Oh! Gizmo

Article courtesy of John Beck, from The Processor.

If you didn’t get invited to any good Halloween parties (or are just a complete misanthrope), then you might well be planning to spend Saturday night hunkered down behind the sofa with the lights off, hoping that sugar-crazed trick-or-treaters don’t suss you out and start making outrageous demands for confectionary and money in exchange for not smashing your windows or causing you actual bodily harm.

In case you do get rumbled, you may wish to follow Glenn Derene of Popular Mechanics’ lead and create some hi-tech surveillance pumpkins to capture the little darlings on tape while they ransack your house and/or break your legs.

Derene made himself two different video system sporting jack-o-lanterns - one with a cheapo infrared camera and receiver set and another with an Aavek Vue wireless camera system, which can be monitored remotely via a password protected website. Check out step by step instructions here. Take that you pesky kids!

[ PopularMechanics ]

By Andrew Liszewski

If you’ve got an extra $164,000 laying around, and a sense of adventure, you might want to get your name on the waiting list for the Scubacraft. It’s essentially a speedboat with a specially designed trimaran hull that makes it just as comfortable on the water as it is under. And while technically you could refer to it as a submarine, it can only dive to depths of about 100 feet, and you’ll need to bring your own SCUBA gear since it doesn’t have an enclosed cabin. But thanks to a high-powered jet propulsion system you’ll be able to zip along under the waves or on top of them, depending on your mood, or escape plan. Orders for the Scubacraft are currently being taken, and delivery is expected somewhere near the end of 2010.

[ Scubacraft ] VIA [ Luxist ]

By Chris Scott Barr

The cold air has been settling in lately and my thoughts have been turning to winter and snow. I like the idea of snow, but it’s just not as much fun when you’re an adult. You tend to get bored with sledding and snowball fights a bit more quickly than you used to. If you have kids and want them to get all of the enjoyment out of winter that they can, here’s something you might be able to get for them.

Snowshorts are basically a pair of shorts that go over their snowsuit. The bottom of the shorts has a hard plastic shell, which can be used as a mini sled. Now instead of lugging their sled to the top of the hill after every run. It’ll only set you back $35, and your kid will no doubt be thankful for it.

[ Amazon ] VIA [ CoolestGadgets ]

By Chris Scott Barr

I’ve always thought it would be fun to go surfing. However, living in the Midwest doesn’t provide all too many opportunities for such endeavors. Sure, I’ve heard about some decent surfing up in Lake Michigan, but that’s just not the same as catching big waves out in California. If you happen to live out on the coast and are looking for a good way to get your board to the beach via bicycle, check out these ACG Surf Racks.

This would no doubt be a cheaper (and more eco-friendly) alternative to strapping a board to your car, but it just looks plain silly. With the board strapped above your head, the center of gravity would be thrown off, making it harder to ride. If the picture is anything to go by, your rear tire is going to have a lot of trouble supporting all of the extra weight. No word on pricing, but these can be found in various surf shops in California and New Jersey.

[ ACG Surfracks ] VIA [ CrunchGear ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Clearly not content with just providing the world with accurate weather forecasts, Oregon Scientific has branched out into other electronic endeavors, including possibly overpriced fitness aides. Their Marathon Pedometer uses an accelerometer to track your footsteps, distance, calories burned and time, so it can be worn around your neck or strapped to a part of your body, and it also allows you to set challenges to see how long it would actually take you to complete something like a marathon. It looks nice and all with its inverted LCD display, but at $59.99 it’s not the cheapest solution out there.

[ Marathon Pedometer ] VIA [ Chip Chick ]

By Andrew Liszewski

There’s no shame in bringing a few amenities from home when you go camping, and if you happen to enjoy a fresh cup of brew every morning then the Brunton Flip-N-Drip will save you from having to use the instant stuff. It’s about the size of a standard thermos, but works a bit differently.

To make a fresh cup of coffee you first boil some water in the Flip-N-Drip’s base, then you attach the “brew chamber” filled with your grounds of choice and then just flip the whole thing over to start the percolation process which takes about 10-12 minutes. When it’s done, you just remove the 16 oz. double-walled insulated mug and enjoy! While it’s not listed on the Brunton website just yet, the Flip-N-Drip should be available soon for about $45.

[ PR - Brunton Unveils New Flip-N-Drip Coffee Maker ] VIA [ Acquire ]

By Chris Scott Barr

If you’re looking for an interesting alternative outdoor shower, this cool Solar Power Shower might be the thing you need. Most outdoor camping showers use the sun to heat up a container of water, then spray that heated water on you. It’s a concept that works, but unfortunately you either need a large container, or you’ll run out of water quickly. Thankfully this Solar Power Shower can provide lots of warm water without taking up much space.

The idea behind this particular shower is that if you combine really hot water with cold water, you’ll get a nice steady flow of warm water. It’s a simple enough concept, one that works in almost every modern house. The solar panels heat up 8 liters of water to 140-degrees in around 2 hours. When you’re ready to shower, just turn on a garden hose that’s connected to it, and “you and your family can take several showers consecutively before the tank needs to reheat.” Needing a hose means it’s not very portable, and the $200 price tag is a bit salty, it’s still a cool idea though.

[ Herrington ] VIA [ Dvice ]

By Chris Scott Barr

When I was a kid, we had one of those giant trampolines in our back yard. Looking back I’m almost amazed at how entertained I was by the simple act of jumping up and down for a few hours. Granted, it was more fun with two people, because then you could bounce higher. However, someone has gone and attempted to make trampolines even more fun than they already are. Not only is Spaceball supposed to be fun, apparently it’s also good conditioning for space travel.

That last statement comes from Scott Carpenter, one of NASA’s Mercury Seven astronauts. I’m guessing it probably applies to most trampolines, but I digress. Spaceball is a game played by two people (under 200lbs each) and you appear to throw a ball through a small tunnel at the other person. I’m sure it could be fun, until the ball gets knocked into the yard, which it will. Over and over. The game is pretty expensive too, ringing in at $700. Honestly, I think it might sell better if they changed the name to “Spaceballs the Trampoline Game.”

Side Note: Props to whoever did the awesome Photoshop job on those kids. Nothing says “no one wants to use our product” quite like having to paste people into the picture.

[ Hammacher Schlemmer ] VIA [ Dvice ]

By Andrew Liszewski

While it probably won’t appeal to kids, this radio controlled feed boat looks like just the thing to make an early morning fishing expedition actually seem fun! The boat is designed to get into places that might be difficult for larger watercraft, and at the push of a button the tipper can be used to dump up to 4 1/2 pounds of chum or feed into the water to attract the fish. It can also be used to deliver a baited hook with floater up to 950 feet away which is pretty much impossible with even the best casting techniques.

And if that’s not enough, the boat includes a sonar sensor allowing it to double as fish finder, wirelessly transmitting the information back to the remote control which includes a backlit LCD display. Unfortunately though, unless you’re fishing in a tournament for a hefty cash prize, the boat’s $726 price tag puts it out of reach for most Bob Izumi wannabes.

[ Radio-Controlled Feed Boat ]