(Credit:
Thanko)
The Japanese gadget wizards at Thanko have created a USB soldering iron so you can melt lead on the go.
The USB Soldering Iron can heat up to 390 Fahrenheit if powered through one USB port; with two ports, it gets to 570 F. Wire it to a 9V battery it it will burn at nearly 930 F.
Thanko seems to have a policy of trying to convert every tool known to man to USB, from dental microscopes to electric razors to e-cigarettes. They also have a yen for plain old wacky stuff, like these cat-ear headphones.
They seem to think of everything when it comes to product design. The USB Soldering Iron comes with a handy LED light near the tip to illuminate the work area.
For $28, the iron also comes with a 40-inch USB cable (with two plugs), as well as a 30-inch cable for a 9V battery.
It's clearly not as clumsy or random as a blaster. An elegant weapon for a more civilized age.
(Via CrunchGear)
(Credit:
Brando)
Those of you who've adopted frugality during this recession know that packing a lunch is one of the best ways to cut down on spending. But waiting in line to use the microwave, washing your Tupperware out, and having your lunch stolen from the company refrigerator can make saving a few dollars everyday quite inconvenient.
The USB LunchBox Warmer, by the Hong Kong-based company Brando, keeps your leftovers and homemade lunches toasty hot. Just plug it in to your computer--which acts a power source--via the included USB cable and you're ready to eat a piping hot meal at a moment's notice. Not near a computer? Switch out the cable for the included AC adapter.
Like the similar device from Thanko, the lunch box keeps your meal at a steamy 122 degrees Fahrenheit and continues insulating once it's unplugged. Thanko's version isn't available in the U.S., so when I found out that Brando was selling this at $30 (with only $3 shipping), I took a moment to rejoice.
I'm a little reluctant about buying this, though. What kind of technology are they using anyhow? It took us years to accept the fact that microwaves don't cause cancer, so I'm wondering if this product is radiation-free. I'd definitely read the fine print before using.
Boo! This episode is all about the scariest of scary gadgetry. Listen, if you dare!
Listen now: Download today's podcast
 |
EPISODE 112 |
Bomb baby stroller ensures your baby grows up strong and warlike
Look at the legs on that: Walking house looks like giant metal beetle
Netflix streaming comes to TiVo
Dubai’s newest insane skyscraper to house a restaurant in a glass pod at 2,150 feet
Scariest jack-o’-lantern of 2008 - The stock-market pumpkin
Pink Watch
These belong in Hell: Half Croc, half Ugg (thanks, phatemokid!)
Why didn’t I think of that?!
Caps Lock Key Trainer Key HAS GIGANTIC SPIKES (ow)
Gender Gap
Feel the throbbing with the shocking 'Thumbwars' game
Hot Asian Gadget
Tuttuki Bako
Tool Time
iPod Blazer from Park Avenue
(Credit:
Thanko )
If it ain't in the market yet, you can trust Thanko to dream it up. The online store has been responsible for a number of funky--if sometimes questionable--gadgets out of Japan, from USB butt coolers to cushions for lazy geeks to neckties with built-in fans.
So if you're a fanboy of the company, the Sound Lives Magnetic Earphones (1,980 yen, $18.65), which seem lost in translation, are probably the first we've come across where you clip the earpiece onto your, well, ears. Just like a pair of earrings. Aesthetics-wise, it's pure Thanko--a touch of the oddball with strange designs like a soccer ball, skull and cross bones, and panda.
While the idea sounds like a droll one since it should feel more secure to clip than stuff the earphones into your canals, I've on occasion donned a pair of clip-on blings. And believe me, it's uncomfortable enough to be constantly aware of the pinched sensation on your earlobes. Since we don't have an actual pair from Thanko to test out, it's caveat emptor, buyer beware when you get these online from the site.
(Via Crave Asia)
(Credit:
Newlaunches.com)
The Thanko All In One Sunglasses out of Japan look more 3D clunky than Prada sleek. But what else would you expect from a pair of shades that incorporate a media player?
