Archive Category: Gadget

Fly Powered Aircraft

Photo: Eric Long / Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

It goes without saying that the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum has some of the neatest collection of planes in the world, but this one is particularly intriguing: fly-powered aircrafts built by famed aircraft modelered Frank Ehling in the 1970s.

The AirSpace Blog has more:

Designed and built by famed aircraft modeler Frank Ehling in the 1970s, they are the smallest flying models the Museum owns. But more unusual than their size is that they are powered by flies – yes, you heard right, houseflies, the insect. Constructed from balsa wood and red tissue paper, the one-fly design has a wingspan of two inches, and the two-fly version, which features a delta-wing design, is four inches wide. In both cases, contact cement was used to attach the live powerplant to the fuselage.

Link

If you’re skeptical, there’s a video clip of another fly-powered airplane, this time by inventor Thomas Fetterman (oh, you can also buy the kit from his website)

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LOLrio Kart

Developed by MITERS, a group at MIT who build things, this souped-up shopping cart can achieve speeds of up to 45 mph! I don’t know, it doesn’t look all that safe to me. Link

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5 Strangest Products Pitched by Billy Mays

Everybody knows that Billy Mays is TV pitchman for OxiClean ("powered by the air we breathe!) and Kaboom ("tough on grime, easy on you") ... but wait, there's more! Did you know that the loud, bearded uber-salesman also pitched strange products like the Grater Plater and the Hercules Hook? (There's also the Green Now, a spray paint to paint your dead lawn green, but I couldn't find the video for it.)

In memory of Billy Mays, the king of infomercial, here are 5 of the strangest product he ever pitched:

The Grater Plater

[YouTube Clip]

What do you get when you combine a cheese grater and a plate? The plate that grates, of course, here's The Grater Plater. (The name alone is golden: Grater. Plater. Grater plater. Gotta love it!)

The Gopher

[YouTube Clip]

While my wife likes OxiClean, The Gopher is actually my favorite item Billy Mays had ever pitched (in the words of another late-night infomercial, "I'm not only a blogger, I'm also an infomercial customer!"). It just works well - many years later, I still use mine to grab things too high to reach (saves me from getting the step stool out).

Tool Band-It

[YouTube Clip]

The Tool Band-It is another in Billy May's long line of making a product out of two existing ones. This time, it's magnet + armband, to give you a magnetic arm band. Genius!

The AwesomeAuger

[YouTube Clip]

I distrust a $20 drill, but the idea behind the AwesomeAuger is pretty solid (I have a similar device - the drill bit alone cost me $20. It works well for boring holes in hard ground for small plants). The only thing that works better is The Garden Weasel's Garden Claw.

Hercules Hook

[YouTube Clip]

The Hercules Hook is in a class by itself: here, Billy Mays used his infomercial prowess to sell you a bent pin for hanging stuff on your wall. I myself am a nail-and-hammer kind of guy, but the Hercules Hook does work well (if you don't damage the drywall while you're pushing it in) though I wouldn't use it to hang shelves or anything like that ...

Billy Mays, RIP.

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Paragolfer Machine Lets Paralyzed People Golf

[Skip the intro to mark 1:00 for the good stuff!]

Being paralyzed shouldn’t stop someone from engaging in a sport lovingly described by Mark Twain as "a good walk, ruined," thanks to the Paragolfer machine by Parabasetec.

Check out the paragolfer in action (yes, it’s a promo video, but it’s amazing nonetheless): Hit play or go to Link [YouTube]. If you want one, be prepared to shell out upwards of $26K.

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“Alan” Wrench by Pete Dungey

Artist Pete Dungey did an unofficial survey to find out who is the most famous Alan (and Allen) in England … and then etched the resulting names onto a set of allen (get it?) wrenches. Here’s the project, cheekily named Alan Wrenches (links are mine):

1. Alan Titchmarsh, Horticulturalist
2. Alan Partridge, Fictional Comedian
3. Lily Allen, Pop Singer
4. Alan Shearer, Ex-Footballer
5. Alan Carr, Comedian
6. Sir Alan Sugar, Business Tycoon
7. Tim Allen, Actor

Link - via Definitive Touch

Previously on Neatorama: Alan-Allan-Allen

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Texting Champion: “Let your kid text during dinner! Let your kid text during school! It pays off”

Think that all that texting is just a big waste of time? Think again! For 15-year-old Kate Moore, texting sure does pay:

"Let your kid text during dinner! Let your kid text during school! It pays off," 15-year-old Kate Moore said Tuesday after winning the LG U.S. National Texting Championship.

After all, she said: "Your kid could win money and publicity and a phone."

For the Des Moines, Iowa, teenager, her 14,000 texts-per-month habit reaped its own rewards, landing her the competition prize of $50,000 just eight months after she got her first cell phone.

Moore, with a speedy and accurate performance, beat out 20 other finalists from around the country over two days of challenges such as texting blindfolded and texting while maneuvering through a moving obstacle course.

In the final showdown, she outtexted 14-year-old Morgan Dynda, of Savannah, Ga. Both girls had to text three lengthy phrases without making any mistakes on the required abbreviations, capitalization or punctuation. Moore squeaked through by a few seconds on the tiebreaking text, getting the best two out of three.

