So yeah I tried to find a nice New Year’s gadget, and this is what I found. This contraption is a DIY using a Lego Mindstorms NXT. According to the source creators:

It uses a MINDSTORMS NXT, two light sensors (one for navigation and other to detect a lighted fuse) and an Ultrasonic detector (to adjust the torch arm height depending on the height of the fireworks fuse wire. It uses three motors - two for motion and and the third for the torch arm elevator [sic].

The video pretty much says all you need to know, and that excerpt too, so let’s move along.

The pros: You can wave goodbye to 2007 and hello to 2008 with all your fingers still attached to your hand.

The cons: Uh. A long stick… might do the trick. Hmm.

Anyway, HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone! Enjoy those New Year’s Eve parties, try to keep those resolutions, and be SAFE.

Technorati tags: new year, fireworks, safety, pyrotechnics

This is actually a piece of artwork designed by Chris Dimino, as part of a group exhibit for the School of Visual Arts. Apparently he used actual typewriter iron and plastic, melted to make this waffle maker.

The pros: You can practice your typing skills every morning before breakfast. You’ll have waffle batter stuck under your fingernails after one “quick brown fox”, but it all adds up to one special breakfast experience. Mmhmmm. And look, the syrup will actually pool into the “keys”, and that’s just genius!

The cons: You’ll enjoy using this too much that in less than a month, you’ll be twice your current weight, albeit a great typist.

Technorati tags: keyboard, waffle maker, breakfast

The picture itself should provide a good glimpse of just how weird this gadget is. On one hand it seems like a good idea, but then again…

Well since Apple seems to have the ultimate goal of cramming as much technology into their gadgets, this Bocelli iPod accessory called may very well be their doing.

The pros: The louder your music is, the more effective the tooth-whitening powers become. I’m serious. So you can sing aloud while playing those screamos, and flash those pearly whites while you’re at it. That and you don’t have to pay that much to have your teeth cleaned, now you can do it the lazy, half-assed way. It releases a vanilla mint flavor too. Yay.

The cons: The most basic kit costs 49.95 USD (I don’t easily trust stuff that uses that 5-cents-less trick to make you think it’s cheap) There’s also a catch! You’ll need to control how much music goes to your ears and how much goes to your teeth. Yeah because that really goes with the purpose of the iPod — to send music to your teeth. Also you’ll have to gamble on whether or not this is actually effective.

I’m not sure how to react to the name given this gadget either. AND I seriously doubt the freakish 3d professor’s explanation on how the music helps whiten the teeth. Your forced Italian accent does not fool me, little man.

Technorati tags: weird gadget, teeth, tooth, whitener, dental, ipod, apple

Okay for this particular gadget, I ticked 3 categories. I’m really caught somewhere in between being impressed, confused, and just plain weirded out.

First of all, when I read the name, it really did confuse me. I thought it was a cooler, like… a cooler. Like a mini storage to keep your necktie’s cold. But why would you need cold neckties? Then I thought it was some sort of Engrish wordplay to say that it will make any dull old necktie… well, cool. You know, happening.

But then I actually saw it. The gadget in question.

If you really want to be weirded out, look at these next pictures —

I have no idea what he’s supposedly saying, but I certainly hope it’s not as fruity as it looks. Though I doubt it. Now, I’m guessing you pretty much get the idea behind this gadget, so let’s move this along.

The pros: On a hot day, you can wear this and it’ll cool from the inside of your shirt (I think). It seems like this thing really works, well if you haven’t already noticed from the expression on his face.

The cons: They didn’t really try to make this thing even remotely stylish. So when you wear this, you become cool and utterly uncool at the same time. Also, it’s USB-powered (…) so you basically have to be near a USB port to use this. That would be… in the office… where there’s… air-conditioning. Hmm.

Technorati tags: usb, fan, cooler, necktie, weird gadget, japan

Who can resist the countless hours of fun watching a ball of fuzz tire itself in an endless and futile endeavor like this? Go ahead, keep watching it. You know you want to.

This USB wheel runs on 2 AA batteries and spins as fast as you type, so if you feel like giving your hamster a little exercise, you can do your regular typing. But if you’re one of those 120wpm typists who for some reason still manage to type out dictionary-accepted words, then maybe you can add in some blades and make yourself an electric fan.

It costs about 53 USD. It lives forever.

The pros: It’s not a real hamster. Therefore, no cleaning after it, no feeding, no getting bitten when it doesn’t want to be in your sweaty palms.

The cons: It will not replace Hammie, let it go.

Technorati tags: hamster wheel, fun gadget, usb

Yes, another piggy bank. But this one is less disturbing, more demanding.

It’s called a… well actually I don’t know what it’s called. So let’s call it The Exploding Nagger.

The Exploding Nagger is sorta like your average piggy bank, except that it was primarily designed to drive you nuts and/or insult you. How, you ask? Well, this gadget “shakes, shines, beeps and ‘explodes’ to remind the user to feed it coins” — so if you’re away from the house long enough for the timer to go off, you come home to find all the coins you so diligently fed it all over the table.

That’s when you grab a fistful of coins, get down on your knees and cry.

The pros: TOMY and the creators of The Exploding Nagger seem to think that this will add thrill to your saving experience, so yeah maybe that’ll work for you.

The cons: What if the reason you save is because you don’t have a lot of coins, and finding one that you can spare to save is a rare occurrence? Did they ever think about that? Huh? What if you go out of town? What if you only have bills? Huh?!

But seriously, I’d get The Exploding Nagger. What? It’s crazy enough for my tastes. Better than that freak-o piggy bank anyway. And it’ll be fun pretending there’s a bomb in my house when I have guests over.

Technorati tags: exploding, piggy bank, coin, save, japan, tomy

Ooooh sparkly. I’ve created a new category and called it “Good Ideas” for those gadgets that are still surprising and unique, but are too well, nice for me to say a lot of sarcastic remarks about.

Okay so I’ll try not to make this too boring. Eherm. These boxes use 4-8 LEDs and run on 3 AAA batteries each. The lights morph into 4 colors — red, green, white and blue. The largest box is 17cm², and the smallest one is 7.5cm². I wonder how heavy these things are.

The pros: You can hope your friend or loved one judges gifts by their boxes. You can even get away with intentionally giving them crappy gifts if you’re lazy to think of good ones. Well, you’d suck but this box could make up for that. This could also distract your guests from the chicken you left too long in the oven. Oh look sarcasm.

The cons: You’d probably have to give crappy gifts since the set costs 39.95 USD already. But hey in the spirit of giving, better not concentrate on that little detail.

Technorati tags: gift box, light, color, gadget, christmas

Wow.

The pros: Nobody will hear you beg when you get fired (because your boss won’t have you ruining the company name by walking around with that on your head).

The cons: Hahahaha *points and laughs*

Okay don’t panic — it’s not for sale. It’s actually a sculpture made by a certain Nick Rodrigues to show his interest in “the way that humans relate with one another, and how technology and innovation can dramatically affect these interactions.” Deep.

Okay yeah as a sculpture it isn’t all that funny, I was tempted not to include this explanation, buuut Mr. Rodrigues might flame me. What I’d give to see someone up-close with this on their head though. Darn.

Technorati tags: personal, cellphone, phone booth, silly, nick rodrigues, sculpture