How Engineers Will Make The Costa Concordia Float Once Again

Next week, Italians will finally say goodbye to the wrecked Costa Concordia cruise ship that has been sitting off the coast of Giglio Island for two and a half years.

Ladderlimb

One for the DIY fan, the award winning LadderLimb is a helpful ladder accessory that allows you to securely hang in place buckets...

Make Hand Music With Your Own Pair Of Imogen Heap's Gloves

Imogen Heap is one of those musicians who has long embraced tech, and now she's giving you a chance to get your hands on her musical gloves.

13 Of The Weirdest Computer Mice We've Ever Seen

Not too long ago, we dived into the world of unconventional, strange and often horrible computer pointing devices...

G-BOOM Wireless Bluetooth Boombox Speaker

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Multi-layered Laser-cut Wood Artworks by Martin Tomsky

Freelance illustrator and graphic artist Martin Tomsky is gifted in the art of laser cutting wood. He creates everything from tiny pendants and brooches of small animals to these intricately layered sculptural works depicting entire illustrated scenes.










Desktop Wood Slingshot

The Desktop Wood Slingshot from RedEnvelope features a walnut base with a carved rubber wood sling shot. Load it up with TPS reports or whatever nonsense The Man wants you to try and care about with the weekend staring you down. Or create deadly synergy and use actual walnuts for ammo. You can even personalize it, so your boss knows exactly who to fire once he regains consciousness.





Tsunami Ark: Handmade Flood-Proof Floating Wood Capsule



Former Facebook and PayPal employee Chris Robinson is two years into an epic backyard project rising behind his home in Palo Alto: a structure dubbed the Tsunamiball.


A veteran of Silicon Valley with no nautical or construction experience, Robinsin met his wife in Fukushima and, after seeing the disaster unfold, set to work trying to solve the issue of tsunami-proof architecture.


His capsule is 22-foot-long, 10-foot-wide, 8.5-foot-high and built of plywood and epoxy, envisioned in Adobe Illustrator, vetted by engineers then slowly constructed by hand. The inspiration? Seaworthy escape pods and spherical treehouses.


So far he has finished most of the hull but still needs to add buoyant insulation, a structural keel and an electric motor fueled by solar batteries. While his own California home is unlikely to ever go underwater (at least not literally), Robison plans to test the seaworthiness of his creation in the nearby Pacific Ocean, and then perhaps rent the place out on AirBNB. Maybe it can also serve as a prototype for a new kind of disaster-resistant design for coastal areas.



Prefab Cabins for Year-Round Adventures



How amazing would it be to find the perfect vacation spot and simply plop a pre-fabricated home down on it? That’s the aim of the folks behind PODhouse, a small prefab cabin that can be delivered, electrical wiring and all, to a destination of your choosing.


Available in three sizes, PODhouses are able to accommodate a variety of living situations and preferences. The Menhir is the smallest model, offering a sleeping area that runs from front to back – and not much more room than required for sleeping.


The next step up is the Cauma, a charming tiny cottage that features a door in the middle of the cabin’s length. As seen in the above photo, additions such as small porches are simple enough to make.


The largest model, the Plaun, is large enough to hold a family – though probably not large enough for an indoor trampoline or a friendly game of tag. All of the models can come equipped with an optional entryway called Portal, a small extension of the archway to protect the entrance from the elements.


Each PODhouse has to sit on a simple foundation. The tiny cabins are moved, completely assembled, by trucks and lifted by machinery onto the foundation. Although it can be dropped into place, permits are still required to construct one and an electrician is needed to connect each cabin to the electrical grid if desired.


The German company behind the prefab cottages suggests that they can be used as extension of hotels or as small, nature-based communes. But the best use we can think of is finding a remote spot, plunking down a PODhouse, and simply getting away from it all for a couple of weeks.