Moscow-based Rusbal produces life-size inflatable replicas of tanks, jets, and missile launchers for the Russian Army. These blow-up decoys emit heat signatures, radar signals, and infra-red bands to fool spy satellites and drones, deploying in just four to five minutes.
Turn your iPhone or iPod into a personal canvas with iaPeel printable skins. These inkjet-compatible adhesive sheets let you create custom photo-quality designs that apply bubble-free and peel off without residue. Five sheets run $17.95, so you can swap looks whenever inspiration strikes.
This gyroscope-powered ball rolls in random directions whenever your dog tries to grab it, keeping treats tantalizingly out of reach. The 5.2-inch plastic sphere activates on contact and runs for 60 seconds, turning fetch into an automated exercise game that requires zero effort from you.
Taser International's new HEMI system delivers taser shocks via projectile fired from a standard grenade launcher, reaching targets almost 200 feet away. Pentagon-funded at $2.5 million, the technology triples the range of existing non-lethal options but raises safety concerns about high-velocity impact.
The KR Tools Autoloading Screwdriver eliminates the hunt for the right bit by storing six magnetic tips in one handle. Simply rotate the magazine to select your tip and pump-slide to load it. Comes in precision and classic size sets for household DIY work.
Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas—the largest cruise liner ever built—measures 1,200 feet long, stands 16 decks high, and holds 6,000 passengers. The 220,000-ton floating small town features seven themed neighborhoods including a central park, boardwalk, and aquatic amphitheater.
The TX Pilot Ghost Edition delivers a bold statement with its matte white finish covering every surface of this 47mm chronograph. Featuring dual retrograde display, four-hour flyback chronograph, and Luminova indices, this aviation-inspired timepiece trades subtlety for stunning visual impact at $525.
AIAIAI Lab's A-Stand fashions regular PVC plumbing pipes into a surprisingly hip laptop stand that raises your notebook to eye level. The modular design uses three long tubes, two short ones, and six elbow joints to create a functional ergonomic accessory that looks nothing like typical office gear.
Engineer Iain Sharp created a real-life version of Atari's 1979 Lunar Lander using a model on fishing line, paper mache terrain, salvaged printer motors, and two old PCs. The $800 build now lives at Southwold Pier, dispensing Apollo buttons to players who nail three consecutive landings.
Designer Ryan Harc created this award-winning concept that fits a pop-out LED bulb into a wallet-friendly card. It auto-illuminates when deployed and runs on a watch battery. Perfect for close-range light in tents or tight spaces, but sadly never made it to production.
Designer Maja Ganszyniec created Pocket Wall, a decorative wallpaper with integrated storage pockets and holes for holding documents, sunglasses, keys, and other everyday items. The concept piece offers a creative alternative to traditional shelving, though it's not yet commercially available.
These Italian stockings feature convincing tattoo designs printed on the calves, from peacock feathers to butterflies to an army of bats. Available in thigh-high and knee-high lengths in white or four body shades, they turn legs into walking art for twenty-three bucks a pair.
Ford is bringing an EcoBoost-powered 1934 Ford hot rod to SEMA that challenges conventional muscle car wisdom. The 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 produces 400 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque while delivering 20 percent better fuel economy than traditional V8 engines.
My Zombie Pin-Up offers twelve months of 50s-style pin-up photography with a gory undead twist. Each 12 x 12 full-gloss page blends vintage glamour with blood, guts, and zombie aesthetics—40% gross, 60% sexy, and a refreshing alternative to typical calendars.
A massive 240-square-meter reproduction of Da Vinci's Mona Lisa is now on display at Wales' Eagle's Meadow shopping center. Created collaboratively using 82 paint-by-numbers vinyl tiles, the artwork is 50 times larger than the original and open for the public to walk across.
AIDA (Affective Intelligent Driving Assistant) is a research project from MIT and Volkswagen that reimagines GPS as a social robot companion. It learns driving patterns, analyzes moods, and combines real-time traffic data to guide drivers—complete with expressive backlit eyes that may charm or irritate.
This lawn-mower-sized hovercraft glides over smooth surfaces at 15 mph, powered by gas and steered by weight shifts. It's restricted to concrete, mowed grass, or asphalt, weighs over 150 pounds, and carries a $14,000 price tag—a bulky taste of the future.
This wearable guitar shirt actually plays music when you wave the included magnetic pick over its fretboard graphic. It handles all major chords, comes with a belt-clip mini-amp, and ships with removable electronics for washing. At $29.99, it's the ultimate novelty for air guitar enthusiasts who want something real.
DeepDyve offers a cheaper alternative to buying expensive scientific papers outright. For 99 cents, researchers can rent access to any of 30 million journal articles for 24 hours through an in-browser reader, eliminating the need to pay $30 or more per title.
A Japanese team from Tokai University dominated this year's Global Green Challenge with their solar-powered Tokai Challenger, completing the 1,860-mile race in four days. The vehicle averaged 50.87 mph using Sharp's space-grade compound solar cells, breaking a Dutch winning streak.
Link Mugs are a set of three coffee mugs that attach to each other via side connectors, letting you carry them with two hands instead of using a tray. It's an amusing novelty for coffee lovers who enjoy making simple tasks unnecessarily theatrical.
A military helmet-mounted radar system under development can detect moving targets within 80 feet in any direction, even through fog, smoke, and complete darkness. The 2.5-pound Advanced Combat Helmet assembly offers soldiers full 360-degree awareness of their immediate vicinity.
More than a laptop bag, the Booq Viper Rush is a workspace-in-a-box. Its semi-rigid design holds your notebook plus accessories, then opens to create a stable lap desk with cooling bumpers and a strapped lid that serves as a backboard while you work on the go.
Real3D announced designer-inspired 3D glasses with interchangeable red-blue lenses that could swap with prescription ones. The Look3D line offered men's, women's, and kids' frames with scratch-resistant lenses supporting all 3D formats, planned for December 2010 release.
The Banks iQ dashboard computer transforms any vehicle—especially diesel trucks—into a high-tech command center. Beyond controlling aftermarket performance gear, it runs diagnostics, tracks real-time performance, plays media, and supports apps through its Windows CE platform and microSD/USB ports.
Nissan partnered with Japan's AIST to create a self-balancing personal mobility device smaller than a Segway. The prototype rolls on wheels via handlebar steering or splits into two motorized stilts you control by lifting your legs, maxing out at 5kph with no production plans announced.
New Jersey train enthusiast David Smith carved the world's smallest model train set from moldable plastic at an absurd 1:35,200 scale. The entire five-carriage set and oval track measure just 0.125 x 0.25 inches and cost £6 to build as a centerpiece for a model shop in his larger 1:220 scale layout.
