Gizmodo: Novelties

Kill Shot Pillow From Keetra Looks Bloody Comfortable

Wilson Rothman — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 10:43:31 EST

It's called The Great Slumber, or just Bloody Puddle, a pillow that looks like you took one too many bullets to the head. The site says it will be for sale soon, though something tells us it won't be ready in time for Christmas. Which is all for the best: God knows what would happen if your grandma walks into the spare bedroom and sees you sleeping on it. [FromKeetra via productdose.com]

Mr. White Collar Gives You Three Insults in One

Charlie White — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 11:44:01 EST

Any way we look at it, this Mr. White Collar Calvaire Pen Holder and Message Stand leaves us nonplussed. WTF? Is this supposed to insult black people, christians, white collar workers, racists ... everyone? While it does offer a place to hold one pen and helpfully includes a pad on which you can write messages, we're not sure what the message of its creators would be. Mind you, we're not endorsing this goofy desk accessory, just scratching our heads. Take your chances for $9.99. [Giz Fever]

USB Ferris Wheel Phone Stand Instead of a Ringtone?

Charlie White — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 10:40:07 EDT

Before you click the Play button above, we'd like to apologize for the obnoxious noise this USB Ferris Wheel Phone Stand makes. Turn your sound down, trust us. Place your cellphone in the slot next to this USB- or battery-powered mini-Ferris wheel, and whenever a phone call comes in, it automagically springs into action, taking its ten tiny cars for a circuitous ride while playing that god-awful cacophonous tune. If not for its mute switch, I'd pay its $27 price for it to be quiet. [USB Geek]

Light 'Em Up With This Pig Lighter

Charlie White — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 15:52:43 EDT

What's up with these weird smoking accessories lately? First we see the immoral cigarette extinguishing devices (NSFW), and now here's this crazy Pig Lighter that works when you push his goofy little hat back. Suddenly, flames come billowing out his nostrils like he's some kind of angry fire-breathing dragon. And then the clincher: When you want to refill him with butane, you stick that nozzle right up his ass. Weird. [Idea Topic, via TFTS]

Cigarette Extinguisher Design Reaches New Low of Moral Turpitude (NSFW)

Charlie White — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 14:30:00 EDT

Just when we thought we'd seen the most horrible and immoral cigarette extinguisher in the world, one of our best and brightest commenters points out yet another example, built in a similar vein but reaching even lower depths of depravity. Honestly, a butthole ashtray (or is it an asstray)? At least it could have been designed to accommodate a cigarette in an orifice meant for ingoing objects. Someone's got to put a stop to this immediately. Let's just be thankful there isn't orangeish-brown liquid spewing out of this butt-for-your-butts. The gallery on the next page shows all, but explains nothing (NSFW). [Nodaya]

Polly Want a Wireless Doorbell?

Charlie White — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 09:45:00 EDT

What, is this International Doorbell Week? The techno-doorbell scene continues its explosive growth and innovation, and following those two more-sophisticated MP3 doorbells we showed you earlier this week, this Chinese Recordable Parrot Wireless Doorbell approaches the realm of the absurd. This cheapshit $22 plastic bird is not like those doorbells, such as the ReBell and YourBell, both using your existing doorbell button and letting you plug your MP3s on board, but this one looks a lot better than they do and could be good for a few laughs.

Stick its wireless transmitting button outside your door, and it triggers the bird from up to 45 feet away, squawking over its 2-watt speaker either the included "birdsong" (and we're hoping that would have something to do with Polly wanting a cracker) or your own six-second prerecorded ditty. And no, the parrot's not dead, he's only sleeping. [Chinavasion, via Gizmodude]

HipDisk Musical Instrument, the Hula Hoop of Your Nightmares

Charlie White — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 08:19:14 EDT

As if the world needed yet another weird musical instrument, Danielle Wilde has created the hipDisk, a pair of doughnut-shaped platters activated with a series of movements that might be quite attractive with the right person doing them. The idea incorporates not just one of these noisemakers, but duets, trios, quartets or even choirs of such dancers/musician angels, filling the air with discord, rude noises and dissonance. It's not entirely clear why a bathing suit must be worn during the performance. Jump to the next page for the video, but we're warning you, get ready to turn the sound down.

