Gizmodo: Sci-fi

Stimuli 3.0 Lamp Is Perfect for Home, Work, Spaceship

Mark Wilson — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 17:00:00 EDT

Honestly, we'd have posted the Stimuli 3.0 lamp even if it did nothing special. Just look at it, sitting there all science fiction-y, like some huge alien computer's vulnerable data core. But it just so happens that the spherical shape and surrounding panels have a specific function, to constantly adjust the lamp's light levels to correspond with that coming in through the windows. By shifting around the panels with an internal 3 axis gearbox, light output can fill the light gap left by a waning sun, maintaining a constant light level through the day. Plus, it'll match your alien autopsy dinner table fabulously. [Cnatt via Yanko Design]

NBC's Gemini Divison Debuts Windows Mobile 100

Jason Chen — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 19:30:00 EDT

I think NBC's web-only Sci Fi series The Gemini Division is about an alien, or a robot, or an alien robot that somehow got Rosario Dawson to be its girlfriend. I like that. I also like the Rosario somehow got her deliciously moisturized hands on what looks like a "Windows Mobile" phone, which Screen Junkies was kind enough to point out. That phone ain't Windows Mobile. If that phone is Windows Mobile, I'm Diane Keaton. And let me tell you, Diane Keaton is a lot manlier than I can ever claim to be (and looks nicer in a suit). Maybe buff alien robot guy brought it from wherever he came from and gave it to her as a present?

"Here honey, this is the new iPhone!"
"Why does it say Windows Mobile on it?"
*CHOKES HER*

Apologies for the spoilers. [Gemini Division via Screen Junkies]

Retro-Future Poster Punches Retro-Futurism In the Face

Jason Chen — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 16:00:00 EDT

As seen on boingboing: this retro-futuristic poster combines everything we knew about the year 2000 back in the 1950s with everything we know about the year 2000 right now. Essential equipment for the "nerd room" in any gadget/tech/science fiction fan's house. $15 and ships August 15. [Topatoco via Boing Boing]

Lifesize Scopedog Mecha Towers Over Iron and Steel Celebration

Elaine Chow — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 15:00:00 EDT

As part of its 150th anniversary celebration, the Japan Iron and Steel Federation got ironsmithing genius Kogoro Kurata to display his insane 1:1 scale model of the Scopedog mecha from the 80s anime series VOTOMS. Weighing in at two tons and standing a full four meters tall, it dwarfed everything else at the exhibition. The cast iron structure was actually finished in 2005 and has been on display before at other Japanese conventions, but it still thrills every time it rears its mechanical head. Look at the detail on this thing!

In VOTOMS, the Scopedog is a military all-purpose unit— a mass-produced combat vehicle that can fit a single pilot. In an interview with PingMag, Kogoro said that he built the entire structure out of iron mainly to prove that it was possible. The project ended up taking a year, because he broke a bone while working on it. [Robot Watch Japan via TechEBlog

Images of Terminator Caught In Hi-Res Trailer

Elaine Chow — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 11:00:00 EDT

So you've seen John Connor and you've met Marcus Wright, but where are the stills of the robots? Lucky for us, one intrepid Gizmodo reader searched through the Hi-res trailer to find us a good picture of what humanity's up against. Check out the color corrected version! Is that bot wearing... cargo pants? [Terminator: Salvation at Giz] - Thanks Dimitris Karakatsanis!

Hover Boards, Holy Grails and TIE Fighters Fill Hollywood Prop Auction's Geek Memorabilia Motherlode

John Mahoney — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 15:00:34 EDT

For sci-fi and comic book movie fans, it doesn't get much better than right now. This week has brought both Dark Knight and the Watchmen trailer, and later this month, the Profiles in History auction house in Hollywood is opening up the prop vaults from just about every classic film over the last, oh, fifty years and isn't stopping until everything is gone, gone, gone! Marty's hover board? Check. Capt. Kirk's phaser from Search For Spock? Yep. The actual holy grail from The Last Crusade? Oh yeah! No shitty replicas here—all are the actual props used on screen, and they can be yours. But those are just the beginning.

