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Submission For Thinkgeek’s IdeaFactory Part 1: Desk Dashboard
Thinkgeek has created a portal for people to submit ideas called the Thinkgeek IdeaFactory. Product ideas will be evaluated and should they come to fruition, the submitter can earn some money (payment and royalties) and can re-sell their product if they so choose. They only stipulate that product ideas aren’t based on a licensed property (so no dinnerware based on TRON discs), the products have to stand on their own. I submitted a few designs. Here is the first one:
This is the “Desk Dashboard”. which is like a small clock you keep at your workstation that is plugged into the PC via USB, and is entirely based on the dashboard of an automobile. It emits lights and sounds to notify you of important emails, lunchtime, coffee breaks, and your hourly stand up and stretch health check. Program your routine in the PC and the Desk Dashboard carries it out.
The “Fuel” (Coffee) gauge is a countdown clock to your scheduled coffee breaks. It would not actually be able to detect the coffee level in your cup! Maybe a weight scale peripheral can do that.
The dashboard emits chimes similar to a car, like when the door is ajar and the keys are left in the ignition, or forgetting to put the seat belt on.
It can be expanded to include Facebook and Twitter notifications, an Odometer-style time clock, a hazard light function (red button and yellow blinking lights) to scare co-workers away, and a quitting time alert. Your boss might not be enamored with the last one.
Thinkgeek Remix Part 4: LED Jellyfish Mood Light
This series is meant to be my take on existing Thinkgeek products, but these are turning out to be completely Nintendo inspired. What can I say? Got Nintendo on the brain.
This cool Jellyfish Mood Light from Thinkgeek would serve as the basis for a Metroid container, seen at the beginning of the SNES classic Super Metroid. I would just up the number of Metroids to three from one.
If the Metroids could retain the jelly-like property of the Thinkgeek product, they’d look lifelike. They’d appear to be flying in space, though somewhat drunkenly.
Note: picture not meant to be a size comparison, the Metroid tank would ideally be about the same height as the jellyfish tanks.
If you like this, check out this Metroid mouse, Metroid diorama, and smartphone design.
Thinkgeek Remix Part 3: Electronic Goldfish In A Bowl
Now we take a look at the “Electronic Goldfish in a Bowl” item from Thinkgeek (above left), which much like the electronic firefly in a jar, features a fake fish tethered to the lid of a goldfish bowl. The fish swims around in the water repetitively, mimicking the movements of an actual goldfish. With this product you never have to worry about the goldfish keeling-over and being transferred to the toilet bowl.
Thinkgeek carries a ton of Star Trek items, so it would seem natural that they convert this item into a wall-mounted aquarium, much like the one seen in Jean Luc Picard’s office in Star Trek: TNG.
There are already a few Picard-like fish tanks available on the market. One goes for over $1,000, and the other for about $40. They both do the job, but require actual living fish.
However I prefer the $40 model (above middle), because it can be hung on the wall, and features an interchangeable background image. In combination with Thinkgeek’s electronic fish (which features LED lighting), you’d have the perfect decoration for any geek’s office or study.
If I were to design one, it would be about the size of clock (10-12″ in diameter), and would have the shape of a contact lens as it doesn’t need all that much depth. The background images would have a “fish eye” effect applied to them, making the bowl seem much deeper. I’d also make this as light as possible, requiring only a small cavity for water. A few LED lights and it’s done. I suppose you could do a fancy stand like the $1,000 model, but I prefer the simplicity of a wall ornament. This would also need to be easy to turn on and off, so a push-button mechanic like one of these lights should do the trick.
The best part is Thinkgeek (or the manufacturers of the electronic goldfish) don’t need a license from Paramount to produce this item. However with Thinkgeek being Trek licensees they may have to ask “Hey bro is it cool if we like, make this?”
Thinkgeek Remix Part 2: Air Swimmers R/C Flying Fish
I really dig these radio-controlled flying fish from Thinkgeek. Not only do these helium balloons look convincing at a glance, but their swimming movement also looks realistic. Check out the video:
If it were up to me, I’d swap out the fish with the flying balloon-like Boo from the Super Mario games. It too moves slowly and not all that gracefully. I’m hoping that the tail and wing-like arms can help propel it like the flying fish. The tongue could also be used as a rudder perhaps. If it’s possible, a voice chip could be added for his “laugh” sounds.
But why stop there? There are plenty of other geeky things known for flying that could be used:
1. A flying droid briefly seen in the Star Wars: A New Hope (Special Edition onwards). I chose it because it has a rudder and wings. 2. Metroid. Would make for a beautiful balloon. 3. Lakitu, an enemy-turned-friend, also from the Super Mario games. 4. A City Scanner robot from Half Life 2. Looks like a product of Aperture labs. 5. Laserbeak! Okay, probably wouldn’t work as a balloon. 6. Probe Droid from Empire Strikes Back. 7. Torture Ball droid from A New Hope. And you thought your dad was harsh. 8. Orko from He-Man. I’d enlist his large elf-like ears to be the wings, and his hat tip for the rudder. He’d be life-size, I believe.
Anything you’d like to see as a flying toy?
Thinkgeek Remix Part 1: Firefly Jar
This only looks cruel to non-gamers.
This is a ‘what-if’ series where I apply my spin on actual products available from Thinkgeek.
Ah, Thinkgeek. Home to many cool and creative products. Every so often I will browse their wares and see what cool toys they have for discriminating geeks like myself. Once in awhile I’ll see something they’re selling and think, hey wouldn’t it be cool if…? Well I thought I’d share some of my musings, because that’s what I do.
First up we have the ‘Electronic Firefly in a Jar‘, which is a neat simulation of a real firefly trapped in a jar (video at the link). The fake firefly ‘flies’ around (it’s tethered to the lid), emits light, and sometimes parks itself on the side of the jar, where it reacts to your tapping. It flaps its wings too. Cool beans.
I’d just swap out the firefly for Zelda’s Navi, the true antagonist of Ocarina of Time (Ganondorf had nothing on her). The hapless Navi would still fly around and emit light, in addition I would also add a sound chip to the inside of the lid, allowing Navi to emit her famous phrases. And this would be brilliant because most sound chips have poor-sounding quality, but inside the jar it would sound muffled and mostly inaudible*.
If I had one of these on my desk, I would wring my hands and laugh maniacally every time I heard the faintest protest coming from Navi. It would be glorious.
There would need to be a switch where the frequency of her voice phrases could be determined (once every half hour would be ideal). I’d also add an on-demand button on the lid to trigger a line of dialogue too.
I’d try to make the jar look Zelda-ish too (above example was a stock photo). I think this would make for a nice ambient lamp as well.
If you like this product idea, I suggest you bug Thinkgeek about it. Get it? Bug?
*I suppose if you wanted to hear her you could crack the lid open a bit.
