MOVA Globes - now available in Cubes
In the October update video I mentioned that I rarely accept demonstration samples unless it’s something that I already know I’ll like. I also mentioned that something had just been delivered that fit this criteria, and well, here it is. It’s the new MOVA Globe Cube.
I anticipated that there was very little could go wrong with a sealed cube housing a solar powered spinning globe and fortunately on this occasion I was proven right.
There are two predictable comments that will no doubt get repeatedly posted once this video goes live later this week on youtube.
1) It’s expensive (and indeed it is)
2) The world is flat (because some people are crazy, and others are pretending to be crazy for comic effect)
Funnily enough the ‘flat earthers’ were not present in the comments four years ago when I did the demonstration of the first MOVA Globe, which just goes to show how recently sanity has taken a leave of absence.
But never mind all that, if you wish, you can watch a harmless and short video about a nice ornament that costs a lot of money, which you may or may not want to own one day.
Perhaps one to put on the Christmas list - which will no doubt end up being substituted by 'santa' with a pair of socks and some new slippers.
Comments (31)
All the entertainment value of a fish tank without all that feeding nonsense.
Can I make you consider replacing the IKEA cork coaster under the 8" globe with something nicer? Maybe some thinner cork or felt? I know that this is (maybe a bit) pedantic but I feel like this could be a nice improvement.
Neeeeeat
While these are superb I can't stop looking at the seam where the two halves join. It's quite noticeable and isn't consistent all the way around, I think for the price they could put a little more effort in to hiding it.
Now that you mention it, I cannot unsee it. I agree with you
I've always loved maps and globes - and this is pretty amazing looking.
I really do like the original big Mova globe that you have had for a few years, and I would have bought one myself, but US$500, c'mon, get real, that's a silly price for a small Chinese made curio ...... ugh, I hate companies that do this!!
Thank you for previewing a really enjoyable product, Mat! By the way, the Flat Earth cultists often follow their fables down a second rabbit hole, and claim there's a solid firmament around the earth, a dome made of a glass-like material, or perhaps (da dum da dum) a force field! A rocket will bounce off of this dome if launched on too perpendicular a trajectory, and Admiral Byrd proved this on his secret mission to the Pole years ago when his aircraft hit the dome and tumbled back to earth. The moon and stars are projected holographic images on the firmament dome. These beliefs must all be true, because there are dozens of videos on YouTube proving it: Here's one of my personal favorites: <a href="https://youtu.be/sgJx2HAQX4g" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/sgJx2HAQX4g</a>
Well, ancient civilizations and Hollywood movies can't be wrong, can they?
Very cool item. I would like a semi transparent one that lets you see the inner working.
So much better. I always figured the cats would destroy the origional
Awesome little artifact! Mat, as a suggestion from US-based viewer: it looks more appealing if your US Amazon screenshots are closer to what US buyer would see. Shipping charge might deter some from trying to buy it (and therefore might affect your affiliate returns). For me it's just $300 with a Prime logo (therefore, free shipping) which looks a bit more attractive than "$300+$76.13 Shipping & Import to UK".
I have thought about that, but I might have to leave it as it is...I’ll see if I have time to fix it.
Your observation regarding the Flat Earthers is ... disturbing.
I bought one of these, loved it so much that I bought another for my aunt's birthday. She took it on a cruise to the arctic so that she could tell me if it still works 'up there'. Weather was too rough to really tell (or was it that she was to sea-sick to care?).
See, the fascinating thing for me about globes (and I suppose also maps) isn't them now -- it's the story they tell later. Placing a globe's origin in time and space based on details like where borders lie, which countries exist, their names, as well as both physical (in)accuracies and differences from the world as it is held presently makes them a sort of combination anthropological time-capsule and puzzle. That said, you have a point in that the motion makes it difficult to perform that sort of study on these particular globes. :) Aside from eschewing a stand, another nice thing about the cube shape is that it makes them much more packable/stackable as a knick-knack.
Gadgets, why do we love them so. Flashing, turning, moving, they are all fascinating. My first memories were the lights on the computer panels in Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, then the meters in the lab of Forbidden Planet, then a Lava Lamp, a light box of colored bulbs that flashed to music from Lafayette electronics......the wonder never ceases.
One of my favourite things to do with my Spectrum was to load up a program I'd originally typed in from a magazine that flashed multi-coloured blocks like a '70s disco dancefloor in time with any music played into it. I guess some of us are just hardwired to like these things.
Very cool...didn't know these existed
No puppet flat earthers to enlighten us today??
There’ll be plenty of those along later. Sometimes it’s best not to poke a hornets nest.
+1 for Kinetic Art. Does there have to be another purpose?
Not for me, that's for sure. I always wanted one of those lava wave motion machines too. However when I finally saw one in person, the motor in it made an annoying racket which ruined the whole effect.
I almost want to buy one of those for my desk at work.
Fabulous - I'd love one, but they are a bit expensive. The great thing about conspiracy theories is that they're virtually impossible to disprove, because any evidence one produces to the contrary is deemed to be part of the conspiracy. A bit like the argument that God created buried fossils to test our faith. Thanks as always for a great video, Mat. Very impressed at how you managed to video those cubes without getting loads of horrible reflections.
These weren't a problem for reflections. Filming the screen of a CRT though... well just make sure you're wearing pants.
Thanks for sharing that with us Mat. I have never heard of Mova globes until now. I thought the one on the loudspeaker was turned by the three legs. What a clever ornament. Best wishes.
Off to find out how they work . . . :)
Wow, what an amazing design! Definitely a talking point, such an impressive piece. Nice short video, would love one of these
Wow, that looks stunning. I wanted one until I saw the price :-)
"Talking point" is right. Depending on who your friends are, having this cube in your lounge room silently spinning would lend a sense of "isn't it amazing what people can do". And of course, weed out the flat-earthers, which brings a smile to my face.