The Phonofone II from Science + Sons is the iPod speaker dock you want if you positively want to own the coolest, most eye-catching PMP speaker dock ever designed--that doesn't need an external power source. What's even better is that it will work with just about any audio source, assuming you can plug earbuds into it. If you're the average gadget freak, you're probably wondering why the PMP would need to have earbuds plugged into it and how the Phonofone II is supposed to work without a battery or being plugged into the wall.

According to the official Phonophone website, the device uses "passive amplification" all by its lonesome to create sound through it's old-school horn-style speaker. Remember those old record players from the time of the dinosaurs? Those worked similarly--but the Phonofone II uses, earbuds instead of a record needle.

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Okay, so you’re planning a party. You got the punch, the chips, the dip…but is that really all there is to a party these days? I mean, we’re in the 21st century, and it’s about time we started partying like it. But how do you spruce things up? Well, for starters, physical activity is becoming all the rage, what with health concerns skyrocketing across the country. So, it’s gotta be something that gets you moving. Also, all great parties have one thing in common: great lighting. Lighting helps you see who’s at a party, so you can avoid the people you dislike and find the people you’re attracted to. Or, for some, just so you can find the snack table (ahem, health concerns, remember?). So, we’ve got physical activity on the one side and lighting on the other. Now let me see…

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Ever find yourself needing to record what you see through a microscope onto your computer? Well, if you have, your need has been met with a short stack of USB microscopes available now, around the intarwebs. A few different companies make a few different types of USB microscopes--but hang on--why would anyone need a USB-based microscope/cam? Well, for starters, they're just cool! If you're truly a gadget addict, how could you say "no" to something like this?

Snarkiness aside, you also could be a scientist who is looking for a way to easily edit or share your observations. You could use your USB microscope as a webcam and update your website with new pictures of what ever tiny thing you happened to be looking at. You might also be a science teacher interested in finding new ways to educate your students with the use of technology. Regardless of why you might need a USB microscope, there are plenty out there to choose from.

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Have you ever read Family Circus and thought to yourself ‘Damn, I could write a better comic than that!’ Well, now you can prove it with Bitstrips. The premise is simple (and yet, oddly elaborate in execution): an online comic strip creator that streamlines everything, from settings, to character creation, and even interaction. The creators have designed their own art style for the project and this sets the tone for the world in which you will be creating. On first blush the creator seems somewhat simple (which is good), allowing you to drag and drop preset characters into a panel. Dialogue bubbles are automatically added and contort to the amount of text you add.

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Back in the day, the future made many promises, flying cars, life on Mars, candies that have a full-course meal range of flavours. Bu

t if there’s one that tops them all, one quintessential futuristic device that the future promised, it’s holograms. Yes, those lovable three dimensional projected images made popular by Obi-Wan. And although flying cars are currently exceptionally dangerous (and with insurance rates on vehicles on the ground, I can’t imagine what it will cost to insure a hurtling mass of metal that careens through the skies) and Mars remains elusive to all save Hollywood, at least we can say that holograms are indeed here. I present to you the Mirage 3D Hologram.

This device requires no batteries, no power cords, not even an R2 droid! Simply place an object into the bowl and in return the Mirage 3D Hologram will display a holographic representation of the object in incredible detail. How does it work? Well, the Mirage utilizes a specially designed mirror-system. By placing an object (Mirage apparently prefers strawberries) in the concealed compartment, a unique system of mirrors is capable of projecting a replication of the object on the surface of the unit. According to Mirage, this unit has been scooped up by teachers eager to show students a real-world physics demonstration.

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