The hack requires a little plumbing know how and some circuitry work, which makes it slightly harder than your normal DIY project. To help you and your pets out, Tsruzik has put together some kits for order. Prices range from $10 to $125.

The end product works a lot like those sinks that automatically turn on when you waive your hands under them—except instead of detecting hands, it detects cats. Tsruzik has even thrown in an optional “people detector” so that the faucet won't run every time a person walks by. Check out the video to see some cute kittie drinking action:
[MAKE]

We tested five guns, the Super Soaker Sneak Attack 4-Way, the Sizzlin' Cool Steady Stream, the Water Warriors Motorized Tarantula, the Super Soaker Quick Blast and the Banzai Color Stream Blaster.

It should be noted that each gun has its own gimmick that it uses to try to sell you on it while you're wandering the aisles at Toys R Us or Target or wherever it is you purchase your weaponry. By far the most useless was the Color Stream Blaster, which comes with little cartridges of dye that turn the water various colors. This means that after you have a water gun fight, your victims will need to go take a shower and do laundry. That seems like it'd be less fun, not more, so we ignored those things altogether.

Much more fun were the nozzles on the Sneak Attack 4-Way, which let you change the stream by twisting the front of the gun. You could do a thin, powerful stream, a broader misting stream, or fire sideways in either direction. Let me tell you, there are few things more satisfying than saying "Hey, check this out!," pointing the gun off in the distance and then pegging your friend point-blank in the face with a sideways shot. It never, ever gets old.

For the official testing, we first measured the distance that these things can fire compared to their box claims. You never want to be hit by someone you can't hit back because your gun sucks and you're too far away. Surprisingly, the claims of distance made on the boxes was often wildly inaccurate. The Super Soaker Quick Blast, for example, claimed to shoot 25 feet, while we could barely get it firing past 18 feet. The other Super Soaker, on the other hand, claimed a paltry 20 feet, but in practice the thing shot nearly 30 feet (the best of the bunch).

We then wanted to know just how much pain could be inflicted with a shot to the face from each of the guns. Luckily, Summer Intern Dan was there, so we set him up facing the camera and took turns blasting him in the face from a few feet away, recording his reactions. The most painful shot was the Sneak Attack due to its powerful blast, with the Color Stream Blaster and Quick Blast each delivering paltry bursts that he could barely feel.

So what gun do we recommend for your next battle? Well, the Color Blast is a decent gun if you ignore the, you know, color element, and it comes in a two pack, which is nice. However, you feel like you're paying extra for something you won't use, so unless you really want to spray red water at someone, I'd recommend passing. The Tarantula just felt like cheating due to its rechargeable battery that removed the pump action from the mix, and it's a pain to have to rejuice a water gun between uses. It has a huge tank and a decent distance, but for $20 it's definitely the most expensive gun, so it's hard to recommend.

The Super Soaker Quick Blast was definitely at the bottom of our list, with a pathetic stream and a cheap-feeling pump. It doesn't hold much water, either, and whoever got stuck using it during our battle royale was at a serious disadvantage. Avoid it if you can.

The Steady Stream, the cheapest of the guns, was actually our runner up, surprisingly. It doesn't have any real gimmicks to it, but it's a solid gun that fires a good distance and is fun to use, especially for the price.

At the end of the day, however, there was a very clear winner amongst our array of weaponry, and it was the Super Soaker Sneak Attack 4-Way. It shot the farthest, had the most fun gimmick, had a respectable capacity, inflicted the most physical pain on our enemies/intern and was one of the cheapest at under $10. It feels solid in your hands and is just the most fun gun out of all of the models we tested. And really, if a water gun isn't really fun to use, it's doing something wrong.

If you are concerned about how much power something like this would consume, Kilmatec has answered that problem as well with a solar power option that can keep the water coming even in the harshest conditions. Five gallons in 24 hours may seem high—but that is actually a fairly common feat for a dehumidifier. Pricing information has not been made available. [Kilmatec via TRFJ via DVICE]

Prototypes of the ray, dart and squirt guns made their debut at the A Weekend of Heroes Action Figure symposium in Glendale, California this weekend. No idea when these will be available or what they'll be priced, but they should appear on UniToyZone soon. And when that day comes, the inevitable epic battle between my Empire of Stuffed Animals and my Alliance of Action Figures won't be too far behind. [Tomopop]

Digging earlier today, the Phoenix (which apparently has just 128MB of RAM) knocked loose a few white particles that have since disappeared. So basically, the possibilities are as follows: Sublimation has occurred, there is Martian ice, and our children's children's children will enjoy iced lattes and Sno-Cones just like we do, or an alien just realized that we'd totally uncovered his stash. Either way, this is pretty exciting. Moon landing deniers and gif enthusiasts can check out the (giant) proof below, courtesty of NASA. [Mars Phoenix via Twitter]