There aren't a lot of bargains, as you might expect. Top-shelf merchandise like this is expected to fetch big collector prices. But the catalog is almost too good to be true—check out 34 highlights in the gallery below, and a few extra special favorites here:

Forget any exercise you could possible think of—it won't come close to the strength of using Bruce Lee's own actual forearm strengthener. Possibly some Dragon sweat still on it.

No, It doesn't hover but I couldn't give less of a damn. If I can't have the shoes, I want this. Too bad it's expected to fetch $30-$50k.

I love scotch. But I'm pretty certain I would love it even more if I was drinking it out of this ultra-dystopian Blade Runner tumbler. Plus this one's one of the few sub-$1,000 items.

Just one of the countless things the originals have on Lucas's new films, the costumes in the original Star Wars were incredible. Especially the Imperial dudes—stylish in only the way a space fascist can be.

More highlights from this incredible trove, including C3PO's feet, Ahnold's sawed-off from T2, the rabbit mask from Donnie Darko and more:

[Profiles in History Auction House via Tech Digest]

Millennium Falcon Cake Can't Hyperspace, But is Best Birthday Cake Ever

Kit Eaton — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 07:41:00 EDT

This Millennium Falcon was never going to do the Kessel Run... but it might just qualify as the most awesome birthday cake ever made. I mean, look at the detail! Made by Charm City Cakes in Baltimore, one lucky guy received it this weekend... and can you guess his generous brother's profession? Yup, you were close: it's as a sysadmin. I just hope he appreciated it, since I know an armload of people who'd weep with joy if this arrived on their birthday. Particularly if it were cunningly combined with LED birthday candles for special lighting effects. There's another pic below, if you haven't seen enough.

Now all I need to do is remind my wife of this posting when my birthday comes a little nearer... [LaughingSquid]

Photo by Michael Biven

This is What Living in a Sci-fi Movie Feels Like

Mark Wilson — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 09:15:00 EDT

By Brilldea, this "living room" has been loaded with LED-backlit paneling to add "ambiance." In reality, they've constructed a sci-fi nightmare suitable for some sort of legitimate sequel to Kubrick's 2001. It's a bit freaky, but what's even more freaky is that we can actually do this stuff. Here's the video:

The money shot is 18 seconds in. Watch a bit longer if you want to see the mechanics behind the panels.
On this second clip, just FF to the very end. [Brilldea via Hacked Gadgets]

Official Star Wars USB Hubs May be Best USB Products Ever

Kit Eaton — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 06:09:00 EDT

Forget Dr Who's TARDIS, sci-fi USB hub fans (come on... you know who you are) are going to go bonkers over these official R2D2 and Vader USB hubs. R2's head moves, he lights up and emits genuine Star Wars sound effects every three minutes, while Vader just seems to have the sound effects and glowing eyes. *Shiver*... menacing. Of course they also have four full-speed USB sockets on the front, and come with three feet of USB cable. Available in July for around $66... but that's in Japan, USB hub fans. [JapanStarWars via Technabob]

Origami Iron Man Has a Reasonable Handicap

Mark Wilson — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 13:00:00 EDT

A real Iron Man would be too powerful for this world. That's why origami artist Brian Chan used a bit of restraint while constructing his own super suit and utilized only one piece of paper for the fabrication. Our own Jason Chen calls it "beef jerky man." Takes one to know one, Jason! Here's a shot of just the tiny mask:

If the little Iron Man of art couldn't crush us in his itty bitty fingers, we'd go Cute Overload on his ass and scratch behind those teenie weenie wittle Iron Man cheeks. [Brian Chan via Geekologie]

DIY Lightsaber Makes Attacking Whiny Jedi Nerds More Authentic

Elaine Chow — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 10:00:00 EDT

For those of us that saw footage of the drunken Darth Vader attack and found ourselves slightly disappointed by the... well... un-Star Wars-like nature of the Sith Lord's weapon, Instructables has a DIY kit to ensure that our next drunken rampage is truly worthy of the Dark Side.

