Gizmodo Australia » fireworks

Video Of Weaponised RC Plane Shooting Fireworks

Jesus Diaz — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 01:40:00 +0000

To celebrate Independence Day, some guys thought that shooting fireworks from RC planes—using an electrical firing system—was a great safe idea. Judging by the music, however, it seems they were celebrating Hitler’s invasion of Poland. [Hacked Gadgets]

Giz Service Announcement: Aim Fireworks Into The Air, Not At Your Mom

Jason Chen — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 01:00:00 +0000

Here’s another clip from the Consumer Product Safety Commission that proves, once and for all, that it is not okay to point fireworks at family members. Happy July 4th everybody! [CPSC]

Giz Service Announcement: Fireworks Can Blow Up Your Face

Jason Chen — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 16:30:00 +0000

Hey everyone, just checking in to make sure your holiday is kicking off with a bang. Bu that you haven’t blown your face off with some giant aerial fireworks. Happy July 4th everybody! [CPSC]

Giz Service Announcement: Fireworks And Watermelon Don’t Mix

Jason Chen — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 16:00:00 +0000

Hey, we here at Gizmodo, together with Nancy Nord of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, want to remind you to have a safe 4th of July. Don’t use illegal fireworks for anything dangerous. Like blowing up an M-1000 inside of a watermelon. In slow motion. Happy 4th weekend everybody. [CPSC]

Sega’s Virtual Fireworks Machine Takes The Fun Out Of Explosions

Dan Nosowitz — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 14:00:00 +0000

Sega Toys is coming out with the Uchiage Hanabi, essentially a limited-function projector that shows fake fireworks on your ceilings or walls, complete with sound.

You’ll be able to create your own “shows” with 55 different explosions which you can then take anywhere, as the device is designed to be portable—it takes AAA batteries for power and looks fairly diminutive. It’ll retail for around $US160 when it’s released, but that release isn’t until August 1st. Releasing a fireworks machine, virtual or no, four weeks after both July 4th and Canada Day is like investing in pumpkins in mid-winter. [Sega via OhGizmo]

Explained: Fireworks Vs Firecrackers Vs Sparklers

Mark Wilson — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:50:00 +0000

While prepping for our nation’s independence, we came across this excellent explanation as to how most basic fireworks function. The clip takes about a minute of your time and will imbue you with impressive knowledge for this July 4th. [HowStuffWorks]

In Lieu of Fireworks, Chinese Villagers Hurl Molten Iron at a Wall

Elaine Chow — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 08:50:20 +0000

During the Lantern Festival last month, one village in China celebrated the same way they have for 500 years—by throwing molten iron at a wall to create showers of make-do fireworks.

The villagers of Nanchuan, China put on an hour-long performance each year called Da shu hua (beating the tree to produce flowers). The iron throwers are protected from all that molten metal by nothing more than a hat and a sheepskin coat. Is it dangerous? The throwers joked that it’s not, as long as you’re not afraid to die. [Diagonal View]

2009 Will Arrive One Second Late To Its Own Party

Nick Broughall — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 23:53:55 +0000

If you’re heading out to watch the midnight fireworks tonight to say goodbye to the year that was 2008, be prepared for a slight delay. And when we say slight, we mean slight – one second, to be precise. Boffins at Greenwich will be adding a single second onto the year 2008 to adjust time for the minute slowing of the earth’s rotation. According to AP, the move has reignited the debate between GMT and atomic time as the worldwide standard for timekeeping – atomic clocks are precise to the nanosecond and don’t need sporadic adjustments of a second to maintain accuracy. However, they don’t take into account changes to the planet’s rotation, either and in hundreds of years midday would actually be closer to 1pm than today’s 12pm. In any case, if any of you have an X-men like ability to slow down time and you’re wondering why tonight’s fireworks don’t kick off until 12:00:01, now you know.

[AP]

Beijing Olympics Fireworks Line Will Light Up China This Spring Festival

Elaine Chow — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 04:00:00 +0000

If there’s one thing you can’t overstate, it’s how much the Chinese people loooooved the Olympics. So it was kind of expected that Chinese fireworks makers would capitalise on the magic of the Opening Ceremonies by selling similar DIY pyrotechnics. This Chinese New Year, watch for the Bird’s Nest series of fireworks going off all over the country, including smiley faces and footprints, blossoming peony flowers and “silver and red waterfalls.” Gizmodo-readers in Beijing can grab their share of explodey things at over 200 locations across the city come Nov. 15th. [The Beijinger]

Forget the Panic Button: Fireworks Will Help Lead You To Your Car

Gizmodo US Edition — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 01:15:13 +0000

If you are one of those people who constantly forget where you’ve parked your car, the Fireworks Locator System concept—a button on your key—could help grab your attention by triggering a holographic explosion of fireworks above your vehicle. However, the effectiveness of this gadget is questionable as there would be more and more fireworks exploding in parking lots as this device becomes more popular. This, however, would be problematic not only because of how distracting it may be to other drivers, but also because of the difficulty of distinguishing your set of fireworks from another’s—unless, of course, your fireworks exploded in the shape of a wang. [Yanko Design]