Gadgets, Gizmos, and Games for Geeks

Crayon labels are kept pretty basic for a good reason. The colors really don’t need much of a description. Besides, kids don’t know what Periwinkle, Scarlet, or Aquamarine are. They just want to color between the lines in their book.

If you’ve ever wondered why it’s so important to properly pressurize and depressurize a submarine, this image should explain it for you. What you’re looking at is three identical styrofoam heads, each of which has been exposed to a different depth pressure. Posted up on Reddit by contributor SpyTrain_from_Canada, the picture shows just how nasty the pressure can get as you descend into the ocean.

Do you like Godzilla? I mean do you REALLY, REALLY like Godzilla? Then you’re going to want to start saving your money for this epic collectible from the X-PLUS Gigantic series. This monstrous PVC kaiju figure measures in at a whopping 38.19″

Do you like smoke and lightning? How about heavy metal thunder? If you answered yes, you might just be born to be wild. And if you are a true nature’s child, you’ll want to grab this LEGO Creator Expert set that’s based on the Harley-Davidson Fat Boy motorcycle. The 1023-piece kit lets you create a miniature version of the iconic motorcycle.

If you are a fan of the various Nintendo consoles, but especially the original NES and Famicom, you are going to love these World of Nintendo plush toys. They are soft and cuddly and full of retro 8-bit awesomeness.

Designer Love Hulten has created some truly amazing pieces of retro-inspired technology, from arcade cabinets, to computers, to giant LEGO replicas. Love’s latest build is unlike any that has come before it. The EvoBoxx is a visual synthesizer that’s designed around the classic cellular simulation Game of Life. The portable wooden box contains a small screen that displays a rudimentary, pixelated simulation of virtual lifeforms based on the classic 1970 computer program by JH Conway.

Now you can dress like a samurai without any of that bulky metal or leather armor to weigh you down. Yes, this is the first samurai armor I’ve ever seen that says “no glue or scissors required.” The Kacchu cardboard samurai armor is available in two styles: bright red armor based on famed warrior Sanada Yukimura’s iconic outfit, complete with reindeer horns, or a dark one inspired by Date Masamune’s. They look really cool, but definitely won’t protect you from much of anything.

Raspberry Pi computers have been quite the revolution for makers, encouraging experimentation and creativity thanks to their low cost and compact size. And while the tiny computers are by no means high-end in their processing power, they continue to get faster with each generation.

Remember how mind-blowing the movie Inception was? This table is just as mind-blowing. It was made by Stelios Mousarris, a furniture designer in Cyprus. It was inspired by the movie and is just as weird. More specifically, it was inspired by the twists and turns in Christopher Nolan’s science fiction thriller.

Creative director Matthew Stevenson said that when they were kids, he and his brother were frustrated by the confusing maze that is Metroid. Recently the title’s pun with the DC Metro came to his mind, and with it his childhood frustration. 

If Darth Vader was into crunchy snacks with hulls that get stuck between his teeth, you better believe that he would use this awesome popcorn maker. When you aren’t using it, the bowl clamps over the top to complete a cool and shiny Death Star sculpture sitting on your counter. When you want to use it, you take off that cover and use it to catch the popped corn that comes out.

I’m always amazed when I see people playing bagpipes. That weird sack with pipes sticking out of it looks so complicated that I can’t believe anyone could master it. I’m just not musically gifted I guess.

LEGO makes a huge number of really cool kits. But if you want to make your LEGO constructions just that much more awesome, check out these lighting kits from Vonado. The New York-based company custom designs lighting sets for off-the-shelf LEGO kits, giving models an even more finished, dynamic, and engaging look. They’ve made dozens of LED light kits that pair up with LEGO sets of all kinds.

If you want to make a cake that looks like a motherboard, you may have struggled in the past. Maybe it came out looking more like a motherboard after a fire. Well, Los Angeles baker and author Rosanna Pansino of Nerdy Nummies is here to help. She will help you to make the coolest looking motherboard cake possible.

Despite its primitive looks, MineCraft is an immensely capable game-building tool. Over the years, I’ve seen some insanely creative and complicated levels built using the game’s blocky elements. Recently, one enterprising MineCraft fan created a really amazing thing – it’s a playable version of the game that lives inside of a chest inside of the game. Simply walk up to the chest that SethBling built, and when you open it up, you’re greeted with MineCraft within MineCraft.

The video games of old, like Super Mario Bros. and Tetris had some of the best music ever. But would we even recognize them if the music were played backwards? Listen and find out. Musician Stemage created a digital album featuring several memorable NES game themes performed in reverse.