(Credit:
Thanko)
Once again, Japanese retailer Thanko proves that virtually everything can be given a USB port, from butt coolers to lunch boxes, and now the e-cigarette. Thanko's USB Tabako, which comes with 11 filter butts and an atomizer for $33, even lights up at the end like a real ciggie. Though the fact that there's no ash to flick is a dead giveaway.
While the USB Tabako may not have the nicotine kick that tarred smokers' desire, electric cigarettes could become an increasingly desperate viable option to beat the non-smoking bans making it harder to puff in Asia. Singapore's laws alone are so stringent, it's almost impossible to exhale outdoors, including within about 16 feet of any entrance or exit of buildings and facilities where smoking is prohibited.
(Source: Crave Asia via Newlaunches.com)
Today's gaggle of gadgets are all extremely inappropriate. Only one of them is inappropriate in "that" way.
Listen now: Download today's podcast
 |
EPISODE 130 |
A Bus Stop Ad that Displays Your Weight
Electric Cigarettes, with liquid nicotine, catching on in the U.S.
The reason cats act like they hate us
This belly button ring is not an alien appendage (thanks Peter!)
EMO jacket lets you feel what’s happening in movies
Tool Time
Scratchophone Breathes New Life
What the hell?!
Cole Cleaner for lazy drinkers
Apropos (of) nothing
Amphibious Lounger
Pink Watch (bling Rx edition)
Would you like some bling with your Acer Aspire One?
E-MAIL
HELLO ladies … oh and jason,
i was browsing the interwebs when i came across this: My Little Pony doll things that were transformed into movie characters. now i know its not to tech related but you know damn well you cant pass up a my little pony chewbacca.
Cordially,
phatemokid
(Credit:
Smoking Everywhere)
Personally, I am very much against smoking, possibly more than I should be for my own good.
However, having known many smokers in my life, I also understand that smoking is probably the hardest, among human being's bad habits, to get rid off. And in the meantime, when you smoke, you're harming your health and that of those around you, while smelling really bad. There I go again!
The point is you hate to see your dad smoke his life away but you wouldn't want to see him suffer when he needs a fix, either. So how about getting him a pack of electronic cigarette?
... Read moreThis show starts out as the Recycle, Reduce, Re-Use Episode. Shortly into the show, we realize how poorly thought out a theme that was. Wow, it's been a long break.
Listen now: Download today's podcast
|
EPISODE 121 |
Pee-powered battery (that technically runs on water or juice too) (Thanks Cianna!)
Sega robo-cat will meow, won’t catch mice
Quit smoking or be forced to wear these clothes made from cigarette butts
Breathalyzer key chain lets you see if you’re drunk while on the highway
Recycled condoms used on hair bands???
Snopes confirms this as legit! ACK!
Facebook spoils the free Whopper fun
... Read more
On this episode of "When Laser Printers Attack," it turns out your laser printer is not guilty of releasing noxious particles into the air, as previously reported by this Australian health alert (PDF) last year. The report claimed that some laser printers sporadically spew certain "toner-like" particles that pose the same amount of health hazard as cigarettes. As it turns out, laser printers hardly release any of these noxious chemicals into the air and it's perfectly safe to use one without wearing a Hazmat suit.
The good scientists at the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft applied research institute just released this research study that empirically refutes the argument made by the Australians. It states that that "contrary to numerous reports, laser printers release hardly any particles of toner into the air."
The particles are actually made of volatile organic-chemical substances, or VOCs, and while they do confirm that they exist, the VOCs aren't nearly as deadly as a cigarette; in fact, the accused printer perpetrators emit the same level of VOCs as the common toaster, and nobody's keeling over trying to make toast in the morning, so it's safe to assume that your printer is probably not going to be your cause of death. The article goes on to dispel the myth of VOC filters: "As the ultra-fine particles are not emitted from a specific part of the printer, but also from the paper output, for instance, a filter can only have a limited effect."
Lesson learned: use your laser printer with peace of mind; don't lick the toner cartridge; and take solace knowing that everything around us emits some form of small particle/gas/radiation/carcinogen, but only a handful of it is toxic. I think.
