We’ve come across any an iPhone related accessory here on TFTS, most of which have been pretty standard devices (docks, cases, portable speakers, battery packs, et al) and we’ve even come across the odd somewhat bizarre iPhone accessory (the ZGrip springs immediately to mind) and now we have this, an iPhone Stencil Kit that, in all honesty, is aimed at we’re not exactly sure who.

Yes, in the title we’ve speculated that it may be of use to developers but, all said and done, it really probably isn’t so quite who that leaves is beyond us – except for those fixated with the iPhone who cannot actually draw one especially well and need help (in so many ways).

Interestingly, however, the iPhone Stencil Kit is not actually to scale, for some obscure reason, meaning that you’ll have to settle for somewhat scaled up versions of the iPhone but it does, at least, come with a plethora of iPhone related icons meaning that you should, if you can use a stencil, churn out pretty reasonable if not rather large renditions of Apple’s phone should you want to.

Personally my gut feeling is that the iPhone Stencil Kit is of extremely limited appeal – I cannot see that many of you dropping everything in a bid to secure one – but I could be wrong. Perhaps I’m missing something. Perhaps the desire to stencil out an oversized iPhone is something that’s held dear by many. If it is, please put me out of my misery and tell me exactly why though, won’t you?

The iPhone Stencil Kit is available in Korea for the equivalent of $27.

There are certain things that will always creep me out – carnies and public restrooms among them – but I have to admit that robotic animals of any kind might be near the top of the list. I’m not sure if it’s the lifeless, piercing eyes or the rigid mechanical movements that do it. Maybe it’s just the fact that no matter how much technology you cram under the fake fur they just never seem natural. Either way, when I saw the latest creature creation from Sega Toys, the Dream Cat Venus, it sent chills up and down my spine.

The Dream Cat Venus is actually the second incarnation of a robotic cat for the Japanese firm. I guess they just hadn’t scared enough children with their first pass, the Yume Neko Smile. Complete with mottled faux fur, this replica of a Norwegian Forest Cat is supposed to be the next best thing to Fluffy. Sega actually worked with the Tohoku University’s Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer in Northern Japan during the development phase to make sure they got it just right. I suppose I can see the connection between curing cancer and robo-kitties.

The Dream Cat Venus is programmed to respond to its human counterpart in various ways depending upon the applied stimulus. Now doesn’t that sound all warm and fuzzy? Apparently, if you use a phrase like “there, there” the Venus will provide a simulated purr to show its appreciation. I wonder if it’ll short circuit around catnip?

The Dream Cat Venus also has several pre-programmed movements including laying down, paw movements and several reactions to touch. They are triggered from a number of hidden sensors and photoreceptors placed on the cats body. The battery powered pussy measures 490x240x230-mm (19.3×9.4×9.1-in) and comes with a plastic comb for grooming. Available only in Japan you can pick up the Yume Neko Dream Cat Venus on July 30^th for around $110 equivalent. Hairballs sold separately.

I know you simply can’t get enough of the wonderfully creative USB hubs that are flooding the market and that’s why I am here to bring yet another one to your attention. This baby not only has the technology that you’d expect from a 4-port USB hub, but it comes wrapped in an uber-cute package that’s adorable enough to make Snake Plissken cry. Put your paws together for the Panda USB Hub from Gadget4All.com.

The Panda USB hub has to be one of the cutest and creepiest devices to enter the market since the Furbie. It is basically a 4-port USB hub in the shape of a cuddly little panda. It has four slots, two of which are in the front where the little creature’s legs should be. The problem is, when you have your USB drives plugged in it takes on a post-apocolyptic amputee quality reminiscent of Cherry Darling in Tarentino’s Planet Terror. Adding to the creepy quality are its glowing blue eyes that let you know the device is powered on. There is just something so wrong about a USB-legged panda sporting Terminator eyes.

On the flipside, if you’re looking for another animal-themed USB hub to add to your collection – and who isn’t – here’s the rundown:

• 4-port hub
• USB 1.1
• Plug and play
• Blue LED indicator eyes
• Size: 90x75x62-mm (3.5x3x2.4-in)
• Weight: 65g

Rest assured that this USB hub contains no actual panda. They are currently being offered for sale on www.gadget4all.com for $11.50. Bamboo not included.

[Geeky Gadgets]

If you’ve ever thought about inventing a device that projects simulated fireworks on your walls and ceilings you probably work for Sega Toys. Because I’m pretty sure that no one ouside of the land of Hello Kitty would ever come up with such a lame idea. I won’t let the fact that I just don’t get this product stand in the way of the info. After all, that’s why I’m here.

