R/C Spy Video ATV-360

Something is going on in the breakroom. You walked by and thought you heard your name whispered as well as the word "cake." It's imperative that you discover what's going on. So you do the only thing you can do: you sit comfortably at your desk and deploy your R/C Spy Video ATV-360.

From the comfort of your office, you see and hear everything the ATV-360 does (through the LCD heads up display and earbud). You easily maneuver it down the hall - the ATV's tank treads climbing over any junk in its way. Reaching the breakroom, you hit the 360 button, spinning the ATV in a full circle and giving you an instant scan of the entire room. Everyone is hiding; it's a surprise party for you. You pilot your ATV-360 back and pick up your Nerf gun. Time to surprise the surprisers - and then eat some cake!

LighTalk

Picture this: you are in a meeting, bored out of your mind. So you doodle on your note pad, pretending to take notes. Suddenly, you realize you might have created the world's greatest doodle and you need to share it with your equally bored coworker on the other side of the table. Pull out your LighTalk II; problem solved.

With a push of a button, the LighTalk II has scanned the image into its memory. Flip the switch to the display mode, and wave the pen-shaped LighTalk II back and forth like an upside down pendulum. Your image will be created in the air by a strip of orangey LEDs, and all will be amazed. Persistence of vision at it's best. But this is version 2.0, which has some incredible new features. Apart from holding four more scans than version 1, you now have the ability to display one message after another in Continuous Display Mode. Also, with the new IR feature, you can "beam" your drawings and messages straight into a friend's LighTalk II. Now, not only can you flash your doodle, you can share it too!

Nightmare Before Xmas Mobile Light

Ghouls and ghosts and things that go bump in the night - sometimes even they get tired of all the darkness. That's why the most fashionable witches, vampires, and other distinguished citizens of Halloweentown use the mesmerizing Nightmare Before Xmas Mobile Light to illuminate their abodes. Hey, it doesn't cast much light and works best in pitch dark... but that's just the way those Halloweentowners like it.

This nifty light casts a slowly rotating image of Jack Skellington and friends on your ceiling. You get a random choice of two slightly different designs.

Anti-gravity Globe

Ok, before you start sending us emails - we fully understand that this isn't a real anti-gravity device. Of course it's a prototype, duh. We are busy working on a true anti-gravity globe and plan to release one in 2011, right after we release a flying pig. Marketing-based-gimmicky product names aside, this globe does hover above its base in a seeming defiance of gravity. How does it accomplish this astonishing feat?

There is a thin, but extraordinarily strong, column of precisely engineered nano-simians between the base unit and the globe that keeps the appearance of the globe hovering above the base unit. Woohoo!

How does it really work?

As always, we are as tickled as dogs trapped inside a squirrel park to give you the inside scoop. It's simple really. The globe itself is very light in weight. There is a precisely placed magnet located at the inside top of the globe. Once you plug in the heavily weighted base, and carefully place the globe over top the center of the base, a combination of sensors and micro-processors help to calibrate the embedded electromagnet in the base to properly suspend the globe.

EyeClops Night Vision Goggles

Here's the situation: you wake up in the middle of the night and you want water. But you don't want to turn on all the lights, for they will burn your eyes with their incandescence. So, you either injure yourself, stumbling in the darkness, or you wet your bed. Neither is fun. If you have some of these awesome Night Vision Goggles next to your bed, you'll be able to see in the dark and pee in safety and ease.

Ok, so you might think these things are just toys, the type that say "night vision" but really just have a pop out flashlight. Nope. These are the real deal; true infrared night vision, for the price of a toy. You can't imagine the happy dance we did when we realized these worked really well. Now we can sneak around like the ninjas we know we are, in the dark, watching all - and you won't be able to see us. Unless you're a ninja too, and have some EyeClops Night Vision Goggles of your own.

* This was, actually, the first test we put these through: peeing in the dark. It was a complete success. True story.

Laser Stars Projector

When you turn off your lights and turn this unit on - trust us - you will be bamboozled with star rapture. That's the only way we can describe it.

What IS the Laser Stars Projector really?
It's a unit about 10inches tall that projects a combination of green laser stars and blue (slightly ultraviolet-ish blue) clouds onto your ceiling, walls, pets, etc. Both the clouds and the stars are constantly moving and morphing, just like a proper Universe should. And there are literally thousands of green laser stars to look at. There are two ways you can adjust your Laser Stars Projector, first you can pivot the projector itself 180 degrees horizontally around the base so that you can control *where* it is projecting in your room. It can literally fill up an entire ceiling and portions of several walls at once. And the other thing you can adjust is the intensity of the blue gaseous clouds, from zero to full intensity.

