Merlins Tower

Woodpixel - Create your own Masterpiece

Posted on March 20th, 2007 by Merlin.
Categories: Analog, Art, Gadgets, Toy.

This is one heck of a cool product: Woodpixel - 100 cubes with 6 different shades per cube and a tray to put your art together. I didn’t see a price on their website - But it sure would be a cool conversation piece to have laying around your coffee table. As you can see below you can make some very cool and interesting art and change it all round again and again. I can see someone coming up with some software where you put you photo in and it converts it to the cubes to make it easier on the creation process. You can see more of the Woodpixel at their website woodpixel.com.

Technorati Tags: woodpixel, toy, art, analog, dice, die, cubes, cube, shades, artwork, converstion, piece,

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Free Printable Rulers

Posted on December 4th, 2006 by Merlin.
Categories: Analog, Craft, Free, GTD, Gadgets, Hack, Journaling, Miquelrius, Moleskine, Toy, Web Service, Weird Stuff.

How many times have you been out and don't have a Ruler to measure something you saw at the store or to see if it will fit an application you are working on at home.

Well I have found an easy solution for you. What you need to do is to keep with you is a paper ruler in your wallet/organizer. And Mitchell Charity's Site he has placed several different versions that you can print out on your printer (as long as you don't allow the printer software to resize it) that you can cut out and keep with you in your organizer.

I printed out the Metric and Inch Ruler. Hey you really never know when you need an exact measurement (well a pretty darn close measurement). I put these up against my nice metal ruler that I keep on my desk and these are really close.

This is a nice cheap  inexpensive way to add a measurement device to your organizer.

TAGS: Analog paper ruler organizer hack gtd

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Pimp My Office - How to make it FUN

Posted on September 10th, 2006 by Merlin.
Categories: Communication, Consulting, Gadgets, Toy, USB, Weird Stuff.

As most of you know I work at home Designing Websites and Playing Computer Doctor. I love what I do but that doesn’t mean I get bored with my workspace - Even if it is at home in my home office.

I just saw a article at Smart Money called The Cool Cubicle - Well I don’t have a cubicle I do have an office space that needs some “Personal Touches”

A few of the articles items to spruce up the cube / office with are: (Well my favorite ideas at least)

The USB Beverage Chiller - It is $19.99 from Xoxide - This little device will run off of your USB Power and keeps your Soda or any beverage of choice a nice 45 Degrees. Great idea on those Hot days and you want to keep working with out running to the fridge and keep watering down your drink with ice.

I also liked the Idea of the Ambient Weather Beacon - I really could have used this when I worked for the bank and they kept all the IT dept in the locked basement and we barely saw the light of day. This device updates itself by checking the latest forecast at the Weather Channel. But you can program this to track other info as well. This can be purchased at Amazon.
This device reminds me of the Gulf Tower in Pittsburgh which would tell the weather based on the color and if it was flashing or not.  (More info on this at Pittsburgh City Paper - You Had to ask Section)

Technorati Tags: Pittsburgh, Weather, Office, Cube, Gadgets

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Arcade on a keychain - Real Atari 2600 Games and Playable

Posted on September 6th, 2006 by Merlin.
Categories: Anything Else, Gadgets, Game, Hack, Toy, Weird Stuff.

The Atari 2600 Keychain Arcade

Yes, as you all know I love analog devices - But I am a bit of a techie as well (Hey I have a blog and design websites for a living)

Now you can have a real arcade on your keychain. As ThinkGeek Mentions - These games were visually simple, but still retain their hold as some of the most challenging and fun games ever created.

But you all know it is way to hard to carry a Atari System around with you with cartridges and controllers. Well, Until now. (Addtional Atari 2600 info)

Each keychain has a secret - They really do contain real games. All you have to do it plug in the iincluded 6 foot cable (on a batter powered reel) into the keychain and into your TV set and you can start playing some of the olde favorites

There are three keychains available:
Joystick 1 - Asteroids and Millipede
Joystick 2 - Centipede and Yar's Revenge
Paddle - Pong, Breakout and Warlords

Unfortunatly - These are single player only games. - But you can compete using high scores.

Each keychain does require 3 AAA batteries that goes into a pocket sized reel that hold the six feet of cord and the RCA jacks.

I can't wait to get my hands on one of these units. Way Cool

Technorati Tags: Atari, 2600, Atari 2600, Arcade, Emulator, MAME, Asteroids, Millipede, Centipede, Yar Revenge, Pong, Breakout, Warlords, Keychain, EDC

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Cube World - Interactive Toy

Posted on January 30th, 2006 by Merlin.
Categories: Anything Else, Gadgets, Game, Toy, Weird Stuff.

Cube WorldWell I was just talking to my friend Dan and he found this Interesting Game/Toy Called Cube World.
From what I read and saw these cubes can attach to each other and the Stick figures that live within the Cube can interact with each other. You can stack them, connect them in a row, or any way you can think of as they are held together with magnets.
The Cubes can interact with you as well - Shake them and they will throw up. Knock the Cube and the guy will fall over. They can bungee jump between cubes, climb a ladder to visit, they pass gas. They just sound like a really cool toy.

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