Sega Toys announced recently that it would begin selling the Uchiage Hanabi fireworks projector. Supposedly, this thing uses 5 customizable projection lenses to beam moving fireworks onto the surface of your choice. It even has a nifty little feature that tracks the “firework” from launch to explosion so you can see the little dot of light trace up the wall before it “explodes”. It also claims that you …”can make a full fireworks show, complete with sounds, that is never rained out and can be shown year round.” I know I always get a craving for fireworks around February, so this would be perfect.

So how can you get your hands on the Uchiage Hanabi before they are sold out? Head over to www.japantrendshop.com where for a mere $168 (+$42 for shipping) you will be well on your way to experiencing the greatest simulated fireworks show you have ever seen. Rumor has it that Sega Toys is also hard at work on a personal cleansing simulator that is said to be able to project soap and water onto your body giving you a virtual “freshly showered” feeling.

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.

It’s been a whilst since we’ve posted about anything that gets us hot under the collar, or anything that fits in with the ‘curiosity’ element of TFTS (as one kind reader has pointed out in a mail to us) but, really, we had to do a double take when we came across these Street Rugs which come in 40KM and 60KM versions (yes, we’re posting about rugs – perhaps you had to do a double take of your own).

Designed for those that either really don’t like their young children, or for those that fail to quite make the connection in terms of what an example this is setting in relation to impressionable minds, these Street Rugs are a great way to let your children know that playing in the middle of a road is something to be encouraged (if not encouraged, why buy one?).

Yes, you could argue that these are just rugs (and how many fluffy roads have you come across lately) and, again, you could argue that many give their children toy guns, let them commit massacres on computer games, etc, but there’s just something about these Street Rugs that sits really uneasily with us (and, with respect to the imagery, we suspect we may not be alone).

(There’s ten theoretical bonus points – which account for absolutely nothing – for the first person who adds a comment telling me to ‘get a life’, by the way)

Just when we though we had pretty much seen it all when it comes to curious/bizarre/silly (delete as applicable) USB flash drives, along comes this Sticky Note Pad USB Flash Drive which, thanks to coming with integrated sticky note pad, allows you to store up to 2GB digital files as well as scribe written notes all courtesy of a single rather insipid looking device.

Agreed, the Sticky Note Pad USB Flash Drive is hardly a major technical innovation – I mean, just look at it – but its hard not to harbour a begrudging sense of respect for any USB flash drive that a) looks plain ridiculous, b) is plain ridiculous and c) attempts to justify a price tag of just shy of $50 for a mere 2GB of capacity by assuming all the style finesse of some curious fusion of a mutant clothes peg and a book of Post-It notes that fought a battle with a guillotine and lost (at least twice).

The Sticky Note Pad 2GB USB Flash Drive can be obtained from Gizmine.

Bar from buying ice-cream at the shops, it has always been a mission and a half to make the ice-cold creamy concoction, until now that is. The Play & Freeze™ Ice Cream Maker has changed the way we will think of ice-cream forever.

Gone are the days of complicated recipes, big electrical freezers, impressive heavy duty machines and a multitude of bits and bobs to ensure the perfect bowl of homemade ice-cream. The Play & Freeze™ Ice Cream Maker is so versatile that you can even take it to a picnic or school and have a serving within a few minutes!

Amazing!

The simplicity of the Play & Freeze™ Ice Cream Maker is in its unique spherical design. The outer chamber is filled with ice and rock salt while the inner chamber is filled your favourite goodies. Obviously the consistency of your ice-cream will rely heavily on the ingredients chosen, but will also depend on other how long you have “played” with your ball.

Confused? Well, let me explain …

Once your ice, rock salt and ingredients are all in place, simply pop the lid on and “play” with your ball. Roll it, tumble it, shake it … all in all, just play with it (however, kicking and throwing the ball will void all warranty as this is not considered playing – it’s considered darn abusive! (lol)). The ice-cream forms within minutes of being played with and rolling against the inner edges of the chamber against the cold ice barrier.

The 20cm diameter Play & Freeze™ Ice Cream Maker can be purchased at Gizoo for £19.95, and at that price, you can afford to try out a million and one recipes while fooling around with a ball!

[source]

If you’re as addicted to music and gaming as I am, you’ll find these illuminated drumsticks for RockBand not only fun and worthwhile but absolutely FLASH!

The Ant Commandos have come up with an answer to boring wooden set sticks by offering you the opportunity to purchase flashy rockstar drumsticks at a ridiculous price of $19, 99! These sticks light up any room as if you were on stage banging away to a crowd of 1000 screaming fans! At least that’s how you’ll feel when the flame red or electric blue light glitters as your pseudo rockstar status takes form infront of your game console of choice whether it be Playstation, Wii or Xbox!

If you happen to be a serious real-life drummer you may not be so surprised with this sudden technological feat as light-up drumsticks have been creeping into the music scene for quite some time now … but for those serious wannabe rockstar gamers, banging away at their RockBand drumkit, the idea of holding flashy sticks is anything but boring.