The DWP consists of 3,000 digitally controlled solenoid valves, several dozen pumps, 12 hydraulic stainless steel pistons, and a digital control system that uses open source software. The roof, 400-mm thick, is the only solid part of the building, and it moves up and down on pistons, depending on the weather conditions.
This is the opening ceremony. Very son et lumière, doncha think? Despite the cameraman's best efforts, you can see the time and effort put into the pavilion. I only wish I was still in Spain, then I could check it out for you all. [Building Design and YouTube]

After the water finishes its route through the grill plate, it's cooled down again via a heat exchanger before making its way back into the grill. According to Wellbas, the system not only keeps food from turning black, it also lowers the fat content of your steak... supposedly because fat can't drain properly from charred bits.

I'm no Alton Brown, but some of this science sounds kind of iffy. Isn't adding heat to meat the whole point of grilling? If you're grill's getting cooled, I would assume it means the food would just take way longer to cook. Plus, the design doesn't seem to take into account heat distribution—some parts of the grill will be much colder than other parts.

But what do I know? The grill's apparently already won some design awards. Pricing is unlisted on the Wellbas website, but each system looks like it'll cost a couple thousand dollars at least. [Wellbas via Cnet]

Not surprisingly, Genenpax has kept the exact details of their technology under wraps, but they did say that their new process, while based on existing technology, is expected to produce hydrogen from water for longer time than any method currently available. Furthermore, WES does not require a hydrogen reformer, a high-pressure hydrogen tank, or any special catalysts to get the job done.

During a recent conference, Genepax unveiled a fuel cell stack with a rated output of 120W and a fuel cell system with a rated output of 300W—and there are plans for a 1kw-class generation system for use in both electric vehicles and houses sometime in the future. At this point, the cost of production on the water-powered vehicle engine itself is around about ¥2,000,000 (US$18,522), but they hope to drop the price to ¥500,000 (US$4600) or less if they succeed in bringing it into mass production. [Tech On]

It took 30 minutes to unload all the balls from 190 giant bags into the 10-acre, 58-million gallon water reservoir that serves 600,000 people in downtown and South L.A.

The move to deploy the balls—3,000,000 will follow soon—comes after Los Angeles Department of Water and Power officials registered high levels of bromate between June and October 2007. Although these weren't dangerous enough to put the population in risk or call Jack Bauer, the department thought that it would better to be safe than sorry.

Head to the Los Angeles Times to watch the full video. [Nelson Environmental via LA Times—additional photos by Curbed]

The beauty of the ONDA, beyond its Italian-inspired design and conservation chops (uses only half the water—think about it), is that it can be fitted to existing plumbing. It also features an "anti-splashback" design for those with less-than-desirable aim (score!).Of course, for you non-hand washers out there, this is just another toilet. You know who you are. [Hershwood 3D via The Design Blog]

"It's the consensus of all of us that we have found ice," said Peter Smith of the University of Arizona, Tucson, which is leading the Phoenix project with help from NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab. "It's shiny and smooth - it's absolutely astounding!" he said. Exclamation points aside, Smith did concede, as scientists are wont to do, that the gleaming slab could be "something else," but the leading interpretation is that future tests will confirm it is ice.

The patch, which was discovered by Phoenix's camera during a routine inspection of its legs, joins several existing targets of digging opportunity. One is called Humpty Dumpty, and the second is the King of Hearts. The ice patch? Thy name is "Holy Cow!" said Smith. All three sites will presumably be where the lander's robotic scoop arm will dig to begin a set of experiments that could prove or disprove the presence of organic, life building compounds on Mars. [SFGate]

The boat is made from 100 percent carbon fiber and has an LCD touch-screen control system, leather trimmings and, most importantly, photovoltaic cells on almost all its horizontal services. Czeers is hoping to produce between 4 and 8 boats per year. Pricing is not yet available, but considering that the last version of the MK1 was last shown at the Millionaire Fair, you can probably bet it's super expensive. [Gizmag]

Plus there's talk of having a light beam that reflects off your enamel to determine how clean your teeth are and when you need to move on. We'd take one of these if they integrated the water spray into one of their Sonicare brushes, which work fantastic already. Try and make enough money to pay back your student loans now, dentists! [New Scientist]

The stainless steel faucet utilizes carbon fiber for extra strength and less weight, while staying within the bounds of the design. It also has two spray modes, but technical specs aside, the main draw here is the look. You can't help but stare at it. Details haven't surfaced on pricing or release date, but I'd be willing to wager this thing will cost a pretty penny. [DVICE]

