Technabob » wooden

Canada’s 30-Story Wooden Skyscraper: Let’s Hope It Doesn’t Get Termites

Hazel Chua — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 19:30:36 +0000

There are many reasons why people switched from wooden houses to cemented ones: they’re more sturdy, a whole lot safer, and can withstand the elements better. But Canadian architect Michael Green is taking a step backwards and will be building a 30-story skyscraper from wood in Vancouver.

Similar plans for 17- and 20-story buildings that will also be using wood as its main construction material are also being drawn up for Norway and Austria.

Green says: “We think we can go higher than 30 stories. We stopped exploring wood around 100 years ago (with the advent of steel and concrete); now we’re looking at a whole new system using mass timber products.”

The (soon-to-be) literal rise of these wooden structures is the manifestation of environmental-minded architects who want to add a forest-harvested building in the urban skyline. Wooden skyscrapers are greener for the following reasons: they’re constructed using materials obtained from renewable resources, and the wood actually sucks out carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

When I first heard of wooden skyscrapers, I was thinking of a weak structure that might get blown away by a storm or tornado or catch fire when someone in the building lights a match. However, they will actually be built using laminated timber that is light, strong, well-insulated. Did you also know that large wood beams are actually good at resisting fire, since the exterior will char, but the overall integrity of the structure will reportedly be maintained.

Green adds: “It may sound counter-intuitive, but performing well in a fire is something inherent in large piece of wood, that’s why in forest fires the trees that survive are the largest ones.”

[via CNN via Dvice]

Plywood Boombox Looks Like a TIE Fighter

Conner Flynn — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 14:00:48 +0000

Remember when everyone used to carry around those heavy boomboxes that were the size of dishwashers and took 2 million D batteries? Those days are gone, but if you still want a boombox today there is an eco-friendly alternative that you can make yourself.

This DIY boombox was made by Matt Keeter using laser-cut plywood. It plays MP3 files from an SD card, plugged into a small custom circuit board powered by an Atmega328 chip. As a bonus, it looks like a bit like a wooden TIE Fighter with a handle.

The boombox features five touch controls and is powered by just a single 9V battery. This thing will be light as a feather compared to it’s predecessors. I don’t think it will run very long on a 9-volt though. It’s a pretty good looking boombox if you ask me.

If you’d like to build your own, full build instructions, source code and schematics are available here, and it should cost about $100 in parts.

[via Designbuzz]

Forget ABC Blocks, the Wooden iPhone is for Modern Toddlers

Conner Flynn — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 12:15:14 +0000

Kids today. They don’t want old-fashioned wood blocks with ABCs and numbers on them. Who wants to learn while you are drooling all over yourself and pooping your diaper? Babies want an iPhone 4S (or an iPad 2). In fact, if they had the strength and coordination, they would snatch yours from your clammy hands and knock you out while they played with it.

Since they can’t, and since iPhones are too expensive for babies, here’s the perfect gift. This wooden iPhone, created by Kyle Bean and Thomas Forsyth. Not that you can buy one at this point. Sadly this is just a cool design – appearing on the cover of the December 2011 issue of Computer Arts magazine. Though I hope it becomes a real toy. Each of the blocks represents an app. How cool is that?

Really, this is a cool toy for the adults, who will allow the kids to play with it from time-to-time. Sure it looks all clean and awesome now. but once you give it to your little ankle-weight, it will soon be covered in drool and snot, and that beautiful wood will be all dinged and dented up with toothmarks. Kids. This is why we can’t have anything nice.

Rubik’s Cube Chest Has a Different Kind of Puzzle

Lambert Varias — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 14:00:57 +0000

Instructables member and loving father Makendo made a unique chest of drawers for his son – a 10:1 replica of a Rubik’s Cube. The resulting furniture can’t actually be played and solved like the toy because it only rotates on one axis, but Makendo did make it so his kids can still cheat and rearrange the individual tiles, thanks to rare earth magnets attached to each tile.

