In Jeff's absence, Wilson takes the reigns as chief engineer for the show...and runs it in to the ground. Just kidding! Today we invite host of The Green Show and longtime 404 friend, Mark Licea, to join us in a few stories about a handy iPhone app, traveling water bottles, Facebook jealousy, Internet addiction, and a hilarious Calls From the Public!
Wilson G. Tang as G-FORCE!
(Credit: Hayato Shimizu)Hot on the heels of Motherboard and Laserjet comes Earth's newest superdefender, G-FORCE! A big thanks goes out to our buddy Hayato Shimizu for Photoshopping Wilson into this robotic Megaman-looking superhero that fights crime with two cameras and still has time to highlight his hair. We've actually received a lot of really talented Photoshopped images of The 404 hosts recently, so click through the slideshow below for all the images.
Jeff's away on vacation and Wilson surprises us all by stepping up to the board, so bear with us through this episode. With some help from our good buddy The Intern Formerly Known as Mark, we navigate our way through a bunch of newsworthy stories from the Internet, including an iPhone app that tells you the best time to cut out of a movie to use the bathroom, the recent popularity of Internet addiction rehab camps, and how Facebook is trying to ruin your love life. All that, plus a new character on today's Calls From the Public!
EPISODE 400
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(Credit:
Newlaunches)
For some unfortunate reason, companies seem to think that waterproof speakers have to blend in with toiletries. A few, in fact, seem practically indistinguishable from shampoo bottles.
What's particularly disappointing about this latest model on the Japanese market is that it comes from Pioneer, which isn't a name usually associated with personal effects in the bathroom. The pink, blue, and white nursery colors don't help either. But we supposed it'll do the trick for around $40, with a waterproof "pouch" large enough to hold an iPod or other average-sized MP3 player, which connects to a built-in speaker. Just don't mistake it for the body wash.
(Credit:
Trendir)
All too often Crave comes across various goods that are festooned--or infected--with all manner of bling, real or otherwise. We usually try to stay focused on gadgets but, every once in awhile, something non-digital comes along that we just can't resist. This is one of those times.
Italian design house Teknobili has created a bathroom faucet covered with 292 diamonds, according to Trendir. Fortunately no price was listed for the "Oz Diamond Edition," because we just had breakfast.
But really, how bad can it be? After the $1 million fishing lure, nothing would surprise us. We hope, anyway.
(Credit:
Aquavision)
Every day sees more evidence that people are spending their entire lives in the bathroom. Take TVs, for example: No longer is it unusual to find a waterproof flat screen situated above the sink, in the shower, or pretty much anywhere else one can imagine (which we'd rather not, thank you).
Instead, it's become a question of how big the bathroom TV is. And Aquavision has an answer, to the tune of a 57-inch LCD in full 1080p HD glory, according to Dvice, with a reflective screen that serves as a mirror when turned off.
All this is getting increasingly passe as the bathroom TV market gets, well, saturated. What we really want to see is a "Pimped Out John" for the masses.
(Credit:
Seura)
For some unfathomable reason, there are apparently more than a few influential product designers who seem to think people just must have mirrored TVs. They've used reflective surfaces to hide LCDs, combined them with computers, and even made them waterproof.
But all of these have assumed that we want the TV concealed when it's not in use. Obviously, their focus groups have missed an important demographic--those of us who stay glued to the tube 24/7. The true addict would want something like the "Seura Television Mirror," which proudly displays the screen at all times while providing the reflection around it.
For prices starting at $3,000, BornRich says, bathroom aficionados can have the option of a 15- or 20-inch Sharp LCD and a choice of finishes including oak, cherry, and maple. You can even decide whether you want the display to be recessed or surface-mounted. We recommend the latter, for easier cleaning.
(Credit:
Luxurite)
There are a number of TVs on the market that are waterproof and others that have mirrored screens, but now we have one that combines both. The "Luxurite Wireless Waterproof TV" is a high-definition set that comes in 17 or 19 inches with an optional mirrored finish that appears when it's turned off. The U.K.-made TV can be used outdoors as well as indoors, Trendir says, and its remote is waterproof as well--but you'll pay the price for that durability, to the tune of $4,161. Even though it would be perfect by the pool, we suspect that it'll be most popular among full-time bathroom dwellers, who could use this TV for shaving as well as watching.
(Thanks, Joe)
(Credit:
Technabob)
The modern bathroom, as we've noted recently, is increasingly becoming the home's media center. It only makes sense, therefore, that entertainment be integrated seemlessly with the tiled decor.
The ultimate example: a music system designed to look like a shower knob, as seen on Technabob. Unfortunately, this bath toy is only an AM/FM radio, but its relatively reasonable $25 price should leave some money left over for a separate wireless device to stream your MP3 tunes through it.
Now if only it could be programmed to work with the shower's remote; that way, you could even turn it on before getting out of bed while pre-heating the temperature. That would also avoid some painful mistakes that could occur if the radio knob is mistaken for the hot water.
(Credit:
Signorini Design)
At Crave, we're all about living the high life, or at least pretending we can--it sure beats Hello Kitty sometimes. You know, flying cars, Ferrari phones, and speaker-equipped cocoon beds. Basically, if it's gorgeously yet somewhat-obnoxiously designed, we're all over it (vicariously).
Consequently, we are totally drooling over this shower from Signorini Design (yup, it's Italian). Not only does it pour water forth from a sleek metallic block rather than a typical shower head, but a set of colored lights can illuminate the water in your shade of choice. Which means--yes!--it's color-changey. That basically seals the deal for us...er, maybe just me.
(Via Geeksugar)
(Credit:
DiVapor)
Yeah, I thought so. This little appliance from DiVapor, featured on BornRich (naturally), will provide your bathing facilities with both an 8-jet steam shower and a personal sauna unit. Called the Utopia Steam Sauna, it'll only set you back $6,800.
The only beef I have with the design: it looks like you have to step out of the contraption entirely to go from the shower to the sauna or vice versa. But then again, I'm sure nobody who owns this thing will have much of a problem with freezing cold bathrooms to begin with. (Wirelessly controlled thermostats, anyone?)
Oh, and yes, it's created by the same people who brought us the TV-equipped Luxor Hydro Massage Bathtub. So if you're tired of watching 24 in your luxury bathtub, you can supplement it with one of these shower-sauna units and then you'll really get clean. (And spoiled.)
Apparently, these days you just aren't keeping up with the Joneses if you have a TV in your bedroom and one embedded in your refrigerator. And it's not enough to have one in the bathroom--it's got to be in the bathtub. I should also mention that the tub can't be an ordinary tub. It's got to be along the lines of the Luxor Hydro Massage Bathtub, as featured on Born Rich. The Luxor tub is selling for 3,995 British pounds, which is about $7,600. A small price for the absolute must-have of being able to watch "Grey's Anatomy" from the comfort of your massage-jet bathtub.
You can additionally add on a pack of aromatherapy oils for 49.95 pounds (or about $95 USD). Now that's McSteamy.
(Photo: Born Rich)
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