This clip-on chromatic tuner from Planet Waves reads vibrations through a piezo transducer to help you tune guitars, basses, and other stringed instruments. The backlit LCD glows red when out of tune and green when you hit the right note—perfect for noisy venues or dark stages where tuning by ear isn't an option.
This deceptive umbrella looks ordinary but packs the striking force of a steel pipe. Made from durable ABS composite, the 775-gram Unbreakable Umbrella shields you from rain and potential attackers alike, offering discreet self-defense that won't raise eyebrows on your daily commute.
This miniature robot is built from a modified toothbrush fitted with a motor. Adjust the motor position to control direction—straight, circles, left, right, or chaotic zigzags. At $9.99, it's a quirky desktop companion or DIY starter project that comes with batteries and decorative wires.
This stainless steel bottle opener uses a unique fulcrum design to remove caps by lifting or pushing with almost no force required. Weighing 0.64 lbs and looking right at home with your wrench set, it's the perfect garage companion for tuning cars and cracking cold ones.
This German-made pocket knife masquerades as an ordinary key on your keychain, hiding a tiny flip-out blade along its edge. No larger than a standard key, it handles package opening, splinter removal, and other daily cutting tasks without the bulk of a traditional multi-tool.
These DIY papercraft speaker kits let you fold and glue your own miniature retro sound system. Choose from three nostalgic designs—vintage cabinet, 80s boom box, or bookshelf stereo—each under six inches. The 1W USB-powered mono speaker connects to any PC or MP3 player for $35.
Remote Buddy is a tabletop organizer that tracks up to four remotes using color-coded receivers and audible chimes. Press the corresponding button and follow the sound to your missing remote. Includes four slots, detachable cup holder, and receivers with adhesive backing for other frequently-lost household items.
This belt-mounted polymer holster promises cowboy-fast flashlight draws for campers and night workers. It accommodates three common torch sizes, includes a spare battery chamber, rotates for different carry angles, and costs just $17.
AMD announced Eyefinity technology for their new ATI Radeon graphics cards with DirectX 11, enabling users to connect six monitors in a 3x2 configuration for a single unified display with an incredible 7,680 x 3,200 pixel resolution.
The iPod Nano 5G stepped into the mini-camcorder arena with 640x480 video recording, a built-in mic, and FM tuner. Sporting a polished aluminum finish and compact design, it packed media playback, voice recording, and a pedometer into an 8GB or 16GB device starting at $150.
Korean designer Sungho Lee embedded a LED panel into a clothespin, creating a versatile clip-anywhere light. Attach it to book pages for nighttime reading, clip it to your shirt while cycling, or fasten it to tree leaves for backyard illumination. Unfortunately, it's only a design concept and not yet available for purchase.
Forged from a salvaged railroad spike, the Beer Defense Tool combines a bottle opener with a spike hook for the territorially minded drinker. Rough-hewn, rust-pitted, and wonderfully ridiculous, it's a one-off piece that looks like it emerged from a century-old forge and doubles as conversation starter.
The APSI C100 breaks the PND mold with a two-part design: a permanent GPS dock mounted in your car and a removable touchscreen handheld that doubles as a media player. Slip it in for full navigation with 3D mapping, pull it out to carry your music and videos.
Czech modder Zbyšek transformed his desktop PC into a miniature kitchen stove, complete with LED-lit cooktops that simulate gas burners, an oven door revealing the PC internals, and a bottom drawer housing a DVD drive. The entirely hand-welded custom case proves desktop PCs don't have to look like ugly boxes.
Japanese supplier Crafthouse has released two articulated five-finger robot hand sets for hobby robots. The premium God Hands ($1,935) are hand-assembled and fragile, while the sturdier Melissa Hand Type-1 ($645) suits 50cm robots. Both require separate servo motors and offer opening-closing motion.
This quirky USB dongle plugs into your laptop and emits an ultrasonic frequency that repels mosquitos within a 1.5-meter radius. No sprays, no lotions—just plug it in and work outdoors in peace. At under six bucks, it's a cheap solution for café warriors in mosquito country.
The PS3 won't play nice with standard universal remotes because it uses Bluetooth instead of infrared. The Blu-Link solves this by handling both protocols in one device, controlling your PlayStation 3 and up to six other home theater components without juggling multiple remotes.
Designer Sarah Dery's coffin-shaped mousetrap hides deceased mice inside a cardboard casket for mess-free disposal. The flip-top coffin conceals the trap and any gore, revealing only a telltale tail through a hole when successful. Perfect for Halloween decor or the rodent sympathizer in your life.
ThinkGeek has resurrected the slide rule, the mechanical analog calculator that math nerds used before pocket calculators existed. This 12.5-inch faithful recreation handles multiplication, division, squares, roots, logarithms, and trig functions. It's hand-tooled, currently the only slide rule in production, and comes with instructions for curious retro-tech enthusiasts.
The Penguin Home Soda Maker turns tap water into custom carbonated drinks in 30 seconds flat. Perfect for gamers and homebodies who'd rather stay in than make late-night store runs, it comes with two carbonators and glass carafes for endless fizzy refreshment.
The Sony ICF-CL75iP Dream Machine transforms the humble alarm clock into a nightstand entertainment hub. Featuring a 7-inch display, retractable iPod dock, built-in speakers, and 1GB storage, it plays videos, music, and photos while waking you with radio, nature sounds, or personal voice recordings.
The US Army's inaugural Robotic Rodeo brought together 40 vendors showcasing autonomous military robots at Fort Hood, Texas. From the R-Gator cargo bot to Archer's hybrid transport, these machines clear explosives and ferry equipment—though none yet match Robocop's crime-fighting prowess.
Traditional mousetraps leave a gruesome mess. The Victor Mousetrap electrocutes rodents cleanly and stores up to 10 mice in a concealed chamber. Its shock-sensing plates eliminate pests instantly while keeping all wiring safely inaccessible to curious critters.
Mavic's EZ-Ride Evolve pedals solve foot-slipping with an unusual approach: magnets. The pedal's center magnet locks into a recessed area in matching cycling shoes, keeping feet firmly planted without cleats or toe-clips. Pedals run $60, shoes another $90.
The Drawdio electronic pencil kit uses graphite's conductive properties to create synthesized sounds while you draw. Touch your sketch with one hand, doodle with the other, and generate buzzing electronic noise. This unassembled DIY kit includes all components plus a pencil for $17.50.
Designer Ken Goldman welded a meat mallet head to a thick ring, creating a finger-worn tenderizer that lets you pound steak with your fist. Armed with dull spikes, it works like any meat pounder but doubles as tough-guy kitchen bling. Sadly, it's a one-off design concept.
Nokia unveiled the Booklet 3G mini-laptop with impressive specs: 12-hour battery, 10.1-inch display, aluminum body, and full connectivity including 3G HSPA, WiFi, and Bluetooth. The sleek Windows 7 netbook featured an Atom processor and premium build quality at a hefty €575 price point.
