1 | The Tattoo To Unlock Your Smartphone 

Do you have a hard time remembering those four numbers you use to access all the wonders of your phone? Us too. So we're very happy to see that the guys over at Motorola have devised this temporary, stick-on tattoo that'll do the hard work for you. The thin film contains electronic sensors that can hook up your wrist with your gadget and bust that bad boy right open. They're available in the US at a cost of $9.99 for 10, and apparently last around five days each. 

2 | The Fitness Band That Shocks You When You Slack 

If you're enough of a health enthusiast/ masochist to sport a fitness band, then this is going to step it up a notch. Maneesh Seth, a Stanford graduate who hired a woman to slap him in the face whenever he prorastinated from work, has come up with Pavlock – a device to force you to get stuff done.

You set yourself an aim (like going to bed at 11pm, or going for a run every morning) and, if you don't do it, you get a shock. Apparently it doesn't hurt, but is enough to make your brain associate not completing the task with something negative. On the flip side, if you do complete your task for an extended period, you get rewarded with a something like a gift card. Carrot and stick for the digital age. 

3 | The Robot That's Hitchhiking Across Canada 

We all know that picking up some guy standing with his thumb out at the side of the dual carriageway is probably a bad idea. But now there's a safe way to get a hitchhiker to make a long journey go faster – in the shape of this little robot. Hitchbot is the invention of Professor David Harris Smith of the Canadian McMaster University, and he's been created to amass a 'cultural snapshot' of his homeland, by travelling around with strangers, taking photos and making recordings as he goes. You can follow this guy's journey via his website. 

4 | The Rollerskates With Inbuilt Motors 

If you missed out on the whole skating sub-culture thing, then this is the new toy for you. Rocketskates strap onto your shoes and arm you with the power of a pair of motors, to zoom you around at up to 12MPH. Control the skates by tipping your body weight forward, and stop by putting your heel down. There's even an app to keep track of how much battery you have left in them, and the routes you've taken. Snazzy. 
5 | The Real Life Transformer
Is there a bigger hero in the world than a guy who makes a 23 foot tall Transformer in his garden? Unlikely. American artist and metalworker George Edgren constructed this monster out of an old car – using the bonnet for the chest and the doors for the feet. Forget light installations and paint flung at a canvas: this is proper art. 
***