Gadgets, Gizmos, and Games for Geeks

The whole point of game systems like the Nintendo Game Boy was to make them small enough to carry in your pocket and play on the go. But what if you’ve got really tiny pockets?.. or really tiny fingers?

When is a toilet not just a toilet? When it’s the best toilet ever! An eagle-eyed shopper spotted this skull-shaped toilet at a hardware store somewhere in Europe, and now I must have one for my bathroom.

From what I recall, Chucky was only three feet tall in the movies, and he was quite the tiny terror at that size. So can you imagine what sort of damage the little devil could do if he were five feet tall?

Back in the day, I was a serious SEGA fanboy. The SEGA Genesis and Dreamcast are still two of my favorite video game consoles of all time, the Japanese brand offering an outsider’s approach to gaming, releasing offbeat and edgy titles that Nintendo and Sony wouldn’t have dreamed of at the time.

Back before COVID-19, I used to love going to the massage therapist to have the knots and kinks worked out of my perpetually stiff back. Now, the idea of being locked in a room with a virtual stranger putting their hands all over me is kind of worrisome.

While VHS tapes clearly won the format war against Betamax, I was always more of a Beta fan because I’ve always been an outsider-slash-tech snob. Regardless of the kind of videotape you chose back in the day, your blank tapes almost certainly came in a boldly designed box with colorful line art graphics.

One, Two, Freddy’s coming for you… Three, Four, better lock your door… Those simple words still send chills down my spine. After all, Freddy Krueger is one of the scariest villains in the history of horror flicks.

Think your 12-foot-tall skeleton display is the creepiest Halloween display on the block? You might have to up your game by this year with something even more disturbing than a giant skinless corpse. When you’re setting the dinner table for guests, light up some of these spine-chilling human spine candles.

Kids may have already headed back to school for the year, but they can always use some new gear. When you send them off to school for the day, you want them to feel confident and happy.

We’ve yet to visit any planets on The Mandalorian where it’s snowing. But maybe it’s just that none of the scenes so far have taken place in the wintertime. Regardless, I think The Child aka Baby Yoda aka Grogu would enjoy catching snowflakes on his little tongue in between gulping down frog eggs.

You know what? I’m surprised that they never came up with a vaccine for Pac-Man Fever. I mean, I’ve had it for nearly four decades, and it’s not getting any better. I suppose if you’re still a Pac-Man fan like me, you might want something like this sweet Pac-Man-themed synthesizer by Swedish artist and vintage gadget fan Love Hultén.

Ramen is delicious. While I much prefer the taste of fresh-cooked noodles and meats at a Japanese restaurant, instant ramen will do in a pinch. Nissin Cup Noodles are a staple among college kids, bachelors, and lazy cooks everywhere.

The biggest screen I’ve ever had in my house measured 96″ diagonal and used a front projector and a traditional movie screen. The room had to be totally dark to really enjoy it, but it was cool having a screen that big.

When you think of AT-ATs, you think of these giant mechanical beasts stomping along the snowy surface of Hoth. But what would happen if the Empire’s war machines ran on fossil fuels and their CO2 emissions, resulting in a greenhouse effect?

I’ve never been a fly, so I don’t know what it’s like to be eaten by a carnivorous plant. Suffice it to say, I’m sure it’s rather unpleasant. Still, I’ve always been fascinated by these plants that can open and close to grab their lunch, and then digest them for nutrients.

I’ve played a whole lot of arcade games in my lifetime, but one that I always go back to is Namco’s classic Galaga. It’s every bit as playable and challenging today as it was the day it came out in 1981, and now I don’t even have to spend quarters to play it.