Readers of this space likely know our stand on Hello Kitty (or "Kitty Hell," as we call it), so there's no need to go over that again. So suffice it to say that we cringed at the thought and sight of this karaoke system from said feline.

The latest evil incarnation comes with two microphones, speakers, an LCD screen and a CD player that even has a shuffle button, according to Gadgetizer. And it closes up into a compact case so it can be carried anywhere. Oh joy.

We have just one question: How can Hello Kitty … Read more

As much as we hate to think about gasoline--its ever-rising prices, more specifically--this is an item that could save a good bit of mess at the pump.

Gas caps can be a pain to use, especially if you're as forgetful as we are: We've left a few of them behind by accident, next to the coffee on the roof. But there's an alternative called the "InStant Fill," a device with a "trapdoor mechanism" that allows you to insert the nozzle without removing the cap. Book of Joe notes that it's also an … Read more

When we hear complaints about the lack of meaningful desktop innovation, the first thing we think of is the mouse. A lot of R&D seems to be wasted on this basic device, which doesn't really need fixing, as far as we can tell.

But a Chinese company called Hanwang is the exception. Its mouse doesn't just fold up or point lasers like so many others we've seen; instead, it has a built-in touch screen that can be used to write Chinese characters with a stylus stored inside. Then, according to Everything USB, the characters can … Read more

Sure, the Internet is abuzz with news about the "YouTube killer" that several major media companies just announced yesterday, but let's not forget that other supposed YouTube killer, Joost. The broadband video start-up from the founders of Skype and Kazaa, which announced a major content partnership with Viacom last month, has a new deal that's sure to excite the party animal and nightclubbing crowd.

Joost, which is still in private beta, announced Friday that it's partnering with dance music hub Ministry of Sound's broadband video division, Ministry of Sound TV (MoSTV). When Joost launches … Read more

If you're in or around the New York City area, this could be something cool to check out. A Brooklyn artist who goes by the name of [dNASAb] (complete with brackets) has a new exhibit up at the Vertexlist gallery in Williamsburg in which he displays iPods in various states of destruction, surrounded by wires and cables and odd translucent arrows. On the iconic little Apple devices' video screens, the artist has selected video files that, according to Gridskipper, are "somehow relevant to their discombobulated state." The exhibit's up through April 22nd.

If you want to … Read more

If the furniture industry wised up, it would start designing a slew of lines with embedded media technologies. The combination of smaller devices and wireless connections could make entertainment options as common as choices of color and upholstery. And like any other quality product, aesthetics don't have to be sacrificed in the process.

The "Music Sofa" by designer Giongkun Wuqiongkun (conventional spelling) proves this point. The piece is beautifully done and fully functional with a built-in CD player and wireless speakers that can stream MP3 audio from an audio system within range, according to Yanko Design. And … Read more

At long last, relief from public ridicule. You've been suffering in the embarrassment of having to tote around that low-end $350,000 Tulip Ego for months, but someone has finally come along with a portable computer worthy of your elevated station. (How on earth could you be expected to carry a laptop that costs less than your cell phone?)

A rather mysterious company named Luvaglio of London has supposedly created a $1 million laptop, which Luxurylaunches says is "believed to integrate real diamonds and other precious jewelry into the chassis of the system." But any facts have … Read more

We never saw Titanic, mostly because of Leonardo DiCaprio and that blasted song by Celine Dion. But we'd still be more than happy to wear the "Titanic DNA Watch"--which was designed to commemorate the ship, not the movie--so named because it is made with traces of steel and other materials from the shipwreck.

Gizmodo (which hasn't seen the movie either) notes that coal from the vessel is contained in the lacquer used to paint the watch's black dial. Swiss watchmaker Romain Jermone says the number of timepieces to be released, at a price that … Read more

Thank goodness Princess Di is resting in peace, because this latest camera innovation would have surely made her life a living hell.

The ultimate paparazzi tool, the "Giraffe Pole Camera" developed by Macroswiss is basically a 21st century version of the World War I trench periscope but with greater capability, according to Gizmag. Think of it as something like a military version of the "Quick Pod."

The Giraffe is mounted on an aluminum telescopic pole that can extend up to 18 feet, allowing it to record images "from locations that are too difficult or too … Read more