DIY Gadgets

As you know, Coolest Gadgets has several categories for its subject matter. Even though I flagged this article under “DIY Gadgets” and “Gaming Gadgets”, I should have categorized it as “I just couldn’t resist reporting on this”.

I’m sure you can see why from the photo. For young inventor Kyle Downes (not the person in the photo) has actually perfected shrink-ray technology, and has reversed the process to create a giant NES controller.

Just kidding. Mr. Downes may be smart, but he’s not that smart. He has fashioned a cool coffee table that is shaped like an old-school NES controller. I’m sure we would all have to agree that the boy’s got skills.

Not only does the coffee table look like an NES, you can play it like an NES. That’s right, feel free to plug in Super Mario Brothers or Battletoads and have a big-button frenzy.

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I’ve always wondered what I would do if I came into some vital information that needed to be hidden from prying eyes. You know the kind, the data that could potentially bring down the government and bring the world as we know it to a standstill. Sure, I have no idea how someone like me would come into such information, but I’ve seen enough movies to know it could happen. Thankfully I now know that I would hide it in an unused phone jack.

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So you think you’re a whiz at Tetris and all things puzzle - why not give the DIY Terrestrial Globe a try then? This is one interesting jigsaw puzzle that shouldn’t take up too much of your time, but it will definitely be a fun and imaginative way to teach your kids about geography. Granted, knowing how the world looks like when flat in the form of a map is one thing, but fleshing it out in 3D is another. Perfect to develop the spatial recognition part in kids (and adults, too!). There are 60 pieces in total, so it could take a few long attempts before it becomes second nature to you. The DIY Terrestrial Globe can be purchased for $16.

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Ah, the VHS tape. I have so many fond memories of thee. We had such great times as I adjusted the tracking on the VCR (after I had figured out how to get it to stop blinking 12:00 of course) and the countless hours I spent rewinding you over the years. They were good times, but with my DVDs I don’t have to mess with any of that. Which is of course why I purged my collection of tapes about a year ago. I can’t really say that I miss them, but if I did, I could always turn one into a USB hub and stare at it every day.

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The Idea of a Clock II might be pretty novel, but it scores zero marks where practicality is concerned. This must be the most wordy version of a clock I have ever come across, where lengthy textual description is imprinted on a green LED bulleting board for you to tell the time. For example, 12:29 would read, “This is the idea of a clock that tells you the time using words at exactly twenty-nine minutes past twelve”. Definitely not meant for those who are constantly in a hurry. The Idea of a Clock II is but a limited edition timepiece though, and the artist will only divulge its price when you enquire within.

Source: Technabob

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Isn’t it amazing how much smaller our technology is, compared to what our technology was? I once heard that the first computers took up entire buildings, and yet they had no more memory than an average cellular phone. That’s decades of progress in electronic technology for you.

I am proud to report that in just two decades of electronic progress, someone has actually designed a Nintendo Entertainment System that is the size of an NES cartridge.

Popular console modder and DIYer Kotomi has created the Fami-Card, which uses a now-vintage 8-bit Super Mario Brothers cartridge for a housing for a full NES player. A Chinese NES emulator is used for running the games, and there is room enough for a full-functioning cartridge slot, video audio out, reset button, and even ports for the joysticks.

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April Fool’s Day is over, however, that doesn’t mean you can’t start planning ahead for next year. Heck, who says you can’t prank your co-workers just for the fun of it? If you’ve got some spare time on your hands and want to have a few laughs at the expense of a friend, here’s a fun DIY project.

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So you think you’re a LEGO whiz, eh? Why not pick up Brick Tower Mood Light from Brando and build your very own lamp? Each $35 purchase comes with 26 pieces of 8 x 2 bricks and 56 pieces of 2 x 1 bricks, so you can always let your creative juices flow instead of settling on something as boring as this standard lamp form factor. Gotta love the myriad of colors that it comes in - although knocking it on the floor accidentally will probably result in it shattering to bits and pieces or chipped at the sides.

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