I’ve covered a lot of Kickstarter projects on this site, as the crowd funding behemoth proves to be an infinite source for the latest, and most interesting, projects currently out there.
But of all those Kickstarter projects, few have ever been so bold as a seemingly simple invention called the Shark Wheel, which claims to have reinvented the wheel.
It’s origin story is much humbler than its aspirations, as the story goes that one day creator David Patrick was playing around trying to get six pieces of interlocking cable to fit into a cube (which is apparently how eccentric geniuses entertain themselves), when he realized that upon dropping his created design, the shape he’d formed not only rolled, but rolled smoothly over a long stretch of ground.
As a lifelong skateboarder, David immediately realized the potential of this design, and modified it to create the Shark Wheel, a somewhat warped interpretation of the standard wheel that is designed to specifically reduce the amount of direct contact with the ground. Among other things, the benefits of that approach includes faster speed, better grip and control, and the ability to provide both of those features in wet or uneven terrain. In other words, by shifting the model of the traditional wheel slightly, it manages to provide the most desirable aspects of the regular skateboard wheel in a way that the old design cannot.
Now, the term skateboard wheel is being thrown around here, because that is the sole intention of this design’s function at the moment, as the Shark’s kickstarter campaign will net you 4 longboard wheels for a $50 donation.
While the inventor insists this design is not currently intended for use on an automobile or any other wheel dependent vehicle, it is nonetheless impressive that someone out there has managed to accomplish what was previously only referenced in terms of a joke and has actually improved the wheel, even if it is only in one specific capacity. It does go to show though that there is an infinite world of creative possibilities still to be explored, and, on its own, looks to be an impressive piece of design that any skateboarder should be intrigued by.
While branding a cow certainly makes sense for the rancher, when you think about it, should his mark be the final word on your steak? After all, it was you who selected the perfect cut from the butcher, it was you who seasoned and marinated it to perfection, and it was you who wisely didn’t invite that one guy to your BBQ who asks for his steaks “burnt to a crisp” as to maintain the integrity of your work.
After all that effort, don’t you feel you should be able to leave a clear mark on your steak that leaves no doubt as to its creator?
If so then consider the Norpo BBQ Branding Iron. With it, you have the grammatical power of 55 included letters to brand your steak with the message of your choice right before it comes off of the grill. Whether it be something simple like putting the name of the respective recipient on each cut, or creating your own unique identifying statement, you can now finally put a signature on the artform that is that perfect cut of grilled beef.
Sure there are reports of the branding iron not being the most sturdy of utensils, and there is the nasty potential for looking kind of pretentious while using it, but sometimes the quality of a steak doesn’t speak for itself soon enough, and you need it to leave a quicker impression. For those times, you need this iron.
As biking becomes more and more popular due to its financial, health, and environmental benefits, particularly among bearded twenty-somethings in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, we’re starting to see biking culture become a bigger and bigger thing.
For the most part, this has been a tame culture. Some biking outings, a few repair shops here and there, and of course some minor…err…accessorizing. Again though, nothing unusual.
Of course, it was only a matter of time until someone said screw it, and really just crafted something wild for the most eccentric of bicyclists. It turns out that time is now, that someone is MonkeyLetric, and the something wild is a series of LED lights that go on the spokes, and can create an almost limitless amount of images, such as these.
Working off of a 4 piece LED unit that attaches to a bike’s spokes, the Monkey Light Pro is an incredible piece of technology not just because of its ability to create a moving image based on nothing but the bike’s momentum, but because of the creative potential of the images themselves.
Besides a few stock images that come with the device, considering that just about every file type is supported for uploading, and variables such as speed and looping abilities can be implemented, there really appears to be no end to the images that can be created, leading to some amazingly creative examples so far stemming solely from the invention’s creators.
Speeding towards its $180,000 goal on Kickstarter, and requiring a $695 baking to receive one, it’s looking more and more likely that we will be seeing these on the streets sometimes in the future. While it’s hard to tell if this will eventually be annoying, or even hazardous, for right now the creativity of the device makes it one of the more entertaining Kickstarter projects, and the best bicycle wheel enhancer since the baseball card.
If you read our Valentine’s Day gift guide over on Bullz-Eye, then you may recall reading about a clever device called the Everpurse, which could charge the woman in your life’s favorite gadgets, while pulling double duty as a stylish purse.
It was such a cool device, in fact, that it may have had you contemplating if there is in fact a manly way to carry around a purse.
While the answer is of course a resounding no, don’t let that discourage you since the good people at RichardSolo have crafted a less gender discriminating charging bag in the Mobile Power Case.
The set up is pretty simple, as inside the case is two small pockets that perfectly fit a phone or similar device, while a larger compartment is available for your tablet. To charge your devices, you simply hook up the appropriate cables to the included battery pack, and you’ve got a mobile charging carrier for your favorite devices.
While not near as clever, and slightly more cumbersome, than the Everpurse’s design, this device is still perfect for the tech head on the go, and for tablet owners is especially useful when looking for a versatile carrier.
So if you’re tired of reaching for a dead device every time, consider grabbing the Mobile Power Case while it’s on sale for around $85 until the 27th, or snagging it for the usual $99.95, at RichardSolo’s website.
Wherever you stand on gun control, you can probably agree there are just some common sense restraints when it comes to gun use.
For instance, unless you’re Elmer Fudd there probably is no good reason to bring, say, a rocket launcher for rabbit hunting. You may also have a hard time convincing a judge that “Terminator 2” style minigun is just for hunting quail. That’s because as effective as those weapons may be, there is no practical reason to have that much firepower, in those scenarios.
That being the case, it could be argued that there is no practical reason for the power of the TrackingPoint sniper rifle to exist. But damn, I’m kind of glad it does.
That’s because the TrackingPoint is every overpowered video game or comic book weapon come to terrifying life. It’s main selling point is its ability to take into account wind, distance, obstacles, measurements, and more through internal systems. This matters because the weapon is so smart, it will not allow a shot to be fired until it is absolutely sure what you are aiming at through the laser point sight will be hit.
Also, like other smart devices, it has Wi-Fi capabilities, built in USB ports, and an included iPad Mini to store all of your shots on and upload them wherever you need.
Let’s be clear here. If you had a gun in a video game that wouldn’t fire until there was a guaranteed hit, you’d be banned for hacking, and uploading videos of it would be in bad taste. As this is a real weapon that can do just that, there are a few safety precautions, such as it being password protected to only function at full capacity by the original owner. While not the greatest preventive feature, the price point of around $22,000 will keep it out of most people’s hands.
I say most though, because these rifles have already begun selling to some apparently very high demand, to the point a waiting list has been created (and of course, a full background check applies). While there is obviously a long, long moral discussion regarding a rifle like this, just looking at its functions objectively, and as a rifle intended for hunters, makes it difficult to not see this as an impressive piece of technology.
