Yong Jieyu and Ama Xue Hong Bin are two designers that have put their own spin on the CD Player.  Obviously, this design isn’t terribly practical beyond the scope of a novelty, yet it’s so darn cleaver that I can’t help but want one; too bad it’s only a concept and not an actual consumer product.

The design entails rearranging the CD player components to accommodate the antique style.  The wooden base holds the electrical PCB board while the needle arm carries the electric eye.  The electric speaker is situated just below the trumpet style speaker.

It doesn’t seem long ago that CD’s were the new marvel of music technology, yet there isn’t a kid today that would walk outside with a disc-man; it’s Mp3 or nothing.  Maybe Yong & Ama should work on an Mp3 player that looks like an 8-track.

Written by: Richard Reckenbeil

[Get It $8]

That’s right, it’s Friday, the 13th day of March 2009, which means absolutely nothing except that the week is finely over.  Maybe you’ve wondered or maybe you think you know why Friday the 13th is shrouded with superstition. The authors of Holy Blood Holy Grail certainly think they know.  
Holy Blood Holy Grail was originally published in the early 1980’s when it immediately caused a religious fire storm.  The book again gained momentum after author Dan Brown used it as the backbone of his immensely popular book The Da Vinci Code. 
The authors present a tremendously thorough account of the Knights Templar, the Prieuré de Sion, and the history of the Holy Grail.  Though it’s an arduous book to complete, this conspiracy theory will have your head spinning!

Written by: Greg Vavoules
Photos by: Artem Chakirov

 
You know it, I know it, and she definitely knows it.  The bigger the better, and if you’ve heard differently then you ain’t sportin the bigger or better.  A girl just needs some size when it comes to her morning coffee.  And that’s where Jumpin Banana busts in to put a smile on that weary face.  As the exclusive distributor for Paladone Products in the US, Jumpin’ Banana brings us the gigantic "Size Matters" Mug.

 
Pleo, a one week-old dinosaur by Ugobe, is an interactive robotic marvel and the newest member of your family!  He’ll listen to your commands and learn new tricks as he gets older.  At first he might misunderstand, so you’ll have to spend some time training him.  Sensory devices such as a color camera, sound recognition, and infrared allow Pleo to see, feel, and hear.  He might beg for attention or cry when he’s hungry.  He may even get scared or disobedient, so listen to the training tips and download new enhancements when you can.  Not intended for children under the age of 8.

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I’m not sure how practical this is, but it’s extremely cool.  The Bookcase Door System from Woodfold offers a unique space-saving option from closets and pantries to safes and hidden rooms; can’t find a suitable place for your bookcase, just park it in front of the doorway! 
Woodfold’s Bookcase Doors are custom crafted to support up to 500 pounds, yet the heavy-duty roller system allows the bookcase to quietly open and close with a smooth easy motion.  You can tell a lot about a person from their bookcase!

The Pac-Man Plush Head from Namco is a soft, warm compactable hat, that is sure to bring a smile where ever it goes*.  Use the hat as a regular plush for decoration along with the slinky and Rubik’s cube, or wear it on the slopes to attract attention and keep your dome warm. 

If you’re a Pac-man junkie, check out more products from Club Namco, or go visit them at the New York Comicon and Wondercon; tell them "WAKA WAKA" and get $2.00 off your purchase!

*May not be appropriate for weddings, funerals, job interviews or dinner at Q-berts.

The most powerful action hero in the past 2 millennia!  The Jesus Action Hero from Accoutrements has posable arms, magical healing capabilities, and shoots lasers from his eyes…well not really, but if we say it long enough people will believe it.

If your faith is really strong, you’ll want to splurge the extra 2 bucks for the Deluxe Jesus Action Hero; God that’s awesome!

With a price to die for, it’d be a miracle to keep these God forsaken things in stock.  Each hard vinyl Jesus Action Figure stands 5" (12.7 cm) tall, comes with 3 wishes, and wheels for walking on frozen water.  Don’t think about whether it makes sense, just buy it because it’d be a sin not to.  Remember, Jesus died so you could masturbate!

*If you do not buy the Jesus Action Figure you will burn in Hell for all of eternity.  People who bought this also considered the David Koresh and Marshell Applewhite Action Figures.

Is there any other game you can feel so stupid at when you lose?

I never understood why the standard tic tac toe wasn’t a matrix of four or five, at least that way it wouldn’t always end in a tie; of course then the game would have to be called tic tac toe te tum or something like that.  Really, the only time you ever win is when you’re challenging an infant, a downy, or Keanu Reeves.

The reflective design of this tacky game features half X’s and O’s which become "whole" once they’re placed on the board.  Definitely an interesting concept from designer Shahar Peleg.

* May cause irreversible damage to your pride

Gran Torino will open nationwide tomorrow (January 9th).

Before I tear into this film with all the reasons why you shouldn’t go see it, let me first just mention that you should definitely go see this film*.  It may be the typical inspirational ballad of a stubborn old-timer that reaches salvation through an unlikely friendship, but a little cheese can be good once in a while; even if it is from Hollywood.

The fact of the matter is that this is a Clint Eastwood picture, so if you like Clint, you’ll probably like this film.  The message is all wrong, but who cares, when Clint’s at the helm.  Basically Dirty Harry retired, moved to Detroit, and changed his name to Walter Kowalski.

*Addressed to those who are not minorities..read on for plot summery & critical breakdown

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When it comes to learning an instrument, the most important part is having fun and getting lit-up.  The LK-270 from Casio not only has both down to a science, it has the cost down as well.  This affordable 61 key instrument is touch sensitive (if you want it to be), which means the harder you pounce, the louder it sounds.  Watch the digital display to learn which fingers hit the lighted keys.  Use one of the 570 onboard tones, 180 rhythms and digital effects, or practice with Casio’s lighted key lesson system.  There are even audio inputs for an MP3 Player, Mic, and a USB port for MIDI control.  You can even load your favorite songs in the SD slot for a lighted lesson.  I found that being able to dumb down the tempo was paramount for my non musically inclined learning pace. 

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