Hasta La Gadget!

We’ve yet to preserve our likenesses in holograms, but a German studio called Twinkind has the next best thing: a highly detailed 3D printed figurine of yourself. Imagine playing a tabletop RPG as yourself! With your dog as your sidekick!

Twinkind uses a multi-camera scanner that takes lots of images from all angles. Apparently this process only takes a split-second. Then they process the images from the scanner and turn it into a 3D model, which will then be used to print figurines in full color. After 2 to 5 weeks, you’ll get the Mini-Me to your Dr. Evil. Twinkind will keep a digital file of your shot so you can order more figurines in the future.

Unfortunately, Twinkind isn’t for everyone. First of all, it’s very expensive: the smallest figurine is about 6″ tall and costs about $290 (USD), while the most expensive one is about $1,680 and is about 14″tall. Second, before you become a collectible that only your family will want to collect, you have to visit Twinkind’s shop in Hamburg, Germany to be scanned. Do you love yourself that much?

[via Laughing Squid]

The 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]

Professional photographers wouldn’t dare use an iPhone – or any smartphone for that matter – to take pictures for work. But they can use it to help them do their job. Take the Lumu for example. It’s a small device that turns the iPhone into a high quality light meter, which is used to determine the proper exposure for a photograph.

There are already light meter apps on the App Store – some of them available for free – so why would you bother getting the Lumu? The company behind the device claims that the light sensor in Lumu is way better than the ones found in any iOS device and even some DSLR cameras. Also, aside from providing users with the appropriate exposure settings, the Lumu app will also let users save notes, voice recordings, location data and more.

Pledge at least $99 (USD) on Kickstarter to get a Lumu as a reward. Each order also comes with a leather bag and string that you can use to store and carry the Lumu.

Here’s my idea for a mobile device peripheral: the Nuvuvu. It’s a device that prevents any smartphone or tablet from taking vertical videos. You’re welcome, world.

I’m for any watch inspired by science-fiction, but you probably wouldn’t have guessed that this awesome tourbillon watch, which costs probably as much as your house got its inspiration from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

The Vianney Halter Deep Space Tourbillon watch took several years to design and build. Just like other tourbillon watches, the mechanism is quite elaborate and detailed. It has a spinning triple axis tourbillon that appears to float beneath a bulbous crystal dome, making it look like it’s floating in space.

The “Deep Space” tourbillon powers the arching hour and minute hands, which curve up from the side of its face.

The Deep Space Tourbillon watch sold for an astronomical $192,000(USD) to a collector in China.

[via A Blog to Watch]

It’s time to put your Ben Heck hat on. A company called Photon Gaming is raising funds for Darkmatter, an open source DIY kit for converting an Xbox 360 console into a laptop. Photon Gaming even claims one variant of their kit will allow you to convert an Xbox One into a laptop. I wonder if early adopters will be willing to risk losing an Xbox One for that.

The kit is available in various models depending on how much you want to pay, from just the electronics to a finished and ready to use Darkmatter Xbox 360 laptop.

Head to Kickstarter to support the world’s first open-source, hacker-friendly, 3D printed, laser-cut, honey glazed, butter side up DIY Xbox 360 laptop kit. If you pledge at least $499 (USD), you’ll qualify to get the full kit; all you’ll need is an Xbox 360 and a few hours to put the two together. But if you have more money than tinkering skills, pledge at least $999 and you’ll get a full Xbox 360 laptop as a reward.