I am transported in fits of whimsicality!

I had a little black box as a kid in the early 80s that ahd a big switch on it. Upon switching it, the top would pop up and a hand would come out and switch itself off.

Seems like the same thing.

I need something like this for my office door.

realistically, it should include some sort of finger-severing blade that ensures the box is left alone.

I must have one of these for my desk!

I would like to to see him mod it so that the hand grows more impatient, until finally, it just pops out of the box and holds the switch down, only returning to inside the box when motion or light sensors say the room is empty.

LOL

This, in my opinion, is the greatest anything, ever, in the whole universe.

What would be nice would be an extra arm, shaped like a fist. After a certain amount of consecutive flips in a short time, it rises out of the box and shakes at you, or at least in the general direction of the switch.

It is still hilarious all by itself though.

I want to do this to my cubicle.

Brilliance.

In fact... here it is:

[www.grand-illusions.com]

The only thing I can think of to make it better, is hire Blizzard to do the annoyance sound effects.
[orkvoice]"STOP POKING ME!!!"[/orkvoice]

Future Car Security System?

just like the box i installed Vista on. everytime i start it, it shuts itself down.

@Neight:

One day, I might lose my sense of wonder and enjoy taking simple joys from others. Right now, it kind of sucks.

@Neight: Well aren't you the coolest.

not from whence. just whence.

Sigh...

Yeah that's right... Bash me for reminiscing about my childhood while at the same time informing others of how this isn't as ingenious as everyone may make it out to be.

I believe it's fantastic the way this particular iteration was built, but would you keep your mouth shut if someone began bragging about a movie they were making involving space knights that use mystical powers and swords made out of light and the epic battles between good and evil?

So forgive me if my tact was less than stellar, but isn't it better to be informed?

@Elcheecho: "not from whence. just whence."

Sure, if your Chaucer.

"From whence at pleasure thou mayst come and part"

Shakespeare, Sonnet XLVIII

Surely something so useful only to itself proves that there is in fact a God, thus negating him, with proof undoing the faith he thrives on.

@BasicBlack: Good God man, you just referenced Chaucer and Shakespeare on Gizmodo. Do you intend to bring culture to these unwashed masses?

How are we supposed to care about the new Thanko USB Shoe Warmer when we have visions of Pip bouncing around our brain pans?

What's next, Milton and Marlowe?

@Neight: "Nostalgia isn't what it used to be."

I like this one better though. It makes less noise and the constant speed (as opposed to the quick drawback) is kind of like an added "up yours."

test

I dont wanna be a buzz-kill either, but when I was a high school junior in the mid-90s we designed and made these at a summer camp for prospective engineering students at the University of Missouri - Rolla. There's a much easier way to build these (sans-microcontroller) just using an internal contact switch in parallel with the external toggle switch. The real fun is designing a four-bar mechanism for the "arm" so that it only requires a single simple DC motor to run and takes an improbable path to turn off the switch (such as reaching from the top face to a side face of the cube).

It's almost the exact same thing as those old novelty banks we used to see in the Spencer's Catalog. You'd place a coin on the switch on the top of the box; The lid would open, and a hand would come out and scoop the coin off the switch and into the box, thus turning off the device.

All they did here was remove the pressure-switch in favor of a toggle, and eliminate the need for a coin.

Otherwise, it's EXACTLY the same mechanism.

+ Watch video

`Been around since at least the 1960s in one form or another.

Of course, if I'd have RTFA completely, I'd have seen that the coffin bank was already mentioned.

@Neight: That brings back so many memories. Thanks. Such and 80's toy.

Want.

@BasicBlack:

I would think that someone quoting Shakespeare and Chaucer would know the difference between your and you're.

They need a home version that reaches out and slaps whoever dares to ignore my No Soliciting sign. I'll have to set it low for the Girl Scouts...

This is the greatest invention in the history of mankind....I mean Vogon-kind!

@Neight:

I misunderstood. It's just that there's a lot of superior "been there done that" around here that is not meant in the same spirit as your post. I'll add a grain of salt in the future.

Almost perfect, just needs something like another hand powered by a quick motor to smack a finger constantly flipping the switch in virtual exasperation. Maybe a wagging finger to slide out afterwards as well!

Abiento.

Cerrado!

It reminds me of Windows 98.

finally a douglas adams quote and you people are busy with childhood memories and the like! you should be ashamed of yourselves. shame!