A desktop craze in the making, these impossibly hip electronic moggies are based on the traditional ‘Maneki Neko’ – literally ‘Beckoning Cat’ – feline charms you see in oriental restaurants and businesses across the globe. The difference is Yurakoro (meaning ‘rock ‘n’ roll’) make random noises when you nudge them, pick them up or ‘pet’ them. Each roly-poly cat is preloaded with seven sounds, from adorable meows and cat bells, to shrine bells and traditional festival music. Put a Yurakoro in your palm and it will even speak to you (albeit in Japanese). Just like the ubiquitous Japanese figurines upon which they are based, each cute and colourful Yurakoro Lucky Cat is said to bring good fortune to its owner. In this case the two white cats are said to bring happiness while the black cat protects against bad luck (it says here).

Available in either black or white colors, the Yurakoro Lucky Cats will beckons for £7.95 a pop.

Take cool air with you with our new Handycooler personal air conditioner! Evaporative cooling is the trick here. Simply drizzle a few ounces of water onto a sponge, and place it in a device a little bigger than a cordless phone, and enjoy cool breezes wherever you go. The fan draws air over the damp sponge, cooling it by up to 25 degrees Fahrenheit. The ducted fan rotates to move the air where you want it, but you’re gonna want to blow that heavenly cool air right past your sweating noggin.

It will require a quartet of AA batteries to keep running, so we’d suggest getting rechargeable batteries to go along with this if you want to be environmentally friendly in the long run. Of course, four batteries will bring you around 5 hours of cooling, but you can always opt for USB power whenever your computer or notebook is turned on. The Handycooler Personal Air Conditioner will retail for $39.99 a pop.

If you buy anything from Think Geek, use the code DAD to get FREE shipping.

SoapJet Spray Nozzle – $8.99

SoapJet is the revolutionary new spray nozzle that gives you the power of a car wash in the palm of your hand. The secret to the SoapJet is it’s patented technology that combines soap and water outside the nozzle for total control. Ordinary soaping nozzles and brushes flush soap out by forcing water through the soap reservoir. This leads to either not enough soap or too much soap and it can even flush out all of the soap in a just-filled reservoir in a matter of seconds!

The SoapJet Spray Nozzle is available from Amazon for $8.99.

PIZZA BOSS 3000 Pizza Slicer – $14.99

Real men don’t use wimpy dimestore pizza cutters! Show that pizza you mean business with our new Pizza Boss 3000. Watch it blast thru pepperoni, extra cheese, even those hard-to-cut anchovies.
It’s built from tough engineering-grade plastics and comes equipped with a laser-etched stainless steel blade with a removable shield for easy clean-up. Most importantly, it’s really really cute and perfect for Fathers Day!

The PIZZA BOSS 3000 Pizza Slicer is available from perpetual kid for $14.99.

MagnoGrip – $14.99

The MagnoGrip is a magnetic wristband guaranteed to securely hold nails, screws, drill bits, fasteners and tools. It allows professionals and do-it yourselfers to finish jobs in less time and with less frustration. The magnogrip is built to handle the most rugged of jobs. Its fabric construct consists of durable heavy duty canvas, industrial grade velcro and high-powered magnets that are strong enough to hold a hammer.

The MagnoGrip is available from Think Geek for $14.99.

Bringing the Bacon Wallet – $22.99

The irresistible allure of bacon has crossed over into the fashion world!
This embossed vinyl wallet with printed design is sure to make a bold statement when you take it out to pay for something.
Each 4.24 inches long x 3.75 inches tall faux leather wallet has plenty of pockets for your cold hard cash and credit cards.

The Bringing the Bacon Wallet is available from perpetual kid for $22.99.

The Best Nose Hair Trimmer – $24.95

This nose and ear hair trimmer was selected best by the Hammacher Schlemmer Institute after extensive testing of trimming ability, comfort, design and features, and ease of use. Unlike lesser trimmers that leave behind hair clippings, this one has an integrated vacuum system that collects hair as it cuts, and it has two hypoallergenic blades angled 60° from vertical which improve cutting performance to provide a better, faster trim without plucking or pulling.

The The Best Nose Hair Trimmer is available from Hammacher for $24.95.

