Awesome Tech

It’s something many frequent flyers have wished was possible for years, and now Virgin America will be offering the ability to stream Netflix programming on select flights thanks to its new ViaSat high-speed satellite Wi-Fi.

Originally seen as the Aétho, this gyroscopic handheld video stabilizer is now raising funds on Indiegogo. It provides buttery smooth motion shots, and has a built-in LCD viewfinder. The sample videos shot with the prototype are truly impressive. Early birds save $50.

Damjan Stankovic and Marko Pavlovic’s Rhei works a lot like the Ferrolic Clock, except it uses mechanically operated magnets instead of electromagnets to control the ferrofluid. Its animation is a lot simpler, but none of the shapes produced are exactly alike.

Instant is a self-improvement app for iOS and Android. It keeps track of both your physical activity and mobile device usage. You can then set a time limit and be notified when you need to lay off your device.

LEGO builder ElectryDragonite made this desktop vending machine using LEGO bricks, Mindstorms NXT controllers, and servo motors to dispense one of four different drink flavors, and has a working coin mechanism that rejects bad coins. It even keeps drinks cool.

Watch in awe as this CNC cutting machine transforms hunks of solid titanium and aluminum into an intricate electric guitar. The 124 piece guitar looks identical to the real deal, though at 15 pounds, it’s about twice the weight of a Fender Stratocaster.

Looks like its first crowdfunding effort bombed, but Skreens is back and more affordable. For the unfamiliar, Skreens lets you show videos from multiple HDMI sources in one TV or monitor, and customize their layout using a mobile app. It also has a built-in web browser.

An affordable and extremely user-friendly laser cutter and engraver. It lets you work on a wide range of materials, including aluminum, leather and chocolate. You can use various image file types as designs or trace the cut directly on the material.

We’re dying to take a ride on this platform, which can be used to simulate a wide variety of movements by tugging at its eight steel cables, taking its carbon fiber frame and rider on trips in six different directions. We can only imagine how cool this is with the VR headset on.

Despite not looking like one, Obi is a laser pointer toy. Use its mobile app to control it manually or set parameters – speed, boundary and even a schedule – for its automatic mode. It has a neutral design that will blend in any home, and is sure to occupy bored pets.

A dog tag that doubles as a Bluetooth tracker. DOTT has a range of 350ft., but like Tile, if your dog goes out of range the tag will connect to nearby DOTT app users to update your pet’s location on your Dott app. It lasts up to 6 months on a button cell battery.

An upcoming third-party keyboard for iOS and Android. Unlike the traditional QWERTY layout, WRIO (Write It Once) is built for thumb typing. It has large hexagonal keys, two space keys right where your thumbs are and gestures for deleting, changing cases and adding spaces.

Compared to the Form 1, the Form 2 has a 40% larger build volume. It also has a self-heating resin tank, a new cartridge system that automatically refills the tank with resin and a slide peel and a resin wiper to improve print consistency.

eBay seller andyshinkage turns discarded skateboard decks into eye-catching wall lamps. He makes light bulb mounts that thread through where the trucks used to be and places a 12W LED bulb in place of the wheels.

A highly customizable universal remote control. Thanks to its E-ink touchscreen and customizing app, you can choose to include only the controls you want per device, or even place buttons for different devices on one page. Sadly it’s exclusive to Japan for now.

GoalZero’s rugged portable battery offers 7800 mAH of power, enough to juice up most smartphones two to three times, and can even take being submerged in water. It’s got two high-speed USB ports, doubles as a flashlight, and works with Nomad Solar Panels.

While the majority of drones out there are designed to fly in the air, the 16″ x 8″ Trident is designed to go underwater instead. This agile, remote-controlled micro-sub sends data via a tether, and has a built-in HD camera and lights to explore and record sea life.

Designed by Studio Bouroullec, the Serif bucks the trend of increasingly thin televisions. It was made to look solid and utilitarian, like a classic piece of furniture. It will be available in select European countries in 24″, 32″ and 40″ sizes.

Yep, that’s a six-pack of tablets. Amazon’s new entry level 7″ tablet costs just $50, and if you buy five of them you’ll get an extra one for free. It has a 1024×600 IPS display, a 1.3GHz quad-core CPU, 8GB storage and a microSD slot.

Acorn Studio’s Luna is a Moon-themed lantern made of Latex-coated fiberglass. It comes in seven sizes from 3.2″ to 23.6″ in diameter. The smallest one is battery-powered and uses an LED while the rest plug into an outlet and have dimmable halogen lamps.

Artist Matthew Cassidy of Fragmented Frames takes disused old cameras, camcorders and other gadgets, transforming them into cool works of art, meticulously arranging each component into a shadowbox. A great gift for designers, photographers or tech junkies.

Roboticist Dr. Guero has created an AI-driven humanoid which can not only dance solo, it can waltz with a partner. He’s previously taught it to ride a bicycle, walk on a rocky beach, drag heavy objects, and walk just like us.

It’s long been a way that printer companies make you buy ink and toner before you need it. Instead of measuring remaining consumables, they shut off when a counter is reached. Here’s just how much ink was wasted in an Epson large-format printer. (Thanks Paul!)