Hasta La Gadget!

Fans of Captain America will immediately recognize the superhero in this photo as he pops his head out of this deliciously geeky cake. Though his projectile-shaped head reminds me a little bit of Bullet Bill from the Mario games.

But Captain America isn’t the only baked Avenger in this room. No, sirree. Iron Man, Hulk and Thor are ready to be devoured by the masses as well. These whimsical Avengers cakes were posted (and made?) by CakeCentral contributor Vera76 and were made for one very lucky child’s birthday party. Why didn’t my parents ever make me stuff like this when I was growing up?

Avengers, Assemble in my stomach now!

I’m always mesmerized by the intricate craftsmanship found in antique automatons. I think it’s something about the fact that people could build robotics without any electrical or electronic components that is truly amazing. One of the more incredible automatons to pop onto my radar screen of late is this mechanical caterpillar that dates back to 1820.

The Vers de Sois caterpillar was apparently created by Swiss clockmaker Henri Maillardet nearly 200 years ago. This detailed, jewel-encrusted caterpillar can actually crawl across a flat surface when wound up. Check it out in action:

Sure, it’s a bit noisy, but still impressive, no? Well, all of this incredible miniature automation doesn’t come cheap though. The Vers de Sois caterpillar recently sold at auction for over $415,000(USD). I think I’ll stick with my HexBugs for now.

[via Worldtempus via Neatorama via Richard Kadrey via Gizmodo]

In case you’ve forgotten the power and versatility of today’s mobile devices, Autodesk’s 123D Creature app will be one hell of a reminder. The app has all you need to create your own 3D character, from building a skeleton to sculpting and painting and even ordering a 3D print of your creation. Now you can create alien genitalia monsters wherever you are.

Watch the demo to get a better idea of what you can do with the app:

How awesome it that? Seriously. It’s like reverse Skylanders. Can you imagine showing this to a kid who loves to doodle and draw monsters? You’ll vaporize his very soul with this revelation. Good luck explaining that to his parents. Unfortunately for Android users, Autodesk 123D Creature is only available for the iPad. Get it from the iTunes App Store (link opens iTunes) for $1.99 (USD).

[via Autodesk via SketchBook]

I’ve already got more flash drives than I know what to do with, but every once in a while I’ll see some that I need to add to my seemingly endless collection anyway. With these cool flash drives made out of old vacuum tubes, you’ll be able to send your data back in time.

They’re made by Latvian steampunk artist Slava Tech, and use old Pentode tubes as containers for USB flash memory. The coolest part is how they glow from the red, green or blue LED inside. It would be really cool if he made one with an orange LED for a more authentic look, though the red one is pretty close.

Each one is based on a high quality SanDisk flash drive, set into an old Russian vacuum tube from the 1980s, and accented with copper details.

Prices for the vacuum tube flash drives range from $69 to $79(USD), and they’re currently available in either 8GB or 16GB storage options.

The iron throne is made up of many many sharp swords, but what would a throne look like in a nerd kingdom? Well, it would probably look something like this Throne of Nerds, covered with keyboards everywhere.

Image: Cheryl DeWolfe

This throne will not cut those who sit upon it. If anything the keys will provide some minimal cushioning for your backside. It was made by Mike DeWolfe, a computer programmer from Canada.

Image: Cheryl DeWolfe

He warped the keyboards and even scorched almost all of the ESC keys to symbolize how impossible it can be escape suffering and blackness. Mike sounds like a cheery guy. I’m not living in his nerd kingdom. The only key that is left undamaged is the ESC key on the highest positioned keyboard.

Image: Cheryl DeWolfe

In back, the keyboard cables have been arranged like human hair that is roughly braided, but not really. It is a tangle. This shows how good plans and order can degenerate into chaos. Or it’s just a cool chair made out of old keyboards. You decide.

[via Ian Brooks via Neatorama]