The chest also has another kind of puzzle in the form of hidden locks for each drawer. When the drawers are locked, you have to remove the colored wooden tiles and look for dowels underneath, which you then push to open the drawers. Since you can rotate the drawers and rearrange the wooden tiles, it can be a fun albeit easy to solve puzzle for Makendo’s kids.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Check out Instructables for the full how-to.

[via Neatorama]

SEGA Saturn Laptop Gives Retro Gamers Wood

Technabob — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 22:02:07 +0000

Not only do I think this is the very first SEGA Saturn laptop I’ve ever seen, but it’s made out of wood – which makes it doubly special.

Modder c_mon created this Saturn laptop as a custom commission job, and it’s pretty special. It’s housed in a custom CNC-cut wooden case, which apes some of the lines of the original 32-bit game console.

I do find it funny that he used the logo from the Saturn automobile line on the top instead of the original Saturn logo. Apparently he put it there because he was having trouble getting the original logo to render with his CNC software, but I kinda like it. It gives it extra character.

This system is portable, with a built-in 5″ LCD screen from a Sony PSOne in the lid, and it runs on a 9-volt, 4 amp DC adapter. In order to make sure that the system stays cool, he also added a fan inside the case. You’ll also notice a couple of speakers built in so it’s completely self-contained other than the power brick. I also like the detail of the bright blue (or as I like to call it “Sonic Blue”) electroluminescent wire around the CD-ROM drive lid.

Check out more pics of this one-of-a-kind Saturn laptop over on the Ben Heck Forums.

Zelda Hylian Shield USB Drive: The Legend of Data: The File Transfer

Lambert Varias — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 14:00:14 +0000

It’s not dangerous to store data alone, but if you’re a Zelda fan you should still take a look at these wooden Hylian Shield USB drives by Etsy seller Zantaff. Each flash drive measures about 2.5″ x 1.5″ (I guess it’s two-dimensional. What an homage!) and has an LED right above the Triforce symbol.

Journey to Etsy to wield one yourself. The drive comes in 4GB, 8GB, 16GB and 32GB capacity and sells for $34 (USD), $40, $44 and $60 respectively. No, Zantaff doesn’t accept rupees.

[via This is Why I'm Broke]

Wooden AT-AT Power Box: Store the Cords, Luke!

Lambert Varias — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 14:17:14 +0000

Fight clutter and win the wire wars with this wooden AT-AT model from Brando. It’s roomy enough to fit a power strip and has slits on both sides to organize and secure cords. Just make sure you don’t get its feet tangled with one of your cables.

The model measures about 12″ high, 17″ long and 6″ wide. It’s shipped flat along with the necessary nuts and bolts, so if assembling things is your thing then its practical function may just be an added bonus for you.

You can order the *deep breath* DIY Wooden AT-AT Power Extension Socket Storage Box *whew* from Brando for $35 (USD).

[via Internet Siao]

Zelda Triforce Coasters: For a Drink to the Past (or Present, or Future)

Lambert Varias — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 16:27:09 +0000

Do you know what that fourth triangle in the Triforce symbol stands for? That upside-down one? It stands for what you need when you’ve run out of strength, when you need to forget moments when you showed your lack of wisdom, and of course the times when you need courage. It stands for the Triforce of Inebriation. Okay I just made that up, but these cool wooden coasters are for real.

The coasters are made of walnut and maple and have been finished with lacquer. Each coaster is 3.5″ on each side and about a quarter of an inch thick. Get them from Etsy seller 1337motif; $50 (USD) – or 450 Hylian Rupees – buys you a pack of six.

[via it8bit]

anaPad iPad-Shaped Magnetic White Board Trains Kids To Use Tablets

Lambert Varias — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 12:10:13 +0000

Dozens of proud parents and relatives have uploaded videos of their babies using an iPad, so we know that their little brains can handle Apple’s tablet. But their little brains also occasionally come up with revolutionary ideas, like “I wonder what would happen if you dropped the iPad”, or “I bet that tablet tastes good – why don’t you give it a bite? Or at least drool on it.” Which is why if I had a kid I think I’d train it first on something like the anaPad.