Digital Measuring Tape – $24.99

The Digital Measuring Tape features a large easy-to-read display that is capable of memorizing your measurements with the push of a button. It can give measurements in either feet and inches or metric units and will even display fractions of an inch (as small as 1/16th) just like a standard tape measure. There is also a setting for adding the case length for taking inside measurements.

The Digital Measuring Tape is available from TG for $24.99.

Mr. Beer Premium Edition Home Microbrewery System – $39.99

In just 14 days, beginning and advanced brewers alike can enjoy a glass of premium, handcrafted beer with this home-brewing kit. The 2-1/2-gallon brew keg features a pour tap and wide-mouthed lid for easy cleaning by hand. Included with this microbrewery kit are a can of West Coast Pale Ale mix, which produces a mild, full-bodied beer, a single-use packet of booster, which contains all-natural carbohydrates that enhance flavor and boost alcohol content, and brewer’s yeast. The beer-making ingredients are simply mixed with water, left to brew in the keg at room temperature for a week, and then put into the kit’s eight one-liter PET bottles for another week, during which time natural carbonation takes place.

The Mr. Beer Premium Edition Home Microbrewery System is available from Amazon for $39.99.

Men’s Extended Reach Body Hair Groomer – $49.95

This electric body hair trimmer’s hinged handle extends up to 3″ and locks into place at six different angles, allowing you to trim unwanted hair in hard-to-reach areas in the middle of your back. The six handle positions allow you to hold the shaver foils flush against the skin and accommodate the contours of shoulders, legs, and underarms. The hypoallergenic foils gently capture and lift hair before the blades cut it below the surface, resulting in a longer-lasting, smoother shave without the irritation common to straight razors.

The Men’s Extended Reach Body Hair Groomer is available from Hammacher for $49.95.

Stainless Steel Wallet – $89.95

Woven using 25,000 stainless steel threads that are three times thinner than a piece of paper –.001″–this is the only wallet with a hand as smooth as silk and the strength that surpasses leather. Impervious to stretching or staining, and without sharp corners or the inherent bulk of other wallets, the stainless steel is the same metal screen found in the architecture, aerospace, and automotive industries, resulting in a thin profile that allows it to fit into a front pocket.

The Stainless Steel Wallet is available from Hammacher for $89.95.

The Energy Detective – $149.99

Did you know that most households pay thousands of dollars a year for electricity? Yes, thousands! The Energy Detective (TED) can help you save 10-20% on your electric bill – hundreds of dollars – and the more you save, the more you help your neighbors, the community, and protect the environment.

The The Energy Detective is available from Think Geek for $149.99.

Smart E Bear is freakin’ incredible. Connect him to your computer and sync him with his downloadable software, and your kids will be amazed in no time. Why? Because Smart E Bear will actually talk to your kid by name (he’s got over 1,000 in his database). He’ll sing and tell stories and play games with your urchins in English or Spanish – all you do is load up the content you want, and your child triggers Smart E into action by squeezing his paw. And here’s the kicker: sure Smart E Bear is preloaded with tons of good educational content, but (like iTunes), you can always download more (even new languages for him to speak and teach your geeklings). This means that Smart E Bear can evolve and grow as your children do. He’ll be their friend, teacher, and teddy bear for all time. And when your children move off to college and say they’ve outgrown their Smart E Bear – then you can finally have him back all for yourself.

An evolving bear that has the ability to continue “growing” over the years? Hopefully the amount of quality that goes into its $59.99 build is enough to last your little ones till they enter college, as you know how many stories parents have heard about teddy bears getting their arms and legs ripped off during a more vigorous playing session among kids.

Press Release

Game 1 – ThumbWar
The object of ThumbWar is simple: press while the other player is pressing. If you do, you get a point.

Game 2 – SlapJack
During SlapJack, Thumb Stadium randomly flashes the center LED red or green. Be the first to press when center is green and get a point. Don’t press if it isn’t green or the other player gets a point.

Game 3 – Jai Alai
Center lights up ~ quickly press to “catch” your color. Press again to “throw” to the other player who has to catch on time and throw back. The time to catch gets shorter each throw.

Game 4 – Reflexy
Reflexy is a one-player game. The object is to quickly press the button that matches the color in the center LED. You go until you miss or are too late. The time to react gets shorter each turn. After the game, your score is flashed ~ Center = x10, Red LED = x1. Press the Red Side Button three times to restart.

