Gadgets, Gizmos, and Games for Geeks

Pac-Man was the first video game I ever played in the arcade back in the day. I remember not making it very long because I was always trying to gobble up the power pellets and didn’t do a good job evading the ghosts.

InstaPots and other pressure cookers have become insanely popular in recent years, with millions of households putting what basically amounts to a bomb on their kitchen counter in order to cook dinners more quickly. Thankfully, these heated and pressurized vessels have a pressure-relief valve on them to let steam out, making a catastrophic failure far less likely.

These days, lots of people are replacing their bedside clocks with smartphones or other mobile gadgets which keep time. But there’s something about being able to just open an eyeball in the middle of the night and glance at the time that makes me still prefer a standalone clock.

Because our scientists were so preoccupied with whether they could that they didn’t stop to think if they should, physicists at Leiden University have 3D printed a tiny tugboat only 30-microns in length. For reference, an average human hair is about 90-microns in width, although mine is much thicker because I shampoo with a product specifically formulated for bears.

Looking for a fun arts and crafts project? How about making your own wearable alien facehugger entirely out of rubber bands per this Instructable created by user tofugami? Personally, I can’t wait to make one, then slip it on when my girlfriend isn’t paying attention and see what she says.

Were you a good boy or girl this year? Doesn’t matter, 2020 has spoken and we’re all getting ketchup flavored candy canes for Christmas anyways. Created by Archie McPhee, a six-pack of “rich tomato flavor” ketchup candy canes costs $6.50 and is sure to be absent from every single Christmas list this year.

Digital music artist GLASYS looped and remixed the underwater theme from the original Super Mario Bros. using Blooper, a looping pedal recently released from Chase Audio. GLASYS came up with the idea after realizing Blooper is also the name of the squid-like creatures found in underwater Mario levels.

Disney Parks created an official ‘Ride & Learn’ video which offers a tour of the incredible computer-generated visual effects used in Shanghai Disneyland’s Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure ride. Obviously, the first thing I plan on doing after winning the Super Bowl is going to Shanghai Disneyland and riding it.

Here’s some more next-level cake decorating from Natalie Sideserf of Sideserf Cake Studio. The professional pastry chef in Austin, Texas made a video showing how she made this realistic mutant monster toad cake. The toad was inspired by one of the creatures in the recently released post-apocalyptic Love And Monsters movie.

Because sometimes you need to diversify your assets and Disney has decided it wants to add some nightmare fuel to its portfolio, they recently posted a video of a humanoid robot developed by its research division with a “realistic and interactive lifelike gaze.”

The Mandalorian returns this week, so there’s no better time to show your appreciation for the popular Star Wars series. And what better way to celebrate your love for the show that basically made Disney+ than to bring Baby Yoda into your home or office?

When I make a run to The Home Depot, it’s usually because I need some 2x4s, drywall compound, or drill bits. So go figure that while I was shopping on their website for some completely unrelated hardware, this thing popped up on my Facebook page later in the day.

Perhaps it’s because The Next Generation is my favorite Star Trek series, but I have a particular affinity towards the NCC-1701-D version of the U.S.S. Enterprise that was featured on that show. If you’re a fan of TNG like me, and also like shiny things, then check out this golden model of the starship from Eaglemoss.

Do you have an old Macintosh lying around gathering dust? While you might want to turn it into an aquarium, you could also update it to run a much more modern operating system. Modder Travis DeRose of Curiosityness shows us how he cracked open a Macintosh Plus and converted it into a permanent home for an iPad Mini.

Because ghosts need busting and you’re just the person for the job, Reebok and the Ghostbusters franchise have collaborated to release these $150 Ghost Smashers sneakers. Obviously, I must have them and will throw a temper-tantrum when they sell out before I can get my hands on, and feet into a pair.

Want to own your own giant murder hornet (Vespa mandarinia) as a memento to remember 2020 by? Well, you’re in luck, because BicBugs has got some very nice specimens available. Sold with their wings spread, they’re available either unmounted ($47), or pinned and framed ($59), and are sure to be one of this Christmas’s must-have gifts.