With Touhou recently enjoying huge success, Griffon Enterprises (a Japanese figure company), has taken this opportunity to profit from Touhou’s popularity with its lineup of figures:

Reimu Hakurei

Marisa Kirisame:

Sakuya Izayoi:

Youmu Konpaku:

Flandre Scarlet:

It looks like Griffon Enterprises is covering all the major characters first, but there are many more to go through. You can see the complete collection so far here.

Personally, I think some of the figures could use a bit more detail, but others look pretty well done. My favourite out of the collection so far would have to be Flandre Scarlet, mainly because of her wings.

Those of you not familiar with anime figures might be wondering what a nendoroid is. Nendoroids are basically what you see above, small figures that are a few inches high and have extremely large heads relative to the body. I guess you could also say that nendoroids are the chibi versions of anime figures. Unlike most figures though, nendoroids give you the ability to change their poses with jointed arms and legs, and interchangeable faces.

This particular nendoroid of Nanoha Takamachi is due to be released in February 2010, one month after the Nanoha movie comes out. Personally, I think this is one of the more adorable nendoroids coming out soon and I just love the fact that they’re including her weapon with the figure. Of course, fans of Nanoha may want to get the other Nanoha nendoroid that’s coming out:

This nendoroid is only being made available when you purchase a ticket to the Nanoha Movie which is coming out in Japan in January 2010. It’s quite a bit smaller than other nendoroids, but equally adorable; certainly a must-have for any Nanoha fan (though you would have to get to Japan somehow to get yor hands on one).

If you’re in South Georgia, you must have seen this Pac-Man Car, not chasing the monster pellets but probably just giving its owner a ride of his life. Speaking of the owner, he could probably Pac-Man’s most ardent fan. I mean, who would paint his 1996 Chevy Caprice in yellow and red Pac-Man theme?Not only is this car’s body painted with Pac-Man images and shapes but even its leather seats are customized with Pac-Mac designs.

And wait until you see the Pac-Man car’s rims – underneath the chrome wheels is Pac-Man’s face painted in between. Can you imagine looking at this car’s wheels while on the move?  On a hot sunny day, I would advise you to avoid looking at the car’s moving wheels do, it might distract you from your own driving.

It looks cool, right? Gives me an idea to paint my car witheither  Astroboy or Super Mario.

Going back to the Pac-Man car, it looks like it’s not only making the rounds on the streets of Georgia but on the Internet as well, as you can see from source links below.

via flickr via GadgetHIM via walyou via Technabob via Ubergizmo

Can you believe it? Are we users so addicted to Twitter, tweets, twittering and retweets enough for an electronics manufacturer to  consider releasing a Twitter stand-alone device?  Believe it or not but it’s true, the TwitterPeek gadget was made for the sole purpose of doing all your Twitter activities.Even more interesting is the fact that TwitterPeek is not yet officially announced by the manufacturer and yet it is already listed at Amazon for $199.

Details about TwitterPeek are pretty interesting:

• World’s first Twitter mobile device
• Unlimited tweets and direct messages
• Nationwide coverage. No wifi signal necessary
• Includes service for lifetime of device
• No contracts or hidden fees
• “Always on” instant tweet delivery
• Full QWERTY keyboard, large color screen, click scroll wheel
• Long battery life lasts up to 4 days

Obviously TwitterPeek wants to challenge smartphones and other mobile devices in offering a gadget where you can stay connected on Twitter, tweet and reply on the go and without the hassles and costs of maintaining a mobile phone or mobile internet device.

But the question is – does the price justifies what TwitterPeek can actually do?

via LiveDigitally

The great thing is that I could actually see myself being able to make this Rubik’s Cube costume. After all, what electronics/sound geek doesn’t have rolls of duct tape available, plus cardboard boxes from the latest Internet delivery?

Once you’ve sussed that, how about having a go at the 360. If you get peckish, make yourself a Rubik’s Cube sandwich.

Via

These smooth two-inch squared natural basswood blocks have rounded edges and colorful painted characters. $8.88 for the pair.

