Gadgets, Gizmos, and Games for Geeks

Apple’s AirPods earphones just recently got a big upgrade with the release of the AirPods Pro. But if you still have a regular set of AirPods, here’s a fun way to transform its nondescript white charging case into something a bit more eyecatching and fun.

It’s that time of year. Yeah, you know what I’m talking about. It’s time to set up the Christmas tree, string the lights, and hang the ornaments. But if you’re tired of all the jolly and festive holiday traditions, maybe you need to go with something a little darker for your decorations this year.

Say what you will about Elon Musk, the man knows how to build hype and get people talking. As soon as the media buzz about the 2019 LA Auto Show died down, the PayPal, SpaceX, and Tesla founder conducted his own invitation-only event to show off his latest creation, Tesla’s much-anticipated pickup truck, officially dubbed the Cybertruck.

Do you love cats? Curious to know what your kitty looks like underneath all that fur and skin? Well this necklace should do the trick, with its accurate view of feline anatomy. Made by UK jewelry and accessory maker BirchPleaseHQ, the necklace shows off all of kitty’s skeletal structure, along with his major organs.

For some of us, being buried in a simple wooden box is just as good as being buried in one of those extravagant luxury coffins. But now that I’ve seen Saddleback Leather’s custom built casket, I think I’d like to be buried in one of these.

While the whole internet is abuzz about Baby Yoda these days, he or she doesn’t have the exclusive on Star Wars cuteness. Nope, not at all. And I’m not talking about Porgs or Ewoks either. I’m talking about these adorable Star Wars Icon Lights.

Scientists will tell you that no human or animal can accurately predict an impending earthquake before it starts. However, certain animals are far more sensitive to seismic activities than humans. With that in mind, one seismologist has tossed out a wildly impractical but amusing idea for an early earthquake alert system – using cats.

Ever since I saw a CO2 laser cutter in action at a maker space I visited, I always wanted to have one for my own workshop. The ability to cleanly cut and engrave materials with laser precision has all kinds of uses, from cutting out flat-pack models and puzzles, to adding logos and personalization to objects.

They tell kids they shouldn’t put toys in their mouths, but even I, a full-grown adult, would have a hard time resisting that with these plush toys that look like Lunchables. Yummy World’s delightfully silly plush YumYumables are soft, squeezy, and the most adorable thing you’ll see today.

Do you love you some Rick and Morty? Well, you might get a chance to ride with Morty himself – or at least a giant version of the cartoon character slapped on the roof of an Mazda 3.

Do you love chocolate? How about computers? Well if you enjoy both, I don’t recommend getting chocolate all over your keyboard, as it’s really hard to clean off. Instead, why not go for this keyboard that looks like chocolate instead?

Toys are cool to display on your shelf, but they’re even more special when you’ve assembled them yourself. These kits from LazerModels give you the opportunity to put together your own works of geek art using flat-packed, laser-cut wood.

Unless you’re talking about a Keytar, most guitars are played using strings and frets. But this unique electronic instrument has neither of those. Instead, it’s played using a barcode scanner. Maker James Bruton built this unusual electronic guitar that’s covered with barcodes on its four necks.

Due to graphical limitations, video games from the Nintendo 8-bit era pretty much played out on a 2-dimensional plane. But now, you can play some of these classics in 3D, thanks to an application called 3dSen.

While there are plenty of clocks and watches out there which don’t even have a second hand, I prefer to know the time with at least one second of precision. But that certainly wasn’t good enough for one engineer, who decided he needed decidedly more confidence that he knew the EXACT time.

The Dr. Seuss classic, Green Eggs and Ham is one of the greatest children’s books ever, written to encourage kids to open their minds and try new things. I love the book but, I’m skeptical about Subway’s new ham ‘n’ cheese sandwich “homage” featuring egg patties with – yep, you knew it was coming – green yolks.