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Ghostbusters Nightlight
Earlier today Gizmodo featured these cool Avengers-themed nightlights. They look great, fully earning their “wall art” nickname. Better yet they run on batteries, so you can place them anywhere on the wall (instead of plugging into a power outlet, which is often the norm for a nightlight). Unfortunately there is no indication as to whether they have light sensors, so I’m gonna guess that they have a manual switch. Still, I am tempted to grab one!
And that brings me to the design seen above. A nightlight based on the Ghostbusters sign seen in the films, in the exact same vein as those neat Avengers nightlights.
This is not a new idea, there are a few products currently available that cater to this niche. Unfortunately they miss the mark in terms of price or design. You can get this one for north of $300, which is silly. Or you can import this one from Japan, which looks nothing like the sign seen in the film.
I believe Ghostbusters fans want something cool and affordable, and I think following the template set by the Avengers nightlights is the way to go. As long as it A) looks like a replica of the sign from the film, and B) hangs on the wall exactly like the sign did on the Firehouse. A light sensor would also be welcome.
Here’s hoping we get something like this one day. For other Ghostbusters posts please click here.
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.
Ghostbusters 3 Script Idea
With news that Ghostbusters 3 is in a stand-still, I thought I’d offer up my idea for the plot. Not just the premise, but a start, middle, and ending. It does introduce a new group of Ghostbusters, but I couldn’t assign them names or character traits. This is highly derivative of the first film.
This is just a rough story outline. Not quite a short story, not quite a script outline. It doesn’t dwell on characterization or action sequences for the most part. It is poorly-written and breaks the 4th wall often, but I enjoyed writing it. It’s fun to exercise my creative writing skills once in a while, no matter how horrendous. Here goes (4700 words, fair warning):
Peter Venkman decides he is done being a Ghostbuster, and starts a company called Ghobo Inc., which sells Roomba-like devices (also called Ghobos) that work as both ghost detectors and traps. The device makes Peter rich and the Ghostbusters redundant. So much so they closed down the Firehouse and released all the ghosts they caught, which are quickly scooped up by thousands of Ghobos throughout New York City.
When a Ghobo catches a ghost, it has a removable cartridge which is then be dropped in the mail Netflix-style. It is then sent to a massive containment unit in Japan, where the ghosts’ ecto properties are converted into a clean energy source. Read the rest of this entry
Ghostbusters Blu-Ray Case
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This was an old design that has been redone in light of a recent tower case design I made.
Ghostbusters Firehouse PC Tower Case
It’s been about several weeks since the last Ghostbusters idea, so why not a new one? Actually truth be told, I suggested this idea over a year ago, and merely presented a sketch drawing of the concept.
The shape of the building makes for an excellent case mod. The Ghostbusters’ sign is the perfect power indicator light. You could even make all the windows opaque, for those who like to see the innards of their computer.
I also originally suggested that the Ecto-1 car be used as a USB hub that is tethered to the building, and can be stowed in the garage. The front doors could even be opened to reveal USB or other ports. I’d also like to see the built-in power supply look like the Ecto Containment Unit, but only if the PSU was stationed at the bottom of the case. There are plenty of things that can be done with this concept.
For now it’s pretty basic. All the buttons are placed on the ledges. The disc tray is enclosed at the top. I didn’t include the vents, but they would be concealed within the window frames.
Ghostbusters Ecto-1 Alarm Clock
I always thought a toy firetruck or police car would make for a cool alarm clock. It would feature lights and sirens and would add a little more urgency to getting out of bed in the morning. Albeit that idea is more suitable for kids.
But then I remembered for Ghostbuters 2 they added a large LED panel display to the roof rack, which served as a billboard of sorts. I think that would make for an excellent time display, more so than a firetruck or police car as neither features this kind of signage.
The Ecto-1 also features a very distinctive siren, which makes for a great alarm sound. Though you could probably opt to listen to the radio or your iPod instead.
I’d probably make the engine hood the snooze button, or provide a base/stand that would house the button, as there is too much kibble mounted on top of the car that might be prone to a swatting hand.
If you like this alarm clock idea (or any gadget idea I post), please bug Thinkgeek here. Email them a link to this post, and tell them you want one! Your endorsement is much appreciated.
Ghostbusters PKE Meter Wireless Router/Wi-Fi Hub
I know I know – another Ghostbusters gadget. But they have so many iconic devices!
This one was a bit easy. I was looking at my wireless router, and all it’s blinking lights and antennae, when it struck me. Why not a router modeled in the fashion of the Ghostbusters’ PKE Meter, the device they use to detect ghosts with?
I’m sure it could stand up on it’s own, but a base wouldn’t hurt so I added one. I think the Ghostbusters used a recharging dock for it in the movies anyways. All the wired connections would be located in the back of the base.
Given the vertical shape of this device, they could probably house all the antennae internally, making those LED-lit rabbit ears just for show.
I think LinkSys, D-Link, Cisco, and the other router manufacturers could exercise some imagination and issue a device like this.
