The plastic is made from more environmentally friendly water-based copolymers that form a molecular bridge in its polymer chains. When the plastic gets scratched or cracked, these bridges break and produce a visible color change. If applied as a thin coating to other layers of plastic, the copolymer could serve in detecting damages and self-healing minor defects.

The red splotch that forms when the plastic gets “injured” could help improve safety by drawing attention to those areas so that it can be repaired if the damage is excessive. Areas on the plastic with minor scratches or defects can repair itself in the presence of intense light.

[via PopSci]

Matoba has already made apologies to all of their customers along with an official warning in an effort to prevent further death. Who would have known that at foot massager would be responsible for the death of consumers? Apparently not all of the customers used the product as it was designed to be used.

The users accidentally killed themselves while in the process of using the massager to massage their neck and shoulders. One case was a woman in her fifties who strangled to death after the collar of her shirt was caught in the rollers, which ceased to stop after being caught.  Matoba instruct users to follow the instructions provided in the manual and not to remove the protective cloth cover on the machine. The video below shows the Japanese new report.

This cleaning device, called Cyber Clean, is meant to pick up all the dingy little crumbs and bits that get onto your keyboard.  Especially for those of us with longer hair, whose hair tends to fall down into the keyboard along with yesterday’s lunch crumbs.

This squishy little guy sinks down into all of the crevices and cleans them out.  It will also work on other devices like cameras and the keypads on your other gadgets.  It is currently being sold for £7.95 or for about $16.

[via techdigest]

This Bubble Wrap Calendar has 365 days worth of bubbles just waiting to be popped. Rather than using a boring old red marker to cross out the days, you can just walk up and pop a bubble.

Of course owning this calendar means that you will have to exercise restraint each and every day. I think I’d be too tempted to pop a few extra bubbles each time I walked by. At least it’s only $30.

[via OhGizmo]

Although using a sticker to hide a satellite dish seems silly it would be fairly effective. It would at least minimize the amount that it stands out. Although I doubt that it would become completely invisible.

As of now these stickers are only available for satellite customers in the UK. Each sticker is custom made to blend in with your wall, hopefully soon these will hit the US as well.

[via yanko]

If you’re stuck at a desk all day, then when this Posture Pod is used properly it is supposed to decrease back, shoulder and neck pain. It will also help with tension headaches.

According to the site, by having this and sitting up straight it will improve your efficiency as well as productivity. The Posture Pod is being sold for $363 AUD.

[via gadgetvenue]

The fence was designed by Karl Zahn and would be great for anyone that can’t feed networking cables through their walls due to renting an apartment. However, it’s just so Better Homes and Gardens that it makes me a little squeamish.

You’ll have to contact the designer to get more information on perhaps purchasing the item. From looking at the pictures though, it looks like a project that would be cake to do yourself. It just has a bit of adhesive to attach it to your base board.

[via techdigest]

They are actually the same size as the average police handcuffs and fold in half for easy transport. Any boys with a mischievous girl should be careful though since they don’t mention anything about a safety release and boys in Batman cuffs just look slightly homosexual.

Even though sometimes I wonder if Batman wouldn’t have rather used these cuffs on Robin as opposed to Batgirl. These fully functioning cuffs with 2 keys are scheduled to start being sold in January of 2009 and is priced at $136.99.

[via geekalerts]

Why not just take laziness one step further and snag this Rocket Chair. It is not only excessively impractical but it burns through 7 gallons of 90% Hydrogen Peroxide to take off and fly for a whopping 45 seconds.

Honestly, I’d be happy if this were just a normal chair fashioned to seem like it’s rocket powered. This was created by Ky Michaelson who specializes in several different rocket powered items, like a scooter, sled and snowmobile. Alright, the sled is pretty bad ass, regardless of whether or not it’s practical.

[via gizmowatch]

It is actually specifically created for the Beijing Olympics, and is meant for athletes in preparation for their respective sporting events. The little triangular cavities all house frozen water. You slip on the vest an hour before your competition and it lowers the body temperature of the athlete.

The vest makes the athlete last 21% longer than they normally would. It also acts as a thermos making sure that the cold doesn’t escape.

[via newlaunches]

As I mentioned above I am excessively clumsy, I quite often, get mystery bruises on my legs. That being said even I think this doorknob is more than a little silly. I mean really, I can’t think of a single useful reason to have one of these.

Even if you used them in a child’s room, as a kid that thing would have creeped me out. In the middle of the night it’d look like nothing more than an evil glowing eye. Yah, I was a skiddish kid, with entirely too much of an imagination. The doorknobs are made of a soft latex type material and are $18 for a 4-pack.

[via gearfuse]

Her issue is punctuation in the proper places, a notepad like this would be perfect for her. Thankfully for me I have a GPS and look up my own directions when they are needed. Therefore I’m not subjected to trying to translate her gibberish. The notepad is extremely straight forward, circle the arrow and next to it the street name to turn onto.

