Hasta La Gadget!

Pet owners will do anything they can for their companions, including buying every kind of toy that promises to improve their lives. But instead of stimulating a dog’s brain, this chew toy looks like it’s only going to stimulate frustration and rage. More »

When I was a kid I always wanted a jetpack, it seemed so cool to be able to strap that thing on your back and zip from place to place, then I grew up, and I still wanted one, but had a healthy fear of dropping out of the sky like a shot duck, sure wish I could catch some air without worrying about an unfortunate landing.

Check out the Jetovator, for thrill seekers that would like to take their excitement to the next level, the Jetovator is a flying bike, powered by your existing personal watercraft, it allows you to experience the freedom of flight, with the ease of riding a bike, all the while avoiding the nasty unpleasantness of crashing headlong into pavement or a tree.

The Jetovator works by redirecting the thrust from your personal watercraft through a forty foot hose to the Jetovator unit. The watercraft follows behind the Jetovater, using this hose as a tether, then this water thrust is used to propel and elevate the Jetovator up into the air. The rider is also able to redirect the thrust of the two front nozzles in order to maneuver the Jetovator in almost any direction.

Able to climb to over 30 feet above the water and dive down to 10 feet below it, this amazing stunt machine moves at speeds of up to 25 MPH. Its manufacturer professes “intuitive controls” that will allow you to glide, barrel roll and back flip in almost no time at all. You must check out the videos at jetovator.com. Of course, if you feel so inclined (and you have around 9 grand burning a hole in your pocket) you can buy one there too!

[ Jetovator – Woo-Hoo, Ride the Hose! copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

So you have more or less tried just about any and every kind of game on your smartphone device, and are looking for a new experience? Enter the $9.99 Smartphone Controlled Foam Fighters, where it turns the virtual world into the real one, at least with some creativity and imagination on your part. Basically, this purchase will let you fly a fighter plane from the World War II era, and you are able to embark on missions such as intense dog fights, bombing runs, formation flying, as well as escorting different units of soldiers. You can opt to be part of the Axis or Allied groups, and with another 8 of your friends over a local Wi-Fi connection, there is plenty of fun and mayhem to be had.

Each plane will unlock different campaigns, and you can pick up points along the way to install upgrades to your planes – with what else but different weapons, of course! The app can be downloaded from the Android and Apple App Stores.

[ Smartphone Controlled Foam Fighters copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Artist Blair Neal, as many other great creators have before him, turned to children’s toys as the source of inspiration for his latest project. Crayolascope is a rudimentary 3D display hacked together from several Glow Books, a light-up play on a flip-book from the titular company. The installation, currently housed at the New York Hall of Science in Flushing, layers 12 of its component clear plastic sheets to create a roughly one-foot deep display that plays a simple pre-drawn animation. The whole thing is controlled by an Arduino Mega, that can either play back the neon scribbles at varying speeds (controlled by a knob built into the console) or scrub through frame by frame. Neal isn’t quite done tweaking the Crayolascope either. As it stands he’s limited to between 14 and 18 frames, before it becomes too difficult to see through the sheets. And it requires near total darkness for optimal operation. To see it in action check out the video after the break.

Continue reading Crayolascope hacks toys into foot-thick 3D display

Crayolascope hacks toys into foot-thick 3D display originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Jun 2012 16:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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With its new multi-colored LED penlight, Tomy’s created a neat little app and hardware combo that lets anyone easily create those cool long-exposure light drawings. You don’t need an expensive DSLR or even photography skills beyond pressing a shutter button. More »