I know it's only filling up bins in my shop and taking money I could be pouring into more productive hobbies, like drinking and shooting guns. But what if the completion of some future project, some really crucial bit of hijinks, hinges entirely on my having a switch designed to discharge massive capacitors? Then what what, huh?

Am I supposed to just assume my local Radio Shack will have my back? Not likely.

I was doing better, I really was, and then I visited the DeAnza flea market in Cupertino last year, and it all fell apart again. I don't know, maybe I'm beyond help. Check the photo gallery for some electronics-nerd eye candy, the detritus of my demon.

Popular Science is your wormhole to the future. Reporting on what's new and what's next in science and technology, we deliver the future now.

Pretty catchy, no? Almost made me forget he got in a fist fight with a woman of the night and got arrested. Almost.

And sort of related to this, let's revisit Sean's question about As Seen On TV gadget junk, shall we? How's that Snuggie treating you? [YouTube - Thanks, David]

Normally, we'd call a $106 keyboard that boasts no significant features—aside from deadly cuteness and the ability to make grown men say "No, seriously, this is for my kid sister, honest" on command—a ripoff, but since this cat would skin us alive, we'll stay quiet. Goes well with this, which is also pink, and therefore adorable.

Works with Windows XP, Vista and assorted torture devices. [Geek Stuff 4 You via Coolest Gadgets]

[Webhemera via Neatorama]

The fake gunwales on the rear of the hull fall away, and the masts come down (hopefully not on someone's head). Suddenly, the boat is less encumbered, more free to speed out to open sea where the good ole USAF can provide adequate air support. If you're found out, says Spycraft co-author Keith Melton, this would increase "your chance of living," which is nice. Boats like this were definitely in use, though the CIA will not say how often, or in what specific situations.

Melton says the concept is similar to an earlier one, the Q Boat or Mystery Ship, a gunship masked as a merchant vessel used during World War I to lure submarines to the surface.

All of this CIA tech and much more like it is covered with great depth and hair-raising anecdotes in Spycraft, a new book by Robert Wallace and H. Keith Melton, reviewed by us, and available for pre-order at Amazon.

Told you. The worst part? You need to pull the head of the penis off to use the drive, making it a cringe-worthy practice to use it on more than one level. But hey, at least they advocate safe data protection: "DON'T PULL OUT TOO SOON or you could lose your data!" Also, it "blushes" with a red light when it's "turned on."

Thank you, internet. [Teeny Weeny Drive via AVN via Jezebel]

There's Euclid, who uses his antennae to converse with whale pods, spot welder Shock is a believer in pet neutering and Slim who, like me, is a reptile taxidermist who spends his spare time playing backgammon, doing macramé and Russian literature. Buff-yet-dumb Gyro is a hard worker who once removed the lug nuts from every car in the Yankee Stadium's car park. And then there's Mitch, who suffers from lower back pain, and Konrad, who's currently in therapy.

All of the figures, which range between six and 20 inches, are made from reclaimed items from places as diverse as aerospace and avionics surplus suppliers, scrapyards and long-haul microwave equipment recyclers. And then there's the stuff just found on the street. [Guy Robot via swissmiss]

• Treo 650 - $80
• PSP - $62
• Xbox (original) - $35
• Wii - $128
• 60 GB iPod Video - $108

• Treo 650 - $72
• PSP - $50
• Xbox (original) - $33
• Wii - $122
• 60 GB iPod Video - $102

So if you're working on making your own mouse mouse, Wiimote Door Lock, or even a SNES Wii Mod, you can probably find some parts you need there. – Jason Chen

ReMake: Bay Area electronics recycling event starts tomorrow! [BoingBoing]

We'd like to get two copies of the same DVD and compare the output of this cheapshit unit with the $19,950 Model 800 DVD player from Meridian Audio. You think there would be $19,932 worth of diff? – Charlie White

How Low Can They Go? [DVD Dossier]

"This tree was made (almost) completely from pre-existing stuff around my house. The foundation consists of modular wire shelf units connected with bailing wire. Plushies are stuffed into every conceivable space with a Hello Kitty angel at the top. The lights are LEDs and the icicles are black-light cold cathodes; the bottom ones being fluorescent. The top 5" tv plays snow and the bottom one plays the yule log.

Photo Page [Via MAKE]

Related:
Real Christmas Tree Poster
A Very Dew-y Christmas
Charlie Brown's Pathetic Christmas Tree

Product page [Mocha, via Sci Fi Tech]

The kit comes with three different combs for setting the length of the hair in question. I originally thought it was like a standard hair razor—the comb length would leave your hair at about 1/2" or so. Unfortunately, that's not how it works. Each comb sets the length to millimeters, not inches, and I did not want to use the metric system today.

But I did. I gave it the old college try. I'm sitting here now a new man, refreshed, rejuvenated, and with 1 full optical inch. The hype is true. My armpits are one inch deeper thanks to the body groom. But what about my schlingo? That also got a full optical inch. It works, friends. It works.

Because a number of known religious clergy frequent this site, we won't show the junk of which we speak here on the front page—that's for after the jump. Rest assured that the Bodygroom does what it claims to do. I just hope I don't start itching now. – John Biggs

Perv. But I'm honored you cared enough to look.

Product Page [Throwplace via TechDigest]

Dig deeper, however, and you have an Engrish infused firetrap shoddily made and strangely adorned with a smiling Mario who seems to say "Don't put me near your curtains!"

Chinese power strip so poorly made it's risible [TheInquirer]