The Pooch Power Shovel (the quicker, shittier picker-upper ) may look like a leaf blower, but it’s not. It’s also not anything I’d recommend you trying to attach to your genitals, but you know what? Go for it. I’m tired of mothering you. And, honestly, I’m looking forward to the 911 call being leaked. The cordless Pooch Power Shovel sucks the waste directly into specially designed plastic bags making them easy to dispose of (up to 150 on a single charge) and at first glance you might think the clear plastic tube provides an unpleasant view of the business being dealt with, but when used properly the waste apparently never touches the machine or your hands. At $99.50 from Frontgate it’s easily the most expensive pet poo solution I’ve seen, short of hiring someone else to do it, and the refill bags will set you back an additional $19.50 for 50 or $35.50 for 100. It doesn’t seem like that big a piece of crap(!) if you’re only gonna use it in your backyard (I’d still just set the mower as low as it’ll go and shoot shit everywhere), but I’d never carry this thing on a walk. Of course, I said the same thing when they came out with 500lb dumbbells…. Pooch Power Shovel Vacuums Up Poo, Not Small Yap Dogs [ohgizmo]

Been waiting for someone to hack a bunch of Roombas to play Pac-Man ? Me neither, but somebody did AND YOU’RE GOING TO WATCH THEM OR I’M GOING TO TOOTHPICK YOUR EYES OPEN AND MAKE YOU. The vacuum, long an instrument for chasing cats, has now been turned against its own. What better use for automatic home appliances than to have them chase each other in classic video game style? Built using our spare time, Roomba Pac-Man is designed to showcase the extensive Unmanned Aerial System software suite that we have developed to support our personal research. It was also a great opportunity to use some of our skills for our own entertainment. Neat idea, but did you have to use robots? Why not kittens ? I mean, you just handed over like $1,500 to the iRobot company. Which, despite the number of emails I’ve sent, the government still refuses to classify as a terrorist organization. OPEN YOUR EYES YOU BUREAUCRATIC BUTTPLUGS! Unless….OMG the government’s in bed with the robots! Initializing expatriation! New Mexico here I come. Project Site Thanks to Jonny S, mary, Jackie and Boomer, who vacuum the old fashioned way: with a shaggy dog taped to a broken tree branch.

This is a video of inventor Jem Stansfield climbing the exterior of a BBC building to show off a pair of vacuum gloves he made out of an old vacuum . Amazingly, he gets to the top, but I question how much assistance he got from the rope holder. Also, if those gloves are that strong and made out of a crappy old vacuum , imagine Dyson -powered vacuum gloves. It would suck the paint off a building! And, God willing, I would eat those paint chips. Man climbs building with vacuum gloves [bbcnews] Thanks to Ross, who once made vacuum boots but didn’t tie them tight enough and plummeted eight stories.

This is a chess set made with functional vacuum tubes that actually glow while you play , making it sweeter than sticky buns. And almost as fun to stare at. But not yours. No, not yours. This wonderful vacuum tube chess set, by maker Paul Fryer, actually has electricity running inside the board so that the tubes can draw power and glow as you move them from square to square. It is called, somewhat appropriately, Chess Set for Tesla , and Paul actually made seven sets last year. Nice, Paul, how about you send a set in this direction? I’ll make it worth your while. Provided an all-you-can-eat wings buffet and mediocre conversation is “worth your while”. You sleep on it. Hit the jump for a couple more shots.

This is basically an updated version of the Proton Packs used by the Ghostbusters . Allegedly, it can suck a ghost through a garden hose. And speaking of which, hey lady — I’ve got a little something that could use some…no? We’re not going there? Okay. Capable of cleaning virtually any surface from carpet to tile to stone or hardwood floors., the Ergonomic Backpack Vacuum comes with a powerful suction that is even able to tackle items like broken glass, confetti, nuts and bolts and pet hair among others. Each $170 purchase will come with padded backpack straps, a HEPA filter to remove 99.9% of all dust, telescoping wand, easy reach attachments, a 26 ft. power cord, reusable collection bag and six disposable bags. Hell yeah broken glass, confetti, nuts and bolts and pet hair — that sounds like a party! So why wasn’t I invited. Is it because of last time? I already told you — I THOUGHT I WAS IN THE BATHROOM! Ergonomic Backpack Vacuum [ubergizmo] Thanks to sarah, FDSY and Chris, who must really love vacuums. Or sucking. SWISH.

This is the path a Roomba took to clean a room. As you can see, it’s pretty haphazard. But what did you expect — it’s just a stupid robot . Honestly, I’m surprised the little deviant didn’t spend the whole time pleasuring itself in the corner by repeatedly running over a power cord . The shot was taken by shutting off all the lights in the room for 30 minutes and taking a long exposure of the path the Roomba took while cleaning up. While I despise all things robotic, I’ve got to admit — whoever took the pic must have balls of triple platinum. Leaving a robot alone in a dark room for a half hour? That’s crazy talk. Long-Exposure Shot of a Roomba’s Path Shows Beautifully Organized Chaos [gizmodo]

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) believe they’ve solved the age-old problem of how to shit in space . The current ISS toilet is a Russian-built, western-style commode that sucks waste away like a vacuum cleaner. Use of that toilet requires practice before heading to space, particularly because an improperly seated user has the potential to create a messy situation. Clean and easy to use, the envisioned space toilet is designed to be worn like a diaper around the astronaut’s waist at all times. Sensors detect when the user relieves him or herself, automatically activating a rear-mounted suction unit that draws the waste away from the body through tubes into a separate container. In addition to washing and drying the wearer after each use, the next-generation space toilet will incorporate features that eliminate unwanted sound and odor. No offense, JAXA, but that sounds a little like overkill. Here’s a much simpler and cost effective solution: shit yo pants! Then put them in a bag , and throw them out the nearest air-lock. Extra points for hitting a passing UFO. Next-generation space toilet ready in five years [pinktentacle Thanks to abovedefault and Praveen, who don’t need vacuum-diapers because they digest everything. That’s right, everything . Even gum.