There hasn't been such an obnoxious cacophony since that fart-lighting frat party some of us Gizmodians went to a couple of months ago. [hipDisk, via Oh Gizmo]

NOW Watch is Always Right

Charlie White — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 12:15:25 EDT

Even a stopped clock is right twice a day, but this watch is even more accurate: It's always right, because when someone asks you what time it is, just show them its face prominently displaying the word "NOW." But wait a minute, this is a fake watch. Damn. But you can't argue with its correctitude. For your humorless friends, just tell them it's a special precision timepiece supporting the National Organization for Women.

Addy, our British Gizmodian wordsmith/babe, says it stands for Nobs Out, Wankers. Either way, it's on sale for $49.95. Seems like a lot to pay just to lampoon your clock-watching friends. [Elevate Films, via This Next]

Hymn Book iPod Case Protects All Your Anthems

Charlie White — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 11:28:48 EDT

Okay all you Apple-worshiping sheep, here's a fitting enclosure for the object of your quasi-religious lust, letting you fold your iPod up into its own mini-hymnal. Designed for 30GB and 80GB iPods, just strap this $31.27 case onto your player and no matter what plagues befall you, all its anthems within will be safe to sing the praises another day. Next, we await a version that perfectly fits the holiest of holy JesusPhone.
Product Page [Crazy about Gadgets, via Red Ferret]

P40 Tigershark Warbird Ceiling Fan, Piloted by Wrong-Way Corrigan

Charlie White — Thu, 17 May 2007 14:40:00 EDT

Who wouldn't want to have a P40 Tigershark Warbird airplane poking through the ceiling, also functioning as a ceiling fan? This $200 prop doesn't include the rest of that WWII hotshot flier, but making up for that is the fact that it only uses the energy of a 75-watt lightbulb.

These fans aren't exactly brand-new tech, but they're cool in more ways than one, and it's just about getting hot enough to need one. Let's just hope that pilot bailed out before he planted his warbird into your roof. – Charlie White

Product Page [Tailwinds, via Oh Gizmo]

It's Not a Book, It's a Pillow

Charlie White — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 14:15:00 EDT

If you've ever awakened with the imprint of a book on your face, you probably wish you'd fallen asleep on one of these pillows that looks exactly like a way-thick textbook. Put one of these pillow/books on your desk and the boss might just think you're bookish enough to forgive you for sleeping on the job. You'd better be well-heeled for this pillow, though, it'll set you back $102. – Charlie White

A Book That Really Puts You To Sleep [The Uber Review]

Digg T-Shirt Says 'Bury Me'

Charlie White — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 10:17:53 EDT

Can't get enough of digg.com? Put your plea for diggs front and center with this T-shirt from NerdyShirts. Check out this toolish dude wearing the shirt with his strategically placed laptop and strained expression. WTF is he doing, anyway? One thing's for sure, he's begging to be buried. Not exactly the shirt to wear to the singles bar, Mr. Nerdy Pants.

As for the $20 shirt, at least they could have inscribed 4521 diggs on there instead of just the loneliest number, 1. The irony is that most people will have no idea what this shirt means and the other tiny percentage who do probably won't be impressed with its low indicator of popularity. Now if that number would just go higher every time someone poked you in the chest, NerdyShirts would be onto something here. – Charlie White

Product Page [NerdyShirts]

Doormat Says Go Away. No, Come In. No....

Charlie White — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 15:00:00 EDT

Here's the classic Go Away doormat with a twist: turn it upside down and it greets your guests with a cheery "Come In." It's not available yet, but will be soon. – Charlie White

Product Page [Suck UK, via Uncrate]

Play Your Chess and Eat It Too

Charlie White — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 09:02:38 EST

Now you can bake an entire chess set, including the chessboard, and captured pieces can be immediately devoured. Being checkmated isn't so bad any more, because that's when you can go ahead and scarf down the entire chessboard.