Why not put it next to your other wooden gadgets — the wooden iPod mini, wooden USB stick, wooden turntables and wooden MacBook case. All natural.

Of course, for those of us looking for something more practical and less flashy, there’s always the Banao massager. I’m sure most of us could use a massage every once in a while, so the Banao massager is the perfect item to carry with you. Although it doesn’t have as many costumes as the cellphone straps, it manages to get the job done.

A demonstration of the Banao massager can be found at youtube.

Space Invader from Rubikcubism has created this awesome animation. Mind-blowing is all I have left to say…

(Via)

With this cool umbrella from Think Geek though, I think that geek or not, any person would not hesitate to use one. I was already smitten at the moment I laid my eyes on the umbrella with a samurai sword handle, but the fellas at Think Geek outdid themselves in writing the description. They even have a haiku for it!

The rain falls softly.
The samurai draws his sword.
Look, an umbrella.

Either we just made it up, or that Haiku dates to around the 14th century. It is a little known fact that Samurai also carried umbrellas. Much as they later had to disguise their swords as canes, so they disguised their umbrellas as swords. In fact, there was one skilled umbrella maker who all the Samurai relied on for their Sword Handle Umbrellas. His name has been buried in the sands of time, but his plans have been preserved. And now, it is with great pleasure that we offer to you, the Samurai Sword Handle Umbrella.

Now I don’t know about that story, but I do think that $30 for this thing is not a bad price to pay. How cool is it?

I love meerkats (I’ve even adopted one at London Zoo for the year), so this pair dressed up in Star Trek outfits just had to be shared.

Creator NiftyKnits writes:

Kirk is of course wearing gold, the original command colour. Spock is in Science blue. They wear Federation emblems proudly on their chests and have their ranking stripes on their sleeves. Spock (unusually for a meerkat) has those classic slanting eyebrows.

As with my non-trekkie meerkats, hind legs and tails are wired with pipe cleaners to allow them to self stand.

They’re unbelievably inexpensive, too, with the first one being £2 (about $3) and then others ordered at the same time just £1 (about 70 cents). I’d charge more, but there you go. They can even be knitted to request, including other key characters.

The Enterprise isn’t included, though.

Well, what you don’t get is a “Windows for Dummies” book from Amazon, or a Zune, or Microsoft Office.

What you might consider is the Plush Jobs 17-inch tall replica doll of… Steve Jobs – who else?

If your chosen Apple fan isn’t visibly delighted with a mini-Steve, then he or she is either lying, or isn’t as much of an Applehead as you thought.

In that case you could mention that it’s great to “cuddle up with him and pretend he’s whispering corporate secrets in your ear”, that “Jobs enjoys hanging out with your other stuffed animals” or that “he thinks it would be very nice to live at your house”.

The cruel inferior-operating-system-loving practical jokers among you could always create a little flap in Plush Jobs’ back so that, over time, you can take bits of his stuffing out and then comment on how thin Steve’s been looking recently.

Not that I’d condone it unless you enjoy being beaten up by a rabid iPhone-wielding nutcase (that’d be me again).

Buy one here for $27.99. It’s made by Podbrix, the designers who also brought you the iPod Shuffle LEGO case.

Those of you not familiar with anime figures might wonder what’s so special about this one. Although the popularity of the character does play a big role in selling anime figures, the quality of the figure is also taken into consideration. Unlike dolls or action figures, a lot of detail is put into anime figures. I think this is obvious when looking at how Fate’s hair has been sculpted to look like it’s blowing in the wind. Her body proportions also seem to match what is shown in the anime, which is (from what I’ve seen) harder to achieve with characters wearing tight clothing. From the sample images, Alter also seems to have done a good job with the paint. Some figures don?t have many layers of paint on them so the colours look uniform, making the figure look bland. On the other hand, figures that have been painted well will have different shades of a colour (you can see this clearly on the black stocking on Fate?s leg).

