I like killing zombies. I also enjoy Half-Life. On the other hand, seeing this papercraft Tank inspired by Valve’s latest multiplayer zombie-fest, Left 4 Dead, makes me wish I was confronted by a real life Tank face-to-face so it can bash my skull in rather than me crafting a model of it out of paper. Look how shapeless and thin it is compared to the actual Tank in the game! Still, I’ll take what I can get.

If you haven’t played Left 4 Dead, shame on you. You think Resident Evil 5 is going to be better?

Link [via]

This adorable solar toy is bound to entertain you for — an hour, tops. Still, it’s a neat little gizmo you purchase for 20 dollars and build yourself. It’s a solar powered monkey which climbs to its plastic heart’s content.

When the monkey is placed in sunlight it’ll derive power from the sun enabling it to climb the rope, hand over hand! It’s also another cheap and easy way out of a science fair project with your kid.

Link [via]

Look, I could sit here and tell you all about how this guy went and built a shed in his backyard. And then in said shed, he built a V12 Lamborghini replica from scratch. Yeah, I could tell you all about it, or you could read it for yourself at this Englishman’s fine website, v12diablo.co.uk. He’s even posted instructions on building one. Fancy that. Better start saving, though. The base car he used for the project was a BMW 750iL, which is going to set you back a few bucks, pounds, what have you.

Link [via]

Seeing this video makes me hope that one day I’ll be flying in a giant robotic butterfly. Researchers in Japan are working on this small ornithopter, a flying device with wings that are modeled after those of a butterfly. The idea is to one day have commercial airplanes with flapping-wing flight just like birds.

Above is a high speed video demonstrating the small scale design of the ornithopter. It turns out that the most efficient forward flying wings are wings with micromolded veins flapping at 10 beats per second. I say we just clone ginormous insects and ride them like horses. If only we could get around that gravity thing.

Link [via]

Looking for a way to impress all of the females at your New Years party but not tech savvy enough to make your own robot? Well, there will be plenty of champagne at your party, so why not turn those wasted corks into miniature chairs. The girls will think they’re cute and by showing them your creative side — the girls will think you’re cute, too!

Listen, dude. You’ve never had a better shot of getting laid on New Years than today. Heed my advice: buy a boat load of champagne, get everyone drunk and then make these miniature chairs. Coitus will soon follow.

Link [via]

Once in awhile, I come across an invention that blows my mind in terms of creativity and functionality. Jay Silver’s Drawdio most certainly fits into that category. Drawdio is a pencil that has a simple synthesizer hooked up to the graphite. Based on the conductivity of graphite, drawing on paper will produce various different sounds creating a one-of-a-kind music experience. This is user-interaction on a whole other level.

Believe it or not, you can build your own Drawdio. The famous Lady Ada is selling kits on her website for $19.50. What are you waiting for? DRAW!

Link [via]

Vince’s roommate is really in to Kidrobot’s Munny dolls. For those not familiar, they’re blank “Do-it-Yourself” vinyl figures which can be decorated any way you see fit. When I’m not ruining Vince’s roommates Mini Munny designs, I’m busy searching for Star Wars Munnys like the one toy customizer and 3D artist for Avalanche Studios, Squapper, has made. It’s a Tusken Raider. He even sewed the clothes by hand which shows some serious dedication.

Squapper also has some extra Munnys on the shelf and is planning on a Jawa and Ewok design. His favorite Star Wars is A New Hope.

Link [via]

For our readers who hunt wild game or just live in an area with cool shit they’d like to capture, listen up. Instructables user Crispyjones has posted full details on how to make your own net-launching gun, just like the kind Batman used. It’s comprised of PVC pipe and uses pressurized air to launch the net at around 90 PSI. Judging by the animated GIF provided by Crispyjones, I’d say this is a mod worth anyone’s time.

Link [via]

Alright, alright, you got me. The base is made out of concrete but these lamps are still cool as hell. Perfect for ambient lighting in your game room or for a nightclub/bar. There’s even a guide on building your own should you be up for the challenge.

The body of the lap is formed by two thin rods folded in half, stuck in holes in the base, with a lycra sleeve slid over them.

Seems easy enough. Give it a try with all those vacation days you’ll be using this week.

Link [via]

My buddy Peter Wang made this path finding robot using a PIC16F876 chip. The interface is done with WinPic software uploaded via serial port. The robot detects obstacles in its path, moves towards them and then avoids them by going around them or by going in the opposite direction. It’s run by four AA batteries which power three motors and a 9V battery to power the chip. A motion sensor attached to a servo allows the sensor to scan both 90 degrees left and right. Bumpers made from switches allow the bot to detect collisions and thus avoid disastrous crashes. We’re using it to chase my dog around the house as I write this.