How does it really work?
The Laser Stars Projector utilizes a state of the art Diode Pumped, Solid State (DPSS) green laser combined with custom developed multiphase diffractive holographic optics, super luminous diodes and precision motors to produce the laser stars effect. The coherent light produced by the DPSS laser passes through a passive diffractive holographic optical element, which in turn passes through a circular periodicity electromechanical wheel, which is driven by a precision motor to create the soothing motion of the star field. So there.

Hurry, get one before your friends do. Then plug it in, turn it on, and tune out...


Please note: It's difficult to portray what the Laser Stars Projector projects here in images because it works best in the dark. The images tend to mute the green stars and exaggerate the blue clouds a bit.

Mini Solar-Powered Car

Car is tiny, power source is very large

Solar cars are, unfortunately, still in the research and development phase, although we saw one recently that drove from Texas to New York in 5 days. Despite being impressive, it'll likely be years before we have one sitting in the driveway, charging. Until then this working miniature model will have to keep us entertained.

The world's smallest solar powered car - it zooms along when the sun shines on the solar panel. No batteries - it gets its power just from the sun. No assembly required. Measures a tiny 3.3 x 2.2 x 1.4 cm. When the sun shines on the solar panel, the panel makes electricity that turns the motor and the wheels. A fun demonstration of solar power. Will also work when close to a strong artificial light source. Not for children under 3 years old, due to small parts.

The Classic Radiometer

Photon Pressure?

Way back in 1873, some dude named Sir William Crookes noticed some weirdness in a scale he built. It appeared as though some samples weighed more or less depending on if sunlight was shining on the scale. Weird! He postulated that it was the pressure of the light being exerted on the scale that modified his results.

Of course, he was totally wrong, but it was a cool idea.

See, the bulb in which the blades spin is a partial vacuum. Partial being the tricky part - another clever scientist by the name of Lebedev noticed that the effect disappeared in a hard vacuum. So, air has something to do with it. Basically, the principal is the air that hangs out by the cool side of the blade flows slowly to the warm side of the blade. That process is called thermal transpiration. Science is cool.

The ThinkGeek Radiometer looks awesome sitting on your desk or windowsill. It works great in direct sunlight, but moves pretty well even hit with a flashlight! Of course, in ThinkGeek's own highly scientific testing, a laser, while intense, was too focused to significantly move the vanes very quickly at all. Your mileage may vary!

USB Plasma Ball

We are certain you've seen these plasma balls before. They've been around ever since bad hair bands from the eighties. Recently they've become available in tech friendly USB versions so we've decided to put this classic on your must have list. Our only question really is why can't we have amazing, affordable, *NEW* desktop science toys invented in the twenty first century? Things like mini USB desktop wormholes, or keychain Schroedinger's kitten boxes? If you can't give us jetpacks, at least make some for our action figures...

How does the USB Plasma Ball Really Work?
Glad you asked. A combination of interesting and fun gasses (like Argon) are first trapped inside a plastic sphere at relatively low pressures. An alternating current, at relatively high voltages (Hey, this is USB remember, so it can't get too crazy), are pumped into the sphere via an electrode in the center. This energy causes electrons to be stripped from the gasses,leaving in its wake some positively charged ions and a gorgeous gaseous and electrically conductive environment (aka Plasma). That high voltage served up through the electrode will now arc up through the plasma to the lower voltage edge of the plastic sphere (starting at the top where the temperature is greater). The arcs glow because they are hotter than the surrounding plasma. You can touch the plastic and the arcs will strongly congregate to your touch because you will be creating an even lower voltage jump from the electrode. All this made possible by the evil genius of Nikola Tesla, oh, and some science.

Powered by an included USB cable, this desktop Plasma Ball is about stands about 6 inches high and includes an on/off switch. While it emits a very low current, it does so at a relatively high-voltage and so it does produce some EMF. Respect your plasma ball and it will respect you!

Instant Snow! Just Add Water!

Somewhere, in Death Valley, California, Little Johnny asks his mommie, "How does Santa get here, if it never snows?"

Her mind races as she tries to come up with an answer. Repulsorlift? Hovercraft? Transporter? Little Johnny, a clever little tyke, would see through such simplistic ruses. She stammers as Little Johnny's quizzical expression turns to distrust and frustration.

In a flash, she remembers! "Aha! He makes his own snow! He carries a small container of this special powder that he mixes with water to create fresh snow!"

You, too, can create snow any time of year with Instant Snow! This hi-tech powdered polymer absorbs water and expands nearly 100 times into a flaky white non-toxic substance closely resembling real snow. It's science! Hooray, science!

Pour a few ounces into your favorite container, add water, and watch as snow erupts, spilling over the container lid. Leave your snow alone for a few days and let it dry out, turning back into a compact powder. It can be reused again and again so it's also hippie friendly!

Each 8oz jar makes 2 full gallons of the fluffy stuff, while the ultra-portable test-tube size cranks out two cups! While Instant Snow is non-toxic, we don't recommend eating any. Flush thoroughly with water if it is accidentally ingested. Be safe, and have fun!