The artist, known as Biggles, hand-makes these brass cookie cutters, and would be more than happy to make a set for you at an undisclosed price. – Charlie White

Artist's Site [Odd Objects, via Neatorama]

Hard Drive Enclosure Looks Like a Hard Drive

Charlie White — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 08:46:04 EST

Okay, so now we're really getting confused. This is a USB 2.0 enclosure for your hard disk, and it looks like a hard disk. So what you're doing is putting a hard disk inside of an enclosure that looks like a hard disk. Is this what's called recursive humor?

Hit the gallery for more pics of this drive; see if you can wrap your head around this concept. Created by the department of redundancy department. Geek humor. We like. – Charlie White

The USB 2.0 enclosure for hard disks that looks like a hard disk! [Akihabara News]

Goofy Light Switches Might Turn You On

Charlie White — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 08:52:46 EST

Those Brits are a wacky bunch, decorating with tacky wallpaper and now topping it off with some of the most unusual light switches on the planet. Just turn this pool ball, dolphin or Mini Cooper clockwise to turn the lights on, and as you turn, it adjusts brightness, too.

Too bad these are all 400-watt switches, not usable in the US. Maybe this will give some enterprising switchmaker in the States some ideas. If you like to trick out your place with unusual light switches like we do, you'll be eagerly awaiting such a development. Check out three more of the switch choices, including one that's unquestionably our favorite, and then imagine the unlimited possibilities:

We're especially fond of that hippified VW Microbus. – Charlie White

Product Page [Boutique to You, via Spluch]

An Orange Clockwork

Charlie White — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 10:00:36 EST

Okay my little droogies, your humble narrator brings you a 10-inch timepiece that will remind you that it's time to stop listening to Ludwig Van and get back to the old in-out. You won't have to commit any of the ultra-viol to get one, either, because it's just $15.99. – Charlie White

Product Page [Ironic Sans]

Weird Combo of the Day: Free Batteries With Your Booze

Charlie White — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 09:10:08 EST

We've heard of getting a free ice cream scooper with the purchase of two boxer briefs, a free calculator with a pair of socks, and now you can get a couple of free Maxell batteries when you buy a bottle of Japanese grog, or as they call it, sake. Is this some kind of ancient samurai hangover cure?

C'mon, you're invited to send us a picture of the next Weird Combo of the Day! – Charlie White

Thanks, John!

Beatles 'Let it Bii' Shirt Lacks Words of Wisdom

Charlie White — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 10:04:05 EST

Nerdy Shirts came up with a lamebrained idea: let's mix up the Beatles with the Nintendo Wii, supposedly combining the best of both worlds.

Let it Bii? Certainly the Beatles didn't authorize this. We're thinking the creators of this T-shirt will soon find themselves in times of trouble of the legal variety, and Mother Mary's not going to help unless she's an attorney. – Charlie White

Product Page [Nerdy Shirts]

Lego Belt: We're Warning You

Charlie White — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 16:00:00 EST

If you ever, ever want to get laid again, don't wear this $20 belt. Just don't. You've been warned.

Oh, it's for girls? That's different. Never mind. – Charlie White

Geek Couture: The Lego Belt [Uber-Review]

M&Ms: Apple Logo Melts in Your Mouth

Charlie White — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 11:31:01 EST

A tipster who works for the sister company of M&M Mars picked up a few bags of the chocolate candies at the company's outlet store where he works in Australia, and what did he find but Apple logos printed on some of the M&Ms inside. A fluke? Part of an upcoming promo campaign in Australia? Here's a closeup:

Apple fanboys will eat this stuff up. – Charlie White

Packs of m&ms (but try this because of Digg effect) [via Digg]

