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.
Category Archives: Toys
I Find My Lack of Faith Disturbing
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. If your kids don’t change their tune on which Star Wars film is the greatest ever, you can do your best Jar Jar impression until they repent.
… and it’s an April Fool’s Day joke! Nooo! You’re not my father!
Due to an overwhelming tsunami of requests from YOU THE PEOPLE, we have decided to TRY and bring this to life. We have no clue if the suits at Lucasfilms will grant little ThinkGeek a license, nor do we know how much it would ultimately retail for. But if you are interested in ever owning one of these, click the link below and we’ll try!
What a geek tease!
Simple Toys
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 is timed such that it picks this up as well.
It’s been a reasonable distraction for when I’m put on hold by tech support or customer “service.”
A Devious Attempt to Exploit Memories of my Youth
Ah, sweet nostalgia. Space Invaders, Missile Command and especially Asteroids were the favorites we played at the Ground Round.
We Must Not Have a Water Bottle Rocket Gap!
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.
More 'I'm Not Making This Up'
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 xrays of carry-on luggage and shoes ever since. As noted above, the free toothpaste is just icing on the cake – never expected a free lifetime supply, but who’s complaining. This is a “must-have” for any aspiring TSA agent out there.
See also Safe Crackers (Thieves). Unfortunately Playmobil Police Station with Jail Cell has no customer reviews … yet.
What I Didn't Get for Christmas
But I am so tempted to acquire …
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 darts will come down on your enemies like rain. As an added bonus, they equipped the gun with a sweet LED round counter and a slick paint job. Seriously folks, this thing is like the A-bomb of office warfare. And the best part is that it is a cheap upgrade.
One Singular Sensation
R2D2 Chorus Line (Chorus Grid?)
Nobody Steps on Church in My Town
Where do you Keep Your LEGOs?
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 five double digit codes to open it, which results in over 305 billion different combinations.