Sometimes a chalkboard is just not enough. Some want to write on the world and have a globe to store their ideas. However, I doubt anyone has ever seen a globe chalkboard for sale. MakeZine have created their own by using a regular classroom globe, chalkboard paint, Spackle, newspapers, Gesso and a coat hanger.
Other home made versions of this include blue paint where the sea is and the globe is then used for educational purposes in which the students need to mark on the globe all the different places around the world.
Via: Make
Back in the 80’s, arcade games were starting to become big. Atari, Namco and Midway were amongst the big names producing games like Pac-Man, Centipede, Tempest, Gauntlet and a ton of other classics. This Tabletop Arcade Machine brings all these games in to your home on just the 1 machine. It has 150 of the beauties built in and displays them on a crisp 19″ flat screen LCD. On the arcade machine you will find an 8 direction joystick, 11 large buttons, a 3 inch trackball which together, bring the 80’s back in to your home. The good news is that there is a PC running the show (that might not be good news to some). What this means is you can easily upgrade, add games and make as many mods as you want. Music in MP3 format can be sent and sound is produced by 2 speakers and a sub woofer.
Now that a great number of people own MP3 players there is a tendency for your old CD’s to gather dust. Old music from the 90’s was ripped to your computer and since then, you have never touched the CD. Why not make better use of your old CD’s and build a lamp just like this guy did. It was built from a massive amount of CD’s that had gathered in his room which were then put together on a circular base. The base was cut using a template on a table saw, sanded and then a cold cathode lamp from NewEgg was chosen to light the thing up.
This lamp is one of the most unique ones I have ever seen. It is built in a retro style which reminds me of Sputnik although it has extra legs. The satellite is a chrome ball and has LED tipped spikes which emit red, green, blue or multi coloured lights. The base it stands on is 10″ Width x 18″ High.
The PenandMouse comes from Korea and was created by ISV. Supplied with the pen is a 2.4GHz wireless dongle and a mouse pad which allows it to communicate with your PC for up to 10 hours of non stop use with 10 days of standby. The pen has a number of functions which allow it to act as a 3 button mouse (with scroll wheel), a standalone memo taker which will store in it’s memory the things you write which can then be transferred to your PC at a later date. The pen is fairly small in size and not much bigger then an average pen which makes it useful to travel with when using your laptop.The LED lamp built in allows the mouse pen to be used in dark places while keeping your work illuminated. Another handy feature is the presentation pointer that is built in. All around it appears to be a very handy little device and it will be interesting to see how easy the switch back to a pen shaped mouse is.
When taking your jumper off at night in the dark, it’s common to see sparks of static electricity that is generated. There is another way to generate small parts of electricity though by using a similar principle. Scientists at Georgia Institute of Technology have created microscopic wires that generate current when moving. The microscopic wires are bundled together and when movement occurs a tiny charge of electricity is created. A mixture of a lot of these can potentially create enough charge to power a device connected. The fibres are covered with zinc oxide nanowires which are extremely thin. Wires are split in to pairs where one of the wires is then plated in gold which then makes it act as the electrode. As movement occurs, energy is created.
A unique set of gadgets I came across today are the self shaking salt and pepper shakers. Two things are required to make these things work. First, you pull the cord and second you hold the shaker. When the cord pulls back in to the shaker it automatically shakes the shaker spewing out salt or pepper over your meal. What I don’t understand is the need for something like this. Surely the process of pulling the cord on the shaker is actually more hassle then just holding the shaker and shaking it your self?
