Remember when those two satellites collided the other day? Seems that they’ll be the space junk.gift that keeps on giving, as their 800-km debris orbiting field could hamper all future space launches.
The Z-Nano mouse is claiming smallest optical mouse in the world: it’s about the size of the finger you will use to daintily stab at its buttons. See it in diminutive action.
Standard and Poor’s Rating Services acknowledges what Giz readers have known for a long time: They now classify Motorola as junk. Specifically, their Ratings Services cut its long-term corporate credit rating for Motorola to junk status. Last week, though, Moody’s Investors Services also warned of future cuts to Moto’s rating, which is hanging on two notches above junk. This all means it’ll be even harder for Motorola to get cash, like for R&D or other projects. Clearly, however, none of these people have heard of the Moto Krave, which has a full touchscreen, two megapixel camera and fits right in with sports cars. [WSJ via BBG Faucet]
The Gadget: Awethumb, a thumb attachment that’s meant to reduce hand discomfort and increase typing speed when texting on smartphones.
As you probably already know, space is full of crap. It’s not something the average Joe thinks about, but when the government starts blowing dead satellites out of the sky, it may be time to start worrying whether or not the gadget that brings soft-core pornography to your TV will end up crushing you as you mow the lawn. Researchers at Queen’s University are jumping in to help with the problem by developing a robotic repair system that will service the approx. 8000 satellites currently orbiting the Earth. Keep in mind that about only around 800 of those satellites are currently operational.
I know the concepts of typing speed and words per minute are mindblowingly difficult ones. And if they’re too much for you to wrap your head around, perhaps you should consider this USB Mice Wheel (no, thats not my grammatical error) that measures your words per minute in revolutions per minute. So when you’re typing REALLY, REALLY FAST on that foldable witchcraft machine, the mouse wheel is spinning REALLY, REALLY FAST. Where would we be without technology? [Product Page via Red Ferret via Crunch Gear]
Like a Ronco rotisserie or the perfect politician, you can set this non Stop Top and forget it, because it never stops spinning. Well, it never stops until it runs out of battery juice, which takes about eight hours. Mileage for pols or rotisseries is probably much more than that. It’s a cool, shiny top, however, even if they don’t really go into detail about the inner workings that keep it spinning for so long. [I Want One of Those]
The humble USB socket has provided power for some weird gizmos, but I think this might just take the biscuit: it’s a USB-powered volcano. A fake one (duh!) in fact, with plastic lava beads that erupt out of the volcano in a water-filled desktop toy. Awesome—the mega-destructive and impressive power of nature reduced to one naff toy that you even have to provide your own water for. At least it’s got bright LEDs inside so at night it kinda, sorta looks a little like the real thing would do. Okay, so it doesn’t look anything like a real cone volcano… but that doesn’t stop me liking it. Yours for a mere $US18. [Gadget4All via Ubergizmo]
Officially we are sick to death of steampunk, but we are willing to make an exception for a Predator with the skull of his alien adversary stuck to his spear. Currently the 8-foot statue stands guard outside of a London junk shop as a means of luring customers in to buy useless old crap. Whether it is successful in that endeavor is unclear, but the owners of the junk shop are not so attached that they are unwilling to sell it off to the highest bidder. Unfortunately, that bidder will have to pony up at least 5000 British pounds to take it home. That’s about $US9200 to us Yanks.
Always had something against Darth Vader and his many Stormtrooper cronies? Why not denigrate them to the lowest forms of consumer electronics by decapitating their shrunken heads and turning those into nifty Star Wars phone flashers? Now if you’re in a way-too-noisy cantina, or if you’re phone is on silent, the head of the Dark Lord (or Stormtrooper No. 37291018) will spin ’round and ’round to make sure you don’t miss your call. How droll. $US9 a head. [Firebox via ]
