Oh! Gizmo

By Evan Ackerman

This, people, is WHY we go into space. Now, finally, we know for certain that boomerang dynamics are not gravity dependent. Sleep safe, kids… Your boomerangs will come back to you, even in orbit.

[ JAXA (In Japanese) ] VIA [ Pink Tentacle ]

By Andrew Liszewski

While the Freebord might resemble a regular skateboard, there are a few key differences that make riding it feel more like racing down a ski covered mountain than gleaming the cube. For one, the traditional 4 corner wheels are pushed out and away from the deck making them work like the edges of a snowboard which gives you more control over your speed when racing downhill. The other obvious difference is a set of center wheels mounted underneath the deck which are free to turn in any direction. They end up working like the petex base of a snowboard (the extremely durable and slippery bottom layer) allowing you to slide sideways while riding or even use them to ‘edge in’ and come to a stop.

And while I’m sure the Freebord experience does probably come close to riding an actual snowboard, you’re unfortunately missing that soft layer of snow to cushion you when you fall. The Freebord Basic Setup kit which includes everything you need to get started plus your choice of deck is available from the company’s online store for $209.99.

[ Freebord ] VIA [ Uncrate ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Your typical radar gun can’t be easily operated while you’re playing a game of catch. So if you’ve ever wondered just how much heat your friend is throwing, the Glove Radar provides a convenient and relatively affordable way to measure the ball’s speed as it arrives. It attaches to the back of your glove with a weather-resistant nylon cord (perfect for all those times I use my leather glove in a downpour) and uses microwave Doppler technology to measure the ball’s speed as it approaches.

The microwave signal is not obscured by the glove itself, and when the ball arrives you’ll see it’s speed indicated in mph on the small LCD display. The Glove Radar is powered by a single 3V lithium battery, and while it’s not rechargeable, it is good for about 5,000 speed measurements. The device itself is also sealed to prevent dust from getting in and hindering its operation.

You can get it from BaseballTips.com for $69.

[ Glove Radar ] VIA [ Boing Boing Gadgets ]

By Andrew Liszewski

I’m in no golfer, but I did have one of those small putting machines in University that I extensively used whenever I had an essay to write. But if you find yourself in the corporate world needing a procrastination tool I think this is the way to go. The Putting Challenge from dublisGolf is like your own personal miniature golf course. While it’s technically just one hole, the green can actually be transformed into 72 unique configurations with different banks and hills thanks to its flexible surface and a series of motors.

It also includes a special console with an LCD display that will automatically track the scoring for up to 4 different players. I’m not sure how it works, but a “patented sensor system” is mentioned on the website. The green surface material is designed to match the rolling friction experienced on an actual putting green, so serious golfers can also use the Putting Challenge for practice. Playing a round of 18 “holes” with 4 players will supposedly kill about 40 minutes, but if you get a whole tournament going you can easily waste an entire work week.

The Putting Challenge costs about $2,700 and it can be folded up and transported in its own rolling case which is an extra $1,060.

[ dublisGolf Putting Challenge ] VIA [ Born Rich ]

By Andrew Liszewski

I’m not thrilled with the idea of owning a house, mostly because of all the added responsibilities like cutting the lawn, shoveling snow and having to be that mean neighbor who always confiscates baseballs and Frisbees that land in my yard. But on the other hand a house allows you to do things like install a dedicated home theater or even cooler, your own bowling alley.

United Bowling, a Florida based company will install a 2 lane, full regulation length bowling alley in your home complete with genuine AMF and Brunswick equipment like pin stackers and ball returns. You’ll need a minimal area that’s 88 feet long, 12 feet wide with a 10 foot ceiling, but if the kids have moved out there’s no reason not to demolish their bedrooms in order to make room for such an awesome upgrade. Of course at $88,000 it’s not a cheap upgrade, but if it was worth it to Daniel Plainview, then it’s worth it to me.

[ United Bowling - Custom & Residential Packages ] VIA [ Baller House ]

By Andrew Liszewski

As fun as Golden Tee might be, spinning a trackball can’t really compare to swinging a golf club. So if you’ve got the space and the budget, you might want to consider installing one of these Full Swing Golf simulators instead. The system uses a Windows-based PC and video projector to provide an almost life-sized view of the current hole and course.

