The Zamboni has had millions of people mesmerised for years as it slowly cleans the ice at a hockey match. For some reason it's just addictive to watch it go around the ice rink and hit every square inch of ice making it smooth.
If you ever wanted to be a Zamboni driver, you now can do this courtesy of the RC Zamboni. It's a small remote controlled device which you can drive around your desk or floor. Unfortunately it looks like it doesn't actually smooth ice over which is a shame, but not a surprise. However, it still looks like one which will still amaze your best friends.
When your boss shouts demanding the clean desk policy be followed, you should whip this little vacuum out. It is a miniature fully working vacuum designed for your office desk. You simple hit the top of it and it sucks up crumbs from your keyboard, desk and where ever else your mess goes on your desk. Now I know that the "clean desk" policy is not related to crumbs on your keyboard, but using this little vac will certainly keep it clean in a physical sense even if you still haven't completed the days tasks.
Product Features
* Requires 2 x "AA" Batteries * Push On/Off Button * Movable Arms * Air Circulation Vents * Crumb Compartment * Suction Opening * Instruction Manual * Recommended for ages 8 and up. * Dimension: D 3.75" x H 3.60" inches
The Desk Vac costs $18 at the moment via the link below.
For those forgetful type who can never remember their passwords for the computer, this biometric fingerprint scanner is ideal for you. One thing you always have with you is a fingerprint and one quick swipe will allow you access to your chosen system. My first experience of a fingerprint scanner was on my Pocket PC which was an iPaq 5450 from a few years ago. I was surprised at how accurate it could track me logging in to the device and a quick swipe and just a few seconds would open up the pocket PC for use.
This new device is made by Upek and is named the Eikon Digital Privacy manager. It is not yet available on the market, but should be available in about 4 weeks time here in the UK (I hear it is available in the US right now). It works by connecting to your PC via USB. You train it by running through a series of swipes of your finger(s) where by it trains it's self to learn your fingerprint and store data of the print in it's memory.
It is not just restricted to your windows login in which is good news. It can actually be configured to work with password protected applications as well as internet sites.
If used on an office network, the network admin can enable and disable accounts as and when needed. Also, restrictions can also be set for different users.
Overall it's a great looking device and could be handy for organisations and single users to allow access to systems.
I have see a few cool Hydrogen powered gadgets around over the last year or so. This latest one appears to be the latest and greatest one though. It costs $1500 which isn't cheap, but the kit does fit in to a Tamiya TT-01 type chassis. The fuel cell is named the FCJJ-21 and has a 30W air-cooled PEM fuel cell. Fuel is stored in 3 10L metal hydride canisters.
You may wonder why you would want to fork out $1500 for a power source like this. Well, this fuel cell can power your RC car at good speed for over an hour. The most you normally get from an RC charge is up to 15 minutes when using Nimh batteries.
I cannot wait for this to drop in price as it would be great to play with RC cars for more then 15 minutes.
HP are launching a seriously nice looking UMPC named the 2133. The screen is just 8.9 inches which is ample for a UMPC and it is scratch resistant. The resolution it runs at is 1366 x 766 (WXGA). An ExpressCard/54 slot can be found in there along with Wireless LAN, a QWERTY keyboard that is not much smaller then normal and a web cam can also be found integrated too.
Two operating systems will be available when it launches which gives you the choice between Vista or Linux. On the storage side, it appears that there will be an SSD option which will make the UMPC weigh in at 2.5 LBS. The case looks to also look nice too being anodized aluminium.
I wonder how this will do against the MacBook Air and EeePC. Looking at rumours of prices, it looks like it could sell for less then $700. If that's the case this will be on my wanted list.
How about a nice triangle of Swiss cheese to use as a door wedge? This cheesy door wedge is just that, although it is just made of plastic rather then cheese. The wedge is flexible and can squeeze under any door to keep it open when needed. I have to admit that there isn't anything gadgety about a cheesy door wedge, but I thought it looked cool so thought I would share
The cheesy door wedge will set you back jut £3.95 in the UK over at IWOOT.
The iPhone screen transformed the way we interact with our mobile phones. The multi touch interface and very quick screen response made the iPhone a very usable device. HowStuffWorks have created an interesting article which breaks down the iPhone multi touch screen and shows in detail how it all works.
When touching an iPhone screen it can sense exactly where and what needs to be done. Due to the screen being multi touch it also allows for even more interactivity such as zooming in to photos by placing a thumb and finger on to the screen.
Some touch screens use light, and when an object it placed in the way it detects where the object was placed. Another version of this uses a capacitive touch screen which detects where contact is made by the way of an electrical charge which changes and sends the signal back to the CPU. However, the iPhone is different as it can detect 2 fingers on the screen at the same time. I recommend reading the full article over at HSW as it goes in to very good detail on how the whole screen and touch system works and makes a very interesting read.
Cuff links often come in different shapes and sizes from basic metallic squares, to spirit levels and now over to Lego bricks and Storm troopers. The Lego versions are 2x2 Bricks which come in a variety of colours.
The pins are silver plated making your shirt cuff's look different to the average guy next to you. The Lego cuff links are available from Etsy and cost just $14.99.
The Storm trooper versions feature a storm trooper helmet attached to gold-plated pins. These should definitely be used by those of the dark side although don't worry if you are not in that category as no one will stop you buying them The Storm trooper cuff links are also available over at Etsy and cost $19.99.
The Magic Brain Calculator was a device used many years ago (mabye 1950's) to solve maths problems. It requires you reset it to all zero's to begin with and after a bit of practise you can solve many types of mathematical calculations. Clearing the device is just a matter of pulling the metal bar at the top of the machine and pushing it back in. Calculations of up to 8 digits can be performed such as addition, subtraction and multiplication. There are no details on if this device can divide although I am sure the brainy ones among you could work that out. The system works by using the stylus to drag the columns of numbers either up or down depending on the calculation you are performing. By doing this, and in the right order the numbers at the top will eventually give you the answer you need.
