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December 3, 2007 3:05 AM PST

The 'ETree': Holiday display for aliens

by Mike Yamamoto
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(Credit: Nimble Critters)

It's a curse of life in the 'burbs: Every year you swear your holiday lights will outshine the rest of the neighborhood, and every year the Joneses humiliate you with something new. No more.

We guarantee that they won't find anything like the "ETree" at Wal-Mart, K-mart, or any other mart in the United States. This bizarre floor lamp, created by designers of U.K.-based Nimble Critters, features 10 branches that can be contorted into whatever shape you wish, according to Technabob.

You'll pay a hefty price for originality, however, as a lamp like the one shown here costs more than $2,000, while a smaller version goes for around $745. But it's a two-fer: Not only will you ace the competition, but you may scare them off for good because they'll think your house has been commandeered by alien cephalopods.

December 12, 2006 8:17 AM PST

Snoopy does the iPod

by Mike Yamamoto
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Snoopy iPod Nano (Credit: Akihabara News)

We admit it: We're suckers for Peanuts. Especially around the holidays, when we get to hear the Vince Guaraldi Trio everywhere. It's one of the few childhood memories we have that doesn't involve getting beaten up by our older brothers.

That's why we were happy to see Snoopy on this iPod Nano, rather than yet another gadget adorned by the evil Hello Kitty. Japan's Run-At, which makes various products for Disney as well, has released 1,000 of the limited-edition iPods for the second year in a row with the famed beagle wearing headphones etched in the back.

Last year's special edition reportedly cost more than $300, and this one may be even more because it comes with a bevy of accessories, including a leather case. On second thought, Snoopy was kind of a jerk to Woodstock sometimes.

November 27, 2006 3:32 PM PST

MP3 player or tree ornament?

by Mike Yamamoto
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(Credit: Soundwave)

Looking for a new music player but tired of the same old same old? This one definitely doesn't look like your standard fare.

Soundwave has come up with an MP3 ball less than 2 inches in diameter, complete with a tiny display and 1GB memory (in pink, of course) for about $77. And if it doesn't work as billed, you can always hang it on the Chrismas tree next to your eyeball-shape Webcam.

November 10, 2006 11:50 AM PST

Christmas tree as a supercomputer

by Mike Yamamoto
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2,000-chip tree (Credit: Newlaunches)

This is just sick. If you're this much into computers, you shouldn't be allowed anywhere near a Christmas tree.

2,000-chip tree

Newlaunches has posted photos of a 17-foot-tall tree decorated with 2,000 processors in the Akihabara District of Tokyo, the electronics capital of Japan. The gawdy display is sponsored by Intel, so it naturally features some of the latest Core 2 Duo chips. We just hope no one tries to overclock this beast.

October 23, 2006 12:08 PM PDT

Oh no: The USB Christmas tree

by Mike Yamamoto
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It's only October, and someone has already come up with the worst Christmas tree gadget so far. Our fellow gadget fiends over at The Raw Feed have uncovered this gem: The USB Christmas tree. We can only hope that this doesn't become a gadgety version of the Chia pet.

(Photo: USBGeek)

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