Gadgets Blog

There are always too many Lego-related products on the market these days, and it and would appear that two mini-figurine (mini-fig) related ones are making the news today.

The first looks like it is an official Lego product, a Lego LED Lantern. The 8.8 inch tall Lego mini-fig hangs from a handle and can swing from there. It uses four white LED lights, and is powered by four AA batteries.

The second are not official Lego products, but they really ought to be. These are flash drives shaped like mini-figs, and some of them are Star Wars characters like Darth Vader, Yoda, or an Imperial Stormtrooper. They also have some that are shaped like other Lego mini-figs like Spongebob Squarepants and even some bricks. Unlike the Lego Lantern, they come in all shapes and sizes, not to mention memory.

If you want either of these products, you’ll have to go to separate places. The first is on the Perpetual Kid site for $19.99. The other is on the Etsy site at varying prices based on memory. The 2GB is for $45.95, the 4GB is for $69.95, and 4GB high speed for $79.95. There is even a 16GB version for $99.95.

So this begs the question: what other Lego mini-fig products can possibly be made? Lego officially has keychains, but I’m looking forward to the mini-fig cellular phones, GPS devices, and PMPs. This is assuming they don’t have them already.

Of course, I was completely mesmerized when I saw this particular item of interest: a robot that obeys your thoughts.

Stop right there. Is this serious? Apparently so. Inventor Taku Ichikawa of the University of Electro-Communications in Tokyo is creating this robot for the Robo-One contest in Toyama, Japan.

The Robo-One is sort of a battlebots style competition, and I suppose that thoughts really are the best interface for that. Unfortunately, this is about all the information my sources have about this.

In other words, I have no idea if the user has to “think real hard” in order to get this robot to move, or if thinking about other things will distract the robot as well as the user.

A thought based interface is probably the best choice for any type of robot manipulation. It’s a lot better than that keyboard that the bad guy used to control Deadpool in at the end of that Wolverine movie. I mean, he has to type in “DECAPITATE” for crying out loud.

However, robots that are controlled by our thoughts? That seems a little too science fiction for me. And if there is one thing that science fiction has taught us is that mind and robots don’t mix.

Source1 and Source2

This is far from what most would describe as little, however, these are called Little Horn Speakers.  Even if the word little does seem a touch off in this case, these would be great speakers to have around.  Not only do they have a look that is bound to turn heads, but those horns attached to the speakers do actually contribute to the sound quality.  Giving a much bigger and more realistic sound.

Basically, these will make it so that you’re more surrounded by the music and will hear each of the instruments as if you were listening to a live performance.  These can work with almost any stereo system, which gives you more options on how you use them.  The horns themselves are 36” tall, the bell of the horn is 14” across and the base is 8”.  The horns are made using a high-density fiberglass, while the bass is made out of heavy, void-free Baltic birch plywood.  You get to choose your own color combination when you purchase the set.  Right now you can pick up a pair of these for $1500, but after the offer expires they’ll go back to $1850 per pair.

Source: Technabob

With weather cooling down for the year, all of the outdoor plants will soon be dying off.  Instead of just waiting until next spring to have pretty flowers again, you can switch to indoor plants.  The indoor plants will allow for you to keep your home feeling like summertime, even if it is freezing outdoors.  Well this Superior Self Sustaining Indoor Garden will allow for you to keep a variety of indoor plants alive.

Instead of sticking with the usual boring indoor plants, you can have brightly colored flowering ones, herbs and even vegetables if that’s what you need.  If you were to grow vegetables or herbs, in a way you’d be a little more eco-friendly, since you wouldn’t have to buy vegetables that have been shipped in.  Locally grown is always a better option.  This kit has a light bulb that will give the plant as much sunlight as needed.  Then it automatically pumps nutrient-rich water solution on the roots of your plant.  It will make your plants grow up to 50% faster.  You can purchase the kit for $149.95 from Hammacher and Schlemmer.

Source: EnviroGadget

Southern Brand is a new lifestyle label based in Miami, where they have just rolled out a Limited edition Cowhide Phone Cover that will see action with both the iPod and iPhone, offering uber tough protection against knocks and scratches to your beloved device. This is a new venture for Southern Brand, as they are already well known for their vintage soft tees and their stripped-down classic American design. Made from beautiful and premium cowhides, individual slip covers are truly one-of-a-kind since they are handmade. Within is some soft suede backed by smooth chocolate tanned leather. At $29 a pop, we wonder just how many covers can a single average-sized cow produce. Perhaps there is an iPhone app to calculate that…