Ken Nelson

A video game / quadricopter controlled by your iPhone/iTouch via Wi-Fi…

http://ardrone.parrot.com/parrot-ar-drone/usa/how-does-it-work

If you are looking for cute, and useful, gifts for Christmas this year, why not keep somebody’s ears warm with a crocheted hat by our office mom Holly.

Her Esty site is loaded with goodies. Tell her Ken sent you and you’ll get FREE SHIPPING before Christmas.  Happy shopping!

Instructions to build can be seen here.

May the toast be with you!

Dear Santa,

I would like to have an HP DesignJet 3D printer for Christmas this year. It would be really handy to prototype all the good ideas my son and I have. Santa, I know it is $17,000, but surely there are politicians not deserving presents this year that you can skip and spend on me instead…

Thanks,

Ken in St. George.

We’ve decided to try a traveling Christmas next year. So I hope our view will be very similar to this:

Although probably in Hawaii not Key West.

Back in the “day” I used to take panorama pictures using a tripod, level and Photoshop.  GigaPan Systems has come up with a better way:

A robotic camera holder. Sweet!   $350 or $450 depending on your camera size. Includes software. What’s nice is you can have it go up/down and right/left.

Here is one of an airport made by combining 102 images!. Click to see it and a bunch of cool other ones:

A toy plane you can shoot down.

Click the image to see video of it.

 
See the video

The Woz loves his Gibson “robot guitar” that self-tunes. Just pick your tuning, strum, it uses little motors to turn the tuning pegs to achieve the desired tuning. Standard turning. Just strum. Quick switch to Drop-D, no prob. Open G, for some Rolling Stones goodness, just strum. Easy.

Ebay has them. As does Musicians Friend.

If you just plain forgot somebody, don’t worry, just print your own gift card:

I’ve done it. Not because I forgot but because it was the right gift for that person.

Dear Santa,

As you may recall I broke my right thumb last year. So as I load magazine after magazine for my boy to keep shooting, it starts to ache and eventually I give up loading.  But I think I found a solution:

 
Click the image, Santa, to see it in action.  I can almost feel the pain easing away from my poor thumb.

Oh… and Santa… their stripper clip loader would be a GREAT, if unfortunately named, stocking stuffer…

Regards,

Ken N.

Dear Santa,

My son and I are about to try 3-Gun practical shooting. This involves tactical shooting of the pistol, shotgun and rifle. But I don’t have a semi-automatic rifle yet. I’ve studied up and found that this Charles Daly Defense carbine is perfect for the 3 gun match and also will be just right for regular shooting and varmint hunting use.

Thanks,

Ken N.

P.S. I still believe!

Item No.: CDDM418BE
Caliber: 5.56mm NATO
Barrel Length: 18″
Rifling Twist: 1×9
MSRP: $1,349

* Chrome lined 4140 Chrome-Moly match barrel with Miculek Compensator

* Carbon Fiber forend

* JP Enterprises adjustable gas block

* T-Marked flattop upper

* Ace Skeleton Buttstock with rubber butt pad

* One 30 Round Aluminum Mil-Spec Mag with Magpul self-leveling follower

Dear Santa,

I don’t really like cats. I like kittens, but not cats. Grown cats were useful on the farm, but not in my current rodentless suburban environment.

Thanks,

Ken

P.S. Size XL to give it room to shrink or me to grow.

Via Uberreview

As happens so often, my office colleagues  lunch discussion turned to sniper rifles yesterday.  We all agreed that .50 caliber was the way to go because it works for everything from people to helicopters. My wife, who had joined us, said “huh?”. But she just doesn’t get the ways of men as they chat…  This one is a long shot (pun intended!), but here goes:

Dear Santa,

I’d like a Barret Model 82A1 for Christmas this year.  I like it because it is .50 caliber, semi-auto, and has excellent recoil compensation.

Regards,

Ken N.

I saw Christmas junk at a store the other day. I guess ‘tis the season…

In that spirit and in vain hope of stimulating the economy, I’ll get started early this year on my Christmas list.  Dear Santa, I’d like a:

Cool t-shirt (XL if you please)…