Gadgets, Gizmos, and Games for Geeks

Most spiders are actually good for the environment, wiping out a wide variety of pests, including many that carry diseases. Still they’re pretty creepy looking, and the bigger they are, the scarier these eight-legged insects can be.

I remember back in 1984 when I got my hands on the first Apple Macintosh computer how excited I was to use MacPaint. I had seen it demonstrated at a convention, and the idea that I could create my own artwork on my computer was pretty awe-inspiring to me as a 16-year-old kid.

Velma, Fred, Daphne, Shaggy, and Scooby-Doo are always on the hunt, unraveling new mysteries, munching on Scooby snacks, and getting stoned in the back of The Mystery Machine. Now your dog or cat can join in on the fun from inside of this Mystery Machine Pet Carrier (affiliate link) from Buckle-Down.

A massive disc recently installed in Lithuania’s capital city Vilnius shows a live view of what appears to be another normal street. But it’s actually showing the view from a twin disc located in Lublin, Poland, nearly 400 miles away.

You know what your beach-themed office is missing? A surfboard desk with a shark bite out of it. Well, don’t worry, because Lunar Lounge Design on Etsy has you covered with this $950 handmade shark bite surfboard desk.

Most MIDI controllers mimic the appearance or at least the arrangement of notes in a piano. Irijule’s massive Theoryboard on the other hand features 96 LED-lit pads arranged in two columns with four rows each. The left column lets you play chords, while the right column lets you play melodies.

Because what fun is taking a bath if you don’t have toys to play with (and a ton of bubbles), these are the Back To The Future TUBBZ duck collectibles from Numskull Designs. Each duck is constructed from high-quality PVC and they come in four varieties: Marty with a video camera, Doc (Duck?)

A concept artist going by the moniker Embertwist recently shared their latest creation on Reddit. It’s a sixth-scale figurine of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle’s gadget expert, Donatello, but with a couple of slick twists. First off are the immediately noticeable purple Air Jordan 1 sneakers, but Don is also rocking a backpack that’s partly made from an NES.

Wafer cones: they’re everyone’s least favorite kind of ice cream cone behind waffle and sugar. Me? I’ve always been more of a sundae-in-a-cup man myself. But enough making myself hungry. This is the giant Safe-T Cup ice cream cone planter created by Rotary Hero and available at Urban Outfitters for $55.

There are probably a dozen Star Wars collaborations available at any given moment, but this one from Columbia is low-key bizarre yet still desirable. First off, the Outer Rim collection features Star Wars characters integrated into a line of shirts from Columbia’s Performance Fishing Gear (PFG) line.

Because nothing says I’m the boss around here like an over-the-top letter opener, this is the Alien Xenomorph Letter Opener from Diamond Select Toys and available on Amazon (affiliate link). I think it goes without saying it’s the perfect letter opener for playing the knife game (aka five-finger filet) like Bishop in the original Alien movie.

Many popular arcade games are side scrollers, but there are just as many classic ones that play from top to bottom, like shmups. Well, mostly shmups. The important thing is that someone at Taito had a stroke of genius and revived a forward-looking feature from one of its old arcade cabinets.

Whiskey: for optimal tasting, it’s best served around 60 – 65°F (15-18°C), but adding ice can actually dilute some of the flavor notes. So how can you chill your whiskey without diluting it? With whiskey stones, of course.

Because danger comes in all shapes and sizes (including miniature), this is the Small Viking Axe Game available from Firebox for $116. It’s a real axe-throwing game played with tiny, but still very sharp, axes. I can already close my eyes and see myself wrapping my bloody hand in a t-shirt and yelling for my wife.

Because why shouldn’t I spill my coffee all over myself first thing in the morning, this is the Rock Climbing mug made and sold by Climbergoods on Amazon (affiliate link). Each 12-ounce ceramic mug is handmade and features an authentic climbing hold in lieu of a handle.

Inspired by the red tool chests seen in garages everywhere, this is the Portable Tool Box Refrigerator with 2 Drawers and Lock from Whynter. Available on Amazon (affiliate link), the fridge is going to look perfect next to my actual red tool chest, which is directly below a classic 1989 swimsuit calendar.