtnKHUA?fs=1&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>I&#8217;ve already tried it out and I still can&#8217;t believe that it&#8217;s a real game. I myself don&#8217;t know if that&#8217;s a compliment or an insult. Fortunately it&#8217;s free, so unlock your iDevice, go to the <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/ph/app/id359315994?mt=8">App Store</a> and give <em>Slide</em> a try. Although if you unlocked your device you&#8217;ve already given <em>Slide</em> a try. I wonder if it has an Android counterpart.</p>
<p>[via <a href="http://thenextweb.com/apps/2012/05/03/this-app-turns-slide-to-unlock-into-an-addictive-game-for-apple-fans/">The Next Web</a>]</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://technabob.com/blog/2012/05/03/slide-to-unlock-game/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Company Wants to Mine Asteroids: Hopefully the Reapers Won&#8217;t Detect Us</title>
		<link>http://technabob.com/blog/2012/04/29/mining-asteroids/</link>
		<comments>http://technabob.com/blog/2012/04/29/mining-asteroids/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 29 Apr 2012 14:00:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Lambert Varias</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Future Tech]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Strange + Wonderful]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[asteroids]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[space]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[weird]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://technabob.com/blog/?p=92841</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A company called Planetary Resources has made itself known, stating that they want to mine asteroids for natural resources. This of course raises a few questions: how exactly will they accomplish this task? What are the risks involved in space mining? Will it have any harmful effects? And most importantly,&#8230;]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>A company called <a href="http://www.planetaryresources.com/">Planetary Resources</a> has made itself known, stating that they want to mine asteroids for natural resources. This of course raises a few questions: how exactly will they accomplish this task? What are the risks involved in space mining? Will it have any harmful effects? And most importantly, why is the company not called Asteroidal Resources?</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-92842" src="http://technabob.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/planetary-resources.jpg" alt="planetary resources" width="600" height="286" title="planetary resources photo" /></p>
<p><span id="more-92841"></span>Unfortunately, I don&#8217;t have an answer to any of those questions. But the company&#8217;s introductory video does vaguely indicate the steps that Planetary Resources is planning to take to achieve their plan and the benefits of mining asteroids. Not that we&#8217;ll understand if it explained everything in detail. I bet it&#8217;s a bit more complicated than pressing L2 to scan and then R2 to launch a probe.</p>
<p><iframe width="620" height="379" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/7fYYPN0BdBw?fs=1&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>It does seem to make sense to mine asteroids. Unless of course someone out there is using them. In which case&#8230; we&#8217;ll still mine them if we can get away with it. That&#8217;s what humans do! If we&#8217;re caught, let&#8217;s just say we&#8217;re increasing our galactic readiness. <del>Watch <em>Armageddon</em></del> Check out Planetary Resources&#8217; <a href="http://www.planetaryresources.com/">website</a> for more information.</p>
<p>[via <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fYYPN0BdBw">YouTube</a>]</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://technabob.com/blog/2012/04/29/mining-asteroids/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Self-Knocking Doorbell: Tech Imitates Arm</title>
		<link>http://technabob.com/blog/2012/04/29/knocking-doorbell/</link>
		<comments>http://technabob.com/blog/2012/04/29/knocking-doorbell/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 29 Apr 2012 13:00:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Lambert Varias</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Design]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Just Plain Fun]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Strange + Wonderful]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[awesome]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[concepts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[doorbell]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[funny]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[prank]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[weird]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://technabob.com/blog/?p=92459</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Here&#8217;s a trollish concept for a doorbell by designer Bobby Petersen called the Door Knocker. When you press its button you&#8217;ll hear three knocks instead of a ding or a dong. It&#8217;s not a recorded knocking sound either: the contraption will actually knock on the door.

