Brodmann Blades reimagine the ping pong paddle as a glove that straps onto your hand. The manufacturer claims the ergonomic design delivers better ball control, more spin, and a stronger backhand. Each set includes two paddles, four balls, wristbands, and a carrying case.
The WikiReader was a single-purpose handheld that stored 3 million Wikipedia articles on an SD card, featuring a monochrome touchscreen, AAA batteries lasting a year, and full offline browsing. At $99, it offered portable encyclopedia access without internet connectivity.
Raytheon and Motion Reality have developed a wireless battlefield training system that trains up to twelve soldiers simultaneously. Participants wear VR goggles and shock vests that deliver jolts when hit and simulate flash bang blindness during IED-clearing and small unit combat scenarios.
The Dyson Air Multiplier Fan defies logic: it's a ring around a hole, yet it blows air like a champ. By pulling air through its base and amplifying it 15 times through an annular aperture, this bladeless wonder pushes 118 gallons per minute—quietly, safely, and stylishly—for $300–$330.
The Eigenharp Alpha is a wild electronic instrument that combines piano, woodwind, and percussion functions into one upright rig. With 120 multi-function keys, breath control, percussion pads, and limitless sounds, this $5,800 professional tool lets musicians play, loop, sequence, and layer—all from a single futuristic device.
This anti-date rape lip gloss includes test strips that detect common spiking drugs like Ketamine and GHB. Dab the strip in your drink and it turns blue if roofies are present. Available in five variants, it's discreet, easy to carry, and functions as a real lip plumper too.
KUKA's RoboSim 4D Simulator is a theme park attraction that seats two passengers in a carbon fiber sphere attached to a giant robotic arm. With six axes of motion, HD video, audio, and computer-controlled wind, it delivers unprecedented movement and immersive simulation at Epcot's Innoventions Pavilion.
These Japanese-designed slippers fold completely flat when unhooked, slipping into laptop bags or tight luggage spaces. A single foam slab with clever cuts creates functional footwear via a simple stud closure, though the orange and green designs are admittedly horrid-looking.
This innovative door hinge eliminates the dangerous gap between door and jamb where fingers get crushed. The Finger Hinge uses rotating mesh segments that keep the space filled during opening, rotating 90 degrees both ways and even supporting electronic automation for commercial or home use.
This clever prototype turns ordinary room dividers into a multi-functional furniture system. Four oak-framed panels with rollable textile blinds can configure into a divider, clothing rack, makeshift room, retro phone booth, or even a horizontal trunk depending on your needs.
Quoc Pham's Fixed Shoe solves the cyclist's office dilemma with hand-made footwear that looks formal enough for a suit but features a stiff rubber sole and reinforced lacing for effective pedaling. Available in five colorways, these leather cycling dress shoes retail for £90 and bridge the gap between performance and professional style.
Why choose between grooming and tech when you can have both? This USB Comb packs a 2GB flash drive into the handle of a classic barber's comb, letting you tame your pompadour and save files with the same pocket-sized tool.
Bad Ass Golf Carts created The Royal Cart, a one-off custom golf cart disguised as a shrunken Hummer H3. This $55,000 beast features 35mph speed, five TVs, a massive sound system with dual 12-inch woofers, club lighting, and remote-controlled everything for a private island client.
Honda unveiled the EV-Cub at the 2010 Tokyo Motor Show, a slim electric motorcycle with separate motors powering each wheel for enhanced traction. The concept promised easier handling for new riders and vehicle-to-vehicle communication, but the production bike never materialized despite Honda's end-of-year launch promise.
This Barcelona-made distilling machine extracts scented oils from plant leaves so you can bottle your own original fragrances. With its copper tubes, borosilicate glass components, and walnut base, the Missisippi Distiller looks like something from a mad scientist's lab and works like a professional perfumery tool.
Weekend projects just got more refreshing. This novelty hammer hides a functional bottle opener on its steel head, so you can pop caps between tasks. The strike face doubles as an ice crusher, and at under three bucks, it's the ultimate gag gift for tool-belt-wearing beer lovers.
This tabletop shooting arena lets you take out brain-eating zombies with a laser assault rifle as they pop from windows in a mechanical building facade. The faster you shoot, the faster they come. Includes LED kill counter and runs on 9 AA batteries.
Stanley Kubrick's legendary unfilmed Napoleon project lives on in a stunning ten-volume collector's edition. Limited to 1,000 numbered copies at $700 each, this TASCHEN set archives two years of pre-production work including over 15,000 location photographs, 17,000 historical slides, costume studies, and Kubrick's own correspondence about the abandoned masterpiece.
This novelty headwear is shaped exactly like tighty-whities but sized for your skull. The Undercap is a 95% cotton, 5% spandex brief that sits under hats, wigs, or ski caps to keep them dry and comfortable—or you can wear it solo as a hilariously odd statement piece for under twelve bucks.
Norfolk Southern has unveiled the NS 999, a prototype locomotive powered entirely by batteries instead of diesel. The zero-emissions train runs on 1,080 lead-acid batteries, delivers 1,500 horsepower, and operates for 24 hours on a single two-hour charge using regenerative braking technology.
The Solé Power Tile brings solar energy to your roof without the eyesore. Designed to look like traditional dark blue clay tiles, these flexible panels generate power while maintaining your home's curb appeal and neighborhood association approval.
These vertical gaming towers are designed to look like the consoles they store. The Xbox Generations Gaming Tower holds a 360 console, 16 games, four controllers, and a guitar peripheral. The Wii Aspect Gaming Tower offers similar storage configured for Nintendo's system. Both are made from recyclable plastic resin and ship unassembled for $59.99.
Carrying a surfboard on a bike usually sounds awkward, but ACG Surf Racks solve it with overhead T-bar mounts that bolt to your bicycle frame. The system keeps boards secure on top, improves visibility to drivers, and even provides shade on hot rides to the beach.
To mark the 20th anniversary of the Berlin Wall's fall, Royal De Luxe staged an extraordinary open-air performance featuring two giant marionette puppets navigating the city's streets. Up to 1.5 million spectators watched Big Giant and Little Giantess reunite after being separated by metaphorical monsters.
Haruyama Trading developed business suits coated with titanium dioxide that purportedly break down and eliminate H1N1 virus upon contact. The suits look like standard office wear, retain protection after washing, and launched in Japan during the swine flu outbreak at $580 each.
A fan-made Law & Order coloring book features illustrated scenes of Detectives Curtis and Briscoe, Lt. Van Buren, and ADA Jack McCoy. The 19-season crime drama gets the quirky coloring book treatment with puzzle games, mazes, and connect-the-dots alongside colorless courtroom and investigation scenes.
Nissan's Land Glider concept features a computer-controlled steering system that leans the entire chassis during turns, mimicking a motorcycle's motion. The ultra-narrow electric vehicle fits one driver and a single rear passenger in a futuristic cabin with a flight yoke instead of a steering wheel.