The Thumb Stadium Electronic Game Kit can be yours for $19.99.

The Pocket Retro Game Emulator looks a bit like the GameBoy Pocket but that’s where the similarities end. Load on NES, SNES, GBA, Sega Genesis, or Neo Geo roms and play your old favorites in the palm of your hand. With 4GB of built-in storage and a mini SD slot for expansion you can bring every single game from the best classic consoles with you. Of course in typical all encompassing gadget style you can also play movie files, audio files, use the built-in FM radio, view jpg images, read E-books, do voice recording etc…

The Pocket Retro Game Emulator will come with four control buttons on the right alongside two shoulder buttons – just nice for games up to the 16-bit era. You will need to transfer ROMs over to the Pocket Retro Game Emulator via USB from a computer, but we won’t tell you where to get those. No idea if you would want to fork out $99.99 for this when the PSP already comes with homebrew solutions to handle old school games…

Giant Plush Microbes	Rock Paper Scissors Lizard Spock	Star Trek Starfleet Academy Titanium Spork	Star Trek TOS Tunic Tees
Thumbnail gallery plugin by SoftSift

Are you a true blue Trekkie at heart? If so, you ought to be in an enterprising (pun not intended) mood to pick up some of these items, where using the checkout code SULU for orders more than $30 will result in a $10 discount – that’s 33% off at the maximum for those of you who have yet to enter the hallowed halls of the Vulcan Science Academy. The selected items are the Star Trek TOS Tunic Tees, Star Trek Starfleet Academy Titanium Spork, Rock Paper Scissors Lizard Spock and Giant Plush Microbes.

Seriously, folks, the Star Trek Starfleet Academy Titanium Spork is just about the coolest Star Trek collectible ever, because it is fully functional. Just like the one Kirk used while a student (perhaps even while planning to cheat at the Kobayashi Maru scenario), these are laser engraved with the Starfleet emblem and other stuff which we’ll tell you about soon. And remember, we know how important it is for you to hold a replica of Spock’s Student Spork at the premier of the new movie! Live long, and prosper.

Bear in mind that these are not limited edition sporks, but feature a totally new design for the entire Federation (and us folks on earth) to enjoy. No need to look for an alien money changer as you can purchase it for good old American Dollars to the tune of $22.99.

Each department was color-coded with different tunics. Gold for Command, red for Ops, and blue for Sciences. The Captain, always a giant swinging ego onboard ship, wore his own color – green, with the insignia worn swaggeringly low on his hip. When on duty, every crew member wore their uniforms, but what did they wear when off-duty? Pretty much, the same shirts, just short-sleeves. Sometimes, though, they just wore them because they are so gosh-darned comfortable!

You will be able to choose from a quartet of officially licensed shirts, where they will come in command-gold, ops-red, sciences-blue, and captain-green colors. All shirts will feature a different “flex and flock” insignia, depending on the department. Depending on the size of your choice, you will have to fork out anywhere from $24.99 to $26.99 a pop.

All user needs to do is download the free software from the company site. From there, the user clicks and drags a folder to the photo album window. A program known as the Smilebooks Assistant will automatically arranges select photos for a first draft.

From there, the user can select a background from their own photos, or a specific Smilebook background. Text can also be inserted in, such as quotes, titles, or anything else.

Once all this information is entered in, and the user is satisfied with the book design, the company prints up the SmileBook, complete with the user’s custom-made cover and spine design.

Prices on the Smilebook vary due to size. For example, the smallest is a 5” x 5.5” with a maximum of 50 pages is about $9.95. The Mini (8” x 8”) and Classic (8” x 11”) range about $38 for hardcover and $27 for softcover, with a minimum page length of 130 pages. The Deluxe Smilebook (12″ x 12″) costs about $68.

Source

Duct Tape Roses – $18.00

Afraid to send a guy flowers? We have the perfect flower to send. Duct Tape Roses. Great for Valentine’s Day an anniversary gift, graduation gift or special birthday gift. Choose your color and quantity. Sold in quantity 3, 6, 9 or 12. Packaged with tissue, ribbon and cello wrapped.

The Duct Tape Roses is available from Abernook for $18.00.