But the real key to the simulator is two curtains of infrared beams that sit just in front of the screen. The beams are emitted at 60,000 pulses per second, and as the golf ball passes through them the software on the PC is able to immediately calculate its trajectory, which is then translated to your virtual ball in the game. For installation you’ll need a room that’s at least 20 feet deep, 13 feet wide with a 10.5 feet ceiling, and since the surface of the hitting area includes sand (in addition to fairway, light rough and heavy rough) you might want to find a way to keep the cats out of there.

Not surprisingly the Full Swing simulator will run you about $55,000, but they’ve recently added online play so if you miss hitting the links during the Winter months, this should give you the chance to enjoy a round in the comfort and warmth of your home.

[ Full Swing Golf ] VIA [ BallerHouse.com ]

By Evan Ackerman

The thing about wheels is that they’re designed specifically to maintain their roundness. Those of us who bike to work (I should clarify that I do not bike to work because my home is appx. 2,000 vertical above my office and I’m just not that tough) find that although bicycles are to some extent portable (and even foldupable), the damn wheels just don’t get any smaller. But wait… They DO! Duncan Fitzsimmons has invented a full size, folding bicycle wheel, designed to be combined with other folding bicycle parts to create “a really high end city bike or courier bike that can fold up into a package like a golf bag, which could go into an overhead rack on a train or go into a plane locker.”

Fitzsimmons is reportedly working with “major manufacturers” on the design, but because it’s going to have to be made entirely of carbon fiber so as not to weigh a ton, don’t expect it to be cheap. Video after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »

By Andrew Liszewski

New Era has definitely found a profitable market when it comes to sports fans or urban fashion, but it’s hard to ignore the ridiculous amounts of money being spent on video games every year. So the company is introducing a series of classic-gaming themed caps that I’m sure I’ll be seeing on the heads of hipsters all around town. The Pacman series features Pacman himself, a red cherry or 3 ghosts while the Space Invaders series includes the iconic aliens.

You can find them all here for about $55 each, and if you buy one just do me a favor and take off that ridiculous gold sticker before you wear it. (It’s not actually real gold.)

[ New Era Pacman & Space Invaders Caps ] VIA [ ALBOTAS ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Whoever said “It doesn’t matter if you win or lose, but how you played the game” clearly never experienced how much fun it is to win. And while most of us will never have the chance to enjoy a victory in front of thousands of fans in a stadium, the Versus Scoreboard can at least bring some of that experience home. The Versus was created by Filip Ivanoski (a lifelong athlete and professional tennis instructor) who feels that listening to music can not only enhance an athlete’s ability, but also make the sport more fun.

So besides serving as a portable scoreboard and timer, the Versus also has an analog line-in connection and 10W speakers allowing you to connect an iPod or other audio device. And while your favorite music is playing in the background, the Versus also has a series of stadium and crowd sound effects that can be used to enhance the action in the game. It even includes a microphone allowing the non-athletes to serve as play-by-play or color commentators on the sideline.

[ Versus Scoreboard ]

By Andrew Liszewski

While the Egyptians applied their pyramid building skills to making tombs, it turns out that simple shape can be just as useful for less grandiose objects, like bike frames. Delta 7 Sports has recently unveiled their Arantix Mountain Bike which relies on the IsoTruss carbon fiber and Kevlar open lattice tube design. While it might look unusual, the frame pictured above weighs just 2.75 pounds and is as strong as any other frame on the market.

The IsoTruss technology actually uses a series of small pyramid shaped structures that are all connected together to form a tube. The pyramids are made of hand woven strands of carbon fiber that are bundled together and wrapped in Kevlar. All in all, each bike frame includes 1,672 feet of carbon fiber and takes about 300 hours to build. As a result Delta 7 Sports only plans to produce about 200 of these frames in 2008.

A complete Arantix mountain bike starts at $11,995, but you can also order just the IsoTruss carbon composite frame for $6,995.

[ Delta 7 Sports Unveils the Arantix Mountain Bike ] VIA [ Popular Science ]