Filed under ‘Gadgets’
Learn how to pick locks!
I recently bought myself a simple lock pick set from LockPickShop, and have been slowly learning how to open all sorts of locks. For anyone interested in lock picking or ‘locksport’ - Locksport International have a fantastic guide (in PDF format) on the mechanics of lock picking. It’s a great way to introduce yourself to how locks actually work, and just how vulnerable pin tumbler locks are to anyone with basic lock picking skills (or a bump key).
Locksport International visual guide to lockpicking
Egglings
We all know eggs are cool, but anything called an Eggling has to be really cool. Egglings are made from porous ceramic, and are filled with nutrient-enriched soil and some seeds, all you have to do is gently crack the egg, water, place in sunlight, and wait for your new eggy plant friend to grow. ThinkGeek.com have them in Prickly Cactus and Spicy Red Pepper varieties for an eggy $9.99.
USB turntable
If you’re too lazy to dig out your ancient turntable (if it still works!) and hook it up to your computer’s soundcard, then the USB turntable is probably the only way you’re going to convert those old vinyl rarities to MP3. It can handle 33.33 and 45 RPM playback speeds, and although it’s not a super high end audiophile turntable, it’s only $150 - which is nothing once you’ve transfered a few of those “vinyl only” recordings to MP3.
» Available at ThinkGeek.com
PSX emulator for GP2X
It may only be at Beta 4, but there’s now a real world PSX emulator for the GP2X. PSX4GP2X can run many original PlayStation games, with several listed as running at “full speed”, with “no noticeable problems”. There’s a few videos of the Beta 4 version of PSX4GP2X on YouTube, and although most of them run painfully slow, it’s still impressive to see so many PlayStation games running at all on the GP2X.
» More info at the PSX4GP2X wiki page at GP2X.org.
Super Mario Bros solar mushroom
We’ve found yet another solar powered gadget to brighten up your desk - this time it’s a solar powered Super Mario Bros mushroom that bounces around when the sunlight hits it. Maybe not as relaxing as the solar powered Hello Kitty, but probably a bit more fun. Available now (limited stock) at Play-Asia.
MiJam drum sticks
If you like playing air drums, then this could be a nice little toy to buy yourself. The MiJam Drummer drum sticks are motion activated and include snare drum, bass drum, tom, floor tom, hi-hat, and crash cymbal sound. The MiJam drum sticks can be played in two modes: solo mode, where you can play along with one of 6 background rhythms (or just by yourself) - and interactive mode, where you can plug in an iPod (or any MP3 player) and play along with the music on your MP3 player. You can adjust the balance between the music and the drums, and even plug the MiJam drum sticks into a set of speakers for the whole world to hear. Shop.com have them for around $25 - cheap enough for the novelty value alone.
Watch HDTV on your Mac
If you want to watch HDTV on your Mac, it’s a simple as plugging in the uber tiny USB Elgato EyeTV Hybrid. It can receive HDTV signals and standard definition TV signals - plus it has inputs for your camcorder, VCR, and game console. Although it uses the Macs processor to ‘make the pictures’ - I’ve seen one of these running on a low spec Mac mini with absolutely no glitching or stuttering. It’s almost enough to warrant the purchase of a Mac mini to use solely as an HDTV recorder.
» Best price at Newegg.com
RFID project kit
Want to tinker with RFID? This kit includes over a dozen types of RFID tags, a USB based RFID reader, various cards, a keychain, and instructions for many RFID projects including an RFID door lock, RFID login to Windows XP, and RFID enabled safe.
» Apx $99 from ThinkGeek.com
USB charger
If you’ve got a device that can be charged via USB, then this is a must have for travelling. These USB chargers enable you to charge your iPod, cell phone, PDA, or any other USB charged device - all from four AA or AAA batteries. They have a built in USB plug, so all you have to do is add batteries and plug in your USB device.
» Available from ThinkGeek.com
Solar powered Hello Kitty
This is possibly the best use for solar power we’ve seen so far. The Hello Kitty Nohohon (Japanese for ‘relaxation’) will happily shake her head from side to side whenever placed in bright light or sunlight. It’s made by Tomy, so it’s gotta be good - it’s insanely cute, and uses no batteries, ever!
$9.90 from Play-Asia