Besides the obvious colour and light enhancements, these illuminating drumsticks, for RockBand, are somewhat thicker than the usual wooden ones, which will assist in maintaining a tight grip while banging away, and the cleverly designed silicon tips tend to reduce the sound produced on the unit, thereby helping your neighbours save on ear plugs.

The only downfall is that you’ll be so lost in flashy rockstar space that you’ll be replacing your AAA battery quite often as your quest for “stardom” becomes an hourly pursuit, banging away relentlessly on your RockBand kit.

[source]

Those of you who are long-tie readers of TFTS who happen to have especially good memories may recall that we featured another somewhat curious safe (known as a ‘Diversion Safe’) back in March ’07 that’s styled to resemble a lettuce and now we have this Bread Diversion Safe to add to our collection of safes which, if you’ll excuse us for stating the obvious, makes us just short of a sandwich.

Designed to draw attention to itself in exactly the same way as a traditional safe doesn’t, the Bread Safe comes with a hidden compartment in which your valuables can be stored so that, in the event of a burglary, unless the thief happens to be a little peckish (in which case both your bread and lattice safes could prove more than tempting) you should find that your valuables have been completely overlooked even though they were stored right in front of the thief’s nose.

The Bread Safe is yours for a ‘mere’ $99 (incidentally, rumours of a Baton Baguette, designed to enable you to defend yourself in the event that the thief turns nasty, becoming available soon from the same online portal are seemingly wholly unfounded).

Bimbambanana

It’s been a while since we’ve come across what we would deem to be a ‘curiosity’ but this WheelNavi gadget certainly fits neatly into this category as its sole purpose appears to be to relay just how many degrees you’re turning your car’s steering wheel – the device fixes to the steering wheel itself thanks to an adhesive backing – but quite why you would need such a device wholly escapes us.

Perhaps we’re missing something here, and we don’t doubt that you’ll let us know if we are, but what concerns us is the fact that, if you’re employing and using this device, then whilst staring at it to verse yourself with just how many degrees you’re turning you steering wheel you’re not actually looking through the windshield which, in anyone’s book, is not an especially good thing.

The similarities between this device and an aircraft’s Turn and Bank Indicator (shown below) are  striking.

Undoubtedly up there with the likes of the likes of the CallMe Prism-I, the WheelNavi comes in four flavours, retails for around $21/£11/€14 and we’re truly stumped as to why anyone would need such a device.

Perhaps you can offer us some insight?

10×10 (Korean)

The blissful irony concerning this DIY Self Build Electronic Decision Maker Kit is hard to escape as, seemingly aimed squarely at electronically assisting the indecisive in decision making processes, the target audience seems somewhat less than ideal, bearing in mind that most will, arguably, not quite be able to come to a decision as to whether to purchase this kit or not.

The device itself is provided in kit form, as the title would suggest, and, once assembled, can be relied upon to make decisions on your behalf at a touch of a button (assuming you make the decision to use the device to help you decide what needs to be decided upon, of course – though you could always have two, using the first to decide whether to use the second, though perhaps you’d need three as…enough already).

The device, which is powered by a 9v battery, basically works by flashing two LEDs, green for ‘yes’, red for ‘no’, with the speed by which the LEDs are illuminated gradually decreasing until coming to a halt – at which point your mind will be made up for you.

Great for those who simply cannot take responsibility for anything, the DIY Self Build Electronic Decision Maker Kit retails for just shy of $7.

Ramsey Electronics [via OhGizmo, or was it via Red Ferret, or was via it both? (We have a green, it must have been the latter)]

Following on from such automotive themed gems as the extremely popular Desktop USB WPM Speedometer, the Gear Stick Coat Rack and the Car Wheel Alarm Clock with Gear Stick Control, and what with the weekend fast approaching (we tend to kick back a little on Fridays) the moment we happened across these equally whimsical Mustang & Cadillac Rear Bumper Wall Shelves we just knew that we had to feature them here on TFTS, if only on account of their novelty/curiosity value.

Sure to make a great, and somewhat novel gift for the petrol head in your life (and we all know at least one of them) these distinctive shelves would look great in a garage and come complete with chrome bumpers and vanity plates and are available in 1965 Ford Mustang, a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air, or ’59 Cadillac flavours with each measuring in at approximately 7”(H) x 20”(W) x 6”(D).

Formed from resin and featuring a tempered glass self top the 57 Chevy and 65 Mustang Rear Bumper Wall Shelves retail for around $80 whilst the 59 Cadillac version will set you back just shy of $90.

WhatonEarth

For those of you into all things Star Wars and who just happen to have a particular penchant for Asian cuisine perhaps this somewhat tacky R2D2 Screw Top Soy Sauce Bottle may appeal – though we suggest that any true Star Wars devotee will probably view this, much in the same way as ourselves, as a somewhat incredulous and frankly pathetic attempt to cash in on an excessively lucrative franchise.

