Name: Solid Alliance "...of the world" series USB drive Category: USB memory drive Price: JPY3200 Release date in Japan: July 25, 2008
Tokyo-based Solid Alliance, fine purveyors of USB drives shaped like ducks and sushi, now has a USB drive with your name on it - if that happens to be Satou, that is. Which, fortunately for the company, is pretty often the case in Japan.
The 19-million-strong members of clan Satou often find themselves mistaken for "that other Satou", and some have been known to wish for a more distinctive last name. But listen up, "sekai no Satou" ("Satous of the world")! It's time to display clan pride, says Solid Alliance. The company's new 1GB drive takes the shape of the two characters making up Japan's most common family name: "sa" plugs into your PC, while "tou" is the cap. Curvy Edo-era "yose" script adds to its visual impact. Solid Alliance adds a loop for a chain or strap, so you can openly display to the world your membership in this most inclusive of clubs.
(You're paying for your branding here, though, Satou-san. A generic 1GB USB drive is easy to find for less than JPY1000; even a 4GB drive should cost less than this model.)
Solid Alliance also adds a fervent wish for any and all athlete Satous to bring home gold from Beijing, along with the hope that "all of Japan's Satous win gold medals in the Olympics called life".
And if you're not a Satou? Solid Alliance is accepting votes online for the next name in the series. "Yamadas of the world"? "Fujiwaras of the world"? Perhaps one day, electronics shops will display racks of USB drives in hundreds of names, just as ready-made "hanko" name stamps are sold in stationery shops. So go ahead and vote for your lineage (though if you're not a Tanaka, Suzuki, Yamamoto, or Takahashi, you've got some waiting ahead of you).
Introducing the HELLO KITTY Digital Broadcast Hi-Vision LCD TV, also known as the TL19TX1 over at Uniden. ("HELLO TL19TX1!" Naw, that's not working.) It's a 19-inch (1440x810) all-digital (no analog receiver) TV with HDMI interface, Electronic Program Guide, lots of image/sound-enhancing technologies with fancy names, and Kitty silhouettes gracing the front grille. In black/red or (of course) white/pink. Yours for JPY69,800 (and stop pretending you don't want it). http://www.uniden-direct.jp/product/lcd_kitty.html
Name: Chinshu Hakken!? Mugen Edamame Category: novelty / toy Price: JPY630 Release date in Japan: June 28, 2008
Remember the "Mugen Edamame" keychain/mobile phone fob from BANDAI, released barely over two months ago? (You should; it's for some reason the most-viewed gadget on this site.) The maker now has new varieties in stores: "Chinshu Hakken!? (Rare Breed Discovered!?) Mugen Edamame". It seems, says BANDAI, that the original green Mugen Edamame have married with other fruits and vegetables, producing "new breeds" in bright colors that reflect their heritage: Lemon Edamame, Sweet Potato Edamame, Carrot Edamame, and Mint Edamame (a rich blue).
This time around, BANDAI has six new faces readied for the beans, plus one "secret design". The "gadget" still does the same thing as the original: nothing. Give it a squeeze, and a little bean face pops out – a wee diversion for the stressed-out or the really easily amused. (It is cute, though, and oddly addictive, say owners.)
If the toy doesn't interest your serious sensibilities, the numbers might: BANDAI says it's reaching its 1 million unit sales goal for the Mugen Edamame in only two months, and with the help of the new "rare breeds'", expects to sell a total 1.5 million by September. At JPY630 a pop, that's JPY945 million – almost US$10 million – for a keychain! (BANDAI also reports that the beans' predecessor, a popping fake bubble wrap novelty called "Mugen Puchi-Puchi", has sold 2.5 million units at JPY819 each.)
