Category: Just Plain Fun

This has gotta be the best hack I’ve seen in a while… Scott Walker’s DigitalBox Newspaper Machine automatically displays the day’s latest news on an LCD screen that’s installed in the front of an old newspaper vending machine.

Fancy yourself an aspiring rock star, but have no instrumental talent? That’s okay, thanks to this new gadget from Japan’s TakaraTomy. The Air Guitar Pro starts out looking like the end of a guitar neck, but that’s where the resemblance ends.

This wacky spy gadget from ThinkGeek lets you peer over the walls of your cubicle and look out over the wall to see what else is going on around you. The Sportscope Cubicle Periscope was originally designed for viewing sporting events, but is ideally suited for snooping around your office to check up on your office-mates.

While the thought of someone writing on the screen of my Nintendo DS Lite with a Number 2 pencil makes me cringe, these clever styli won’t actually do any damage to your console’s delicate touchscreen. The Official Nintendo DS Pencil Stylus really does look like a pencil, but has a soft tip that protects your DS screen from any scratches.

Without a doubt, the theramin is one of the oddest musical instruments ever invented. Usually heard cranking out spaceship sounds in 1950’s B-movies, it’s otherworldy sounds are unmistakeable and truly quirky. So it is with much glee that I bring you the Wii-mote powered theramin, playing the inimitable Theme from Star Trek.

You won’t have any trouble finding the buttons on this massive replica of Nintendo’s famous NES controller. Game fan Philip Torrone and his team of builders put together this 5-foot wide joypad for the recently completed 2007 Maker Faire.

I’m always wondering about those suspicious looking automatic teller machines you see in every little bodega and convenience store these days. You know… Will my ATM card get eaten? Will they steal my PIN number? Will it wipe all the money out of my bank account?

These totally outrageous, limited edition speakers are the product of artist/designer Marka27’s imagination. These dramatic Mini God Brazil speakers make a bold statement wherever you need a little sound. Looking like a mash-up between an ancient Mayan civilization and futuristic pop design sensibilities, these vinyl figures stand 16-inches tall and have a functional speaker built into their bellies.

ThinkGeek is at it again. This time they’re offering up a fan which can load up animated GIF files from your computer and display them in full color on the blades of the fan. Inspired by those light-up LED spinner rims that might have turned up on Pimp My Ride, The LED Art Fan hooks up to your computer via a serial connection, and lets you download up to 128 frames of art into its internal memory.

The Asahi Robocco BeerBot automatically opens cans of your favorite brew then pours you a perfect tall mug of the frosty stuff. The robot stores up to six cans of beer in its refrigerated belly, then dispenses them into a glass mug when you’re ready for a drink.

Every once in a blue moon I come across a concept that’s just amazing, and this is one of those times. Combining great design and a sense of humor is tough to pull off, but Artist Lasse Klein’s new Abduction Lamp manages it with ease.

Perfect for the raver crowd, this gadget lets you send messages through the air by using an array of rapidly flashing LEDs. As you wave the Spacewriter LTC123 in the air, the circuitry detects the movement and writes out a dot-matrix message that’s readable by onlookers.

Looking for a canine companion, but don’t have the patience for all the shedding and pooping? If you’re willing to learn a little Japanese, these electronic furry friends might fill the bill. The Tomy Dacky Healing Partner Dog has six internal sensors which can react to human touch and praise.

Just in time for the new Transformers movie to hit screens, Hasbro has released a new series of the classic toys, this time based on today’s most popular high-tech gadgets. The Real Gear Transformers series conceals little toy robots disguised as cell phones, digital cameras, portable video game systems among other things.

This modern update to the classic flying disc adds colorful LED illumination to light its way through its flight path. The Black Jax Odyssey Ultimate Flying Disc is loaded with four extra bright LEDs, powered by a rechargeable Lithium battery.

These piggy banks from i-Kiddo are not only goofy looking, but they’re actually quite tech savvy. The i-Panda and i-Piggy digiBanks automatically identify each coin placed in the bank, then calculate the total and display them on the bank’s LCD screen.