Hasta La Gadget!

For less than a third of the price of the cheapest iPad, you can buy Barnes and Noble’s adorably-named, but often ignored e-reader: The Nook. One aspect of The Nook that is often overlooked is the fact that the little sucker is Android-powered. That’s open-source Android-powered. Which, if you think about it, kind of makes The Nook the very first Android-based tablets (or tablet-like gizmos) that the nerdosphere has been buzz–buzzing about.

Of course, The Nook’s scope is a far cry from heavy-duty tablet territory–it’s designed for basic e-reading first and foremost. However, with a few slight “adjustments” you can pimp your Nook with additional functionality such as a Pandora and Twitter app. For free.

Hackers had previously developed a method to RoboCop-up the humble e-reader that required performing some open-Nook surgery. However this newest non-invasive technique can all be accomplished with a spare microSD card and some simple software fanoogling. All under a half hour.

Note: this will definitely void your B&N warranty. However if you’re looking for a simple e-reader that will perform basic web functions without being forced to sacrifice food, rent, inoculations, etc. this may be a handy alternative.

Directions over at NookDevs.

hat tip to popsci

I was pretty sure that it wasn’t possible for me to love the Colorado-based Elephant 6 pop-psych group The Apples in Stereo any more than I already do. And then lead singer Robert Schneider has to come along and create something like this–a mind-controlled Moog synthesizer.

Not just a mind-controlled Moog synthesizer–a homemade mind-controlled Moog synthesizer (not that there are any other kind, I suppose). Schneider pulled apart Mattel’s awesome MindFlex brainwave-controlled board game and hooked it up to an analog synth to form the “Teletron.” Of course it’s named that. What else would it be named?

Judging by Schneider’s video demonstration, the Teletron doesn’t have a lot going for it musically, at the moment–the demo mostly involves the musician adjusting pitch up and down by thinking. Knowing Schneider, however, the instrument will no doubt be mastered in time to feature it on the next Apples in Stereo record.

Instructions for making the Teletron can be found here.

Hardly a day goes by that I don’t read a blog post that makes me utter the words “this isn’t going to end well” aloud. A headline on Slashdot this morning quickly launched itself to the top of that list, followed almost immediately by mental images of one-armed robed nerds wandering the streets in seek of medical attention.

The headline in question is “How to Make Authentic Lightsabers.” I guess the use of the phrase “authentic” should have immediately sent up a red flag–“authentic” like movie accurate? Or “authentic” like, I hope you’re not too attached to that hand, guy dressed like Anakin Skywalker?

While I’m sure that plenty of debates regarding the possibility of constructing a real-world lightsaber have ended in stalemates, I haven’t really seen anything to convince me that we’re not destined for an eternity of Star Wars fans swinging retractable plastic swords and neon lights at one another.

Authentic in this case, naturally, means movie accurate. Bradley W. Lewis, the game developer behind the aforementioned how tos featured on his site SlothFurnace.com, pledges, “where I can, I will use the same vintage parts used in the movies, or replicas machined as close as possible.” The results are lightsabers that are, “similar to the hasbro Force FX sabers, but brighter, louder, and more accurate to the films.”

All of that and you get to keep all of your fingers!

We all thought Nanda Home’s Clocky–the 2006 alarm clock with wheels–was hilarious. Now meet Nanada’s followup, named Tocky.

In case you don’t know Clocky, imagine this: The alarm goes off, and the clock rolls off the table and on to the floor. It careens around the room until you manage to catch the runaway alarm clock to turn it off. Tocky does the same thing

Unlike Clocky, though, Tocky doesn’t have wheels: It’s spherical, a little over 3 inches in diameter. The touchscreen clockface lets you change the time by just spinning your finger around the dial. And when you are tired of the color, you can swap out the skin. With Tocky’s built-in microphone, you can record messages or MP3s to play as the alarm.

Which is worse: U2’s “Beautiful Day” blaring or your mother’s recorded voice shrieking “Wake up! Wake up!” as you chase Tocky around the room, bleary-eyed?

Tocky is available now for $79 at Nanda Home, with four skins: orange, white, aqua, and kiwi. Additional skins are available in a two-pack for $10. You can also buy Tocky wholesale at the New York International Gift Fair booth 4112, which ends today.

Will you bring Tocky home? I won’t. Just wake me up in 20 minutes.

The Japanese are champions at making cute little things you didn’t know you had to have to complete your life. A plain travel pillow is boring when placed next to the musical Neckphone from Takara Tomy.

Your MP3 player is plugged into the Neckphone to transform the pillow into a miniature stereo on your neck. These inflatable pillows are fitted with a pair of water-resistant speakers and a waterproof pouch for the music player.

Ideal for listening to the playlist of your choice while soaking in the tub, the Neckphone can also be used at the beach or pool, or just as a travel pillow.

Available in three designs, blackdot (a ladybug pattern), stripe (zebra stripes), and drop-crush (paint splatters), Neckphones are available in Japan. For those of us not lucky enough to live in Japan, specialty shops like Geek Stuff 4 U have them in stock for 3500 yen, or about $40, (double the local price) with shipping costs running about $12 to $18.