Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Look, you don’t have to explain to us how weird this thing is. Trust us, we fully understand. But as gadget editors, we have a certain love for receiving surprise packages and ripping ‘em open as quickly as possible to discover what goodies reside within. Bandai’s so-very-Japanese Peri Peri keychain is apt to appeal to the unboxers among us, as it recreates the unmistakable feeling of tearing open a rushed FedEx envelope. If there’s a downside, it’s that there’s no new wares to be found after each opening, but on the other hand, at least there’s no big dent on your credit card each time you “open” something new. Expect this gem to hit your keyring for just under $10 next month. Bonus video hosted up after the break.

[Via BoingBoing]

Continue reading Bandai’s Peri Peri keychain lets you rip open shipping envelopes continually

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Filed under: Cellphones, Misc. Gadgets

We deeply apologize to all the vegetarians in the crowd, but this was just too grotesque to overlook. We’re not exactly sure of the whos, whats, whys, and whens behind all this, but apparently some butcher-to-be found enough spare time (and enough fresh meat) to create a wallet, a set of keys, a 3G-capable cellphone and a 4TB flash drive from raw, tender meat. We don’t know what’s sadder — the fact that this isn’t the first of its kind, or that there ever was a first of its kind.

[Via textually]

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Filed under: Digital Cameras

We’d swear this had to be some sort of spoof on the impeccable James Bond, but sadly enough, the whole thing is true. A secondhand Nikon Coolpix camera which sold on eBay for a mere £17 ($30) turned out to be a real bargain once its new 28-year old owner completed his first image dump. Along with decidedly decent snaps from his US vacation, he also found a number of “top secret” images, diagrams and sketches that have since been confirmed as MI6 material. We’re talking photos of rocket launchers, hand-drawn graphics of terrorist links and all sorts of other information not at all intended for civilian eyes. ‘Course, the whole thing could just be the act of one talented Photoshopper, but we highly doubt the agency would be so fortunate.

[Via Digg, image courtesy of WWII Airplane Model]

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Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

We’ll warn you in advance, this is only for those who dig the weird, all things Stephen Hawking or clock-making in general. This £1 million ($1.83 million) timepiece took seven years to completely construct, and the initiative was led by inventor John Taylor who designed it in tribute to John Harrison (only the world’s greatest clockmaker, it’s said). The bizarre Corpus Clock visually explains that it relies on grasshopper escapement to function, and to let you know that time can never be regained once lost, that beast on top actually gobbles down time every 60th second. Oh, and every hour, on the hour, the sound of a “chain dropping into a wooden coffin” is played to really pound home the “time is a destroyer” concept. Thanks for the reminder, Dr. Grim.

[Via Switched]

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Filed under: Wearables

USB blankets are old hat (for better or worse), but the USB Heated Shawl takes an aged concept and makes it relevant again with the addition of a single clip. Clearly designed for elderly folks who aren’t kept warm enough by the bottoms of their laptops and for the billions of cubical dwellers who freeze in silence each and every day, this $28.95 device is a godsend. Just plug it in, wrap it around and enjoy the warmth. Oh, and ignore the haters.

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Filed under: Wearables

Kuchofuku is on the loose again, this time creating an air conditioned seat cushion to keep your fundament breezy. Reportedly, the unit can be powered via an AC adapter, car adapter or rechargeable batteries, and the built-in fan can move over 170 liters of air per minute in order to “dissipate heat and moisture around the buttocks that causes discomfort and sweating.” Well, when you put it like that, $89 seems like a real bargain.

[Via Gearlog]

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Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

It’s hard to say what kind of individual seeks out lighting instruments that even look like eyes, let alone lighting instruments with cloned details of their own eyes, but just in case you know one such person, here’s the perfect FYI for ‘em. Paris-based 5.5 designers are offering a service that enables you to send in images of your eyes (along with a very large sum of money, we presume) in order for the craftspeople to construct eyeball lamps with hints of you splashed all over. Sure gives Rockwell’s one and only jam a whole new meaning, yeah?

