shanghai_kiss

Lull Flower Lamp Concept

2009-05-08T07:30:00.000-07:00

Designed by three Norwegian designers (Marianne Varmo, Heidi Buene, and Audun Kollstad), Lull is a lamp that opens and closes like a flower.

Lull lamp from toxel.com on Vimeo.

In the morning, the lamp opens carefully and dims up to gently wake you up.

In the evening, the flower slowly closes and eventually turns off.

Lull is not yet in production, but if everything goes as planned, it is going to be in the stores by the end of 2009.

Raser Technologies develops 100MPG Hummer H3 just to spite Al Gore

2009-04-28T19:07:00.000-07:00

That's right: last week at SAE World Congress, Raser Technologies unveiled a prototype Hummer H3 that gets 100 miles to the gallon. Insane, right? We agree. Raser partnered up with FEV to turn the famously non-environmentally sound gas guzzler around. The prototype boasts an E-REV power train engine, and three lithium ion battery packs under the rear of the vehicle. The batteries provide enough juice for about 40 miles, when the range extender starts up, providing an additional 400 miles -- averaging about 100 MPG -- before it needs to be plugged in again. The company is looking to start up low volume production by 2011, though there is no word on possible pricing at this time. Hey -- who says electric cars have to be small, tasteful affairs? Fierce! One more shot after the break.

Watch the Super Bowl 2009 Coke ad with bugs and the Coke video

2009-04-24T18:54:00.000-07:00

OWC ships 4-bay Mercury Elite-AL Pro Qx2 RAID box

2009-04-14T21:09:00.000-07:00

You won't find an Ethernet port here, but you will find everlasting peace, love and a grand total of four direct connection options alongside four hot swappable bays for up to 8TB of local storage. OWC's latest is the quad-interface Mercury Elite-AL Pro Qx2 RAID box, which sports FireWire 400, FireWire 800, eSATA and USB 2.0 sockets 'round back. Users are graced with a number of selectable RAID settings -- 0, 1, 5, 10 or Span (NRAID) -- and the front-panel LEDs keep you informed at a glance. The box is shipping right now in a variety of configurations ranging from $679.99 (500GB x 4) to $1,149.99 (1TB x 4), and despite the unmistakable cheesegrater design, these actually won't zero out your data if plugged into a PC.

Japanese Game Show Recreates Super Mario Land in Real-Life

2009-03-31T01:15:00.000-07:00

Japanese game shows are known for crazy things, like Human Tetris, and their latest antic is no slouch. They recreate the classic Super Mario Land (Game Boy) game in real-life. Video after the break.

Those crazy Japanese and their kuroko plays. I love them, but can anybody tell me why they have included Obama in this oversized Gameboy version of Super Mario Bros.?

[via Gizmodo]

Only on earth

2009-03-06T08:29:00.000-08:00

Obama Sushi Rolls

2009-02-26T01:37:00.000-08:00

These are apparently sushi rolls made to look like US president Barack Obama.

Unique Pillows and Creative Pillow Designs

2009-02-17T23:07:00.000-08:00

Creative pillows and unique pillow designs from all over the world.

Pillowig Pillow

Wearable pillow that allows users to sleep comfortably whenever and wherever they like. [link]

Morning Message Pillow

As you rest your head on the pillow for those valuable last few moments before you wake the words Good Morning Sweetheart are gently pressed onto your cheek. Even though you may feel tired and drowsy your loved one can see how you feel. [link]

Sushi Pillows

Stylish pillows that look like giant pieces of sushi. Choose the delightful Shrimp Nigiri… or go for the delicious Salmon. There’s even a giant green Edamame for you to cuddle up with. [link]

MP3 Player Pillow

If you love your iPod and can’t bear to be parted from it even when asleep then this is the solution, the MP3 Pillow, a pillow shaped like an iPod. The pillow also incorporates a speaker so you can listen to tunes while you snooze. [link]

Gun Pillow

Rest your weary head on this comforting gun pillow made by the good people at Gama-Go. [link]

Pizza Pillow

Pepperoni Pizza plush pillow with cheese, lettuce, and beef. One of the slices is also removable with velcro attached. [link]

Bacon Pillow

This unusual pillow is a must-have for the bacon lover in your life. [link]

Alarm Clock Pillow

glo Pillow Alarm Clock uses LED fabric substrate to wakes the user using light. This substrate also functions as a display, showing the time on the surface of the pillow. [link]

Hamburger Pillow [link]

Pill-o Pillow

Creative pillow design from CarteBlanche, a luxury products company pioneering “cocaine-chic” couture. [link]

Blood Puddle Pillows

The pillows are inspired by those suspenseful moments when a sleeping loved one is a little too still for a little too long. Using an irreverent combination of comfort & fear the pillows parallel sleep & death. [link]

iSleep Laptop Pillow

Sleep comfortably on your laptop with this pillow. When you close your laptop, iSleep pillow gets filled with warm air, music is being played and after 10 minutes the alarm clock rings. [link]

Stone Pillows

Livingstones - creative pillows that look like rocks. [link]

Fresh Salmon Pillow [link]

iDream Pillows

Creative iDream pillows designed by Studio Psycho from Ukraine. [link]

Mac OS X Icons Pillows

Collection of pillows inspired by Mac OS X icons from Throwboy. [link]

Horse Head Pillow

A great conversation piece for the wannabe wise guy who has everything, and whose wife won’t let them own a revolver. [link]

DOS Pillow

Dosugus pillow looks like a black screen with good old DOS directories embroidered on it. [link]

Pillow for Singles

Cecilia Lundgren, a talented designer from Halmstad, has designed these creative pillow cases for lonely singles. [link]

Book Pillow

Creative pillow designed by Ranch Box looks like a regular book. [link]

Transformers Pillows

Pillows featuring the Autobot and Decepticon Transformers logos. [link]

NASA's Future of Aviation

2009-01-12T18:32:00.000-08:00

NASA has release several concept images of what they believe the future of aviation will be like, and they range from the saucer-shaped craft (above) to massive cargo planes.

The NASA concept takes its hints from scramjet designs, and may be a very real possibility in the next 20 years. However, there are some things in this gallery which I doubt will ever find the light of day.

[via Gizmodo]

Logitech's Harmony 1100 remote is more touchscreen, less buttons

2009-01-06T07:48:00.000-08:00

Logitech's last Harmony launch was of the subtle and sneaky variety, but there's nothing at all quiet about this one. The big, bold and brash Harmony 1100 is showing itself here in Las Vegas, and the primary selling point is the customizable, 3.5-inch QVGA full-color touchscreen. Rather than getting your buttons all gummed up with pizza grease, you can now smear a nice, innocent panel as you attempt to alter volume and change channels. As expected, the unit packs a rechargeable battery and RF capabilities, and the guided online setup should make programming a lesson in simplicity. Can't wait to get your own? Tough luck, 'cause this one's not shipping to the US and Europe until next month for $499.99.

Aquafresh Flex Direct Toothbrush: Sweet Corn

2008-12-25T18:27:00.001-08:00

Advertising Agency: Grey, Hong Kong

Executive Creative Director: Keith Ho

Creative Directors: Brian Ma, Alfred Wong

Art Director: Brian Ma, Leo Yeung

Copywriter: Alfred Wong, Tony Chan

Photographer: Anton Digital Art Ltd

Strange Panasonic Gel Remote Revealed

2008-12-16T22:52:00.000-08:00

This could quite possibly be the strangest, or most innovative, remote control we've ever seen. At the push of a button, this gadget becomes rigid and ready for use. No word yet on availability.