BUFFALO and Bandai have released two models in the new "SWATTEARS" line of character-shaped USB memory: classic hero Ultraman, and Evangelion heroine Rei Ayanami. Bend the characters' legs into "sitting" position to reveal the USB memory stick for plugging into your computer. Or use the included USB cable, which has a "sofa" on the end to seat the character. (The "SWATTEARS" moniker apparently comes from "suwatte iru" or "sitting".) Don't you sit still, though, character fans: only 3000 units each will be made. JPY2980. http://buffalo.jp/products/catalog/flash/swattears/
Name: Thanko USB Necktie Cooler 2 Category: fan Price: JPY2980 (JPY3680 with battery) Release date in Japan: June 2008
Kids! What do you give Dad on his birthday? A necktie, of course. Ah, but what if dad's a gadget geek? Make that a USB-powered necktie!
Thanko's earlier USB Necktie Cooler was a jokey silicone necktie with a big fan intake on the front "knot". This time they've gotten serious with a real silk tie and a fan hidden within the knot. When you need to cool down, just lower the knot a bit to give the fan some breathing room, and let it blow its cooling magic at you. When guests come, turn it off and slide the knot back up to look all professional-like again.
Oh, don't forget to first tether your tie to a computer's USB port by the included 1.35-meter cable with fan controls. Hmm, that does limit you to deskwork. If you want cooling plus mobility, attach the cable instead to Thanko's battery pack (4 AAA batteries), which can ride in your shirt pocket.
Thanko is standing by to take orders online, and has even prepared a selection of gift boxes (JPY210). Dads, be afraid.
Name: GREEN HOUSE Golf Mouse Category: computer peripheral Price: JPY2980 Release date in Japan: early June, 2008
Golf Mouse is a mouse + pad set. The mousepad mimics a golf green, complete with little cup and flag, pea-sized ball, and tiny putter, to give your fingers a little putting practice between bouts of work.
The dimpled, round white mouse completes the golf theme, though comes as a surprise as well - it's the same shape as the infamous "hockey puck" mouse that, while not preventing the success of the original iMac, was roundly despised by the machine's users. (The optical Golf Mouse mouse also lights up in red and blue, something neither iMac-like nor golf-like.)
It's not expected that you'll actually use the mouse yourself, though. GREEN HOUSE offers name and logo printing on the pad, positioning the set as a promotional item, golf tournament prize, etc.
Name: Nikko Home Electronics Star Wars R2-D2 DVD Projector Category: projector / robot Price: JPY388,500 Release date in Japan: April, 2008 (next shipment in July)
This is on of the craziest gadgets you'll find, and caused a stir when announced in 2007. Though it's not new, it's worth mentioning again for anyone who's missed it so far. Japan sales began only last month; an online order now will get you a unit in July.
What is it? It's a rolling, reclining, chirping 1/2-scale replica of Star Wars' R2-D2 'droid, and it's come to Earth to entertain. The key feature of the robot (shared with the movie character) is a projector: not for Princess Leia holograms, but for beaming images to your home theater screen. Play movies or music from the internal DVD/CD player. Beam photo slideshows to a wall via USB and memory slots. Project your video console games larger than life via input connectors. There's even a nifty pop-out dock to accept video, images, or audio from an iPod.
You don't just unceremoniously plunk this projector down into place for movie time; this is R2-D2, after all. You'll pick up the infrared remote control and steer R2 around the living room to your heart's content. He goes forward and backward, turns left and right; his head turns, and he can recline backward to a 60° angle (good for movies on the ceiling, if that's what you like). A 7.2V nickel hydride battery keeps him rolling while he beeps 11 different R2 noises and flashes messages on a display panel.
The remote control really takes things over the top. Tastefully designed as a detailed replica of the Millenium Falcon spaceship, its cockpit and engine lights glow while the voices of Han Solo and Chewbacca converse over the whine of hyperspace engines.
It's all terribly expensive for either a projector or a toy robot, but the list of features (both useful and goofy) and the level of detail have gizmo lovers and Star Wars fans salivating. One caveat: some specific product details appear to vary by web page or user report, and the Nikko America product page shows even more differences; it's possible that the manufacturer continues to make changes with each production run. If you're going to lay down the cash, you might want to contact NHE and confirm any unclear details.
Some specs from the current Japanese NHE web page:
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