Awesome Etc

No, it’s not a UFO: the flying saucer above is actually a backshell that will protect the Mars Science Laboratory rover (which launches Fall 2009) when it reenters the Martian atmosphere.

Resembling the previously featured Typewriter Sculptures but more fluidly shaped, U-Ram Choe’s sculptures are based on biological structures; they’re made from metal and electronics.

R2D2, eat your heart out: Thingamagoops are mini synthesizers that change frequency and pitch based on ambient lighting; in short, they’ll beep and blink up a storm.

Zombie Tools gets you kitted out for the inevitable zombie apocalypse with actual swords, including the Urban Bone Machete, the Two-Faced Bitch, and our favorite: the Two Handed Apocalax.

Ideal for woodworkers with a techie bent, these coil-spring pencil holders have rare earth magnet bases and can hold everything from pencils and LED flashlights to screwdrivers.

Masterful use of color and an exquisite attention to detail are trademarks of Adam Haynes’ creative, comic-style illustrations; his work for Nike particularly makes us green with envy.

Nokia’s N810 WiMAX edition is now available; the internet tablet requires that you live in Baltimore for the WiMAX to work, although some Chicago users are reporting success.

Soaring 3 stories high and spanning 9,000 square feet, Sensapolis is a spaceship-shaped mini theme park in Boblingen, Germany with a 3D theater, alien breeding ground and warp core.

SUMO Paint is the most impressive Photoshop clone we’ve seen, made even more amazing by the fact it’s for free online. Some layer properties are missing, but overall it’s quite full-featured.

Don’t let the cutesy name fool you: this FluffyFriends wallpaper features OhNo!Doom’s FluffyYukYuk plush rampaging down a city street and hurling city buses while FluffyBadBads scatter.

If Frank Caliendo’s Madden cracked you up, TBS is running a Let’s Be Frank Contest where you can win $5,000 doing your best impression; you can also watch nearly 20 impressions by Frank.

Sillof of Steam Wars’ latest work features Return of the Jedi characters for Customcon XXI. Jabba is a bit slimmed down and Ackbar is dapper, while Luke is a knight in monk’s clothing.

Stars and Planes is a timelapse video of the Toronto skyline from 6:49pm to 12:46am; preceding frames allow planes to trace arcs across the sky. It was shot every 30s using a Canon EOS 5D.

This isn’t just another Harley Davidson Fat Boy replica; taking LEGO to the max, it uses a NXT controller shaped like a handlebar complete with throttle control and brake lever.

Jumeirah Gardens is a futuristic “city within a city” in Dubai composed of three projects; the fluidly designed architecture will feature sky bridges and suspended garden canopies.

S is for Sarlacc: these Star Wars ABC posters by Tweedlebop will ensure your mini-geeks are raised with a proper Imperial education. For the love of God, we hope they sell these.

Calling Admiral Adama: this Battlestar Galactica case sports an actual LED-lit hangar bay, CIC screens, and a BSG crest that doubles as an optical drive; even the monitor is modded.

Akihabara News has a gallery of Robo Japan 2008; it’s a three-day event, with robots doing everything from climbing and crawling to fighting and flying. Not all at once, of course.

Although he sadly passed this year, John Berkey’s futuristic paintings are photorealistic from a distance but painterly up-close; his works will no doubt inspire future artists.

This video of Lockheed Martin’s F-35B Lightning II shows it transforming into its vertical take off mode; the F-35B is the STOVL variant of the air force’s upcoming JSF (joint-strike fighter).

Putting the “shot” in shotglass, this AK Ice Cube Tray produces bullet-shaped ice cubes; the two-piece tray even looks like an AK-47 magazine when closed. Thanks, Gil!

Best known for Human Tetris, Guillaume Reymond is at it again with these real-life Transformers performances, staged in various cities in Switzerland using vehicles and people.

Made by three independent film makers collectively known as Flat-e, Ionisation is a funky, staccato paced video. Note: the sculptures are real and made from bits of clock and metal.