Watch the video to see&#8230;]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Here&#8217;s a trollish concept for a doorbell by designer <a href="http://cargocollective.com/BobbyPetersen/Door-knocker">Bobby Petersen</a> called the Door Knocker. When you press its button you&#8217;ll hear three knocks instead of a ding or a dong. It&#8217;s not a recorded knocking sound either: the contraption will actually knock on the door.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-92460" src="http://technabob.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/door-knocker-by-bobby-petersen.jpg" alt="door knocker by bobby petersen" width="600" height="400" title="door knocker by bobby petersen photo" /></p>
<p><span id="more-92459"></span>Watch the video to see the whimsical gadget in action:</p>
<p><iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/40807434" width="620" height="349" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></p>
<p>It would&#8217;ve been funnier if the door had a motion sensitive gizmo that would emit doorbell sounds when someone knocks on the door from outside. Or if the door opens when you knock on it. Or if it explodes. Or becomes a doorbell. Excuse me while I think of more possibilities.</p>
<p>[<a href="http://cargocollective.com/BobbyPetersen/Door-knocker">Bobby Petersen</a> via <a href="http://www.notcot.org/post/47509/">Notcot</a>]</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://technabob.com/blog/2012/04/29/knocking-doorbell/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Age Slowly but Not Gracefully With the Pupeko Anti-Aging Mouthpiece</title>
		<link>http://technabob.com/blog/2012/04/27/pupeko-anti-aging-mouthpiece/</link>
		<comments>http://technabob.com/blog/2012/04/27/pupeko-anti-aging-mouthpiece/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 27 Apr 2012 13:00:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Hazel Chua</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Health + Fitness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Strange + Wonderful]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[anti-aging]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[facial exercise]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[japan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[japan trend shop]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[weird]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://technabob.com/blog/?p=92410</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Aging is a part of life. As the years go by, the skin will start to sag and the wrinkles will begin to appear. It&#8217;s a perfectly normal process, although a lot of people go to extreme measures to minimize the signs of aging.
Similar to the Face Slimmer Mouthpiece which lets&#8230;]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Aging is a part of life. As the years go by, the skin will start to sag and the wrinkles will begin to appear. It&#8217;s a perfectly normal process, although a lot of people go to extreme measures to minimize the signs of aging.</p>
<p><span id="more-92410"></span>Similar to the <a href="http://technabob.com/blog/2012/02/03/face-slimmer-mouthpiece/">Face Slimmer Mouthpiece</a> which lets you do some weird facial exercise so that you&#8217;ll end up with a more slender face is the Pupeko Anti-Aging Mouthpiece.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-92416" src="http://technabob.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Pupeko-Anti-Aging-Mouthpiece.jpg" alt="Pupeko Anti Aging Mouthpiece" width="600" height="300" title="Pupeko Anti Aging Mouthpiece photo" /></p>
<p>While the Face Slimmer asks you to say loud vowel sounds over and over again, the Pupeko will have you puff your cheeks out or suck them in to exercise your facial muscles.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-92419" src="http://technabob.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Pupeko-Anti-Aging-Mouthpiece1.jpg" alt="Pupeko Anti Aging Mouthpiece1" width="600" height="207" title="Pupeko Anti Aging Mouthpiece1 photo" /></p>
<p>According to the Pupeko&#8217;s product page, it was created by an ordinary housewife who was concerned about her age and the telltale lines on her face. Apparently, she wasn&#8217;t very concerned about how silly she looked with this contraption in her mouth.</p>
<p>We&#8217;re not saying that the Pupeko works. We&#8217;re not saying that it doesn&#8217;t either, because we obviously haven&#8217;t tried it. But in the case that it <em>does </em>get rid of your wrinkles, then you might save some cash by skipping the Botox injections (and a little less botulinum toxin in your bloodstream.)</p>
<p>The Pupeko Anti-Aging Mouthpiece is available from the <a href="http://www.japantrendshop.com/pupeko-antiaging-mouthpiece-p-1257.html">Japan Trend Shop</a> for $38(USD).</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://technabob.com/blog/2012/04/27/pupeko-anti-aging-mouthpiece/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Descriptive Camera Only Prints Text, Proves Pictures Are Not Really Worth a Thousand Words</title>
		<link>http://technabob.com/blog/2012/04/26/descriptive-camera-prints-words/</link>
		<comments>http://technabob.com/blog/2012/04/26/descriptive-camera-prints-words/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 26 Apr 2012 20:00:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Lambert Varias</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Design]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Digital Imaging]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Future Tech]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gadgets]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hacks + Mods]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Just Plain Fun]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mobile Tech]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Strange + Wonderful]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[awesome]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[photography]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[text]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[weird]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://technabob.com/blog/?p=92699</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A few years ago we featured PhotoSketch (now called Sketch2Photo), a program that can turn sketches with labels into a picture. Here&#8217;s something nearly opposite of that: a camera that outputs a text description of the image instead of the image itself. It&#8217;s like Instagram for bookworms.

