Water landing...

The 'FlyNano' is a tiny new flying machine that lands in the water. The single engine rig is available in multiple configurations - gas and electric. It can fly up to 76 mph for a distance of 43 miles. It weighs only 150 lbs., and requires no pilots license to operate. Cost: about 37,000-39,000 USD (depending on configuration)



Details via FlyNano:
www.flynano.com

Scanning the crowd...

The Brazilian police are trying something new for the 2014 Olympics - facial recognition sunglasses. A small camera will map faces in the crowd, quickly scanning for bad guys.






Read more about it via Wired:
www.wired.com

Buzz bomb...

When a regular taser won't do - there's the HEMI Taser Grenade. (Human electro muscular incapacitation) The canister can be fired at a longer distance than a standard taser can shoot - and it has the capacity to continue shocking for an extended period of time.






Read more and watch the reporter 'test on himself' via The Blaze:
www.theblaze.com

Fun and games..

When the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel remodeled, they had a little space left over. 'The Spare Room' is a game room with a classic look and some timeless entertainment options - including a couple of stylish bowling alleys, cocktails and board games.





Pictures and details via the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel site:
www.thompsonhotels.com/hotels/la/hollywood-roosevelt/

Hand me that wrench...

There's quite a variety of multipurpose pocket tools out there, but very few of them include a wrench. The 'WREX' is a pocket sized titanium adjustable wrench, among other things (a blade, bit driver, wire strip, and bottle opener) Total weight of only 2.9 oz. Cost: 179 USD





Details and order via Pocket Tool X:
pockettoolx.com/products/wrex

Heavy lifting...

Last week, SpaceX announced their plan for the 'Falcon Heavy' - a heavy lifting rocket with double the capacity of the rockets used to lift the space shuttle. One of the surprising aspects of the announcement was the price per pound lift - one third to a quarter of price compared to a shuttle mission. First launch is scheduled for 2013.






Read more about it via the SpaceX site:
www.spacex.com/falcon_heavy.php

Weekend classic...

If you're looking for a classic weekender bag, you might want to check out 'The Killspencer Weekender 2.0'. Built from military spec flame retardant nylon, it has just right amount of space and pouches inside. Fits modern gear like iPads and laptops, and it's water resistant. Cost: 375 USD Available in Black, Olive Drab and Dessert Sand.




Details and order via Killspencer:
www.killspencer.com

You sank my battleship...

If you're wanting to try your hand at submarine warfare, you've got a new option. DARPA (the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency) is offering a strategy game they've built. You can submit your best work for analysis. Cost: Free





Read more about it via DARPA:
actuv.darpa.mil

Pitch black...

If you need to take photos in complete darkness, you might need one of these: 'The Midnight Shot NV-1 Camera'. It functions as a standard camera, but in InfraRed mode it can flash in the infraRed spectrum unseen by human vision. Cost: 130 USD





Available from ThinkGeek:
www.thinkgeek.com

Singles only...

If you're doing a little exploring, you might need one of these: 'The Cedar Strip Wooden Kayak' by Justin Charles. Made of western cedar strips and glass fiber - it features waterproof compartments, adjustable seating, and carrying handles. The kayak weighs only 38lbs. Cost: about 16,000 USD.




Read more about it via Justin Charles:
www.justincharles.com/wood-kayak.aspx

That's Creepy...

It's getting easier all the time to locate people since they're carrying all kinds of electronic gear with them. 'Creepy' is a GPS aggregation software - meaning it will collect data from a person's social sites (twitter, facebook, etc) and mark them on a map showing their favorite hang outs. Creepy. Cost: Free for Window and Linux.





Read and download from ilektrojohn:
ilektrojohn.github.com/creepy

Surprise!

Most people wouldn't expect the old 'Palm Pistol'. A modern version of an old classic - the single shot pistol has a few advantages that are worth bringing it back. This version is triggered using the thumb - making it a good self defense choice for senior citizens.




Read more about it on the Palm Pistol site:
www.palmpistol.com

A little foosball...

After two years of talking about it, Audi is offering the aluminum foosball table for sale. Using design queues from their car line, 20 of these handmade games will be made available. Cost: 18,300 USD





Read more about it via AutoWeek:
www.autoweek.com

Flying around...

Here's a short clip of some wingsuit fun shot mostly from the 1st person perspective. Filmed over California, Florida, Nevada, and Puerto Rico.

Exploring the Sky - Wingsuit Flying 2011 from Richard Schneider on Vimeo.

Where's Waldo?

The tricky thing about having a secret robotic space plane is keeping it secret. Apparently, there are plenty of back yard sky watchers that take it as a challenge to follow the secret plane - and try to figure out what it's up to.





Read more about it via the Danger Room at Wired;
www.wired.com