Hasta La Gadget!

I think people go through a phase in life where all they start wishing for the impossible. Like X-ray vision or an actual cloak that’ll make people invisible. Or maybe even a super power, like being able to read minds or fly.

It is with this premise that I introduce to you… Scwhings!

If you haven’t figured it out by now, Schwings is a mashed-up word for shoe wings. Now they won’t give anyone the ability to fly, nor will they make your shoes levitate or flit around your room once they’re fastened on.

However, they will dress up your kicks in a fancy and silly way. It might appeal to some, it might look ridiculous to others. If you belong to the first group of people, then you can head on over to Perpetual Kid to check them out, where they’re priced at $5.99 (USD) a pair.

[via 7Gadgets]

That’s right folks, this is an arcade style controller for a real time strategy game. Now you can pull off that 54-hit Zergling combo and trace a HCF route for your Marines. My ignorance in StarCraft II aside, control your fanboy rage and approach this mod as curio, not as an attack to your way of life pastime.

The controller was made by Mauricio Romano, a Master League StarCraft II player. It’s the winning entry in a contest held by fighting game website Shoryuken. So hate the contest organizer, not the contestant. Because it’s impossible to control SC II with just 6 buttons, Romano opted to go with 29 buttons, including two control buttons – one on either side – plus a space and a shift button. The hemisphere on the left looks like a trackball mouse, but it’s actually a joystick with a really large cap. The arcade influence also shows in the decal, which features Kerrigan, Raynor and a couple of Marines. There’s also a string of LEDs along the fringes of the case. The controller is recognized by a PC as a USB keyboard, so there’s no need to map keys or configure anything.

Here’s Romano and his short shorts demoing the controller:

Check out Romano’s Imgur gallery for more pictures and a breakdown of his build process.

[via Shoryuken via Joystiq]

Remember that Bond villain named Jaws? Maybe his teeth weren’t all about biting steel cables and whatnot. Maybe he was just listening to some tunes through his mouth. His evil employer might have just gotten this new gadget a few decades early. Yes, this thing plays music through your teeth.

The tongue controlled MP3 player comes from concept designer Aisen Caro Chacin. It lets you listen to your favorite music using bone conduction. Chacin calls it the Play-A-Grill. The grill sits on your teeth and sound is transmitted using bone conduction through your skull. Only you can hear the music as long as your ears are plugged.

There’s no word on price, but it must be expensive since it seems like it would need to be fitted to the individual as well. And wouldn’t your tongue keep hitting the buttons by accident?

[via BitRebels via Geek]

I’ve seen all kinds of office chairs and desks, but I’m pretty sure the Locus series by Focal is the first one that I’ve encountered that encourages people to be in a position halfway between standing up and sitting down. It seems silly at first, but I can actually see myself being comfortable on it. Too bad I can also see myself not being able to afford it.

The Locus desk is made of aluminum, hardwood laminate and polymer. The surface can be inclined up to 18º and the legs can be raised and lowered. But the quirk of the Locus lies in the seat, which as you can see is a bit like a bar stool, except it has a long base that tilts up. The seat itself is not fixed to the base and can be moved up to 10º side to side. The idea is that your butt to be barely on the cushion and your legs stretched out with your feet leaning on the tip of the base.

Aside from the lack of back support, the biggest downside to the Locus line is the price tag. Focal is selling the seat for $500 (USD) and the desk for $950. These are already discounted introductory prices; the regular price will be $650 for the seat and $1150 for the desk. If you’re ready to stand down and sit up, head to Focal’s website to pre-order.

[via Instash]

We’ve all gotten a hair in our drinks at some point, though we probably all reacted differently. (Only the small majority of us hit someone and then was beaten by a group of hoodlums and left to die on the streets. That was me. Not the hoodlums, of course, the guy who almost got killed.) We’ve also probably all spilled a little bit of a drink in our facial hair, which I can assure you populates my face in a gorgeous manifestation of peach fuzz. With the Beard Cozy, you can cover your booze or other canned drink with the beard off of someone else’s face to help maintain the temperature of your beverage! Also, the manliness of your sole.

The Beard Cozy is a manly “mug cozy” for cans, and you should probably pick one up if it’s interesting to you. Also, you should pick up my phone, which I just dropped, and I don’t care if you find it interesting. I hope you find it uninteresting, because it finds you uninteresting you LOVELESS SLUG. “You know this is the last time I’m ever inviting you over, right?” I don’t care, since I just climb through your fire escape and watch you eat anyway.

This was made by Etsy seller armsandink, and you can cheat on me by heading over there, but the Beer Cozies are currently sold out. If you’re looking for more beard-related items, check out the Bearded Ski Mask and the Viking Beard Helmet when you’re prepared to move on.

[via Uncrate]

Jack Kieffer owns Cool Gizmo Toys, which is stuffed with geeky lists.