When not in use, this Panasonic concept remote is said to slumber
peacefully, its limp body pulsating with light not so differently than a gently sleeping MacBook.

What iPhone? Here is Nokia 5800 XpressMusic

2008-10-05T00:45:00.001-07:00

Nokia has finally released its first ever touchscreen phone (aka iPhone killer). The Nokia 5800 XpressMusic has a competetive price of $400 without any subsidizes or contracts (and free with a contract) and packs powerful punches. See a video demo and detailed info in my post here.

ONE MAN'S TRASH...

2008-08-20T00:53:00.000-07:00

But is it art? Tim Nobel and Sue Webster take piles of trash and make art into them... but sometimes the art isn't apparent until you see it in a different light.

SpiderCat

2008-08-20T00:41:00.000-07:00

...no he can't, he's a cat.

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Swany's g.cell snowboard glove secretly doubles as Bluetooth handset

2008-08-19T23:53:00.000-07:00

Bluetooth technology has been finding its way into ski gear for years now, but Swany has taken things to a whole 'nother level -- one that's only reachable via the heated quad-lift. Unless this description is positively inaccurate, there's actually a Bluetooth module, speaker and microphone tucked within one of the g.cell gloves. When it detects an incoming call, it gives your wrist a shake (read: there's a vibrate function) and enables you to quite literally talk to the hand. Swany asserts that it'll last for 12 hours on standby (4 hours of talk time), though your phone may crap out a few hours earlier in extreme temperatures. Now that we think about it, wrestling that mobile out of our deep coat pockets with frostbitten hands is pretty annoying -- maybe that $495 price tag isn't so staggering after all.

Toyota's new ad for the Toyota Vios

2008-07-20T22:18:00.000-07:00

This advertisement is known as "Bait" for obvious reasons.

A man is jogging by a lake and is attracted towards a new Toyota Vios which is parked next to the shore. As he approaches and touches it, it turns out to be a cardboard cut-out which falls to the ground. Just as it falls, a giant octopus like monster, appears out of the water and grabs the jogger pulling him under the water. The scene finishes with the monster using his tentacle to reposition the cardboard Toyota Vios cut-out to be ready for the next victim.

Worse Than a Hangover

2008-06-07T07:43:00.000-07:00

Worse Than a Hangover - Funny bloopers R us

Resonantie

2008-05-08T23:29:00.000-07:00

Mazda2: GPS

2008-04-24T18:39:00.000-07:00

Advertising Agency: JWT SpainCreative
Directors: Javier Valero, Napi Rivera
Art director: Pol Úbeda
Photographer: Fergus Stothart

$100 or $1 or free iPhone/iPod Touch stand

2007-12-11T08:14:00.000-08:00

$2450 Pencil Bench is Made From 1600 Pencils

2007-12-11T04:06:00.000-08:00

Yes, you can actually buy a bench that's made from 1600 pencils. One caveat: it will set you back $2450.

Office furniture used to be so boring and old-fashion, yet designers are
incorporating a more modern touch to newer designs. This is a good thing; we all can create a better working environment for ourselves with these newer designs

[via YankoDesign]

Feature: Mobility Suit Turns You Into Giant Mech

2007-12-10T23:21:00.000-08:00

Toyota isn't synonymous with robotics,but they've created a high-tech mobility suit that's designed to help the elderly / disabled climb stairs and / or get around.

Sony Digital Camera You Can Spin Like a Top

2007-11-27T01:26:00.000-08:00

Unlike other digital cameras,this Sony concept allows users to take 360-degree panoramic by just spinning the device like a top. No word yet on if this camera will go into production.

The next time you wanna capture a good panoramic picture of your vacation in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, put down that tripod and expensive digital camera. Use the Panoramic Digital Camera instead. Everything saves to a memory card and yes it'll do video too.

PICTURES: High-Tech Scale is Chef's Best Friend

2007-11-18T20:52:00.000-08:00

The hiREC is a high-tech scale that also displays "sell-by-dates, nutritional information, food intolerances, and recipes", or in other words, a chef's best friend. It took home the silver award in Samsung's Young Design contest.

By placing any food on the device, correlating information displays on the
touchscreen interface. The system can work for medicine, specifically
pharmacists who need to accurately measure meds out for each individual

VIDEO: Tar Extracted from 400 Cigarettes

2007-11-18T20:48:00.000-08:00

This person wants to show you "the process of extracting 7200 mgr tar from 400 cigarettes." The results may or may not surprise you, depending on your tolerance level for the dark heavy viscid substance. Video after the break.

Still Smoking? Watch This !! - video powered by Metacafe

US VISIT

2007-11-11T18:45:00.001-08:00

Killer Bean Forever - Official Trailer

2007-11-11T03:50:00.000-08:00

Killer Bean Forever - Official Trailer - More amazing video clips are a click away

NEW SEXY BRA - EAT FROM YOUR OWN UNDERWEAR!!!

2007-11-07T21:08:00.000-08:00

So, do you wash those chopsticks before you put them in the bra? Because after a few times, that's going to be one sticky lint filled bra.

Styrofoam cup vs deep sea pressure

2007-10-27T08:49:00.000-07:00

If you've always wondered how a styrofoam cup would fare in deep ocean waters, then check out this interesting clip. Video after the break.

Looks pretty cool doesn't it...On the surface, at an atmospheric pressure of 14.7 pounds per square inch, the cup stands 4 inches tall. As the remotely operated sub descends, the pressure compresses the Styrofoam and the cup shrinks. Below 3,000 feet, under pressure 100 times greater than that at the surface, the cup shrivels to about half of its original size.

Saxnet intros Meshnode III mesh networking router

2007-10-27T08:38:00.000-07:00

Lookin' for a WLAN router with a 500MHz AMD processor within? If you're frantically waving your hand in a futile attempt to say yes, Saxnet's got your goods. The German firm's Meshnode III is a well-spec'd mesh networking router that features a "full x86-based system" within, four radio modules and "an integrated heating and cooling system" to boot. Additionally, this thing packs 256MB of RAM (expandable to 1GB), a pair of 512MB CF cards (expandable to 16GB each), 802.11a/b/g support, twin USB 2.0 ports, a rugged, water-resistant enclosure and Debian GNU / Linux runnin' the show. As you may expect, such a loaded device comes with a fairly stiff pricetag, but at least you've got a few months to save up the $1,150 it'll take to snap one up when it lands in January.