Happy Fish Speaker Needs Stainless Steel Teeth for Complete Alien Look

Charlie White — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 09:22:46 EST

Yeah, it's supposed to look like a Happy Fish, but it looks more to us like some sort of alien head, flashing its ominous warning in purple, green, blue and amber. Hook up a couple of these $16 speakers to a nearby USB port and your Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon nightmare will be complete. – Charlie White

Happy Fish Speaker [Brando]

Olfactory Gadgets: Play-Doh Hits The Perfume Bottle

Charlie White — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 12:45:53 EST

The fragrance world has evolved into unexplored areas, and now Play-Doh has gotten into the act. Celebrating its 50th birthday, Hasbro decided to release Play-Doh Cologne Spray in a limited edition for $18.99, reminding you of that time in kindergarten when you decided to see what Play-Doh tasted like. That, a side of paste and an Elmer's Glue chaser was a respectable lunch in those days.

Actually, we're kind of digging the smell of Play-Doh, and it reminds us of a fabulous babe we encountered at CES who smelled a whole lot like a hot fudge sundae. Perfume that smells good enough to eat? That's a tasty proposition. Commenters, any other fragrance ideas? – Charlie White

Play-Doh Cologne - smell like teen spirit? [TRFJ]

Expertise 3P Screen Mist Chases Away Those Killer Electro-Waves

Charlie White — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 12:10:50 EST

You never know when your brain might be fried by those harmful electromagnetic waves, swirling around us and ruining our lives, electron by electron. That's why you need this extra special Expertise 3P Screen Mist from Clarins. It'll protect you from all those electronic creepy crawlies, and the stuff makes you look younger, too. This from the company's breathless press materials:

An ultra-sheer screen mist containing a pioneering combination of plant extracts capable of protecting the skin from the accelerated-ageing effects of all indoor and outdoor air pollution but most significantly, the effects of Artificial Electromagnetic Waves.

It's hard to believe there are enough suckers in this world to buy into bullshit like this. Sadly, chumps will snap up this innocuous liquid by the caseload. Oh yeah, it's $40 for a 3.5 oz bottle. Let's just call it a stupid tax. – Charlie White

Spray On Magnetic Defense [Strange Harvest]

Desk Wind Turbine: Symbolic Talisman Runs on Solar Energy

Charlie White — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 12:28:36 EST

Whaddaya mean I'm not green? I have this wind turbine sitting right here on my desk! Its prop is powered by solar energy, and that desk lamp you have there is enough to keep it turning all day. Sure, it doesn't generate any power, but it's the thought that counts. An intriguing distraction for $39. – Charlie White

Product Page [I Want One of Those]

Ping Pong Ball Prowess: Miraculous Shot After Shot

Charlie White — Tue, 02 Jan 2007 13:36:21 EST

We're just wondering how long it took this guy to perfectly nail so many shots of those ping-pong balls into a variety of glasses. Just look at some of those ricochet shots. The entire video is just downright remarkable.

Another amazing video involving quarters and shot glasses, after the jump:

These videos must've taken an extraordinary amount of time to produce, but in our book, it was well worth it. – Charlie White

Ping Pong Cup Madness [Shoutfile]
Quarters - Amazing [Revver]

Talking Tape: Scratch and Listen

Charlie White — Wed, 27 Dec 2006 12:03:35 EST

Here's the audio equivalent of a flipbook: it's a thin strip of plastic with tiny ridges that talk when you run a fingernail over them. Oddly enough, you can't really hear the tale of the tape unless you scratch it while holding one end of the strip between your teeth. Or, you can hold it against an inflated balloon or a paper cup as an amplifier to boost its sound.

The $19.58 package includes four copies each of five different messages such as "happy birthday," "congratulations" and "have a nice day." It's a surprisingly innovative and analog way of communication. Once you're done with this, you can move up to two tin cans and a string. – Charlie White

Product Page [Grand Illusions, via Red Ferret]

Casio Magic Watch: Old Dog, New Tricks

Charlie White — Wed, 20 Dec 2006 13:38:15 EST

If you don't mind dressing up like a leisure-suit-wearing lounge lizard from the late '70s, this retro-looking Casio Magic Watch might find a place on your wrist.

