Gizmodo: useful

Seating a Tire Quickly Using Fire and Science

Adam Frucci — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 11:10:00 EDT

In this video, a guy ~~inflates a tire~~ re-seats a tire bead in about a second using starter fluid and a match. It sure is impressive; so impressive, I feel like I'm being tricked. Am I? [Flickr via Kottke]

Pajama Warmer Pouch Warms Up Your Winterwear

AddyDugdale — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 07:00:58 EST

Our esteemed commentator OMG!!! Ponies!!! already knows what he's getting from his girlfriend on the Chrismukkah gift front, so this pajama warmer goes out to you, Sir. Stuff your PJs (or whatever it is you want to warm up) in this electric pouch and it's toasted gonads before you can say "Bloody Norah, that hurts." $34.95 from the Solutions catalog. [Solutions via 7Gadgets]

Spotlight LED In-Car Torch Finds Fluff Down the Side of the Car Seat

AddyDugdale — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 08:55:21 EST

The Spotlight, a tiny little flashlight that charges via your car's cigarette lighter and allows you to find all the little bits of detritus and ting that manage to fall down the side of the car seat. It comes in a dozen different colors and was runner-up for Best New Interior Accessory prize at SEMA 2007. Price and another pic after the jump.

The Spotlight, which gives you over an hour's worth of light on a three-hour charge, is expected to cost around $14.99. [Weiguo Solutions via Tips]

Multi-Functional MC Mallet Comes in a Flat-Pack

AddyDugdale — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 05:54:45 EST

This mallet is the most ingenious thing I've seen for a long time. While not normally a fan of flat-pack stuff — the only thing I have ever assembled from scratch (a wooden shelving unit from ~~Shabbycrap~~ Habitat) was so wonky that I had to jam a cold storage heater against it to stop it toppling over — I can so see the point of this. Designed by Liam Ryan for Vert, the MC Mallet costs Aus$40 ($35 in your money) and can be used for cooking, DIY or as a toy. [Vert via MoCo Loco]

OpenIt Promises to Shred Evil Plastic Shell Packaging

Matt Buchanan — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 22:30:22 EDT

The days of cut hands and busted scissors at the hands of the ubiquitous no-one's-getting-the-merchandise-locked-inside-this-sarcophagus plastic anti-theft packaging might be at end courtesy of OpenIt, which are like short pruning shears with orange plier handles, allowing you to cut your way through the shell by brute force.

There's also a retractable box-cutter built into the handle—supposedly designed in a way you won't accidentally slice your hand open while freeing an Xbox 360 controller from its confines. It comes in four different colors, and at $11, it's cheaper than re-appropriating a Craftsman Handi-Cut or the like. [OpenIt via core77]

Digix Ballpoint Pen has 1GB Flash Memory

AddyDugdale — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 05:44:27 EDT

Korean company Digix has brought out a ballpoint pen with a 1GB flash memory. See it boxed below.

It reminds me of Tintin's rocket, for some strange reason. [Aving USA via New Launches]