Awesome Tech

The latest of Elgato’s programmable desktop controllers combines screens, buttons, and knobs for greater versatility. It has eight LCD-backed buttons, four push-button analog dials, and a touch-sensitive LCD information screen. It’s a great tool for controlling podcasts, live streams, and audio and video editing tools.

If you’re like us and eat at your desk, you’ve got crumbs between your keycaps. The KeebMonkey Air Duster is a high-power blower designed for cleaning keyboards. Its long nozzle and brush tips get between keys, and blast debris away in seconds. It’s 6000 mAh battery provides up to 30 minutes of cleaning per charge.

Geek out as a team of scientists remove the old coating and apply a new one to the mirror from the Air Force Research Lab’s huge Advanced Electro-Optical System telescope. The process must be performed from time to time to ensure the telescope remains functional in its job of tracking low-earth satellites and ballistic missiles.

Apple’s Magic Trackpad 2 offers a fast and easy way to interact with your Mac, and it’s on sale now in The Awesomer Shop. This smooth trackpad has an edge-to-edge glass surface and can detect various MacOS control gestures through multitouch. It’s also got four force sensors that can detect how hard you’re pressing.

Bored pets can be destructive pets. This electronic pet toy helps keep pets occupied by rolling around and lighting up autonomously. It has three levels of interaction, automatically pauses for breaks in between activity time, and has a built-in hole for hiding treats. Save 18% in The Awesomer Shop.

Anyone who’s attempted to pull a cart full of gear up a hill or over a bumpy trail knows it can be taxing. The Outisan solves that problem by adding an electric power-assist system. Its battery pack and in-wheel motors can help pull loads up to 180 pounds. It’s also got hill-descent control that helps slow carts when going downhill.

You can run to the Walmart or Costco and pick up an 85″ TV. But if you think that’s overkill, perhaps TinyCircuits’ miniature TV cabinets are more your thing. The TinyTV 2 has a 1″ screen with a 216×135 resolution, while the TinyTV Mini has an even smaller 0.6″ display with a 64×64 pixel grid. They play videos uploaded to an SD card.

Integrated circuits are incredible examples of miniaturization. And while the chip shown in this video doesn’t represent the kind of complexity and density found in modern processors, it still provides a fascinating look at the interior of a circuit, as its silicon is removed layer by layer with a powerful fiber laser.

Garmin’s rugged new smartwatch has an analog/digital dial with glow-in-the-dark markers. It offers indoor/outdoor workout tracking, heart rate and pulse-ox sensors, weather sensors, GPS capability, and an Android/iOS app. It runs for up to 70 days in smartwatch mode and 31 hours with GPS on, and optional solar charging.

Save $100 on this Grade-A refurbished HP EliteBook laptop with a 14″ 1080p touchscreen and Windows 10 Pro. It has a 256GB SSD, 8GB of RAM, and a speedy Intel Core i5-7200 processor. Its battery life is rated at 12 hours, and it’s got plenty of built-in ports so you don’t need an external dock to connect peripherals or displays.

If you love the warm orange glow of nixie tube clocks, Millclock makes a variety of them. In addition to their more accessible models, they now sell the ZIN-70 series, which has the largest nixie tubes available, with each of its handmade tubes measuring 4″ tall. Techmoan got to test out this impressive timepiece.

Japanese gadget retailer Thanko is crowdfunding this machine that not only produces nature sounds, but simulates a crackling fire using LED lights and aromatic mist. In addition to fire, its soothing sounds include wind, rain, thunder, waves, birds, and insects, which you can mix in any combination using its volume sliders.

Marshall applies their signature amp design to a speaker that’s small enough to carry in one hand. The Willen Bluetooth speaker has a 2″ full-range driver and two passive radiators for rich sounds and runs for up to 15h per charge. It’s IP67 dust- and water-resistant and has a rubber strap for mounting. Available in black or cream.

This unique keyboard has LEGO-compatible studs all over it so that you can attach building blocks and Minifigures. Even its mechanical keys are studded, so you can mix and match its 8-bit style keycaps or LEGO parts. It’s got RGB backlighting and both wired and wireless modes. Early bird pre-orders can save $70 off the MSRP.

Keep your phone juiced up in your car and without wires. This easy-to-install accessory plugs into one of your car’s USB ports and clips onto an air vent. Its grippers hold a variety of phones while charging any Qi-compatible smartphone. Save 31% in The Awesomer Shop.

There’s nothing worse than plugging in your charging cable to find its connector is damaged. ChubbyCable solves this problem with an innovative connector that can smoothly rotate 180 degrees, while a thick silicone jacket prevents kinks. Its tip also lights up while charging. Available in USB-C, Lightning, and Micro-USB versions.

In the 1980s, Audio-Technica sold a portable record player called the Sound Burger. Now it’s back, with Bluetooth connectivity and a USB-C charging port. It can play 33-1/3 and 45 RPM LPs and singles using a spring mechanism that maintains pressure between the stylus and the record. A 60th-anniversary limited edition.

We’ve seen some unique clocks and timers, but this is the first time we’ve seen one that displays time using the kind of metal filings you’d find in a Wooly Willy toy. B.B. Korry created this electromechanical clock which uses a grid of electromagnets to attract and release iron filings to count down seconds. It’s really loud, though.

This convenient device charger can juice up two devices at once via its USB ports, plus it has two AC outlets and a ledge for holding your phone on top. In addition, it has a built-in nightlight on the bottom. We suggest keeping one in your suitcase for travel too.

When it comes to melding design with audio quality, it doesn’t get much better than Bang & Olufsen. This cylindrical Bluetooth speaker sounds fantastic, with deep bass and 360º audio. It runs for up to 27 hours on a charge, is IP67-rated dustproof and waterproof, and its anodized aluminum shell resists scratches.

There are many faster ways to get around than walking, but Shift Robotics wants to improve that too. Their Moonwalkers shoes let you walk naturally while increasing your speed up to 250%. They’re far beyond ordinary roller skates, with the smarts to move with your gait and to stop naturally. You can even climb stairs in them.

LEDclaw makes all kinds of geeky lights, including this wall light inspired by an Xbox game controller. The 20″ W x 14.5″ H light is made from wood and cast acrylic and is backlit with colorful LEDs. They also make some cool lights based on floppy disks and cassette tapes.

Engineer Linus Akesson shows off his typing and musical skills with a performance of Bach’s Prelude from Partita No. 3 on old Commodore 64 computers, along with a 1541 floppy drive which makes sounds with its motors. Stick around to the end of the video or visit his blog for details on the project.