People have some interesting hobbies. Some like to build model trains, others play sports, and some people build miniature weapons that could kill a man. Well, I’m not entirely sure that this mini crossbow could kill someone, but with the right aim, it just might.
Built from sterling silver, 22k gold and steel, this tiny crossbow packs one heck of a punch for its size. With a steady hand, it’s even really accurate. The designer even went so far as to design three different types of arrows (basic, ramming and flare) to use with it. I can’t think of any situations where this would be terribly useful, but that doesn’t make me want one any less.
The 80′s was known for countless fads, but as a gadget-obsessed young’n I particularly enjoyed when electronics manufacturers created special versions of their products with clear housings. Getting a rare glimpse of their inner workings made everything from TVs to calculators even more fascinating to me, but like most fads, the novelty eventually wore off. But it’s not dead yet! Livescribe has just released a Limited Edition version of their 8GB Echo Smartpen that features a crystal clear housing, embracing a time when the most advanced piece of writing technology was erasable pens.
Feature-wise the clear version of the Echo is exactly the same as the standard version, with the ability to capture hand-written notes and up to 800 hours of corresponding audio simultaneously. Including the price, which is also $199.95.
The people of Japan have already been through a lot, but with the country’s infrastructure so severely affected by the recent earthquake and following tsunami, it’s going to be a long time before things get back to normal there. One issue the citizens are having to deal with is rolling blackouts, which will probably continue for some time. So Toshiba is introducing a battery-powered 19-inch version of their REGZA LCD TVs specifically designed for the Japanese market.
Referred to as the ‘Peak Shift’ TV the remote features a similarly named button that will switch the set from using AC to its own internal rechargeable battery which is good for about 3 hours of use. It’s obviously not a heck of a lot of time, and probably won’t be long enough to keep someone entertained during a power outage, but in the event of another emergency TV broadcasts can be a vital source of information. Available in July for around $500-600.
If your job involves hauling heavy boxes around with a hand cart, I’ve got 2 1/2 words that should make things a little easier on your back: Lift’n Buddy. For the most part it’s your standard hand cart that has to be rolled around manually, but the bed where you stack boxes can automatically raise and lower itself, which means you no longer have to bend over to load and unload it. Watching the video below it appears the Lift’n Buddy has an automated system ensuring the bed is always at the optimal height, even while you’re stacking more and more on it. And depending on the model you buy, which range in price from $2,695 to $3,795, the cart can lift anywhere from 250 to 750 lbs.
It’s impossible to really grasp the fear that people living in war-torn areas have to deal with, particularly when it comes to those parts of the world that are left littered with land mines when a war is over. But UNICEF’s landmine sticker campaign certainly drives home the point of how easy it is to miss them. Distributed in front of UNICEF information booths, the adhesive side of the stickers are printed with a design that matches the surface on which they’re placed, so that people step on them without realizing they’re there. And when they go to remove the sticker from their shoe, they discover the image of a landmine on the other side reminding them that in many parts of the world there’s the genuine risk of stepping on something that’s far less innocuous than a sticker.
Since the iPhone was released, there have been a number of styli released. Some good, others not so great. This whole time, I’ve wondered why Wacom hasn’t gotten into the game. I mean, when you’re easily the leading authority on drawing tablets, why not design a stylus for a touchscreen device like the iPhone, or these days, the iPad?
Well is would seem that the company has finally decided to do that very thing. Beginning in May, Wacom will be selling the Wacom Bamboo Stylus for around $30. They claim that one of the biggest selling points is that it is roughly 25% narrower than most other capacitive styli on the market. I suppose we will simply have to wait and see how it performs.
During my university years I relied heavily on the services of Greyhound for getting home. Not because they were convenient or comfortable, but because they were cheap. As a result I have a certain image of bus travel (not that positive) that has just been shattered by Japan’s Willer Express. Their Cocoon bus, meant for business types traveling between Osaka and Tokyo, looks like something out of a first-class airline cabin.
Instead of maximizing occupancy by almost stacking riders on top of each other, the Cocoon bus features luxurious single person pods, just 12 in total per bus, that run along the sides ensuring every rider has a ridiculously comfortable window seat. There’s an entertainment center with a touch-screen LCD display at every seat providing video-on-demand content, free wifi and the seats recline 140 degrees if you just want to zonk out. A one-way trip will set you back about $115-$140, which isn’t too shabby given it’s a long 6 or 7 hour ride. (Though I’m not sure why you wouldn’t just take a high-speed train instead.)
Whenever someone with a new DSLR asks what’s the first lens they should buy to complement their kit lens, the answer is usually a 50mm prime- ƒ1.4 if you’ve got the money, and ƒ1.8 if you don’t. They’re sharp, fast and as a result produce some fantastic shallow depth of field shots. However, if you’re the owner of one of Nikon’s entry-level DSLRs, like say the D40, the company’s standard 50mm prime will work just fine, except for the autofocus. The lens lacks its own AF motor, and to keep their entry-level cameras at entry-level prices, they’re also lacking the necessary hardware to take over AF duties. So you always have to focus manually.
For years now Nikon users have been hoping for a newer version of the company’s 50mm lens, and last week it looks like their dreams have almost come true. Nikon had posted a page showcasing a new AF-S 50mm ƒ1.8G lens that has since been taken down. But Nikon Rumors managed to save a screenshot detailing the lens in all its glory. It’s listed as an FX format lens but will work on both FX and DX bodies making it compatible with every DSLR in Nikon’s lineup. As for pricing, we’ll know that once Nikon decides to make this all officially official, but optimistically we’d like to see if fall somewhere in the $150 price range.
They say if you build a better mouse trap the world will beat a path to your door, but I think what humans really need is a better way to make toast! I’ve yet to find a toaster that I can really rely on, so I’m happy to see that design students like Mateusz Główka, from the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow, Poland, have set themselves upon improving its design. And I’m not saying the Roastie has quite hit the nail on the head just yet, but it definitely shows promise.
The most important aspect of the Roastie are the heating elements which are built into arms that rotate around the piece of bread, like a ferris wheel, ensuring even toasting. And since everything is built into a transparent sphere, you can easily monitor your toast for doneness and make sure it doesn’t burn. The sphere has the added bonus of trapping and concentrating the heat from the elements, so it doesn’t escape through an open slot, reducing toasting times and energy use. The kicker though? Unless it can do its thing in mere seconds, who has the patience to make toast one slice at a time? Not this guy!
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