[Via ShinyShiny]

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Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

It’s hard to say what kind of individual seeks out lighting instruments that even look like eyes, let alone lighting instruments with cloned details of their own eyes, but just in case you know one such person, here’s the perfect FYI for ‘em. Paris-based 5.5 designers are offering a service that enables you to send in images of your eyes (along with a very large sum of money, we presume) in order for the craftspeople to construct eyeball lamps with hints of you splashed all over. Sure gives Rockwell’s one and only jam a whole new meaning, yeah?

[Via ShinyShiny]

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Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video, Wearables

digg_url = ‘http://digg.com/music/Zune_Guy_fed_up_with_Zune_seeks_to_cover_up_tattoos’; Say it ain’t so! America’s most loyal advocate for Microsoft’s Zune is apparently throwing in the towel. Of course, we should warn you that this could very well be a simple ploy for attention, but if the man keeps his word, he will soon be covering his Zune tattoos with… something else. Curiously, he didn’t say whether or not he would be playing the traitor card and picking up some sort of iPod, but considering that more people have seen this guy’s body art in the wild than actual Zunes, the general public should know soon enough. You fought a good fight, Zune Guy, but consider yourself expelled from The Social.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

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Filed under: Storage

We’re not too sure how the advertising director that green lit Hitachi’s bizarro perpendicular recording video is still on staff, but sure enough, he / she has been cut loose again as evidenced by the latest spot. We knew the outfit was pushing this whole “Dawn of the Tera Era” slogan with the introduction of its Deskstar 7K1000.B, but this is just taking things entirely too far. Fair warning: the video hosted after the jump contains cartoon scenes that could easily be used by D.A.R.E. officials looking to keep kids from trying drugs, but somehow we get the impression its just a plug for having lots of (Hitachi-branded) storage space. Hmmph.

[Thanks, Frederick]

Continue reading Hitachi promotional video highlights Tera Era, effects of hallucinogens

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Filed under: Wearables

We’ve had our fair share of laughs from Zune Guy’s obsession with inking his body with permanent reminders of just how infatuated he is with Redmond’s PMP, but we must say, it’s a bit weirder to see someone coming ever closer to doing the same with our logo. Apparently one Egor Lavrov has established a tattoo contest in which he accepts donations as votes for logos, and after the polls close, he has agreed to give 25% of the money raised to charity and 25% to the person who submitted the winning tattoo idea. Oh, and he’s going to get the most highly ranked image inked on his arm. We’d be dubious about paying to cast a vote (read: we’d refrain entirely), but what’s up with our model being on steroids, anyway?

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Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Fair warning: this here post is nerdier than usual, and those who begin to feel nauseous at the mere mention of data-bending may want to refrain from continuing on. For you brave, hardened souls that are following through, feast your eyes on the “first piece of software ever sold by Apple.” The Apple I BASIC cassette wasn’t even included with all of the 200 Apple Is produced eons ago, but a few engineering souls have managed to extract the data and create an MP3 of the wave structure. Not surprisingly, the tone resembles that of a 1200 Baud connection, and if we should say so ourselves, would make for a wicked ringtone. Believe us, it gets even weirder in the read link, but you’ll have to determine whether venturing down is something your brain can handle.

[Via BoingBoing]

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Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

We genuinely hope you don’t have a need for this thing, but after standing in one of the many iPhone lines for hours on end, only to hear Apple tell you to come back in the morning and try again, we can certainly see how it would come in handy. Best we can tell, the shouting vase is just a sophisticated (or not) muffling utensil, which enables tempestuous individuals to unleash incredible roars that no one will be forced to endure. Still, at €51 ($80), this thing better produce thoughtful alternatives to our maddening rants for it to be even close to worthwhile.

[Via Engadget Chinese]

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Filed under: Networking

Shockingly enough, the image you see above isn’t as radical as you probably think. Just last year we saw a San Francisco couple profess their inexplicable love for TiVo with a his and her cake arrangement, while another treated guests to a flavorful version of their wedding day playlist. This perky pair, however, decided to create cakes that would visually describe just how they ended up together, complete with on-screen profiles and a crossover cable (or something) with a heart along the way. Gives a whole new meaning to the networking category, now doesn’t it?

