Gadgets, Gizmos, and Games for Geeks

Because whimsy comes in all shapes and sizes, including the shape and size of a tissue box, Japanese artist Michiru crafted this one that makes tissues appear as if they’re icebergs. Clever! As far as design goes, I think this might even be more clever than the Godzilla head tissue box, which, prior to seeing this one, I assumed couldn’t be beaten.

Developed by researchers at Northwestern University, this tiny robotic crab is so small it can stand on the edge of a penny. Not the side of a penny, the EDGE. Now that’s small. So small there could be a whole army of them in your bed right now, and you wouldn’t even know it.

The Arcade Cabinet Cat House from MeWooFun is just that: a cat house that looks like an arcade cabinet. Available on Amazon (affiliate link), the house comes in four colors (green, grey, pink, and orange), includes a removable scratching mat, and is the perfect addition to the video game and cat lover’s home.

The brainchild of a group of presumably messy eaters at Johns Hopkins University, Tastee Tape is an edible adhesive tape designed for holding burritos closed so you don’t wind up with burrito guts all over your lap while you’re trying to eat one.

Inspired by everyone’s first or second favorite bounty hunter in the Star Wars universe (depending on whether you prefer the Mandalorian or are a weirdo and favor Greedo), Kross Studio has created this $120,000 Boba Fett-themed watch.

As far as sponge holders go, this is a great one.  3D-printed and sold by Etsy shop Tecnopla, this green kitchen sponge holder makes Homer Simpson appear to be disappearing into a bush, just like in the now meme-ified scene from The Simpsons Season 5 Episode 16 ‘Homer Loves Flanders’.

The Sizzling Scooper is the brainchild of Matty Benedetto of Unnecessary Inventions. It’s an ice cream spoon with an integrated lighter beneath for melting hard ice cream before scooping. Is it practical? Probably not. Is it necessary?

Van Gogh’s The Starry Night: I remember the first time I saw it at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York. I was the only one in the room at the time, and it was surreal: just me and one of the most famous paintings in the world.

A staple of gas stations when I was growing up, Slush Puppies are hands down one of the best beverages to drink if you want your mom constantly nagging that you’re going to rot all your teeth out.

Inspired by the classic ‘see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil’ wise-monkey sculptures, Regal Robot has reimagined the maxim with Jabba The Hutt’s Kowakian Monkey-Lizard Salacious B. Crumb sitting in for the monkeys. Just looking at him, I can practically hear him cackling at some unfortunate alien dropped into Jabba’s Rancor pit.

Dogs or cats – which makes the best pet? Depends on who and when you ask, but if you ask me on a day my dog pooped on the living room carpet, I’d probably say cats.

Because what better way to let guests know you take Thanksgiving far more seriously than anyone ever should, The Wine Savant has crafted the Rooster Glass Decanter Set. Available on Amazon (affiliate link), the set features a headless rooster decanter, along with two tasting glasses.

The Mainboard Terminal is the brainchild of computer modder Penk Chen, who drew inspiration from old sci-movies, which imagined a future a lot cooler than it actually is. The all-in-one computer uses a Framework Mainboard (which, unlike a Rasberry Pi, is capable of running x86 operating systems) running a version of Ubuntu 22.04 LT that’s been slightly modified to account for the round display.

If Back To The Future II taught us anything, it’s that the future will be filled with holograms. Of course, Back To The Future II was supposed to take place in 2015, and we haven’t realized even a small fraction of the technology it promised, but enough about my resentfulness; this is about the Proto Hologram “M,” a compact holographic display and media device made for home use.

Because who doesn’t want to go out with a bang, Cremation Solutions has developed the Loved One Launcher – a hand cannon designed for spreading the ashes of a deceased loved one like they’re confetti at a New Year’s party.

Designed for use in workshops and garages by people who are all too familiar with their hands being covered in grease and/or fresh wounds, Vyper Shop Chairs are a high-end line of chairs designed with both comfort and functionality in mind.