The Desk Pets Tankbot will reportedly able to be controlled using your iPad, iPod Touch or iPhone and perhaps even better is this little contraption won’t cost an arm and a leg. The company says that you will be able to control your little Tankbot with the iOS device while spending less than $20 to get it.

The Tankbot will be able to be controlled using gestures thanks to a built in IR sensor. The toy will also be able to roam around its maze on its own and can even be set to a free roaming mode.

Our seasoned readers definitely know what a PDA is as they were all the rage when they first came out but for our younger readers who aren’t so versed, PDA stands for personal digital assistant. Basically, imagine a modern day cell phone without all of the bells and whistles – right down to the bare bones.

Palm, before they set their sights on the Pre, Pixi and webOS was one of the world’s leading PDA manufacturers. They had their ever so popular line up of Palm Pilot PDAs that gave the world a digital assistant right in the palm of their hand. They could manage their calendar, take notes, play games and more. Sure, they are nothing compared to what we carry in our pockets today but at the time they were revolutionary.

A lot of the devices that came out of Palm around that time were powered by their PalmOS mobile operating system. This software was pretty much nothing like webOS and instead had a design more closely resembling Windows Mobile, though the functionality was arguably much higher (if you ask anyone who isn’t a Windows Mobile fanboy, if those even exist, that is).

Once the PDA craze passed and consumers moved onto smart phones, Palm essentially killed off PalmOS to instead focus on webOS in attempt to break back into the mobile industry (a story which we won’t get into here). However, just because Palm wouldn’t be developing for it anymore doesn’t mean hardware manufacturers are going to cmopletely neglect it just yet.

In fact, a company by the name of Aceeca has the PDA32 which runs the PalmOS and our friends at TamsBlog have managed to get their hands on one. Of course there isn’t much to say about the device considering it resembles what we played with years ago but it’s nice to see a company is taking a retro approach to mobile productivity. They do, however, say it’s a bit bulky which probably won’t matter to you because you weren’t going to buy it anyways, right?

Luckily, a few months after the original iPhone made the rounds, Apple came forth to release the iPod Touch which was essentially the same thing minus a speaker, microphone, and wireless data/voice connectivity. This gave everyone who could not get an iPhone the chance to partake in the goodness that was iPhone OS, now known as iOS.

However, while most of the features were there (minus the App Store which came at a later date) the only way to connect to the Internet was through a WiFi connection which means your ability to roam freely while surfing the web was severely limited. Luckily, some options came to give the iPod Touch 3G like mobile hotspots from various carriers but it just wasn’t the same as the iPhone.

Today, however, a new option has been spotted at the FCC in the form of the ZTE Peel. If you couldn’t guess, the ZTE Peel is a case that also acts as a wireless hotspot. Couple it with an iPod touch and you essentially have an iPhone. Sure, the form factor isn’t exactly the same but couple it with something like Skype and one of those free text messaging clients and you have yourself a bonafide smartphone.

Now, there’s no telling when this device will actually be made available but as you can see from the above picture it’s sproting the Sprint branding so it shouldn’t be too long until we see this made available.

What I’m more bummed about is the fact that there isn’t any 4G connectivity as if there were this could potentially make an iPod touch better than an iPhone. Oh well, I guess we’ll be stuck waiting.

This new concept stands to compete against the growing popularity of iPod docks, adding a twist of sorts as far as enjoying your favorite brew at your own convenience.

And while adding coffee brewing does seem to be unique for this particular concept, the features don’t stop there. It will also come with a QR-code scanner which will be able to read barcode-like tags while rendering some tunes at the same time. Not a bad idea but it may get its share of criticism.

The intent is obviously aimed at the kitchen setting. And though the cost for such a device has not been bared, you can bet that some consumers may not be too keen on investing in such a concept. For one, it will not come cheap. The idea is indeed something curious but overall, not an immediate need for wise spending consumers or even techies.

If you’re a dedicated Star Wars fan who feels the force you may like to know that you can now pre-order the Star Wars Force Trainer mind control game which, as you’d probably gathered, offers you the potential ability to lift a ball (or remote sphere, as its officially referred to) merely using the power of thought.

The Star Wars Force Trainer is billed as being capable of reading and interpreting your brainwaves courtesy of a headset that senses your brain’s beta waves and transmits information directly to the training tower and, should you be concentrating enough, you should see the ball ( sorry, remote sphere) rise with accompanying Star Wars sound effects (that’ll probably put you off, thus resulting in the ball dropping and frustration ensuing as you release that the force in you is far from strong and actually quite puny). Of course, as you train and get used to focusing your mind this could lead onto you managing to lift additional items with the power of your mind, such as cars, trains, entire buildings and…no, actually, it won’t.