KOHLER LAUNCHES BREAKTHROUGH KARBON ARTICULATING KITCHEN FAUCET

New kitchen faucet marries ultimate kitchen functionality with visually entrancing design

KOHLER, Wis. - April 11, 2008 - What does the ultimate in functionality for a kitchen faucet really mean?
For Kohler Co. - a global leader in kitchen and bath design and technology - ultimate functionality can be defined as a kitchen faucet that possesses the functionality and performance of a pull-down faucet, while also allowing the user to position and leave the sprayhead right where it's needed, thereby freeing up both hands for kitchen prep and clean-up tasks. To develop a kitchen faucet that satisfied this requirement was the tall task presented to the Kohler new product development team.

The result is the new KOHLER Karbon kitchen faucet, a faucet of unexpected and intriguing design that will undoubtedly become the primary focal point of any contemporary kitchen setting.

"This articulating faucet represents a breakthrough in the evolution of the category," commented Les Petch, senior product manager for KOHLER kitchen faucets. "The quest for the ultimate in functionality has not only produced a faucet that outperforms other models but has also yielded an astonishing piece of contemporary design work that represents as much a piece of art as the next generation in faucet technology. It truly is a one-of-a-kind."

The original design impetus of the Karbon kitchen faucet was inspired by lighting and construction equipment with articulating joints. The Kohler design team took this concept and created a product that signals a paradigm shift in the functionality and design of modern kitchen faucets. "Form really does follow function in this case," said Petch. "But that doesn't take away from the fact that the Karbon faucet is an outstanding piece of modern industrial design." The use of a textured carbon fiber composite adds further appeal to a unique visual aesthetic that reinforces the contemporary nature of the design.

Unlike other kitchen faucets, the Karbon faucet will maintain the exact position where a user places it within its allotted reach in or outside the sink, keeping the spray head and water flow exactly where it's desired. Additionally, the faucet offers both spray and aerated water flow options, eliminating the need for a sidespray. An elaborate design detail is featured in the remote joystick valve that consists of two disks of identical size installed flush with the countertop to provide an unusually sleek look and offer easy cleaning.

The actual construction of the faucet is a combination of traditional brass and innovative carbon fiber composite tubing. The logic behind the use of carbon fiber lies in its superior strength and light weight, allowing for tight movement tolerance and the exceptional functional performance of this faucet. The joints connecting the four sections of the faucet employ a novel patented technology that provides exceptional resistance to support the spout while allowing for smooth and effortless handling.

The Karbon kitchen faucet is available in high quality, durable Polished Chrome and Vibrant® Stainless finishes and carries a lifetime limited warranty. Offering easy installation, it relies on flexible connections and installation rings. Installers will want to take note that the joystick valve requires non-standard holes of two inches in diameter.

The computer was built at the Max Planck Institute for plasma research in Germany, and basically uses an enhanced version of the water-cooling that PC modders love. Apparently it's what helps make this computer quite so "super" in such a small size.
In-chip cooling next, hey? That's pretty neat, and the leak-proofing is going to have to be amazing, but makes perfect sense with the 4,000 times efficiency water cooling offers over air cooling. [IBM press release via Gadget lab]

Most people were from around the bay area, Reno and Tahoe area, but Christian came all the way from Dallas. And Mike Zhao, only 16, spent I think his milk money to afford the trip. And then Randy, ski patrol at Alpine, gave us a pretty good tour of the place. About 50 people came in total everyone was the type of person I'd hang out with outside of work. I'd always said that gadgets aren't just for nerds, and here was the proof.

Of course, special thanks go to Kevin from JBL, Brian from Zune, Joe from Nokia, Mike from Olympus, Derek from SPOT, Greg from Smith Optics, Racheal from Alpine and Hagen from Vudu for giving away prizes.

We'll do it again next year! If you came and took photos, send em over so I can upload em.

P.S. Brian from Zune has some skills on the snowboard!

[TopMods, via TechnaBob]

If that doesn't have you vaulting to the phone to place an order already, perhaps the understated Akva sales pitch will sway you: "Feel the gallop thundering through your body — sense the blast from take-off, or lose yourself in the giddying sensation of hovering with eagles in the sky. It is all just motion picture make believe, of course - but when you are lying in your waterbed with its built-in loudspeakers, you feel like Harry Potter on the Hippogriff's back." Hear that? This bed feels like mounting a Hippogriff. SOLD. [Akva Sound]

[inewidea via BornRich via Trendhunter]