Ace close-up magician Tomohiro Maeda has designed the five tricks installed on this sucker, letting you guess the number someone is thinking of, play con games, and engage in a trio of other distractions.

Once the novelty of the watch wears off, maybe you could take those included playing cards and learn some real close-up magic. Abracadabra, baby. – Charlie White

Casio Magic Watch - has many tricks [Newlaunches]

Power to the Pizza: Carry Your Laptop in a Pizza Box

Charlie White — Wed, 20 Dec 2006 11:27:45 EST

Disguise your laptop as a pizza with the Power Pizza laptop case, a padded carrier for your fragile devices that looks exactly like a pizza box. It looks so much like a pizza box that, by golly, we think that's exactly what it is. Confidently carry it inside anywhere there's a sign reading "no food," and then smugly display that no, there's no food in there, it's a laptop. Ha ha.

Yet, it's much, much more than a mere pizza box. There are straps inside to hold that laptop secure, and look, on the outside: "Enjoy Your Pizza" it says right there. Why squander your money on some swank $250 messenger bag when you can have this? One thing's for sure, it's a waste of a perfectly good $34.90. – Charlie White

Power Pizza [popgadget]

Chameleon USB: We Roll Our Eyes at Thee

Charlie White — Fri, 15 Dec 2006 12:45:28 EST

Taking a nosedive into absurdity and back, we bring you the USB-powered eye-rolling chameleon, and it's not even a storage device like that mutt humping the USB port that robbed us all of our precious dignity earlier this week. No sir, no such prurient mirth here. This is just a plug-in USB ornament that rolls its eyes while sticking its tongue out. Over and over.

So there it is, gripping your PC or a pencil or something cylindrical with its little legs, and it's not even able to change colors. Obnoxious? Indeed. Desirable? For about a minute we liked it, now we don't; our affection for it is chameleon-like. – Charlie White

USB Powered Eye Rolling Chameleon [Everything USB, via uber gizmo]

Beds For All in Live Classical Concert: Good Idea?

Charlie White — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 09:41:13 EST

A mattress company in Tel Aviv decided to fill up a concert hall with 144 beds complete with pillows and blankets, giving music lovers the most comfortable way possible to listen to a classical music concert.

But this could backfire. We were just at classical music concert not long ago where the audience was sitting in traditional straight-back seats, and this one guy was snoring so loudly they just about had to stop the show. And that was a really exciting concert with spectacular performances by world-class virtuosos.

What would happen if they played Mahler? This bed/classical concert idea could easily erupt into a snorefest, unless all those zzz's could be written into the music as some sort of audience-participation performance-art piece. – Charlie White

Beds for audiences at a live concert [Spluch]

Charlie Brown's Pathetic Christmas Tree

Charlie White — Fri, 08 Dec 2006 11:18:19 EST

Now here's a Christmas tree I can relate to: a 21" exact replica of Charlie Brown's pathetic tree before it was magically turned into something completely different by some energetic arm-waving.

It's yours for $24. Good grief. But I like it. And no, the psychiatrist is not in. – Charlie White

Product Page [Urban Outfitters, via OhGizmo]

Fishy Extension Cord

Charlie White — Wed, 06 Dec 2006 16:24:00 EST

Something's fishy about this extension cord with the male plug at its head and female receptacle on the other end. Not sure what kind of fish this is, but we're thinking it must be an electric eel.

