Archive for October 2016

Looking for a dirt cheap last minute Halloween costume? Just use those Amazon boxes that you have lying around and create a Transformer. Caron Arnold, a creative director of Fusion Marketing agency in St. Louis came up with this version of Optimus Prime made from cardboard Amazon Prime boxes. She used all of the Amazon boxes she had from her orders and had some help from her colleagues for the rest.

We’ve seen our share of amazing jack-o’-lanterns over the years, but you know who makes the best pumpkins? NASA. Makes sense. If you can put a man on the moon and explore outer space, cool pumpkins should be no big deal. The space agency holds a workplace pumpkin-carving contest every year, and when you are talking about the crafty folks at Jet Propulsion Laboratory, you know that these pumpkins will be stunning.

Doctor Who fans looking for a Christmas stocking might want to get in on this one. This Adipose stocking doesn’t look fat, which is what you might expect, but it might get that way once you load it up with goodies. The stocking is 19-inches long and will hold all sorts of stuff you might want to eat and stuff you don’t want to eat.

How’d you like to have your voice permanently preserved in a piece of jewelry? Japanese startup Encode Ring is using a unique 3-D printing technology to turn your voice into a metal ring. These rings are visualization of 3 seconds of voice audio.

When I was a kid all I wanted was to be an astronaut. Like 99.9% of all kids with that dream, it never came true for me. About as close as we normal folks can get to being an astronaut on the International Space Station is watching this awesome new video from NASA. The video was produced by Harmonic just for NASA and takes us on a 4K fisheye exploration of the ISS, module by module.

Do you need to find some rebels in a hurry? Build yourself an Imperial probe droid and send it to an ice planet. That’s what YouTube user ajw61185 did. Well, he built one. He didn’t send it to an ice planet, but this drone is still awesome. Check it out in the video below, set to some of John William’s music from Empire.

When I first came across a press release for Pyle’s “1000-watt” boombox, the Street Blaster X, I had my doubts that a battery-powered portable sound system could achieve such lofty numbers. Now that I’ve had a chance to go hands on (and ears on) with this gigantic Bluetooth speaker, I’m really torn.

These headphones by ROAM are a classy modern alternative to others on the market. This co-branded project with Atari offers an homage to the classic video game company, combined with a sleek modern design. They have brushed titanium parts and the sound comes courtesy of dynamic balanced armature drivers.

Robots are showing up more and more in airports and restaurants. And now Mineta San Jose International Airport has recruited some robotic employees. These customer service robots named Norma, Amelia and Piper will help passengers around the Airport. These bots can communicate in six languages and assist passengers looking for directions, shops, restaurants and more.

I’ll be the first to admit that I can’t even walk into Walmart and cobble together a Halloween costume for my kids. Not Renz2LK so much. This guy made his son one of the coolest Halloween costumes of the year.

I always thought C-3PO was sort of a dick to R2-D2. He was always smug and giving R2 a hard time even though R2 turns out to know best most of the time. Still, they are best friends, so go figure.

This is a far cry from the pedal cars you grew up with. This Jeep-branded pedal car is perfect for off-roading kids who want a thrill. The Jeep Revolution BFR-3 pedal go-kart has three gears, plus reverse, a swing axle to keep it stable on rough terrain, and over-sized air-filled tires including a spare. If you are on the road, the BFR-3’s gearshift to the right of its seat lets you squeeze as much speed from your pedaling as possible, just like on a bike.

Today’s better drones are pretty easy to land on flat ground, but if you’re flying over water, it can ruin your fancy flying tech if you end up putting down in the wet. The Drone Raft Waterstrider is an attachment for the DJI Phantom 3 or 4 that allows you to take off and/or land your drone on water. The Waterstrider will allow for water landings and takeoffs thanks to those buoyant foot pads, but it also comes in handy for rough terrain like rocks, sand, even snow.

Hammocks are a great way to relax, whether in your backyard or when you are camping. But what if you can’t find two good trees to string your hammock to? Well, if you have your car nearby, it’s no problem with the Roadie Car Hammock Stand. This clever solution comes from Eagle Nest Outfitters, and is actually a pair of vertical supports held in place by the weight of your vehicle.

Gaming is tough work. Whether you are sitting in front of an Xbox One, or taking part in a D&D campaign, nerds work up a serious sweat. That’s why you need a strong deodorant. Plus Five is the “Ultimate Gaming Deodorant,” adding +5 to your Charisma stat. Tim Cooley has launched a Kickstarter for a deodorant that’s made specifically just for gamers.

Oh the glorious joy of watching objects melt. My inner pyro thanks you, Internet. YouTube channel Let’s Melt This has created a new melting video, in which they turned a LEGO Chopper Transporter set into some toasty LEGO S’mores. This LEGO helicopter will never fly again after meeting their searing hot blowtorch; not that it ever flew in the first place.