Penguin fever hits the design world

Did you cry during "March of the Penguins?" (I heard a rumor that fellow Crave expert Mike Yamamoto did.)

Are you going to head to the local cineplex to see "Happy Feet" while all your friends are lining up to see "Casino Royale" next weekend?

Are you into the idea of cute light-up electronic animals, but are kind of creeped out by the "smart" Nabaztag bunny?

Do you think the Nabaztag bunny would've been a little cooler if it were, say, a penguin?

Sadly, there isn't a "smart penguin" yet. But here's the next best thing. An Italian company called KoKo Design has created penguin-shaped lamps that give off a soft glow and "waddle" back and forth when you give them a nudge. Plus, each purchase of a KoKo penguin benefits Australia's Penguin Foundation.

Sadly, it doesn't look like you can obtain them in the States yet. But that's okay. I'm sure that with the release of yet another penguin movie, there will be plenty of flightless-Antarctic-bird-inspired merchandise around here, too.

(Photo: KoKo Design. Referred via Notcot's .org site.)