Vubx Coolest Gadgets

We all know about the magnetic field experiment which shows how some particles like graphite inside the pencil can be used to make visible magnetic lines. It is surely a boring stuff if you are over 10 years old.

However, I am sure that many people didn’t hear about ferrofluids which show amazing behaviors which are important both scientifically and visually. The image on the left better talks about the beauty of ferrofluids. Let’s understand what ferrofluid is without going scientific.

Ferrofluids are mixtures of organic solvents and ferromagnetic particles in essence. In normal conditions, if we mix Iron-oxide particles in oil (organic solvent) and bring near to a magnet bar, all iron-oxide particles would be running to magnet bar and piling there without any beauty.

But in the case of ferrofluids, the iron-oxide particles can not be pulled easily by magnets. There are other nanoscale elements called as surfactants which prevent this happening. You can think them as particles in the middle of oil and iron-oxide, thus behaving like a connecting force. So, when a magnet approaches to a special ferrofluid, it would not only affect magnetic particles but also oil attached on nanoscale grade to these particles, leaving us incredibly aesthetic geometrical ferrofluid shapes.

One of the most famous applications on art is ferrofluid sculptures. Here is the ferrofluid sculpture video of a Japanese artist, named as Morpho Towers.

What are Ferrofluids?

Ferrofluid Toys & Science Kits
There are a few nice ferrofluid kits at Amazon to experience this behavior at home. Suitable for children (who can understand that it is not for drinking) as an education material as well.

Ferrofluid Science Project Set 60cc Bottle and Assorted Magnets

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Simple but very visual! Note that this Lego creation is not for to insult one of the greatest scientists and humanists of our century but to appreciate his creativity & wisdom. We love Stephen Hawking!

Hey! I have some more creative Lego posts & and a review on Stephen Hawking’s Computer Wheelchair

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We had seen before the successful efforts to build the longest and biggest motorbikes by amateurs.

At first sight, Snaefell car looks like a special limited edition of a famous sports car brand because it is quite successfully detailed and shining in attractive red. But, actually this motorbike sidecar combination is a result of a 10 years amateur car engineering efforts. Francois Knorreck spent more than 10,000 hours and around 15,000 Euros to finish this. I have hesitation to decide it was worth or not?

Via AutoBlog

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I was lately much thinking about some of the strange ways of technology development. In near future, even robots will begin to talk like people, but we can’t get rid of some very OLD habits. The sound of mouse is the most irritating one to me. Klik! Klik! Klik!… goes to eternity. This should be optional for people who want silence. If you are in a company working around you plenty of people using computers, it becomes a really nightmare. So, I at last decided a way to find my and my wife’s ear-saver legendary silent mouse because I also often write at nights at home. Yeah, a dedicated click monster I am.

I could find a handful useful resources. The first one is Quiet Mouse website. They have both USB and wireless mouse variations which they prefer to name as QuietSmooth. I guess, they just replaced the mouse switch inside with another non sounding material.

My second discovery can shock you a bit. It is a Silent Mouse Software. No need to click on the screen. With the help of the program, when you stay on a link  it will show you a tiny window where you move and pause your mouse just a second and it will do the click. There are all variations like click, double click, right click, scroll etc. Honestly I didn’t try the product. It is what they say on their website.

Another (hopefully) much silent mouse called as Thanko. It is advertised that click wheel and the mouse buttons have been silenced to one-fifth that of a normal mouse that I consider enough for normal day usage, but I wanted to have a real full silence! Do I want much? Gizmodo reviewed Thanko with the result of disappointment too.

Second is Buffalo USB Silent Mouse. This one also lowers the noise but doesn’t eliminate completely. Unit does not work with Vista (yet).. Hmmm let’s look further.

So, here is another powerful candidate! Apple Mighty Mouse Wireless Kit. Everything is superb. No clicking at all. Everything is touch-sensitive. Wireless, cool design. Positive reviews. But, as you can expect from Apple, it only works with Mac OS X. So, you will need a Bluetooth-enabled Macintosh computer. I continued my search further as a poor PC user.

