Jul 07
Jul 07
Jul 07
Living life in the fast lane is more often than not what most of us envision these days. After all, we were brought up with the kind of thinking that things need to get done fast and in an accurate manner, leaving no room for mistakes and the weak to thrive. Having said that, whenever we get older, life does indeed slow down – a whole lot more for some than others. The pace of technology might continue at a breakneck speed, but some of us prefer a slower paced life, and I guess this is where the $169.95 Slow Playback Answering Machine Telephone comes in handy.
The Slow Playback Answering Machine Telephone happens to be a regular telephone but with its fair share of features – it boasts of an integrated answering machine that will play back messages slowly so that the listener can catch every single word spoken. All calls as well as messages will remain loud and clear, courtesy of the telephone’s powerful amplifier which will be able to increase the call and message volume up to 50 dB, while adjusting the tone for optimal clarity. Whenever you press the Slow button, it will decrease the speed of messages by up to 50%, and there are also bright visual ring lights on the base and handset to inform you of incoming calls, a talking caller ID and call-waiting functions. Sounds like something your grandparents might like to have, no?
[ Slow Playback Answering Machine Telephone copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
Jul 07
James Bond’s Lotus Esprit Submarine Car to Be Auctioned off: More Than Meets the Spy
Posted in: Today's ChiliThe tenth James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me will forever stand out as the movie that had the submarine car in it. Now you can own part of pop culture history: RM Auctions will be putting the bizarre underwater vehicle up for grabs this September. If you’re more of a Transformers fan, think of it as an Autobot that only has alternate modes. Eh? Eh? Sold you with that bit didn’t I?
The submarine was based on the 1976 Lotus Esprit, which was Bond’s signature ride in The Spy Who Loved Me. Apparently the prop makers built different models for the famous transformation scene, which you’ll see in the video below courtesy of YouTuber Maccastreisfan.
RM Auctions will be selling the fully transformed submarine model. According to Lotus Esprit World, the submarine has four fixed fins and four propellers with steering vanes. Apparently it even shoots projectiles. So yeah, it’s a real working sub. The downside? It barely works. It has no brakes and has horrible visibility because its windows are sealed. Obviously it doesn’t transform into a car, much less a Lotus Esprit.
Of course moviegoers didn’t care that the sub was actually a lemon. The movie did very well and Lotus made bank off of the publicity. According to BBC, RM Auctions estimates that the car will fetch around $760,000 (USD). Expensive. Too expensive. Especially when you can get an Esprit that actually drives for about 8% of that.
[via Werd, Lotus Esprit World & BBC]
Jul 07
A life of small-time crime is difficult enough as it is; the pay’s not great, the cops are on your case, your conscience flares up. But one particularly dim bulb in Somerset, England made things even harder on himself by robbing a man who installs IT cameras for a living. Whoops!
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Jul 07
The original streaming box is being put out of its misery; Microsoft’s MSN TV—née WebTV—is shutting
Posted in: Today's ChiliThe original streaming box is being put out of its misery; Microsoft’s MSN TV—née WebTV—is shutting down at the end of September. It will be missed, but not too much, because no one has used it in at least a decade. [AllThingsD]
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Jul 07
I just recently had a custom arcade cabinet built for my basement. And while it’s totally awesome, mine has a classic arcade style to it. Had I known that having one built to look like an old Soviet MiG fighter jet was an option, though, I might have at least considered it.
This MiG-23 inspired arcade cabinet was recently made by Radek Michalowski. He was inspired to build it having lived just a few feet away from the gate of the 28th PLM (fighter air regiment) in Redzikowo, Poland. The cabinet is numbered 846 in tribute to the MiG-23 his friend’s father once flew.
The build is really something special, with a metal and rivet skin reminiscent of old airplanes (or some of the cooler furniture from Restoration Hardware). Radek doesn’t provide any details on the system inside the cabinet, only that it runs MAME – and it’s clear fromt the pictures that it’s got dual arcade sticks and real arcade buttons. Though it might have been even better with a pair of flight sticks.
If you’re interested in the MiG-23 arcade cabinet, head on over to Etsy, where it’s for sale for €2500 (~$3288 USD).
Jul 07
How Batman Takes a Selfie
Posted in: Today's Chili
Let’s face it; no one takes better pictures of themselves than superheroes getting ready for a poster. But how do they get the perfect set-up every time? Like this.
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Jul 07
It took two months for Solar Impulse, the little solar-powered plane that could, to make it from Washington state to New York’s JFK airport. Two months of 45mph speeds, multiple stopovers, and cursing at clouds. But after surviving all that time and distance, the flight’s triumphant finale was cut short by a torn wing.
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Jul 07
Its been a while since I potty trained my daughter, and from what I can recall it was a rather simple one day event. We told her that big girls go in the potty and that if she wasn’t a big girl and mommy couldn’t teach her to use the toilet, then the “potty patrol” would come to the house and bring her to potty school. Done and done. She used the potty from then on, and before you write letters… we have in fact saved enough money both for college AND the 1000 hours of therapy she will probably need from the whole potty patrol thing.
Think of the savings however, if only we had the Potty Monkey. Forget boring books, dad’s car magazines or newspapers, the Potty Monkey was designed by a pediatric urologist and promises to be a very successful toilet training option. Potty Monkey is comprised of an adorable plush monkey that will talk and educate your child every time he is placed on his tiny flushing toilet and he has a 30 and 90 minute timer to remind your child that it might just be time to GO.
So while I can say with conviction that the “potty patrol” scenario definitely works, the Potty Monkey may just be your better option. The kit comes with 2 books, one for parents to learn all about the mechanics of potty training, and the other, a board book, is all about Potty Monkey and his potty chair and cool new underpants. Potty Monkey is available at Amazon.com for under 30 bucks, which is much, much cheaper than therapy, dont you think?
[ Potty Monkey – Toilet Training Buddy for Kids copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
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