Link - via Technically Incorrect (Photo: Frank Franklin II/AP)

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Backpack Vacuum Cleaner

I’ve heard of their existence for years, but I’ve never seen one quite like this: behold the backpack vacuum cleaner that you wear.

Seems like it’s a better idea than dragging a heavy upright model around the house, right?

GeekAlerts has the details: Link

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The Compact Marble Machine

(YouTube link)
It’s not really necessary to watch the entire video to get the idea of what’s going on here. This marble machine was built in four hours. If I had one of these toys at home, I’d watch it constantly. But I have three cats, so it would probably be wrecked within a few minutes. -via Cynical-C

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Homemade Spider Catcher

I don’t know how effective this homemade spider catcher is, but it should be easy to make from a cassette case, a pipe, a string, and some glue. Beats walking into a web, the way I’ve been doing lately! Link -via Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories

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Sun Jar

I once thought that sun tea made in a jar was really something, but how cool is storing sunlight in a jar? The Sun Jar is a regular Mason jar with solar cells, rechargeable batteries, and LED lights. It also has a light sensor, so it turns on automatically when darkness falls. And get this: they are completely sealed, with no switches, so you can even leave them outside as garden lights. Available in yellow, blue, or pink. Link -via the Presurfer

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Comfort Wipe: Extension Arm to Wipe Your Behind

If you consider that the modern toilet paper was first introduced in 1857, the whole butt wipe thing is waaay due for a major advance.

Ancient Romans used to wipe their butts after going to the bathroom with a sponge on a stick (which they put in a bucket of saltwater after they’re done for reuse - Eew!) - so, in a nod to history, here’s Comfort Wipe: a stick that lets you wipe your behind without ever coming close to touching it with your bare hands.

Now, before you recoil in horror, consider that this invention is actually quite useful for people with limited range of motion due to disability. Hit play or go to Link [YouTube] - via AdFreak

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Homemade R2D2s

The Bay Area R2 Builders showed off four fully-functioning R2D2 units at Maker Faire. They cost around $10,000 to build, and take a couple of years of work. Link to video report. Link to website.

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Motifo: Magnetic Pixel Turns Your Fridge Into Art

Peter Locke created a set of colored magnets called Motifo that act as giant pixels to turn your fridge into a works of art:

Each mosaic design has been specially crafted to use the same combination of pieces, so every mosaic can be made with the 1296 pieces included in each motifo pack. If you want to create a new design, just rearrange the pieces.

If I’m not afraid that they’d swallow the small pieces outright, this would be a blast for my kids! Link - via Funfurde

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Prisoners Smuggle In Stuff with a Toy Chopper

Remember the story of how prisoners in Brazil have been smuggling in cell phones using pigeons?

Well, that’s low tech compared to what these other prisoners did:

Four suspects were arrested late on Sunday outside a maximum security facility in the southern town of Presidente Venceslau in Brazil’s Sao Paulo state after the mini-chopper, 14 mobile telephones and the equivalent of 500 dollars in cash were found in their rented car, according to reports in local media.

Link

Note that this is also in Brazil: what’s up with that? Can’t they smuggle things the good ol’ fashioned way - in their butts - just like all other prisoners do in the rest of the world?

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Tokyoflash Landmark Clock Contest Update

Tokyoflash Landmark Clocks entry by Cliff

A couple of weeks or so ago, we told you of our pal Tokyoflash’s design-a-landmark clock contest, where you can submit your idea for a famous landmark modified to include a "Tokyoflash way of reading time."

Well, here are some of their favorite entries - and best of all, you can vote for the winner: Link - Thanks Paul!

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Clock Clock: Integrated Timepiece Created Using 24 Individual Clocks

This Clock Clock by Humans Since 1982 uses 24 individual analog clocks to tell the time! Technabob explains:

It took me a second to figure out what was going on when I first got a look at this table full of analog clocks. But once I stood back from my screen, I realized that none of the clocks have the correct time and the whole thing is a macro timepiece that tells the time using 24 individual clocks.

Created by Swedish designers Humans Since 1982, the Clock Clock installation features 48 electronically-controlled analog clock hands which automatically rotate into the proper positions to form a giant digital display.

Link (with embedded YouTube clip of the clocks in action) - via Inspire me, now!

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Transformers USB Memory Stick

This 2GB USB memory stick transforms into the Decepticon Ravage. At the link, there’s also a laser mouse that transforms into the Autobot Grimlock and a USB hub that transforms into the Autobot Blaster.

Link via Geekologie

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Study Ball Makes Sure You Study

How many times have you begun to study for an exam and after 30 minutes get distracted and move on to doing something else, and at the end you are left with no other choice but to stay up all night studying for that final at 8:00 am? Well, Study Ball is here to solve the problem.

The Study Ball gadget is a prison-style ball and chain that you can program to keep track of how much time you spend studying. Once you’ve selected the desired duration, you chain the ball to your ankle and the manacle won’t come off until the schedule study time is up.
A red LED indicator displays the “Study Time Left“ and keeps you informed as to how much longer you’ve got to keep studying. The ball and chain are made of highly durable steel and weighs a total of 9.5 kg / 20.95 pounds, which makes it difficult to move while wearing it.

