Gadgets, Gizmos, and Games for Geeks

Because terrible ideas come in all shapes, sizes, and price points, someone bought a $3,000 robot dog (knocked-off of Boston Dynamics’ SpotMini) on AliExpress, then went and strapped a Russian PP-19 Vityaz submachine gun to the top of it.

The Love In Bloom porcelain flower vase is shaped like a realistic human heart, complete with ventricles, atria, and arteries. Made by Seletti and available on Amazon (affiliate link), the heart measures approximately 4″ x 7″ x 10″, making it bigger than mine, and significantly larger than the Grinch’s.

The $9,125 MARS Project ONE Dual Time Zone Watch from Behrens tells the time simultaneously in two different time zones: one on Earth and one on Mars. You know, because it’s always important to know if you’re going to be late for a Martian meeting.

To promote the upcoming release of its Mighty Bowser build set, LEGO went and constructed a massive 14-foot animatronic 1:1 scale replica of the reptilian villain, made up of over 663,900 pieces. Wow, now that’s a lot of pieces!

Some people believe french fries are just a vehicle to get ketchup to your mouth. My dad is one of those people. And in news that’s sure to make his day – then ruin it when he realizes you have to be a UK resident to enter – Heinz is giving away free Fry Spoonz to lucky participants in its National Fry Day contest (available to enter HERE).

Researchers from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Virginia Tech (my alma mater!), led by Assistant Professor Michael Bartlett, have developed the Octa-Glove, a glove with octopus-like suckers on the fingers designed for firmly grasping objects underwater without requiring grip strength.

The day has finally come: the astronaut rabbit butler side table/tissue holder we’ve all been waiting for is finally available for sale! And to think of all the sleepless nights I’ve had to endure just waiting for it.

Because who doesn’t like make-believing they can do magic, FireBox is selling this Harry Potter Candle With Wand Remote. The candle features the Hogwarts insignia embossed on the front, and a touch of the wand’s button turns its LED on or off.

Inspired by the classic UFO shape perpetuated by old sci-fi films (real alien spaceships don’t look anything like this), this UFO LED Night Light is the perfect accessory to let aliens know you’re ready and willing to be abducted and join their human zoo.

Because plant care is tricky for some people, FireBox is selling this Mini Plant Life Support system, an IV drip bag that automatically waters your plant so you don’t accidentally kill them with neglect. Nurse – 50ccs of TLC, STAT!

Because LEGO and Nintendo are a match made in heaven, LEGO will release a 2,807-piece Mighty Bowser build set this October for $270. It’s not the cheapest LEGO set, but it is probably the most likely to steal the princess and constantly move her to another castle.

If there’s one thing Nintendo knows how to do, it’s sell products. Cold Stone Creamery teamed up with the video game giant to sell ice cream sundaes themed after some of their most popular games. I don’t know about you, but I’m already waiting outside my local Cold Stone waiting for them to open so I can try them all.

Summer is upon us, and you know what that means: making your kids play outside so they stop wrecking the house and driving you crazy. And to aid you on your mission of prolonged sanity comes this giant cheeseburger water sprinkler.

Seen here looking about as happy as I’d expect a child wearing a giant octopus costume to be – a baby models the Stuffed Octopus Toy Costume made by Musuos and available at Walmart. It probably goes without saying, but I just had the best idea for this year’s family Christmas card!

To promote the release of Marvel Studios’ Thor: Love and Thunder on July 8th, Microsoft is giving one lucky winner a custom Xbox Series X that looks like Thor’s hammer Mjölnir, complete with handle and everything.

Directly modeled after the infamous rocket launcher from the Destiny video game franchise, NERF is releasing a full-scale replica of the Gjallarhorn. Pre-orders for the limited-edition weapon begin July 7th for people who unlocked the weapon in Destiny 2.