The little flashlight that lit the world

July 31, 2007

This is a miracle product. And I mean it.

The BoGo light (the name means "buy one, give one") is a solar flashlight quite literally created for the masses--for every one you buy, another light is donated to a family in Africa. Over 2 billion people lack affordable access to light, and your $25 purchase allows them to eat dinner, wash clothes, or read a book, long after the sun has set.

So, of course, who better to pass my new little flashlight on to than my father?

Doing the wobble (on purpose)

July 31, 2007

Okay, so this Sycamore Ceiling Fan kicks all my notions about ceiling fans out the window. When I was writing a story about the air spinners for our September issue, the one thing I learned was that while designs and materials run the gamut of taste, none are supposed to wobble. In fact, I wrote a whole nice little piece about how to un-wobble a wobbler.

Now Australia's Sycamore Technology has developed a ceiling fan that's based on the gyrations of one-winged seed pods from Sycamore trees.

The force is strong in this one

July 30, 2007

I've been waiting since I was about 7 years old for somebody to invent a light saber.

And while Black and Decker's Bright Bar flashlight probably wouldn't last long in a Jedi fencing match, everybody that picks it up inevitably starts parrying and riposting, sound effects and all.

Wwwwump.

Featuring a hook for hands-free illumination, this $38 work light's 26 LEDs last up to 7 hours and recharge via an internal battery. It's water-resistant and shatter-proof, so an errant thrust here or there won't cut off its light.

And because it's only a make-believe light saber, some unwieldy wielding fortunately won't cut off your hand, either.

Further reading:

Let us know if there's a work light we've missed.

Earlier, we said farewell to the father of the wobble.

We tipped our cap to the Bil-Lite.

And then wore the headlamp all weekend.

In review: flying chain saws, spiked wheels, tight glue

July 27, 2007

In case you missed out on some recent Hardware Aisle action:

1. Sal sawed limbs with a chain saw blade on a rope. Links to his story appeared in Make, Wired, and Gizmodo.
2. We learned how Mad Max would've mowed the lawn.
3. Mark showed up to work filthy, as usual.
4. We found confiscated tools on sale for cheap.
5. Tightening a hose clamp will never be the same.
6. James built a wall that would make Peggy Guggenheim proud.
7. And our debut at the bottom of CNN's Living page offered an unforeseen opportunity to dress in drag.

Lending a green thumb to the dollar trees

July 26, 2007

For the sake of photosynthesizing organisms everywhere, I don't do much gardening. But I'm a bit of a cheapskate deal-hound and I recently came across something too good to pass up: $1 trees.

See, whenever you make a $10 donation to the National Arbor Day Foundation, they send you 10 trees. Sounds too good to be true? I thought so too, so I decided to try it out.

Charming and quiet, or reel waste of time?

July 26, 2007

I'll start with the positives:

• The rolling blades of my Craftsman reel mower neatly snip the grass like scissors, unlike common rotary blades, which hack off the grass tips and invite disease.
• It's light. The quiet, satisfying sound makes up for the fact that it takes almost twice as long to finish.
• It reminds older relatives of childhood summers. And neighbors, in pity, offer to lend you their gas mowers.

But could the reel deal force me to retire my Saturday morning, gas-powered companion?

How to stop Lex Luthor using nothing but a pencil

July 25, 2007

There's no wood. There's no eraser. There's no smudging. Unfortunately, there's no cape, either.

But there's no way a mild-mannered carpenter's pencil can out-scribble the single graphite shaft of the Superpencil--or, at least, that's what the diabolical geniuses that devised this implement of construction would have you believe.

A walkie-talkie I wish would last forever

July 25, 2007

I remember a time, back in the 70's, when all the new suburban houses had intercom systems built into the walls. They'd pipe radio music throughout the house, and moms would call kids from their GI Joes and Barbies to come to dinner. I wanted a similar (but wireless) system to communicate with my own daughter as I worked in the basement and she played in her room, 3 floors away.

I had an old set of walkie-talkies that sounded less like an intercom and more like an AM radio with no reception. I wondered—could I find something better?

Look, honey, at least it's not your underwear

July 24, 2007

When Carhartt called me up with news that they were expanding their line of women's work clothing, it didn't immediately strike me as an opportunity to dress in drag.

But as soon as I felt the soft, supple leather of these work gloves, I knew it was time to take a walk on the wild side.

Sticking through water, weather, and abstract expressionism

July 23, 2007

I built a curved wall that I think would have made Peggy Guggenheim proud, and I have Titebond III to thank.

Recently, I made a curved wall out of clear, vertical-grained cedar. My plan was to cut the cedar into 1/8-inch thick planks and laminate six of them together using strong, reliable glue. I then placed them in a curved form, clamped them up, and let them sit for 24 hours. So I chose Titebond III as my glue—I wanted to see if it's truly the "ultimate wood glue," as its makers claim.