For safety, the Study Ball cannot be programmed for more than 4 hours. Minors should not use it unless supervised by an adult. It comes with a safety key for emergency deactivation. Link - via coolest-gadgets

From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by mrsmojorisin.

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The Elephant Padlock

Crooked Brains blog has a very spiffy collection of antique and unusual padlocks, from back in the days where any household item was an opportunity for showing off craftmanship.

Link - via somethinbeautiful

From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by feroz557.

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The Sap Cap

It looks like an ordinary baseball cap. But slip steel inserts into the Sap Cap, and you have a weapon. “Beat on muggers like you are The Skipper and they are Gilligan.”

Link via Hell in a Handbasket

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Tracking the Roomba

Blogger Signaltheorist decided to evaluate the efficiency of the Roomba by tracking its movements:

I set up a photo camera in my room, turned out all the lights and took a long-exposure shot of my roomba doing it’s thing for about 30 minutes. The result is a picture that shows the path of the roomba through it’s cleaning cycle, it looks like a flight map or something. It really hits every spot!

Link via J-Walk Blog

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High Rise Escape Systems

In any building, it’s always good to know how you’re going to get out in case of an emergency. As we all know now, it’s not always easy in a skyscraper, or even a building with a few floors. Several innovative systems have been developed for these events, including the Evacuchute, a parachute designed to be used for jumping out of tall buildings. See it in action as well as some other ideas in The World Of High Rise Office Escape Systems. Link -Thanks, David!

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Hover Scooter

This would be the vehicle of my dreams: the Hover Scooter, a mix-up between a motorbike, a scooter and a hovercraft. Seen here on a test run in 1960. Tweed jacket and tie are optional.

- via diskursdisko

From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by diskursdisko.

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Blockbuster Quik Drop Box Oven

Cooks in Liberia are wily geniuses when it comes to recycling stuff. No oven? Not a problem - just take an old Blockbuster Video Quik Drop box and make it into one!

Details over at AfriGadget:

They showed me the oven, a big metal cabinet against the far wall; looks like a refrigerator on legs, to allow a coal pit to fit under the bottom, but when I get near it, I see it’s a Blockbuster Quick Drop Booth! The front, where the slit had been closed, faces the wall and the back door is to access the oven; inside are several fridge trays, on which they lay the pans. The door is then locked with a simple bolt and sealed all around with wet cloths.

The cake was fabulous.

Link - via BB Gadgets

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Office Organizer Made From Phone Books

I ran across this excellent tutorial while looking for things to do with unwanted phone books (for some inexplicable reason, they magically show up at my doorstep year after year).

Chica and Jo has the perfect solution if you’re crafty: turn those phone books into office organizers! Link - via Make

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Recycled Milk Bottle Lights

I made these plastic milk bottle lights by embedding LEDs in the caps, hanging them from a bent section of pipe and hooking them up to an Arduino microcontroller.

Not happy with an on-off switch, I thought they might look mesmerising with a rotary control knob turning them on in sequence. It works! They make great low lighting to wind down for sleep, and they’re great to hang in the hall for parties too.

There are complete build instructions on Instructables.

From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by Nachimir.

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The Apache — A 19th Century Personal Protection Gadget

The Apache was a combination dagger, pepperbox, and knuckle duster manufactured and sold in the United States from 1870 through 1900. More pictures and history of this unique pocket weapon at the link.

Link

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SmartFaucet

For the person who has everything, here’s SmartFaucet. Besides the features you’ve actually heard of in a faucet, it has a face recognition system so it can adjust heat and flow to your individual preferences. And it has a touchscreen display on which you can check your email! I think I will pass -I’m so old-fashioned that I prefer my water without electricity. Link -via J-Walk Blog

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Thermoscope Earrings and Other Bizarre Earth-Friendly Products to Help Celebrate Earth Day

Well, whadaya know. Tomorrow is Earth Day (shouldn’t every day be Earth Day?). Our very own Jill Harness wrote a neat post over at Inventor Spot about 8 weird but Earth-friendly products you can buy to celebrate.

I particularly love this one: the thermoscope earrings by LeeAnn Herreid. Like a thermometer, the earrings register temperature changes with red alcohol that rises and falls (but without numerical values). So while you don’t know exactly how warm the Earth has gotten with global warming and all, you can still look pretty hot wearin’ em.

Check out the whole list here: Link

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You Don’t Want to Lose a Contact Lens in this Sink

Bypass clogged pipes with the Abisko Washbasin from Eumar. I remember seeing something similar to it at the newly-renovated terminal of the Jacksonville International Airport, where you could also get a Brazilian waxing for $65 while waiting for your plane to depart. Which is a good idea, because I can’t tell you how many times I’ve thought to myself “Hey, l should go down to the airport and get a Brazilian waxing.” But I digress: waterslide sink, coming to a floor drain near you. Nifty, eh?

Link via Geekologie

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