Treadway Motorized Shoes take you where you want to go
Imagine living in a world where you can zip along the road at about 10 miles an hour. True, you can do that on roller skates at faster speeds, but if you want to go driving afterward, then you have to take them off. Sometimes those roller skates can be a pain if you are taking them off and putting them on all the time.These Treadway motorized shoes are like having roller skates on your feet all the time, but will only be used if you want them to be. So if you are going along, and decide you want to walk inside a store, or drive somewhere, or on a bike, you can just retract them and go about your ambulatory way.
The designer of these shoes, Peter Treadway, has entered them in the James Dyson awards. If he wins, then we could be seeing them on the market. There is a video of them after the jump, but I have to say that it looks a little crude to me.
I hope to see these on my feet one day. If that day ever comes, I wonder if I will ever take them off. Then I will be zipping around everywhere that I go.
We have reported on a lot of skateboard technology in the past, such as the Robotic Skateboard and the 19 MPH Skateboard.Here’s is another advancement in skateboarding known as the Flowlab 14-wheel skateboard. As you can see, it has 7 wheels on an arch-shaped axle.
This is in lieu of the “trucks” that normally mount the four wheels on a board. Apparently, the presence of the extra wheels and curved shape helps skaters “carve” turns.
You might note my semi-authentic use of the slang of Sk8ers (misspelled on purpose). This is because I once owned a skateboard. Yes, before I was a blogger, I was a boarder. Granted, I was not a very good one, and I have never been “gleaming the cube”.
From what I remember, it took a little while (as well as some painful spills) to learn the art of turning on a skateboard. The problem is the board leans during a turn, and you have to adjust your balance for that.
I would think that the presence of more wheels would create a turning board that would be very hard to balance on. However, I’m sure that a real skating pro would be able to maintain their balance. Alas, I am not one of them.
Ville, the shopping cart bicycle
I know that there are a lot of countries where the bicycle is a primary form of transportation and not the car. I would imagine that daily trips to the grocery store are needed just to get supplies, and it would be handy to have a bike such as this.This is the transforming Ville, a bike that can fold in half in order to become a shopping cart. It may not be a cart that can hold a week’s worth of groceries, but if you just need to get enough to fill two baskets, this is probably your deal.
Not only that, you have a bike with two baskets that enable you to bring home quite a bit. As someone who once used a bike as his primary form of transportation, it does help to have that basket on the bike, even if it does look a little dorky.
I also know the perils of having to chain up your bike, only to have some jerk beat up the front tire so it is bent out of shape. It would be nice to just take the bike in the store and use it as something to hold all the items I am intending to buy.
Yep, it really just makes sense to build a bicycle like this. Unfortunately, it is just a concept at this particular moment.
Bendable Bike locks itself around poles
“Oh my gosh, what happened to your bike? It’s wrapped around a pole! How did you even do that?”“Actually, it is my new bike lock. It is designed to wrap around the pole.”
Seriously, I have seen bikes that were hit by cars that sort of look like the invention of Mr. Kevin Scott. Scott has figured out a way to make the frame bars of an ordinary bicycle super flexible, so they have the ability to bend around a pole. I suppose you would have to be a biker to appreciate something like this, because it would make it nice to use one of those horseshoe-shaped locks to lock the two back wheels in place.
My Source is concerned with the idea of messing with the frame bars, and I can understand why. It would appear that the lever locks and unlocks them into place, but you don’t want to be the poor guy who is riding down the street and accidentally hit it. Then you might end up looking as if you crashing into a lamppost.
This is still just a concept from the inventor now, and if it is going to be the new standard for bicycles, then bikeracks as we know them are going to have to change.
Electroluminescent Mountain Bike
Every now and then I’ll spot someone riding a bike in the middle of the night and most of the time it’s almost impossible to see them. Part of the problem in my area of the world is that it’s usually on a very dark back road and the reflector is so small it’s easily mistaken as nothing more than a mailbox with a reflector on it. If you want to do a little something extra to make your bike stand out this is one tutorial you should check out.
Before you do put these on your bike you might make sure that it’s not illegal. The whole thing is a 10 step process that might take you a little bit of time. In addition to that it’ll probably cost you around $130 for all of the necessary parts, at least that’s what it cost the person that did this particular bike.
Table tennis can be a tricky thing to practice when you don’t have any help. Thankfully there is the IPong for those of you that don’t have anyone to help you out with those practice sessions. It’s a very funny looking device, but it’ll send out as many little yellow balls as you need to keep your ping pong paddle moving.
It’s very similar to a tennis ball machine, it just happens to dish out ping pong balls instead. By turning a handy little knob you can select one of 3 spin settings. There is the underspin, topspin and finally the heavy topspin. The trainer will hold 110 balls and even has an adjustable speed dial that can dish them out from 12 to 70 per minute. You can pick one up through Hammacher Schlemmer for $149.95.
Folding bike made to hold a briefcase
There was a time when I rode a bike to work every day, but I worked in a factory and not as an executive. If I was one of those guys that sat in an office and worked behind a desk, I would gladly ride this particular bike.As you can see, this bike allows the user to put a briefcase right into the bicycle frame. Apparently, the briefcase is made of a fancy carbon fiber in order to keep the shape of the bike. I’m not certain if that increases the weight of the briefcase any.
I’m not certain what you want to put in that briefcase, but I am told the bike can actually fold up. I’m certain that the folded-up bike is too big for the briefcase.
The bike is designed by Marcos Madia, and is a finalist in the Seoul Cycle Design competition. It is still just a concept for now, but give it time, and I’m sure we’ll see a lot of businessmen on the road on bikes like these.
