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| Jun 16, 2011 | Homestar Travel: Sega Toys' Planetarium Lets You See The Starry Skies From 6 Different World Cities | Sega Toys in Japan is selling another model in their hit Homestar series of planetarium projection systems. The so-called Homestar Travel [JP] allows you to see the starry skies from six different places on Earth: the South Pole, London, Ka... |
| May 26, 2011 | Japan Gets Panasonic Lumix Disney Camera | Panasonic Japan announced [JP] a special Lumix camera yesterday, the LUMIX DMC-FP7D (where the “D” stands for Disney). Unlike many other cute special edition cameras from Japan, the design on this model is rather subtle.
Technically, the Di... |
| May 25, 2011 | Japan's Newest Cute Camera: Doraemon's Bell×CASIO EXILIM EX-Z800 | Another month, another special edition camera from Casio: this time it’s blue cartoon cat Doraemon (super-popular in Japan and many countries in Asia) that gets the Exilim treatment. Technically, the so-called Doraemon’s Bell×CASIO EXILIM E... |
| May 5, 2011 | Super-Cute Hello Kitty Digital Photo Frame | Tokyo-based Regulus has just started selling the RDPF-7KIT [JP, PDF] in Japan, a super-cute Hello Kitty digital photo frame. The device comes with a 7-inch LCD with 800×480 resolution, 1W×2 speakers, and interfaces for SDHC/SD cards, USB dr... |
| May 3, 2011 | Casio Rolls Out miffy2011xEXILIM Special Edition Camera | First it was Astro Boy last month, now its popular Dutch cartoon bunny miffy that gets a special edition Casio Exilim camera [JP]. Technically, the so-called miffy2011xEXILIM is based on the EXILIM EX-Z800 Casio introduced last summer, but ... |
| Apr 25, 2011 | Kokuyo X-VIZ: Designer Calculator From Japan | For some reason, “designer calculators” (of all devices) are a dime a dozen, but this model announced [JP] by Japanese stationery maker Kokuyo is a bit different. First, the calculator (dubbed X-VIZ) is designed to be used with one hand onl... |
| Apr 21, 2011 | Pentax Outs Camouflage Design Grips For Its K-r Camera | Do you think the TOWER RECORDS×PENTAX RAINBOW K-r Pentax showed two days ago was ugly (as quite a few readers do)? Maybe you already own a K-r but just want to beef it up instead of shelling out over $1,000 for an entirely new one? If yes, ... |
| Apr 19, 2011 | Limited Edition Camera From Japan: TOWER RECORDS×PENTAX RAINBOW K-r | Another month, another Pentax special edition camera from Japan: the company today announced [JP] the so-called TOWER RECORDS×PENTAX RAINBOW K-r. The device is a follow-up to the TOWER RECORDS × PENTAX RAINBOW K-x from last year.