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Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Gaming

Or you could say it enables you to keep your fundament firmly planted for, oh, ever. Yes friends, LapWorks’ Gamers Desk essentially eliminates the need to get up and move over to the family PC where a mouse / keyboard combo can guide you to victory in yet another deathmatch. This lapboard (no, not that Lapboard) keeps a keyboard and mouse within reach of couch-based gamers, enabling them to fire up WoW on their HTPC and still maintain the edge afforded to them by using the aforementioned KB / critter tandem. The unit itself measures 11-inches wide by 26.75-inches across, is made from ABS plastic and includes non-skid rubber pads on the underside to keep it from slipping around in that pile of Doritos. It’s available now in gun-metal gray for $39.95, but a few more hues should be ready to roll later this year for those patient enough to wait around.

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Filed under: Cellphones

You kvetch enough about that ultrathin candybar taking up too much room in those über-tight Emo-style jeans — we know you’d throw a fit if you had to tote around a mobile akin to a rolling pin. Nevertheless, that’s not stopping Nokia’s wildly imaginative R&D team from throwing out a patent app for a cylindrical cellphone. Granted, we are digging the movable materials and the potential for a fairly wide display, but unless we get some sort of spray can holster from The Home Depot, how else are we supposed to carry this thing without embarrassing ourselves?

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Filed under: Handhelds

You never really know what you’re going to get when peering through entries in Microsoft’s Next-Gen PC Design Competition, and the above pictured device is definitely evidence of that. The AlphaGrip Handheld Computer (or AlphaGrip HC, for short), boasts full-size rocker keys on the front along with a flip-up display and a keypad made specifically for thumb-typing. There’s also a trackball for mousing about and a slew of buttons to handle “sophisticated PC games” while standing on a crowded subway. Still, we can’t help but notice just how much this thing reminds us of our days tinkering with the defunct-from-birth Atari Jaguar, and we also can’t imagine anyone with a shred of dignity ever pulling this abomination out in public. Kudos for imagination, though.

[Via OhGizmo]

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Filed under: Cellphones

Make no mistake, we’ve seen some fairly boneheaded moves made by technologically-illiterate bank robbers, but the latest case involves a fellow who was quite the opposite of that. Yes, the 20 to 25 year male who decided to hold up an Alabama bank the day before his taxes were due actually did the deed without hanging up his cellphone. And there’s surveillance footage to prove it. Quite honestly, we can’t imagine what the conversation here would’ve been like, but at least he made the most of whatever minutes he had remaining as a free man, right?

[Via textually]

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Filed under: Cellphones

If you thought sending a SMS in order to gain entry into a public bathroom was on the weird side, get a load of this. An outlandish campaign sparked up in the UK has been sending out weekly text messages to parents in order to remind them of the need to check for head lice on their youngsters. Cleverly coined Beat the Bugs, the program led to the discovery of six cases of lice, and when polling participants at the end of the term, the majority stated that they felt more aware about treatment / prevention and that they were now checking their kids’ heads at least once per week. We can hear it now: “C’mon Jimmy, time for me to look through your locks for any critters!” “Ah, bugger.”

[Via Switched, image courtesy of Interior Health]

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Filed under: Household

It’s one thing to exemplify laziness; it’s another to buck the habit just long enough to invent something to keep you idler, longer. Enter Enrico Berruti, an everyday fellow who has created something that almost anyone with a bed could see as useful. His Selfy bed, quite simply, uses a variety of moving parts, bars and linens to make itself at the push of a button. To be fair, Mr. Berruti was thinking of disabled individuals who would have a difficult time making their own traditional bed when conjuring this thing up, but he didn’t hesitate to mention his own indolence as motivation. Hopefully there’s some kind of safety feature to prevent users from accidentally activating the thing while they’re still snoozing — can’t imagine that being any fun.

[Via Physorg, image courtesy of AFP / Getty Images]

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