The Star Wars Force Trainer is available to pre-order now for $140 and is listed as due to ship from 30^th September (but, being a Jedi, you probably knew that already).

Check other Star Wares related items on TFTS.

C&CS [via Gadget Review]

I have always wished that I could have a small, multi-colored, visor-wearing autonomous robot penguin that would meander around my desk making noises and lighting up. Am I alone here? OK, this one almost defies description and it definitely defies usefulness. Let’s put this one in the WTF file. Introducing the mydeskfriend project from Arimaz.

I am not sure what kind of company makes this type of product, but I do know that one of them is named Arimaz. Their website states that they develop and market communicating mobile robots. After researching this particular gadget, I have come to the conclusion that Arimaz develops and markets scary little interactive noisemakers for those that have given up on developing any kind of relationship with other humans. The mydeskfriend project (sounds weird on its own) has produced a product that is sure to raise more than just my eyebrows.

The tiny robo-penguin is capable of roaming around on your desk while you are working, making loud, obnoxious noises, and reacting to various pre-programmed changes in its mood with color-changing eyes. The product website shares that it has five different moods and reacts to “…voice, poking, cherishing, shaking, and more…” I hesitate to ask what the “and more” would be in this case.

If that wasn’t enough to convince you to buy one, it also has been programmed to interact with your FaceBook account. Heart be still. Apparently, the co-dependent little bugger “needs” things like food and medication, which you and your fellow anthropophobic friends can provide via the social networking site’s applications.

I have written way more than I ever thought I could about this gizmo. The Arimaz website doesn’t exactly win any awards for usability so you might need to Google a bit for more info. The rumor is that it will be available worldwide sometime in September for a cost of about $100/61GBP. Charging dock is included. Sanity is not.

Hmmm … it’s not often I start a review with those words but then this invention is making me ponder somewhat into the mind of the designer/inventor, like … is he on drugs??? The “Hitch” is an object that was borne in the mind of someone nuts or simply sporting a grand sense of humour.

The Hitch, designed by Robert Nightingale, is a concept that would like to see that all people can “hitch a ride” so to speak, using triple load vacuum suction cups as a means of “sticking” yourself to a host vehicle and zipping away. He believes that transport and “hitching” in particular ought to be freelly accessible and this is his thought on how to establish this as the norm.

The designer had this to say:
“For best results position yourself at traffic lights, railway stations or air hangers. Subtly wait for the opportune moment (which is precisely 7 seconds before the initial point of acceleration) and attach the product as firmly as possible to the host vehicle (a brief run up usually does the trick), paying attention to ground clearance for ones feet and enjoy the ride…”

Robert Nightingale has obviously not considered that this is all fine and dandy as long as people learn to drive safely, but seeing as though this is impossible to establish i foresee people getting squished against walls and other vehicles in the near future. Let’s also not forget dilly teens and their ludicrous ideas! This will become the next adrenalin rushing-die-to-do sport!

Needless to say. I’m no fan! Despite desperately wanting a velcro wall in my home, I cannot fathom throwing myself at a moving vehicle in the hope that I’ll get from point A to point B safely!

[source]

Following on from the recent release of their REALiS SX80 projector – the first projector to offer PictBridge connectivity – Canon have announced a the upcoming availability for their high-end REALiS WUX10 multi-media projector which is, according to Canon, the first p[rojector in the world to offer WUXGA (1920 x 1200) resolution using LCOS (Liquid Crystal on Silicon) technology.

Rated at 3200 Lumens of brightness and sporting a contrast ratio of 1000:1, Canon’s up and coming REALiS WUX10 high-end multi-media Projector, which weighs in at just 10.8 lbs, has been designed to offer the ‘full and precise’ display of photographs, intricate spreadsheets with small text, CAD drawings and full-motion HD or SD video and, to that end, apart from offering WUXGA-resolution (1920 x 1200) capabilities also supports 1080 video content and WUXGA 16:10 aspect ratio imagery allowing Windows and Mac users to ‘project their computer's entire screen in its true proportions, just as it appears on their widescreen desktop or laptop computer monitors’. In addition, the REALiS WUX10 features the ability to process analog RGB and component signals, from input to display, in 10-bit resolution for higher-quality images.

