Convergence: The occurrence of two or more things coming together. In this case, cars and couches, shoes and bathtubs, and last but not least, showers and aquariums. Try to wrap your brain around that!
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EPISODE 137 |
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We're not trying to give robots too much power over our lives, but let's face it...there are some things that we'd rather not have to do, and our robot underlings would be perfect fill-ins. That is, of course, until they become self aware and jump onto our faces until we surrender to their immense robotic power. But that won't happen for a long time, so don't worry about that just yet.
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Episode 115 |
DanBall the finger massaging robot looks like anything but a finger massaging robot
Roofus the snow-sweeping robot protects the roofs of large buildings
Magic system fills glasses from the bottom up somehow
Pink Watch
Sony announces Bluetooth headphones, travel-friendly speakers
A propos (of) nothing
Erasable Shower Tablet for inspired moments (thanks HollyHock!)
Here it is for sale!
What the hell?! (Vibrating stool edition)
Vibrating Toilet Seat
Mario Mushroom vibrating stool (thanks Dr. Karl!)
Gender Gap
Tomahawk Skull Gauntlet
Tool Time (baby edition)
Badass Oakley Roddler stroller gives your kid an early chip on his shoulder
Electric-drill-powered stroller should come with a Father of the Year award
Pretty……..
BMW unveils electric Mini Cooper
Dirt-cheap Christmas crap
Walmart offers $128 Blu-Ray
(Credit:
O2 Planet)
(Credit:
DEG)
After having witnessed their rise in the bacchanalian heydey of the dot-com boom, we've always had an odd fascination with oxygen bars. And yes, we admit that it probably has something to do with Dennis Hopper's character in Blue Velvet too.
That aside, the "Entertainment Oxygen Lounge" may prove too difficult to resist even for skeptics like us. Not only does it have the requisite stress-reducing and mood-enhancing equipment, according to BornRich, but it combines that system with a massage chair. And we all know how we feel about those.
It gets even better: Add a DVD player, stereo, and high-end earphones for "audio/video therapy" to an "Aroma O2 Headset," and it's Bliss City. Come to think of it, we'll skip the oxygen and have a beer instead. Pabst Blue Ribbon, of course.
Cracks in China's new hybrid capitalist/command economy were bound to surface, but the fact that Wei Wang of BUBBY Robot Technologies should have to go begging to finance his company's breast-massage robot borders on the disgraceful.
Judge for yourself: The portable Breast Massage Robot simulates the professional massager's hand movements while automatically adjusting itself to fit various breast shapes. The result is a comfortable massage at a fraction of the cost.
The list of benefits is endless. According to the literature it's perfect for women who are under pressure and want to relax, women who want to improve their "sex activities," woman who want pretty breasts, and for girls who are reaching puberty and hope to "improve the growth of breast." A perfect gift for your Sweet Sixteen.
You can bet on one thing: If men had the kind of breasts that needed massaging, this thing would already be on the market. For shame!
As a tech writer, it's not uncommon to see a press release or a photo of some new gadget and have an instant sensation of "I need that."
But, I'm not sure the words have ever been more true than when I saw the info on Inada's latest massage chair, the Sogno.
Inada's latest massage chair sounds perfect. If only it were here...
(Credit: Inada)I've been in a colossally bad mood today, for no particular reason. But I am sure 15 minutes (OK, 30 minutes) in this baby would do the trick. It uses an infrared body scan to determine a particular individual's central acupressure point as well as "full shoulder/neck air massage with neck traction capabilities, shoulder to fingertip arm massage, arching full body stretch," and something called total relaxation Dream-Wave Technology. Not sure what that is, but it sure sounds good.
Now all I need is the teleporter and a time machine to get it here now. Inada is showing it off to reporters at next week's Las Vegas Winter Furniture Market.
Alas, I'd even settle for Inada's earlier music-synching W.1 Masssage Chair. But it's not to be. If anyone needs me, I'll be downstairs using CNET's iJoy massage chair and feeling sorry for myself.
(Credit:
Popgadget)
Faced with endless competition, massage chairs have bloated to egregious sizes in an effort to cram in as many features as possible. They kind of remind us of the Windows operating systems of the mid-'90s.
But what about the petite consumer? A smaller-boned individual might be swallowed whole by one of these undulating monsters. That's why Matsushita has made a chair that it says is sized more appropriately for women, smaller than most in height and width by 10 centimeters (about 4 inches), according to Popgadget.
The chairs, which aren't available yet in the United States, will reportedly start at $1,800. Apparently, smaller doesn't necessarily mean cheaper.
(Credit:
Jovial Electronics)
Anyone who's visited a mall in the last decade knows that massage chairs are a dime a dozen--or perhaps several grand, depending on the model--but we just can't pass up one that comes from a company called "Jovial." And it's not just any manufacturer, but one that claims to be "China's leader in massage chairs" (we'll have to take their word for it).
Geographic hyperbole aside, it's latest offering alone has got to put it high on the list: As well as some advanced bodywork technology, it promises to provide nothing short of a full multimedia experience. While it uses its programmable 3D body-scanning system to gauge your sore spots, you can make use of its built-in DVD player, loudspeakers, and synchronized massage music--all through its attached LCD controller, according to BornRich. We're not sure if we would describe all this as "jolly," but it certainly couldn't hurt.
(Credit:
AxPertz)
We'll leave those motorized "Bumper Boats" to the kids. As far as we're concerned, Astone's "Sit N Joy" is the only way to enjoy the water.
This is no ordinary inflatable float, mind you. It's a buoyant multimedia massage chair with integrated speakers that can be connected to a media player stowed safely inside a watertight compartment in one of the armrests. (The chair's remote controls are built into the other arm.)
In fact, Astone says it's comfortable enough to be used outside the pool as well. We're wondering if it'll fit in the driver's seat of our car.
(Credit:
Hollandia)
While we will always remain faithful to the TV bar as our favorite media furnishing (with the LCD pool table a close second), we must admit that this multimedia bed will turn more than a few heads.
It's not the first TV bed we've seen, but Hollandia's "Platinum-Luxe Elite" is more than a place to lie down and watch Seinfeld reruns--it's an entire "sleep system" with a boatload of built-in electronics, according to BornRich, including a retractable 32-inch Sony Bravia HDTV in its footboard, a five-disc DVD/CD changer, iPod docking station, five-speaker surround sound, a subwoofer underneath, and a computer-controlled massage mattress that pulsates to the rhythms of the music being played. It's like the "Music Power Bed" on steroids.
All of this is wrapped in a stylish but durable Italian-designed fabric that's even pet-proof, the company says, so you can put away that special Dirt Devil cleaning machine. Although we've never been to Holland, we'd move there in a heartbeat for the furniture alone.
(Credit:
SpaCapsule)
Technology can be a wonderful thing, especially when it involves massage, music, and us in a supine position. And now it's never been easier to combine all three in one experience, through a modern wonder known as the "SpaCapsule"--a relaxation cocoon that resembles spaceship capsules seen in countless sci-fi movies ranging from Alien to 2001: A Space Odyssey. But it includes one feature that neither Ripley nor HAL had ever heard of: iPod compatibility. In addition to enjoying the automated bodywork and aromatherapy, you don't have to leave your precious media player behind because the capsule has video and audio systems that work with it.
This self-contained personal spa, which Gizmowatch says was invented by physicians, features "light-source video programs, touch-screen computer control, closed water system, and computer diagnostic and repair system." And it doesn't look nearly as terrifying as those individual saunas that look like MRI machines, so we wouldn't be too afraid to get in. If it only had a built-in "HomePub," this would be a human sloth's dream.
