Blog Archives
Geeky Flash Drives Part 4: TRON Data Disc
So here are two designs for USB Flash drives based on the TRON Data Disc (TRON Legacy version): the one on the left is a small replica of the disc, with a USB connector that slides out; the one on the right is a more typical USB stick design.
The disc-shaped one is a fun design, but would be more problematic to engineer as an actual product, not to mention a bit cumbersome to use. However I believe it would look cool when plugged into your laptop or computer.
The basic USB stick version is an achievable design both in form and function. The casing is clear plastic, so it would look like the embedded data disc is floating in air.
Both designs feature LED lights which would illuminate when the flash drive is plugged-in. I suppose you could include an on-board battery to make either of these light up on command.
It makes too much sense for a TRON data disc to be used to transfer data! Hopefully something like this becomes a reality one day.
Shark Laser Pointer
This is another instance of when I was shopping for a particular item only to discover it did not exist. Much to my surprise shark-themed laser pointers aren’t available. Now I only have one simple request; and that is to have laser pointers that look like sharks with frickin’ laser beams attached to their heads!
To be clear this would be for a small handheld laser pointer used for highlighting stuff on the chalkboard or terrorizing your pet cat (and NOT for pointing at flying aircraft). This gadget would fit onto your keychain, and would be operated with a push button. To make it friendly for placing in your pocket I’d make all the fins (or the whole body) out of a flexible rubber.
Another way to go is to have a normal laser pointer that can attach to a plastic toy shark. It would be a decorative item for the desk.
Relevant scene for the youngsters who might not get the joke. Can you believe the film is 16 years old??
A Collection Of Jurassic Park Ideas
With Jurassic Park 3D hitting theaters this Friday, I thought I’d revisit a few posts inspired by the film over the past 3 years this blog has been in existence. In no particular order:
1. Jurassic Park 3D Glasses. I was so sure this would be a thing I vowed to watch the Twilight films if it didn’t happen. A man of my word, I will… oh, they’re not on Netflix? Oh man what a bummer. But seriously I’d want a pair of these, 3D or no.
2. Jurassic Park Blu-Ray Case. This design put my blog on the map, so feel free to assign blame here. If I ever got rich I would 3D-print this sucker.
3. Jurassic Park Fence Bed. Featuring a doomed plush goat (like so many of my other posts)! I’m pretty sure there was an IKEA bed with a similar frame, but I can’t seem to find it anymore.
4. Jurassic Park Watch. I made this for my Watch This series, and I still love this design 2 years later. You’ll note as we go back in time, the pictures as smaller. For some reason I was cool with a blog width of 445 pixels back in the day.
5. Jurassic Park Hockey Jersey. This one migrated to my other blog, but it was a hit when I posted it here in the fall of 2011. The design was inspired by the gas-powered jeeps from the film.
6. Wallpapers! You can find a ‘Fences’ screen here, and a rather juvenile Yoshi-themed one here.
And that’s it for now, please stay tuned for more Jurassic Park designs in the future! Enjoy the film’s re-release and remember: it’s in IMAX for only one week.
What I’d Like To See For The Oculus Rift Headset
The highly-anticipated Oculus Rift VR headset will be released this spring, allowing gamers to enjoy virtual reality – something that seemed around the corner in the early 90′s! With many developers pledging support for games old and new, and its attractive price point of $300, you’d be hard-pressed to find any fault with this device. Read the rest of this entry
Geeky Flash Drives Part 3: Superman Fortress Crystal
The crystals in the Superman films had several functions: home construction, beacon, glow stick, ability to restore superpowers, and last but not least: data storage. Two of these things — data storage and the glow functionality — could easily translate to a USB flash drive. The end result is something that looks and behaves (to an extent) just like one of Superman’s crystals.
For this design a vanilla cap would cover the USB plug. Like the previous Ghostbusters design, there would be some LED lights built-in to indicate the device is in use. But one thing I’d like to see is an on-demand light, triggered by a button, allowing you to replicate the ‘glow stick’ feature of the crystal. The drive would need an on-board battery, preferably something that can be recharged (via USB, of course). There are so many keychain light and USB drive combos, so I feel this is an attainable design.
And as a lark it should come preloaded with a few documents about trees.
Geeky Flash Drives Part 2: Ghostbusters Ghost Trap
This dates back to one of my very first ideas on this site, but a few things about that flash drive design bugged me: it could not fit into any USB port (the plug was recessed), and it had no indicator light. Well I’m glad to finally put together a redesign, which features a flip plug and an LED light to indicate that it is plugged-in.
The ghost trap is a plug-and-play device used by the Ghostbusters, so it makes sense it would be a USB flash drive. You’re just transporting data instead of ghosts.
There are a few other variations for this design: the USB plug could flip out of the trap doors; the trap compartment could be a flash drive that slides out of the main trap; or the foot pedal cable could be a USB plug that is tethered to the flash drive trap. Either way, I hope to get one of these some day.