Canon REALiS WUX10 Key Features:

• Canon AISYS optical engine
• 1.5x powered zoom/focus lenses
• 10:0 lens offset
• 3,200 lumens brightness
• 1,000:1 contrast ratio
• 16:10 aspect ratio
• DVI-I, HDMI, RCA, VGA, D-Sub9 (IBM PC video, UPS) input
• Three RCA audio input
• RJ-45 network jack
• One RCA audio output and a VGA port

Due to be displayed at the up and coming InfoComm '08 trade show being held from June 18-20 in Las Vegas Convention, Canon’s REALiS WUX10 projector, which is set for an October release, will set you back $12,999.

Canon [via]

Whilst here at TFTS Towers we tend to positively salivate over just about any gadget that takes the iconic Lego brick as its inspiration we cannot help but wonder quite who would buy this DIY Lego Inspired Block Tower Light when you could simply make your own with the real McCoy.

Available in rainbow, blue, yellow (lovely) and red (say no more) these build you own crappy table light kits come complete with all the coloured ABS plastic blocks required to construct your hideously tacky 11.8 X 11.8 X 23.5(cm) light as well as a 25 watt bulb and inline on/off switch and we just don’t get it.

File under ‘Cheap Tat Trying to Cash in on Lego’s Universal Appeal and Failing, Dismally’.

10×10

Once in a while we come across a gadget that serves merely, it would seem, to offer a needlessly overcomplicated solution to what is, in all fairness, a fairly simple issue but this Easy Grip Book Holder and Page Keeper Gadget is undoubtedly in a league all of its own in terms of absolute absurdity.

Designed to clip onto a book of your choice, the ABS plastic Easy Grip not only comes with a thread to mark the page you’re presently reading (lest you forget it having put the book down) but also a fabric handle allowing you to hold your book in a somewhat bag-like fashion as you transport it from, say, the kitchen to the living room.

As needlessly inventive as this curious device is, however, we cannot help but think that the designers have missed a trick in not adding a mini LED to facilitate a little night reading.

A seriously strong contender for this year’s ‘Most Absurd Gadget Award’ should we ever get round to having one, the Easy Grip Book Holder is yours for just short of $10 / (€6 / £5).

Ideaholic

Whilst the obvious answer for storing spare SD memory cards whilst out and about snapping merrily away with your digital camera would be to keep them safe in your camera case, if you’re looking for an altogether more whimsical solution this somewhat quirky My Photos camera styled SD card keyring may be of interest.

Of course SD cards are by no means limited to use with digital cameras so, perhaps, there may be some need for an SD card holder such as this, if only to ensure that you have spare capacity at your fingertips for a wide ranging array of electronic devices, but, in all honesty we’d personally rather opt for buying a larger capacity SD cards should limited capacity be an issue. Still as a quirky accessory we cannot help but like this keyring (though we’re not entirely certain exactly why).

Designed by Axel Grob, the Troika My Photos Mini Camera Styled SD Memory Card Holder Keyring retails for around $24 / £12 / €15.

Story Shop (Korean)

Our sincere apologies for the quality of the image but the moment we saw this Auto Detective Pen, which will warm of unknown wireless signals by lighting up, thanks to an integral LED, we just knew that we had to offer a brief heads up here, simply because of the absurdity of it all.

There are, of course, many ways you can check an area for wireless signals so quite why anyone would want a pen that lights up when it detects such signals is quite beyond us unless you just happen to be a wannabe spy with an unsecured wireless connection who happens to be into pens (and we’re sure that such people do indeed exist, somewhere).

Interestingly, not only will this Auto Detective Pen detect wireless connections but it will also assist you in the location said suspicious devices – as long as they are within a somewhat limited 10 meter range – by increasing the intensity of the flash the closer you get to the device it’s picking up, right up until you realise that its your signal its picked up on (again).

If you’re looking for a great, cheap gift for the office nerd who generally thinks he’s a geek (and there is a vast difference between the two) then this will undoubtedly keep him occupied for hours much in the same way as would a piece of paper with PTO written on both sides.

The Auto Detective Pen retails for $15.97 with staggered discounts for bulk purchases.

That said, we’d rather just forget this pen altogether and opt instead for the previously featured, rather cool animated Wireless Signal Detecting T-Shirt (thanks for reminding us about this, Fred – much appreciated).

[Source | Uberreview]

One thing that is sure to get our attention here at TFTS is items that mix and match seemingly wholly unconnected functions merely in what we can only assume to be a bid to come up with something that’s either unique or, more often than not, just bizarre – and this fruit machine pen certainly slots neatly into this category.