Technicall... |
| Apr 6, 2011 | Video: Talking Parakeet Toy Repeats What You Say, Randomly Blurts Out Phrases | Takara Tomy in Japan has started selling Manekko P-Chan [JP], a small parakeet toy that repeats what you say (4 seconds maximum), twice, and just seconds after “hearing” your voice. You can also “teach” P-Chan phrases that it stores in its ... |
| Apr 4, 2011 | "Astro Boy" Casio Exilim (Limited Edition) | Casio in Japan today announced [JP] a new limited edition Casio Exilim camera, which was designed to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Astro Boy. The device is technically based on the EXILIM EX-S200 from last year (but it looks much cuter,... |
| Apr 1, 2011 | Photo Frame + Scale = Photo Frame Scale | How can you “add value” to an ordinary scale? Answer: you make it double as a photo frame. That’s at least what the maker of the aptly named “Photo Frame Scale” [JP], Tokyo-based Hashy Top In, thought when it released the device in Japan ea... |
| Mar 29, 2011 | Video: Cute Teddy Bear Charatter Reads Tweets For You | On Friday, we’ve shown you Twimal, a super-cute USB toy for Twitter users that can read specific tweets out loud (so you don’t have to look at the computer screen to follow your time line). But before Takara Tomy, a smaller Japanese toy com... |
| Mar 25, 2011 | Twimal: Super-Cute Twitter Toy Pet Reads Tweets For You (Video) | Japan is crazy about Twitter, and today local toy maker Takara Tomy has announced Twimal (short for “Twitter Animal”) [JP], a super-cute toy “pet” that can reads out tweets loud for you. The white version does this with a female voice, whil... |
| Mar 7, 2011 | Necono: Cat-Shaped Digital Camera (Video) | A digital camera that’s shaped like a cat? That’s what Tokyo-based Superheadz announced today with the so-called Necono [link in English]. The Necono is being marketed as “No longer a camera, more like a pet.”, but it is a fully-functioning... |
| Mar 1, 2011 | The Pentax K-r Gets Yet Another Special Edition (In Japan) | I don’t know what it is about Pentax and special editions, but today the company announced [JP] yet another one, for the K-r. This time, Pentax inked a licensing deal with Tokyo-based San-X to use their star cartoon character, super-cute be... |
| Feb 23, 2011 | Sega Toys Shows 3D Spray Art Toy | The 3D craze we’re currently witnessing isn’t limited to the home electronics market and movie theaters, it seems: Sega Toys in Japan announced [JP] the so-called 3D Spray Art Pro, a toy that makes it possible to spray “graffiti” on paper, ... |
| Feb 14, 2011 | Scaloupe: USB Camera To Check Your Scalp, Post Info On Twitter (Video) | If you’re constantly worried about the condition of your hair and/or scalp, this gadget from Japan might help you: the so-called Scaloupe [JP] is a USB 2.0 camera that makes it possible to check your scalp and also shoot close-up pictures o... |
| Feb 7, 2011 | Video: The Ningen Gakki Turns Your Body Into A Musical Instrument | Japanese toy maker Takara Tomy has developed a gadget [JP] that turns the body of a human being into a musical instrument (of sorts). Dubbed Ningen Gakki (“Human Instrument” in Japanese), the little toy can be used by four people at the sam... |
| Feb 7, 2011 | Beer Hour: Takara Tomy's Server For Canned Beer Up And Close (Video) | Do you remember the so-called Beer Hour, a gadget that makes it easier to pour beer from cans into glasses and which we covered two weeks ago? Our friends over at DiginfoNews in Tokyo have gone out and made a video (in English) that shows t... |
| Feb 4, 2011 | "K-r BONNIE PINK MODEL": Yet Another Pentax DSLR Special Edition | Pentax seems to have a sweet spot for digital cameras with funky designs, and this time it’s the Pentax K-r that will receive a limited edition treatment. Pentax today announced [JP] the so-called K-r BONNIE PINK MODEL”, a redesigned versio... |
| Feb 2, 2011 | Augmented Reality-Powered Fishing Reel Toy | So you like to go fishing but have to sit in school or in your office all day? Takara Tomy might have the solution for you: their so-called “Virtual Master Real” [PDF] is essentially a fishing game built into some kind of “electronic fishin... |
| Jan 26, 2011 | Beer Hour: Takara Tomy's Beer Can Dispenser | I am not really sure if beer lovers really need this kind of gadget, but Takara Tomy is ready to sell it (in Japan only – at least initially). The company has showcased the so-called “Beer Hour” in Tokyo today, a small device that’s suppose... |
| Jan 25, 2011 | Yours For $1,270: FRANCK MULLER Case For iPhone 4 | Truth be told, I never heard of FRANCK MULLER before, but the (apparently quite famous) watch brand from Switzerland has designed a special case for the iPhone 4 that can now be pre-ordered in Japan. And as FRANCK MULLER is a luxury brand, ... |
| Dec 3, 2010 | Pentax Unveils "Robot Version" Of The K-r DSLR | For some reason, Pentax can’t stop making special versions of their digital cameras. In the last few months, for example, they updated their K-x DSLR with a robotic version and one designed in rainbow colors. And today, the company announce... |
| Dec 2, 2010 | LovePlus: Konami's Dating Sim Gets Otaku Cell Phone Chargers | In September last year, Konami Japan released a dating simulation called LovePlus that went on to become a huge hit on the Nintendo DS. It’s so successful that last November, a Japanese man married a character from the game. Now Konami deci... |
| Nov 25, 2010 | Onkyo Announces Snoopy-Themed Windows Tablet | I thought we’d get a Hello Kitty tablet before anything else, but today Onkyo Japan has announced a Snoopy-themed Windows tablet [JP, PDF] for the local market (Windows 7 Home Premium 32bit, to be more exact).
