NEWS – Make sure your costume stands out this Halloween by wearing a cool LED mask that turns music or rhythms into amazing electro-luminescent animations. The masks feature a layer of phosphorescent ink and a state-of-the-art rechargeable sound-responsive lithium modulator that converts sound waves into pulsing patterns of pure organic light on your face.
This lightweight and malleable mask can roll up to fit into a pocket or bag and has an adjustable strap that is designed to fit any head size. A hidden power cable links to a rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack to keep the mask powered.
Check out this video that shows you what the masks look like in action.
You can buy a mask from Outline Montreal for $30 on their INDEMAND Indiegogo page, or from various other companies for around $10 and up on Amazon.
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My family and I love decorating the house during the holidays. Whether it’s animatronics, inflatables, or just good ole’ fashion lights, there are few things as fun as dressing up your home for the holidays.
On the flip side, there are few things less enjoyable than putting away all your holiday decorations. It’s time consuming and a terrible reminder the holiday is over.
One company, AtmosFX, has created a digital decorating kit that allows you to decorate your home without all the terrible cleanup.
I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to play with the decorating kit for the last few weeks.
In the box
Standard definition projector
Mounting tripod
Remote control
Power adapter
Standard window projection material
Digital decoration SD card with 14 scenes
Specifications
Display Technology: 4” Single LCD Panel Display
Color: 16.8 million, 24-bit RGB
Brightness: 300 ANSI LM
Lamp: LED 24W
Contrast Ratio: 2000:1
Native Resolution: 800 x 480
Lamp life: 30,000 hours
Projection Distance: 3 feet to 20 feet
Projection Size (diagonal): 40” to 180”
Throw Ratio: 1.37:1
Aspect Ratio: 4:3 / 16:9
Keystone Correction: + or – 15 degrees
Power Supply: 100-240 V
Power Consumption: 60 W
Input: USB/SD/HDMI/Composite
Audio Output: 3.5mm or built-in speakers
Projection Material: 4’ x 6’ — 86.5” diagonal
Design
The kit is essentially an A/V projector and an SD card with various scenes on it.
The projector resembles a typical, standard definition projector that you’d find in a school classroom.
The top of the projector has several function buttons and focus adjustment dials. The bottom contains a threaded input for a tri-pod. The front holds the projector lens, while the back contains several input ports, the power port, and an IR receiver. One side of the projector contains a second threaded tri-pod input and the other side has venting.
The kit also includes a remote control, a tri-pod, window projection material with adhesive, and an SD card with 14 digital scenes.
There really isn’t much to go over in regards to the design of the kit; as I said, it’s identical to just about every projector I’ve ever seen. The accessories are also pretty standard fare.
Performance
Using the digital kit is easy; you insert the SD card and plug in the projector. Once it’s powered up, you aim it at your “target” and adjust the focus.
“Advanced” setup involves placing the window projection material on your window. This takes a few minutes and requires you to fold the material to fit into your window and use adhesive to secure it. Once you’ve set up the material, you’ll have a surface perfect for projecting your effects onto.
The SD card I was provided contained 14 different scenes. Some scenes were for Christmas, some for Easter, but most were scary Halloween effects.
Using the effects is no different than selecting music to play on your phone or computer; you select the proper media and hit play.
Since it’s almost Halloween, I focused on the scarier effects. I recorded video of the effects from outside my house; unfortunately, the video doesn’t do the effects justice, but I’m going to post them anyway.
Close up
Far Away
After testing the kit on my window, I decided to try using it on my storm door. It was difficult to get the angle just right, but once I did, the effect was pretty amazing. Again, the videos I took don’t do the effect justice.
My only issue when using the kit was when trying to adjust the angle of the projector. The tri-pod that’s include in the kit isn’t very strong. If you try to use the projector at an angle other than perfectly level, the tri-pod “slips” and the projector ends up pointing straight up or down. Other than that I experienced absolutely no issues with the kit.
Conslusion
The AtmosFx is a really fun way to decorate your house for the holidays. The 14 scenes included with the kit are fun, but AtmosFx sells even more on their website.
The kit is easy to setup and just as easy to take down.
The kit isn’t cheap at $199.99, but you can purchase media for almost every holiday. If you can afford the kit, I would definitely recommend it.
Source: The sample for this review was provided by AtmosFx. Please visit their site for more information and Amazon to order.
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The nights are getting longer and the veil between our world and the other side grows thin. It’s the perfect time for sharing tales of the unknown, and to get in the mood I’ve been listening to some podcasts that are perfect for exploring the dark, unknown corners of our imaginations.
This weekly podcast is a cool collection of firsthand accounts, told by those involved in their personal paranormal experiences — from family curses to unexplained sounds on pitch-black border patrols.
In this series, Soren Narnia spins haunting stories of suspense with a supernatural air. Each episode is recorded in a single voice, sounding more like a confession than a storyteller. I’ve only listened to a few episodes so far, but each one gripped me from the start and left me speechless ‘til the end.
I’ve been a dutiful follower of Aaron Mahnke’s compendium of tales that focus on superstitions, dark obsessions, folklore and things that go bump in the night. Humans have long crafted stories to explain what we don’t understand — many of our darkest tales of horror are rooted in truth. Every time a new episode drops, I can’t wait to listen to Aaron’s careful, steady narration.
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The Pumpkin Tap Kit from Kegworks is the perfect gadget for your next Oktoberfest, fall picnic, tailgating party, etc. It is a shank and faucet that has been designed for to turn an ordinary pumpkin into a dispenser for your favorite beverage.
Just clean the guts out of the pumpkin and cut a small hole in the side to fit the chrome finished brass shank.
All that’s left to do is to attach the handle, fill the pumpkin keg with something refreshing to drink, and then you’re ready to enjoy a one of a kind conversation starter.
You can buy the Pumpkin Tap Kit for $34.50 on Amazon or for $29.99 directly from kegworks.com
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Once you’ve set up the material, you’ll have a surface perfect for projecting your effects onto.
