Swans on Tea

Trying out the new camera on some of the toys in the office. The trebuchet and the Zero blaster.
You need to a flashplayer enabled browser to view this YouTube video
You need to a flashplayer enabled browser to view this YouTube video
Both filmed at 420 fps.

I’ve long since passed the point when celebrating a birthday is a big deal — the last party I had was for #30, where we all dressed in black to mourn the passing of my youth. Fortunately the rumors of its death were greatly exaggerated (at least the behavioral part). But I [...]

New laser pointer. 20 mW, $20. Elicited some “gotta get one” responses, as well as “That’s bright!” (It is, too)

It’s supposed to say “Laser” (3 second exposure on the camera)
Laser writing is hard. No mechanical feedback, no visual feedback.

ThinkGeek has a page showing a Tauntaun sleeping bag
Use the glowing lightsaber zipper pull on the Tauntaun sleeping bag to illustrate how Han Solo saved Luke Skywalker from certain death in the freezing climate of Hoth by slitting open the belly of a dead Tauntaun and placing Luke inside the stinking (but warm) carcass. [...]

Another cheap little toy I recently acquired is a keychain containing a multicolor LED that rapidly flashes between red, blue and green. It looks white (almost) to the naked eye when it’s stationary, but when it’s moving quickly enough, persistence of vision allows you to see the different colors. My webcam frame rate [...]

Ice Invaders
Ah, sweet nostalgia. Space Invaders, Missile Command and especially Asteroids were the favorites we played at the Ground Round.

Instructables: Water Bottle Bazooka
This Instructable takes the basic “water bottle rocket” science lesson and expands on it, combining the ability to aim with a convenient trigger mechanism. It can be built in a few hours using parts from a hardware store.

Playmobil Security Check Point
As with the BIC ballpoint pen, the true gold is in the reviews.
I will never need to buy toothpaste again thanks to Playmobil. Not realizing this was a toy I purchased it to prepare for my interview as a TSA agent. Needless to say I aced it and have been happily viewing [...]

But I am so tempted to acquire …
You need to a flashplayer enabled browser to view this YouTube video
In order to accomplish this feat, the guys from Manapotions increased the voltage to the firing motor using 2 x 9.6v battery packs. More juice equals a faster spinning motor. A faster spinning motor means that toy [...]

R2D2 Chorus Line (Chorus Grid?)
You need to a flashplayer enabled browser to view this YouTube video

I don’t have one of these. Someone down the hall does, and it jams because the marshmallows are dried out. (Mmmmm. Marshmallows and jam.)
Not to worry, though. I am heavily armed.

In your LEGO® safe?
You would think that breaking into a Lego safe would just mean taking a few bricks off but this one is quite a bit more complex. The safe weighs 14 pounds for starters. It has a motion detecting alarm so it can’t be moved without alerting people in earshot. The lock require [...]