By Andrew Liszewski

This modern take on the hour glass clock uses two cones rotating at different speeds to indicate the time with the upper cone representing the minutes while the lower cone represents the hour. A vertical embossed red line indicates where to read the current time.

On the top is a small round window revealing a third wheel that also rotates to show the seconds ticking by. The best part of course is that this version of the hour glass clock is probably far more accurate at telling time than the falling sand version that inspired its design.

The Hour Glass Clock is available from Gadgets.co.uk for about $45 (after conversion.) It’s powered by a single AA battery which should keep it running for several months at a time.

[Hour Glass Clock] VIA [Coolest Gadgets]

By Andrew Liszewski

There have been a few times when away from home that I’ve wanted to post a story or email a photo that needed a bit of touch-up but didn’t have access to Photoshop on the system I was using. Unfortunately MS Paint just doesn’t cut it and I’ve yet to find a good solution to the problem… until now.

PXN8 (pronounced Pix-en-ate) is an online, stripped-down photo editor based on HTML, CSS and Javascript that runs right in your web browser. While the toolset is not expansive it still includes an extremely useful array of functions like resize, crop, red-eye removal, horizon levelling and even color corrections like brightness, saturation, hue and contrast. There are even some ‘fun’ effects like the Lomo tool which will add a dark ‘artsy’ halo to your photo.

Images can be loaded into PXN8 from your local drive or directly from any web URL. When you’re happy with the results the image can then be saved back to your drive or easily uploaded to an existing Flickr account. Personally I would love to see the addition of a basic levels or curves tool and an option for jpeq quality when exporting but that being said I think the developers have already done a really good job with this tool.

While using PXN8.com does appear to be free you can also purchase and completely customize PXN8 to run on your own server for a flat fee of $749. This would be useful to a site that involves users uploading images where the PXN8 service could be offered to them as part of the upload process.

[PXN8 - Photos Made Easy] VIA [Uneasy Silence]

By Andrew Liszewski

I’m not a big fan of wallets. More specifically those pocket-sized filing cabinets I see a lot of people carrying around. A couple pieces of plastic and a few bills is all I really need at any given time.

If you’re looking to completely liberate yourself from the wallet or anything in your pockets for that matter this belt buckle card holder is probably your best solution. While the image clearly shows it holding up to 3 cards at a time the manufacturer only recommendeds 2 for some reason, which some might find a bit limiting. However this belt buckle also looks to be a slightly more convenient place to hide money than the typical zipper-equipped ‘money belts’ which usually require the belt to be undone before you can access your cash.

The Belt Buckle Card Holder is available from GSG Dezign (the site is in Swedish) for about $45.

[Belt Buckle Card Holder] VIA [Fosfor Gadgets]

By David Ponce

You can never have enough of a good thing, and the Wicked Lasers are no exception. Turns out, other people are having fun with them as well, including the guys at GearLive.

So, head on over that way and check out their March 6 videoblog entry, called The Bleeding Edge. It’s very well done, and in it, they talk about pitting the Gillette Fusion against an old-school razor, they show off a homebrew wireless network music player, but most importantly, get stupid with some Wicked Lasers. They use smoke, mirrors, and do a light saber battle.

It’s some good stuff.

[The Bleeding Edge]

By Bruce Eaton

[This has been around for almost a year. Up and down blogs all over. But, since Bruce never saw it, it's possible some of y'all didn't either. So, enjoy. -Ed.]

Tired of bringing out the “lawnchairs” for a party? Well get the real deal with the Grass Armchair. Coming in the shape of a chair, are 14 cardboard pieces that you fill with 240 litres of soil and 20cm of gravel at the base. Apply the grass seeds and just like a chia pet it grows in about 10 days. Protect it from rain while in its “incubating” phase, and soon enough you will have a fully functional chair that is a part of your lawn, and is sturdy enough to support a full grown adult.

Just trim the grass to the desired comfort level and your house can seriously increase its fun value, maybe even its actual value. At $115 a pop, they’re not that bad, especially compared to buying a patio set. But this one is weatherproof, windproof, drinkproof, drunken-idiot-throwing-chairs-into-your-pool proof.

[Grass Armchair] VIA [Sci Fi Tech]

By Andrew Liszewski

Here’s a mouse that strives to improve the ergonomics of ‘mousing’ rather than cram in a handful of useless other functions no one really needs. Variation is the name of the game when it comes to minimizing the risk of repetitive strain injuries, so the Perific Ergonomic Mouse can be used in several different ways throughout the work day.

With the easily removed shell attached, the Perific funtions and is used just like any other standard desktop mouse. When the shell is removed though the Perific can be held in your hands in any position while mouse movement is handled by a trackball. There are also two sets of left and right buttons which facilitate the different ways the mouse is designed to be held and used. To make switching ‘modes’ even easier the Perific mouse functions wirelessly relying on a base unit that connects to your computer VIA USB which can also be used for charging.

The Perific Ergonomic Mouse & Trackball is available from The Human Solution for $119.00.

[Perific Ergonomic Mouse & Trackball] VIA [Chip Chick]

By Andrew Liszewski

What’s the perfect way to end a nice quiet dinner party? Well with an Explosive Chocolate Bomb of course. Your guests will most likely be quite curious as to why there is a wick sticking out of your chocolate centerpiece during the meal. All that mystery will be revealed though when after dinner you clear the table, setup the included safety guard (read blast shield), usher your guests to a safe viewing distance and light the wick.

While the website is a bit vague as to the extent of the actual explosion I’m at least hoping the chocolate shockwaves can be tasted by neighbors 2 streets over. I presume that’s being a bit optimistic though. If the bomb does fail to detonate there are even special instructions included on how to properly defuse it.

The Explosive Chocolate Bomb is available from the Chocolate Trading Co. for ?75. However it seems that explosive chocolate regulations are far more strict in North America so this bomb can not be shipped outside the UK unfortunately.

[Explosive Chocolate Bomb] VIA [Shiny Shiny]

By Andrew Liszewski

The majority of us who live in apartments don’t have the benefit of an actual shower stall in our bathrooms. Instead we have a bathtub with a shower head, which isn’t usually the most roomiest of places.

From Smarthome comes a really simple way to give that bathtub-shower a lot more elbow room. This unique shower rod actually curves outward and away from the bathtub itself and depending on where it’s installed can provide close to a foot of extra space. It works with any standard shower curtain and comes with all the necessary hardware for installation, which is apparently pretty easy with an existing shower rod already in place.

The Curved Shower Curtain Rod is available from Smarthome in white for $24.99, and in Polished Nickel or Stainless Steel for $29.99 each.

[Smarthome Curved Shower Curtain Rod]

By Andrew Liszewski

Sure everyone hates being indoors when the sun is shining but besides the light and warmth it brings it also has a dark side. The sun’s UV rays bring sunburns, can lead to cataracts and in the worst case scenario can cause skin cancer. As a result it’s important to be aware of how long that bright glowing star can safely be enjoyed.

This wearable UV meter takes the guess work out of how long it’s safe to be outside. It measures the strength of the sun’s UV rays and with an easy to read LCD screen lets you know what the current temperature is, your recommended sun exposure time, the recommended sun protection factor based on the current conditions, how long you’ve already been in the sun and most importantly when it’s time to head indoors. It has an ‘anti-splash’ design so while not completely waterproof it’s still usable at the beach or poolside.

The Wearable UV Meter is available from The GadgetStore.com for about $23.00 (after conversion.)

[Wearable UV Meter] VIA [Gadget Candy]