Buyers will get a rebranded On... |
| Nov 24, 2010 | Video: Super-Cute Hello Kitty iPod/iPhone Speaker Dock | Popular cartoon cat Hello Kitty is getting another gadget treatment. This time, it’s a super-cute speaker dock for the iPod or iPhone, offered by a Japanese company called CAV [JP]. The dock is an update to a very similar model CAV started ... |
| Nov 19, 2010 | Sony Japan's Super-Cute Walkman S Disney Christmas Edition Box | Christmas time, limited edition time. In Japan, Sony today announced [JP] the so-called “Walkman S Series Disney Character Christmas Box”, which contains the Walkman NW-S750 big S released earlier this year. Not too surprisingly, buyers get... |
| Nov 5, 2010 | Truck Card Reader And USB Hub Combo | I wonder why USB specialist Thanko has never thought of this cool card reader and USB hub combo [JP] that looks like a toy truck. The gadget offers a total of three USB 2.0 ports and supports 13 different cards, from microSD to CF cards.
Yo... |
| Nov 3, 2010 | New Japanese Piggy Bank: Rubik’s Cube Bank Requires Brain Power | It’s been a long time since we last blogged about a Japanese piggy bank. But now we can show you the so-called Rubik’s Cube Bank [JP], which is made by Tokyo-based toy maker MegaHouse. As you can probably guess, this piggy bank requires bra... |
| Oct 21, 2010 | Video: Super-Cute Dancing Hello Kitty Speaker | We’ve blogged about many Hello Kitty gadgets in the past, i.e. Hello Kitty camcorders, music players, cell phones or even TVs. And today, Japan-based IDEA started listing a new gadget on its online store [JP]: the Dancing Hello Kitty Speake... |
| Aug 30, 2010 | Video: Hello Kitty iPod/iPhone Speaker Dock | CAV Japan today announced [JP] iPod speakers designed like Hello Kitty, the dream cartoon cat of millions of teenage girls. The maker says the speaker dock comes with “Surface Mounting Technology” and “Lossless Energy Amplification Technolo... |
| Aug 6, 2010 | Neckphones: Takara Tomy's Cute Travel Pillow Speakers | Takara Tomy in Japan is offering what they say is the perfect companion for this summer: the Neckphones [JP], travel pillows (kind of) that feature an integrated speaker. The devices are waterproof, making them suitable for use in the bath ... |
| Aug 5, 2010 | Padnote: iPad Lookalike Sketch Pad From Japan (Video) | Here’s something for all iPad hardcore geeks: the Padnote is a sketch pad that has an iPad-like cover and 64 sheets of drawing paper with grid lines and a wide gray border.