The project, from Instructables user Ricardoaraujo, uses a normal toy lightsaber hilt, some AA batteries, a rubber hose and a couple of LEDs to build a weapon you'd be proud to kick Jedi ass with. Now all you need to do is knock back a couple too many Guinnesses and find some Obi Wan Kenobi-worshipping dork to smack around. Death by pretend lightsaber it shall be!
[ Instructables via Technabob]

Sonic Crystals to Make Homes, Cars Completely Soundproof

Jesus Diaz — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 07:25:00 EDT

A new technology presented in the New Journal of Physics may lead to completely soundproof homes, cars, or any other space using a meta-material called sonic crystals. One of the developers, who is not Reed Richards but Dr José Sánchez-Dehesa of the Polytechnic University of Valencia, Spain, says that this "acoustic cloaking will deviate sound waves around the object that has to be cloaked."

Dr Sánchez-Dehesa told BBC News that 200 layers of this material, formed by arrays of tiny cylinders, will shield an object from any noise, while thinner implementations will achieve insulation from certain frequencies.

At this stage, it's still too early to tell when we will see practical applications of this discovery, which has a precedent in microwave invisibility cloaks. It may find its way into military applications first, like making submarines completely silent. [BBC News]

WeRobot Shirt Pays Homage To Our Robotic Overlord Celebrities

Mark Wilson — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 09:15:00 EDT

How many times have you been walking around SoHo when you spot a robot celebrity trying to play it cool? You tap him on the shoulder and are like, "You're the Robot from Lost in Space!" And then he turns around and...how embarrassing. It's just a gumball machine with some hosing stuck to the side. Wait, no, it was the Robot from Lost in Space! See? It gets tricky.

That's why we need this WeRobot shirt, featuring 51 silhouettes of the world's most famous robots. The only thing they're missing are the names, which is exactly what the comments and your wasted Friday at work are for. [product via botjunkie]

Sci-Fi Movie Inspired Gadgets That Have Become a "Reality"

Sean Fallon — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 21:00:00 EDT

PC Mag has put together a list of 10 movie inspired gadgets that may or may not have been the inspiration for some modern day devices. While some of the associations may be thin at best, there are definitely some plausible connections there. Still, a flashlight ain't no lightsaber and an all-terrain skateboard ain't no Back to the Future hoverboard. Fortunately, there is glimmer of hope that the latter may be a reality somewhere down the line. Hit the link for the full list. [PC Mag]

First Entirely Green Screen Show Coming to TV

Mark Wilson — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 10:27:00 EDT

Sci Fi has announced that they'll be producing Sanctuary, television's first entirely green screen show. Its plot explores the possible existence of shadow-hidden mutants living among us (which doesn't sound like the worst fodder for CGI overload, though a weather drama might have required a lower budget). With the ever-dropping price and simultaneous growing capabilities of computer graphics and compositing software/hardware, it's almost surprising that someone (outside of Hollywood) didn't beat Sci Fi to the punch. But one thing's for sure: this trend is far from over. And there's a strong possibility of rain, too. [tvfodder]

Whirlygig Emoto Steampunk Motorbike Has Electric Motor, Will Steam Your Face Off

Haroon Malik — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 15:30:00 EDT

You Steampunk fetishists are being spoiled today; first it was the Clarinet Gun Mod and now you have a freaking Steampunk motorcycle. The Whirlygig Emoto by Tom Sepe is so many awesome things in one, it really is amazing it is permitted to exist; it's a motor biking, steam throwing, electricity utilizing, Sci-Fi bag of fantastic. The motorcycle is built on a 1967 Tote-Gote frame, has a 15bhp electric motor and generates a pulses of gushing steam whilst driven, all thanks to a rear mounted boiler. Yes, it has a damn boiler affixed for the crazy effect.

We say effect, but we're not too sure what Tom does with the steam it expels. We seem to think he is a superhero that punishes villans by melting their faces off on the boiling hot outlet. As soon as he gets back to us with his answers to our short interview, we'll let you know if that's true. Until then, checkout the video to see the Whirlygig Emoto in action. [Steampunk Workshop]

Letterman's Top Ten Reasons to Watch Battlestar Galactica's New Season

AddyDugdale — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 08:30:01 EDT

With just two weeks to go before the fourth and final season of Battlestar Galactica hits the Sci-Fi Channel, the cast's big hitters appeared on David Letterman last night to give us ten reasons why we should watch the first episode on April 4. Number Six was good, but Saul Tigh, at number five, was even better. Get. Em. Off! [YouTube]

Arthur C Clarke Dies, Probably Headed Back to the Stars

Jesus Diaz — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 18:30:06 EDT

[Biography of Sir Arthur C Clarke]