Holographic Candlelit Dinner Kit – $5.99

Any other human, when presented with a nice romantic candlelit dinner with the “significant-other” of their choice, would probably see hearts floating in their eyes. You, however, are one of those above-average superhumans (aka “Geek”), and as such are not as easily swayed by simple biological imperatives, and chances are good your chosen mate is as much geek as you are. Consequently, your natural cynicism requires the use of technology to generate those floating hearts.

The Holographic Candlelit Dinner Kit is available from Think Geek for $5.99.

Star Wars Padmé Amidala Costume – $39.99

Even geeks have fantasy’s. From Rubies Costumes new “Secret Wishes” line, this sexy Padmé Amidala costume is perfect for Halloween parties or other special occasions. Includes slinky jumpsuit with attached boot tops and belt.

The Star Wars Padmé Amidala Costume is available from Star Wars Shop for $39.99.

My Perfect Guy Keychain – $5.99

My Perfect Guy talking key chain. Tired of looking for that “Perfect Guy”? Your search is finally over! Placing your needs before his own, this delightful talking key chain character always knows just what to say to make you happy! With a gentle squeeze of his tummy, My Perfect Guy speaks one of 10 custom messages designed to keep you laughing for a lifetime! Key chain is approx,6 inches CONDITION: New perfect gift for the girl who has everything;) except the perfect guy! The perfect guy! says thing only she wants to hear like “You shouldn’t be cleaning that ,Let’s hire a maid” or “Honey is it ok if I make dinner tonight ? ” plus 8 more funny sayings that you wouldn’t say yourself but she wishes you would

The My Perfect Guy Keychain is available from Amazon for $5.99.

TowelSpa Towel Warmer – $79.50

Our TowelSpa Towel Warmer thoroughly warms your towels, blankets, robes, or socks in only 6 minutes. Simply place a towel inside this towel warmer, close the lid, and press the warming button. By the time you step out of the shower, your towel will be perfectly toasty.

The TowelSpa Towel Warmer is available from Frontgate for $79.50.

2 Carat Mug – $14.95

Heard the one about the sparkling ‘diamond’ ring that’s attached to a porcelain mug? It’s hilarious. Especially seeing as it’s packaged in a beautiful presentation box that only shows the gleaming ring. Haha!

The 2 Carat Mug is available from Firebox for $14.95.

Zombie Cupid Eats HEAAAARRRTTTS!! – $4.99

Valentine’s Day: 2099. It’s been a long hard fight against the Zombie Hordes, but the end is near. They are overpowering us. We’ve done our best, but we just couldn’t . . . . There’s a bang on the door. OMG, it’s Zombie Cupid. And he doesn’t have love-hearts at the end of his arrows . . . he has REAL hearts! And he’s eating them. Oh no! He’s coming this wa[end transmission from a bleak future]

The Zombie Cupid Eats HEAAAARRRTTTS!! is available from Think Geek for $4.99.

Handheld Percussive Massager. – $49.95

After rigorous testing by the Hammacher Schlemmer Institute, this handheld percussive massager earned the “Best” rating because it produced the most invigorating massage and allowed panelists to easily pinpoint sore muscles. While panelists criticized competing models for being too vigorous, the best percussive massager was lauded for its perfect massage intensity that was “very comfortable and relaxing.” The best massager earned the highest marks for relieving soreness in the shoulders, neck, back, and legs, leading one panelist to say its thumping nodes provided “a smooth massage that quickly loosened tight muscles.”

The Handheld Percussive Massager. is available from Hammacher for $49.95.

Personalized Beans – $36.00

Share the magic of these personalized beans as they grow with your name or message intact. Maximum of 10 characters per bean.

• size: 3/8″L x 5/8″W
• personalization: max of 10 characters per bean

The Personalized Beans is available from Abernook for $36.00.

Valantine’s Tree – $25.00

This is a unique and original green gift. A tree will be planted as a Valentine gift in the
honoree’s name to commemorate his / her Love. This Eco-Friendly gift shows your originality and green conscience. A Tree will be planted in your selected US State, Israel or the Amazon. The Honoree will receive an elegant Tree Certificate, with your Name as the sender(s) and the tree number so they can find the tree location online.

The Valantine’s Tree is available from TreeInstead for $25.00.

iPillow – $19.95

Our soft, plush iPod pillow doubles as a WORKING radio. Use its built-in FM scan radio with audio speaker, or connect it to your iPod or CD player, computer, or other audio device and enjoy great sound.

