Author: Gabrielle Taylor
Med e-Monitor Device updates the pillbox
The Med-eMonitor™ System "reminds, educates, monitors and reports" on up to 25 prescriptions, which is probably even enough for me. It is a state-of-the-art pillbox, with a web-based interface and updatable firmware. The idea of the Med-eMonitor is to…
Abra-garrafas musical "Guitarra" bottle opener
Nothing goes together like beer and guitars, so the Guitarra bottle opener is a bottle opener shaped like a guitar. It turns you into a Monster of Rock with each usage by playing a wicked chord on your killer purple plastic axe. A rare gadget that will (as you get more plastered) amuse you more and more with successive usage. 9 €. [GT]
Dr. Who sonic screwdriver looks jusssst right
We’ve seen sonic screwdrivers come and go over the years, but this is the first one sure to be exactly like the one the Doctor uses on the actual program (superpowers not included). It has the exact light and sound from the show, and extends the same way. It also has a UV light at one end and a pen nib at the other. The story goes like this: the prop made for the new series was small. Then this toy came out – it was bigger to accommodate the batteries – and the Dr. Who producers revamped the TV prop on a mold from this toy. So this Sonic Screwdriver is exactly the same size as the one Dr. Who uses on TV! $15. [GT]
Moleskine hard drive enclosure
The Moleskine hard drive elicits deep ambivalence. On the one hand, anything by Moleskine is sleek, light, portable, and has an unimpeachable literary heritage. Perhaps a hard drive stored within a Moleskine would be flavoured with greatness right through…
Resitec Earthing Static, versus a thousand natural shocks
Especially in the winter, but at risk for it all times of year, I get zapped by anything that can build up a static charge. It gets to the point where I’ll tap-tap-tap anything metal I have to touch, especially door handles, and run the risk of looking like I have OCD just to avoid getting shocked. So I’m very keen on the Resitec Earthing Static, a keychain which lights up when it detects static, and then disperses it. Finally, I can wear wool again! $14 from Brando. [GT]
Scientists to build robot society
To learn more about human society, the University of Abertay is building a robot colony in Dundee. Sixty robots will live together under observation (which we scientifically know will change the results) to allow researchers to introduce controlled elements and gauge the effects. Professor John Crawford said, “One of our key challenges in this research will be to identify and interpret these patterns of behaviour as evidence for an emerging robot culture.” [GT]
Magic display mirror switches between you and would-you
Every girl’s got a soft spot for a magic mirror, and every practical woman wants her vanity to do more in the space it’s already got. Magic Display does both, ah, somewhat. It depicts advertisements on its glass surface except when you’re up-close and dabbing on your lippy. Video after the jump. [GT]
qStart reminds you where you're driving, big-picture-wise
It’s not impossible that you skip back and forth over the pond enough that you can’t remember if you’re in London or America, and if so, the qStart is for you. Just plug it into the lighter socket and it’ll give a cheery vocal reminder of which side of the road you’re to drive on. As a special bonus, every two hours it’ll nag you to take a break, and probably after you’ve gotten comfortable it’ll start asking why you don’t give it the good petrol or some new mudflaps. £10. [GT]
Kryptonite discovered in Serbia
Bored one afternoon, Dr Chris Stanley, from the Natural History Museum, fed “sodium lithium boron silicate hydroxide” into Google and was bemused to discover he had a small cache of Kryptonite on his hands, according to the label on a lump of green K stolen by Lex Luthor during the latest Superman picture. Stanley’s Kryptonite is white, and Luthor’s has fluorine, which may account for it not being lethal to superheroes or glowing green. [GT]
Todd Goldman "mistakenly" traced Shmorky kitty, cease-and-desists others
“I made a judgment error and did not research the background of this particular submission. My intention was not to copy Mr. Kelly,” said Todd Goldman, in reference to Dave “Shmorky” Kelly’s discover that Goldman had made a painting closely derived from Shmorky’s webcomic, Purple Pussy. Further claims of Goldman’s deriving commercial work from the webcomics of others are in progress with varying degrees of formality. Goldman has since retained a law firm to send cease and desist notices to bloggers commenting negatively on his intellectual property concerns. Since Goldman is worth a fair bit of money this should prove an interesting test of how much protection we creatives can expect for our hard-done work. [GT]
