Gallery: This Guy Turns Kids' Fanciful Inventions Into Real Products
Courtesy of Dominic Wilcox01war
Dominic Wilcox is an inventor who's set out to show other kids how to become inventors. Through his program, named, yes, Inventors!, he's turned 60 kids' drawings into real products. This is the “Liftolater."
Courtesy of Dominic Wilcox02whiteback
It's like a Jetsonian biodome that connects via a chute to an underground bunker. “If you want to get away from war simply get this,” reads the description.
Courtesy of Dominic Wilcox03TennisBall-2
The "Super Fast Tennis Ball" is a tennis ball with controls in it that can crank up the power and speed of a ball in flight.
Courtesy of Dominic Wilcox04ballexhibit
“Can we make a tennis ball you can adjust the speed of? Potentially yes, in the future,” Wilcox says. “I think it’s important to show ideas that are beyond the horizon of what we currently understand. We’ll get there eventually, and these children will be alive when we do.”
Courtesy of Dominic Wilcox05cushions-copy
The "Creak-less Slippers" are designed for "people who own homes with very creaky floorboards."
Courtesy of Dominic Wilcox06shoecushions-1
The final model includes two tiny inflatable pillows on the soles of the slippers. Press a button in the pom-pom to activate the pillows.
Courtesy of Dominic Wilcox07ladybird-1
This is an umbrella for ladybugs.
Courtesy of Dominic Wilcox08ladybirdumbrella2
The prototype is made from hand-blown glass.
Courtesy of Dominic Wilcox09lamp
The "Shady Lamp" is like a lamp with its own set of blinds, meant to help users dim or brighten a room.
Courtesy of Dominic Wilcox10shadylamp
As its 11-year-old inventor rightly realized, electric dimmers often break. This manual solution can also work on any lamp, regardless of the home's wiring.
Courtesy of Dominic Wilcox11lunch
This "Talking Lunch Clock" is a clock, that looks like an owl, that sounds the alarm when it's time for lunch.
Courtesy of Dominic Wilcox12owlclock
It uses an Arduino compatible microcontroller, a clock, and a sound sampler module that plays the “tweet tweet” sound.
Courtesy of Dominic Wilcox13pringles
Not all the inventions are all so fantastical—the Pringles Hook that helps you fetch the potato chips from the bottom of the tall Pringles can seems downright useful.
Courtesy of Dominic Wilcox14Pringles1new-lr
An industrial designer made the hooks, which are meant to be sold inside the Pringles can for extra value.
Courtesy of Dominic Wilcox15toothbrush-1
The "Tooth-o-Matic" is a toothbrush with built-in toothpaste.
Courtesy of Dominic Wilcox16toothpasteout
The final product looks and works a bit like a syringe. The toothpaste tube is stashed inside the handle, and you push toothpaste out the other end.
The Audacity Is the Broligarchy Takedown You Were Waiting For
AMC’s new black comedy about a manchild tech titan spinning out of control is a skewering Silicon Valley’s billionaire class deserves.
Miles Klee
A Lot of Shops Won't Fix Electric Bikes. Here's Why
Bike shop mechanics have lost fingers and their shirts while repairing ebikes of dubious origins. Make sure yours is repairable and third-party certified.
Stephanie Pearson
It’s a Tablet! It’s a Laptop! After Testing the Best 2-in-1s, Here’s What I Recommend
Whether you want a detachable tablet or a laptop screen that spins, these 2-in-1 devices manage to balance being both a tablet and a laptop.
Luke Larsen
There’s a Secret Ingredient to Making Luxury Ice at Home
Nice ice is big business, but you can get perfectly clear cubes at home without freezing your assets.
Jeremy White
The Screenmaxxers Who Spend Every Waking Hour on Their Phones
As debates over social media addiction rage, people with extreme screen times tell WIRED they have no plans to cut back.
Miles Klee
Mammotion’s Spino E1 Pool Cleaner Isn’t Bad for the Price—It's Just Not That Good
This compact pool robot keeps its price down, but its performance doesn’t match that of more capable cleaners.
Christopher Null
The Best Coffee Mug Warmers Are Smart. But They Don’t Need an App
The first rule of coffee is that it must stay hot. After weeks or even years of testing, these are the three coffee warmers that will best keep it that way.
Matthew Korfhage
Crimson Desert Is a Cat Dad Simulator
Step into the shoes of the strongest, goodest boy in a game that is beautiful, baffling, and impossible to put down.
This At-Home Hair Color Printer Raised My Blood Pressure
This hair dye printer promises hundreds of shades. It couldn't even manage two.
Louryn Strampe
I Tested the MacBook Neo and the MacBook Air. Here's Which One You Should Buy
After conducting long-term testing on both the MacBook Neo and MacBook Air, I have a good idea who should buy which laptop.
Luke Larsen
The Best Electric Cargo Bikes for Carrying This and That Everywhere
You don't need a car to tote around kids and cup holders. I rode cargo ebikes for miles to find the best one for your buck.
Adrienne So
Your Push Notifications Aren’t Safe From the FBI
Plus: Iran’s internet blackout hits the 1,000-hour mark, cryptocurrency scams result in a record amount of money stolen from Americans, and more.
Matt Burgess