The Bytelove Gadget Blog

If you have been keeping up with the world’s trends, you should be familiar with a game called Guitar Hero. For those completely oblivious, that’s basically a game that imitates a guitar, where people have to play songs of various difficulties. This game allows them to perform rock solos without taking the actual time to learn to play the guitar (As someone who is taking the time to learn to play the guitar, I tend to look down on people who brag about their ‘guitar hero skills’, but that’s just me).

Well, playing the guitar on the screen didn’t really give you the feeling of an actual guitar (the keyboard feels distinctively different from a guitar, wouldn’t you agree?). Sure, there lately have been a few physical versions of the game, some actually resembling guitars, even coming close (well, not really) in size. But they usually were still operated with buttons, and, as such, still didn’t give you the real feel.

Now the Guitar Hero Air Guitar is an improvement. While you will look like a total idiot while playing it, you will also get the pleasure of hearing a sound produced when you strum with the pick (you won’t be strumming any strings though). The kit is made up of a miniature amp (slightly bigger than your palm), an ‘air cartridge’, a belt buckle and a pick. After inserting the ‘air cartridge’ into the amp, you wave the pick over the buckle, and the first sound from your chosen song (there are 5 songs in the air cartridge that comes with the kit, and new ones will soon be released) will be played. Essentially, you will only need to strum in relatively similar rhythm to play the songs.

There is also an output socket which can be used to connect headphones (if you haven’t quite gotten the hang of playing yet and want to spare the embarrassment, or if your neighbors are making death threats to you), or, if you really want to annoy someone, connect to external speakers.

As nice as this toy is, I can still see a few problems with it:
1.Only 5 songs. There will be additional cartridges later, but they will cost you.
2.The guitar sound, while nice for a toy, is below the one a middle level electric guitar can produce.
3.Simply put, you’ll look like an idiot playing this. On the other hand, playing any toy instead of an actual instrument will make you look stupid – at least this is rather cool

Official site: AirGuitarRocker
You can buy this for the lowest price on: Target.

Back in the days when the concept of a modern times gadget was laughable (not necessarily referring to the middle ages) people had to face a task of finding something to amuse themselves with each and every day. That is, of course, excluding those that had to work from daybreak till dawn to be able to live (depending on the time period, that could be the majority of the world).

Well, those that could afford some fun used to take part in a wide variety of activities. Those considered artistic would draw or attempt to write works of literature. Others, less talented would attempt to sing or dance (in this aspect, the world didn’t change much – that still happens far too frequently). And those who regarded themselves as intellectuals would pit their minds against opponents in an old Indian game called ‘chess’.

However, time goes by, and times change. And today’s product is a great proof of it. I’m rather certain that if you attempted to use this chess set in , oh, the middle ages or so, you would be roasted in a huge bonfire (not a particularly pleasant way to leave this world). Nowadays, though, you’ll get only some strange looks at worst (depends on who you are – no one would think it’s weird for me to own such a set).

On a 12 inch (~30cm) square board (which reminds me of a dungeon) that has 4 skulls in place of legs), you and your opponent pit your skeletal head armies against each other (there are black and white skulls).

This set could actually solve one problem that quite a few chess fanatics have – lack of willing opponents. Most people don’t particularly like chess, or they lack patience for it. But really, who could resist playing with something like this?

The Skulls Chess Set costs £29.95 (could be cheaper, but souvenir glass chess sets tend to be even more costly). Found at Gobaz.

Since childhood all of us have been taught a variety of rules that were meant to ensure that we don’t kick the bucket before we are meant to. They included looking before crossing the street, not playing with fire (well, I ignored this one), not putting metal objects into the power socket and most certainly not touching any exposed wires with electricity flowing trough them.

Knowing the last rule, the people visiting you will certainly feel uneasy seeing a working light bulb with exposed sockets. And there are too many reactions to predict (albeit all of them amusing) the way they will express their shock when you touch the exposed parts and start shaking, with your body acting as a conductor for the electric current, measuring a grand total of…..12 Volts.

