Gallery: The Things We Loved This Week
01Orbotix Sphero 2.0
You think last week was exciting? Pfft. Wait'll you see what the world unleashed on our agape eyeballs this week. Orbotix Sphero 2.0 ------------------ $130 for a ball? No, $130 for *this* ball. [Sphero is controlled by a smartphone app](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/reviews/2013/08/sphero-new/), changes its color at the tap of a touchscreen, runs over augmented-reality zombies, and jumps off ramps. The hardest part about owning one will be negotiating the sharing schedule with your dog or cat. *Photo: Alex Washburn/WIRED*
02Samsung KN55S9C OLED HDTV
Samsung KN55S9C OLED HDTV ------------------------- Space movies are going to look pretty great on an OLED HDTV: The impossibly deep blacks, the firefly-bright lights, the hyperspeed response times. The wait is over if you want to buy an OLED set in the U.S., and [Samsung’s curvy 55-incher](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/gadgetlab/2013/08/samsung-oled-hdtv/) costs a hefty $9,000. Space ain’t cheap. *Photo: Tim Moynihan/WIRED*
03Trash Amps Mason Jar Speaker
Trash Amps Mason Jar Speaker ---------------------------- When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. And when you’re done with that lemonade, turn the Mason jar you’ve been drinking it out of into a [battery-powered speaker](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/gadgetlab/2013/08/trash-amps-jar/). Use it to listen to “The Lemon Song” or Blind Lemon Jefferson or Lemmy from Motörhead while driving around in a Citroën. *Photo courtesy Trash Amps*
04Zero Halliburton Geo Aluminum
Zero Halliburton Geo Aluminum Series ------------------------------------ Nuclear-football season is right around the corner, so you might as well get a new case for your Black Book and authentication codes. The Geo series’ aluminum shell and three-digit combination lock provide two different kinds of protection, and it’ll look great while it’s handcuffed to your wrist. *Image courtesy Zero Halliburton*
05Razor Crazy Cart
Razor Crazy Cart ---------------- With a top speed of 12mph and a side-mounted drift bar, the [double-12V-battery-powered Crazy Cart](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/gadgetlab/2013/08/razor-crazy-cart/) is our mini-vehicle pick of the week. If you can figure out a way to mount a turtle-shell cannon on the front and a banana-peel sprayer on the back, you’ll have a real-world Mario Kart. *Image courtesy Razor*
06Tuls
Tuls ---- Tuls are [business-card-sized multitools](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/gadgetlab/2013/08/business-cards-multitools/), forged by the Gods of Pragmatism out of stainless steel and titanium, and funded by mere mortals via Kickstarter. There’s one for measuring, one for wrenching, one for your phone, and one for bottle-opening. Damn you, Tuls! You make too much sense! *Photo courtesy Tuls*
07Blomus Sencha Teapot
Blomus Sencha Teapot -------------------- Everybody loves some tea. Two problems: (1) Nasty used tea bags and (2) You made so much tea, half of it got cold before you were able to drink it. The [Sencha Teapot](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/gadgetlab/2013/08/gl_fetish_teapot/) ousts sloppy wet leaves with a built-in strainer basket and keeps your tea nice and warm with a candleholder in its base. *Photo: James Day*
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