Joining the ranks of such eminently (un)forgettable devices such as the MP3 external Speaker with Integral pencil sharpener, – which, let’s face it, is going to be rather difficult to upstage – the Fruit Machine Pen, apart from being a little excessive in terms of proportions, comes complete with a working mechanism and even its own stop lever (we’re sure that it has a technical name but, to be frank, we are sufficiently disinterested in slot machines to even look it up).

Why would anyone what a Fruit Machine Pen? No, we’re not certain either – unless you’re some sort of addict (and we each have our addictions) – but what is certain is that time spent with this device is time truly wasted. But perhaps that’s the point. After all, with time in such short supply for all of us, isn’t to waste it the ultimate in two fingers, metaphorically speaking, to the destiny that awaits us all?

Let it not be said that we’re not incapable of at least attempting to lend some sort of credence to what is, ultimately, just a piece of plastic tat – and a particularly forgettable piece of tat at that.

From the latest camcorders to MP3 players, LCD TVs to the odd sports car, we like nothing better here at TFTS Towers than writing about the latest, cutting edge gadgets but once in a while we’ll step aside and define just how great most of the products we feature are by posting something that is complete and utter tack – but that, for some bizarre reason, either make us smile or that we find ourselves drawn to (not that we’d admit this publicly).

And few would argue that this 360 degree message globe is just that, a terrible, overtly plastic, cheap piece of desktop fodder, but there’s just something about it we like, much in the same way that we sometimes find ourselves singing along with a particular Spice Girls track when it comes on the radio; and coming from someone with my tastes in music that’s something I don’t admit to lightly (believe me, I’ve spent four years in therapy, I’ve tried hypnosis, even acupuncture, all to no avail, though I find a good dose of horse tranquilizers tend to do the trick).

Ok, so the Mira Ball is not quite that bad, but it’s not far off. Perhaps it’s the fact that the semi-transparent globe is a dirty brown. Perhaps it’s the case that in terms of style this device seems to have redefined the very notion of blandness. Or perhaps it’s a decidedly crass fusion of all the above, and more.

The problem is that, were it styled just that bit better, we’d love it for what it is – a useless but fun, geeky desktop ornament which even comes with 4MB of internal memory – those chips obviously drew the short straw.

Still, we can take solace in the fact that we can achieve the very same effect with this Message Propeller Alarm Clock, so all is not lost (apart from the Spice Girls issue – and that’s something that I’d just prefer not to talk about unless you’re a qualified psychotherapist).

Let’s leave it there shall we.

As our catchphrase denotes we like to throw the odd curiosity in with all the high-tech gadgets and gizmos and this frankly ridiculous Diet Fork certainly merits an entry under the ‘curiosity’ label. And, whilst initially I thought that this was a joke, having proceeded with clicking through to order one of these ‘revolutionary’ diet forks I can confirm that I found myself in a secure page requesting my details.

The Diet Fork, according to the product site, ‘is here to provide dieters the necessary tool to help assist in portion control, a key factor in weight loss’ and basically consists of a disposable type plastic fork with the following (revolutionary?) design elements built in:

• Shorter and dulled teeth inhibiting user from grasping larger pieces of food at any one time.
• Smaller triangular shaped surface area allowing dieter to hold less food than many other forks.
• Uncomfortable grip compelling user to put fork down between bites, slowing the user’s eating speed.

At this point we feel that we really should make it clear that the main picture above is of a standard, common plastic fork as the only image provided of the Diet Fork on the official product site is as follows:

And the price of this cheap disposable plastic fork revolutionary Diet Fork? $8.95 for a pack of ten.

Whatever next? The Diet Spoon, perhaps (basically a plastic spoon with a bloody great hole in it)?

[Source | Diet Blog]

Apparently this high tech football (LCD displays are very high tech, don’t you know) will assist you in becoming a superstar player. Frankly we doubt that but, if you are wishing to follow in Beckham’s footsteps this Virtual Soccer Ball has at least one positive side – namely that it doesn’t come with an irritating, self-obsessed wife and, in anyone’s book, that has to be a considerable bonus.

As far as improving your skills are concerned, however, the scope of this Virtual Soccer Ball (quite what’s virtual about it is beyond us, but hey) is somewhat limited as it is merely capable of counting how long you can successfully juggle the ball, with the LCD display providing the count. It’s not going to teach you how to dribble, how to successfully tackle your mark, how to take a corner, or anything else for that matter.

