This bizarre 1952 Japanese police gadget combined a 16mm camera with a pistol form factor, complete with flash system and magnesium cartridges. Officers used the DORYU 2-16 to photograph criminals in the act and document protestors, though it ultimately failed as police equipment and few units survive today.
Asus announced the EeeBox EB1012, a pint-sized nettop claiming real 1080p HD video and 5.1-channel surround sound. Powered by a dual-core Atom N330 and Nvidia Ion graphics, the ultra-compact HTPC packed 4GB RAM, 250GB HDD, and full connectivity in a 40W box.
Yoostar's home green-screen kit promised to put anyone into iconic movie scenes from Rocky to Mad Men. Using a webcam, green screen backdrop, and automated software, users could film themselves and share their performances online—no editing experience required.
David Forbes spent thousands building the world's crappiest TV for Burning Man. The SatanVision features painfully low 128x96 resolution, extra-dim red LEDs, non-uniform display, and one intentional dead pixel. It includes a 1976 Pong chip and full DIY schematics for anyone brave enough to replicate this hellish display.
The Logitech Squeezebox Touch brings capacitive touchscreen control to desktop audio streaming. This Wi-Fi-connected player supports Pandora, Last.fm, internet radio, and nearly every audio format, all through a sleek 4.3-inch display without requiring a connected PC.
Swedish maker Hans Andersson programmed a Lego Mindstorms robot to scan Sudoku puzzles pixel by pixel, solve them using digit-recognition algorithms, and write the answers with impressive legibility. The rolling bot shows what's possible with toy robotics kits.
gScreen's Spacebook laptop prototype featured two full-sized 15.4-inch LCD screens that slid apart for over 30 inches of display real estate. With Core 2 Duo specs and discrete graphics, it promised desktop productivity anywhere—if you could handle lugging 12 pounds in your bag.
The Rodem reimagines wheelchair mobility with a scooter-like design that users can board unassisted from the rear. Developed by Veda International and Tmsuk, this four-wheeled prototype features motorcycle-style handles and joystick steering, though no commercial release is planned yet.
These Shredder Scissors feature nine steel blades bolted together to slice paper, cards, and receipts into confetti with one cut. Perfect for home document disposal without buying a full shredder, they handle like regular scissors but deliver serious shredding power for under twenty bucks.
The BookArc transforms your MacBook into a vertical desktop tower setup. Made of heavy gauge steel with silicone cushions, it holds any modern MacBook upright while connected to external displays, freeing up desk space and improving graphics performance by dedicating full video memory to one screen.
MIT engineers developed synthetic fish that glide through water with lifelike movements, using flexible polymer bodies and only 10 internal parts. The 5-to-8-inch robots swim like bass or tuna and are designed to monitor pipelines and sunken ships in areas inaccessible to humans.
The Duo was a two-part system that turned regular PC displays into touchscreens. A USB base station clipped to your monitor while an infrared-tracked pen let you draw, navigate, and mark up documents like a tablet user—all for $120 instead of a thousand-dollar slate.
Asus unveiled the uBoom Series, sound-bar style notebook speakers with an unusual sausage-like form factor. The lineup includes the 24-watt uBoom and lighter uBoom Q, both touted as 50% smaller than average single-panel sound systems. They connect via USB and feature auxiliary inputs, though no pricing or release details were provided.
A maker built a custom 24×18×24-inch arcade cabinet into their kitchen counter using MDF, a spare Windows XP PC, and a 17-inch LCD. It runs NES emulators, accepts original controllers via USB and NES ports, and includes wireless internet for checking recipes between rounds of retro gaming.
The Laptop Case Against Crime hides your laptop in plain sight by disguising it as a folded newspaper. Made from plastic fabric with full-color European newspaper prints, it includes a removable chain and ziplock closure—a stealthy deterrent for opportunistic thieves eyeing your backseat.
Concert Hands is a piano tutoring device that guides you through songs using haptic feedback on your wrists and fingers. Upload a MIDI file, wear the wrist pilots and finger sleeves, and let the system pulse your fingers to play the right keys in sequence until you memorize the song.
Cloud Telecomputers reimagined the office desk phone by installing Android, an 8-inch touchscreen, and full app support. The Glass Platform promised Outlook integration, Bluetooth connectivity, and access to Android Marketplace, turning landline infrastructure into extensible workstations priced at $600-700.
Cleaning gutters is dirty, dangerous work. The iRobot Looj tackles the chore for you, self-propelling through channels while its 500 RPM auger breaks up clogs and tosses debris out. Waterproof and remote-controlled, it cleans 60 feet of gutter in 10 minutes.
Why should gamers have all the cool peripherals? The DJ Mouse from DJ Tech is a computer mouse that doubles as a DJ controller, featuring a multi-function jog wheel for mixing and scratching tracks loaded in your software. No extra equipment needed—just plug in and start spinning beats between spreadsheets.
The Callaway X-Force Swing Trainer weighs twice as much as a standard golf club to help you build 18-hole muscles and perfect your timing. Its built-in impact feature simulates striking a real ball, training you to fix poor follow-through, weak arms, and bad swings without expensive lessons.
Sketch four action scenes on the clear panel, slide it into this DIY LED box, and watch your drawings come to life as a looping animation. Using four alternating LED backlights and a simple rear-projection system, it turns stick-figure doodles into continuous cartoon reels you can erase and remake endlessly.
These Star Trek Tricorder-style media players from Ameralis Grafx replicate Next Generation designs across six models. Each features a 2.8-inch display, 8GB storage, twelve pre-loaded LCARS interface themes, authentic lights and sounds, and plays MP3/MP4/AVI files while you live out your starship fantasy.
Sony announced the PS3 Slim in 2009, a console 33 percent smaller and 36 percent lighter than the original. Priced at $299 for the 120GB model, it featured physical buttons, swappable storage, and quieter operation while maintaining full functionality.
Verbatim's InSight external hard drive combined sleek piano-black styling with a curved tray-like chassis and an always-on display that showed available storage. Available in 320GB and 500GB, it doubled as a conversation piece for the desk.
The ArKeg is an arcade cabinet that houses both a gaming PC and a five-gallon beer keg with tap. It comes loaded with 69 classic games, arcade controls, a 24-inch screen, and supports 55 different beer brands with delivery refills available.
This student-designed coffee table becomes a universal remote control for your living room. A ceiling camera captures your space in real-time; tap devices on the touchscreen tabletop to control volume, lighting, media, even the vacuum. Currently a $15,000 prototype aiming for consumer viability in five to ten years.
Splitfish is challenging the PS3 DualShock status quo with two alternative controller systems. The FragPro pairs a gaming mouse with a nunchuck for FPS precision, while the Evolution uses dual wireless nunchucks with accelerometers for sports and action titles. Both are now available for pre-order.
