Oh! Gizmo

By Andrew Liszewski

Browsing through the latest LEGO catalog this morning (that’s right, I’m still a loyal subscriber after 15 years) I came across these new silicon moulds that let you make frozen treats in the shape of LEGO minifigs. While the LEGO catalog has a great shot showing what the final product looks like (making it even more enticing) I can’t find an image of it online at the moment, so use your imagination. The mould can be used to make 3 frozen minifig lollipops at a time, but I assume they could also be used as ice cubes if you didn’t use the included sticks. You can get it from the LEGO online store for just $12.99.

[ LEGO Minifigure Ice Lollipop Mould ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Yesterday I wrote about a clever neck tie design that featured a frayed rope print making it look like you had a noose tied around your neck. I also used the post as a soapbox to express my personal disdain for the concept of neck ties in the first place. So I was really happy to stumble across these Dress For Dinner napkins last night which as far as I’m concerned are an acceptable alternative to a real tie if you happen to find yourself dining in an upscale establishment. I mean let’s be honest, most of us already use a tie as a napkin if we happen to be wearing one at dinner, so why stop fooling ourselves. A package of 20 Dressed For Dinner napkins featuring 4 different tie designs is available from The Spoon Sisters for $5.95.

[ Dress For Dinner Napkins ] VIA [ Apartment Therapy ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Novelty ties were quite popular a few years ago, but the fad seems to have died off save for the occasional clever design that pops up every now and then like the Neck Noose. The tie features a detailed rope print that starts where the tie is knotted and ends with frayed fibers at the bottom, and it’s the perfect way to say ‘I’m only wearing a tie because it’s required of me.’ And as a side rant, at what point in human development did tying a piece of hanging fabric around our necks become an indication of professionalism? I’m convinced the neck tie started out as a sight gag by some long dead fashion designer, and for some reason everyone decided to take it seriously.

The Neck Noose is available from CYBEROPTIX in a 100% silk version for $40 or a microfiber version for $30.

[ Neck Noose Tie ] VIA [ Fashionably Geek ]

By Andrew Liszewski

I’ve never read Isaac Asimov’s I, Robot, but I can only assume the original book is a lot better than the I, Robot movie starring Will Smith from a few years ago. As I recall, it wasn’t exactly a hit, whether you’re going by critical acclaim or box office take, so I’m kind of surprised that someone actually thinks there’s a demand for a replica bust of the movie’s ‘protagonist’ robot known as Sonny. The bust features the same opaque outer housing as the NS-5 robots did in the film, which allows you to kind of see their inner-workings. But for a better look at what makes him tick you can remove the back of Sonny’s head where you’ll find his brain that actually glows thanks to a set of blue LEDs. The bust is powered by a single 9-volt battery hidden in the base, and is available from the Funshop for about $130.

[ NS-5 Sonny ] VIA [ DVICE ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Just because you’re doing something as unglamorous as taking out the trash doesn’t mean you can’t do it with a little style. While Hefty has long since taken the safe approach when it comes to fashion with their all-black garbage bags, it seems there’s now a more daring option with these Louis Vuitton pattern bags. Perfect for the homeowner who thinks their trash is just a bit better than everyone else’s.

Unfortunately, since the pattern seems to be lacking the ‘LV’ initials, it’s pretty clear this bag didn’t come from Louis Vuitton. But if anyone knows where it did come from or where they can be bought, I’m sure our readers would love to know.

[ kanYe West : Blog - Louis Vuitton Trash Bag ] VIA [ Cribcandy ]

By Andrew Liszewski

I know in the past I’ve lamented at some of the Star Wars merchandise that Lucasfilm has approved, but sometimes Star Wars + (insert random item here) just seems like a match made in heaven. And these lightsaber themed replacement styli for the Nintendo DS definitely fall into that latter category. While I’ve already replaced my stock DS stylus with a longer one from my old Handspring Visor, you better believe it’s about to get upgraded again.

The lightsaber styli appear to be officially licensed by both Lucasfilm and Nintendo, and come in either a 3-pack that includes Luke, Obi-Wan and Vader’s lightsabers, or a 2-pack with just Luke and Vader’s sabers that actually light up! Amazon.com claims that both sets will be released on July 31 but you can pre-order them right now. The 3-pack costs $7.99 while the light-up 2-pack costs more than twice that at $16.99.

[ Nintendo DS Star Wars Styli ] VIA [ View From Heaven ]

By Andrew Liszewski

If you’ve ever dreamed of sticking one of those “My Kid’s A Nobel Prize Winner” bumper stickers to your car, you’re going to need to properly foster their mental development from a young age. So when it’s time to decorate the nursery I’d suggest skipping the stuffed animals and cartoon characters in favor of these plush subatomic particles from The Particle Zoo. They’re all here from the Photon to the Electron to the Neutron, and each one is weighted according to their mass. The Higgs Boson, Top Quark and W Boson are considered the heaviest and are filled with polished gravel, while the massless Bosons are the lightest and are stuffed with polyfil.

You can also get the antiparticle equivalent of various subatomic particles, though you’ll want to make sure you’ll keep them separated from the rest of your collection. You can buy each particle separately for about $9 each, but they’re also available in various theme packs. Or you can just pick up the whole collection at once for about $313.

[ The Particle Zoo ] VIA [ Geekologie ]

By Andrew Liszewski

You might already have a mountain of remotes sitting on your coffee table, but are any of them modeled after a classic 1950’s science fiction ray gun? I didn’t think so. While the Channel Changer Ray Gun can only be used to advance one channel at a time everytime you pull the trigger, it apparently also makes a cool sound effect each time. And if that’s not enough to sell you on the idea, I doubt there’s anything more I can say that will convince you to get one.

It’s available from Play.com for about $18.

[ Channel Changer Ray Gun ] VIA [ Nerd Approved ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Popeye had spinach, the Gummi Bears had Gummi Berry Juice and now we know what kept Einstein going through those long nights of calculations. The Original Einstein’s Energy Bar is claimed to be “Relatively Delicious!” and reveals that Energy actually equals Mouth watering Chocolatey goodness… squared. But other than chocolate I have no idea what goes into these energy bars, and even if you don’t feel as smart as Einstein after eating one, you should probably just consider yourself lucky you didn’t go blind. You can get them from The Unemployed Philosophers Guild website (isn’t the unemployed part just assumed?) for $3 a pop.

[ Einstein's Energy Bar ] VIA [ Nerd Approved ]

By Andrew Liszewski

We probably dedicate a lot more time to bacon than any non-pork funded website should. But since bacon is just so delicious, I don’t think we’re going to stop anytime soon. So allow me to introduce you to the next great bacon innovation, Bacon Floss. Dentists already recommend flossing on a daily basis, but if cinnamon or mint isn’t your thing, you can now switch to this bacon flavored alternative. Each 2-1/2 inch tall Bacon Floss container is filled with 27.3 yards of waxed floss so you can amaze your friends with your fresh bacon breath every morning.

You can get it from Archie McPhee for $4.95.

[ Bacon Floss ] VIA [ Nerd Approved ]