The iPillow is available from KlearGear for $19.95.

If none of the above grab your fancy check out what other gadget blogs are talking about:

• Random Good Stuff – Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas
• PopSci – Valentine’s Gift Guide For Your Geek Chic Girlfriend
• Hardware Sphere – Valentine Gifts Idea for Boys
• Valentine`s Day Gift Guide: Technical Gifts for Your Sweetheart
• inhabitat – Great Green Gift Ideas for Valentines Day!
• Geeks are Sexy – The Geek Guide to Valentine’s Day Gifts
• Gaj-It – Valentine Gifts for the Gadget Lover
• Tech Styling – Top 5 Valentines Day Gadget and Gifts For Him
• TWWWB – Gadget gift guide for Valentine’s Day

If you know of any other guides worth listing please let us know in the comments and we’ll add them.

I’m something of a fan of remote control toys and this has got to be one of the coolest I’ve seen, the Amphibious R/C Tank. At first I thought it was another R/C beer can transporter (which it can be in land mode) but when the tank hits the water the wheels fold up into the can holders, cool! Oh and it also shoots BB bullets. Check the video after the jump to see it in action.

Transforming from powerful, road-going tank to impressive ocean-going assault boat in the merest blink, this cunning device takes 4WD R/C (that’s 4-wheel-drive remote control) to a new level, loosing-off whole squadrons of BB bullets at your command.
Sturdy and imposing on land, with full 4-wheel drive capability to tackle the most arduous of, err, rockeries, this changeling of a device is equally at home in the briny. On activating the transformation device deep in the heart of the unit, powerful twin propellers take over from wheels, providing rock-solid forward motion in the water.

The Amphibious R/C Tank is available in the UK from the Gadget Shop for £43.49, I’ve searched for it in the US without any success as yet.

I reckon this is the coolest digital picture frame I’ve seen. It has all the usual things you’d expect from a digital frame, clock and alarm function, accepts multiple media card formats, MP3 player, etc. etc..

It is also Wi-Fi enabled so can pull pictures from GMail, Flicker or you can email them directly to the frame. You can use Windows Live to display News, Weather and traffic info and something that I’ve not seen on a digital frame before is it’s touch screen so setting up and entering your wireless information should be a lot less fiddly (though you may see the odd thumbprint on your pics).

You can buy the iGala Wi-Fi Linux Based Photo Frame from Think Geek for $239.99.

The ImpactV allows a user to take any video that he or she has recorded and upload it wirelessly to the frame. Since the ImpactV is Wi-Fi enabled, the video will automatically appear with DVD quality video and clear sound anywhere, provided there is a wireless connection. The user can also send still photos.

There are some limitations to this technology. The maximum length for video clip is about four minutes. It takes a while for these videos to upload, but a little less time for stills.

The frame is an 8-inch screen with 800 x 600 resolution. It has on-board flash memory of 512MB and an MMC/SD/MS memory card slot in case you want more. The ImpactV also comes with a handy remote control. Other features include options of subscribing to RSS photo feeds, accessing other online video sites, as well as accessing online photo sharing sites like Flickr and Photobucket.

You should be able to purchase the eStarling ImpactV at about $199.99 on the eStarling website. I think this could be “the gift to give” for the holiday.

Source

Magna-Bones 32 pcs – $14.99

Magna-Bones includes the skeletal remains of a Triceratops. Once you dig out your bones, assemble and pose Tri-Tops. Learn about their history and life on the collectable tin card.
- Feel like a real paleontologist!
- Build cool models with bone shaped rods.
- Endless hours of construction!
- An excellent way to develop scientific knowledge and social development.

The Magna-Bones 32 pcs is available from Amazon for $14.99.

Wooden War Engine Kits – $19.99+

These kits let you bring back all the fun of flinging. Each one can assemble in just a few hours, and provides a fantastic scale model of an actual war weapon of yore. The catapult is perfect for chucking balls of paper and other small objects over cubicle walls. The trebuchet is better for long range targets (like the water cooler or networked printer). And, all you need to put them together are some strong fingers (or pliers), a cutting tool, and glue (not included). Both kits are perfect for showing your love of retro weaponry.