It’s the brain child of a small Japanese startup called Gocco [JP],... |
| Aug 4, 2010 | CERAMICA: Japanese Designer Mini Speakers | Japan-based accessory maker Momoyama is offering a range of ceramic mini speakers that come with an iPod cradle and in funny (stylish?) forms. Choose, for example, between a pig, a hippo, an apple or a cute elephant (more versions can be se... |
| Jul 26, 2010 | The "Popcorn Hand" lets you eat popcorn, protects your fingers from getting greasy (video) | Do you remember the “Potato Chip Hand” we’ve shown you earlier this year? The silly gadget allowed users to pick up potato chips and protected fingers from getting greasy when eating potato chip. And now maker Takara Tomy is giving us the “... |
| Jul 13, 2010 | HIDEOTO: Stylish gadget to digitize your old cassettes | Remember cassettes? In case you are one of the people who still owns tapes and now wants to digitize the content for eternity, the so-called HIDEOTO might be the right thing for you. It’s not the first gadget out there that can get the job ... |
| Jun 16, 2010 | Winnie The Pooh, Stitch, Alien: Super-cute digital photo frames | Tokyo-based gadget maker Greenhouse announced [JP] three super-cute, Disney-themed digital photo frames today, the GH-DF35TV. Buyers can choose between three characters: Winnie The Pooh, Stitch or Little Green Man (one of those green, three... |
| May 11, 2010 | Pentax Japan unveils K-x in "rainbow colors" | It seems Pentax Japan just loves redesigning their K-x digital camera. The company started offering extra-colorful versions of the device last September, followed by another limited edition, a K-x in “robotic colors”, one month later. And t... |
| Apr 1, 2010 | Nap Vieeb Plus II: Wearable doze prevention device | Are you constantly in danger of falling asleep while working or driving? Alarm clocks, watches or your cell phone are of no help? Then the oddly named Nap Vieeb Plus II [JP], offered by a Japanese company called Takanoha, might be the right... |
| Mar 19, 2010 | The Twist Alarm Clock forces you to activate your brain in the morning | Japan and its alarm clocks. Most of these devices force you to wake up through an extra-annoying noise (or by moving away from you), but this new one, the so-called Twist Alarm Clock [JP], makes you solve (simple) math problems.
The way it ... |
| Mar 17, 2010 | Buffalo announces "women-only" USB sticks | Are you a woman? Are you sick of seeing all those manly USB sticks around you every day? Then these four new models announced [JP] by Buffalo in Japan today might be right for you.
Aimed specifically at “mature women”, each model is availab... |
| Mar 2, 2010 | Music Planet: Ball-shaped, water-proof MP3 player for your bath tub | A Japanese company called Idea Label has designed the “Music Planet” [JP] today, a portable, ball-shaped MP3 player that you can take with you to the bath tub. The device is IPX7-certified, meaning it can withstand immersion in water up to ... |
| Feb 25, 2010 | Rilakkuma Edition: Casio unveils ultra-cute Exilim | Casio is no stranger to teaming up with major toy makers, licensing super-cute cartoon characters, using them on existing digital camera models and offering up super-cute limited editions to a fanatic fan base. After cartoon cats Doraemon a... |
| Feb 24, 2010 | SMASH: Electric guitar made just to get destroyed, then recycled | I don’t know how to begin this, so I’ll get right to it: A Japanese company called K’s Japan is offering an “electric guitar” [JP] that’s just made to get destroyed. And, after you smashed the thing to bits, you can recycle it. So what we h... |
| Feb 18, 2010 | Pioneer's "Cherry" and "Leather Belt" Earphones | I don’t know what it is about Japan and earphones, but this country does offer some unique ones. Today, it wasn’t some weird little company but Pioneer that announced strange earphones: One is cherry-shaped [JP], the other looks like a piec... |