Meshnode III specifications

The Meshnode III's specs are listed as follows:
CPU -- AMD Geode (X86) LX 700 (standard), 800, 900
Memory:
256MB RAM, expandable to 1GB
CompactFlash -- two 512MB flash cards, expandable to 16GB each
LAN:
1 x 10/100 Mbps Ethernet
1 x 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet
WLAN:
802.11a/b/g (5GHz/2.4GHz/2.4GHz, respectively)
Transmit power -- 100 to 600 mW
Aerial ports -- 8 x N-female (4 x diversity)
Meshing technology:
OSI Layer 2 with ad-hoc and infrastructural mode
Aggregate data rate -- up to 108Mbps with SuperA encodings (WEP/WPA/WPA2)
Other I/O ports:
2 x USB 2.0
2 x serial ports
I2C
VGA video
Expansion:
2 x CompactFlash slots
4 x Mini PCI sockets
50 digital I/O lines (optional)
Physical:
Housing -- water- and UV-resistant Makrolon
Dimensions -- 10.2 x 7.9 inches (260 x 200 mm); 13.8 x 13.4 inches (350 x 340 mm) with sun protector
Operating temperature -- -40 to +70 degrees C (@ 95% humidity)
Operating system -- Debian GNU/Linux, with 2.6.21 kernel

cool airplane trolleys

2007-10-27T08:34:00.000-07:00

German Bordbar sells original airplane trolleys. Not new ones, but trolleys that have travelled the skies in faithful service to hungry and thirsty travellers, and are now ready to be reintroduced as compact rolling cabinets in homes and offices. Dents and scratches aren’t removed—after all, they’re proof of authenticity—but the trolleys are cleaned up and revamped with one of Bordbar’s graphic designs, printed on laminated foil. Customers can pick a pattern or solid colour, or can have a trolley embellished with their own design or corporate colours.

tekst from www.springwise.com

Tokyo Motor Show preview

2007-10-26T01:44:00.001-07:00

'mazda taiki'

the tokyo motor show always features some of the most outrageous and futuristic concept cars. this year's show
is no different, featuring the mazda taiki, the yamaha tesseract and the honda puyo. the taiki is based on the
concept of air flow, creating an extremely streamlined and aerodynamic design. the tesseract is an extremely
unique vehicle that would best be described as a motorcycle with four wheels. the puyo is a bizarre looking car
that is designed to be people-friendly and makes use of fuel cell technology.

this years show will also feature five types of test rides, where visitors can actually come in contact with the cars
to add to the entertainment. the show is open from 10 am - 6 pm from october 26 to november 11 at makuhari
messe in chiba city.

see the location
see the show floor

'mazda taiki'

'yamaha tesseract'

'honda puyo'

VIDEO: Police Arrests Criminal, Finds More Than Expected in Water Bottle

2007-10-25T01:32:00.000-07:00

At first glance, this looks like a normal Aquafina bottle, but what you find inside is definitely more than meets the eye. Video after the jump.

25 Amazing Everyday Do-it-Yourself Inventions

2007-10-23T21:18:00.000-07:00

Every Stalker’s Dream

2007-10-23T07:55:00.000-07:00

Digital cameras will continue to get smaller and smaller so long as technology successfully miniaturizes high quality optics. The Canon Snap concept is a look into what a future device might look like. The Snap is tiny enough to wear on your finger yet powerful enough to give today’s bigger cameras a run for their money. The single button interface makes it easy to take a picture at a whim’s moment. perfect for your stalker tendencies. Com’on now, you know you’ve got it in you. We all do.

Designer: David Münscher

Fully Modular Recycable Trainer

2007-10-17T06:58:00.000-07:00

The vast majority of existing training shoes end up in landfill sites as they cannot be recycled due to the adhesives used in their construction. ‘Think’ is a modular trainer concept that uses mechanical locks instead of adhesives or cements. This means that each part of the trainer can be removed, recovered and recycled. Retailers will run a take back scheme offering reductions on the consumer’s next purchase when they return an old part of the trainer. This encourages the consumer to recycle.

The trainer is self-assembly and will come with three variations of each part. Making the shoe self-assembly not only removes the stigma of child labor and sweatshops but also allows the user to constantly update and customize the look to their heart’s content.

Designer: Ben Chappell

Mopowered Shopping Cart

2007-10-14T22:35:00.000-07:00

Taking the big box philosophy one step too far are these drag race fans. It's always a good idea to bring a shopping cart to the California Hot Rod Reunion. Just make sure the cart is large enough to seat many, and make absolutely sure to stuff a Mopar V8 and TorqueFlite into it. Wing optional.

Solar Capsules

2007-10-08T22:18:00.000-07:00

The Capsuli is a rechargeable solar powered LED emergency light kit that’s small enough to be stored while powerful enough to emit light from the palm of your hand. As small as it is, this thing is bright. Each capsule docks onto a pad embedded with solar cells. You activate the light by twisting the capsule. It’s just a concept for now so technical specifications aren’t available but the idea is sound. In fact, I think cities should be giving citizens basic emergency supply kits - each one should include something like the Capsuli.

Designer: Ukseop Jeong & Hanna Son

Sony announces PCM-D50 handheld flash recorder

2007-10-07T19:41:00.001-07:00

Sony has announced a new handheld flash recorder in the PCM-D50, a 4GB jobbie that also includes a Sony memory stick slot for extra storage, internal stereo condenser mics, and a list price of $599. It has a pretty powerful preamp for unpowered external mics -- which it'll also recognize automatically as soon as you plug them in -- usable internal mics, and a chunky metallic feel. Sounds like just what the doctor ordered, but in case you're not convinced, check out some sample recordings at Brad Linder's blog.

VIDEO: $2,000 Bang & Olufsen / Samsung Serenata Hands-On

2007-10-07T19:35:00.000-07:00

Remember the Samsung Serenata? Well, T3 was fortunate enough to get some hands-on time with it, and provides us with a short clip. Video after the break.

..the wheel, which we're told by B&O was their invention way back in
1996, is so much more than a tool for flicking through music. It does
everything. There's no buttons for dialling here, just an old school number
wheel on screen which is, needless to say, tricky to master

Wilkinson Quattro Titanium: Fight For Kisses

2007-09-17T23:44:00.000-07:00

Bad Dad had a link to the Fight For Kisses video on YouTube and I had to pass it along. It’s part of an ad campaign by Wilkinson (Schick, here in the U.S.) for razors and I think it’s hilarious.

Via: wiikiss.com

AIDS Prevention

2007-09-17T21:08:00.001-07:00

via: wiikiss.com

Flying Hot Air UFO Balloon

2007-09-17T20:57:00.000-07:00

Via wiikiss.com

Lenovo launches 22-inch WUXGA ThinkVision L220x

2007-09-17T20:50:00.000-07:00

Lenovo's 22-inch monitor is the first to have a 1920 by 1200 res screen, good for HD content. And it supports auto-rotation of the screen from portrait to landscape mode and 92% color gamut. Too bad the HDCP compliant monitor doesn't have an HDMI port or component inputs, alongside its VGA/DVI jacks. Most consumers are still better off with the proven Dell 24-incher, which they can get for approximately the same $550, without auto-rotate support, with a bit more breathing room for the same pixel count.

Lenovo ThinkVision L220x Wide monitor Features 22 inches wide Full HD 1920X1200 Resolution 103 dpi (dots per inch) 92% color gamut USB Hub ( 1 in,4 out) Autorotation with Pivot Soft-OSM 16:10Aspect Ratio Analog input (VGA) & Digital Input (DVI-D) HDCP Support Screen Performance WUXGA Recommend Resolution: 1920x1200@60Hz Response time: 6 ms (G to G) Brightness: 300 cd/m2 Viewing Angle: 178°/ 178°(H/V, @10:1 CR) Contrast Ratio: 1000:1 (typical) Design Stand tilt/swivel/lift/pivot 100mm VESA mount Best engineer cable management lift range:610mm-760mm Interface cable length (Analog): 3M Interface cable length (Digital): 3M USB Cable length: 3M Power cable length:3M

Tampax: Change of Guard

2007-09-06T23:21:00.001-07:00

Hotel Cleaning

2007-08-29T05:52:00.000-07:00

Hotel Cleaning - The top video clips of the week are here

digital recycle bin saves deleted files

2007-08-28T22:13:00.000-07:00

Currently just a conceptual design, the TEMPO is an external storage device that’s designed to prevent you from losing files you accidentally delete. The clever thing about it is that it actually looks like a little recycling bin (although it might be mistaken for a cup of really black coffee).

