Got an extra million dollars hanging around? Put down a $100K deposit on the upcoming Cirrus “The-Jet,” a tiny single-engine aircraft that doesn’t exist yet. Full-sized models are now touring the world, and when it does fly, the personal jet will go 345 mph, up to 25,000 feet, and have a range of 1000 miles.

Like all Cirrus airplanes, The-Jet will have a parachute in its nose, giving you extra assurance that you won’t be included in the ranks of “doctor-killer” aircraft casualties. Cirrus has reportedly leased a hangar in Minnesota to begin building the 7-seat (if three passengers are babies) jets, and plans to manufacture the small planes out of lightweight carbon fiber.

Like most schemes to sell non-existent products by collecting deposit money based on buzz alone, Cirrus is secretive about the jet. But industry wags think it might be ready for FAA certification by sometime next year, with a possible 2011 delivery date.

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There are some devices where the expression “you go first” always pops into my head, and this is certainly one of them. We’ve seen some other wacky designs from Tecnologia Aeroespacial Mexicana that have actually made it into production, so there’s a chance that their Libelula Rocket Helicopter concept could turn into a real product.

By using tiny rocket motors at the tips of the rotor blades, the Libelula eliminates the torque which makes a tail rotor necessary in a conventional helicopter. This in theory makes it much more reliable, which is a good thing when you’re hanging from a backpack a few hundred feet above terra firma.

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We already showed you how to stay fashionable in urban combat situations. Along the same lines, Peter Gronquist has jazzed up retired rifles, chainsaws, machine guns and artillery shells and slapped big names on them: Louis Vuitton, Coach, Gucci — probably not the brands you think of when you imagine a rocket launcher or an electric chair. There’s even a Pac-Man grenade.

Dubbed “The Revolution will be Fabulous,” Gronquist’s show opened last night at Gallery 1988 in Los Angeles. The pieces ranged from anywhere from a few hundred bucks to several thousand and several, such as the Louis Vuitton chainsaw, have sold.

Check out the gallery below for more fabulous weaponry.
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OMG…..

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This unique sound bar is called The Hive, shaped as it is like a honeycomb cluster. Each segment of the speaker that you see is an individual unit that can be tilted and positioned independently, allowing you to set it up for your specific room’s shape and design.

It’s a neat idea, and it’s really quite cool looking as well. It’s not going to do well with people who like subtlety in their home theatre setups, but for those people out there looking to have the most unique setup in the neighborhood, this will do the trick.

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We the Brits were crazy about tea, but some French aficionados are giving them a run for their money. Two young French designers have created a self-stirring teacup. It’s a glass, actually, and it has a ceramic ball at the bottom that mixes around and mixes the tea as you lift the cup or swirl it gently. The base of the glass protrudes enough so that when you lift the glass to drink, the ball never falls out and hits you in the teeth.

Cute idea guys, but we have a couple of suggestions. First, make a disposable version. The real waste when it comes to tea stirring has to do with plastic spoons and wooden sticks at places like Starbucks. Second, if you were as into tea as the Brits, you’d know that tea tastes far better when you drink it from a porcelain cup, not a glass. Maybe the next prototype should be ceramic, with a glass mixing ball.

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If you’re unfortunate enough to be stuck in the middle of the country, away from the coasts, you probably don’t get too many chances to see the ocean, let alone surf in it. But hey, that doesn’t mean your dreams of surfing need to die in the flat Missouri sun! Just get yourself a Banzai Skimboard Surfer and live your dreams of having an endless summer.

Essentially, the Skimboard Surfer is a souped up slip n slide: a long, slick piece of plastic that fills with water via your hose. But rather than sliding on it face first, you use the included skimboard to surf down its slippery length. Oh, summer fun, you’re right at hand! And one doesn’t have to live on a coastline to enjoy it!

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This shiny, pretty phone is a heavily-modified Nokia N95 that’s been decked out head-to-toe with Buddhist iconography and characters. It’s got gold everywhere, a Buddha on the back, and fancy imagery all over. It even has custom wallpapers and ringtones onboard to complete the theme.

It’s slick, to say the least, especially if you’re Buddhist, I’d assume. Sadly, it’s been spotted in China but is currently unavailable to any of us silly westerners. But hey, if you’re handy with a paintbrush and have a spare N95 kicking around, you could probably whip up something similar, right?

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Suddenly your $40-$50 bill to fill up gas every other week isn’t so bad: the North American Eagle jet car costs $18,000 every single run. That’s because it uses a 42,500 horsepower engine from airplane manufacturer Lockheed’s retired 1957 F-104 Starfighter, which uses up 160 gallons of fuel each minute. The car needs that kind of power though, because partners Ed Shadle and Keith Zanghi want to break the 800 mph land speed record for the US. All they need now is a driver.

Shadle, a former USAF pilot and amateur racer himself, would love to drive the North American Eagle. “It’s a lot of fun to drive,” he told the Times Online, “But if my age is stopping us getting sponsors, we have to remove that barrier. We’ll put some hotshot in the driving seat who looks like Robert Redford and see how that works.”

So Shadle and his Boeing engineer partner Zanghi are looking for someone between 20 and 40 years of age who is photogenic and entirely cool with the idea of, essentially, riding their $150,000 rocket, built over the last 10 years in a rented Seattle hangar. Just don’t forget to buckle up: the North American Eagle is projected to break the 800 mph record in around 20 seconds.

If that sounds like you, send a 400-word email detailing why and a photo to landspeedracing@gmail.com.

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