MyVu Crystal & Shades Pay Homage To Sci-Fi Vision

Christopher Mascari — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 18:09:30 EST

Sci-Fi eyewear lovers are finally getting more options when shopping for new shades with MyVu's release of two new models, Shades and Crystal. Both models are geared toward watching video on the go, with what MyVu describes as "glance-down technology with true situational awareness." With this "glance-down tech" these glasses are even closer to mimicking their Sci-Fi alter-egos, as you might have see on IO9's Gallery of Sci-Fi Vision Systems. We had our own Benny Goldman testing out the new models, and sadly he didn't have many words of praise.

Benny stated, "the new glasses we're nauseating" with regards to the glance-down viewing, but he did report decent comfort when wearing. Each model features a brand new design and new specs over their older Edge model. The biggest difference is in the displays, since the Crystal features a new VGA display that provides the best video among the other models and the Shades has the same QVGA display that are in the old Edge model, so video doesn't look that great. Both feature rechargeable batteries and integrated in-ear ear buds, with the Shades having a 10-hour viewing time, as opposed to only four hours on the Crystal.

Both models are available in three weeks with various colors, making you look way better than Wesley Snipes in any of his Sci-Fi flicks. [MyVu]

Gawker's Sci-Fi Blog io9 Launches Today Like Hulk Out of a Phone Booth

Jesus Diaz — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 07:11:55 EST

Oh, Annalee Annalee, let us count the ways we love you! First, because you are the editor of io9, our new sister blog on science fiction, double feature, oh oh oh. Second, because you bought good old Ferrigno's Hulk on DVD. Third, because you did a post about a scene in which Banner turns into Hulk after getting excited by a phone company operator in a bad, not-green way (I have wanted that so many times myself.) Fourth, because you mentioned "lady trucker friend" and "Lily Tomlin" in the same phrase... I could go on and on, but I won't waste any more time: Gizmodians, head to io9 for a wonderful world of science fiction, where everyone goes around in tinfoil underpants or no underpants at all. [io9]

Steampunkish Stormtrooper, Boba Fett and Alien Look Almost Scarier Than the Originals

AddyDugdale — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 03:11:07 EDT

Just what you want to see when you're doing the shopping at the Mall of the Emirates in Dubai &mdash three badass Steampunk nasties in the Al Jabber art gallery. Gallery below.

Er, shouldn't that be the Al Jabba gallery? [Hombre Lobo via Boing Boing]

Buck Rogers Gun, Sold on Ebay

Mark Wilson — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 09:45:46 EDT

A pistol from the late '70s TV show Buck Rogers just fetched $2,750 on eBay. Twelve inches in length, the gun features a microswitch to light up the clear tip. My initial impression: Damn, this thing is cheap-looking. And then I remembered a trip to the Star Trek museum in Vegas, and how cheap phasers looked in person. And then I remembered watching TNG after that trip, and how cheap the phasers looked on TV. So really, who are we to judge sci-fi show props? [ebay via uberreview]

Martin Carujo's Sci-Fi Recycled Lamps

Jason Chen — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 16:45:49 EDT

You crazy people love lamps, whether they're the coolest lamps ever by Frank Buchwald, or these pretty darn cool recycled lamps by Martin Carujo. Martin creates each lamp individually from junk he finds, and gives them the "work of art" touch that puts them over and above standard cool lamps you buy at the store.

If you're interested in getting one, send martin an email at powerpotatoes@hotmail.com. From his two samples above, you can see that they've really got that '50s era Sci Fi look to them. Which may make a great present for Father's Day if your dad's an old school Sci Fi geek. And if so, it's a wonder he managed to bag a lady and conceive you. – Jason Chen

Martin Corujo's lamps' [Treehugger via Nerd Approved]

Happy Birthday SCI FI Tech

Jason Chen — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 18:40:19 EST

Congrats to our friends at SCI FI Tech for making it past their first, which is the most difficult, year. To celebrate, they're offering up the first two seasons of the SCI FI hit Battlestar Galactica to one lucky reader. All you have to do is make a haiku praising your favorite gadget and send it in to them.

Ours:

We love the cylons
Especially number six
She is so dreamy

– Jason Chen

Happy Birthday [Sci Fi]