Better tuck this sucker away somewhere so you don't accidentally step on it. Check out the site for a variety of fish-inspired oddities. – Charlie White

More fishy stuff [Novmichi, via Spluch]

Barbie Scoops Poop, Dog Desperately Hungry

Charlie White — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 14:47:26 EST

This one has us scratching our heads: there's Barbie with the pooper scooper, dutifully disposing of little turds, but what's that in her dog Tanner's bowl, and, uh, in his mouth? That must be one hungry dog. Do I detect a shit-eating grin on his face? – Charlie White

Oopsy Poopy Barbie Doggie [Consumerist]

Target Needs To Fire Their Website Copyrighter [Consumerist]

Barbie Doll and Tanner Scooper Dog Set [Entertainment Earth, via Random Good Stuff]

Heady SkullCam: Evil Eye Keeps You In Line

Charlie White — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 16:30:54 EST

The Chinese manufacturer of this skull-shaped webcam must've gotten its dates mixed up, this being more of a Halloween item than anything else, but what better way to conjure up a menacing mood for a dreaded WebCam meeting than using this SkullCam?

Look to its glowing eye for inspiration, and humble yourself in the fact that underneath that skin of yours lies a skull somewhat like this one.

What the heck is the point of this, anyway? Next, this manufacturer will release a smiley-faced webcam, just remind you to keep that twinkle in your eye and smile in your voice. Just what we need. – Charlie White

Warped Webcam [TRFJ]

Elica Lamp to User: Blow Me

Charlie White — Thu, 02 Nov 2006 15:52:34 EST

You're not the only one who gets turned on when you're blown—that's how you switch on the Elica Lamp, too. It's interactive, it's emotional, it likes being blown. We can relate. But its $190 price might just blow the budget. – Charlie White

Product Page [Progetto25zero1]

A BananaGuard a Day Keeps the Bruises Away

Charlie White — Tue, 31 Oct 2006 16:16:32 EST

Bananas are among the more delicate fruits, in need of protection inside a lunchbox or backpack. If you're a banana aficionado like we are, you'll need the Banana Guard, a hard plastic case for those phallic fruits that will keep those icky brown bruises away. Hey, BananaGuard also makes a great Halloween costume for that banana, but it's probably too late for that.

The only problem we see? Bananas, being the natural products that they are, vary in size, and some may be too small or big to fit in this condom-esque package. The solution? Buy bananas that fit these containers, and keep 'em pristine and bruise-free for $6.99 Canadian (about $6.25 US). – Charlie White

Product Page [Banana Guard, via The Consumerist]

Cursors That Kill: T-Shirt for the Self-Flagellators

Charlie White — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 11:22:44 EDT

Why beat up on yourself when you can get your T-shirt to do it for you? Get people talking, and maybe even feeling sorry for you because you've martyred yourself to your PC.

Or maybe this cursor attack was not your idea. Perhaps it's fighting back, punishing you for all those long nights when you've made it work for 24 hours straight, pushing it and pushing it until it snaps.

Either way, you're bleeding, shedding blood for that PC. Now that's dedication. It's the kind of adoration previously exhibited only by Mac users. Fall on your sword. Proclaim your martyrdom for $19.90 plus shipping. – Charlie White

Cursors That Kill T-Shirt [MacMerc, via boingboing]

Fraidy Cat: Cross-Eyed Kitty Scares Fools, Annoys Kids

Charlie White — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 12:37:20 EDT

Fear not. This Halloween, let Fraidy Cat do it for you. This crazy kitty will mesmerize you with big green plastic crossed eyes, crouching on your windowsill at midnight, shivering and shaking, quivering and quaking, to the scary sounds of "Somebody's Watching Me." It's $15 at Walgreens.

Oh, my. Am I scared, or what? – Charlie White

Product Page [Gemmy]

Musical Condoms? WTF?

Charlie White — Mon, 09 Oct 2006 14:29:29 EDT

The picture tells the tale—that's right, it's a musical condom. Its tone varies with your position and intensity, but if you can keep it up with that tinkly little noise going on down there, you're a manlier man than I. Maybe it could be made to recite baseball scores to keep things going a little longer. – Charlie White

Condoms get high-tech [The Star, via OhGizmo]