Category: Stuff I want

Saitek tri-color keyboard review

(via Kotaku)

The folks at Gameworld network have a review up of the Saitek Tri-color keyboard.  It doesn’t actually have any special gaming features, so at $70, it might not be a must-have product.  But it’s shiny, and I want one anyway.

saitek-tricolor.jpg

In the corners, the oversize feet extend beyond the outside edge of the top surface of the unit, creating a unique, symmetrical, horizontally stretched “x” shaped footprint. The overall style of the Eclipse II is quite attractive, but the true kicker, the defining cool-factor is the remarkable three-color, manually dimming backlighting. By hitting a button at the top right corner of the keyboard, the user can select between red, blue and violet backlighting. A twist of a knob in the multimedia control array can increase or decrease the brightness of the light.

[tags]Saitek, Saitek keyboard, Tri-color keyboard[/tags]

Mobile Tactical High Energy Laser

(via TechEBlog)
Blah, blah this. Blah, blah that. Reading the news some days can just leave you wondering “Where’s the good stories?” Well, unless, of course, you read your daily news here. In which case you’ll be wondering “Can I ever be as awesome as Randy?”

The answer is, no. But you can try. The world certainly needs more people whose awesomeness approaches mine. :)   I kid, I kid.  I’m not awesome – just brilliant!
Now, that out of the way, why in the world am I rambling? Because I just found another frikkin’ story about frikkin’ lasers!!! And you all know I love my frikkin’ lasers, sharks or no.

mthe-laser.jpgMTHEL uses directed energy (laser beam) to intercept aerial targets such as rockets, missiles, artillery shells and other aerial threats. The target destruction is achieved by projecting a highly focused, high-power laser beam, delivered by a chemical laser, with enough energy to affect the target, and explode it in midair. This operational concept is offering the first “reusable” interception element. Existing interceptors use kinetic energy kill vehicles (such as fragmentation warheads), which are not reusable.

Whoa! You had me at destruction.

And those of you looking at that thinking, “That doesn’t look so awesome,” how about if you have to carry it around in one of these:

mthe-carrier.jpg

Yes, sign me up when the order lines open.  Read all about it in Defense-Update’s look back on the MTHEL.  I think if aimed properly, it could even make a tasty batch of popcorn.

[tags]Laser, Mobile Tactical High Energy Laser, Real Genius[/tags]

Cool Tool – Fluke VoltAlert

(via Cool Tools)

The Fluke VoltAlert is a non-conductive device which beeps in presence of an energized conductor. As noted on the Cool Tools web site, there are other manufacturers of similar devices – with the Fluke, you’re getting a known quality provider, which is why this is the specific tool recommended. Some details from Amazon:

  • Quickly locate the hot, neutral and ground terminals in any receptacle
  • Just touch the tip to a control wire, conductor or outlet
  • Made of injection molded PVC & ABS that’s high-impact & non-flammable
  • Detects line voltage from 90VAC – 600VAC

Priced at $22.95 at Amazon. This product is actually provded by an Amazon partner, so is not eligible for free standard shipping nor Amazon Prime shipping prices.

[tags]Cool Tools, Fluke VoltAlert, Fluke[/tags]

DIY LEGO mosaic

(via MAKEzine blog)

Hey, it’s LEGOs, I’m a geek, and this is a DIY guide.  I believe I’m legally obligated to point this one out.  I may try this out with my kids, in fact.

When my oldest son was born in 2001 LEGO offered a cool online “Brick-o-lizer” that would take an lego_mosaic_complete.jpguploaded photo and turn it into a five-tone grayscale grid of 1×1 bricks from which you could create a wall-hanging mosaic. LEGO would send you the exact right amount of bricks in bulk. Putting it together was as easy as paint-by-numbers. I did this for him and for his little brother in 2003.

My daughter was born a few weeks ago and so naturally I went back to the Brick-o-lizer to create her mosaic. Imagine my horror to find out that it isn’t available anymore. How could I deprive my baby girl of her LEGO mosaic? Well. Obviously. I couldn’t.

So, here follows instructions for doing it manually in Photoshop. (But before we begin, let’s be sure to acknowledge the unbelievably talented people who create LEGO mosaics in full color without a grid at all. I bow to your supremacy.)

The one thing I have to point out here is that the author uses Photoshop.  Not all of us have access to that application, however.  Anyone willing to write up brief instructions on how to do the photo-conversion process in The Gimp instead of Photoshop?  That would be hella helpful for those of us using open-source/legally free software when possible.

[tags]LEGO, LEGO mosaic, DIY guide[/tags]

The Sharp Lumiwall

(via TechEBlog)

Some things just don’t need explanation for why a geek would want them. This, I believe is one of those things. Shipping next year is the Sharp Lumiwall. During the day, it appears to be smoked glass. In reality, it is two pieces of glass with a transparent solar panel in between. This panel absorbs the sunlight, storing energy from the process. At night, the Lumiwall works as an illumination device, glowing softly using the energy stored during the day.

lumiwall2.jpg

[tags]Sharp, Lumiwall, Transparent solar panels[/tags]