Created by industrial designer Franco Cagnina for Intech, the TEMPO connects via Bluetooth to your Mac or PC and automatically stores backup copies of files as you delete them. As you fill the drive, a series colored LEDs on the side of the device indicates how full the “bin” is.
This is one of those great examples of utility and intuitive interface design coming together. I really hope that Intech does end up producing these.
[via MoCo LoCo]

New jet-pack patent propels with water

2007-08-28T22:09:00.000-07:00

Raymond Li's terrifying contraption, described as a "personal propulsion device," just became U.S. Patent 7,258,301. Powered by a clever system of conduits that lead to independently pivoting thrust nozzles, it's designed to provide inherent stability using "throttle controls and the like."
A rocket pack, you mean? Ah, but no! From the inventor's filing:

Typically, flight packs include propulsion devices such as propellers, rotor
blades, or rockets, which often require a highly flammable fuel in order to
generate sufficient thrust for flight. In addition to having a reservoir of
volatile fluid attached to the body of a pilot, the close proximity of the
propeller, rotor blades, or rocket exhaust to the pilot further poses
significant safety risks. ... As an alternative to employing the combustion of
volatile fluids to directly generate thrust, the high-pressurization of
non-flammable fluids, such as water, has been proposed to create sufficient
thrust in order to achieve flight.

Any flammable stuff, therefore, only ever sees the dark interior of a combustion engine floating on the water, powering the pump. No rotor blades, no hot gases (except the motor's exhaust), just plumes of pressurized water.

Nokia's 8GB N95, 5310, 5610, and 5700 get shown

2007-08-28T22:04:00.000-07:00

The N81 slider apparently isn't the only device up Nokia's sleeve for tomorrow morning. Gearfuse scored some shots of the 8GB N95 along with the XpressMusic 5310, 5610, and 5700 series (looking positively lovely in black, may we add), all of which are presumably destined for the announcement docket. Anyone else getting pumped for the official news?

How To Make A Cascade Of Smoke!!!

2007-08-10T07:34:00.000-07:00

Bordet Tobacco Detoxification Centre: Handicap

2007-08-02T22:49:00.000-07:00

Legambiente: Superhero

2007-08-02T22:38:00.000-07:00

Japanese Gadget Gets Your "Beauty Smile" On

2007-07-29T23:14:00.001-07:00

Have you ever wanted to train your smile? Then this Japanese gadget is just for you. Called the "Beauty Smile Trainer", it's basically a rubber piece that fits inside your mouth and turns a normal looking smile into a beautiful one.

Simply stick this piece of rubber in your mouth that forces you to smile, and in a matter of days you're sure to have a smile that won't be so revolting to those around you

durex ADs

2007-07-29T21:32:00.000-07:00

Delays your climax so you can last longer

Strange Volkswagen Beetle's You Won't See On the Streets

2007-07-24T20:17:00.000-07:00

So you've seen Nintendo's Pickachu bug, but here are a collection of strange Volkswagen Beetle's you definitely won't see on the streets, or at least anytime soon.

Battery Knockoff Panasonic Would Love to Hate

2007-07-24T20:14:00.001-07:00

A reader sent in this gem, which shows a battery knockoff Panasonic would love to hate. Sure, it sounds like Panasonic, but the spelling is way off.

Coca-Cola: Inside the Happiness Factory

2007-07-15T03:13:00.000-07:00

An amusing documentary for the “Happiness Factory” of Coca-Cola (Silver Lion in Film category at Cannes Lions 2007), created by Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam and produced by the Psyop, New York. Nice!

An Advertisment You’ll Watch Twice (the wind)

2007-07-11T19:50:00.000-07:00

Check out this advertisement. It kind of goes slow until the end. Keep watching it though because when it’s over you’ll say “ohhh cool” and then watch it again.

Transformers

2007-07-10T02:47:00.000-07:00

If you are my age and are of male origin, you likely grew up with the cartoon series Transformers. Remember? Robots in disguise, optimus vs megatron vs starscream, you know.
In a couple of days the motion picture will premiere, which means real looking transforming giant robots... (I had heard people complaining the movie was to be too long, maybe it was. For me, it flew by, i was captivated by the story line.)

Judging from the trailers and pictures I’ve seen these robots are massive and the transform process is supposed to be the most realistic special effect ILM has created.
I am looking forward to seeing it and buying the DVD.

Money Sculptures

2007-07-03T01:50:00.000-07:00

Have a pile of extra bills laying around and don’t feel like spending it on gadgets? Then why not use them to make sculptures. Continue reading more pictures.

Mobile Protector

2007-06-28T18:48:00.001-07:00

If you find yourself in the market for a super ugly cell phone holster, check out the StrapYa Mobile Protector. It costs $25 and looks like it was built out of junk some guy found in his garage. I mean cell phone holsters are nerdy enough, but this is pushing the limits of human comprehension. You'd look cooler if you just duct taped your cell phone to your waist.

Mario Chalk Art

2007-06-27T05:38:00.000-07:00

Nintendo’s Mario clearly inspired these creative chalk creations. Unfortunately, you won’t find Luigi this time around. View more pictures after the jump.

Super Paper Mario Hits Seattle

2007-06-24T23:34:00.001-07:00

An artist decided to turn a normal pole into a work of art, using colored pieces of paper. This masterpiece can be found in the streets of Seattle. One more picture after the break.

Finger Folder USB Drive

2007-06-24T23:29:00.000-07:00

Art Lebedev has unveiled their latest creation: a folder-shaped USB drive. Unfortunately, there’s no word yet on pricing and availability. We’ll keep you posted as more information becomes available.

Folderix flash drive was designed as a folder icon, which is to prove that there’s no end to one’s postmodernist aspirations

Chumby: One Year Later

2007-06-24T22:10:00.000-07:00

Chumby is a small, wifi-enabled linux hardware device is designed to be hacked and changed by its owners. The device has a 350MHz ARM controller, 32MB SDRAM, 64 MB Nand Flash Rom, a 320×240 3.5 inch touch LCD screen, two speakers, audio output, a microphone, and two USB ports. Chumby also has a squeeze sensor. All of this is housed within a soft, sqeezable shell about the size of a coconut.

It was announced a year ago at Foo camp, and the company gave out about 500 of the first generation devices. Users register the device on the Chumby home page and connect the device to their network via wifi. Once registered, content widgets are added - so the Chumby may include a news widget, flickr widget, etc.

Now, a year later, the company has made upgrades to the hardware and sofware that makes up the device, and say they will make it available for sale in a couple of months. The biggest change is that Chumby now runs Flash Lite 3, which is the first mobile version of Flash to support streaming audio and video. Users can now run music or video over the Internet and play it on the Chumby. The Chumby will be sold for $179.95, fully delivered.

