Hasta La Gadget!

While I’m sure some of you out there really enjoy hunting, it’s not really for me. Now don’t get me wrong – I can eat meat, wear leather and shoot guns with the best of them. I just don’t really have the stomach for the hands-on killing part. So while real hunters might like animal head trophies lining their walls, I much prefer these more humane wall trophies.

These 3D-printed animal heads were designed by DotSan, and come in a variety of wild animal forms, including tigers, elephants, deer, rhinos and zebras. Each one is based on an abstract 3D model of the animal’s head, deconstructed down to just its wireframe.

And if you’d rather go with something even cuddlier, you could always opt for one of DotSan’s 3D-printed kitties.

The animals can be had in sizes ranging from under 3-inches-tall for around $15 to $20(USD) all the way up to a massive 20-inch-tall deer for over $1700. The mid-sized versions are the best deal, with prices around $20 to $30 for an 6-inch-tall critters and just under $40 for a 11-inch-tall sculpture. The 4-inch-tall kittehs sell for about $16 each.

You can check out DotSan’s full menagerie of 3D-printed animals over on Shapeways.

Sometimes, the right accessories make a person’s outfit come alive. Other times, it’s the accessories being worn that’s actually alive, and that’s the case with Cecilia Valentine’s “Fur is Alive” series.

Her pieces are composed of bulky but hollow 3D-printed pieces that look plain on their own. If they might remind you of animal cages, then you’re spot on, because they were actually designed with that purpose in mind.

Cecilia’s pieces might seem trivial, but they’re really not, because they were conceptualized with a strong message. On her website, she explains that the conceptual line “examines the exploitation of animals in fashion” and was not meant to be worn. She adds:

The designs incorporate living animals in an attempt to harness the true beauty of natural forms in a way that exposes the harsh reality of the fur industry, which is still widely accepted despite years of controversy. Fur is meant to be alive, and murdering an animal for the sake of design or beauty should never be tolerated.

In case you’re wondering, the bird was edited into the photo, while the hamster was “given many treats in return for his help.” Neat-o, and I definitely agree with Cecilia’s stand on the fur industry.

[via inhabitat via Neatorama]

How’s this for a two-for-one deal: Your cat is going to have a blast, and you get a geeky DIY project. Your mission: To create a cat-friendly model of the Enterprise and/or a Romulan Bird of Prey.

It’s the perfect excuse to name your cat Spot and put some Data makeup on for the ultimate cosplay. You know that Data would have this in his quarters for Spot if he hadn’t been so busy with all of his adventures.

See how it was built step-by-step over at Instructables. It seems like a fairly easy build for anyone who has a cat and a love of Star Trek. If I had two cats, I would build both and let them pretend to battle each other.

[via The Mary Sue]

While your cat might already have a sofa, dogs shouldn’t feel left out from your living room much longer. While you certainly can let your pooch up on the couch and sit on your lap or cushions, I’m sure some of you prefer to keep the dog hair away from where our guests sit. The Dog House Sofa helps alleviate this problem – assuming your dog isn’t too big.

Created by Korea’s mpup, this dog-friendly oak wood and fabric couch provides a special cubby on the side for your dog to nap in. While it doesn’t prevent your dog from jumping on the main part of the couch, it does give them a place of their own to chill out – or go when they need a time-out.

It also doesn’t hurt that it’s a good looking modern couch that should fit nicely into many decors.

There’s no word on if you can get the Dog House Sofa shipped outside of Korea, but you can find more pics and information on the sofa over on the mpup website.

This robot ape from the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI) could be considered a cross between a humanoid and a quadruped. Most of the time it moves around on four limbs, but it can stand up on its hind legs too.

Gentlemen, we now have a fully functional and operational robot ape. This can’t end well. Prepare for Planet of the Robot Apes when they take over.

The robot ape part of a project called iStruct, which is focused on improving robotic mobility. But that doesn’t really matter. ROBOT APE!

Hopefully they can contain this thing before it grabs your Princess and start throwing barrels at you.

[via iEEE Spectrum]