Sandscapes is addictive simulated tangible interface designed to help users understand landscapes through a projected surface of sand. Simulations range from height, slopes, contours, shadows, drainage, and also has the ability to interact with physical models such as buildings cars or whatever else you program into it.
I’ve played around with Sandscapes and its pure joy. Swing by the MIT MediaLab when you have the chance to check out their other great projects!
MIT MediaLab(Tangible Media Group)
SandScapes
A few bored girls in Ohio took the opportunity to make physical replicas of those “coin boxes” from the classic game “super mario brothers” and place them in random parts of their city, trees primarily. Personally, I think they rock!!! Nothin like jazzin up a city scape with a bit of mario action. Then again, they are being 
I just had to post this, even though it’s been around for some time.
Theses guys are crazy… If you want to pogo without a stick, and perhaps improve your chances of breaking a bone, give the powerskip a shot!
Tom has some super cool projects dealing with everyday items. Above is a sculpture he made with probably a million toothpicks. I’ve seen his work in the past, but recently went to the 
“Northern Nigeria is an impoverished region where people in rural communities eke out a living from subsistence farming. With no electricity, and therefore no refrigeration, perishable foods spoil within days. Such spoilage causes disease and loss of income for needy farmers, who are forced to sell their produce daily. Nigerian teacher Mohammed Bah Abba was motivated by his concern for the rural poor and by his interest in indigenous African technology to seek a practical, local solution to these problems. His extremely simple and inexpensive earthenware “pot-in-pot” cooling device, based on a principle of physics already known in ancient Egypt, is revolutionising lives in this semi-desert area.”