ThEssentiaList

Makey Makey

Makey Makey is an incredible toy with endless possibilities. Essentially, it is a device that works with software on your computer to let you turn anything that conducts a bit of electricity (including many foods and pencil graphite) into a computer key or command. There is a board that plugs into your computer via usb, white cords with alligator clips attach to your desired "key." Pictured above, they used alphabet soup to make a real keyboard. In another example, they drew four circles with a pencil in a diamond arrangement, attached a clip to each, and used the four "keys" to control a game of pacman on the computer. To understand the full potential of this, Click Here to watch a video.

Norpro BBQ Branding Iron

Make yourself the true grill master ant your next big cookout by branding your steaks with your own damn initials. The wood handle and leather cord let it hang with the rest of your grill tools, and will it will make for a laugh and an admiring tip of the hat.

'B' The Flying Car

Well, as a civilization we're a little behind schedule, but flying cars have finally arrived. This flying car is capable of overcoming literally any terain. On flat ground, the car zips along as you'd expect, but what makes this remote control car so cool is its durability. Its large wheels make it capable of going over very rough terrain, and when the terrain gets a little too intense, it simply takes off and flies along. The wheels protect the propellers, and the polycarbonate frame is designed to withstand high-speed crash landings. It performs vertical take offs and landings, and can transition seamlessly from driving to flying and back again. At this point, you're probably wondering whether your GoPro is going to weight it down or not. Well, not to worry, because it comes with an HD 1720x1280 camera installed in the nose, which takes SD cards up to 32gb. You can purchase the car as a kit, or fully assembled.

Camera Hotshoe Spirit Level

For those of us with one leg shorter than the other - or those of us who get paid to use a camera and need to be professional - leveling your camera is essential. While most tripods now-a-days have levels on them, and Canon DSLRs even have levels built in, the rest of us are stuck eyeballing a level shot. If you are using a rig, steady cam, older tripod, or going handheld, this little level is a dream come true. It mounts on your hot shoe (keeping it clean and protected), and stays clear of most flashes. The best part? IT'S .95 CENTS! (...plus $2.98 S/H, but...still). The only downside is that a few reviews have cited problems with the foot and the hotshoe fitting perfectly, most likely because the level doesn't have a metal foot. None of the reviews, however, have said it is unusable. It's also only .95 cents.

Magnetic Bull Nose Key Ring Holder

Sick of losing your keys? Instead of tossing them on the counter when you get home, mount this bull head next to your door, and stick your keys in its nose. A magnet inside the nose holds the keyring just like a bulls septum ring until you're ready to yank it out. Practical, and looks pretty badass. Comes in red and black.

Maverick Laser Surface Thermometer

This is a great man toy, as well as a practical kitchen/household tool. Point this laser thermometer at any surface to get a reading within one degree. There are about a thousand kitchen uses, including checking the temperatures of liquids, meat, grills, stove tops, or anything else... When you're not cooking, you can spend the rest of your free time hunting for cold draft spots around door and window frames, and making sure your electronics aren't overheating. The reviews on amazon have about a million other uses if you need more ideas.

UI Stencils

Designing an applicaiton? Whether its your your first time or your daily routine, UI Stencil's line of products is about to make your life a lot easier - from stencils, to iPad dry-erase boards and notepads, to special no-run pens. The stencils aren't just for iOS devies either; UI Stencils makes stencils for android devices, Google Chrome, Windows 8, and Windows handheld devices. Each stencil is only about $20-$30, and grants you access to downloadable, printable templates.

tic Shirt Button Repair Kit

Sewing is a pretty important life skill, but one that less and less people seem to have mastered. Straight out of Sweden, tic fixes your shirt button without needle or thread, so you can stop piling shirts up in your closet while you wait to meet a friend who can sew. Click here to watch a video of the tic in action.

DIY Beer Glas Cups

Instructions for a cool little project that is quick and easy, and requires almost no work or supplies. Turn your favorite beer bottles into cups.

Gomiba Go Remote Control Trash Can

Like so many other game changing products from Japan, we can't tell if this is intended to be a novelty or practical appliance. Regardless, it definitely works, and will save you a lot effort. Unfortunately, it can't take itself out yet.

Thumb Thing Page holder

This is so simple, yet so briliant. This little ring is three inches long, and comes in multiple sizes to accomdate different thumb sizes. The smallest size is $2.50, and the larger sizes are around $6.50. It even doubles as a bookmark.

Time Machine Table Clock

If yesterday's clock wasn't cool enough for you, this table clock is sure to turn heads (and keep them there, while they spend 5 minutes trying to figure out what time it is).

Name changed from Things I Really Need, to The EssentiaList.

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Retro Flip Down Clock

These days, we usually don’t remember how important clocks are until we lose our cellphone. Besides, LCD clocks are ugly can keep you up at night, and analog clocks are just… well… too much work. Niceeshop has combined the styles of today and yesteryear in this flip down clock to bring you a stylish, practical time-teller.

Pocket Grappling Hook

When I was in high school, me and some buddies wanted a grappling hook. At some point, we settled for a boat anchor with collapsable arms that we tied to a rope and used as a grappling hook. Sometimes we'd throw it wrong and the anchor would snap back towards us. The whole thing was dangerous and almost impossible to do. If grappling hooks like this were more easily accessible when I was in high school, I would have had a much happier child hood. Don't deny your [future] kids a good life, and buy this grappling hook. But buy it now so you can play with it.

Liquipel Waterproof Coating

Statistically speaking, sciene has shown that 98.3% of all smart phones* stop working or need to be replaced due to water damage**. Don't be just another number... Instead, send your phone (or computer, or tablet, or headphones) to the folks at Liquipel along with $60, and they'll seal it, inside and out, on a MOLECULAR level. The coating is so thin that you won't be able to feel any difference, the procedure has no negative effects on the phone, and liquipel is a fantastic conversation starter at bars.

$59.99

*(that have fallen in the ocean)

“I Park Like an Idiot” Bumper Stickers

Whether its a parking lot or parallel parking, at 50 cents per sticker (cheaper in bulk), these may be one of the cheapestest and most satisying ways to take out your agression on the horrible person who made you waste half an hour looking for parking because he or she felt entitled to two parking spots. I feel like that has to have been a run on sentence because its really long, but I think I'm good... The back has a pretty great message, too, so you can leave it under the wipers (pictures of it on the click-through website).

Anyway, there is a length of curb in front of my apartment building that is big enough for three cars (easily), but one guy apparently doesn't realize that the rest of the world needs to park somewhere, too, so he parks right in the middle of two spots, turning a three-car spot into a two-car spot. This has been going on for years. I've almost painted white lines on the road multiple times to separate the spots. I hate him. I'm going to buy a pack of twenty of these and super glue all of them to his car. (Just kidding, police, I wouldn't do that, hahaha!)