Hasta La Gadget!

I always thought Q*bert was a cool game. Between the characters, funky sound effects and weird diagonal control scheme, it was definitely one of the more “out-there” video games of its time. That said, it was one of the most challenging games I ever played in the arcade. The only game that kicked my butt more was Donkey Kong. So with that in mind, I’m not sure if I should love or hate this Q*bert coffee table. Okay, I love it. That was easy.

The table was made by woodworker Gill Benzion of Ébéniste. It measures 24″(W) x 20″(D) x 20″(H) and features a marquetry detail inspired by the classic arcade game, set into a walnut veneer lid, set atop an ash base and legs. It’s definitely more elegant looking than the bright colors of the original Q*bert – and it doesn’t make weird noises when you drop things onto its isometric cubes.

You can order this one over on Etsy for $500(USD), or you can request a custom order if you’re looking for a different size. I think if I owned one of these, I’d have to go buy the old Q*bert board game and put the pieces in the empty spaces.

Inventor Falk Wolsky and his better half Mandy, a child care worker, were inspired to make the Lernstift (“Learning pen” in German) after seeing their son struggle with writing. They came up with a prototype that detects “writing movements” and alerts the user if he makes a mistake.

Currently, the prototype has two modes. Calligraphy Mode detects errors in form and legibility, while Orthography Mode checks the spelling and grammar. The Lernstift’s motion sensor also has one other advantage: the user can practice even without paper or any writing surface. It will supposedly be able to detect “words, gestures and symbols, even if you only draw them in the air.”

The Wolskys also hope to include a pressure sensor to teach kids not to grip the pen too tightly. The idea is that if the pen detects that the user is pressing too hard on it, it will vibrate in an intensity proportional to the user’s grip. They also want to equip the pen with a wireless module, so your teacher can send your embarrassing mistakes to your parents, other teachers and classmates in a snap. As if having your pen vibrate all the time wasn’t shameful enough.

The Wolskys – via their new company Lernstift UG – will seek crowdfunding for the Lernstift later this month, so keep your eyes out for that if you want to pre-order the pen. But if you’re willing to invest in the company, you can reach out to them right now via their website.

The pen sounds like a good idea, but I wonder how effective it will really be as a learning tool, especially in the use case that inspired it. I say that because the pen can only say when and where you are wrong, but not what you’re doing wrong and ultimately how to do it correctly. Should it also have a voice assistant, like an English teacher version of Siri? Or perhaps a small laser that traces out the correct answer? Or maybe it could provide advice by vibrating in Morse code?

[via Lernstift & Wired UK via Likecool]

You might think that only a real history buff would love U.S. President action figures, but anyone can get into these Presidential action figures as movie monsters. And besides, many of us think that politicians are freaks and monsters already.

These 8″ action figures take well-known U.S. Presidents and transform them into monsters. The names are the best: Like Zombush, Baracula and Lincolnstein to name a few. They are perfect to display at Halloween – or around Election Day.

If you love monsters and love Presidents, these figures are for you. Re-elect these monsters at your own risk. And try not to scream on Election Day at the horror. They will cost you $24.99-$29.99(USD).

[via Super Punch via Nerd Approved]

There may come a time when the ubiquitous loading screen that shows up in many games and computer software may no longer be needed, but if Tokyoflash approves this watch concept by a clever fellow named Max, we’ll always remember how we never cared for it at all.

Like other Tokyoflash watches and concepts, the Loading… concept significantly abstracts its function. In this case the watch displays what looks like a loading screen from an old computer. There’s a lot going on here but it’s actually waaaaay simpler than some other Tokyoflash watches.

Each segment in the upper bar corresponds to one hour, while the lower bar displays thinner segments to depict seconds. The first number beside the lower bar displays the minutes – i.e. 07/60 = 7 minutes – and finally the percentage beside the upper bar indicates which half of the day it is. If the percentage displays a value between 1 and 50, it’s a.m. It follows that any percentage value from 51 onwards means that the time is in p.m., except for two values: 99% and 100%.

Max set it up so that 12:00 am will have a percentage value of 99%. This also means that there is no 100%. That sounds like a gamer’s nightmare, but if you think about it, time doesn’t really finish loading does it? Besides, would you want it to?

As of this writing, there are still more than 12 days left for people to vote for the concept to become an actual watch. Head to the Tokyoflash blog if you also want to vote for it. I just had a better idea: a Progress Quest watch. You’re welcome, Internet.

[via Gajitz]

Last summer we talked about a boy in the UK who found a yellowish rock on a beach near his home. What the boy thought was a rock was actually a chunk of whale vomit known as ambergris. The chunk of whale vomit the boy found in August of 2012 was estimated to be worth as much as £40,000.

A man named Ken Wilman was recently walking his dog on the beach in the UK when he discovered a strange yellow stone. While it looked like a chunk of dirty yellow rock, Wilman’s find could be worth as much as £100,000. The man says that his dog first spotted the rock and that it “smelled horrible.”

He actually originally left the rock on the beach and came back to retrieve it later after an Internet search told him how much the substance could be worth. Wilman has already been offered €50,000 for the 3 kg specimen if it turns out to be sperm whale ambergris. The material is an important component in perfumes.

The man is currently sending a sample to be tested to determine if it is in fact ambergris. If the substance is confirmed to be sperm whale vomit, some estimate the material could be worth as much as $180,000. Ambergris has been used in high-end perfumes such as Chanel No. 5. If you’re wondering, sperm whales eject ambergris into the water when they have stomach or throat problems where the material can float for years as it hardens.

[via Telegraph]

UK man finds chunk of whale vomit possibly worth £100,000 is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
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