Archive for the ‘Happy Mutants’ Category

Animated electronic zombie head that drinks the blood that oozes out of its eyesocket

Frank sez, “Looking for a Halloween decoration? Place this on your table and watch it pump blood from around an eye socket, flowing into the mouth, of the undead!

This Zombie Head measures 7 inches tall and it runs on standard 120v power source with an indoor adaptor. No doubt an eye-popping for your guests with this gruesome Eyeball Fountain.”

I can’t believe they’re trying to sell this without a video of the head in action! Also: does it make gurgling, sucking, choking noises as it drinks its own blood? It says, “uses tap water,” but can you put in other stuff? Rum? Chocolate? Kaopectate? Blood? Also: could you fit it with a small digital clock and a lamp so you could keep it on the bedstand?

Spinning Eyeball Fountain

Better link: Spinning Eyeball Fountain

(Thanks, Frank!)

Update:video here — Thanks, Fester88!

Digital Open Winner: teen creates a robot shop

(Download MP4 video or Watch on YouTube, or view with subtitles on Dotsub).

Institute for the Future teamed up with Sun Microsystems and Boing Boing Video to co-host the Digital Open, an online tech expo for teens 17 and under around the world.

In today’s episode, you’ll meet Brennon Williams, a teen from Hillsborough, CA, who created an online robotics store for beginners:

The BW Science Labs Store is an idea I’ve had for a while now, but it has taken a lot of work to get it up and running. There is currently 1 kit available, the Vivus the Robot kit. I”ve seen a lot of those really low-quality $20 robots where you clap your hands and they twitch, and I’ve seen $400 robots with a great deal of functionality. I wanted to make something in between, and that’s exactly what Vivus is. During prototyping I wanted to make a “real robot”, one that was autonomous and could truly act on its own, while trying to keep the cost down as well. 

Brennon cited Maker Faire and Make Magazine as inspirations for his work, and you can see why! Read more about the youth competition in IFTF’s press release announcing Digital Open winners.

XKCD: the limits of anti-static wrist-strap protection

Today’s XKCD webcomic examines the limits of protection offered by the talismanic anti-static wrist strap that RAM companies send you with your purchase.

Static