Fun with Science Friday - Build Your Own Wind Turbine! (on a small scale)

Whether you are looking to teach about alternative energy sources, searching for a gift for a science-loving kid (recommended for ages 8+), or you just like the idea of building your own wind turbine (there was no upper limit in the age group, after all) - this looks like a lot of fun!

Product description from the Thames & Kosmos website:

"Build wind-powered generators to energize your electric vehicles and charge your rechargeable batteries! The wind spins the turbine, which turns an electric generator, which in turn charges your rechargeable AA batteries (not included). You can then use those wind-charged batteries to power the model vehicles you build. The six models include a glider, sail car, jet car, tractor, racecar, and tricycle."

Wind Power 2.0 kits are available to purchase online (with FREE shipping) through Amazon.com. To locate a local place to pick up one of these great science kits click here. And here is a link for more great alternative energy and environmental science kits (you know, in case you prefer solar or hydropower to wind).

Article by: Alisha K. Ard

Millennium Con 12+1, 2010 in Pictures

Millennium Con 12+1 proved to be a fun-filled, game-packed weekend for all who attended. In addition to the people there for gaming, we met a lot of great vendors as well: Splintered Light Miniatures, 2 Hour Wargames, Combat Painter Studios,  Battle Mart, & Reaper Miniatures.

Reaper hosted a paint-&-take through-out the convention, offering the chance to try out their paints on a Reaper miniature that you could then take home for free. Bryan and Shannon were gracious enough to let us paint a couple of our own Reaper minis to try out their paints. (This also provided the opportunity to paint a couple of our gaming group's adventurers for our Warhammer Quest party - a double bonus!)

Having primarily used Citadel paints from Games Workshop to paint miniatures, the quality of Reaper paints offered a pleasant surprise. It also seems the design of their bottles would prevent some of the issues with drying out that Citadel paint pots have - which means less wasted paint in the long run.

Featured miniatures painted by GeektGear.com Co-Owner, Alisha K. Ard

Fun with Science Friday - Self-Folding Robotic Paper

 

Thanks to Engineers at Harvard and MIT, you are looking at an honest-to-goodness Transformer. Sure, it only transforms into the origami shapes of a paper airplane or a boat, not a sporty automobile that can double as a guardian and friend, but you have to admit it's impressive. Unfortunately, Hasbro has the copyrights on the name "Transformer," so they are calling it "Shape-Shifting Sheets" and "programmable matter by folding," which are not nearly as catchy.

All joking aside, this is amazing to watch. It will be interesting to see what develops in the future from this noteworthy achievement. Read about the programmable matter here.

Movie credit: Robert Wood, Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and Daniela Rus, MIT

Article by: Alisha K. Ard

Getting Ready for Millenniumcon 12 + 1

Friday is the start of Millenniumcon 12+1, and we will be there! Millenniumcon offers a variety of miniature gaming, board games, card games and tournaments. Lone Star Historical Miniatures will be hosting the historical miniatures and board gaming events, while the RPGA events will be hosted by local RPGA volunteers.

The Flames of War Tournament kicks off Millenniumcon 12+1 on Friday afternoon, with check-in at 12:00 PM, first round starting at 1:00 PM. This is a no-holds-barred Late War Qualifier for the 2011 Nationals in Austin. Here is one of the first chances to qualify! 1750 points.

Convention pre-registration is now closed, but you can still register at the door:

   3-Day Pass can choose from all game slots - $30

   Friday Pass chooses only from Friday Games - $10

   Saturday Pass chooses from all four Saturday time slots - $20

   Sunday Pass chooses only from Sunday games - S10.

GeektGear.com will have a booth in the Dealer's room, where we will be selling our T-shirts, Geekt Buttons and Geekt Magnets. There will also be opportunities to win a free GeektGear T-shirt for some of the lucky winners of game matches or tournaments. You can find us there at the following times:

Friday:         7:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Saturday:     8:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Sunday:       8:00 AM - 12:00 PM

It's all happening at the Wingate Inn, 1209 N I-35, in Round Rock, TX 78664. Here's a complete list of the games being played this weekend. This is guaranteed to be a fun-filled weekend - we hope to see you there!

Article by: Alisha K. Ard

Add Some Flair to Your Life (or Wardrobe)



Express your inner geek with Geekt™ buttons! Decorate your backpack, totes, cubicle, jackets or hats with unique flair from GeektGear.com. If you like flair but you're not a fan of wearing pins, our buttons are also available with a magnetic backing so you don't miss out.

All of our buttons are 2.25 inches in diameter and are available in two styles: pinned back or magnetic. Each design is available to order in quantities of 1, 3, 5 or 10, with discounts for bulk orders. New designs are being added monthly, so be sure to check back often.

With Veteran's Day quickly approaching, our newest buttons are designed to show our appreciation for the sacrifices our Veterans have made. Through the month of November, GeektGear.com is giving you a free Geekt Veteran's Day Button with the purchase of each shirt through the month of November. These buttons are also available for purchase, with 100% of the proceeds going to the Disabled American Veterans Charitable Service Trust - our charity of the month. $1 of each shirt sale will also be donated to this support this cause.

Need custom buttons made for your company or promotions? Contact us for bulk orders and special requests.

Article by: Alisha K. Ard

Friday Fun with Science - Boo Bubbles

Fridays are hereby officially declared "Fun with Science" days at the Get Geekt blog! Each Friday we will post a link to an article or video that features a product we think is too awesome not to share with you.

This week, we are introducing you to Boo Bubbles - bubbles filled with dry ice smoke.



Whether you want to give a demonstration and show off your knowledge of gasses and surface tension, or if you just want to bounce the bubbles around while wearing cotton gloves, Boo Bubbles are guaranteed to entertain people of all ages. To get your own Boo Bubble Generator, click here.

Article by: Alisha K. Ard