Awesome Tech

Digital clocks typically use LCD or LED screens to display the time. The Rantoge clock uses electro-mechanical components instead. Each digit on the clock is made from a set of flat metal segments, flipped into place using motorized levers. The DIY clock kit blew through its funding goal on Japan’s Machi-Ya crowdfunding site and is heading into production now.

After Matty Benedetto got his hands on a large-bed Creality 3D printer, he wanted to create something that could only be made on such a device. His plan? Create a life-size sculpture of himself that greets visitors when they come to his studio. It took a lot of time and filament to produce his plastic avatar, but the result was worth it.

No matter how much we’ve wanted one, Mattel never made a real-world Hoverboard like the one in Back to the Future II. JLaserVideo built a working hoverboard that can float a couple of inches off the ground. After exploring various kinds of levitation technology and their limitations, he settled on a design that works like an upside-down air hockey table.

This retro-inspired bluetooth speaker from Bumpboxx looks like a gigantic cassette tape in the shape of a boombox. It has two 5.25″ mid-bass drivers and four 2″ tweeters, and its amplifier outputs up to 175 watts and it comes with a wireless mic for karaoke sessions. It comes in white, red, yellow, neon blue, black, and magenta.

Do you love the image quality of your old 35 MM camera? This gadget lets you take advantage of analog optics but captures images digitally. The I’m Back Film adds a Sony digital image sensor in the light path of 35 MM cameras and snaps in where a film cartridge usually goes. An electronics and battery pack attaches to the bottom of the camera.

The term “chatbot” is typically associated with those frustrating customer service AI gatekeepers before chatting with a real human. But in the case of this Boston Dynamics’ Spot robot, the chatbot has four legs and can walk. Engineers from the robotics company used ChatGPT and other AI models to enable Spot to answer questions and act as a tour guide.

This palm-size printer makes quick work of labeling cables, circuit breakers, parts drawers, and more. It uses thermal printing, so it never needs ink and can print text, QR codes, and bar codes on dozens of different label styles, including transparent ones. Its labels are waterproof and peel off without leaving a mess.

The fastest car we’ve ever experienced was a dragster that launched from 0 to 60 mph in about two seconds. Tom Scott got behind the wheel of AMZ Racing’s Mythen, an electric vehicle that holds the world record for EV acceleration – 0 to 100 km/h in a mindblowing 0.956 seconds. Tom didn’t quite hit that number, but he still accelerated insanely fast.

This beast of a Bluetooth speaker kicks out monster sound via a pair of 72-watt continuous Class-D amplifiers. It can achieve volume levels up to 121 dB and runs for up to 10 hours at max volume and 40 hours at medium volume. Its 10″ woofer produces room-shaking bass in concert with its Bass Enhancer function.

This small round table is a great spot for drinks or a lantern while camping or tailgating, and you can use it at home, too. It’s got folding legs and a carrying handle, along with a built-in wireless charging pad, stereo Bluetooth speakers, ambient lighting, and a 20000 mAh battery pack so you can use it without plugging in.

Divoom’s funky-looking Times Gate gadget puts five tiny, programmable displays on your desktop. Each 128×128 resolution screen can display widgets like news, stock information, social media follower counts, and pixel art animations. It also offers a multi-screen digital clock.

Dissatisfied with the bass response of his off-the-shelf subwoofer, maker BigWR got to work retrofitting its speaker and amplifier into a new cabinet. He extended its acoustic chamber using angled sections of PVC drain pipe and assembled them inside of an acrylic cube. We’re not sure it sounds better because of the distortion, but it sure looks amazing.

The MSG Sphere in Las Vegas has quickly become one of the world’s most talked-about attractions. Inspired by its enormous LED display surface, DrZzs & GrZzs thought making a replica of the digital wonder would be fun. Their 8-foot diameter backyard mini-sphere has 20,028 RGB LED pixels and is driven by a Kulp 32 controller and xLights software.

The makers of the HyperCube infinity light are back with two new conversation pieces. The app-controlled HyperHedra and HyperPyramid are triangular mirrored structures illuminated with hundreds of colorful LEDs inside. Thanks to their angled frames, the 11″ tetrahedron and 15″ pyramid produce even more kaleidoscopic patterns than the cubes.

During MAX 2023, Adobe showed off Project Primrose, a groundbreaking technology for fashion and interior design. Researcher Christine Dierk modeled an awe-inspiring dress that can change patterns instantly. Based on her research paper with TJ Rhodes and Gavin Miller, it use LCD reflective, non-emissive light-diffuser modules to change state electronically.

This pocket-sized musical instrument from MicroKits is an analog synthesizer shaped like a cassette tape. It has a touch-sensitive 13-key keypad, which you can connect to other objects (like bananas) to turn them into keys. It’s got a built-in 1-watt speaker, a headphone jack, and controls for pitch, volume, octave shift, and a vibrato effect.