Interestingly, as can be seen from the imagery, the packaging comes emblazoned with the Star Wars logo though we strongly suspect that this is a decidedly unofficial product and that a certain George Lucas will be less than happy about (any company that dares take on LucasArts in such a fashion is either especially bold or especially stupid as they are known for not taking prisoners when it comes to copyright infringement).

Still, perhaps this is an officially sanctioned product – though we very much doubt it (we seen no reference to LucasArts on the product page). Besides, can you envisage a certain Mr Lucas sanctioning this? No, neither can we.

The R2D2 Screw Top Soy Sauce Bottle retails for $37, which seems rather excessive.

Whatever next? An unofficial Star Wars Chewbacca Lint Brush, perhaps?

Early Adopter [Korean]

We’ve featured a fair few gadget chargers and portable emergency power supplies here on TFTS but few have been quite as distinctive or as low tech as this wholly unpretentious (read as ‘naff’) contraption from China that, rather than harnessing the sun’s rays or wind power for a free juice top-up, relies on simple pedal power (i.e., you working your nuts off) in order to charge up your gadgetry.

Yes, your friends may be parading those pocket sized solar chargers around with them like the latest fashion accessories but just wait until you see their faces when you yank this pedal powered charger from your rucksack the next time your swanky PMP compact cassette player powers down due to diminished power. And, just to rub salt into their wounds, look how they turn green with envy as, with the simple depression of a button, the front battery unit lights up thanks to its inbuilt high-intensity LED spotlight, illuminating all around you for literally centimetres.

But that’s not all. Just when their egos are at rock bottom, in a bid to display the sheer versatility of your Pedal Powered Gadget Charger LED Spotlight Combo Contraption, you lift the device up and, instead of pedalling with your feet, you begin pedalling with your hands as you explain that, not only does this Pedal Powered Gadget Charger LED Spotlight Combo Contraption charge any gadget with a USB port but, thanks to the sheer amount of effort you have to put in to providing just enough charge to hear Whitney Houston’s ‘When Will I Know’ almost completely from start to finish you’ll look like Arnold Schwarzenegger in just a few short months (except without the pot belly, wrinkles and flab – though you’d quite like a monosyllabic voice*).

The result? You’ll have the women they crave positively falling at your feet and the unflinching respect of those men’s men types that feel compelled to wear corduroy trousers at least once a month – and all because of the one and only Pedal Powered Gadget Charger LED Spotlight Combo Contraption.

All this for a mere ¥14,800 ($141/£71/€91 equivalent) exclusive of shipping? Hell, we’ll take two!

*Prolonged use of the Pedal Powered Gadget Charger LED Spotlight Combo Contraption will not result in you talking like a robot or having Jamie Curtis as your friend and any inference therein is wholly intended to the point of being an outright lie.

Let’s be honest here. Some things, no matter how you look at them, just cannot be taken seriously.

Rakuten

It has been a while since we featured any kind of curiously styled USB flash drive, but these up and coming cake themed USB flash drives, from the same site that gave us such unforgettable gems as the Freshly Baked series of flash drives previously featured on TFTS, ought to go some way to ensure that we fulfill our quota of bizarrely styled USB memory sticks (for this month at least).

Due to become available sometime this month (May 08) – though no exact release date is given – these cake themed USB 2.0 flash drives come in Black Forrest, Strawberry Torte, Fruit Plate and French Mille-Feuille flavours and will sport capacities of up to 4GB.

No word at the time of writing concerning pricing, but its safe to assume that they won’t break the bank though we should stress that the site concerned tends to offer options for bulk purchase only.

Vavolo

Perhaps its just us, but we cannot help but feel that a designer somewhere (in China) forgot to take their medication before coming up with this monstrosity of a desktop USB speaker system – but what really surprises us is that another someone somewhere actually thought that someone else (who is, quite probably, somewhere else) might actually consider parting with money to have this hideous absurdity litter their desk.

We would like to say it looks better upside down.

(It doesn’t)

To be fair, perhaps these Birds Nest Stereo Speakers have been designed to appeal to a niche market – whatever niche that may be (the Royal Society of Ornithologists Craving Bad Design, perhaps?). Either ways, and to whichever niche this desktop stereo speaker system may have been cunningly devised to appeal, one can only assume that they’ll also care little about the fact that the specifications of this contraption are limited merely to the items size and weight – 5.2 in x 4.88 in x 2.17 in and 8.64 oz, respectively (we chose to add those details should any members of this niche be readers, lest we get on the wrong side of them).

Yours for a mere $12.98, and cheap (but not in the least desirable) at half the price.