I am unable to find if the Magic Brain Calculator is still available although with a bit of hunting I bet you could track one down. It was built in Japan almost 60 years ago so good luck!
The Mooftronic Electric Organ measures just 3cm by 1cm and it built around a 24 pin integrated circuit holder. A small stylus is used to play 8 notes in just one octave in the key of C. As well as creating those 8 notes, it has a small antenna which makes crazy noises too when picking up interference from the speaker. To generate noises the miniature organ uses an 08M micro controller built by Picaxe.
One funny thing to note in the pictures below is that the power source to keep this thing running is actually a lot bigger then the miniature organ it's self. It will probably work with a smaller button cell type battery, but for ease of use I can see why the creator used a 9V battery due to the ability to just clip the connector on the battery. It's not a bad idea although potentially it could be difficult to play due to the small size.
More images and a video of the Mooftronic can be found below.
If you struggle to impress your date with your ease of ordering up a foreign meal, then a restaurant using Deli Touch might be your better option. Deli Touch is a device which uses wireless technology to connect to the restaurants kitchen. When ordering, you touch the pen on to the menu on the items you wish to order. The pen has a camera which scans the codes and the wireless features transmit this data to the kitchen. Once the order has been placed a voice confirms that all is OK and a few minutes later your food arrives.
Apparently this technology has been around in Japan for a while, but this new version has more user friendly menu's that cater more towards the elderly. The system comes with 1 server, 30 pens and a printer and costs 45000 YEN a month for rental which equates to about $416 which is not bad at all. That is actually cheaper then a waiter although they would need a robot to bring the food out to you. Maybe that's next year.
A pyramid is not something you see often, other then when in Egypt. However, this pyramid does not stand still for a few thousand years. The Pyramid car can actually drive around by battery power. 80 batteries keep this thing powered and running at speeds of up to 45 MPH and it can run for 80 miles. It also has built in solar panels to help with the charging process. It weighs 8000 pounds too which makes it no light weight (3.5 tons).
Costing $60000 in supplies to make, it's not one of the cheapest cars to build although it was done as a labour of love. This version is Mk1 and they are looking for backers to fund a second prototype which they hope will reach 500 miles on a single charge.
I have to admit that it's not the most normal of shapes to choose when building a car, but for laughs this would be cool to cruise around in with a nice sound system. Maybe the prototype 3 model can work on acceleration. Wouldn't it be cool beating some kid off the mark on a road.
When your boss shouts demanding the clean desk policy be followed, you should whip this little vacuum out. It is a miniature fully working vacuum designed for your office desk. You simple hit the top of it and it sucks up crumbs from your keyboard, desk and where ever else your mess goes on your desk. Now I know that the "clean desk" policy is not related to crumbs on your keyboard, but using this little vac will certainly keep it clean in a physical sense even if you still haven't completed the days tasks.
For those forgetful type who can never remember their passwords for the computer, this biometric fingerprint scanner is ideal for you. One thing you always have with you is a fingerprint and one quick swipe will allow you access to your chosen system. My first experience of a fingerprint scanner was on my Pocket PC which was an iPaq 5450 from a few years ago. I was surprised at how accurate it could track me logging in to the device and a quick swipe and just a few seconds would open up the pocket PC for use.
HP are launching a seriously nice looking UMPC named the 2133. The screen is just 8.9 inches which is ample for a UMPC and it is scratch resistant. The resolution it runs at is 1366 x 766 (WXGA). An ExpressCard/54 slot can be found in there along with Wireless LAN, a QWERTY keyboard that is not much smaller then normal and a web cam can also be found integrated too.
How about a nice triangle of Swiss cheese to use as a door wedge? This cheesy door wedge is just that, although it is just made of plastic rather then cheese. The wedge is flexible and can squeeze under any door to keep it open when needed. I have to admit that there isn't anything gadgety about a cheesy door wedge, but I thought it looked cool so thought I would share 
The iPhone screen transformed the way we interact with our mobile phones. The multi touch interface and very quick screen response made the iPhone a very usable device. HowStuffWorks have created an interesting article which breaks down the iPhone multi touch screen and shows in detail how it all works.
The Magic Brain Calculator was a device used many years ago (mabye 1950's) to solve maths problems. It requires you reset it to all zero's to begin with and after a bit of practise you can solve many types of mathematical calculations. Clearing the device is just a matter of pulling the metal bar at the top of the machine and pushing it back in. Calculations of up to 8 digits can be performed such as addition, subtraction and multiplication. There are no details on if this device can divide although I am sure the brainy ones among you could work that out. The system works by using the stylus to drag the columns of numbers either up or down depending on the calculation you are performing. By doing this, and in the right order the numbers at the top will eventually give you the answer you need.
The Mooftronic Electric Organ measures just 3cm by 1cm and it built around a 24 pin integrated circuit holder. A small stylus is used to play 8 notes in just one octave in the key of C. As well as creating those 8 notes, it has a small antenna which makes crazy noises too when picking up interference from the speaker. To generate noises the miniature organ uses an 08M micro controller built by Picaxe.
A pyramid is not something you see often, other then when in Egypt. However, this pyramid does not stand still for a few thousand years. The Pyramid car can actually drive around by battery power. 80 batteries keep this thing powered and running at speeds of up to 45 MPH and it can run for 80 miles. It also has built in solar panels to help with the charging process. It weighs 8000 pounds too which makes it no light weight (3.5 tons).