The E-Cigarette's manufacturer claims it will help smokers quit.
(Credit: Chinavasion)If gum, the patch, and hypnosis don't cut it, Chinavasion says smokers can kick their nicotine habit and look tech-savvy at the same time with the "E-Cigarette" anti-smoking gadget sold on its site.
While it has the appearance of a cigarette--albeit a stainless steel one--the gadget is loaded with nicotine cartridges, a different concept than the e-cigar, which uses liquid cartridges to produce the flavored vapor without the nicotine and smoke. The five atomized cartridges in the E-Cigarette contain high-purity liquid nicotine, and each cartridge has the lifespan of about 30 cigarettes.
The cigarette is sold with five cartridges ranging in levels from one-sixth the nicotine content of a normal cigarette to none at all. Based on nicotine replacement therapy, smokers can use the E-Cigarette to slowly wean themselves off the nicotine cartridges, ideally ending with the nicotine-free insert.
The gadget comes with a lithium ion battery and charger.
(Credit: Chinavasion)Additionally, Chinavasion claims the gadget's lack of tobacco means it's free of carcinogens and tar.
The smoking device is managed by a microchip and powered by a rechargeable lithium ion battery. The tip of the E-Cigarette glows with an LED light that will blink rapidly to warn smokers they have taken too many inhales in one minute.
The device is sold for about $26, and if the average price of a 20-cigarette pack is around $5, the gadget could be a low-cost option for smokers trying to quit. A similar product by Ruyan runs for more than $100.
Chinavasion's discount E-Cigarette and charger might fit in a purse or a pocket, but when a stressful day strikes, a dead E-Cigarette could push a smoker to visit the local convenience store instead.
(Credit:
Crave Asia)
This "Child Check System" introduced by Japanese company Fujitaka uses facial recognition to determine if the person buying cigarettes is over the legal age limit, which is currently 20 in Japan. A camera embedded in the vending machine takes a picture, then compares it with its database of 100,000 faces.
The system even checks for lines and skin tones to estimate a person's age. It will be installed in about half a million vending machines in Japan from July this year.
Whether this actually works in stopping underaged consumers from smoking is still too early to tell. After all, there are lots of people who look younger than their actual age, and others who appear more mature than they are.
So what's next? A vending machine that determines if you are too fat to buy a soda?
(Source: Crave Asia)
(Credit:
Gadget4all)
If there's something that even arch-rival Giants and Dodgers fans can agree on, it's that there are zillions of USB hubs on the desktop market. But what about for the car? For 12 bucks, Gadget4all is selling a four-port charger that can plug directly into the cigarette lighter socket for all your in-car gadget needs. Because you never know when you might need a snack or a megadose of aromatherapy to prevent a case of road rage.
(Credit:
Prestigio)
If ever there was a sign that geekdom had gone mainsteam, it would be the marketing of portable hard drives as fashion and designer items. And until now our personal favorite, for obvious reasons, was one that resembles a pocket flask.
But there's a new contender coming from Prestigio, whose motto is "The Art of Hi-Tech." Not only is the "Data Safe II" bound in leather, as others have been, but it also resembles a retro-styled cigarette case. Uber-Review notes that its specs are far from the fastest for this device, which comes in 80GB and 160GB capacities, but in this case that's apparently the sacrifice one must endure in the name of fashion.
(Credit:
Crown7.com)
It's becoming harder for smokers to coexist with nonsmokers, what with all the nonsmoking in restaurants and bars. But if Crown7's smoke-free smoking devices catch on, a utopian society where smokers can "smoke" without pissing off everyone around them may yet exist.
The battery-powered devices use cartridges filled with nicotine, tobacco flavoring, water, and delicious propylene glycol to recreate the sensation of smoking. Instead of smoke, the "smoker" exhales a purportedly odorless vapor.
The device is available in three designs: cigar ($65), cigarette ($100), and pipe ($150).
According to the Crown7 site, each cartridge is the equivalent of two packs of cigarettes; five cartridges sell for $10.
For anyone still on the fence, it should be noted that each device comes with a "handsome case."
[Via Gizmodo.]