The glasses are capable of reading MP3 and WMA audio formats, and playing video formats MP4, MPG, AVI, and ASF. That means you can listen to music or watch movies (at a squinty 432x240 resolution) on the specs themselves. This is no Cinemax, to be sure, but the glasses could be a fun diversion on a train or park bench if you don't mind the bulk. Note to wearers: please lay off the films while crossing the street.
Audio files, videos, and photos are stored in a miniSD card loaded on the flank of the glasses, which come with a remote control, AC adapter, earphones, USB cable for charging the device and transferring files, and carrying case. They also come with four equalizer presets and a lithium ion battery. Oh, and they go for $364--we know, we know, for that amount you could get an iPhone.
(Via Newlaunches.com)
(Credit:
Thanko)
We thought we'd found the ideal laptop angle years ago with the "Easy Desk Aluminum," but that position can get a little old especially when used at play as well as at work. That's where the aptly named "Lazy Geek's Cushion" comes in.
Unlike many of its other products, Japan's Thanko may actually have come up with something useful with this, er, workstation, at least for those of us afflicted with terminal laziness. It supposedly claims to alleviate back and neck pain, though we have no idea if there's any actual ergonomic value to it. Then again, it can't be any worse than spending every waking hour on one's back.
(Credit:
Newlaunches)
The way things are going, it's possible that portable solar chargers could be bypassed altogether if manufacturers can build the technology directly into their media players and other handheld devices. Not many are doing that yet, but we have seen a few.
A few months back a company called eMotion unveiled a solar media player, though it seemed to sacrifice other specs to make room for the green technology. Now Tokyo-based Thanko has released its own version with similar shortcomings, an MP4 player with 4GB of built-in storage and a 2-inch display, according to CrunchGear. The solar panels, which can be separated from the unit, also have their limitations: An hour of charging powers only 15 minutes of video play and 35 minutes of music.
Still, these companies deserve at least some praise for making an effort. Because the value of that solar integration will become abundantly clear when the world has successfully eluded oppression of the Sanrio empire.
(Credit:
GeekStuff4U)
Thanko is one outfit we'll never be able to figure out. Just after releasing its latest example of inanity, a vacuuming mouse, it comes out with a product that might actually be practical.
The new version of the Japanese company's self-described "Silent Keyboard" allows you to pound away in the middle of the night without waking the neighbors or, if you work the night shift, your co-workers in the next cubicle. There are others that make the same claim, but Akihabara News says this one can be used with two PCs, alternating from one to the next with a toggle just above the arrow keys.
It would be more convenient, of course, if the keyboard would work on both screens without having to flip a switch, but one can't be too picky for $51. Besides, it could be worse: They could have given it a snow-globe motif.
(Credit:
Thanko)
If you thought the irritatingly misspelled "Robo Vacum" was silly, you're in good company. What it needs, of course, is to be combined with another device--like a mouse.
And that's good news for a company like Thanko. It is, after all, the Japanese outfit that prides itself on creations ranging from USB aromatherapy devices to muscle-toning mice. So it came as little surprise that it's responsible for a "USB Vacuum Mouse" that's pretty much self-explanatory.
The combo gadget is an 800-dpi mouse that turns into a mini-vacuum cleaner with the flip of a small switch, according to Everything USB. They would do well to work in a cooking function to make the clean-up feature all the more attractive.
(Credit:
Thanko)
If you give an item like this any kind of consideration at all, it's probably a sign that you're spending more time playing games than with your loved ones. Actually, it may mean that you don't have any loved ones at all, or won't for very long.
Thanko's "Charger Bracelet" is designed for addicts who just can't put down their handhelds when the batteries run dry, supposedly providing another 4.5 hours for a PSP and 28 hours for a DS Lite with a recharger strapped to the wrist, according to Engadget. On the other hand, given the fashion statement that this will make, there'll be plenty of time for those games every Saturday night.