| Jan 26, 2010 | Hello Kitty MP3 player sparkles with Swarovski crystals | Hello Kitty, dream cartoon cat of millions of teenage girls and women around the world, gets another portable music player. We had a device fully covered with Swarovski cystals in October last year. We had another one, all in black, in Dece... |
| Jan 22, 2010 | iHeart: "Jewelry Box" speaker and dock for your iPhone/iPod | This one is for the the ladies: A cute, heart-shaped active speaker box for the iPhone or iPod that doubles as a dock and also offers a mirror that pops up when you open it. Aptly named iHeart [JP], the “Jewelry Box Speaker” is the brain ch... |
| Jan 21, 2010 | The "Potato Chip Hand" lets you eat chips, protects your fingers from getting greasy (video) | I am true believer of the hypothesis that the sillier a given country’s gadgets, the fewer problems it has. In the case of Japan, we now have the Potechi No Te, which translates to Potato Chip Hand. It’s actually silly and not silly at the ... |
| Jan 18, 2010 | Nintendo Game and Watch: Cult reborn as keyholders (video) | Game & Watch is the name of a series of (now) simple LCD handheld games Nintendo produced between 1980 and 1991. The small devices still enjoy cult status among hardcore retro gamers (just look at these prices on Ebay), which means it’s... |
| Jan 14, 2010 | New Japanese toy: Endless chocolate bar breaker | Do you like the feeling you get when you break a chocolate bar in half? Do you want to experience that feeling over and over for some reason? Then you’re in the target group for a new Japanese toy called Mugen Chokoreeto [JP], which (kind o... |
| Jan 13, 2010 | Disgusting: The GUMMI-X toy kit is an edible insect maker | What Japanese toy maker Megahouse is offering here is truly disgusting: A toy kit that you can use to form edible insects made of juice and other liquids. The so-called GUMMI-X [JP] is geared towards teenage boys, but it has the potential t... |
| Jan 7, 2010 | Cork USB stick and light bulb USB stick | I don’t know what it is about Japan and USB, but Nippon just keeps on churning out USB-powered crap gadgets. Thanko is one of the Tokyo-based companies responsible for this phenomenon, the other is Greenhouse. And Greenhouse announced not o... |
| Dec 31, 2009 | Tube amplifier-shaped USB speaker | Tube or valve amplifiers are electronic amplifiers that make use of vacuum tubes to boost the power of a signal. They’ve been around for decades, and some audio freaks still love the sound they help to produce. And they look kind of pretty,... |
| Dec 28, 2009 | Japan gets another set of those "Crazy Earphones" | Do you remember the so-called Crazy Earphones Tokyo-based gadget maker Solid Alliance released back in October? Apparently the silly things sold well, otherwise the company probably wouldn’t have updated [JP] the series, which consisted of ... |
| Dec 28, 2009 | Thanko sells USB-powered "Hot Cat Gloves" | Back in August, I blogged about Thanko’s Catgirl Earphones, which were shaped like cat ears. And today, the notorious Tokyo-based USB gadget maker started selling the so-called Hot Cat Gloves [JP]. A big day for the Cosplay crowd, especiall... |
| Dec 23, 2009 | PyramidTalk: Seiko updates their cult clocks from the 1980s | Some of the older CrunchGear readers will surely remember the PyramidTalk, a clock that verbally announced the time and other information. Seiko started selling the clock in 1984, and it turned out to be a big worldwide hit, with sales ball... |
| Dec 21, 2009 | GR DIGITAL III × STUSSY: Ricoh unveils limited edition point-and-shoot camera | It’s Stussy‘s 30th birthday next year, and for some strange reason the fashion company collaborated with Japanese electronics maker Ricoh to celebrate the occasion in the form of a Stussy-branded digital camera [JP]. Technically, Ricoh didn... |
| Dec 16, 2009 | Lockface: USB drive that uses face recognition to verify users | A Japanese company called Futen (they don’t have a website) is selling a USB flash drive that uses face recognition technology to check the identity of users. Needless to say, the so-called Lockface only works with your computer’s web cam.