Deal Extreme

Whilst this animated Face Bank has been around for a while in a range of colours we couldn’t pass up on noting that its now become available in two new finishes – namely Face Bank Brick and Face Bank Mortar – for no apparent reason whatsoever (as if a savings bank that chews and subsequently digests your money isn’t surreal enough).

For those who are unfamiliar with the Face Bank, this novel savings bank comes with integrated sensor which detects when money is being deposited at which point the Face Bank will chew on your coins prior to digesting them (to be retrieved at a later date).

Great for stimulating young children to save, and undoubtedly a great conversational piece for people of all ages looking for a highly distinctive piggy bank to help them ‘put a little something away for a rainy day’, these new Brick and Mortar Face Banks (we still don’t get these new finishes, are we missing something?) retail for around $24.

GeekStuff4U

Before be dive back into delivering a heads up concerning the latest in desirable gadgets and consumer electronics we thought we would offer up this curiosity, if only to clear our palette, so to speak, as subsequent to featuring this PC Spare Drive Bay Lockable Drawer Unit surely the only way is up.

Fitting neatly into a vacant drive bay, this PC Spare Drive Bay Lockable Drawer Unit, according to the product site, ‘turns your PC into a desktop organiser’ in offering two horizontal dividers, two vertical dividers and, the surly the clincher (if ever there wasn’t one) a CD post capable of holding up to 24 CDs.

Personally, we have no intentions of replacing the retracting Blu-ray drinks holder our computer came with (it comes in decidedly handy) but if you are looking for a place to store your paper clip collection and your computer just happens to be of the beige variety, this PC Spare Drive Bay Lockable Drawer Unit is sure to prove impossible (not) to resist.

Yours for a mere $14.99, and cheap at half the price.

KlearGear

It’s refreshing to break up the content concerning the latest must have gadgetry with the odd item of deliciously tacky gadgetry that we can (and will) happily live without and this bizarre LED Lemon Slice very much falls into the latter category.

Designed to serve as a glass decoration that fits onto your glass courtesy of a slot and powered by its own integrated battery, this LED Lemon Slice is sure not to wow that foxy lady you’ve brought back to your bachelor pad but, arguably, could prove a must have should you be into those kitschy Hawaiian themed parties we never get invited to (thankfully).

Three for just $3.30, and cheap at half the price.

DealExtreme

With the weekend looming and a night out on the town planned (yes I have written my name on the back of my hand lest I forget) we couldn’t pass up on offering a brief heads up concerning this rather curious (silly), raw meat effect iPod Nano case which is sure not to appeal to the veggies amongst you.

Harking, somewhat predictably, out of Japan, and following on from the Beef Bandages and Bacon Air Freshener we featured many moons ago, this Raw Meat Effect iPod Nano Case is sure to appeal to those who like to meat their beat (as opposed to…) and retails for around $68.

Rakuten [via Dvice]

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

This colossal monstrosity of an iPod docking station, known as the iBig Box, apart from being about as desirable as a hole in the head, serves as an inflatable iPod compatible boombox thus requiring you to pump it up prior to it pumping out your tunes and if you’ve already detected that we simply have very little (if any) respect for it you’d be pretty much spot on.

Apart from looking truly hideous the mere fact that any form of technical specifications on the product webpage is completely lacking could, quite possibly, hint at the fact that this device’s technical abilities are wholly lacking in terms of sound quality and performance – though this is, of course, pure speculation on our part (but any product that comes with such little in the way of detail tends to set alarm bells ringing).

Would you pay the best part of $60 for a product that the vendors could (so obviously) barely be bothered to wax lyrical about and whose weight is listed as being ‘12.00’ (that’s it – 12.00 what, exactly, remains wholly unanswered)? No, neither would we.

A wholly undesirable product offered up in a particularly shabby fashion (we’ve written more about it in terms of word count than the linked product site has) – hardly the most alluring deal in town is it?

[via New Launches]

Some weeks ago we gave brief mention of the Bible Inspiration Alarm Clock which, to be brutally frank, we detested (a harsh word, but apt nonetheless) but, whilst we suggested that this clock was particularly tacky it really has nothing on this appalling Lord’s Prayer Singing Alarm Clock (and, yes, you read that right).

Battery powered, this Lord’s Prayer Singing Alarm Clock is a purely plastic affair, and, apart from sporting the aesthetic sensibilities of a inebriated bull frog in a cosmetics department (we’ve not sure if that works, but we’ll stick with it) promises to relieve you of standard buzzer type alarms that, interestingly, are compared with being equitable to ‘the voice of Satan straight from the pits of Hell’ (you know we just couldn’t make this up if we tried) by singing the Lord’s Prayer to you each morning.

If we had an award for the most tragically pathetic gadget we’ve ever come across, this Lord’s Prayer Singing Alarm Clock, which retails for around $25, would undoubtedly walk away with gold.