With so much attention to detail put into this figure of Fate, it’s no wonder that her starting retail price is a whopping 12,800 yen (~130USD), double the cost of the average figure, but I’m sure that won’t stop devoted anime collectors and Fate fans (speaking of which, are there any here?).

The figure is scheduled for release at the end of August 2009.

Your husband (or wife, for that matter) wants to spend the night watching footie. Or perhaps American football. Or some other show that you absolutely dislike. On the other end of the spectrum, you want to watch your favourite show on the telly. An argument ensues. And goes on for a bit. And a bit more. Who wins in the end? Beats me.

But if you are on the losing end of that argument, I think I have a pretty good idea of how frustrated you can be. So here’s my gift for you: the TV Off Remote Jammer!

This little baby can give you power – absolute power! – over any TV set that you meet. To exercise that power, you just need to point the Jammer at the set. You can then do whatever you wish to do: turn it off, change the channel, or mute the sound! Even if your spouse eventually finds out what you are doing (if you are smart, he or she never will), I am willing to bet that the satisfaction that you will feel is not easily rivaled by any other feeling.

Even better, if you like doing practical jokes, head on over to the nearest sports bar and start playing with all the TV sets they have. I can now just imagine the ruckus that will ensue, especially if you do this in the middle of an exciting game of footie or rugby. (Okay, I admit, that is a suicidal thought.)

Anyhow, if you want one – and I am pretty sure you do – get it at Crazy About Gadgets for 9.99GBP.

So it’s no surprise that LEGO has a solution for those looking for something a little different to share their contact details on.

Hardly practical – try fitting a load of these in your wallet – but pretty darn amazing, these LEGO “business cards” are a must if you’re lucky enough to actually work at the plastic brick company. Personalised with your name and possibly some other information (maybe that’s hidden inside on a paper scroll and you have to separate the little person’s legs and torso to read it?) it’s certainly different.

You could probably make your own, though if you wanted it to look at least a little similar to you, some DIY on the hair and face might be in order.

Now, I wonder who went for the Action Man version?

(Via UberGizmo)

I was actually fooled for a few seconds by this clever photoshop, but there are hints that give it away (like Vocaloid being spelled Gyucailoid in the bottom right). Not to mention that there’s nothing about Tako Luka on the figma or Max Factory websites.

For those of you who don’t know who Luka Megurine is or what a Vocaloid or Figma is, let me explain. To put it in a nutshell, Vocaloid is a computer program that allows users to type in lyrics and notes for a song and it sings that song for you. Each Vocaloid release has its own voice and a sort of mascot or avatar that are just referred to as Vocaloids.

Luka was the third Vocaloid released back in January 2009 using the Vocaloid2 engine and is capable of singing in both Japanese and English. Figmas are PVC figures manufactured by Max Factory, but unlike regular figures, they have interchangeable and moveable parts. That should give you a better understanding of what a Tako Luka Figma is.

Now most of you are probably wondering “why an octopus?” I honestly don’t know, but my guess is that a Luka fan was hungry and Luka’s hair colour reminded him of an octopus, and so Tako Luka was born. It’s hard to tell how Tako Luka made her debut on the internet since she’s so widespread now, but it was probably in the form of this surprisingly cute video (originally uploaded to Japanese video site Nico Nico Douga): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3Ve-_4Xz5M

Hopefully Max Factory will decide to make a Tako Luka figma one day; figures based on unofficial art do exist so it’s certainly a possibility. Who wouldn’t want a giant head with tentacles for hair sitting on their desk?

But it looks like this long drought is about to end. With the new Transformers movie, Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen, to be released in just a few months I, and my wallet, am gearing up for the inevitable deluge of Transformers toys. I’ve been a big fan of the Transformers since I was kid and even though I hated the Transformers movie, I loved the movie tie-in toys that was released by Hasbro. If the previews at the recently held Toy Fair is any indication, this new batch of toys are going to be equally awesome as well, if not more so.

