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Awesome Tech

DaptKey Programmable Keypad

DaptKey Programmable Keypad

The DaptKey keypad is ideal for improving creative workflows. It has 20 keys and five knobs which can be programmed to operate application shortcuts, macros, and slider inputs. A bright OLED screen sits beneath all the controls and can display icons for each. Control software is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Chorda Digital Musical Instrument

Chorda Digital Musical Instrument

This unique musical instrument combines a synthesizer, a looper, and a MIDI controller. It has 12 capacitive sensing pads, a bridge for strumming and tapping notes, as well as an accelerometer and gyroscope for gesture-based input. It has drum, bass, chord, and lead modes, and a built-in speaker and 3.5mm audio jack lets you play without external equipment.

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Shitty Printers Book

Shitty Printers Book
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We rarely need to print things these days. But for the first 40+ years of personal computing, printers were commonplace. And they were some of the most frustrating pieces of equipment ever. The book Shitty Printers catalogs and rips apart some of the worst offenders, from cheap home inkjets to menacing tractor-feed machines.

Fumpa Bike Pump

Fumpa Bike Pump
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The Fumpa Pump is a tiny air compressor for inflating bicycle tires. It outputs up to 120 psi and recharges through a micro USB port. The Fumpa fills up to six tires per charge. The space-saving miniFumpa can fill two tires per charge, while the nanoFumpa does one or two tires up to 110 psi. All three are compatible with Schrader, Presta, and Dunlop valves.

Making The World’s Largest Laptop

Making The World’s Largest Laptop

The whole point of a laptop computer is that it’s portable. That didn’t stop makers Evan and Katelyn from building a laptop that’s so ridiculously large that you need two people to carry it. It has a 43-inch display, an oversize keyboard and runs on batteries. They should try and borrow Glarses’ giant keyboard.

Nite Ize Hitch Plus Phone Anchor + Tether

Nite Ize Hitch Plus Phone Anchor + Tether
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Whether you’re into extreme outdoor adventures or are just plain clumsy, never worry about dropping your phone again. The Nite Ize Hitch Plus places a mount point between your phone’s back and case, then tethers it to a carabiner with a 24″ coiled line that you can attach to a belt loop, bag, or wrist.

Fridge-climbing LEGO Robot

Fridge-climbing LEGO Robot

You know what your fridge needs alongside all those magnets? A creepy, 8-legged robot, that’s what. LEGO builder Sariel put together this crawling machine that uses Power Functions motors and magnets from LEGO train sets to trek up the steel side of a fridge. It stays on by lifting and moving no more than two legs simultaneously.

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Awekeys Element Keycaps

Awekeys Element Keycaps
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This fancy artisan keycap set includes 16 metal keys made using the element indicated on their face. The materials include zinc, nickel, chromium, aluminum, copper, iron, brass, black aluminum, titanium, tin, bismuth, magnesium, gold, silver, platinum, and rhodium – the first dozen use solid metals, while the more expensive ones are electroplated.

Samurai 120 Desktop CNC Machine

Samurai 120 Desktop CNC Machine

This compact CNC machine from Samurai Machine Tools changes tools in as little as 2.3 seconds with its pair of rotating tool carousels and quick-change heads. Its spinning head remains stationary while its pedestal moves the part it’s milling. Watch it in action machining a piece of aluminum. Prices for the machine start at £4990, or about $6345 USD.

Overpowering Kids Toys with Too Much Electricity

Overpowering Kids Toys with Too Much Electricity

Most electric kids’ toys run on relatively low voltages. Aboringday wanted to see what would happen to some electromechanical toys if you ramped up their power beyond their rated voltages. The experiments top out at 30 volts, so don’t expect flames to shoot out of anything. Most of the results are amusing, but we felt bad for that bee-stung dog.

Giving Alexa a Robotic Personality Upgrade

Giving Alexa a Robotic Personality Upgrade

Digital assistants like Alexa are impressive, but they’re built into boring-looking devices. The AI we encounter in science fiction is more relatable because it has a face. Workshop Nation gave Alexa more personality by connecting an Amazon Echo to a vintage CRT screen that displays audio waveforms and topped it off with eye-tracking animatronic eyeballs.

