Gadgets, Gizmos, and Games for Geeks

Like everyone else in the universe, I can’t get enough of The Mandalorian on Disney+. Besides binge-watching episodes, I dote over my Baby Yoda Chia Pet and even my dog, Ziggy, guards his Baby Yoda dog toy just like Mandalorian bounty hunter Din Djarin.

When it comes to the headphone audio that comes out of mobile phones, laptops, and tablets, the sound quality is generally decent, but rarely what I would call “audiophile-grade” or particularly loud. Using an external amplifier can help improve overall sound quality and volume, and HELM Audio’s DB12 AAAMP aims to do just that.

Move over baby Yoda, there’s a new precious Star Wars baby in the galaxy. Sculpted and cast by artist Nicholas J. Brown (aka LoreCraft), these baby Jabba silicone sculptures are based on a 3D character design created by fellow artist Leonardo Viti.

I’ve had a number of different home theater audio systems in my living room over the years, from component receiver/amp/speaker setups to one-piece soundbars. Each kind of sound system has its pros and cons, but my general feeling is that the best-of-all-worlds systems include a multi-channel soundbar with surround speakers and an external subwoofer.

If there’s something you never want to happen in your bathroom, it’s an explosion, except maybe one of those fizzy bath bombs in the tub. But if you’ve played enough Super Mario games, you know how to deal with a bomb, as long as it’s Bob-omb.

Looking for the perfect coffee mug to let your coworkers know you’re down to do a little tabletop campaigning on your lunch break? Well, now you’re in luck, thanks to this Dungeons & Dragons D12 coffee mug available from Firebox.

You know, I was just thinking the other day maybe I should start making my own liquor. I was just going to use the bathtub, but then I saw this 5 Gallon Pure Copper Alembic Still built by Copperholic and available for sale on Amazon (affiliate link).

The Mandalorian merchandise is like Disney is printing their own money. And now NERF has teamed up with the company to produce this $120 Mandalorian Amban Phase-pulse Blaster. Obviously, this is going to look perfect mounted above my fireplace mantle.

How bright is your flashlight? I only have the one on my phone because I’m completely unprepared for any sort of emergency situation. Well, presumably with the belief that it should be daylight all the time, the team over at Hacksmith Industries took it upon themselves to build a giant, 1,414,224 lumen flashlight.

Microsoft, probably known for always being at the forefront of fashion, is releasing another small series of ugly holiday sweaters to commemorate some of its products of yesteryear. Obviously, these will be my go-to tops for Zoom meetings this winter.

Because a NERF gun can never have enough horsepower, builder Peter Sripol modded a NERF Elite 2.0 Turbine CS-18 to be powered by a little four-stroke combustion engine mounted on top. Is that a good idea, or the best idea?

I basically grew up in video game arcades back in the 1980s. So it goes without saying that I have a place in my heart for classic arcade games. Among my proudest possessions is a full-size custom arcade machine that can play all kinds of retro games from the 1970s until the early 2000s.

Switzerland based design firm Kross Studio has teamed up with Warner Bros. to create this 1989 Batmobile X Kross Studio Desk Clock. Limited to 100 pieces, the desk clock costs a staggering $29,900. Even already knowing how much it cost I couldn’t stop myself from doing another spit-take as I typed that.

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Christmas? Star Trek, right? I mean, how could it not be? So what better way to celebrate the holidays than with this $150 Star Trek U.S.S.

Cats: they’re particular. You buy them a fancy memory foam bed for $80 and they sleep in the sink. Enter the Banana Cat Bed, a plush, banana-shaped cat bed, complete with a peelable peel on top.

When it comes to paper airplanes, they usually don’t stay airborne for more than a few seconds. The guys at PowerUp weren’t satisfied with that, so they set their sights on making motorized paper airplanes. We’re now on the fourth-generation of the PowerUp, and it’s the most capable version yet, enabling paper airplanes to fly better and further than ever.