Inventor Matt Richardson&#8230;]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>A few years ago we featured <a href="http://technabob.com/blog/2009/10/09/photosketch-internet-image-montage/">PhotoSketch</a> (now called <a href="http://cg.cs.tsinghua.edu.cn/montage/main.htm">Sketch2Photo</a>), a program that can turn sketches with labels into a picture. Here&#8217;s something nearly opposite of that: a camera that outputs a text description of the image instead of the image itself. It&#8217;s like Instagram for bookworms.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-92700" src="http://technabob.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/descriptive-camera-by-matt-richardson.jpg" alt="descriptive camera by matt richardson" width="600" height="427" title="descriptive camera by matt richardson photo" /></p>
<p><span id="more-92699"></span>Inventor Matt Richardson simply calls it the Descriptive Camera (soon to be called Photo2Text). The technology behind it is not really as cutting edge as PhotoSketch, although the concept certainly is. When an image is taken using the Descriptive Camera, it sends the digital photo to a person, who will then describe what&#8217;s in the photo. Richardson uses Amazon&#8217;s <a href="https://www.mturk.com/mturk/welcome">Mechanical Turk</a> service to find people who will describe the photo. Finally, the camera&#8217;s built-in thermal printer will print out the description. I&#8217;m not sure where the digital image goes, so there could be a privacy issue there. All in all this &#8220;development&#8221; process takes 3 to 6 minutes.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-92701" src="http://technabob.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/descriptive-camera-by-matt-richardson-2.jpg" alt="descriptive camera by matt richardson 2" width="600" height="482" title="descriptive camera by matt richardson 2 photo" /></p>
<p>The camera can also be switched to &#8220;accomplice mode&#8221;, which can be used to send an instant message to another person so they can describe the photo. So for example instead of asking a worker who doesn&#8217;t know a thing about you, you could ask your mom to describe a picture of you when you were a baby. Or you&#8217;d send yourself pictures taken while you&#8217;re drunk for your sober self to try to piece together later.</p>

<a href='http://technabob.com/blog/2012/04/26/descriptive-camera-prints-words/descriptive-camera-by-matt-richardson-3/' title='descriptive-camera-by-matt-richardson-3'><img width="150" height="150" src="http://technabob.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/descriptive-camera-by-matt-richardson-3-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail colorbox-92699 " alt="descriptive camera by matt richardson 3 150x150" title="descriptive-camera-by-matt-richardson-3" /></a>
<a href='http://technabob.com/blog/2012/04/26/descriptive-camera-prints-words/descriptive-camera-by-matt-richardson-4/' title='descriptive-camera-by-matt-richardson-4'><img width="150" height="150" src="http://technabob.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/descriptive-camera-by-matt-richardson-4-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail colorbox-92699 " alt="descriptive camera by matt richardson 4 150x150" title="descriptive-camera-by-matt-richardson-4" /></a>
<a href='http://technabob.com/blog/2012/04/26/descriptive-camera-prints-words/descriptive-camera-by-matt-richardson-5/' title='descriptive-camera-by-matt-richardson-5'><img width="150" height="150" src="http://technabob.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/descriptive-camera-by-matt-richardson-5-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail colorbox-92699 " alt="descriptive camera by matt richardson 5 150x150" title="descriptive-camera-by-matt-richardson-5" /></a>
<a href='http://technabob.com/blog/2012/04/26/descriptive-camera-prints-words/descriptive-camera-by-matt-richardson/' title='descriptive-camera-by-matt-richardson'><img width="150" height="150" src="http://technabob.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/descriptive-camera-by-matt-richardson-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail colorbox-92699 " alt="descriptive camera by matt richardson 150x150" title="descriptive-camera-by-matt-richardson" /></a>
<a href='http://technabob.com/blog/2012/04/26/descriptive-camera-prints-words/descriptive-camera-by-matt-richardson-2/' title='descriptive-camera-by-matt-richardson-2'><img width="150" height="150" src="http://technabob.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/descriptive-camera-by-matt-richardson-2-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail colorbox-92699 " alt="descriptive camera by matt richardson 2 150x150" title="descriptive-camera-by-matt-richardson-2" /></a>

<p>So why would anyone want a description of a picture instead of the picture itself? Richardson doesn&#8217;t actually want <em>just</em> the text. Rather, he envisions future digital cameras to add this kind of valuable information in the metadata of digital images, not just the camera that took the picture, its resolution, ISO and other technical stuff.</p>
<p>Not only will this make it possible to search for a picture by describing what&#8217;s in it, but it will also preserve the human element of the photo. Like how much your friends used to love hanging out at your house, or how really they only went there because you had a Famicom because man you were quite the weirdo in 5th grade, or that you absolutely suck at taking pictures in general. That kind of stuff gets lost in time you know. For good reason. What was I talking about again?</p>
<p>[<a href="http://mattrichardson.com/Descriptive-Camera/">Matt Richardson</a> via <a href="http://asia.cnet.com/descriptive-camera-prints-images-in-text-62214462.htm">Cnet</a>]</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://technabob.com/blog/2012/04/26/descriptive-camera-prints-words/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Shopping Bag Doubles as Emergency Helmet</title>