Casio AE-1200 Negative Screen Watch

Casio AE-1200 Negative Screen Watch
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Istvan of Custom Watches World takes Casio’s AE-1200 digital watch and makes it much cooler. He modifies the watch with a negative LCD screen and heat treats its stainless steel bracelet for a variegated look. He also performs a hydromod, filling its interior with silicone oil for improved viewing angles. He also mods watches with custom color displays.

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The Password Game

The Password Game

If there’s one thing that’s super-frustrating about websites and apps, it’s the increasingly-complex password requirements brought about by the need to thwart hackers. Developer Neal Agarwal decided to turn the challenging process of selecting a password that meets all requirements into a game. Good luck getting past Rule 10 without breaking Rule 5.

The Abacusynth

The Abacusynth

Electronic instrument maker Elias Jarzombek created this unique synthesizer that looks like an abacus. The otherworldly sounds it makes are controlled by sliding and spinning its triangular “beads” on metal bars, along with turning its side dials. Read more about the Abacusynth on Elias’ website.

Making a Machine to Cheat at Arm Wrestling

Making a Machine to Cheat at Arm Wrestling

Engineer and maker Allen Pan will be the first to tell you he’s not exactly the Man of Steel. That didn’t stop him from taking on some of the beefiest arm wrestlers on Muscle Beach. But Allen gave himself an advantage – a custom exoskeleton to dramatically increase his arm strength. Can it help him beat the pros without ripping off his own arm?

Dell U3224KB Ultrasharp 32″ 6K Display

Dell U3224KB Ultrasharp 32″ 6K Display
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Dell’s jumbo-sized monitor is designed for creators, not gaming. Its 6K (6144 x 3456) resolution, 32″ IPS panel provides room to view 4K content alongside multiple windows. It offers accurate colors, bright HDR images, and a built-in 4K webcam and soundbar. Connections include Mini DP 2.1, HDMI, Thunderbolt 4, and USB-C ports.

The Dead Internet Theory

The Dead Internet Theory

With ongoing improvements in artificial intelligence technology, it’s getting harder and harder to discern whether what you see was made by a human rather than a computer. ColdFusion explores a cynical but plausible theory that bots now control the majority of the internet and social media, and humans are now in the minority.

Goovis 5K Head-Mounted Cinema Display

Goovis 5K Head-Mounted Cinema Display

This wearable 5K display is designed for watching video content and gaming on a giant 1000″ virtual screen. It packs dual 2560×1440 OLED screens with a 120Hz refresh rate and supports 2D and 3D content. Goovis says it’s also more comfortable than other HMDs, minimizing pressure on the face. Available with or without an external media player.

Darth Vader Clapper

Darth Vader Clapper
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Command your appliances and lamps like a Sith Lord with this Star Wars-themed outlet controller. The Darth Vader Clapper has two sound effects. It says “The Force is strong with this one” when you clap on, and “You underestimate the power of the Dark Side” when you clap off. There’s also a C-3PO version.

Self-launching NERF Missiles

Self-launching NERF Missiles

After engineering NERF darts that can fire themselves, Joel Creates thought he’d try the same with those larger NERF missiles. Typically launched with a pump-action weapon, Joel’s capacitor- and flash cotton-powered missile launchers are self-contained and launch with the push of a button. Those wrist-mounted launchers look super cool too.

Olight Obulb Light

Olight Obulb Light
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This tiny 2.13″ diameter sphere provides a splash of light wherever you need it. It has both a warm white light and red emergency light, and runs for up to 56 hours on its low setting. It’s IPX7 waterproof so you can float it in water, and has a magnetic back for attaching to metal surfaces.

An Overly-Complicated 3D Rendering Technique

An Overly-Complicated 3D Rendering Technique

Anyone who has worked with 3D graphics software knows about composing scenes with virtual cameras. Sirrandalot used Blender’s Cycles path-tracing engine to model a 3D camera body, simulate the optical properties of a film camera, then render scenes through its virtual lens. Check out the final not-photos on Imgur. (Thanks, Orion!)

Best Smart Wallets 2023

Best Smart Wallets 2023

How can a wallet be smart? Simple – it has a way to be found if you lose it. Most of the wallets on Everyday Carry’s list of smart wallets include a place to insert an Apple AirTag, making it easy to track its location from your phone. Selections include the hard-shelled Ridge Carbon Case and the soft leather Billfold Wallet 2.0 from Geometric Goods.

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