I see that it is a big empty market still except the first one I mentioned. Some smart guys tell us how we can make silent mouse ourselves. My current champion is DIY Silent Mouse. I will try to do it in my first spare time.

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A nice, real looking hexapod application by Kare Halvorsen. This black ant which you would like to feed at home with electricity is quite capable of doing natural looking movements including the parts; legs, head, thorax and abdomen.

The hexapod robot is armed with a mandible which can grab and lift the objects easily. What else to add more? Watch the video below before you start building your own robot !

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What does a burnt motherboard or dead monitor mean for a regular computer user? Most probably, it is just crap and are thrown to the garbage on the same day. Artists are tend to see the objects in more creative way. Brenda Guyton has created animals like rabbits, dogs, iguanas from these crap, unused, broken computer and electronics parts. Here are two of them. Jack the rabbit and a K-9 dog. His nose is from a radar detector and it looks quite cutech. These two animals are sold at high prices, $2,800 for each but there are more simple and less priced sculptures for a few hundred bucks as well.

Informed by Craziest Gadgets

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This is a senior thesis project of a Flickr user nicknamed as brittnybadger. She is a graduate of the Hartford Art School and shows us everyday objects from a new perspective by mixing art and gadgets. These photos are the common household appliances arranged their interior parts on a white sheet of Bristol board. You can see the whole 12 pieces set at the original site here

Beaters

Blender

Can Opener

Coffee Maker

Iron

Popcorn maker

Toaster

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Are you interested in robots? This interest level can be from just simply playing with them using remote controls to amateur DIY efforts. There came to my mind several questions when I have read the features of latest Stephen Spielberg Jurassic Park style robo-toy, Roboreptile and needed to compare with the all-in-one robot creation gadget and software platform LEGO Mindstorms NXT.

This cold-blooded monster is interactive with the environment. It has moods like hungry (default), hooded or satisfied and behaves accordingly. Realistic movements including jumping, attacking, tail whipping etc. What kind of sensors do we have? Infra-red for obstacle avoidance, movement detection; sonic sensors to behave accordingly on voices, loud sounds and a touch sensor for human interaction. Pretty cool?

If you always thought that building a robot on such level is almost impossible and requires ultra engineering skills, please read further.

Actually you can create such amazing robo-creatures without any prior knowledge (eventhough a programming experience is useful) using Lego Mindstorms NXT. For example, as you can watch in the following video, this Rubik Cube solver was made completely using this set.

It is a complete system which consists of a brain (programmable module), 519 special Lego Technic elements, sensors (touch, sound, light, ultrasonic) and servo motors and drag&drop software to program.

After writing (or drag&dropping) your program (You can even write programs in well established languages like C++, .Net etc) you can run your robot using a usb or bluetooth from the computer.

There are lots of good books for Lego Mindstorms NXT in Amazon. So, no need to behave like a lonely crazy inventor fighting with the unknown. The creativity is the limit after learning to build several models.

Roboreptile is sold for $49.99 at the manufacturer webstore, Wowwee

Lego Mindstorms NXT is $249.99 at both Amazon and Lego Store. Check the best for free shipping or other discounts.

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While we are heavy bombardment of new mobile phones with added features every day, a bored man from Russia has taken advantage of their huge and fertile Siberian forests. He handcarves each phone case from apple tree wood. The resulting phone is a fully functional wooden copy of the original one.

Even every part like SIM card, antenna, battery has its own wooden place in the structure. An original idea and neat application from the Mother Russia.

Via SlashGear

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In one of my previous blog posts, I had written about illusive magic chain wine bottle holder. It has taken much attention because it shows the beauty of mathematics and physics.

Now, I have found a nice page which clearly explains how you can produce it from wood at home easily instead of chain version.

You will just need a piece of wood (preferably pine) 27 cm long, 10 cm wide and 2 cm thick. Cutting, drilling process and the explanation on the center of mass at the original site. Read more here.

If you don’t want to build yourself, Amazon has also interesting magic wine bottle holder models.

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