Thursday, 29 October 2009 15:13

Tuesday, 06 October 2009 14:06

       

 This isn't the first Batmobile we've spotted, but that doesn't make it any less cool. This Batmobile retrofitted from a 1973 Lincoln Continental may have cost Leif Garvin from Sweden more than $1 million and 20,000 working hours over a span of 3.5 years to build. But the envious stares he gets are priceless.

Read more: Full-size Batmobile replica induces drool

Tuesday, 06 October 2009 13:57

The iPhone has many applications that let you view Web cams from around the world, but what about turning your phone into a remote camera of its own? A new app called IP Camera (warning: iTunes link) does just that. This $1.99 tool takes a photo from your iPhone's camera every 12 to 15 seconds, then posts it to a local Web page that can be accessed from other computers on the same network.

All that's needed for setup is to make sure your phone is on Wi-Fi, then to jot down the special local HTTP address it gives you. It will keep running until you quit the application manually or get a phone call; although like any good iPhone app it starts right back up when you're done with a call.

While there are very few bells and whistles, this app worked really well in my testing with an iPhone 3G. Although one big thing that's missing is a way to archive the photos it takes. You can temporarily stop its stream of photos, then save whichever one it's on, but it does not keep a "recents" on its Web page, or on your phone's camera roll.

Read more: IP Camera turns your iPhone into a security cam

Tuesday, 06 October 2009 13:56

Tuesday, 06 October 2009 13:52

Tuesday, 06 October 2009 13:50

Tuesday, 06 October 2009 13:48

                                       

The Japanese gadget wizards at Thanko have created a USB soldering iron so you can melt lead on the go.

The USB Soldering Iron can heat up to 390 Fahrenheit if powered through one USB port; with two ports, it gets to 570 F. Wire it to a 9V battery it it will burn at nearly 930 F.

Thanko seems to have a policy of trying to convert every tool known to man to USB, from dental microscopes to electric razors to e-cigarettes. They also have a yen for plain old wacky stuff, like these cat-ear headphones.

They seem to think of everything when it comes to product design. The USB Soldering Iron comes with a handy LED light near the tip to illuminate the work area.For $28, the iron also comes with a 40-inch USB cable (with two plugs), as well as a 30-inch cable for a 9V battery.It's clearly not as clumsy or random as a blaster. An elegant weapon for a more civilized age.