Category: Cool Stuff

12″ portable DVD player

(via TechEBlog)

There was a time when I seriously thought I wanted something like this.  (long sentence alert)  That’s a 12″ portable DVD player, which sounds pretty good until yportable_dvd.jpgou consider current pricing on 10″ portables (the price hasn’t been set on the 12″ yet), the size a 12″ player would need to be, and the remarkable affordability of low-end laptops with DVD drives capable of playing all the same content *AND* allowing you to run office applications, browse the web, keep up with e-mail, and more.

[tags]Portable DVD player[/tags]

Shockproof portable hard drives

(via Design Technica via TechEBlog)

I’ve been looking for a good, reliable, sturdy, affordable portable storage device for my wife to carry around.  She has some USB memory sticks, bexternal_shock.jpgut more storage is always good, right?  I think Plextor is looking like a worthy contender for a storage provider in this realm.  Check out these shock-proof external hard drives.  Available in 80 and 120 Gig for $169 and $260 respectively.  I’m seriously considering picking up one of the larger capacity drives at that price.

The external PX-SP hard drives, said Plextor, make use of a specially designed silicon jacket bumper that reportedly helps keep the drive from crashing if it is dropped. The storage device, which measures 3.3” x 0.7” x 5.5” and weighs less than eight ounces, supports USB 2.0 for a maximum data transfer rate of 480Mbps. The PX-SP comes bundled with a USB cable, the silicon jacket and a quick start guide.

[tags]External storage, Shook-proof drives[/tags]

The TV you want, but can’t afford

(via Engadget)

panasonic-103inch.jpg

Well, the 65-inch and 80+ inch plasma TVs we’ve seen announced recently just weren’t big enough for some people. Panasonic has announced that it will have its new 103 inch Plasma TV (that’s 8.5 feet diagonal) available for purchase before the end of the year. No pricing, but I’m sure it can’t be much more than a modest car…

[tags]Panasonic, Big TV[/tags]

Nexus Wicked laser review

(via TechEBlog)

I’ve written about Wicked lasers before.  These are some very high powered lasers that you can get to have around the house.  By high powered, I mean something able to cut through a garbage bag or electrical tape.  So if you’re trying to decide whether a $1000 blue laser is worth your money, read the review at OhGizmo.
[tags]Lasers, laser pointers, geek tech[/tags]

Hourglass clock

(via boingboing)

As I’m catching up on a lot of missed web-surfing, I’m finding all kinds of coolhourglass_clock.jpg things.  The latest neat gadget I want is an hourglass shaped clock.  It’s no better than a regular clock, just cooler (for values of cool defined by geeky me).  And it’s a steal at $36.95 plus shipping (free shipping on orders over $75).
[tags]Clock, hourglass clock[/tags]

NASA presents: Black-hole simulation

(via boingboing)

Well, if there’s one thing I can think of worth watching, it’s got to be a good black-hole simulation.   Well, actually, I can think of a lot of things worth watching.  But it’s still pretty cool to tell other people you like watching black-hole simulations.  Just try it and you’ll see I’m right.  All the wondrous details are at NASA’s home page.

[tags]NASA, Black-hole[/tags]

Build your own phase-change cooling system

(via Hack-a-Day)

Big geek site-maintainer editor alert here, folks – I love computer fiddling. I have all the parts for a water-cooling set-up at home (no time to actually assemble, install and test it – but I have the parts if the time ever shows up). All kinds of high-end cooling get-ups tickle my fancy. I have half a dozen different kinds of CPU coolers and nearly as many video card coolers just waiting to be put to some use in some system in my house.  In my rare spare time, I sand the bases of my coolers with fine grain sandpaper just so they mount and cool better.  I spend extra money to buy high-end cooling pastes.  I do case modding.  I paint cases.  I build computers for friends because I enjoy it so much that any excuse to build works for me. So naturally, with all that geekiness in my system, I have to point out this write-up on how to build your own phase-change cooling system. Now if I can just find the time and money to buy the parts so I can put it all together.

[tags]DIY cooling, CPU cooling[/tags]

Undead Pirate MMORPG?

(via boingboing)

How can you go wrong with an undead pirate MMORPG?  Hopefully, this will be as awesome as one could imagine.  Disney is working on a Pirates of the Caribbean MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game, for those that don’t know the term).  The web site says it will be out in 2007.

The game is being designed by the Walt Disney Internet Group’s acclaimed VR Studio as a world of high seas action and adventure where players will personalize their own pirate character and organize with other players to form a pirate crew. Players will then embark on swashbuckling missions to battle both each other and the evil, undead pirates of the high seas in an effort to become the Caribbean’s most legendary pirate.

[tags]MMORPG, Pirates of the Caribbean, Disney[tags]

Enigma-style crypto-box

(via Bruce Schneier’s blog)

crypto-box.jpgAs I’ve done so many times before, I feel the need to post something that’s probably interesting only to me.  I just couldn’t pass this up.  Someone has built their own cryptography machine in the same style as the German Enigma device from World War II.  I just think it’s too pretty not to show it off.  Click the image for a full size picture.

[tags]Cryptography, Enigma, Crypto-box[/tags]

Vampire slaying kit

(via boingboing)

Some things in life are just to critical to even consider being without them. Consider, for instance, your need to protect your family and property from vampires. Now normally, you’d have to spend time making a custom vampire slaying kit, build a box to keep in in, and then make sure it’s going to work for the kinds of vampires you have around your neighborhood. But if you had hop ped over to ebay earlier this week, you could have picked up a pre-made vampire slaying kit from Transylvania for a starting bid of $1000 (plus $90 shipping). And when you consider the peace of mind you’d get from having a good vampire slaying kit around, that’s really not too much of an investment to make.

The box weights 20.1 lbs., length 16.8 inches, width 17 inches, height 7.9 inches;made of linden tree with maroon velvet inside, six compartments. The items enclosed in the box are as followed: one wooden hammer (6.5 inches long), four stakes 6 inches-each) — the wooden hammer has applied a small holy cross, same as the stakes; the lower side containing: prayer book, crucifix, knife and eight bottles with Pamant (holy soil), Agheazma (holy water), Mir (anointing oil), Tamaie (holy incense), Usturoi (garlic), red serum, blue serum and secret potion. We believe a romanian monk from Transylvania has created this box during the period of 1870-1890 .

The old Prayer Book is old romanian language (chirilica), 19th century-hard covers. There is a mith saying whoever is able to read from this Book, he will be able to win the fight with the dark forces, demons, vampires and other demonic creatures .

The knife is 13.1 inches long with a metal handle. It’s made of heavy metal and can be easily thrown – it will always hit the target with the sharp tip. Has a gothic theme and detailing of fangs.

More details can be found in the auction.  Never underestimate the value of a vampire slaying kit.  You never know when you’ll be attacked by a vampire, and wouldn’t you rather be prepared?  For those of us that missed the auction, we’ll just have to build our own kit.  Be sure to post directions on the web if you do, as I can’t find a guide right now.
[tags]Vampire hunting, Vampires, Vampire slaying kit[/tags]