The company has 23 employees and is headquartered in San Diego. They raised just over $5 million from OATV, Avalon Ventures and Masthead Venture Partners in December 2006.

via. techcrunch

Modern Raised Dog Bowls

2007-06-22T19:44:00.000-07:00

The shop sell raised dog bowl feeders with a unique water resistant, easy to clean surface. Stainless steel dog bowls are included with all our raised feeders.

via TrendyPet

The Voiis mini Pocket Messenger: for Bluetooth putzing around the home

2007-06-13T06:36:00.001-07:00

Here ya go media streamin' fans, the Voiis mini Pocket Messenger Phone. The class 1 Bluetooth device allows you to interact with Skype and MSN Messenger calls as well as iTunes and Windows Media Player music within a 100-meter (max) radius of the included base station. It packs a built-in mic as you'd expect as well as what appears to be a standard mini-jack to connect your choice of headphones. The battery should last for 6-hours or 72-hours on standby. Available June 12th in Japan for an expected ¥15,900 or $130. Click-on for a few more pics.

Philips and Swarovski Launch Active Crystals Luxury Electronics in US

2007-06-13T06:23:00.000-07:00

I always look at boring old USB drives and ask, "Why can't these be jewel-encrusted?" Ditto for my run-of-the-mill earbuds, which seem to lack some kind of large embedded crystal. Believe it or not, the Philips-Swarovski Active Crystals collection is due to arrive in the US this August, and we've got the exclusive first look at the lineup.

First up are the USB drives: Heart Beat is a two-piece heart-shaped locket drive, and the cool retractable padlock-shaped one is called Lock Out. (Philips says they're keeping things simple, and those names sure do, well, smack of simplicity.) They both hold 1GB of files, and will retail for $179.

The USB drives are bubbling with little Swarovski crystals, while the earphones are set with one big jewel for each ear. There will be four headphone styles in all:

An over-the-head set called Icon ($79) and a set of earbuds with neckstrap called Amazone ($149) plus two shown below, the Space sealing earbuds ($99) and the Mirage earhook ones ($129).

Whether the Philips-Swarovski combo has produced a silly novelty or the must-have gift item of the holiday season is still up in the air, but frankly, they are classier looking than I had previously imagined. And hey, is it any stranger than Porsche Design conceiving of a power drill?

Philips and Swarovski partner to deliver a range of innovative fashion accessories
NEW YORK - Fusing lifestyle, technology and fashion, Philips is showcasing a new partnership with the world famous crystal and jewelry company Swarovski at the 2007 Holidays in June event. The alliance combines Philips leadership in developing innovative consumer lifestyle electronics products with Swarovski's expertise in creating fashion crystal jewelry and handbag collections to produce meaningful fashionable accessories for women.

Leveraging both companies' strengths, Philips and Swarovski have jointly designed and developed a range of unique products that will take technology to a fashionable new level for women. The Philips and Swarovski alliance will develop exciting market opportunities for each company by integrating high fashion and technology.

The initial innovations created by Philips and Swarovski are the Active Crystals range of products. These will be launched this summer and include sound accessories and storage devices.

"Philips' alliance with Swarovski combines two distinct and strong brands in order to create a unique proposition for consumers," said Rudy Provoost, Chief Executive Officer, Philips Consumer Electronics. "The outcome of the alliance is a range of products that go back to the essence of what many women are looking for: the fusion of functionality and fashion through a unique combination of technology and elegance. We are combining luxurious design with the practical, everyday benefits of consumer electronics to complement Philips' brand promise—Sense and Simplicity—and Swarovski's brand promise of Poetry & Precision."

Merging Simplicity with Poetry & Precision
The new range is the first result of the Philips and Swarovski alliance focusing on providing performance and class, offering technology with style and demonstrating a feeling of movement and activity combined with fashionable innovation. Targeted towards style-conscious women, the products combine the technologies of both companies to create unique, high-end products with a luxurious look and feel.

"The Philips and Swarovski alliance brings together the greatness of two companies with common values of quality, design and technological innovation," said Daniel Cohen, Member of Swarovski's Executive Board. "Both brands have distinct identities, rich histories and a passion to re-invent and enhance their value propositions, pursuing both brand repositioning and commercial goals. The result of this partnership will be a series of products that will provide women and consumers with meaningful and fashionable products that will enhance their lives."

Swarovski is a well-known brand in the fashion and jewelry industry. It brings credibility, style and design to the alliance, creating a unique product proposition with Philips. Unlike other products using the Swarovski crystal stones, the Active Crystals combine unique elements of functionality and fashion: truly jewels with a soul.

The full Philips and Swarovski Active Crystals range will be commercially available in department stores, consumer electronics retail and Swarovski stores in August 2007.

Non-robotic "X-Finger" replaces lost digits

2007-06-13T06:14:00.000-07:00

An inventor with no medical background looks to have already made quite a name for himself with his X-Finger prosthetic device, which gives folks that have lost fingers a full range of motion without relying on robotics. To control the device, the wearer simply pushes against a lever with the remaining portion of their finger, which sets the knuckles into motion, apparently providing enough force to hold a coffee cup or clutch a golf club. While inventor Dan Didrick's already churning out 100 fingers every 45 days, according to The Naples Daily News, he's apparently far from meeting the demand, for which he says he needs about $11 million in funding. Presumably, that'd also help reduce the cost of the mechanical digits, which currently run a cool $10,000 per finger.

Home Theater Pool Table is Perfect for People Sick of Having Money

2007-06-12T20:29:00.000-07:00

Investing a lot of money in a sweet home theater setup can be well worth it if you're a TV or movie buff with a generous bank account. But hey, why spend all that money to get a huge TV and nice speakers for your living room when you can spend the same amount on some mediocre gear crammed in a pool table?

Clearly, the best way to watch DVDs is on a tiny LCD screen on the side of a pool table. I mean, sure, you'll need to sit on the ground to watch it, and you'll risk getting hit in the head with pool cues as annoyed players try to work around you, but it's so classy! And in addition to the latest and greatest DVD technology, this table also has a completely up-to-date PS2 built into it, so you can play the greatest games of the last generation. Other accoutrements such as a bar, lights, and flat speakers make this thing totally worth $12,000. Yes, totally worth it, you moron.

[via Gizmodo]

Microsoft Bringing Windows to Your Kitchen Counter

2007-06-12T04:04:00.000-07:00

It's invaded your living room, your bedroom and even your coffee table, and now Windows has its eyes set on your kitchen with a new PC-like device.

The Microsoft Tablet team is working on a new Kitchen Client that'll include features like a family calendar, recipe center and a digital bulletin board. It sounds like it'll mix all of the features we saw in those Ricavision prototypes a while back. No word on when we can expect to see such a device, but the thought of having my toaster stream video doesn't sound like a bad idea at all.

No iPhone SDK Means No Killer iPhone Apps

2007-06-12T03:55:00.000-07:00

According to Apple, "no software developer kit is required for the iPhone." However, the truth is that the lack of an SDK means that there won't be a killer application for the iPhone. It also means the iPhone's potential as an amazing computing and communication platform will never be realized. And because of this I don't think the iPhone will be as revolutionary as it could be. That's a real heart breaker.

Steve Jobs initially sold the iPhone as the Next Big Thing from Apple, just like the Macintosh was. The Macintosh really broke the mold. While not as groundbreaking, the iPhone is an intelligent and clean implementation of existing things. Really intelligent, really clean, like the Mac. Unlike the original Mac, however, developers won't have full access to its core features. Without them there won't be the equivalent of PageMaker, Photoshop, Word or Premiere in the iPhone, powerful applications taking full advantage of the unique capabilities of the hardware, the operating system and its frameworks.