Aimed squarely, it would seem, at forgetful sorts who like a to chill with a little ambient lighting this somewhat curious USB Desktop Colour Changing Ambient Memo Light not only serves as a colour changing, USB powered desktop light but as a pebble shaped white board onto which you can write memos and notes with the supplied pen.

Personally, we just cannot quite see the need for such a device, especially when desktop real estate is, for most of us, in such short supply, so we’ll be sticking with traditional Post-It notes, but if USB powered lights are something that appeal to you then you may also be interested in the equally whimsical (and frankly redundant) WPM Measuring USB Mini Desk Light which changes colour according to your typing speed.

Measuring in at 120mm in diameter and 43mm in height, the USB Desktop Colour Changing Ambient Memo Light retails for around $20 / €13 / £10 at the time of writing.

In all honesty due to the quality of the image and the pathetically sparse information available concerning this product (the site cannot even be bothered to offer a price, would you believe) we ordinarily would not have posted about this somewhat curious Bible Inspiration Alarm Clock but the simple fact that it’s so very quirky means that we simply could not resist giving it a quick mention here on TFTS.

Shaped like a cross the product site merely states that the Bible Inspiration Alarm Clock ‘has a 5 minute sound chip that plays religious music and quotes inspirational sections from the Bible in order to wake someone up in the morning. 10 different subjects can be accessed that quote randomly on subjects such as grief, hope, faith, fidelity, hard work and other topics of which someone needs inspiration and uplifting’.

Quite a sales pitch (yawn). No price, no details as to operation and examples of quotes – nothing. Needless to say we would link back to the site but, taking a leaf out of their book (and being that they quite obviously haven’t got the time to present their products with any sense of integrity), we just cannot be arsed. Such is life.

As someone who appears to be suffering from the effects of mild RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury) and someone who likes nothing better than a greasy fry up in the morning, this computer workstation breakfast themed keyboard and mouse wrist rest set with plate themed mouse mat certainly appeals – if only on a wholly whimsical level.

Can we assume shallow frying to be an option?

The Breakfast Themed Wrist Rest Set consists of two sausages serving as a keyboard wrist rest, an egg mouse wrist rest – which, incidentally, the official product page points out are not edible – and a mouse mat resembling a plate and retails for around $18.

Whilst we’ve seen more than our fair share of curious fusions between seemingly wholly unrelated functionalities this Info Centre Coat Hook, which comes with integrated LCD screen, undoubtedly serves to push the boundaries well into the bizarrely obscure.

Manufactured from plastic and aluminum and powered by 2 AA batteries this Info Centre Coat Hook is evidently not at all happy with merely providing a home for your coat or jacket – the result being an integrated LCD display capable of displaying the time, date and – would you believe – even the temperature in either °C or °F.

Aimed, we assume, at those who make their living on the road the Info Centre Coat Hook, which also comes with an alarm, retails for around £10.

Now if it had come with an integrated toaster and shampoo dispenser we might just have been interested.

Initially when we happened across this Multi-Function Mini Laser Level gadget we wondered what on earth it could be used for but, on reflection, we suspect it may prove to be more handy, and its uses rather more numerous, than we initially gave it credit for.

Unfortunately, having tempted you with the above paragraph, it has to be said that the product’s webpage leaves a great deal to be speculated upon – such as what units of measurement the device uses, its proportions and what sort of range it can accurately measure (which, in anyone’s book, is rather more than just a minor oversight).

Not withstanding the above, however, we can tell you that this Multi-Function Mini Laser Level comes with detachable mini tripod as well as a magnetic base, uses a red laser and is powered by two AAA batteries (interesting how the batteries it takes is somehow of such vital importance when such meagre details are otherwise not provided).

So, if you want to measure some kind of distance using some kind of measurement scale but, crucially, its vital that the device you’re looking for accepts 2 AAA batteries this is probably exactly what you’re looking for (but it might not be).

There’s nothing quite as off-putting as an abundance of overly technical information or, it seems, a complete lack of it though, in fairness, at least they remembered to tell us the price – $17 – which, all said and done, speaks volumes.

If you suspect that your partner is staying away from home or, worse, playing away at home, facing them without hard and fast supporting evidence would seem to infer that you trust them enough to put their hands up immediately and confess their sins, but the chances are you’ll merely be faced with a wall of denial – but what if you could furnish complete proof as to their misdemeanors?

In truth, though we’ve offered a rather upbeat introduction to this post concerning the Checkmate Infidelity Home Testing Kit there’s just something about it that turns our stomachs, not least because, simply by purchasing one of these kits, any trust that exists between you and your partner has been immediately blown apart (regardless of whether your suspicions have any grounding or otherwise). Still, it has to be said that anyone who purchases this kit obviously has doubts concerning their partner and the trust that, at one stage or another, existed in the relationship and, in with that in mind, should unequivocal evidence as to their unfaithfulness be required this kit would undoubtedly prove useful.