Yes, as realistic as this gadget looks, the electric current coursing through it is only 12 Volts. Meaning you can touch it with no fear for your life (the downside is that you’ll have to fake the trembling – pretty hard, as the trembling is pretty fast, though most of your friends probably don’t really know how a human body reacts to electrocution). And when your acquaintances are all familiar with the trick, it can serve as a rather original lamp.

The 12Volt bulb costs £49.95 at GenieGadgets. True, it’s rather expensive, but can you really put the price on the years of your friends’ lives you’ll be taking from them with your little (and completely fake) electric accidents?

We humans like to fight. It’s ingrained into our blood. Thankfully, our blood doesn’t determine our preference of the type of combat nor our preference of weapons. Therefor, we can sate our thirst for blood in a simple (if a bit childish) water balloon fight.

Actually, a water balloon fight is, at least in my opinion, the most noble form of warfare. It’s advantages, compared to common wars, include: relatively low death toll (somewhere around zero or so), low collateral damage and no need to rebuild entire countries and their economies after the war. Also, a lack of skill, aim or ammo will not get you killed, but, if you’re not good at dodging, will give you a bath (in the hot summer months, this could we quite welcomed). Moreover, such conflicts are incredibly cost-effective – the only supplies required are water and balloons.

Apparently, someone disagrees. It’s the only reason I can think of for developing these water bombs – a multi-use alternative to the water balloon. Made from incredibly absorbent sponges, these bombs only require you to immerse them in water to soak up a lot of it, and that’s it – it’s armed and ready for combat. Just throw them at some innocent and dry victim your opponent, and watch as the bomb releases the water contained inside it, thoroughly soaking the poor and formerly dry victim your opponent.

Each bomb (they come in packs of six) is 11 x 9 x 9cm, black, with a fake fuse and has a totally inconspicuous red BANG written across it. Six bombs should be just about enough for two or three people to have a match, unless their less childish family members decide to teach the overgrown kids a lesson in maturity by, say, aiming a garden hose at them (not very mature, I know, but for some reason these self-proclaimed “mature” people never take that into account.0.

A pack consisting of six bombs costs only £4.99 (pretty cheap) at IwantOneOfThose.

There are very few ways to pass (or waste, depends on the situation) the time as enjoyable as playing cards. A simple deck of cards can be used for anything – from childhood games such as, for example, Go Fish, to internationally popular games like Poker and Blackjack. And an average deck of cards is compact enough to carry in your pocket. True, it’s low-tech, but it’s an unbeatable classic.

While simply playing cards is a great pastime, it’s more fun to be the winner rather than the unfortunate guy who looses each game. Well, luck cannot be changed (you can try carrying around horseshoes and four leaf clovers, but in the end, you’ll just look stupid). And since most games heavily rely on luck, skill might not be enough. Sometimes your luck and skill may require some ‘assistance’.

Well, maybe the ability to recognize the cards by their covers is just what you need? If so, this deck of cards is a must have. While the cards look like any regular deck would, each of them has a subtle mark, that shows the card’s suit and number – IF you know what to look for.

Aside from that, the cards have absolutely no difference from other decks. Regular size, plastic coating, same old pictures on the back and some very abstract art on the backs – giving no reason at all to suspect that they were prepared for the game in any special way.

A deck of these cards will cost you £4.99 on GadgetShop.

NOTE: using marked cards is considered cheating. And if you’re caught cheating, you have to deal with the consequences, that usually are NOT pleasant. Therefor, DON’T GET CAUGHT.

Hello, gadget lovers. Let me ask you all a question: what is it that wakes you up in the morning?(coffee does NOT count). Do you wake up on your own? Well, then SHOO!SHOO! For everyone else, who, like me have terrible habits where sleep is concerned, read on.

So, what abominable sound coming from the Ultimate Tool of Evil (also known by the name of “Alarm Clock”) do YOU have to put up every morning? Ringing? Beeping? An annoying ringtone from your cellphone (like me)?