Those applications spawned two revolutions: desktop publishing (including photo editing) and desktop video. It was the Mac and its third-party apps that brought radical changes that have deeply affected us, not the Mac alone.

On the iPhone, however, developers will be limited to developing Web applications based on AJAX, a set of Internet standards that make software like GMail, Google Maps or FaceBook possible. The iPhone is the real thing, a complete UNIX-to-go with stunning graphic classes, and developers will be limited to do stuff like this.

Mind you, AJAX is great for what it does on the Web today, but is limited. All we know is this, from the press release:

Developers can create Web 2.0 applications which look and behave just like the applications built into iPhone, and which can seamlessly access iPhone's services, including making a phone call, sending an email and displaying a location in Google Maps.

This is nothing new, however. We knew this from the very beginning because iPhone's Safari was already doing it. It's called auto-detection of phone numbers and addresses: you click on a phone or address in your web page and it gets passed by Safari to the operating system, which calls the number or shows the address in the Google Maps app. In other words, they are trying to sell us the same thing we already had when the iPhone was introduced and the same thing we already have in Mac OS X's Safari.

So unless they show something boomtastic in the sessions, this will not change. To see how powerful AJAX applications on the iPhone could be, a million questions will have to be answered this week. Questions like:

- Would I be able to access the iPhone databases from Safari and query them from my AJAX application? Looking at Jobs' stress on security, it doesn't look like this will be possible.

- Would I be able store data locally beyond cookies? Probably the same answer.

- How will these application perform over limited EDGE connections? Will I have to do a painful download for the whole app, instead of just the data?

- How will the connection limit the interactive possibilities?

- How is the access to iPhone's hardware? Would I be able to access iPhone's hardware to connect to an infrared scanner via Bluetooth and create an amazing sales or logistics application? How about Multitouch?

If AJAX is that good and the developers don't need an SDK, why has Apple built a dedicated Mail application or Google Maps software into the iPhone? Why not just reformat the CSS on the Web and open a special view to .mac mail, Gmail or Google Maps made just for iPhone Safari users ?

Maybe because to do the cool stuff that iPhone's Maps do, you need to access all the cool Mac OS X classes that iPhones have.Now, I'm sure that there will be great AJAX applications created for the iPhone, specially at the corporate level, like in the Keynote Demo. But what is important here is that we won't have sexy apps. This is what Apple needs to make the iPhone not just great, but huge. A true revolutionary product. Otherwise, we will keep asking where are we going to find the killer apps that made the Mac what is today; where is the next Delicious Library-equivalent for the iPhone; where are the games. Just think about those, as Apple stresses its relationship with EA and id software. There's a great potential for games in the iPhone, which with multi-touch could be a Nintendo DS 2.0 in the making. As Nintendo fans will tell you, a Flash game (which provides with even better flexibility than AJAX) is not a substitute for a real Wii game. And the next big games never come from the established big developers who may, at the end, be the only ones with access to the secret iPhone SDK at use in Apple.

So no SDK == no access to iPhone's cool frameworks == no revolutionary apps, no real new concepts coming from third-parties, no eye-candy available for anyone but Apple and no possibility for some really crazy games that will fully exploit the graphic and multi-touch power of the iPhone.

iPhone to Support Third-Party Web 2.0 Applications Innovative New Way to Create Applications for iPhone
SAN FRANCISCO, June 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- WWDC 2007 -- Apple(R)
today announced that its revolutionary iPhone(TM) will run applications
created with Web 2.0 Internet standards when it begins shipping on June 29.
Developers can create Web 2.0 applications which look and behave just like the
applications built into iPhone, and which can seamlessly access iPhone's
services, including making a phone call, sending an email and displaying a
location in Google Maps. Third-party applications created using Web 2.0
standards can extend iPhone's capabilities without compromising its
reliability or security.
"Developers and users alike are going to be very surprised and pleased at
how great these applications look and work on iPhone," said Steve Jobs,
Apple's CEO. "Our innovative approach, using Web 2.0-based standards, lets
developers create amazing new applications while keeping the iPhone secure and
reliable."
Web 2.0-based applications are being embraced by leading developers
because they are far more interactive and responsive than traditional web
applications, and can be easily distributed over the Internet and painlessly
updated by simply changing the code on the developers' own servers. The modern
web standards also provide secure data access and transactions, like those
used with Amazon.com or online banking.

Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple
II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh.
Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-
winning computers, OS X operating system and iLife and professional
applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital media revolution with its
iPod portable music and video players and iTunes online store, and will enter
the mobile phone market this year with its revolutionary iPhone.

UK sculptor designs rotating wall for Liverpool

2007-06-12T03:24:00.000-07:00

While we're sure more than a few citizens of Liverpool could think of much more productive ways to spend £450,000 ($887,490), there's nothing sweeter than turning a wall completely inside out for sculptor Richard Wilson. This uber-expensive piece of art was constructed at the former Yates's Wine Lodge building, and a massive oval shaped section of the building's exterior now rotates around and gives onlookers a glimpse of the interior without ever stepping foot inside. Dubbed Turning The Place Over, the installation will officially launch on June 20th and will run until the end of next year, and while we can't deny that this here project was more about making jaws drop than actually improving the city center, it's certainly something to look at. Check the video after the jump.

The World’s Thinnest Chair

2007-06-11T07:27:00.000-07:00

Touted as the “world’s thinnest chair”, the ISIS folds up into a 3cm-thick when not in use. Unfortunately, there’s no word yet on pricing and availability.

The chair is made from a series of flat geometric panels that are linked together and contained within its own frame. Each panel is constructed from several high strength laminations which are designed to ensure that the chair flexes and supports the user, providing an unexpected level of comfort

Strange Car-Shaped Tent

2007-06-11T07:19:00.000-07:00

For those who love both the city and camping — plus don’t mind sleeping on the bare ground, this car-shaped tent is just for you.

Koncept's Z-BAR LED lamp: 40,000 hours of industrial grace

2007-06-10T21:28:00.000-07:00

More LED goodness for ya, this time in the form of a desk lamp, not a backlit LCD. The Z-Bar won I.D. Magazine's "best of category" award which is pretty sweet considering the category wasn't just lamps, it was furniture. The Z-Bar's 66, long-livin' LEDs pump 100 lumens in pretty much any direction you want thanks to that 47-inch, finger-thin neck loaded with hinges and rotational joints. Sure, 100 lumens doesn't seem like much when compared to an incandescent's 500–800 lumens. The Z-Bar's trick is to focus the light in a 50-degree viewing angle instead of the 360-degrees of waste emitted by standard light bulbs. The lamp can stand alone on its weighted base or clamped to a table edge -- your choice after forking over $130.

Dell 1907FP gets flamboyant steampunk makeover

2007-06-10T21:20:00.000-07:00

The antique-minded modder over at Steampunk Workshop had it right: what good is a brass-clad mouse and keyboard with a 21st century monitor destroying the mojo? Fret not, as a Dell 1907FP was torn apart, blasted with gold Krylon, and decorated to the hilt with flashy pieces that your great (great) grandmother would surely love. Best of all, this here creator went above the call of duty by dressing up the monitor with gilded triggers to depress the monitor adjustment buttons underneath the panel. Trust us, you need to see this one to appreciate the passion behind it, so feel free to visit the read link for a plethora of photographs and even a few vids.