If there’s one action figure that I’m really gunning for in this particular batch though it would have to be the Devastator set. I’m a big Devastator fan and I’d love to get my hands on these toys. The Devastator set is composed of the six Constructicons (Hightower, Long Haul, Mixmaster, Rampage, Scavenger and Scrapper) who all form the giant Transformer Devastator. Just look at the picture above and you’ll see how awesome the toy is!

Lovely cute giant microbes

Of course, microbes tend to be extremely small – in fact completely invisible to the naked eye. The people at Plush have decided to bring these incredibly interesting micro-organisms to our view in the form of soft touch versions.

Naturally, all Giant Microbes are cute, interesting coloured and furry to appeal to mini-scientists of all ages (and geeks of an older age!). They make great gifts for anyone who happens to be under the weather and I’ve just ordered two of my favourites – the Red Blood Cell and Stomach Ache!

First up, we have the Beingz Mood Lamp. It looks like a mushroom in a weird sort of way and has LEDs to give you your own personal light show. I doubt that the lights will be bright enough to allow you to read at night but it does look cool. But you know what the really cool thing is? The mushroom top is touch sensitive. Touch it, stroke it, or tap it and you will get various flashes of light. The fun doesn’t end there – the lamp has an internal microphone that can pick up the music that you’re listening to, giving you a separate visualizer. And if you are like me, visualizers in action can calm you down like anything!

Next on the list is the Beingz Alarm Clock. It is also touch sensitive; in fact, it only shows you the time if you touch the surface or if the alarm goes off. Oh, and this baby can tal to the lamp!This is because the clock is more than a clock it is actually an FM radio as well. So when the clock plays music, the lamp picks the signal up and does its own thing.

Pretty cool huh? The lamp goes for $37.34 while the clock goes for $36.99, both over at Amazon.

You just gotta love ThinkGeek.com. They have the “craziest” gadget on the internet. Who would have thought that you could be living your dreams of becoming a Samurai, well errr, not quite… and not even close. But it’s fun though to imagine you are when you bring along the Umbrella Samurai.

This one comes with a strap so you can tie it to your waist or, for fun, strap it to your back. Just don’t feel a little awkward when people around you give you a funny stare. Their umbrellas aren’t as cool as yours anyway!

It comes with a nylon scabbard and, yes, push-button opening. Handle is a little longer for the “real effect”. It does make you carry it like a Samurai sword. If you’re not the kind of geek who brings umbrella to work, well with this… maybe you’d be bringing one EVEN on a sunny day.

Just like many other geek households, Case el Franky is no exception and Battlestar Galactica is a highlight every week again. Battlestar Galactica is the exception when it comes to ‘legal’ matters. BSG is when it becomes allowed to acquire the newest episode somewhere because it is injustice that we here in the UK have to wait 2 weeks. And obviously it is fun to annoy the less internet-knowledgeable neighbours with spoilers.
Battlestar Galactica is just like Reservoir Dogs, no new media version is released or this boy orders it and it looks pretty much like this: First you buy Season 1 then Season 2 and box these boxes are replaced only weeks later usually with the Complete Season 1-2 box. One year later Season 3 is bought, only to replace the Complete Season 1-2 and the newly bought Season 3 box with the Complete Season 1-3 box. You get the git… I’m a fan. And I gladly become the subject of most marketing ploys of some execs when it comes to BSG.

But sometimes even this fan can become annoyed although I must admit that the Cylon Detector for iPhone (iTunes link) hot sounds. For $1.99.

The only problem is that again it is one more useless application for iPhone. But hey, who cares? Lightsaber, Moo, Flashlight, Fart application and now a Cylon detector. My life is getting better and better.

And so is that of some studio execs and marketing agencies.

I’m writing this post for the geek dads who may, at times, stay late in the office or at home working on something with their PCs. Hey, specially if you you’ve got a kid who’s about 6 months to 2-years. Now because you may probably spend lesser time with them doesn’t mean your participation as a parent stops there too. Be grateful that technology is making several discoveries to help parents “cope” up and get involved.