... |
| Dec 9, 2009 | Exemode SQ28m: Cute mini designer digital camera (video) | Japanese camera maker Exemode has developed the SQ28m [JP, the site is currently down], a mini digital camera that’s quite nice design-wise. The device is sized at just 53×23×19mm, weighs21g, can be used with your key chain and is available... |
| Dec 4, 2009 | Hello Kitty Music Player Premium | The Hello Kitty Music Player Crystal, made in cooperation with luxury brand Swarovski, I blogged about in October drew the attention of quite a few (mostly female) CrunchGear readers. One of the problems was the price: $150 for a fairly bas... |
| Dec 3, 2009 | Kenko-Tokina's super-cute Mickey Mouse camera | Tokyo-based Kenko-Tokina, normally known for its camera accessories, has announced a cute Disney-themed digital camera [JP] for the Japanese market today. Spec-wise, this 8MP point-and-shoot camera isn’t anything special, but that’s what yo... |
| Nov 11, 2009 | Now in more colors: Pig-shaped earphones | Some Japanese gadget freaks do have a penchant for weird earphones, that’s for sure, meaning these things actually seem to sell. I doubt that otherwise, Tokyo-based accessory maker Greenhouse would have updated the buta (piggy) earphones th... |
| Nov 5, 2009 | Japanese company announces Dragon Ball headphones | Even though Dragon Ball is 25 years old, it’s still one of the most popular anime and manga series out there. There are tons of Dragon Ball-themed video games and other merchandising stuff all around the world, but Tokyo-based gourmandise [... |
| Oct 29, 2009 | Remote-controlled, "driving" tissue box case (video) | You know if a given country, in this case Japan, is over-saturated with gadgets when you see stuff like this: A remote-controlled tissue box [JP]. I mean who doesn’t know the trouble you go through when you want to wipe your nose and that d... |
| Oct 26, 2009 | Japan gets ultra-cute Hello Kitty music player with sparkling Swarovski crystals | Hello Kitty is 35 years old now, and she still continues to be the dream cartoon cat of millions of teenage girls. If you’re one of these people and have a penchant for gadgets on top of that, this new and strictly limited music player migh... |
| Sep 23, 2009 | New mini toy car: Penny Racer Hybrid (video) | Toy maker Takara Tomy’s mini vehicles are being sold everywhere in the world. Marketed as Penny Racers in the US and Choro Q in Japan, the series so far includes mini helis, trains and even small UFOs that attack Tokyo. And now the company ... |
| Sep 1, 2009 | Traffic light alarm clock with extra-loud 40mm speaker | For some reason, Japan has a thing for strange alarm clocks. Think of the helicopter clock, the Gun o’ clock or the railroad sign clock, for example. And now major Japanese toymaker Banpresto follows up with an alarm clock that has the char... |
| Aug 14, 2009 | USB digital microscope with 2MP CMOS sensor | A Japanese company called esupply is selling a cool little microscope [JP] that can be hooked to computers via a microUSB port (Windows only). The device boasts a 2MP CMOS sensor made by Sanyo and features 5x to 150x zoom. Not powerful enou... |
| Aug 4, 2009 | New piggy bank: The Coin Penguin swallows your coins, then dances for you | Japan sure has a penchant for extraordinary piggy banks. Tokyo-based toy maker Banpresto is now selling a quite unusual model, too. The Coin Penguin [JP] is a cute little, well, penguin, that can open its mouth, swallow coins and then rewar... |
| Jul 31, 2009 | LEDSAUR: Dinosaur-shaped desk lamps | A Japanese company called Furniture Design Agra has created the LEDSAURs [JP], a number of different dinosaur-shaped desk lamps. The dino skeletons feature LEDs in their heads and spine. And they look pretty cool.
