By David Ponce

Walking, as they say, is very last century. Why exert yourself in any form when you can get technology to do it for you? Taking a step in the right direction (get it?), the spnKiX motorized shoes, from product designer Peter Treadway, let you get around without walking around. You simply put them on (while still wearing your regular shoes) and off you go. A hand-held remote controls your speed, which tops out at 10mph with a range of 2 to 3 miles. It’s not much, really, but maybe enough for a quick trip to the grocery store. Or walking the dog. Charging then takes about 2 hours. They’re made from fiber reinforced Nylon plus Aluminum, and the batteries are lithium ion.

Peter has already made over 30 prototypes of the spnKiX and is ready for prime-time. But he needs your help with the quintessential Kickstarter campaign. He’s trying to raise $25k, with a single pair of the motorized shoes setting you back $375. $950+ gets you a special edition with black wheels. If all goes well, you’d get your shoes by March 2012.

Hit the jump for video and links.

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By David Ponce

You know that prices are falling when you’re able to bundle a 24inch LCD with a Canon PowerShot ELPH100 HS digicam and still tag it under $400. Actually, it’s $369 you’re looking at for a combination Dell’s IPS-panel LED-backlit 1080p LCD Monitor with Canon’s 12.1 MP 4X Zoom camera. That’s down from $548. As usual with most of these days, the shipping is included.

[ Save $179 On Dell Ultrasharp 24inch Monitor Plus Digital Camera Bundle ] VIA [ LogicBuy ]

By David Ponce

It might be a little hard to get your hands on one of these at the moment, but if you’re lucky you can apparently buy a DIY modification kit for the iPhone that will give you a backplate with a luminous apple logo. You will have to do the installation yourself (or ask a friend of yours whose hands don’t feature 10 thumbs), though it appears easy enough. You just have to replace the stock backplate with this one, and also affix a light panel on the inside. It will light up when the screen turns on and stays on for 15 seconds after. It’s also lit when you’re talking on the phone, even if the screen is off.

Due to fears of Apple getting all legal on them, their main store has run out of stock. It does appear they’re still selling the kit through the Chinese taobao store, so you might be able to get one. It’s $42.

[ Main Store ] AND [ Chinese Store ] VIA [ Techcrunch Gadgets ]

By David Ponce

You never know when the need might come to rappel down a building. So it might make sense to go around holding your pants up with carefully braided 550 paracord. When that moment comes, simply take the belt off, pull the tab and you have 80+ feet of cord at your disposal. You might look a little stupid going down a building in your underwear but if things get to that point, we suspect that’ll be the least of your worries. We’re also not sure just how hard it’ll be to braid it back into its former belt shape once you’ve deployed.

Still, it’s $28.

[ Product Page ] VIA [ Boingboing ]

By David Ponce

“Ferrofluids are colloidal liquids made of nanoscale ferromagnetic, or ferrimagnetic, particles suspended in a carrier fluid (usually an organic solvent or water). Each tiny particle is thoroughly coated with a surfactant to inhibit clumping.” You’ve probably seen it before in impressive videos of it being manipulated by moving magnets around, looking somewhat like an alien substance. It’s an impressive effect and it’s one that you can now reproduce at will on your desk through this Kickstarter project. Coming in two sizes called Ferrite and Ferro, the desk toys are made from a high quality glass tube and an aluminum base. The larger vessel Ferrite stands 8.5″ tall with a 5″ diameter base. The smaller vessel Ferro is 4.25″ tall and 2″ in diameter. You’re provided with a neodymium stylus so you can play around with the material.

Currently 30% funded, $100 will get you the Ferro while $125 the Ferrite. $175 will get you both.

[ Kickstarter Project ]

By David Ponce

MIAmobi makes a line of pouches in varying sizes whose purpose it is to cut off your mobile devices from any radio communications. It is made for those who are concerned about being tracked through GPS or even those who worry about RFID based identity theft. We’re not entirely sure how the pouches accomplish this, though there is talk of a “silver lining”. In any case, it appears that when you drop your device in a pouch, it’s instantly cut off from any signals and goes off the grid. And while you could turn your phone off, apparently you can still be tracked when you do this.

There appears to be no price information on their website, though the items are available for purchase. You have to contact them and inquire.

[ Product Page ] VIA [ UberGizmo ]

By David Ponce

Back in 1966, Peugeot (the European car maker) commissioned a particular looking desk from an artist named Ben Swildens. This was a time where a design trend called Bolidism was popular. “The Bolidism movement sprung from the Italian futurism, which enhanced speed and a boldness of design, with a belief in technique and an enthusiasm for whatever could be assaulted and grasped.” Swilden had been impressed by another designer’s creation of a one-footed chair, so his inspiration was to create a desk with no feet at all. Three of these desks were made and put to use in Peugeot’s headquarters in France. And now, some 45 years later, 8 more will be manufactured and made available for purchase.

Weighing 110 kgs (242lbs), the desk is carefully hand made from steel, aluminum and stainless steel. It must be affixed to a large metal plate to assure its stability with a special fastening system. “A lot of 3 units of this desk will be on sale from next year, with a price tag of $87,000 each, and the rest to be sold individually, later. If one manages to visit Brussels Antiques and Fine Arts Fair around January 19, 2012, then one can get a chance to see it in person, and perhaps even take a shot at buying it. ”

[ Ben Swildens Desk ] VIA [ Born Rich ]

By David Ponce

This is a contraption whose sole purpose is to suspend a magnet cube in midair. But if you’re anything like us, you don’t need any more justification to start wanting this. Think of this item as a cross between a toy, a puzzle and a work of art. It’s a puzzle because you’ll be sure to have some fun assembling the 20 laser-cut pieces of MDF. It’s a toy because, let’s face it, it’s more fun than assembling IKEA furniture so the process itself… screw it, alright, it’s not a toy. But it is somewhat of a work of art in that if you like science at all, you can keep this on display to show the world just how much of a geek you are.

Place the cube magnet in between the specially-cast bismuth cones, and let the forces fight. See, gravity will be pulling the magnet cube down, but the super powerful magnet on top of the sculpture will be pulling the magnet cube up. Slowly turn the wheel of your DIY Magnetic Levitating Sculpture Kit (which adjusts the powerful magnet’s distance from the cube). Once you get the forces balanced (so to speak), the magnet cube will hover in mid air!

It’s $50.

[ Product Page ]

By David Ponce

Looking like a construction crane, the CSYS LED Task Light from designer Jake Dyson is an object of desire. At least as much as one can desire such an industrial looking object… which is a lot. Made from aluminum, copper and plastic…

[the] CSYS LED task light can be adjusted effortlessly in three axes to allow exact, stable positioning. Setting the LED head close to the working area allows focussed illumination, whilst raising it creates a wide, even pool of light. The mechanics are designed with precision to ensure a smooth accurate movement and positioning.

The heat pipe within the CSYS LED task light conducts heat away from the LEDs and distributes it evenly over the length of the heat sink. It uses no external pumps or extra energy to cool the LEDs and is instrumental in keeping the CSYS task light running brightly and efficiently for 37+ years.

As usual with objects that look decent, you can expect to pay a price premium. The CSYS Task Light is £550.00 (around $858 USD).

[ Product Page ] VIA [ Chip Chick ]