Touchkit, a open source (software and hardware) multitouch kit designed by NOR_/D, has been announced at a $1580 price point, or roughly 1/8th the cost of Microsoft's Surface table. That's not to say that the TouchKit is equivalent or even necessarily a competitor to Microsoft's offering, but it is theoretically capable of many of the same flashy tricks. The system must be hooked up to a separate computer, and also requires an external projector. As you can see in the video, there's not exactly a whole lot it can do out of the box, but the open source platform can be tweaked by anyone with a little knowledge of C++. Check out the gallery of the hardware and potential installations are their site. [Gizmag]

The Axolute sink takes minimalism to such extremes that it completely does away with the drainpipe. If you are hoping that magic is somehow involved in removing the water, I hate to disappoint but the truth is actually very simple. The secret is patented “Horizontal Integrated Siphon” technology, which is just a fancy way of saying a horizontal drain. It's not quite as interesting as my beloved fossil washbasin, but I certainly wouldn't mind having one in my bathroom (although I'm sure I could not afford it). The Axolute comes in the stainless steel version pictured above, as well as a white version with several colored trim options. [Axolute Design via Trendir via DVICE]

Last we heard from the U.K.'s high altitude Zephyr glider, it was unofficially breaking the record for longest unmanned flight. That was back in 2007, when the record was a paltry 30 hours, and the Zephyr was able to manage a 54 hour flight, thanks to its solar powered batteries. On Friday, the Zephyr flew that and them some when it completed an 84-hour flight without issue. Military types are no doubt licking their lips at the news, as the plane was designed to support troops in the field with continuous surveillance and communication support from its perch on high at 60,000 ft. [Telegraph]

Ron Tajima has some time on his hands. And a Roomba. And a Wii Balance Board. See where we're going with this? Anyway, he put them all together, combined it with a Surfin' USA track that sounds like it was ripped from the 1980's, and now he can control the previously autonomous Roomba with his feet. "This is my third Roomba hacking," Tajima says. "This surfin is safe, useful (it's cleaning), and easy for nerds. Wii balance board is great!" Indeed it is, Tajima-san, indeed it is. Maybe there's a reason for me to take the Balance Board out from underneath my TV and use it again.

Now, this post is similar to Juan González did back in June with his robot, but we'd argue it lacks the personality of Tajima's cleaning creation, which combines vacuuming with limited physical fitness.

And, let's face it, stumbling around Azeroth and Google Earth has nothing on a Roomba. [Wii Balance Board Blog via Kotaku]

An Australian PhD student has found a cheap way to make solar cells with nail polish, a pizza oven and an ink jet printer. 23-year-old Nicole Kuepper's invention, named iJET, doesn't require the pricey clean rooms and high-temperature ovens of traditional solar panel manufacturing plants, thus dramatically lowering the cost of solar and paving the road for introducing the technology to third-world countries.

Kuepper was awarded two Australian Museum Eureka Prizes, the country's top science award, for iJET. Unfortunately, it seems like the only page that would explain how iJET works is down right now, but Kuepper said it would probably take five years to commercialize the technology and it'll help people in less developed nations to “read at night, keep informed about the world through radio and television and refrigerate life-saving vaccines” without all those nasty CO2 emissions. [The Australian via Treehugger]

We've seen before how fun getting launched in the air over a body of water can be. Now we have another way to do it: the AirKick Human Water Catapult.

Powered by air and water, the AirKick launches people over 26 feet in the air and into either a pool or a foam pit. Creator Jochen Schweizer explains it thusly:

It propels participants through the air in a pre-calculated parabolic trajectory using a special combination of air pressure and water recoil technology. Approximately 60 Liters of water are then forced through a rocket nozzle under the seat. This pressurized water (8 to 10 bar of air pressure) propels the participant 8 meters though the air for a cool and refreshing splash down in a swimming pool.

It's available to rent in Germany. There are no words to describe how badly I want to use this thing. Sigh. [AirKick via Baller House]

There's something about the simplicity of a skateboard that keeps designers coming back to revisit it... but the SoulArc board certainly seems a worthy reinvention. It's designed to make skateboarding feel more like surfing, with a huge leaf-spring mounted between its long deck and the wheels: And it's less unwieldy-looking than this previous effort. As you dig your heel in, the spring relaxes into corners, giving you more of a surfing-through-waves feeling. There's a video of the board in action after the gallery.

Looks like that suspension might let you take the SoulArc board into places you wouldn't think of taking a standard skateboard too. It's the invention of college student Mitch Mulder and Salvaore Vilardi, and it's due to go on sale soon, after being demoed at the Action Sports Retail show in San Diego. Price still to be decided. [Core77]

I'm not sure who is getting the Magic Treehouse Bedroom that is currently being constructed by the craftsman at Kidtropolis, but I'm jealous. When I was a kid, I didn't have any fancy indoor treehouse to sleep in—just a cot and some newspaper. Still, I am not too bitter to recognize the artistry that goes into making a custom bedroom of this caliber. Just don't let your kids see it—unless you have a lot of money to burn that is. [Kidtropolis via WIred GeekDad]

Sort of like the hacked Wii Balance Board that'll surf Google Earth, but a little more down to earth, this mod will let you act like you're strolling through town with Google Street View. You walk to move forward or lean on one foot to turn—it actually seems to work pretty well. With a giant display, you could visit New York and walk around without suffering from the gross and smelly summer, or you know, just use it as another excuse to never leave the massive pillow fort you've converted your living room into. [blog.katsuma.tv via Balanceboarding - Thanks Mark!]