Here’s a great toy due to be released this summer from LeapFrog.com. “My Pal Scout” is a stuffed toy filled with tech things. You, as parent, can “teach” it to repeat words when one of it’s paws are pressed. From their website it seems that this toy is able to record your voice and by pressing one of it’s paws will cause it to repeat the recording over and over again.

Great thing about this is that you can attach a USB into it. It’s also capable of downloading music on the internet, so I guess it has a built-in mini MP3 player. Now who says you can’t start ‘em young in MP3?

Engadget has said the price may be within the range of US$20… I’m guessing it will be about the range of US$50, considering the tech stuffing involved.

I’m a Super Mario Bros. fan, always have and always will be. It’s been a favorite game for over a decade now. I remember the first time I played it on a Nintendo set, I’d play it for hours and hours.

Now during Black Friday, November 28, Nintendo is releasing a special red version of their Nintendo DS Lite pocket console game. This merchandise will quickly fly off the shelves not only because of its bright red color, but because of that cute Mario logo on top of it. Aside from the Mario edition, Nintendo will also release an Ice Blue system that comes packed with Brain Age 2. Both limited editions will sell for $150. Just about the same price as the regular designed consoles. For the collector, this will be a steal though as Nintendo will sell these in limited quantities only. So grab one now.

I must admit there’s a little sense in this. First time I saw this picture I said “sure, I would need a quick shout when the boss turns the deadline a week earlier… changes some of the specifications I need to finish the project… and asks for a show and tell in three days”. I’d have no time to run to the roof to shout my heart out, so the “Shout Vase” is something I’d quickly grab.

The Japanese may have had bouts of emergencies such as these that’s why they have fashioned a “gadget” to keep them the timid culture they always are. For $79 you can own your own vent machine… here are some quick specs:

• Size: 12.5cm×12.5cm×18.5cm
• Weight: 210g
• Material: ABS resin
• Instructions: Japanese

The design covers your mouth and actual studies have resulted in measurements where … well, you gotta see it yourself right here:

I personally use a stuffed Dilbert toy occasionally, that gets the job done quick and easy and I think I paid about $15 for it at Barnes and Noble. But yes, Dilbert does not convert my shouts to shhhh…. but anyway, still works for me! :)

You work hard… you deserve to play hard!

This is a real stress buster. Imagine just kicking back somewhere dry and within 500 feet something you control flies by you. Just let it run or race for much fun. Your choice.

This is the 1:10 scale remote-controlled hydroplane boat modeled after the Ferrari Arno XI that raced to a world 800kg-class speed record of 150.49 mph in 1953. Replicating the same distinctive feature of the full-throated speed boats that became popular worldwide in the 1930s and 1940s–the all-wood deck and hullthis model’s hull is hand-assembled using the plank-on-frame method from strips of cedar and mahogany.

The price??? A hefty US$2,000. Yes I agree that this is not for everyone. It’s for the hard worker who deserves to play with something that works as hard as them. Over 200 hours were put into the development of each model, so you know you’re getting the quality you deserve.

Features:

Polished beryllium/copper alloy propeller for speeds up to 20 mph–making it even faster than 1:10 scale speed. The boat can be controlled up to 500′ away; a skag m ounted to the right sponson provides precise turning assistance during racing. Other authentic period details include the handstitched, plush leather driver’s seat, large brass steering wheel, brass-trimmed instrument gauges, stainless-steel clasps that keep the engine cowling secured to the hull, and the back-swept exhaust manifold. The on-board battery provides 30 minutes of operation from a two-hour charge using the included adapter. Remote requires eight AA batteries. 35 1/2″ L x 16″ W x 8″ H. (16 lbs.)

Sold here.

The first time I saw this picture it reminded me of Plankton from the Spongebob Square Pants cartoons. You know how he makes an evil laugh and blurt out “world domination” and “plankton rules”. [snickers].

Anyway.

