Fancy art? Same here. Whether it be an abandoned gas station gone quilt crazy or a Janis Joplin-looking smug face made up of 7,563 dice, we appreciate the artistic drive and innovative approaches to ideas that designers come up with. That’s why when I saw Dave Umlas’ sculpture I just HAD to write about it because like many idiotic cavemen, I am fascinated by fire.

The possibilities of fire are limitless. You can burn things, char things, sear things, scorch things and so much more. Dave Umlas likes to burn things. More specifically he likes to build sculptures out of stainless steel and burn the shit out of stuff with propane gas and forced-air jets. Or just make hot designs with it.

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The Dutch town of Hengelo is putting certain concrete paving stones to the test. These said stones contain a titanium dioxide-based additive that, when under the influence of sunlight, bind the nitrogen oxide particles emitted by car exhausts and turns them into harmless nitrates. They plan on measuring the air quality after paving one half of a road with the air-purifying concrete and the other half with the ordinary variety.

Air purification isn’t all this new concrete is capable of, however. It may look like the same old cement but it also repels dirt off the road, providing a smoother driving surface. If only this concrete could cure SARS. It’ll be another year before the tests become conclusive and with the way gas is these days, we’ll all be cutting our cars in half instead of driving on air-purifying concrete.

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When it comes to climbing, backpacks are an important part of your apparel. They carry all of your food, equipment and in some rare instances something beneficially misplaced. That’s where the O2 Bag comes in. The Japanese adventure supply company, Ymup has equipped this ordinary backpack with a battery-powered oxygen generator, making those ascents into thin-air environments all the more breathable.

The company says the battery lasts up to two hours, so your climbers better be on top of their game or else you’ll find yourself choking for air at the summit while your lungs collapse. To help boost morale, members of your climbing party should outfit themselves with a backpack boom box, because good tunes always comes first before health. While you’re at it, you might as well bring some massaging backpacks. It’s a long way to the top.
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We’ve got a major energy crisis on our hands. We need as many alternatives to fossil-fuels as possible. It’s a good thing some artist spent countless hours on this life-sized inflatable Porsche Carrera. Simply unplug it, sit on the thing and the escaping air will propel you to your destination. So long as your destination is five feet in front of you.

In an effort to increase the cars capable distance, bring a can of Pepsi and a burrito from 7-11 with you while riding in the inflatable Porsche. As soon as you’re finished your “intake” and you’ve released the car’s air, release your own flatulence and the combined forces of your body’s gas and the car deflating will propel you across the state.
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If you’re like Vince and I, competitive bikers and participators in the Tour de France, then you’ll be happy to know that the bike company Trek is pioneering the forefront in vending machines for bikes called “Trek Stop.” It’s the cycling convenience center that provides nearby stranded bikers all the needs (without the know-how) for bike repair.

At the moment, there is only this test unit, which will be set up for a month outside of Machinery Row Bicycles in Madison, Wisconsin. So, if you just so happen to be in the area and get a flat or need a spare water bottle, stop by the vending machine and take care of it. If you’re no where near Madison, Wisconsin, you’re shit out of luck, brahski.

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Recalling my childhood, I had some really interesting and quirky toys as a kid. From Sewer Sharks to Mighty Max, there was always something new, colorful and exciting to discover about them. Now it’s 2008 and shitty raps and bright colors don’t cut it anymore. Kids want excitement. They want realism. They’re going to both want and ask you for this RC car.

The Air Hog Zero Gravity Micro RC (whew!) is like any other RC toy with a remote with the exception that it can drive up your fucking wall. That’s right. Using some crazy air vortex technology, you can slap it on a wall, under a table or any other flat surface and drive around on it. You’ll get about 10 minutes of playtime with a 30 minute charge on the battery. At around $60, it’s a pretty reasonably priced way to keep your child entertained until his friend comes over with something ten times cooler.

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So far, it’s been a hot summer and it isn’t getting much cooler. Do yourself a favor: order some takeout (preferably Chinese food) and turn the carton into a mini-desktop air conditioner. Fueled by ice and powered by six batteries, this air conditioner is simple to build and serves a practical use for sun stroke prevention.

Clearly, it only cools a small space but it beats burning your ass off in the heat of summer.  So, check out this DIY and you’ll be cooling off in no time.

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Air guitar is a big thing but an even bigger musical hit is on the horizon. Omer Yosha has created an interesting, elegant interface that uses infrared sensors to control music applications he’s calling AirPiano. Similar in concept to the theremin but with many more advancements, the AirPiano allows any untalented schmuck to wiggle his fingers above the board to make sound.

This is done by a virtual matrix of keys and faders above the board, each assigned with MIDI messages and ready to be triggered at the whim of the user.  Once those MIDI messages have been triggered it then relays the positioning of your fingers to a computer via USB, where the preprogrammed AirPiano software converts it into sound, or if you’re talented, music.

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“I’m not the chair they think I am at home, oh no. I’m a Rocket Chair!” or so says Sir Elton John. There are so many cultural references to be made here, I’m losing my mind. Whether it be the spousal abuse overtones of The Honeymooners or 1970’s pop-rock songs, it never ends!

Yet, I digress. The Rocket Chair is the creation of Ky Michaelson, aka the Rocketman. Take a seat and strap yourself in because the 500-pound thrust hydrogen-peroxide engine mounted on this baby will set you airborne for a exhilarating 45 seconds. There is so much thrust put out by this engine that all seven gallons of fuel are guzzled up in the short flight.

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Damn, Disney tricked us. We all thought that Mary Poppins was using a regular umbrella when she flew around, turns out they were doing green screens and replacing this SENZ umbrella with the normal one.

Well, maybe that didn’t happen, but the SENZ umbrella solves a problem we have had since umbrellas came around: the wind turing them inside-out. Not only does it look like the professional helmets used in the Tour de France, it probably is based on the same aerodynamics concepts.

The patented asymmetrical shape gives you a perfect sight, while giving you the best rain protection an umbrella can give. No longer will you embarrass yourself for running into telephone poles, cars or brick walls with an umbrella that completely blocks your view!

–Nik Gomez

SENZ Umbrella [via TechEBlog]