NewerTech's dual-bay MacBook battery charger / conditioner

2007-06-10T21:03:00.000-07:00

NewerTech's dual-bay MacBook (and MacBook Pro, too) battery charger / conditioner is most certainly tailored for the authentic road warrior, as it allows users to "conveniently charge two batteries one after the other, or charge one battery while conditioning a second one." The device reportedly extends the maximum life and effectiveness of your batteries by doing the conditioning for you, but we're a bit bummed to see that it only charges the second Li-ion "when the first battery is done charging." Notably, NewerTech also seems to offer the device for owners of PowerBooks of days past, but the latest rendition will run you $149.95 for the convenience. Another shot after the break.

Herman Miller's tiny C2 creates office micro-climates

2007-06-10T20:42:00.000-07:00

Battling over control of the office thermostat / air conditioning tends to be a passive aggressive flashpoint in any place of work, so even though this will undoubtedly set off some environmental alarms, the C2 climate control definitely fills a niche. Replacing the role of a regular personal fan, the C2 from Herman Miller allows users to adjust the surrounding temperature up to a 40 degree increase, and an 8 degree decrease, taking 72 degrees F (22 degrees C) as the starting temperature. The aforementioned environmental issues does raise the question of how far this technology should go, especially since office unity can't be that great if an issue as trivial as temperature can't be agreed upon. Still, we're not one to complain about having things easier in our work environments: not that we'd know anything about working in an office.

(Video) The Headless Batsman

2007-06-10T06:45:00.000-07:00

The Headless Batsman is basically “a 265-pound quasi-human-shaped robot made from a jumble of salvaged auto parts, steel piping and pneumatic hoses for the sole purpose of belting every fastball thrown its way.” Video demonstration after the jump.

Tiny springs inside the robot’s wrists allow it to follow through; the momentum generated by its hip and shoulder rotation transfers through the bat to the ball.

Briefcase Toilet

2007-06-09T21:47:00.000-07:00

You think this is wierd now, but you won’t be laughing next time you have to go!

The gotta go briefcase is waterproof with high quality Mahogany leather, a strong lightweight aluminum internal structure, and stainless steel bowl with generously equipped sealing lid. “Quietly and discreetly go about your personal “business” anywhere you please with a fold out leather privacy panel which tucks away neatly to the side when you have completed your multi-tasking. A toilet paper dispenser easily swings out and can be conveniently stored in an inconspicuous storage compartment under the padding [for added discretion] when not in use. Maximum weight capacity is 80 Kilos (approx.175 lbs.). Exceeding the recommended weight will void all warranties and may result in rupture of waste tank, possible bacterial contamination of briefcase contents, and massive stench.”

Macbook after 600 degrees fire

2007-06-09T07:45:00.000-07:00

At first glance, this may look like something you’d find in a dumpster, but in reality, it’s just a MacBook that gota 600-degree fire makeover. Hit the jump for another picture.

We have seen toasted Macbooks before but we have never seen anything like this. After a devastating fire at their Boulder home, Gwen and Paul returned to find their formerly sleek and shining white Macbook scorched beyond recognition.

However the cause of the fire was not their Macbook.
Via - Flickr

New Computer Interface Devices

2007-06-09T07:36:00.001-07:00

Above is a video of what could be the next generation of computer interface. It is obviously very raw but if it were mounted in a mouse shaped device and made wirless it could be a winner. Actually it would be very similar to the Wiimote since the Wiimote uses accelerometers to read controller movement and Bluethooth to transmit that data to the controller.

Popular Science gave an invention award to the ring mouse. It uses ultrasonic pulses to detect the position of the ring and moves the cursor accordingly. Which technology, if any, do you think will come out on top?

See more details of the ring mouse below.

“Although the system looks a bit rough, it works flawlessly. A small speaker on the ring pumps out ultrasonic pulses, picked up by five microphones arrayed on a piece of plywood. A central processor calculates the ring’s position in space based on when each microphone receives each blast of sound and then correlates this to the cursor onscreen. The ring and sensors communicate 100 times a second, so the translation of hand movement to cursor is instantaneous.”

Recycled art of bags

2007-06-08T21:25:00.001-07:00

Momaboma bags are real. In the sense that if it’s an L.P. bag, it’s made of a real used vinyl. Recycled aestheticism, that’s what they do.

MomaBoma use school notes, magazines and newspapers for their bags. They are great!

MomaBoma (Italian)

So that your hall wall looks better

2007-06-08T21:11:00.000-07:00

This is Orchid, it is a set of clothes-hooks, the petals bent so that articles can be hung from them. Highly decorative and cheerful.
Get it from blank>Charlotte Lancelot

This is IVY, it lets you design a scultuptural shape for your clothes you like the most. Every kit comes with 16 Y shapes, connectors, screws and anchors.

Get it here.

Personal favourite - this interesting coatrack from SmallFactories.

iSuppli sizes up the Apple TV

2007-06-06T19:08:00.000-07:00

Apple is known for the high profit margins on its consumer electronics, but according iSuppli Apple is only making $62 (or about 20%) on each Apple TV. As you'd guess the most expensive component is a slimmed down version of Intel's Pentium M processor at about $40, and the cheapest is the $0.75 RealTek audio chip. The new 160GB version's margin is much nicer at more than 30%, but only because Apple charges a $100 premium for an option that only costs an extra $36 to make. Hobby indeed. Of course the obvious reason is that Apple plans to make up the cash selling content, and maybe even more importantly: to get into your living room. While this seems like a great plan and all, we can't help but get stuck on the fact there still isn't any HD content from Apple for a device that supposedly requires a HDTV.

High-Tech Meets the Past

2007-06-06T19:01:00.000-07:00

If Indian tribes were to use computer parts as garments, this is what it might look like.

Get a Remote Control Outlet, and Never Get Up Again

2007-06-06T18:58:00.000-07:00

You don't need an elaborate and expensive system like X10, Insteon, or Lutron remote switches to control the world, not when you have one of these $19.95 Remote Control Outlets with its accompanying IR remote control. Whatever's plugged into it gets instant off/on remote control, and you can get up to three extra outlets for 10 bucks each, controlling them all with this handy remote. Well, you won't be able to control the world, just four different things, but it's hard to beat this easy setup that you (or your dad, think Father's Day) can put together right away for very little money.

Pretec shows off first miCARDs

2007-06-06T08:34:00.001-07:00

We know that you've been barely able to sleep since the new miCARD memory card format was announced -- who would be the first manufacturer to get these out the door, you wondered -- so you can finally rest easy with the news that Pretec is showing off its own version of the multi-functional little wafers (pictured larger than actual size, of course) at Computex in Taipei. The company's S-Diamond line already tops off at an impressive 8GB (with theoretical capacities of 2TB, but we're not holding our breath), and like the flood of other miCARDs soon to hit the market, will work with regular SD/MMC-capable devices through the use of an adapter. Pretec still isn't being forthcoming with any pricing or release info on these, but since there's no miCARD-specific hardware on the market yet anyway, we doubt that many of you care.

Knife Cabinet Imprisons Son of the Voodoo Knife Holder

2007-06-06T08:09:00.000-07:00

Pity the poor little dude at the bottom of this knife cabinet, barely getting out of the way of the longest knife. This 11.5-inch mini-cabinet holds a variety of knives that you supply yourself, the longest one with a 9-inch blade. Get a 9.5-inch blade to really put the hurt on the poor little guy.

