Hasta La Gadget!

The folks at PiFace – makers of hardware interfaces for the Raspberry Pi – wanted to make a camera rig that could create the bullet time effect popularized by The Matrix, but they didn’t want to spend thousands of dollars on cameras. Naturally their first instinct was to see if they could use the Raspberry Pi to make a cheaper alternative. To their surprise, their idea worked!

PiFace calls its rig the Frozen Raspberry Pi or Frozen Pi. It consists of 48 Raspberry Pis each with a Raspberry Pi Camera and a PiFace Control and Display interface, all mounted on a laser-cut wood frame. The computers are networked via Ethernet so they can be simultaneously triggered remotely and so that the pictures they take can be sent to a single computer. PiFace wrote a Python script to collect the pictures and arrange them in order. Skip to around 2:17 in the video below to see the rig in action and people in inaction.

Slow down time and head to the PiFace blog to find out more about how they made the Frozen Pi.

[via MAKE]

Crowdsourcing site LEGO Cuusoo has to be choosy about which sets based on licensed material they allow on the site. If they don’t, or can’t get the license for those ideas, they don’t want to get our hopes up by allowing projects based on those characters. That’s understandable. However, we have some good news for Doctor Who fans.

Cuusoo users have noticed that LEGO has just lifted its ban on submitting Doctor Who based Cuusoo projects, stating that there are no longer hard conflicts between them and making the sets. So all you you LEGO builders with great Doctor Who ideas had better get busy.

I can’t wait to see what people come up with. As long as I get to see a LEGO K-9 set, I’ll be happy.

[images via Brickdon, Eldeeem and Building K-9 via The Mary Sue]

The Doctor Who merchandising machine has reached down bestowed us with yet another piece of swag. A new product is coming your way that is really cool and reminds me a bit of the box forts we made as kids. Rather than having to get out the markers and a steak knife to customize your own cardboard creation, all you have to do is put this one together.

The finished product is a life-size TARDIS replica. According to the product description, the cardboard TARDIS measures 55″ square and stands 180″ tall. That second dimension doesn’t sound right though. That would make the guy in the picture a 10-foot-tall giant. Also, this TARDIS isn’t any bigger on the inside. It’s exactly as it looks on the outside – minus the thickness of the cardboard.

You can pre-order the cardboard contraption from Urban-Collector for $224.99(USD). The estimated release for the cardboard TARDIS is May 2014. This would go very well with your TARDIS cat condo.

[via Nerd Approved]

Now you can enjoy your favorite Italian plumber in all three dimensions with this 3D printed original Super Mario figure. It’s a me, Super Mario in 3D. No glasses required.

Designed by 0fps, this 3D printed action figure represents the old school pixelated Mario from the original Super Mario Bros. game. Basically anyone who grew up playing these games must have this figure. It sells for $31.18(USD) when printed in color as shown here, but you can also order him in a variety of other materials, including metals.

Now if we can just get a few more characters to go with him, our desktop Mushroom Kingdom will be complete.

[via This Is Why I’m broke]

Hide your mushrooms, buds and leaves in these Super Mario Bros.-themed boxes. They’re special editions of a trick safe called the Magic Billet Box, which has a lid that can only be opened a certain way.

Each anodized aluminum box has two lids. Anyone can take the outer lid out, but you have know the trick to remove the inner lid and finally open the box.

Here’s a demo of the boxes by inventor Eric Krusenstjerna.

Punch your browser and head to Magic Billet Box to order. Each box measures about 2″ on each side and costs $100 (USD) each. You can also get a three-piece set  – two brick blocks and one coin block – for $240.

[via DudeIWantThat]