I might not want put a laptop because you could crash your bike and damage your laptop. Then again, if you are riding on a bike in a three-piece suit, there is a strong chance that you might get more than just a little bit of dirt on it.
If you’re craving cotton candy in December you’re pretty much out of luck, that is unless there happens to be a circus in your area. Otherwise, you’ll have to wait until it warms up again for the festivals and fairs to show up again. Unless you happen to purchase yourself your own cotton candy machine. Then you can have it whenever you want without leaving the comfort of your home.
You just pick out some sugar or sugar-free hard candy and this will turn it into some fluffy cotton candy. It features a translucent bowl so that you can watch it be created. It’s entertainment and nourishment in one simple gadget. Along with the candy maker you’ll get 2 plastic cones to put the cotton candy on. You can purchase one of these through Best Buy for $49.99.
If you need a grill that’s Barbie or action figure sized then this DIY project is one to try your hand at. You can convert one of your Altoid tins into a fully functioning BBQ grill. Sure, it doesn’t have a whole lot of practicality to it, but it’d be a great conversation piece. Besides, it’s hard to beat being able to make miniature hamburgers on a tiny grill.
There is a full Instructables tutorial on how to get this job done. Right now all of the Altoid grills use charcoal to heat and apparently they heat up quite a bit. As a safety precaution it’s best to keep a large glass of water handy. The grill shown here is made using an Altoids Sours tin instead of the classic rectangle tin. This can even heat up a full size hot dog once it’s cut down to size. It’d be great to show off to friends when you have a weekend BBQ.
Pirata Boat Race game
This Pirata Boat Race game created by Pirata London. It is a unique gaming experience because it uses an iPhone/iPod Touch in tandem with a PC.
The basic gist of this app/program is to create a boat race in a virtual world, and row the oars using everyone’s favorite Apple device. Think of it as turning an iPhone or iPod Touch into something like a Wiimote.
Control 4 rolls out dedicated in-wall touch screens
Heard of Control4 before? Well, the company is now a leader in affordable IP-based control and entertainment systems, where they have recently announced a new generation of dedicated in-wall touch screens. We’re talking about the Control4 InfinityEdge Touch Screens here, where it will be available in 5” and 7” sizes while boasting edge-to-edge capacitive glass and a low profile design. The 5” and 7” models will retail for $599 and $899, respectively, where both the InfinityEdge Touch Screens will also offer intercom capability that is optional, where it will cost another $499 for a license.
Human Skull USB MP3 Player
Since everyone is very different on their tastes, MP3 players should match that. Although most are content to pick up an iPod, there might be those of you that want something a little less mainstream. I love my iPod, but truthfully I did grumble a little when Apple products became insanely popular. Although this Human Skull MP3 player is a touch on the goofy side, it adds a little variety to this mass produced world.
Panasonic has new HDC-SDX1 camcorder
Panasonic intends to achieve new records with their spanking new HDC-SDX1 camcorder, which is currently the world’s lightest full-High Definition (HD) camcorder. In order to make sure it picks up that title, it will come with an ultra-compact body that tips the scales at just less than 0.41 lbs. Apart from its stylish and lightweight design, the new Panasonic SDX1 will also sport a 35.8mm wide-angle lens, 23x Intelligent Zoom as well as the ability to double up as a webcam which allows you to use it for Internet video calls. Want to know more about this seeming wonder? Head on to the full post for the nitty gritty.
Karate Copycat Challenge
Want to hone your reflexes, but don’t want to take chances by playing with a crab and its pincers? Enter the Karate Copycat Challenge,where this game will challenge players to use quick, karate-like hand movements in order to match sequences of flashing lights and music. There is a quartet of semi-circular rings in the device itself, were each of them will feature a curved light bar that illuminates according to one of seven possible games. Players will be directed to wave a hand into the open space within a certain interval after a light flashes while a musical note plays to score. In order to keep track of your progress (or your failure to keep up), a motion detector in each space will measure a player’s response time to ensure the sequence is followed to a tee. As you attempt to repeat an accelerating pattern of lights, you will also be instrumental in keeping a song going by waving hands through loops as they illuminate, enabling you to “tag” as many lights within a certain timeframe, or to build/compose songs by playing the game like a musical instrument. Best to get a quartet of rechargeable AA batteries to go along with this if you intend to be on the green side of things. Hammacher is asking $39.95 for the Karate Copycat Challenge.Tron Zero G Light Cycle
It seems that expectations of the upcoming Tron Legacy movie is pretty high, especially when you consider what kind of hype it must live up to when compared to the original classic. Needless to say, the chances of making a huge splash in terms of merchandise are pretty high, which is why there is the Tron Zero G Light Cycle which will tie in with the movie. Retailing for £34.99 a pop, this bike will work like the one in the movie, as the Zero G Light Cycles emit trails of light (or ‘jetwalls’ as you call it) which will cause your opponent’s vehicle to fall off the wall or ceiling if crossed. All action can be controlled via a stylish twin toggle infra-red transmitter which doubles up as a charging unit for your Light Cycle’s rechargeable battery.
Trekbot micro robotic racer
Desk Pets International (HK) Limited might not be a name that most of you out there are familiar with, but they are actually the creator of interactive micro-robotic toys and gadgets that offer big-play value. Well, the company has just announced its latest addition to the market which is known as the Trekbot, a special hubless micro-robotic racer. This unique toy will be accompanied by a signature patent pending 5-function USB remote control that basically enables racers to perform sharp turns, headstands, and full flips without compromising on the speed at which it zips around. Features include a built-in USB charger for the Trekbot to get juiced up just about anytime, anywhere without having to rely on a specific type of power outlet.