He must be related to that poor son of a bitch doing time as the Voodoo Knife Holder.

Who needs a pierced-head knife-block, or a pierced voodoo doll knife-block, when you can have a man-in-mortal- terror-cowering- from-your-knives knife-block?

Inspired by the Sword Cabinet illusion beloved by magicians, this novel knife holder features a crouching figure behind glass. Slots on the top hold 5 knives of varying widths and lengths, from a paring knife to a chef's knife with 9" blade. Cabinet is MDF with a black finish. 7 ¼" W x 11 ¾"H x 4"D. Knives not included. Exlcusive to our company.

Power Dome Generator is Really Just a Big Battery for Your Gadgets

2007-06-06T08:01:00.000-07:00

Someone has decided to put a 18 lbs lead-acid battery in a yellow case with a handle and call it a "400-watt generator." According to the product page, this will feed "your TV for 5 hours or your PS2 for 8 hours" if the power goes down. If playing video games is not your thing you can always enjoy the built-in 275 PSI air compressor. Or the included nipple clamps. Whatever rocks your boat for $99.99.

Product Features
Portable Power Supply Can Run A/C or D/C Based Electronics, Appliances and Tools
Devices Can be Powered by The Internal Sealed Lead Acid Battery or from a Vehicle Cigarette Lighter
2 AC Outlets and 2 DC outlets
260 PSI Air Compressor with Gauge
600 Amp Cranking Power Jump- Starter
400watt inverter
1000watt surge
Charge level indicator
Bult-in 5 LEDs worklight
Able to power

Laptop(45w): 4.5hr
Boom box (23w): 8hr
Fax machine (15w): 18hr standby
Camcorder (8w): 24hr
Video Game (35w): 5.5 hours
Portable Refrigerator:(45W) 4.5hr
13" TV (59w): 3hr
Power Drill (360w): 1hr
Built-in Battery

High grade Sealed Lead Acid (Maintenance Free) 18amp-hr
Output

12V DC
115 volts AC (nominal)
Input Charging Source: DC or AC w/included cables
Fuse Type

40 Amps external
Charging Time

AC - 34hours, DC - 12hours
Light source

LED bulb
Safety Features

Overload Protection
Short Circuit Protection
UL Listed
Accessories included

AC adapter
DC cigarette adapter
Dimensions (inches)

10.5x11.5x8.5
Weight

18lbs

LED Art Fan

2007-06-06T07:51:00.000-07:00

At $349.99, this nifty LED Art Fan by ThinkGeek “spins and flickers at a brazillian* RPM to create beautiful persistence of vision images.” See it in action after the break.

Unbelievable bright images 5 megs of memory holds up to 128 individual frames. You can animate, spin, slide, flash and dissolve to your heart’s delight. All the while, enjoying the cool breeze from a chromed-up art-deco desktop fan

AMD Shows Off its Designer Chops with Concept HTPC

2007-06-06T01:30:00.000-07:00

If you thought the Hanger18 looked cool, get a load of AMD's concept PC. It was created by AMD to show manufacturers the kinds of designs they can dream up when using AMD's hardware (in particular AMD Live!, which is their media center platform). The PC features an embedded LCD, a slot-loading optical drive, and built-in media controls. If not for the solid gold color, I'd say this was one sexy beast. Do you guys dig it or hate it?

Spine Lamp

2007-06-05T20:02:00.001-07:00

Designed by Mark Beam, this Spine Lamp features a flexible neck that lets you adjust the lighting and is available in a gold finish. One drawback: it’s priced at a hefty $1,500.

Now I’m pretty sure it’s not an actual spine but nevertheless it looks realistic enough to creep out a few people. The Spine Lamp includes a marble base and classy gold paint finish

Meraki announces solar-powered WiFi kit

2007-06-04T18:51:00.000-07:00

Solar-powered WiFi isn't exactly anything new, but upstart Meraki looks to be doing its best to make it more accessible to the general public, today announcing a new outdoor wireless repeater with a solar panel to keep it running. Designed to be used with Meraki's existing Mini WiFi router, the repeater will let you beam a signal up to 700 feet away which, at just $99 a pop, would make a neighborhood-wide WiFi network a relatively low-cost affair. Unfortunately, there's no word just yet on what the solar panel accessory will cost, although Meraki says it'll "clearly be the most affordable option on the market." We shouldn't have to wait too much longer for that key detail, however, as the entire kit's set to ship sometime late this summer.

World’s Tallest LEGO Tower

2007-06-04T18:33:00.000-07:00

File this under: “Cool LEGO Creations” Built from 465,000 bricks, this LEGO tower, located in LEGOLAND California, is claimed to be the world’s largest.

The 94.3ft-high pirate ship mast was made with 465,000 bricks, breaking a previous record of 93.43ft set in Denmark last year. A “treasure” made of gold, yellow and clear Lego bricks was placed on top by Legoland pirates

$19,995 JL421 Badonkadonk Land Cruiser/Tank

2007-06-04T18:25:00.000-07:00

This strage JL421 Badonkadonk Land Cruiser/Tank sports an “air-cooled, 6hp Tecumseh gasoline (unleaded only) engine, with centrifugal clutch, giving the Donk a top speed of 40 mph.” Product page. Lots more pictures after the jump.

The interior is fully carpeted and cozy, with accent lighting and room for up to five people. A 400 watt premium sound system with PA is mounted to project sound both into the cabin and outward from behind the windows. Master power, ignition, all lighting, and stereo features are controlled from a single switchboard to the left of the driver, again accessible from either the seated or standing positio

CPR Teddy cuddles up nicely, teaches resuscitation

2007-06-04T18:18:00.000-07:00

gadget We've seen soft 'n cuddly teddies transformed into nearly everyimaginable, but the Save-A-Life Training Center is hoping to teach common individuals how to perform CPR with the use of a less frightening subject. The oh-so-adorable CPR Teddy looks a whole lot better than other CPR training bots that we've come across, and after squeezing one of his paws, "voice prompts walk you through the correct procedures for choking rescue and infant / child CPR." It gets a bit dodgy, however, when you have to submerse yourself in the moment and actually press down on his red heart patch as the bear's built-in metronome paces you. Subsequently, the creature's bow tie actually lights up in green or red to alert you of how you're doing, and his chest will actually rise up as you perform rescue breathing and simultaneously inhale mounds of fur. The basic CPR Teddy kit rings up at just $79.95, but we'd highly recommend picking up a few extra masks to avoid getting choked up yourself when performing mouth-to-mouth.

Soban Photo Keychain

2007-06-02T19:17:00.001-07:00

The Soban Photo Keychain is a replacement for storing wallet-sized pictures of your kids printed out on—gasp—paper. Instead, the Soban has 128mb of memory storing up to 7,000 (really tiny) photos. A slideshow can run for 8 hours on a charge.

Let's be clear about one thing: the Soban is not a good product. Even if the screen is decent, it's too bulky for a keychain when we can already use cellphones for a similar purpose. However, should such a display be thinned and actually fit in a wallet, it could be a reasonable product update for baby boomers and retro cool to the younger generations. At least that's my two cents on the matter.

Hit the jump for the kinda neat side view (hint: it looks like a bunch of stacked photos).