My favorite game for rainy days – Uno – now has a new minimalist version that looks pretty slick. The new Uno card game is appropriately named Uno Minimalista. I have to give the folks at Uno props for constantly reinventing the game with so many different versions, which are listed below. (more…)

Let me start by saying that I have referred several people to the Nest products. When they are working, they are great. The last few months Nest has been down too many times for my taste. In other words – Nest has been shit lately.

I can’t access cameras, thermostats via the web or app. I pay a service fee every month and I don’t get a month’s worth of service lately. Not cool. I spend more time on this page checking to see if the unreliable Nest services are working or if it is something else. The only thing keeping me from jumping ship and heading to Wyze is that Wyze doesn’t offer 24/7 recording as of yet (or an outdoor camera). The closest thing is Wyze’s “Complete Motion Capture” which is better than the crappy 12-second clips but still not good enough for real-world security.

As my entire state of California is on lockdown for this Coronavirus we are forced to be more creative with this social distancing bit. Did I mention I despise the term “social distancing”. Anywho… read on for some of my favorite creative takes from around the world of people dealing with Covid-19. (more…)

Yep, it is finally here, the Godzilla Humidifier. Godzilla emits a steamy breath that is lit with LED’s in his mouth. When you turn on the power button the same music from the movie starts playing the tune when Godzilla appears on screen. There are other sound effects like a roar. Video of the Godzilla humidifier after the break. (more…)

Things in the water tend to get algae, barnacles, mussels, etc… growing on them. With boats, this biofouling is a problem because it makes ships less efficient. A less efficient boat goes slower, uses more fuel, and expels more exhaust. Not good.

Additionally, some of these hitchhiking organisms end up traveling with the boat to non-native areas where they cause other issues.

Enter Jotun, a Norwegian company, who collaborated with a Swedish company, Semcon, to develop the HullSkater robot. The HullSkater is designed to work with a proprietary silyl acrylate-based hull coating. Once a ship has this coating the hull scrubbing robot can get to work using its four magnetized wheels. Each wheel has its own motor.

The craziest part of this robot is that it isn’t autonomous or ship controlled – instead, it is controlled remotely by Jotun staff. The remote staff use the HullSkater’s three cameras and four spotlights.

Video of the HullSkater in action after the break. (more…)

Folks are pretty up in arms over the latest coronavirus (Covid-19), and until we have more accurate information I can’t blame them. Some people are heading to the hospital at the first sign of any cold-like symptoms. Others with symptoms are unknowingly infected and staying home as they don’t want to step foot inside of a hospital. Not sure what the right balance is, but a home testing kit is one of the smartest options I have heard of to date. Read on for details of a coronavirus covid-19 home test kit that is on the way. (more…)