Then again, it’s not going to spend every hour of every day pouting in front of cameras and calling itself ‘fabulous’ either.

The Virtual Soccer Ball retails for $24.95.

[Source | TechChee]

‘Say it with flowers’ an advertising campaign says here in the UK though quite what you would be saying by giving your significant other a bunch of these fake, LED enhanced flowers is quite another matter.

It’s not that we think LEDs aren’t cool – personally I was born in the 70’s so I still think digital watches are a revelation, for God’s sake – but there are limits and we strongly suspect that these fake LED enhanced flowers are a case in point.

We didn’t think it would ever happen: TFTS stating that something with LEDs is seriously uncool. But it has, and life will never be the same again (shiver).

These fake LED enhanced flowers, known as Flash Flowers, retail for 55000 Won – approximately £29 / $59 / €43.

If you’ve ever wanted to hold you own laser show spectacular in your front room for the benefit of family and friends then this Compact Handheld Laser Show gadget will allow you to do just that – though take a tip from us, it might work better with a captive audience (i.e., if you’ve locked your guests in and swallowed the key) as it will probably get a little boring after the first few hours.

Featuring a number of pattern functions accessible via buttons on the top of the device a whole host of (not especially) intriguing shapes can be projected across your walls and ceiling, though if you’re looking to create a laser projected rendition of anything other than a number of fairly non-descript doodles then you’ll really need to look elsewhere as the device’s functions are a little on the basic side. That said, if you’re looking for an excuse to replay your entire Mike Oldfield collection back to back in an audio visual feast that will numb the senses like a dose of industrial strength anesthetic then this Compact Handheld Laser Show Gadget will serve admirably.

Further details can be obtained from the Funshop website.

Firstly we would like to strenuously deny that we are scraping the barrel here (primarily on account of the fact that we suspect that we’re only just getting started – it’s one of those days – so we think it best to cover ourselves from the offset).

These fridge magnets, created to resemble cocktails (…where are we going with this?) are, let’s be honest here, rather tacky, but could make a perfect gift for someone you really don’t like at all who will then smile sweetly back, thank you from the bottom of their heart and immediately spend the next three hours trying to position them on their fridge door in all manner of compositions whilst they wonder just why they bothered to invite you round in the first place.

If you cannot think of a friend or acquaintance (or relative by marriage) who doesn’t deserve these then you’re a better person than I. That said, I will now of course pay the price for making that comment by a) receiving a hostile call from the in-laws and, b) spending the rest of the day trying to come up with posts that act in some way to claw us back out of the depths to which we have stooped by posting about these mini cocktail magnets in the first place.

That said, no doubt a number of you might actually want these fridge magnets (welcome to TFTS, by the way, nice to have some discerning readers on-board), so here’s a link from where they can be purchased.

If you thought that the USB Humping Dog was cool but perhaps a little too vulgar for your tastes, how about a USB Chameleon with not only moving eyes but an animated tongue? Yes, you read that correctly.

Unfortunately, just like the original USB Humping Dog, the USB Chameleon also comes without any inbuilt memory so is, from a functional perspective at least, wholly redundant. That said, we’ve already noted that the humping dog has been modded to take memory whilst not effecting its humping proficiency so it’s only a matter of time until some bright spark gets their hands on this bizarre USB device and adds some much needed functionality.

Available in three colour schemes this somewhat curious USB Chameleon comes with 100cm of USB cable which, once connected will see its eyes and jaw move (cheekily exposing its tongue) and can be obtained from this site (link to English translation of the page) for 2940 Yen (approximately $24 / €18 / £12).

And, if this USB Animated Chameleon does not do it for you, how a USB Squid which does actually have some inbuilt storage capacity?

Yes, windows are great, but now that you can attach one of these Climb@tron robots, such as the Brainizord version featured above, to them and watch it climb up and down they’ve just got greater. The fact that it’s also got flashing lights is just the icing on the cake as far as we’re concerned (any thing with a pulsing light makes it into my wish-list these days, which probably explains why my wife is walking round with an LED glued to her forehead in a concerted attempt to prise me away from TFTS for a few hours).

A great gift for children as you coax them towards fabled geek status, the Brainizord retails at a mere £8.95 (€13.43 / $15.89) and can be obtained, along with other Climb@trons, from this online retailer.

Just from a convenience point of view, the Banana Boat Slicer is bound to appeal to the fruity sorts amongst you, and think what you could do with the time saved – like ponder why on earth you ever considered parting with $7.99 for this in the first place when it doesn’t even peel the banana for you.