Agra offers four different... |
| Jul 23, 2009 | These Pac-Man 30th anniversary Zippos are very cool | Namco’s Pac Man was first released in Japan May 22, 1980, which means the 30th anniversary of the cult game is a good year away. But if it’s Pac-Man, you can never celebrate too early: Starting in November, Namco Bandai, as the company is n... |
| Jul 13, 2009 | Sky Armor: Bandai's cool heli-robot toy (video) | This is a pretty cool RC toy from Japan. Bandai has announced the Sky Armor, a remote-controlled robot that can fly around using not one but two propellers. The robot stands 17cm tall and weighs 21g. One battery charge (30 minutes) is enoug... |
| Jul 9, 2009 | Grilled Meat King: Bandai to sell BBQ simulator toy | Just in time for summer, Japan gets a new toy that won’t require you to go out to get the BBQ experience anymore. This actually doesn’t make much sense, but Bandai has announced [JP] an-indoor BBQ simulator toy yesterday, the Yakiniki Ou (r... |
| Jul 6, 2009 | Dream Cat Venus: Sega Toys to roll out creepy animal robot | Sega Toys Japan is pretty active when it comes to developing toy robots. They are the company behind the E.M.A. (aka the kissing robot) or the A.M.P. (aka the music robot). But Sega Toys is also selling a lot of animal robots, for example a... |
| Jun 25, 2009 | Hanappa: Sega Toys to offer yet another plant listening to your sorrows | I blogged about Sega Toys’ Pekoppa, the plant that listens and reacts to everything a person says, exactly 12 months ago. And the toy seems to have become a hit since then, as Sega Toys today announced the Hanappa, a Pekoppa 2 of sorts [JP,... |
| Jun 18, 2009 | Micropet-i: New robo-animals from Japan to melt your heart | These must be the cutest robots since the thumb-sized Robo-Qs: Takara Tomy (Tomy in the US) today announced the Micropet-i series [JP, PDF], which consists of nine different (very small and adorable) robotic animals. This is the same compan... |
| Jun 16, 2009 | Remote-controlled flying cockroach is fun for some, nightmare for others | In case you thought the cockroach key chain holder I wrote about earlier this year was disgusting, think again. Because today I give you a remote-controlled flying plastic cockroach [JP]. Just like the keychain holder, the thing is the brai... |
| May 28, 2009 | Hello Kitty photo frame is almost too cute to be true | We blogged about a number of particularly cute digital photo frames in the past, but this Hello Kitty model beats them all. Announced in Japan by Sanrio [JP] today (Sanrio is the corporation behind the cartoon cat), the device goes on sale ... |
| May 22, 2009 | The newest USB stick weirdness: Cat ears | We covered USB sticks shaped like cat tails, mini cats, humping dogs, puppies and countless other weird things, but cat ears [JP] are new. And the Japanese maker (no, not Thanko this time) suggests you buy two of them for enhanced cuteness.... |
| May 20, 2009 | Japanese company sells retarded Godzilla gadget for bathroom use | You can see that a given nation, in this case the country of Japan, has an over-saturated market for gadgets if one these things actually goes on sale: A godzilla figure [JP] that you hang on your bathroom wall, that can be shot at with a w... |
| May 18, 2009 | Puppy-shaped speakers prove not all USB dogs have to hump or crunch to be cute | Humping or crunching USB dogs are out. The newest fad (at least in Japan) is owning puppy-shaped and USB-powered speakers [JP] for your computer. They are brought to you by Japan Trust Technology (what a name), a Tokyo-based Thanko competit... |
| Apr 27, 2009 | Japanese company sells USB-powered mini Zen garden (video) | This is an odd USB gadget that doesn’t come from Thanko for a change. A company called Japan Trust Technology is selling a mini Japanese style garden [JP] (OK, it’s just a couple of plastic bamboos) that includes a watering system and is po... |
| Apr 24, 2009 | iPod dock + HDD media player kit = Movie Cowboy Box | Japan-based Digital Cowboy today announced the Movie CowBoy DC-MC35ULI [JP], a device serving as an iPod dock and an HDD media player that’s compatible with 3.5-inch SATA HDDs (sold separately). Users wanting to watch movies from their hard... |
| Apr 23, 2009 | Transformers in cute: Optimus Prime and Bumblebee as mini robots (Robo Q) | The highly anticipated Transformers 2 – Revenge of the Fallen is just around the corner and it seems Japan can’t wait to see it as well. Takara Tomy is introducing two of the most popular Transformers, Optimus Prime and Bumbleebee, as so-ca... |
