Gizmodo: fourth of july

Homemade Fireworks: What Could Be Safer?

Gizloco — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 14:19:25 EDT

Just two more days until normally upstanding citizens take fate into their own hands and start playing with fireworks. Since we're all about safety here at Gizmodo, we've decided to help point y'all in the right direction, everything from finding the necessary chemicals to creating your very own sparklers. Isn't the Fourth of July great? What other holiday gets you off from work and encourages you to blow things up? Sweet Land of Liberty...

To start your own fireworks show, you'll first need to obtain the right chemicals. A degree in chemistry might help, but failing that, a few hours on the Internet should make you a pyrotechnician in no time. A quick visit to United Nuclear or Skylighter will get you all the chemicals and metals you'll ever need to accidentally burn down the shed. Most of the chemicals are only a few dollars, so feel free to bulk up. (I should note that United Nuclear may have gotten itself into some hot water recently. It seems Uncle Sam doesn't particularly like people selling chemicals that could be used to make banned fireworks, like M-80s and cherry bombs. Go figure.)

Alternatively, if full-fledged fireworks are too much for you, why not try your hand at making sparklers? These little guys have a short but glorious life, much like Achilles. About has the step-by-step directions you'll need to make your Fourth of July a safe and memorable one. Please, just don't get into trouble. – Nicholas Deleon

HOW TO - Make a sparkler & a geek's guide to fireworks [MAKE: Blog]

Stink Up The Neighborhood This July 4th

Charlie White — Fri, 30 Jun 2006 15:31:27 EDT

On this Fourth of July, remind yourself that we were once but colonies of the great Britannia, with this Union Jack Firepit Brazier, constructed from stainless steel and versatile enough to let you use it as a barbecue grill and then gather around it and sing "Kumbaya" afterward. Now you can join the pyromania as you build a fire in one of these little outdoor smoke-producing devices. It's a fad that seems irresistible to almost everyone as they plod through their lives of quiet desperation in Suburbia, USA.

This is one fancy outdoor fireplace, where it will set you back $368.60. Please, don't buy one of these if you're anywhere in the Midwest, because we have so many of these stinking up the neighborhood that every night it's like we're living inside of a smokestack at a wood-burning power plant. So in the words of our second president John Adams, go ahead, celebrate the 4th with "pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other." Just not in my back yard. – Charlie White

Product Page [Eurocosm, via productdose]

Pluma, Propane Tank Redesign

Travis Hudson — Fri, 30 Jun 2006 15:01:02 EDT

Everyone out there has a propane tank sob story. You know, you host a big Fourth of July bash and everyone comes over and catches a glimpse of your ungodly ugly, white propane tank and leaves the party, stealing your dog on the way out. Yeah this has happened to the best of us.

Portuguese design firm, Brandia Central, has given a new twist on that previously ugly propane tank. The design won a gold medal at the 2006 Industrial Design Excellence awards and it is pretty damn sexy if I do say so myself. This Fourth I'll have to fight the babes off with a stick once they see the Pluma propane tank sitting next to my grill. Travis Hudson

Pluma, A Redesign Of The Propane Tank [OhGizmo!]

Flavored Food Skewers Take Guesswork Out of BBQ

Gizloco — Fri, 30 Jun 2006 12:30:30 EDT

As real men would know (not that I've ever claimed to be one), getting meats to taste just right, infused with a particular flavor, is an absolute nightmare when barbecuing. Sensing a way to make a couple of dollars, Callisons Inc. has come out with pre-seasoned skewers. Once soaked in the liquid of your choice, be it wine, beer or water for the Ned Flanders wannabes, the skewers are then thrust into the meat, where they gently release their sweet flavor. That's right, we keep the Fourth of July family friendly.

The skewers come in a bunch of flavors, including Bourbon, Thai Coconut Lime and good ol' garlic herb. They're available online now from specialty cooking stores and will be in other stores soon. Ten skewers cost $7.99, a small price to pay for perfectly seasoned meats. – Nicholas Deleon

Seasoned Skewers [MySecretPantry.com via Cool Hunting]

Disposable Camera Made Permanent: Priceless

Charlie White — Fri, 30 Jun 2006 11:56:23 EDT

Who says that camera is disposable? If you're looking for a digital camera to document those Fourth of July festivities but don't have the bucks for, say, a digital SLR, spend $10 on a disposable camera and then use the instructions from Elephant Staircase to modify it into one that you can use over and over.

To make it work, you have to get your hands on a Palm 3 cradle, and the site shows you where you can buy one for five bucks. We're particularly amused with the parts lists that you'll need, which is quite short, but the last item on the list is, "some balls." Must not be that easy to do.

Not a bad deal, since all you have to contribute is 10 bucks, a Palm cradle and some sweat equity for a digital camera that takes surprisingly nice-looking pictures. – Charlie White

TenDollarDigitalCamera
[Elephant Staircase, via Lifehacker]

Make New iFriends With the iBag Turntable

Gizloco — Fri, 30 Jun 2006 11:50:40 EDT

With the iBag turntable, you could conceivably annoy the living daylights out of your fellow citizens this holiday weekend. Sure, it may look like a child's toy bag that probably costs $2 to make, but it's actually a clever, multi-talented iPod-integrated bag (that probably costs $2 to make).

Stereo speakers on the outside of the bag play either your iPod's tunes or your local FM rock station's 4th of July Countdown. (I wonder if "Stairway" wins again this year?) There's a pouch on the inside to hold your cellphone or iPod, since just leaving them in the bag proper is 2s9d7d silly.

So, if you have any interest in carrying around a $60 bag that looks like it was beat up by a box of crayons, the iBag looks like an iDeal. – Nicholas Deleon

The Most Versatile Bag in the World? [UncommonGoods via Popgadget]

Target, Red Cross First Aid Kit

Travis Hudson — Fri, 30 Jun 2006 10:17:13 EDT

Everyone knows you haven't lived until a Black Cat has exploded in the palm of your hand, preferable with the fist closed. Sure you can pour water on the wound and try to clean it up before going to the hospital, but this first aid and preparedness kit from Target should do the trick this fourth when your hands are burned to a crisp. This kit includes whistles, dust masks, duct tape, a poncho, a radio, a color book and even more. It sounds more like a detox kit rather than a first aid kit, but whatever. Travis Hudson

First Aid & Preparedness Kit [Yanko]

Fireworks Photo Tips

Charlie White — Fri, 30 Jun 2006 09:54:37 EDT

Big holiday weekend coming up, and you might want to take a few pictures of the bang bang on Tuesday night. But that can be tricky. Ed Krimen at Photobird gives us his top five tips for shooting fireworks, which might just make the difference between bringing the shot home to momma and ending up with some, uh, modern digital art.

Sparing you the details, here are the top five tips: use a tripod, use a remote control or a timer to press the shutter button, use a long exposure time and shutter speed, turn off the flash, and pick a great location. Sounds like a lot of common-sense suggestions. We might add one more: while you're taking pictures of fireworks, don't forget to look at them with your own two eyes. – Charlie White

Top 5 tips for shooting fireworks [photobird]