The anaPad is a wooden magnetic whiteboard, so you don’t need an app to write or doodle on it. It even comes with an eraseable marker! It’s also easier to re-arrange its icons – just move the magnetic tiles around. You can even move the tiles off of the anaPad. Try doing that on your fancy iPad.

The best thing about the anaPad? It’s only $30 (USD), so order one now from twigcreative. No word if there’s a white anaPad in the works.

[via Cult of Mac via Wired]

Wood Neck Tie Perfect for Lumberjacks in Business Suits

Shane McGlaun — Fri, 27 May 2011 16:26:04 +0000

I hate wearing a necktie. I only have to wear one once every few years for some sort of special occasion like a wedding or something similar, and that is too much. I wear a tie for the absolute shortest amount of time possible. Most ties are made of silk or something similar and they are not what I consider comfortable.

I don’t even want to think of how uncomfortable a tie made out of wood would be to wear for an extended amount of time. These ties from Wood Thumb are made from reclaimed wood and are in sections so they are flexible. It reminds me of a fence picket someone cut into little sections.

The tie is held on your neck with an elastic cord. The upside to this is that if you are in the wind the weight of the wood should keep it from flapping around. And if your plane should crash in the mountains on a business trip you can always use it to start a fire to cook the asses of the people that didn’t make it.

[via NotCot]

Ternary Kinetic Sculpture: A Wooden Thinking Machine

Range — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 18:52:56 +0000

This might look like just a few steel balls on a track, but it isn’t. It’s a thinking machine that has been created thanks to a ternary computer, that’s made out of levers and tracks which constantly cycle steel bass down internal structures.

I’ve read about machines like this before, and this one was made by Martin Riches and Masahiro Miwa. The ternary computer outputs melodies formed by three sounds as resulting from the calculations. Apparently it doesn’t matter whether a computer is ternary or binary. It’s still a Türing machine.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

It’s kind of mesmerizing to see this go along the track.

[via Automation Blog]

Twitwee Twitter Clock Kills Two Birds With One Bird

Lambert Varias — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 12:26:45 +0000

I always knew that a mod like this would pop-up: a cuckoo clock modified to display tweets, complete with a blue cuckoo.

Haroon Baig calls his mod the Twitwee Clock. Based on an Arduino controller board, it displays an analog clock as well as tweets on a small touchscreen. It can monitor any Twitter search or stream, and will of course alert you with a cuckoo if it detects a new tweet.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Check out Baig’s website for more pics and info about the clock.

[via Wired via Newlaunches]

Incense Smoking Robots: Huh, Wha?

Technabob — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 03:43:40 +0000

Normally, if I told you your robot was smoking, you’d have to send it in to a technician to have it looked at. I’m not quite sure why anyone came up with this idea, but they did. This little robot keeps your room nice and smelly, thanks to a incense burner hiding in its belly. Say, I made a rhyme, and I wasn’t even trying!

Even though these handmade German wooden robots measure just a little more than 6-inches tall, they should do a great job stinking up your entire room. Can you tell I don’t care for the way most incense smells? But I guess its better than the greasy oilcan aroma that most robots leave behind.

You can get your hands on these odoriferous little robots over at GeneralRobots, where they sell for €39.99 (appx. $54 USD) each.

Alestrukov’S Wooden Computer Mice: the Mightiest Mouse in the Forest

Technabob — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:13:45 +0000

These gorgeous computer mice are made from exotic woods, and are truly stunning. Created by Russia’s AlestRukov, each one is handcrafted using cultivated sustainable woods and carved, sanded and polished to a shiny finish using linseed oil and carnuba wax.

Each one is built from the finest electronic components, with an optical resolution of 1600 dpi, and with microswitches rated for over 1 million clicks. The mice also feature a stiff, but bendable cable that keeps the cord from getting in your way. There’s also a unique sound-wheel control which kicks in to adjust your system’s volume when you click the scroll wheel.

