Hasta La Gadget!

Most of the nixie tube hacks and mods we’ve seen involve clocks, which isn’t surprising considering the tubes were primarily used to show numbers. But there are also tubes that display symbols, and those are the ones put to good use by Lasermad in its Nixie Chessboards.

Lasermad uses ex-Soviet Nixies from the 80s. They also designed a neat chessboard that uses induction coils to power the tubes. All you have to do is plug the board to an outlet and the tubes will automatically light up when you place them on the board.

Here’s a demo video of the board:

You can order the Nixie Chessboard from Lasermad either as a ready-to-assemble kit for $340 (USD) or as a fully built set for $759. Note that the DIY kit is not for beginners, although Lasermad does have a help forum for people who opt to get their hands dirty.

[via The UberReview]

Me, neither! But Mood Swings, a new exhibition at London’s Halcyon Gallery, will be showing off a series of large-scale metalworks—seven gates made from vintage iron scraps, hand-welded by the man himself.

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Given all of the times that the Star Trek crew has traveled to the past in the Holodeck, I’m really surprised that we didn’t see a phaser and tricorder like these ones on the show.

Flo Svensson’s steampunk Starfleet away team gear is nicely detailed and are gadgets of an age to come that just happen to look like weapons from an age gone by.

I can already see Data and Picard wearing top hats and monocles, blending in with the locals, in search of an alien who altered the timeline. It’s a good thing LaForge gave them some time-accurate gear so they won’t stand out.

Maybe Mark Twain will show up. Props to these props.

[via Neatorama]

There’s something that continues to intrigue me about Steampunk style. I think it’s the idea that technology could be driven by steam power instead of electricity. And while these speakers aren’t actually driven by steam, they’re still pretty amazing.

This pair of Empire Steam speakers was handmade by Airhammer Industries. Each octagonal cabinet is made from MDF with a copper veneer, copper edging, and brass and bronze details. They’re extremely substantial, as is evidenced by the large 1.5″ thick granite top on each one, and an approximate weight of 125 pounds per speaker.

Inside of each 36-inch-tall speaker is a pair of Vifa 1″ silk dome tweeters, a 5″ Pyle midrange, and a 15″ Goldwood downward-firing subwoofer for cranking out the bass while you watch The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen on your steam-powered television. Maximum power per speaker is 400 Watts RMS @ 8 ohms.

While these speakers are glorious, they’re not exactly cheap. All of this craftsmanship and audio tech will set you back a whopping $12,600 (USD) for the pair. I wonder how much they would have cost back in the 19th century?

There are plenty of electric bikes around, and if you use one as a mode of transportation, it’s nice to have that little extra boost to get you home just a little faster. Also, cruising along one one is pretty nice.

The Cykno e-bike has a distinctive look and combines elements of a moped, a mountain bike and an electric bike. Its frame has been accented with leather, and it has a Swedish central motor mounted on a carbon fiber cradle. The saddle is suspended on a stainless steel high-resistance foil. Range for the battery is approximately 60 km (~37 miles) on a 4 hour charge, and the bike offers integrated disc brakes.

The bike also offers unique, wide wheel spokes which create some neat effects as they spin:

The Cykno electric bicycle isn’t yet available, but when you eventually ride one, you’ll be ready to put the finishing touch on all of that Steampunk cosplay that you’ve been putting off.