| Apr 23, 2009 | E-series: Sony's new walkman looks like a USB candy bar | Sony in Japan has announced the Walkman E-series [JP], which (technically) looks pale compared to the recently unveiled OLED touchscreen Walkman, but can score with some interesting designs. The USB stick-type player will be available with ... |
| Apr 20, 2009 | Orgel Spa: Hear music in your bathtub, feel extreme relaxation | Sega Toys in Japan is selling a waterproof “music ball” that helps you relax while you take a bath. Dubbed Orgel Spa [JP], the small device (8cm in diameter and 6cm high) is part of the company’s toy series that’s geared towards grown-ups a... |
| Apr 16, 2009 | Still own cassettes? Digitize them with this new gadget | I doubt there are still many music cassettes around but if you happen to own some and want to save your childhood memories on your computer for eternity, you might like the MV-CM001U. The retro-style device was announced by a Japan-based co... |
| Apr 13, 2009 | Juice camera: A camera, which is shaped like a, well, juice box | FUUVI [JP], a Tokyo-based design company is selling a point-and-shoot camera that comes in the form of a juice box (of all things). Design-wise, you can choose between five flavors: Sunny, Strawberry, and Supermarket Mania (either as Europe... |
| Apr 8, 2009 | Facebank 2: The creepiest piggy bank ever? | Creepy gets an upgrade. The first version of the Facebank wasn’t really a picknick for the eyes, but now Japan-based toy maker Banpresto not only decided it’s time for an update but that their piggy bank must even get scarier. How? By just ... |
| Apr 7, 2009 | Weird PC mouse displays LED messages, cools off through built-in fan | Offered by a Japanese company, slightly over-engineered, USB connection and senseless but kind of cool. What sounds like the typical Thanko product, is offered by another company in Nippon: A computer mouse that can not only display LED mes... |
| Apr 2, 2009 | Just in time for summer: Super-cute Hello Kitty ventilator | There is a big number of gadgets available that feature Hello Kitty, the super-cute cartoon cat and love of millions of teenagers worldwide. There are Hello Kitty-branded digital cameras, alarm clocks, cell phones and even notebooks. Until ... |
| Apr 1, 2009 | Another whacky USB gadget from Japan: Mini beach sandals and surf board memory cards | I don’t know what made Tokyo-based tech company Greenhouse announce (or even produce) these gadgets in early April but they did anyway. For some reason, the company will start selling USB memory cards shaped like beach sandals and surf boar... |
| Mar 16, 2009 | amadana SAL: Japanese company rolls out stylish mini pocket camera | A Tokyo-based design company called amadana today announced the amadana SAL [JP], a palm-sized video camera that can be pre-ordered in Japan starting April 17. Non-Japanese people interested in the stylish gadget can ask Japan Trend Shop, G... |
| Mar 13, 2009 | Castrade CV-MP02: Another mini projector from Japan | A Japanese company called Castrade today announced the CV-MP02 [JP], a mobile LCOS projector that’s able to project an image of up to 50 inches( aspect ratio of 4:3). The device is Japan-only, but you can ask the Japan Trend Shop, Gizmine o... |
| Mar 4, 2009 | Slimstick: Seiko's walking aid gadget gets an update | Seiko Japan’s Slimstick [JP], a pedometer, hit stores in Nippon last year and proved to be a huge hit among body-conscious Japanese girls. Now the company added five new colors to the three existing ones (zebra gold, silver, pink, white and... |
| Mar 2, 2009 | Meet pyuuun, your new palm-sized sidekick robot | Tokyo-based Robo-Engine started selling a mini robot [JP] that’s supposed to become your sidekick and keep a record of your daily life. The so-called pyuuun is marketed in Japan as a “life log robot”. Contact either the Japan Trend Shop, Gi... |
| Feb 27, 2009 | Just weird: A semi-NSFW gadget from Japan for the weekend | This gadget (or gag item or whatever you may call it) of a very special kind comes directly from John Biggs’ favorite country of Japan: a pillow that looks like a pair of legs [JP]. The weird thing reminds me of the mouse pad for perverts a... |
| Feb 17, 2009 | "Locky Memory": A USB stick that protects your important data via a numeric password | The USB stick with the built-in Post-It pad from Japan was weird but this one looks quite useful. A Japanese company called Rinso Do [JP] is now selling a USB stick that comes with a numeric keypad that allows users to set a password to pre... |