I’m willing to bet with odds 20 to 1 (I know very well that statistically I’d still end up profiting from such a bet) that whatever it is, it’s damn annoying. Nothing like a screeching sound to get you out of bed grumpy, sleepy, with an absolute lack of desire to work (that could be natural laziness though), and, if you’re really unlucky – a headache. Now ain’t that a nice way to start your day?

Now wouldn’t it be nice to wake up to some more ear-friendly tones? Of course it would! And you’ve probably gathered from my sales-pitch-like way of speaking (sorry, that’s a bad habit of mine) that I know of a great solution.

Do you know the song by the legendary Queen, called “We are the Champions”? Say no, and I’ll call you a liar. Wouldn’t it be nice to start every day with the words “We are the champions, my friend…” sung by Freddy, accompanied by the unmistakable sounds of Brian May’s Red Special (guitar)? Well, for me, a fan of Queen for as long as I can remember, there could hardly be anything better. I’m fairly certain that most of you, dear readers, agree with me (even if only partially).

The clock stands 7″/18cm high. The design is fairly nice too – an old, chromed retro clock. What I simply hate about the design is the soccer ball picture in the front – maybe it would pass for a nice detail if you are a die-hard fan, but for me, it sort of just ruins the mood. Well, you can’t have everything I suppose…

As far as sound quality goes, it could be rated as ‘good’. Doesn’t quite measure up to ‘great’, but no one should find reasons to complain – I mean, come on – it’s a clock that sings “We are the Champions”. And it is by no means quiet – should be quite a challenge to sleep through the noise.

If you like the clock (I sure do – if I can manage to get over the soccer ball picture, I am buying this for my birthday (it’s in a month)), it will lighten your wallet by £13.95. Found at Boystuff.

P.S. As nice as the sound waking you up will be, if you really want a pleasant morning, you should get a good amount of sleep each day, always go to sleep and get up at the same time and avoid caffeine. Then again, my friends already call me “The Zombie” for my sleeping habits, so I’m not really the one to give advice on healthy sleeping habits.:)

For today, we have a gadget that’s innovative, small, 2-in-1 and is related to fire. In other words - perfect.

Well, maybe not. My evaluation may have been influenced by the inner pyro (most of my friends say that it’s actually an outer pyro - well, they are allowed their opinion, though I don’t have to respect it). Still, i love this little gadget. A jet ligther with an inbuilt clock. what’s not to like?

The lighter’s corpus is designed to look like polished bronze. Looks elegant, and at the same time, not tacky (though I personally would prefer something a bit brighter. Still, I don’t have a reason to complain). There’s a spring on the “hinges” of the lid, therefore the lid is kept tightly shut or open and doesn’t wobble - and taken into account the fact that this lighter can be used upside down, it is really a welcomed feature - you wouldn’t want your lid getting into the way of fire everytime you try to light a candle.

As for the clock, it is nothing special (you weren’t expecting a Swiss made mechanism I hope?), but it does the job - you set the time, it ticks and shows the time. The design of the clock is either non-intrusive or elegant - depends on your taste. However, I’m certain that noone would complain about it.

The lighter itself burns with a strong, green flame and the appropriate jet-engine-like sound (A word about the pictures - they don’t show the flame - neither me nor my camera are good enough to capture it). In truth, the green will wear off with time, and be replaced with classical blue jet flame. In the case of my lighter, it has already begun, however, it took two weeks of extremely heavy usage to get there (no, i wasn’t trying to get rid of the green - I just felt the urge to set a lot of things aflame). The overall construction is quite sturdy, so I don’t have any complaints about it. Also, you don’t need to carry any tools for refilling - no unscrewing or anything. Though you will need something like a screwdriver (I prefer using a knife - a lot easier) to adjust the flame height.

A word of caution if you’ve never used a jet lighter - the jet flame is hottest just above the tip of the visual part. Be careful - if you burn yourself, it will be with a 1300 degrees Celsius hot flame.