Of course, without getting overly graphic, this Checkmate Infidelity Home Testing Kit does rely somewhat on your partner not only playing away, so to speak, but also being a little carefree as, without trace elements of the fluids in question, on items such as undergarments, this kit will not detect anything (that said, the kit will apparently detect the substances in question for up to two years after the event – though quite whether the garments have been washed in this period the product site neglects to say).

The Checkmate Infidelity Home Testing Kit, which can test a total of ten items, retails for around $50 though, unlike the TV series CSI, it won’t conjure 3D holographic displays of the crime scene for you to vogue next to.

Whilst we can, of course, fully appreciate that anything that serves to infuse us with a sense of glorious wellbeing is not necessarily a bad thing, per se, we do wonder whether this Big Cat Hand Glove is, perhaps, taking things just a little too far.

The Big Cats Hand Glove has been designed to resemble a cat’s paw even down to having pads, though it may come as no surprise that this rather peculiar glove comes without claws lest we inflict damage on ourselves thus leading to a major downer prior to us seeking solace in none-feline related items (such as actually talking to our nearest and dearest).

No, the answer, it seem, should you feel in need of a little pampering, is to don a fury glove and caress yourself whilst letting out the occasional purr.

And I thought I had unresolved issues.

Joy riders of the world unite as, thanks to the chaps and chapesses at ChinnyChinChin, you can display your very own miniature trashed vehicle collection on your mantelpiece or in a display cabinet thus allowing you to feel right at home when not out living it up as a social pariah.

The collection presently consists of three models – the Joy Ridden 2-door Hatchback, the Mini Van Insurance Scam and the Petrol Bombed Jeep – all of which have been lovingly wrecked and burned out by hand and come in their very own presentation boxes.

These novel and decidedly different Urban Collectables Designer Wrecked Vehicle Models retail for around $50 each and would look great beside a miniature water-feature complete with partially submerged scale model shopping trolleys.

Billed, seemingly in a totally non-tongue-in-cheek manner, as being ‘a good gift for lovers and persons you care about’ this fake red rose which, somewhat curiously, has gained a four out of five customer rating on the product’s website (with classic user comments such as ‘girls love it’ and ‘awesome for low budget buyers’) comes complete with digital recording capabilities thus allowing you to record a message of your choice that can be played back at the touch of a button located on the rose’s plastic stem.

Quite apart from the fact that if I gave this to Mrs TFTS my life would simply cease to be, we can only wonder about those who even remotely envisage passing this to their partner in anything other than an act of joviality (which, in all honesty, would probably be worth it just to see the resulting blank facial expression from your partner). And this is especially the case as, just to make matters all the more tacky, following playback of your carefully crafted message of love and devotion the flower will insist on playing a snippet from such romantic film classics as the Godfather theme. (By way of interest, you could always follow up giving this by placing a Severed Horse Head Pillow in the bed just to add that certain finishing touch).

Unfortunately, its not as if this fake red digital recording rose doesn’t have a few issues of its own. For a start apparently it is, according to one customer, prone to cutting off the first 1-2 seconds of your message as well as proving all too easy to accidentally erase your recorded message completely. And, to top it all off, one happy customer even reports that his flower proved inoperable on delivery on account of its batteries being dead (the feeling of anticlimax must have been simply devastating).

The Digital Recording Fake Red Rose retails for $3.95 which, in anyone’s book, is cheap at half the price.

There are many things in this world that are hard to fathom, this bizarre Piano Calculator being one of them, another being that I’ve just spend the best part of twenty minutes stenciling out the above image from the original (annoying) background featured in the product shot in order to feature it here – still, as a curiosity, it’s worth a brief mention simply because we don’t doubt that this particular calculator will prove extremely annoying after even a few minutes of use.

Yes, you’ve guessed it (clever you) this Piano Calculator does indeed play a note with every key press as you try to calculate your monthly outgoings is as tuneful a fashion as possible.

Great for really annoying your office colleagues (especially if you happen to work in a finance department) the eight digit Piano Calculator comes in a choice of white, blue, black and pink, is powered by two AA batteries and, we’ve heard a rumour that the Aphex Twin has apparently decided to compose his entire next album using one (well, ok, that’s probably not true).

The Piano Calculator retails for ¥1000, which is approximately $9 / £4 / €6.

Quite a while ago we featured some cuddly microbes which included such notable gems as the cuddly E-Coli and the Salmonella Plush (to name but two of the array of ‘cute’ viruses and diseases on offer) and now we have these cuddly internal organs from the I Heart Guts series to add to our curious plush collection.

