The Hanakotoba Plant Communicator is one weird Japanese thingy. Plug the sensor into your plant’s soil or water, and when you touch the leaves or petals of the plant the little fella will chat to you – via a 200 word Japanese vocabulary. Runs off 3 AA batteries. $69.00. By touching part of your plant, you activate the device which then talks to you (japanese of course), and when the Gnome speaks its pedestal lights up in a stylish way….
Read MoreMonthly Archives: July 2007
Freedom Mini Duo BT Keyboard – credit card keyboard for your portable bits
The Freedom Mini Duo Bluetooth Keyboard is apparently the size of a walnut…sorry…credit card and is compatible with just about every handheld device in the known universe, including Jim’s Tricorder and a bunch of Zargon Death Ray calculators as used by the Zortts of Pstrdicliamni. The 9 hours of use rating from the rechargeable battery sounds nice. £49.95. Manufacturer site here and review here. SPP makes it compatible with BlackBerry devices, Smart Phones and most other advanced Bluetooth enabled Mobile Phones…
Read MoreFive alternatives to the now defunct AllofMP3 music site – deja vu Napster
So the infamous Russian AllofMP3 has finally been shut down, eh? But guess what, alternative sites have already sprung up to satisfy your insatiable lust for dirt cheap popular music album downloads. So what does this Pyrrhic RIAA victory remind you of? Hint: The word begins with N for…Nap****. So here are a few of the early contenders to take the cheap Russian music downloads crown. Please understand that we make no claims or comment on the legality, trustworthiness or…
Read MoreVideo tutorial – how to open a bottle using just a piece of paper
How to open a bottle using nothing more than a piece of paper. Oh golly, I do love me dem internets. Tags: video, paper+bottle+opener
Read MoreColor Style Studio – test your home paint schemes quickly and easily
Color Style Studio. Take some digital photos of your home and then test out different paint schemes just by using the on-board palette. It’s actually designed for house painters to use for their clients, hence the $69.95 pricetag and the fact that it comes with a paint and materials calculator, but hey, it looks like a pretty useful tool for normal folk too. There’s a free trial available on the site. [Thanks Tim] Select a photo of your client’s house and…
Read MoreFamily Cycle – for slow but steady outings
The Family Cycle is clearly designed for those who would rather slow down and smell those roses, and as such it gets our vote immediately. Because roses are there to be sniffed, families are there to squander time and life is about deeply quixotic forms of transport made to look cheerful and inviting. $2,699.95. A removable rear-facing jump seat behind the rear axle accommodates two 80-lb. children or six grocery sacks, and adjustable seat belts ensure young riders sit securely,…
Read MoreDaySafe 100 – the Fort Knox of backpacks?
The DaySafe 100 is billed as the ‘Fort Knox’ of day packs. Why? Because it features a high-tensile stainless steel inner mesh into which you can insert valuable items like laptops and secure the whole thing to an immovable object. Like your mother-in-law. Result? Snatchproof valuables. Clever idea indeed. $129.95. [Via Gizmag] DaySafe 100 is the “Fort Knox” of day packs featuring laminated eXomesh Ultimate security technology within. The 16 L removable compartment of the DaySafe 100 consists of an inner high-tensile stainless…
Read MoreParty Chain – versatile little keychain buddy
Party Chain is a combination universal television remote control, LED flashlight and…wait for it…bottle opener. So if it all works out right you can grab yourself a refreshing brew, watch some good telly and…ah…look for lost popcorn in the dark. Or something. $14.95. This convenient little gadget won’t only take care of your keys. It also acts as a bottle opener, a flashlight, and even as an infrared remote control for various television brands. Controls on the Party Chain include…
Read MoreLens Flare – free desktop wallpapers for all
Lens Flare is a German site offering free desktop wallpapers for download under a Creative Commons license. And actually there are some pretty nice ones to be grabbed, so don’t dally. Or dilly. Tags: lens+flare, wallpapers
Read MoreDesktop Gorilla – Tamagotchi eat your heart out
The marketing bods at London Zoo have released a Desktop Gorilla game to promote the launch of their Gorilla Kingdom enclosure at the zoo and it’s worse than Tamagotchi. The darn thing keeps moping around on the desktop and task bar, making me feel guilty about not playing/feeding or poop cleaning when I’m supposed to be working. And now I can’t delete it because it will feel like murder. Sheesh, the things I do for you people. Developers have worked closely with…
Read MoreCongrats to Mandyleigh – earns recording contract
Congrats to Mandyleigh who’s just earned her Sellaband recording contract. Of course it’s got nothing to do with the Ferret’s promotion. Just sheer hard work and talent. Nice one. Tags: sellaband, mandyleigh
Read MoreDacky – a dog for all reasons
It would be tempting to write Dacky off as just another one of those plush robot dogs that the Japanese seem so fond of, but there’s more to this robo-pooch than meets the eye, m’dears. For a start there are six sensors inside this puppy – arf! – which help him learn about you and his surroundings. Over time he’ll start to chat or sing to you (ahem in Japanese), he’ll develop a character depending on how he’s treated and…and…he’ll adjust to your…
Read MoreStandby Energy Saving Kit – reduce your power footprint, Marge
The Standby Energy Saving Kit is a collection of switches and a remote control. I think the idea is that you go around just before bed switching all your appliances off via a click of the remote control. Sounds like hard work, why not just program them to switch off automatically after a set time? Ah well, at least it’s a step in the right direction eh? £29.99. This is a brand new energy saving kit for home and office…
Read MoreFrench Ivory Case Phone – antique and pearly
This French Ivory Case Telephone from the 1920’s is a sharp reminder of just how little we’ve progressed in nearly 90 years. Sure they’re now smaller, do more things and can work on a mountain top, but where’s the jaw and ear implants we were all promised? And where’s that darn jet-car? $318.45. An origional European classic antique phone from the 1920’s. The french style handset with white cloth cords and highly polished nickel bell and handset fittings make this phone…
Read MoreWorld Clock – live stats to scare you witless
This World Clock is a superbly designed page of real time statistics ranging from death rates (and causes) to bicycles manufactured. Flicking through the time filter buttons at the top is just beyond…Are there really over 600 species going extinct every day? [Via Metafilter] Tags: world+clock, live+statistics, CIA+factbook
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