Also, to keep your lighter working longer, use only purified butane. Preferably one that’s been purified 3 times or so. One of the more common brands is Supaflame. If you don’t have a better choice (for example, I don’t - there are no other brands of purified butane within a radius of 60 kilometers), I have tested it and can confirm that it is good enough for jet lighters.

Never be tempted to use unpurified butane (filtered butane is also usually far from being sufficient), as it will clog your lighter after a single refill - I did that mistake with my first jet lighter.

Like what you’ve read so far? Well, in addition to that, the lighter is actually pretty cheap. It’s 4.74$ from DealExtreme.

Well people, we all know that you know a thing or two about technology. How about music?

Regardless of your answer, you should like this musical gadget. I bet that 99% of you (or people in general actually) haven’t heard of something like this in their lives, never mind actually seeing one. I myself have only seen such an instrument once in my life - albeit a homemade one (with a below average playability - you try playing by poking at pencil-made dots).

Fortunately, our prayers have been answered - we got a professionally manufactured version of this retro instrument (meaning no pencil dots). Invented in 1967 (40 years ago) this wacky idea for an instrument is making a comeback thanks to people from IWOOT.

Right, I’m getting too far ahead of myself. Most of you probably still don’t know what’s a stylophone. A stylophone is an instrument that makes sounds based on the position of a special pen on a pad of the stylophone (different positions result in different resistance to currency - yeah, I sort of saw the plans for that homemade monstrosity I mentioned earlier).

I’ve got to add that even though trying to play the homemade stylophone was frustrating, it was still an amusing way to occupy myself. A quality stylophone should be a pure pleasure to play.

By the way, this stylophone is a bit different from it’s predecessors. You can plug in your mp3 player to it and play along to your songs (after all, we do live in the age of mp3’s - this was to be expected, and I say it’s a pretty good idea).

The Stylophone is £14.99 (Approx USD $26.98) at IWantOneOfThose

Hey, does anyone like doing experiments with light? Regardless of their nature - from making a rainbow with a prism to setting up a matrix of optics for a laser beam. All you need is some optics.

The only problem with optics is that you constantly have to clean them, protect them from scratches, and just hope they don’t fall and break in pieces.

How about making your own eatable optics. Yep, that’s right, after you’re done with them, you can always eat them. (You’re gonna have to do that or throw them away in a few days - they aren’t too durable)

The optics are made of high concentrate gelatin. That makes them stronger than jelly, yet still rather flexible (okay, actually, they only hold together better). Oh, and about the eatable part - concentrated jelly isn’t exactly too tasty, but still, the sensation is quite interesting (imagine a jelly without any flavouring).

The kit for making your own edible optics includes 4 Petri dishes, 4 large watch glasses, 1 spherometer, 1 plastic tube with scale, 3 packages of gelatin, and an instruction guide.

The kit costs $47.75. Found at skelementary. However, before buying it, find local chemistry suppliers and ask them about gelatin concentrate (they should have it) - three packs won’t last long.

Do you remember the old good swear box? You know, that nuisance that’s supposed to cure your habit of swearing by eating up your finances? You know, the model where you put a coin in it each time you swear?

Well, stand back oldie. Time for a real swear box - literally. You see, when you curse and put in a coin in it, it strenghtens the effect by cursing you to death (As they say - fight fire with fire).

The swear box has a loud inbuilt speaker, so it will be expressing it’s opinion about you quite loudly, and for nearly 12 minutes too.

By the way, the box also has a button to activate the box without throwing coins in (cheapskates :)). I suggest hinting annoying kids of your houseguests to go and try pressing that button.

Also, the box has a removable stopper on the back, so you can remove your money without using a hammer or gravity (for those who are not thinking too well at the moment, that meant “without smashing it to pieces or dropping it off a skyscraper”).

Lastly, it has a really good price - £7.95 at IWantOneOfThose.