It also has additional blanks to fill in things like destination, address and description. The pad is being sold at one of my favorite online stores, Perpetual Kid, for $6.50 per pad. Each pad has 60 sheets of paper. My favorite part about it is the check box at the bottom to select whether you made it or got lost.

[via technabob]

She is reporting for us from CeBIT this year and will also be reporting for us from IFA. So, if you are wondering where all these amazing photos and all this amazing show coverage is coming from, you now know.

Chances are her role working for us will continue to expand and will definitely include a majority of the events held in Europe. Also, she was formerly a writer for us on SlashGear.de, a site not even I knew existed until today.

You drop in a Draught keg which is like 5 liters of beer, connect it to the BeerTender using the special tubes, and then let it chill to 45 degrees. The CO2 is built into the keg, and the keg is disposable making the whole operation extremely easy.

I am not sure which other brands make BeerTender compatible mini kegs. However, if I find a brand that I do like that makes one, and somewhere local where I can buy them, I’ll have no problem dropping the $299 being asked for the BeerTender, they go on sale tomorrow.

[via Gizmodo]

I am far from a fashionista, but I like functional clothing and accessories. You can get this belt in brown, black, and I even saw white when I was searching, they go from small all the way up to XL for anywhere from $35-$50.

To be more precise, it’s a #2 philips, a #2 flat head, and 8, 10, and 11 millimeter wrenches. Apparently those are the exact tools you need to work on your snowboard when you are at the top of a really steep hill and your boot is wiggling a little.

[via likecool]

The fact that it’s sound proof and has a recliner built in just makes it that much better whether you are using it to sleep or do work. There is also a touch-screen monitor that you can select and then watch movies on if you wish.

Time in the pods will likely be sold by the half hour, which isn’t a bad rate as long as it’s not too pricey. There will also be some sort of an attendant to the pods that can wake you at a desired time so you aren’t late for your flight or ride pickup, they’ll also watch your luggage so you don’t have to try and cram it all into the pod with you.

[via the luxist]

But they did, in the end; I believe two men were charged with some dumbass charges because they somehow managed to declare the LED signs “hoax devices”. So, next time you have a company and you hire some people to do some advertising for you, might want to be careful, they might be considered terrorists.

Regardless, it will be a long time before I forget. So, just a reminder, this is the one year anniversary of that ever so tragic event.

[via boingboing]

It’s a USB device, of course, and it puts your computer into a deep sleep mode that uses less electricity. It’s simple to use, if you’re going to be taking a long break from your work you just tap the button and let it do its magic. It will record how many carbon units and how much power and money you’ve saved every time you use the button, which is a great way to prompt yourself to use it more often.

They’re not very expensive around $12-$18 and it’ll do you good to get one. Unfortunately, it’s only for PCs at the moment.

[via 2bloggadgets]

It’s not ergonomically designed, nor is it wireless but I must say it’s beautiful. It comes in mahogany and black walnut so you can try to match it to your desk.

The mahogany mouse will cost you $40 and the black walnut will cost $38. It’s probably not the best mouse you could buy but I’m sure some will like it.

[via Chip Chick]

So, they clip on to your outer ear and work by vibrations through your skin and cartilage. It’s basically listening to music through your skull and that’s always fun! There’s three volume levels, the standard low and medium and of course the “defeats it’s purpose” tectonic.

You can get your own for $100 from ThinkGeek. Even though I’m happy with my cheap earbuds, I’d be interested in a pair of these.

[via Coolest Gadgets]

The Jellyclick is an inflatable mouse. You blow it up and you’re set to use it and then when you’re done you just let the air out and roll the mouse up. What else can I say about it?

It’s just a concept and I probably don’t need to say it, but I think it’s a bit much/ridiculous. This is one of those moments when I think “what will they come up with next”.

[via GeekAlerts]

Now, it does have some great features: it is WiFi enabled, wireless speakers, integrated LED screen, Mp3 line in, remote desktop, syncing, radio and CD player. The design, however, just looks ugly to me. It has three units that make up the whole thing, the right/left speakers, a base with a subwoofer and a control ring. You can use it as a radio or even sync it with your computer.

It lasts 12 hours per battery charge. I have no word about availability but the designer’s name is Soohyuk Im.

[via Newlaunches]

The “Tactile Mp3” player is a neat idea. It has five simple buttons that control it that are easy to recognize by touch so you wouldn’t even need to take it out of your pocket to play it.

It’s simple, small and isn’t anything more than what it’s supposed to be, a music player. I’d sooner buy something like this than an iPod, I don’t need anything fancy.

[via crunchgear]

It’s a 10.4” LCD screen and can be used with a PC and DVD player and has built-in speakers and of course a remote. It’s waterproof from all angles and wireless so I’m sure the creative mind can find all places to put it.

If you want one of these for yourself it’ll only cost you $930. Money better spent I think.

[via gadgettastic]

The Stylophone is a music making machine that uses a styles and a series of metal keys to make sounds and this new and improved one isn’t so new and improved. Actually, it’s exactly the like original with a few minor tweaks. It now comes with volume control (thank goodness), some new sounds and a vibrato knob. Here’s a video of it in action if you’re still confused about what it is/does.

