In the category of “almost-useful, but highly-desirable” things, the “Maxblaster” ranks nearly at the top, behind the Segway transportation device and the Eazzzy~! mini camera. Just how far do you wana see anyway?

                                             As long as you don't hit someone staring out of an airplane seat...

With an estimated range of nine miles (fourteen kilometers), the Maxblaster invented by Ralf Ottow, an optics engineer, is the love-child of a commercial flashlight housing and the mercury-arc bulb innards of some specialized lab equipment. There is no inherent purpose to this self-built device, but then again if I had the skills and the material to build something like this, I would have done it. Who wouldn’t?

                                             Remember, this whole thing is a DIY project.

Of course saying it doesn’t have an inherent purpose doesn’t mean it can’t be used for anything useful (yet). Something as portable as this with as much lighting power as the Batsignal may seem like overkill, but it’s like money – you can never have enough. The flipside is that it actually is dangerous to shine it on just anything – Ralf Ottow has burned himself on occasion, and claims that “it might fry a dog” – if you intend to take it with you on your next night-time stroll with your canine friend.

                                             Looks like somethingVader would use...

Even without any clear purpose, the very fact that you have 54 million candlepower of light right in your hands is kinda cool and intimidating at the same time – Luke Skywalker didn’t wield this much energy even when faced with hundreds of clones. Then again, we laymen don’t have Jedi powers, so that kind of evens things out. It is powered by 54 regular nickel- metal hydride batteries, and has a key-lock system to prevent unauthorized use. A special coating prevents excessive UV rays from shining out along with the visible light. This probably goes without saying, but however desirable it is, don’t stare at it from the wrong end, dig?