This toy is called Robo-Q, the world smallest robot. Set to be released in Japan by Feb 2009. Three of its “outstanding intelligence” so far would be : can kick a football, find its way out of a maze and dodge unexpected obstacles. Ok, now I’m not really sure if this would be hours of joy and fun, but hey… the geek in you would admit that this is a good start.

“The two-legged micro robot, which is available in four different colours, will be sold in Japan from next February for Y3,500 (£21) before being released in Europe at a later date, according to Tomy Co, the Japanese toy manufacturer behind its production.”

Too bad it missed the holiday season of 2008. This would have caught it just in time for a few million sales…

The Stylophone

What is it with Rolf Harris and wacky instruments? If he’s not assaulting our lugholes with his wobble board, he’s blowing into his jumbo didgeridoo. And let’s not even talk about those daft ‘ahoo-aha-ha’ breathing noises. Let us instead talk about Rolf’s finest musical moment: his association with the legendary Stylophone. Why? Because the brilliantly bonkers Stylophone is back and it’s just as entertaining as you remember.

Classic Stylophone box!
This “electronic organ in your pocket” was all the rage back in the 70s (3 million were sold apparently), and thanks to Rolf’s (over) enthusiastic ad campaign, most of us assumed the beardy paint-chucker had actually invented it. He didn’t, but he should have because the Stylophone was as inexplicably enthralling as Rolf himself!

Original vibrato feature
So what exactly is a Stylophone? Well, basically, this bizarre little battery-operated instrument is a box packed with transistors, resistors, diodes and other old-school electronic bits and bobs. The idea is to press the integral stylus against the various metal keys in order to close the circuit and emit a peculiar but unique squeal. Weeeeeeiii!

Tweak your wacky sounds
This re-issued version is just the same as the original except you can now control the volume (phew!) and play along to your MP3 tracks (bizarre). There are even a couple of all-new Stylophone sounds and a vibrato knob. Bonza! And if you think the Stylophone is unfit for proper musos, think again. Luminaries as diverse as Bowie, Pulp, Kraftwerk and Marilyn Manson have all used the Stylophone to add a touch of whiny ethereal lunacy to their recordings.

Whether you owned one as a kid and can’t remember where your mum hid it, or you’re a first time fiddler in need of an ironic retro fix, the Stylophone Original is guaranteed to bemuse, amuse, irritate and fascinate. Now available from various retailers for only £14.99 (or about $30), it is certainly worth the investment if you’re in need of cheering up on a rainy day.

Sony announced that it will be releasing the next Sony PSP version dubbed as Sony PSP 3000 by mid-october, just in time for the big Thanksgiving and Christmas season sale.  This announcement was made in Leipzig Germany during a video game convention.

Most of the improvements will be based on a more enjoyable/comfortable gaming experience, which includes brighter screens (bright to bring out and play under the sun), speedier performance (due to memory boosts) and a better battery life.

The Sony PSP 3000 has new feature additions, the most important would be a built-in microphone that will make the new PSP capable as a telephone.

“We believe that this will establish the PSP as a viable communication device,” said David Reeves, president of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe.

It will retail for US$294 in the US and Europe.

I knew that there will be a day you’d wake up not by the usual noise your alarm clock makes, but the smell it ejects out!  The Osim Nioi Alarm Clock does just that.  It uses your nose to make you rise up and hit the showers.  I was told it currently come in two variants,  scent to make you sleep (which obviously are fresh flowers or a hint of mint perhaps) to scent that will trick you to wake up (which would be the scent of freshly baked bread, oh yeah… I hoped it was bacon too).

Designed by Alfie Lake, these scents come in a pressurized cartridge that is mechanically released by… you guessed it, the time you set!  Too bad it’s not yet commercially available.  I’d like to see a version where you can load it up with scents you are most likely to respond to.  I think the fresh baked bread scent will cause me to sleep more than to jolt me out of bed.  Hey, how about a trick scent from Monsters Inc?  Wet dog scent, ewwy trash scent or the famous week-old socks to do that trick eh?  That will surely make me jump out to hit the showers.