(Credit:
CrunchGear)
Love dogs. Love the Japanese even more for their highly bizarre gizmos. No other country has consistently amused and amazed the world with its weird and wacked-out inventions. Try topping this latest idea: Ringtones audible only to dogs, from Tokyo-based interactive content provider Dwango (PDF in Japanese).
Lest you think it's an error in translation, Dwango describes the download service very clearly as Inu ni shika kikoenai chakushinon--which translates to "Ringtones only dogs can hear," according to CrunchGear. But since this is available specifically for DoCoMo's i-mode phones, only Japanese dogs need apply.
(Source: Crave Asia)
Sugoi! (Click the image to view the slide show)
While waiting for the doors to open at the Tokyo auto show this week, senior editor Wayne Cunningham hit the legendary gadget district of Akihabara in search of weird and wonderful electronics. He wasn't disappointed, finding a trove of tech toys from the Sony Roly to lipstick-shaped MP3 players. Check out his photo gallery here.
(Credit:
pure-life.info)
I know that girls' feet (and hence, their shoes) are supposed to smell like a combination of fresh-cut lilies and pure spring rain, but mine sure don't, especially when I'm coming back to the apartment after a jog through Manhattan's sticky summer humidity.
So far, I've found no solution to the issue, which concerns me, because I like to keep the health and well-being of my roommates and neighbors in mind. On particularly hot days, sometimes I worry that the smell of my sneakers post-workout might accidentally kill some baby bunnies or kittens, or on the flip side, might act as an aphrodisiac for horny cockroaches. (I know, ewwww.)
Enter the Japanese-import Shoe Pure 100, which looks oddly like those bizarre egg-shaped glowing devices that we saw a trend in a few months back. Two little "arms" on the gadget extend out to hold your problematically-scented shoes; toss them on when you get home from wherever you've been, and in half an hour, the Shoe Pure 100 promises to rid them of all unpleasant aromas by drying out the fresh sweat with warm air.
It's one of those situations in which I'm skeptical that it'd actually work, but considering I've tried every other option, I'm willing to give it a shot.
I don't really understand why it has to glow, too, but maybe that's to show that the magic anti-stink fairy is hard at work, transforming the odor of workout grease and urban sludge into the delightful scent of late-summer roses.
(Via Plastic Bamboo)
(Credit:
Plastic Bamboo)
Crave has featured all manner of luxury items for humans, but we've been woefully (and unintentionally) remiss when it comes to the same for lesser beings. In a first step toward rectification, therefore, today we offer something for our pelted friends--a paw spa.
This mini-whirlpool is like a Jacuzzi for four-legged loved ones, though it's big enough only to soak one aching paw at a time. Available at Amazon Japan, it even comes with a matching towel and "a special super-absorbent mat," according to Plastic Bamboo. Little did we know that Japan's agenda for a human-free society would cater so much to pets but, upon reflection, it makes sense in a perverse way.
(Credit:
TakaraTomy)
What is it with these astronomy gadgets that aim to recreate the cosmos inside your living room? I totally dig some of them, like the laser star projector, but some others just go way too far. These are the Furawito floating lamps made by the Japanese company TakaraTomy, and they're a little bit excessive, to say the least. They are, essentially, helium balloons that happen to be shaped like the earth and moon, with LEDs to make them glow. Yeah, totally unnecessary. They cost about $27 apiece--waste of cash.
Plus, you'll need to replenish the helium. That sounds more annoying than just changing a light bulb.
P.S.: In addition to the earth and moon lamps, there are also Fuwarito lights in the shape of a jellyfish and a dolphin. Just in case you aren't a jellyfish-hater like Steve Jobs.
(Via Technabob)
(Credit:
StrapYa World)
Considering our "love" of all things Hello Kitty and all things pirate-related on this blog, you might think that this post is a joke. In fact, when Tim Moynihan heard about it, he said "holy s-burgers!" and expressed the emotion that perhaps this is the Crave gadget to end all Crave gadgets. And Erica Ogg said, "I think Crave might explode when you post that."
(I said no. It would be the Crave apocalypse if it were a Hello Kitty pirate toy that changed color when you plugged it into a USB port. So we're safe for now.)
It does seem too awesome to be true, but it isn't. There actually is such thing as a cell phone charm that depicts Hello Kitty dressed up as a pirate. And to make it even better, it comes with daggers. Hello Pirate Kitty is trapped in the barrel, and by some bizarre twist of logic, you have to put the little daggers into the barrel in order to free her. Then, according to the product page, "You're the winner and hero! Kitty might kiss you expressing her gratitude!"
Brilliant!
You can buy it here. Looks like it's exclusively in Japan for now, but that'll change when Crave bulk-orders several thousand of them.
(Via Plastic Bamboo)
(Credit:
Technabob)
What is it with clocks these days? It seems like every day my RSS reader has at least one wacky clock--usually more--showcased on a few of the gadget blogs I read. They're typically not as awful as the watches that we come across, but still...the bird call clock? The unreadable Tetris-esque clock? And don't forget that freaking orrery. I prefer to keep my clocks simple, thankyouverymuch.
Which is why this projector clock, hailing from Japan, is also a "thanks, but no thanks." It's a translucent little box that can sit on your table of choice and uses a 50-watt halogen bulb to project an image of an analog clock onto the wall. The projected image is rather nice, a tad Dali-esque, and I guess it's a cute idea, but if I'm reading the time off the wall, I don't particularly want to have to deal with an object cluttering up my tables, too. Plus, it's the Japanese equivalent of $133; definitely not worth it when I can just pull my cell phone out of my pocket to check the time.
(Technabob via Notcot.org)
(Credit:
Treehugger)
This really takes the stupidity cake. Looking at the first few pictures, I thought the "Skycycle" in Okayama, Japan, was a sort of bike-ride-meets-skyway. You know, something that you could pedal around on at a nice, leisurely pace to get a birds' eye view of sights on the ground. But, no. It's a roller coaster. You get on it, and you pedal, and you go wheeeeeee.
(Credit:
Treehugger)
This is scary for a number of reasons. Okay, so it might be eco-friendly because it's all done by manpower. But personally, I like my roller coasters to be automated. You never know what will happen when you put idiots in the driver's seat (and there are a lot of idiots out there). Plus, take a look at the seats on this thing. They don't look suitable for a golf cart, let alone a roller coaster.
Environmentally sustainable technology is awesome, but please, let's keep it safe. For a future "green roller coaster," how about some biofuels? Hmm?
(Via Treehugger)
(Credit:
TokyoMango)
Pink bubbles and rubber ducks can get a little bit boring sometimes, even if they're unconventional rubber ducks. And not all of us can afford to install a Hydro-Massage Bathtub with a built-in TV. So how can you liven up the in-tub entertainment? Of course, the answer comes out of Japan. TokyoMango has written up these flashing bath balls that might just be able to elevate the common bath to an ethereal level. You fill these little guys with bath salts, put them in the tub, and they'll float and release the nice-smelling salts while flashing their lights. Consequently, you can turn the lights down and enjoy the colorful display. Because everyone likes light shows.
And as a side note, TokyoMango blogger Lisa Katayama compared the appearance of the light-up bath balls to UFOs, which as we've seen are pretty much everywhere in the tech-design world these days.
Tip: To make the atmosphere even more super awesome, supplement the light show with a soundtrack courtesy of your iPod shower adapter. The obvious choice is Dark Side of the Moon, but I'd go for some vintage Bowie.
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