		<link>http://technabob.com/blog/2012/04/25/shopping-bag-emergency-helmet/</link>
		<comments>http://technabob.com/blog/2012/04/25/shopping-bag-emergency-helmet/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 25 Apr 2012 23:00:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Technabob</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Strange + Wonderful]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bag]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[japan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[safety]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[weird]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://technabob.com/blog/?p=92171</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[If god-forbid, I ever find myself in an earthquake, I think I&#8217;d like one of those earthquake-proof tables to duck under. However, you can&#8217;t always be around a table when you need one. On the other hand, if you&#8217;re out and about, you could easily carry around a shopping bag&#8230;]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>If god-forbid, I ever find myself in an earthquake, I think I&#8217;d like one of those <a title="Earthquake-Ready Table Could Save Your Life in the Future" href="http://technabob.com/blog/2012/04/22/earthquake-ready-table/">earthquake-proof tables</a> to duck under. However, you can&#8217;t always be around a table when you need one. On the other hand, if you&#8217;re out and about, you could easily carry around a shopping bag &#8211; and in this case, the shopping bag could save you in a disaster.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-92696" title="helmet_shopping_bag" src="http://technabob.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/helmet_shopping_bag.jpg" alt="helmet shopping bag" width="600" height="568" /></p>
<p><span id="more-92171"></span>While it&#8217;s definitely not the most stylish of looks, the Grappa shopping bag can definitely offer additional protection for your head in a pinch. Normally, it works like a regular shopping bag, but in an emergency, you place it over your head, and it ads a layer of durable foam material to protect your noggin. Its makers claim the foam is the same sort of material found in ordinary hard hats. The bags are reasonably priced too, with prices ranging from 980 to 1280 yen (~$12 to $16 USD.)</p>
<p><iframe width="620" height="379" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/GIUktEetPWM?fs=1&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>At least they were nice enough to include a mesh side so you can see out of it. Sure, you might look completely ridiculous if you wear one, but the guy pointing and laughing next to you probably got his brain bashed in by falling debris &#8211; and you&#8217;ll still be alive to point and laugh at him.</p>
<p>[via <a href="http://www.diginfo.tv/v/12-0068-r-en.php">DigInfo</a>]</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://technabob.com/blog/2012/04/25/shopping-bag-emergency-helmet/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>GirlfriendHire.com: Where Virtual Girlfriends Do Your Bidding</title>
		<link>http://technabob.com/blog/2012/04/25/girlfriendhire-com/</link>
		<comments>http://technabob.com/blog/2012/04/25/girlfriendhire-com/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 25 Apr 2012 19:00:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Hazel Chua</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Interactive]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Just Plain Fun]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Websites]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[funny]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[girlfriend]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[weird]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://technabob.com/blog/?p=92311</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Internet has made a lot of things in life easier, like communicating with friends and family overseas, keeping up long-distance relationships, and doing your work while you&#8217;re on the go. Now a site is taking things one step further &#8211; by letting you get a virtual girlfriend for just $5.&#8230;]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The Internet has made a lot of things in life easier, like communicating with friends and family overseas, keeping up long-distance relationships, and doing your work while you&#8217;re on the go. Now a site is taking things one step further &#8211; by letting you get a virtual girlfriend for just $5.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-92330" src="http://technabob.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/GirlfriendHire.jpg" alt="GirlfriendHire" width="600" height="373" title="GirlfriendHire photo" /><span id="more-92311"></span><a href="http://girlfriendhire.com">GirlfriendHire.com</a> contains listings from girls who are willing to almost anything (not too indecent) for five bucks: talk with you for a year on Skype, do your homework, and even pretend to break up with you online so your <em>real </em>girlfriend will break up with you. (The last one is for the guys who don&#8217;t have the guts to break up with their current girlfriend the right way.)</p>
<p>They&#8217;ll even punch their real-life boyfriends while shouting <em>&#8220;Rob Burns rocks!&#8221;</em> to get their hands on your $5. Here&#8217;s the video to prove it:</p>
<p><iframe width="620" height="495" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/wV59j4UQx-I?fs=1&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>[via <a href="http://dvice.com/archives/2012/04/buy-an-online-g.php">Dvice</a> via <a href="http://gizmodo.com/5898408/heres-a-website-thatll-let-sad-guys-pay-girls-to-do-girlfriendish-things-for-them">Gizmodo</a>]</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://technabob.com/blog/2012/04/25/girlfriendhire-com/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
	</channel>
</rss>