The novel I Heart Guts range consists of a heart, lungs, kidney and liver all of which not only offer you a cuddly internal organ with which to snuggle up to but also come with informative tags describing each of their real life counterpart’s functions.

Cuddly Microbes

Ideal gifts for aspiring surgeons, (or how about giving a cuddly liver to the love of your life as a token of affection?) the I Heart Guts plush toys retail for $18 each though, unfortunately, at the time of writing, the range appears to have completely sold out.

[Source]

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]

We assume that this curious, playful steam iron inspired iPod speaker Radio alarm clock is aimed at younger children – not withstanding the fact that one of the product images shows a model ironing her hand for some reason (though perhaps this merely indicates that this somewhat tacky device is aimed squarely at idiots with especially wrinkle-free palms).

Either ways, curious it most certainly is.

The device is powered by 2 x AA batteries and, as serving as an indication as to the sound quality you can’t expect from this alarm clock iPod iron, the product site fails to mention just about everything , instead choosing to come from the much overused ‘isn’t it cute’ angle.

Well, it isn’t. It’s just daft (a bit like the model ironing her hand – though we wouldn’t be quite as quick to deny that she’s got a certain cute quality).

Great for installing behavioural elements in young children that are sure to come back and haunt them in later life (no doubt leading to the formation of SPA – Scolded Palms Anonymous) the Steam Iron Inspired iPod Speaker Radio Alarm Clock retails for $24.99.

[Source | RetroToGo]

Even as far as especially elaborate and bizarre spy gadgets are concerned we thought items like the Spy Camera Fruit Juice Drink and the Spy Plant (to name but two curious spy related gadgets previously featured on TFTS) were pushing the bounds of credibility, but even they have nothing on this spy cam hairdryer – yes, about forget a cut and blow dry, this is more like cut and blow spy (the first rule of Fightclub TFTS is to never let overtly rude connotations get in the way of cheap, tabloid inspired puns).

No doubt especially handy for those of you with follicle inspired yearnings the wireless spy cam hairdryer is, to be brutally honest, rather hard to take particularly seriously (even more so than the above linked spy plant, and that’s saying something) but, it’s an entirely serious affair.

Available with a host of options, from the standard 2.4 GHz model right up to the high power X-vision enabled version (which is capable of beaming imagery remotely at distances of up to 1500ft and retails for a staggering $512) the Wireless Spy Cam Hairdryer comes with various colour options (black, white, colour) and comes complete with an integral 1/3” back and white or ¼” colour Sony wide angle image sensor capable of 400/300 lines resolution respectively (in other words barely enough to spot the tell tail signs of dandruff – thus enabling you to send hair care advise via a dead letter box drop off in the middle of the night).

Flippancy aside, being that hidden cameras are supposed to appear innocuous to those being spied upon we don’t doubt that this would prove to be the ideal device for salon based espionage – right up until the point that someone tried to use it (it appears to be wholly non-functional in this respect).

We await the comb based mini Enigma Machine or the IR motion detecting scissors with great interest.

Looking like an uneasy and rather disturbing fusion of some kind of Fisher Price toy and a curious sexual aid, the Kiss Cell Phone concept from Pro Invention certainly has the distinction of being one of the most bizarre cell phones we’ve ever featured here on TFTS and we can only hazard a guess as to who in their right mind would even vaguely consider pulling one of these out of their pocket during their daily commute.

Coming with a rather prominent pair of lips, the Kiss Phone detects the pressure, temperature and, yes, even the ‘sucking force’ of any kisses delivered to the device which it will then relay to those on the receiving end of your affection – mimicking your kiss exactly (or, at least, as best it can within certain parameters).

Interestingly you can even receive any kisses you may have missed from the device’s ‘kiss bank’ memory and you can even upload your kisses to the internet to share with others.

The mind boggles.

[Source | Gizmodo]

If you aspire to your young child growing up to deface your home town why not offer them an insight into graffiti art at an early age with this Street Art Colouring Book that comes with large format photos for them to colour in with the provided jumbo pencils.

Featuring twenty large format photographs of areas of South London displaying the street art of an ‘infamous local crew’ with all but the outlines removed this novel colouring in book as billed as offering an introduction to writing styles that lead up to your child being able to ‘do their own thing’.

Yes, you too can return from a hard days work to find your house completely defaced on the inside by your offspring who, having taken to wearing just about every item of clothing backwards, will no doubt greet your return with a series of bizarre, excessively dramatic hand gestures and a few paragraphs of his/her latest rap extravaganza before asking you to sub them the price of a couple of aerosols.

Joking apart, this novel colouring book is bound to go down well with young children though, in honesty, we suspect that being seen with a colouring book could seriously impact on their street cred – whether the subject is graffiti or not.

The Street Art Colouring book retails for €22.