The Wooden War Engine Kits is available from Think Geek for $19.99+.

Classic Video Table Tennis Kit – $19.99+

Blocky table tennis with a ball and two paddles was one of the first real video games to make it into mainstream culture. It took an awful lot of high-tech electronics in 1972 to create this classic game. Now however you can cobble together your very own Classic Video Table Tennis Game with a little determination and some basic soldering skillz. This kit contains a pre-printed circuit board and 39 various resistors, diodes, and capacitors. Solder everything together (following the instructions we hope) and plug the audio and video into any standard TV for instant Table Tennis action. You can play against another lowly human or challenge the computer at four different skill levels.

The Classic Video Table Tennis Kit is available from Think Geek for $19.99+.

Cannon Propulsion Kit – $20.97

Explore basic concepts of physics as you aim and fire cannons at your target.
- Harness electric power to fire cannons at a target
- Measure speed, velocity and inertia of moving objects
- Learn about math, gravity and parabolic flights of projectiles
- Comes with a built-in measuring tape for precise experiments

The Cannon Propulsion Kit is available from Discovery for $20.97.

100 Project Snap Together Circuitboard Kit – $29.95

With dozens of exciting projects to choose from, this kit teaches children how electricity works and guides them through building their own burglar alarm, flashlight, doorbell, and more. All parts are mounted on plastic modules and snap together easily (no soldering is necessary), and disassemble quickly so they can be used to build something else. The instruction manual introduces children to such electrical terms as “capacitor”, “resistor,” and “integrated circuit,” and takes them step by step through one hundred experiments.

The 100 Project Snap Together Circuitboard Kit is available from Hammacher for $29.95.

MAKE: Technology on Your Time (Subscription) – $34.95

MAKE brings the do-it-yourself mindset to all the technology in your life and celebrates your right to tweak, hack, and bend your technology to your will. MAKE ignites your ingenuity and connects you with your fellow “Makers.”

The MAKE: Technology on Your Time (Subscription) is available from Amazon for $34.95.

Hydrodynamic Building Set – $69.99

The instruction manual shows you how the girders connect, how to build the various tanks, and some rendered images of completed projects – but not step-by-step. Your entire model gets built up from the bottom of the carrying case, which acts as the water reservoir and also has a special footing to be the structure’s foundation. Level by level, you build your support frame and add your tanks. Then connect all the tubes, add in the valves, and turn on the electric pump. If you’ve done it right, you’ll have an awesome construction everyone will marvel at (a little food coloring helps). Fail and you’re all wet – quite probably literally.

The Hydrodynamic Building Set is available from Think Geek for $69.99.

Executivity Spring Bend Twin Tower – $88.99

Spring Bend Twin Tower Motorized Marble Run ages 9 to Adult. Excutivity is an entertaining toy for the excutives who are still enchanted by sophisticated toys and gadgets. This is a spectacular building construction toy with a motorized elevator. This fun innovative product is great for adults and kids ages 9 and up. Lots of motorized movement and creativity. AA Batteries not included.

The Executivity Spring Bend Twin Tower is available from Amazon for $88.99.

LEGO Mindstorms NXT – $224.99

Sure, Mindstorms NXT is a toy, but it is an important toy, like a piano or a chemistry set. It’s one of those items that engages an imagination and possibly opens doors to new interests. Since our future is surely to be shared with robots–it’s already started happening, just look at Roomba–those robots will need, at least initially, humans to program and maintain them. Those people, years from now, will likely remember their experiences with Lego Mindstorms.

The LEGO Mindstorms NXT is available from Amazon for $224.99.

6 Foot Working Ferris Wheel Kit – $499.95

Offered exclusively by Hammacher Schlemmer, this operating Ferris Wheel from K’NEX, makers of innovative construction sets worldwide, rises to 6′ when assembled, with an intricate design that harks back to George Ferris Jr.’s original 1893 creation. Containing 8,550 pieces, the color-coded rods, connectors, and gears snap together easily to form the wheel’s platform, frame, and cars. Simply follow the step-by-step illustrated instructions to create this working masterpiece. A heavy-duty electric motor leisurely turns the Ferris wheel through two full revolutions a minute.

The 6 Foot Working Ferris Wheel Kit is available from Hammacher for $499.95.