OK. So we promised you on last week's episode that we would do a single-purpose gadgets episode this week. Turns out, promising that type of thing in advance isn't such a good idea as we actually had to work to find gadgets that fit the theme. So we made it, but admittedly by the skin of our collective teeth. It's all worth it for the segments, though. Patience, young grasshopper!
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EPISODE 149
Sony responds to Kindle onslaught with Reader Touch and Pocket
Pancake machine churns 200 flapjacks per hour (thanks, Peter Lee!)
Multiblade pizza slicer guarantees perfect-sized slices
Lava Lamp returns as Mathmos Fireflow
A Propos (of) Nothing
The Wall-E USB drive is too cute for even baby talk to describe
This week in hello kitty
Hello Kitty limited edition Casio Exilim EX-Z2
It’s About Time
Darth Vader clock radio has no patience for your sloth
PRETTY
Bugatti Diva espresso machine inspires poetry
Potty Time
Public urinal lets you pee into the wall
Kill Me
Sony’s new “Girlz Play Too” campaign
Pink Watch (Kill Me Edition)
ChicBuds “by women, for women”
(Credit:
Oregon Scientific )
Anyone who's minimally familiar with personal weather stations knows that Oregon Scientific is obsessed with these devices--which strikes us as somewhat odd, because the weather in Oregon seems fairly predictable compared with other states (rain followed by more rain). Whatever the reason, its crusade has paid off at least where design is concerned.
No longer do home forecasting gadgets look like hospital equipment thanks to the company's efforts to add an aesthetic dimension to its products. As Technabob points out, its latest offering looks more like a retro sci-fi movie prop than something used to guess whether you should bring a sweater to the picnic.
The wireless BAR210 Weather Forecaster has fairly standard meteorological fare, with an atomic clock and color icons for rain, shine, and everything in between. But there's one thing it has over the competition: It would make an ideal bookend to a lava lamp.
(Credit:
Discovery Communications)
Acknowledging our generational biases, we've noted our partiality to the lava lamp in its original form, or at least as close as possible. Although we've tried to keep an open mind about more contemporary equivalents, few can even approach the volcanic icon of our wasted youth (so to speak).
But Discovery has managed to come close with a USB swirling vortex that looks good enough to keep us mesmerized even without artificial enhancements. This LED-illuminated item has a practical use beyond its entertainment value as well, housing four USB ports in a 180-degree revolving hub. With any luck, it'll be the closest we ever get to experiencing a tornado, with or without hallucinogens.
(Credit:
ThinkGeek)
We've never quite understood the appeal of mobile phone straps and charms, but maybe that's just another sign of our advanced age. But now we've finally come across a trinket that we can relate to: a mini-lava lamp.
And this isn't just any lava-lamp charm, according to Popgadget, but one that lights up when you get a call. The "Astro Light" from British designer Mathmos is also available as a bulb, but it's the lava lamp that holds a special place in our heart. The only other icon that would be more appropriate from our misspent youth would be a bong.
Mathmos lava lamp cell phone charm
(Credit: Technabob via Gizmodo)I am not one for cell phone charms, but I also realize it's a way to personalize your handset and make a statement about yourself--whether you're a straight-up baller, fashionista, or boozer. However, a U.K. company called Mathmos has come up with a way for a cell phone dangle to be, err, somewhat cute and useful. The charm--available in lava lamp (blue or red) or light bulb (blue or white) models--detects the radio frequency emissions that come from your phone when you receive a call and will alert you to the incoming call by lighting up. Gimmicky? Sure. But it could also be quite handy. The charms cost about $12 each (minus international shipping costs), and here's an interesting tidbit for you: Mathmos was the original creator of the lava lamp.
(Credit:
Gadget Candy)
We're not terribly fond of gadgets that change colors just for the sake of doing so--some Cravers are downright indignant, in fact--but this one may be an exception. If nothing else, Aigo's "Omnisphere" deserves at least some credit for its sheer number of colors: 4,096 of them in "high-illumination LED," according to Gadget Candy.
Like so much raver chic gear we've seen, this one has a brightness control that can be set to the beat and volume of the music. Not only that, but it will play the songs from an iPod as well with a built-in amp and storage for up to 250 tunes. It's perfect for an updated disco look too, because it looks like a lava lamp that's evolved into a 21st century look.
(Credit:
ThinkGeek)
You know, I kind of like lava lamps. Unlike the whole ambient orb craze, lava lamps aren't just background decoration--they're fun to stare at. They also have legit retro appeal, which is pretty cool when it seems like just about every gadget is trying to look as futuristic as possible. Now, crazy-gadget hub ThinkGeek is selling a $10 lava lamp night light that Gizmodo alerted us to today. You can get 'em in red or yellow (though on the product page, the yellow looks more like neon green), and they plug right into any electric socket. Then it gives off a nice, soothing, mesmerizing glow.
Plus, it could prevent me from tripping over power cords while walking around my apartment late at night. But that's just a cool bonus.
(Credit:
Gear Live)
If you crossed a mood ring with a cell phone, what would you get? More importantly, why would anyone think of such a thing?
The people at Panasonic and NTT DoCoMo have apparently done just that, and the result is a mobile phone that changes color depending on your emotional state. The key to this bizarre feature is something called the "Feel Talk" function (so Japanese), which analyzes your voice tones and patterns while you're conversing.
Depending on what kind of day you're having, according to Gear Live, the phone can show "10 variations of brightness and colors with a 128-gradiation LED light." That sounds like an awful lot of trouble for a mood phone, but it also has a 1.3-megapixel camera, optional 2GB storage and other stuff to go with the glowing lamp.
The phone comes in four colors, but you may want to get them all. After all, you never know how you may feel about your choice an hour later.
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