This isn't the first time that we've featured electroshocking devices here. Heck, it's not even the third time. At least this contraption doesn't hail from the United Kingdom, where shocking seems to be some sort of insane national sport—like rugby and cricket. This time around, it's—surprise—Japan who's decided that ordinary household objects can be enhanced with random electric shocks.
Enter the Vision Optic MyDo Bururu eyeglasses. Most glasses just help you see, but that wasn't enough for these glasses, oh no. These glasses help you stay awake by delivering electrical shocks when the angle of your head goes below a certain threshhold.
You know what? There's no way these could possibly go wrong. And, hey, if you're going to shell out $370 for a device that randomly electrocutes you, well, I've got a car battery and some jumper cables, and I'll do it for $250.
[via Gizmodo]
Back when I was a little kid, my uncle used to take my cousin and I fishing in the lake where we often spent the summer. While it wasn't my favorite pastime, I did enjoy some aspects of it: particularly the part where you got to cast your line into the inky depths. There was something graceful and fluid about it, and it certainly didn't involve sticking worms on a hook or pulling fish off of one, which makes it tops in my book.
But there's nothing relaxing that technology can't undo, right? Hence the Rocket Fishing Rod. Instead of having to take all the trouble to swing your arm and cast a fishing line, the Rocket Fishing Rod shoots a bobber and hook up to thirty feet away. The capsule opens when it hits the water, releasing the baited hook into the water. When you get a bite, you reel it in in the conventional style.
Okay, I can see that this is how Batman might go fishing, it seems like overkill for most of us. But, as my mom used to say, "if this is how you want to spend your $60, go ahead."
[via Oh Gizmo!]
It's been a while since I've bought games for my DS. Right now I own Tetris DS and Mario Kart DS. Yeah, a bit skimpy, I'll admit. But I have to say, that I'm pretty excited about the fact that Sim City is making its way to the console. I mean, I had the original version for my Mac, in black and white back on floppy disks. I'd spent hours building cities, just so I could rampage them with a Godzilla attack. Actually, I'm not even sure I ever played the game right.
The DS version looks like it won't just be a trip down memory lane, using the 3D perspective of later games in the series, rather than the original 2D top down approach. I do like the addition of what looks to be Sim City-creator Will Wright in the bottom screen, although I didn't know he spoke Japanese.
Japan's the only place that this version of Sim City, made by Electronic Arts, has been announced, but I'm holding out hope we'll see a US version before long.
[via Joystiq]
Thanks, Disgo, for combining two of my favorite things into one. You've put the Oxford Concise English Dictionary onto a 2GB flash drive. Brilliant. I know I argue against convergence sometimes, but this ain't no Radio Fan, okay?
I love dictionaries. Love 'em. You might say I'm a lexiconophilist, though I think the term more often used is "pretentious snob." But nothing shall keep from my love of all things wordy. Unfortunately, the dictionary is only a 30-day trial version, which can be converted to the full version at the cost of £14.99. And it looks like you'll need the U3 system installed on your flash drive in order for this to work (a piece of software that I explained how to uninstall just the other day).
The OED is tops, though, even if it is only the concise version. I hope to get an unabridged copy for my home someday, even if it is twenty-two volumes and requires installment financing.
[via CNet]
Adobe's Portable Document Format (known to the faceless masses as PDF) has long been a popular format, and has pretty much been a de facto standard. Adobe's decided to take the next step and have PDF officially adapted as an open standard by submitting it to approval of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
Why now? Microsoft is moving in on Adobe's territory with its XML Paper Specification (XPS), which has also been submitted as an open standard, after Adobe pressured the EU into preventing Microsoft from bundling XPS support into Vista and Office 2007, arguing that it would be undercut competition.
It'll be between one and three years before official approval is granted, but when it comes around, consumers may very well have their choice of open, free formats. Which is good news all around.
What the hell, it must be famous vintage movie/TV car auction week or something. I mean, all of these rides have an edge on my tricked out '97 Honda Accord (happy 10 years!), but they also all cost just a slight bit more. Let's run down the list.
The auction for the original Batmobile from the 1960s TV show starring Adam West was the first to catch my eye. Nothing says BANG! POW! WHAM! like this slick ride. It's expected to go for over $150,000 when the auction hits on February 27th.
If the Dynamic Duo's wheels aren't quite the style you're looking for, perhaps you might be interested in a car that talks back. $25,000 and change will net you a handmade replica of KITT from Knight Rider, built from a 1984 Pontiac TransAm. The auction ends on the 31st, so get your bid in now. No word on whether or not it includes smokescreen and oil slicks.
Finally, for those who ain't afraid of no ghosts (wait, isn't that a double negative?), the 1959 Cadillac that served double duty as ECTO-1 in Ghostbusters is also up for the sale. It'll run you just $150,000, and they throw in this bit of bonus trivia: before being used by Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd, the car was previously used by Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger in In the Heat of the Night.
Total cost of all your classic car dreams: $325,000. Of course, you'll also be needing at least a three car garage.
Looking for a Wi-Fi-enabled MP3 player that actually makes use of its wireless functionality? I'll give you a hint: it doesn't rhyme with Daniel Boone. But it might just be this wee G14, by the Spanish firm Blu:sens.
The G14 features 1GB or 2GB of storage for $232 and $258, which may seem like it's on the pricey side, but it's the Wi-Fi functionality that'll turn heads. Unlike the Microsoft Loon, the G14 can sync wirelessly with your computer, and transfer songs and playlists to other users.
It'll play your MP3s, your WMA files, JPEG photos, and MP4 video on its 2" color screen, features Bluetooth A2DP functionality (two wireless technologies in one device? Awesome), and claims 20 hour battery time, though I wonder how the wireless use cuts into that. Unfortunately, no news yet on if this will ever drop in the US; methinks the RIAA might have something to say whine about that.
[via SCI FI Tech]
If that combination flash light/smoke detector that we showed off the other day didn't quite rattle your cage, perhaps you'd be interested in the latest in personal defense. The Stun Gun Mini Flashlight packs 200,000 volts into a diminutive package. Just don't hit the wrong button when you're playing that game of flashlight tag.
The KL-139 self-defense flashlight is powered on NiCad batteries, and comes with its own charger and a spare LED bulb; it takes four hours to charge, though no word on how long the battery lasts. It's made of high-quality ABS plastic, so just in case you wear out the charge with a couple of good shocks, you can always chuck it at your attacker.
This is one of those things that I can't have around the house. There's no way that I wouldn't accidentally fry myself or worse, the cat. Fortunately, $60 is just on the far side of what I'm willing to pay for a flashlight.
[via Red Ferret]
Funny, I don't seem to have any problems whatsoever with cooling on my original NES. Though I do have to spend a fair amount of time blowing out cartridges to get them to work properly. Tradeoffs.
Should you have a problem getting heat to dissipate from your Xbox 360, you might consider Gamexpert's new Cooler King. Not only does it keep your Xbox nice and chilly via an internal fan system, but it also acts as kind of a dock, turning the Xbox's proprietary AV port into standard outputs for component video, composite audio/video, S-video, VGA, and optical audio. You'll also find four USB ports, should you want to attach four media players or controllers.
All this seems rather like a steal for just $35—granted, that's on top of the console that you probably paid at least $300 for already. Oh well, it's cheaper than a new game anyway.
[via Engadget]
