Archive for November 2012

I know that many of us have dreamed about the day when a robot that could cook a meal for us, despite the fact that it requires a robot to handle a knife or other deadly kitchen implements.

Prosthetic limbs are getting more and more advanced. Between Oscar “Blade Runner” Pistorius, also known as “the fastest man on no legs”, and mind-controlled mechanical legs, it’s only a matter of time before full cybernetic replacement body parts are available.

There are quite a few people using laptops as their main machines these days. Though I still use a desktop PC for a lot of my computing tasks, I have set up a MacBook Pro 17 as an ancillary workstation with an external screen.

The new Nintendo Wii U is coming to stores in North America on November 18th, but you can see exactly what you’ll be getting in the box thanks to the fine folks at Nintendo, who have decided to shoot their own early unboxing video, with Nintendo president Satoru Iwata doing the honors.

Moritz Simon Geist has an unusual name. He’s also a electronic musician who has been getting bored with the production of electronic music, probably because the technology has reached a stage when you can call up practically any instrument with virtually no effort.

Technabob readers love LEGO and they also love Star Wars. So whenever the two worlds intersect, it’s geeky bliss. I’m especially impressed with these handmade LEGO Star Wars mosaics by UK artist Douglas Bagnall.

I kind of understand the need for a keyboard with today’s smartphones, but to be honest, you can type pretty quickly with your fingers on your touchscreen, once you get used to it. If you can’t and absolutely need a keyboard to get things done with your phone, then check out Elecom’s collapsible Bluetooth keyboard.

Raiders of the Lost Ark is still one of my favorite movies of all time, and at the center of that film was the quest for the mysterious lost Ark of the Covenant. Now, you can own your own miniature version of the Ark, intricately crafted using 3D printing technology.

Bluetooth speakers are getting quite common, but it’s only when you use one yourself that you realize how useful they can be, especially if they are multi-functional. The Braven 625s is the company’s rugged version, and I decided that it should be able to survive my backpack, so when I was offered a choice for a model to review, I decided on this one.

It’s amazing how things with tentacles can range from cute, to disgusting to creepy. Cthulhu and his tentacle-face definitely falls into that last bucket.

While you might think you need to be a physicist with a particle accelerator to experience the elusive Higgs Boson particle, you’re right. But if you’d like to pay tribute to the recent accomplishments of the CMS and ATLAS teams at the Large Hadron Collider, then grab this watch.

If you aren’t familiar with the Terrible Shotgun, it has the second highest damage of all the weapons in the Small Guns category in Fallout 3. It also has a larger spread than normal shotguns. It is most effective in close-quarters.

Many of us read The Hobbit when we were young. Maddie Chambers is no different. She first read the J.R.R. Tolkien classic when she was 10 and then The Lord of the Rings about a year later.

I don’t know whether or not Bigfoot really exists. What I do know is that we find new species no one has ever seen with remarkable regularity. I’m not ready to rule out the existence of Bigfoot, but I’m also not ready to go running around the woods at night hunting for a hairy, smelly, primate.

The minimalist look of Apple’s devices and peripherals isn’t for everyone. If you’re the type who immediately buys a colorful case for your new iDevice, check out Whooz, a set of colored stickers that will make your iPod, iPhone or iPad chargers and cables stand out.

With the holidays fast approaching we will all be getting together with family and friends to exchange gifts and celebrate. It’s also a time to remember to not get excited about your gift until you open the box and are sure what’s on the box is really what you’re getting.