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Construction

printout homes

Concrete-Jet Printer Gets Caterpillar Funding: Print-Out Houses on the Way

Check out this lengthy vid: it shows how one day you may just call-in giant robots to print out a new home based on a CAD model. Research into the concrete-jet printer is being carried out by USC, and their technology can already build up complex concrete structures using technology that's half-CNC machine and half inkjet-like. They've just got funding from Caterpillar to further the research. Amazing stuff, especially when the team says it should be eventually be able to put together a 2,000-square-foot, two storey home in just a day, with all the wiring and plumbing automatically inserted too. Even NASA is interested, as this may be a good solution for building Moonbases. [The Register via Bot Junkie]

welding

Working Plastic-Welder Toy For Kids Sounds Like Lawsuit-In-Waiting

The Discovery Power Welder's sales pitch is fantastic, and worrying: "discover the power to make and create with the tool that safely welds plastic to plastic." And sure, the kit comes with specially-crafted parts that'll let your little-ones knock together a plastic dinosaur, plane or car. But what happens then? Do they start tackling their Lego collection with it, or decide to weld your iPod to your vacuum cleaner? Ok... so it's battery powered, and probably doesn't get all that hot, but we know just how "inventively naughty" kids can be. For just $30 this could allow your children to fuse your credit cards into one lump, never to be used again. [Product page via Random Good Stuff]

buildings

Dynamic Tower Skyscraper: Every Floor Self-Rotates, Powered by Wind and Sun

Italian architect David Fisher is building his first skyscraper, the Dynamic Tower, and it happens to be one of the most ambitious construction plans since the Pyramid of Khufu. Every floor of the 80-story self-powered building rotates according to voice command, and nearly the entire structure of the $700 million building is pre-fabbed. I caught up with the architect in New York, and he blew my mind again and again. More »

skyscrapers

Burj Dubai Becomes World's Tallest Man-Made Structure Today

As of today, the Burj Dubai skyscraper in the Middle East stands at 650 meters, and here's a diagram found on the SkyscraperCity forums, comparing it to all the other towers. The construction has finally surpassed the current tallest man-made structure, the Warsawa radio mast in Poland, which stands at 646 meters. Only another 169 meters to go before the tip of the aircraft beacon is up, then. Clicky for bigger. [SkyscraperCity—thanks, Brian]

ipod docks

SkyMall Construction Radio/iPod Dock Is Almost Pointlessly Rugged

Not feeling enough like a real man with that Bose Portable SoundDock? Well roll up your sleeves past your biceps and grab hold of this Construction Radio and iPod dock. Not only does it snugly hold your iPod, but this 10-lb $130 hoss has a spotlight, two power outlets, an SD card slot and a USB jack for charging phones or connecting a music source. Since it's found in the SkyMall catalog, we don't have the full drop-test ratings, but anything with that much metal piping is at least bound to protect your iPod's LCD while you're off soldering or jigsawing or jackhammering—whatever it is you're always doing in that shed of yours. [SkyMall]

heavy machinery

Russian Billionaire Buys World's Largest Drill, Swears He Won't Drill To America

The following is not the plot to an upcoming Bond film: Russian bootstrap billionaire and Chelsea soccer club owner Roman Abramovich announced that his construction company, Infrastruktura, would spend $160 million on the world's largest drill. The drill, five meters wider than the current champ, built by the same German concern, Herrenknecht, would be used to improve the grounds around the Black Sea resort of Sochi, site of 2014 Olympics and favorite hangout of both Stalin and Putin. The company says it will not be used to drill a subterranean roadway from Far Eastern Russia to Alaska. Not yet, at least. More »

tools

T-N-T Multi-Tool Helps Firefighters Kick Ass and Break Stuff

The fires currently raging in Southern California got us thinking about tools that can help firefighters do their jobs more effectively, and few devices can do more than the T-N-T or "Denver" Multi-tool. It is an axe, a pry bar, a ram, and a D-handled pull hook all-in-one—so it can smash or rip through just about anything. The product site also notes that the T-N-T is equally useful for those involved in law enforcement, construction, or "other." I suggest that "other" be home protection. With a device like this, you could surely lay an epic beatdown on an intruder. Available in various sizes for around $180. [Product Site and TNT Tools via Toolmonger]

diy

Desk Made Entirely Out of LEGO

Unlike this CEO desk, which just looks like it's made out of LEGO but actually isn't, this LEGO desk consists only of 35,000 pieces of LEGO bricks. Some details: More »

water is wet

The Hydropolis Building Set

Are LEGOs not wet enough for you? Peep this Hydrodynamic building set. It's essentially a construction set that lets you make water do all kinds of weird and fantastic-looking things, like flow from one container to another, and from that container to the next one, and not to mention dripping! Oh, we could tell you stories about the dripping. More »

yee haw

I Really Don't Need a Cowboy Hard Hat

cowboy-hard-hats.jpegIf there was ever a product not designed for my needs, this is it. Let's see… a city-dwelling, inactive, desk-incarcerated tech blogging northeasterner? Yeah, I don't need a hard hat shaped like a cowboy hat. The closest I get to constructing anything is making myself a peanut butter and jelly in my underwear. More »