There’s little that excites us more than a DIY synth, but slapping an arcade-style joystick onto a fuzzy, glitchy, beeping analog monster practically pushes us over the edge. Synth-master Unearthed Circuits has combined four oscillators with various levels of pitch adjustment and come up with Drone Machine; the joystick individually mutes or activates each one.
The German patent office have rejected an application for a “killer chip” for political undesirables. The chip, which the Saudi inventor suggested would be useful for tracking terrorists, criminals, fugitives, illegal immigrants, political dissidents, domestic servants and foreigners overstaying their visas, consisted of not only a GPS transceiver but an optional capsule of cyanide that could be remotely administered.
Desk PC mods are relatively rare, but not unseen, but they generally aim to discretely hide the computer into the furniture. Popular Mechanics’ version, however, puts everything very much on show: a water-cooled Intel quad-core PC sandwiched inside clear acrylic and bolted to a custom aluminum frame.
Video reviews are tricky things: remembering the specifications, trying to cover all of your points, not standing in the way of the product or forgetting to show it at all. They’re even harder when you’re trying to record in something other than your native language, which is why I’m sparing a thought for this poor Polish guy and his attempt to compare the ASUS Eee PC 701 with a Polish NTT netbook.
Video review after the cut
Oster may be better known for their retro-styled blenders, but the company is attempting to claw its way into the 21st century with the launch of this, the Oster eLume Touchscreen blender. Topped by a 6-cup capacity glass, dishwasher-safe jug, the blender’s most obvious departure from tradition is the backlit touchscreen control panel.
It actually makes more than a little sense to use a touchscreen rather than rotary or push-button controls, before you accuse Oster of pandering to the latest interface fetish. Since the display is flat and crevice-free, it’s easy to wipe clean and keep free of old food that could present a future hygiene hazard.
Rarely do I have so much difficulty picking a screenshot from a video as I have with upcoming WiiWare game Muscle Koushinkyoko. Headed to the Japanese version of the download store, the game – the title of which translates to “Muscle March” – seems to involve running bodybuilders through buildings to rack up points.
Utterly bizarre video after the cut
We’re used to Tokyoflash watches being troublesome to decipher, but this Diesel DZ9044 may end up hurting your wrist, not your brain. Rather than put the dial on the front, Diesel have slipped four tiny watch-faces onto the left and right sides of the timepiece, meaning you may have to get used to bending your wrist every time you want to know if it’s almost lunchtime.
Is that a CAPS lock across your pocket, or are you just pleased to see me? The puns may be awful, but Zack Hoeken’s keyboard pants are just plain awesome. Seemingly crafted from an existing fabric keyboard that’s been split across the legs, they’re both geekily fashionable and fashionably usable.
Martin’s latest Jetpack demo video may not show the pilot reaching such lofty altitudes as Jetpack International managed, but their machine is a whole lot more impressive to look at. It’ll keep you aloft longer, too: flight-time for the Martin Jetpack is apparently around 30 minutes at 60mph.
Video demo after the cut
We obviously don’t advocate DIY violence here at SlashGear, but we do have a soft-spot for homemade coilguns with trick LED lighting and bulging capacitors. This particular beauty is the handiwork of Daniel Eindhoven, who spent around 40hrs and €100 putting together a semi-automatic gun capable of firing up to 14 shots at speeds up to 110km/h (68mph).
Chrome OS: Waiting Is The Hardest Part…Though Necessary
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Hey, Premium Notebooks or Netbooks, Get the Basics Right!
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