The handmade wooden mice are available in Bubinga, Makor, Sapele, and Ebony woods from exotic locations like Sierra Leone, Cameroon and Sri Lanka. Of course, being a luxury item, you can’t expect them to be cheap. Prices for the mice range from €668 to €859 (appx. $996 to $1281 USD). If you’ve got money to burn, you can get your hands on one of AlestRukov’s mice here.

[via Behance]

Vers Wooden iPhone and iPod Cases Are Gorrrrgeous

Technabob — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 01:10:09 +0000

Looking for an out of the ordinary case for your iPhone or iPod? Check out these lovely handmade wooden cases just released from Vers.

Each case is crafted from solid hardwoods like walnut, cherry or bamboo, and just look just plain stunning. Not only do they avoid the environmental pitfalls of plastics, these cases are amazingly tough and can protect your delicate electronic devices as well or better than their plastic counterparts. And there’s a soft, scratch-resistant lining to keep your media player as good as new and snugly held inside the wooden shell.

They’re available now over at Vers, with the iPod touch, iPod classic and iPhone versions selling for $39.99 (USD), and the iPod nano version at $34.99.

Antique Radio Turned Into an Atom Pc: It Wooden Play Crysis

Lambert Varias — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 11:30:52 +0000

Get it? ‘Cause it’s a radio made of wood and okay you get it. Seriously though it’s an absolute beauty of a computer case, an old Delco wooden “tombstone style” radio that’s been gutted and fitted with computer hardware. It’s a perfect complement to the soviet TV pc. While it’s not as beautiful inside as it is outside because of it’s nettop innards, you’ve got to hand it to Etsy seller abrahambook for his clean work.

The wooden knob to the left of the analog radio dial serves as the power button; the radio dial lights up when the computer is turned on. The computer’s fan is directly behind the front screen, where the speaker used to be, so it serves as a dust filter.

As I said, the computer is fitted with an Intel Atom processor, specifically the 330, a 1.6 GHz Dual Core processor. The PC is also equipped with 2 GB of DDR2 RAM, an Intel GMA 950 with S-video output, a 250 GB 7200 rpm Seagate hard rive and a DVD-RW drive. Peripheral interfaces include 4 USB ports, 2 serial SATA ports, and PS/2 ports for old school mouse and keyboards. The motherboard is bolted on to the radio’s frame, but amrahambook says that the hard drive, DVD drive and power supply are secured by “a very strong type of Velcro”, making removal or replacement relatively easy.

So yeah, it’s still kinda antique specs-wise, but it can do a lot more than a radio now. abrahambook is selling the computer for $625 (USD) on Etsy. He says he’ll install any OS that you request, but he wooden say if he’ll charge extra for that. Heheh. Did it again.

[via Coolest Gadgets]

Wooden iPhone/iPod Dock Goes Au Naturale

Technabob — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 03:14:01 +0000

Just because your electronic gadget is constructed from metal, glass and plastic doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t get along with something more natural.

These wooden iPod/iPhone docks let you charge or connect your media player to your computer. Handmade from real cedar and other woods by the guys over at Woodtec, these docks definitely stand out from the typical white plastic jobbers that you see sitting on most desks. Each one features unique lumps, bumps, woodgrain, and that fragrant woody aroma – all courtesy of good old mother nature.

Prices for the wooden docks range from $58 to $82 (USD) and you can check out the complete collection over on Woodtec’s Etsy shop.

Wood and Brass iPod Mini: the Druid’S Music Player

Lambert Varias — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 22:20:18 +0000

Nature lover/not quite hip iPod owner Josh D shows us what Dremel and good taste can do. Josh D sent his iPod mini to a time way way way before retro by equipping it with a cedar wood case with brass screws and plates. .

We already featured wooden cases for iPods before, but Josh went way beyond that and made a wooden clickwheel – although he did admit that the clickwheel is only held in place by double-sided tape.

And then Josh went beyond the beyond, dressing up his iTrip and his iPod mini’s dock with their own wooden cases as well:

Check out Josh D’s Flickr page for more lovely pics of his extremely well-made mods.

[via Make via Retro Thing]