It does have a novelty kind of charm but it reminds me of some kind of Easter European folk music for some reason. You can buy a Stylophone for around $30.

[via OhGizmo!]

The downside is that you can only use it to talk with up to three Q2 users at once so you if you have a big crowd you’ll have to narrow down your list. It works within a 500 meter range and works with your Bluetooth equipped phone. It has push-to-talk and a full-duplex system and it’ll also play your GPS instructions.

It has an FM radio and eight hours of talk time with 10 days standby and takes 3 hours to charge. If you’re interested in buying one you’ll need to save up $220.

[via engadget]

It has a detachable sports camera that can be attached to your clothing and the DV camera (10 Megapixels) comes with an elastic band to attach to your arm or head. It also comes with a built-in MP3 player with 15 channel equalizer and four audio FX settings, I guess incase you need some theme music to go with your amazing sports shots. You’ll get a remote, a tripod, pouch, earphones, USB cable and adaptor, AV cable and a quick guide/CD-Rom, everything you could possibly ask for.

Maplin is selling their sports cam for around $220 but at the moment it’s on sale for $150 until February 20, that’s a bit much, in my opinion. If you’re looking for that first person shot of the action, get in and play yourself and if you’re looking for any mistakes you may have made or openings you may have missed then you need to move on from that game and start looking towards the next.

[via Pocket-lint]

OTTO, which is Greek for ear, uses a thin polymer piezoelectric contract to sense weak vibrations (hidden sounds) and makes them audible through an integrated speaker. You can put it just about anywhere via its suction cups and magnets.

So, if you’ve ever wanted to hear the sound of ice melting or you desire to hear the light breeze as it creeps across your window, you now know where to turn. I have to say, it’s a little but much for me and I’ll just stick with a fan and the TV on low.

[via gadgets-weblog]

The GR-312 is made of two basic parts, the GPS receiver/Bluetooth antenna which is inside the USB plug and the power source. The USB is ready for laptop use and comes with a car adapter or you can plug it into the receiver for GPS logging or what-have-you.

I don’t know when it’ll be out or how much it’ll cost but it sounds great. I’d love to get a chance to play around with one.

[via NaviGadget]

It might sound slightly ridiculous to throw balls at flames to put them out but it’s not. These balls (capsules) are filled with fire retardant powder and are stored inside an oxygen tank which will save you from the toxic gases. If you pull a lever on the tank a capsule will drop out and you then throw or roll it into the fire and it will explode when it gets hot and help put out the fire. Pure genius.

I’d like to thank the designer, Woo Seok Park, for this. Let’s get it on the market like yesterday.

[via Yanko Design]

The package comes with everything you need to enjoy these speakers the moment you get them, including batteries. It has the speakers, of course, AC adapter, wireless transmitter base, remote control (always a good sign!), wall mounts and adapter cables. You can listen to them from 150ft away and it has a 900 MHz transmitter.

The speakers are quite large but the whole kit and caboodle weights only 9.4lbs. These will cost you around $130.

[via Gadgettastic]

It’s simple really, you just scan the barcodes of all your items you wish to inventory and then when you’re at the store and you happen along the aforementioned problem you just pull it out and let it tell you whether you already own that item or not. I actually think this is a smart little toy, I know aside from keeping track of books or movies I already own, we could really use this for my dad’s DJ business to keep track of which music and karaoke CDs he already has. I could even see women using it too keep track of which clothing or make-up items they’d already purchased or tried. The possibilities are endless.

There is a downside to this product which is its $95 price tag. Let’s knock the price down a little, huh?

[via Engadget]

There is a mouse, a mousepad and a keyboard in this Gothic set. Each item has a little scene of skull, bones and the overall feel of death displayed on them.

I don’t know about pricing but there is a webcam and speakers floating around out there that will match these perfectly. Sadly, I have to admit that these are something I would buy as I have a rather large skull/skeleton collection of items.

[via akihabaranews]

It’s water and dust resistant and ready for the great outdoors. It has a watertight door to enclose your iPod and rubberized contours. It can use batteries or a charger and has a handy rear carrying handle.

If you just can’t resist this official iPod gadget you can pick one up for around $130. I have to say it though, it’s not very aesthetically pleasing.

[via gadgettastic]

They come in 1GB and 2GB versions, which I have to say is keeping it low compared to some of the more recent ones I’ve seen, but the selling point is the material they’re made of. Each device is made from exotic “Merbau” wood in conjunction with either amber or striped flint stones.

They cost about $65 a piece. I can’t help but think, why would you make something to store your precious data that’s made from wood and flint? Isn’t that a fire hazard?

[via pocket-lint]

Using both red and amber light for powerful anti-inflammatory properties and fibroblasts and collagen production, Baby Quasar says it gives long lasting results. It says its near infrared light will penetrate more deeply to stimulate blood flow and circulation and is the foundation of healthy looking skin.

I know that this is targeted more towards women but I also know there are a lot of men out there too who would secretly love this product. It costs $450, youth isn’t cheap.

[via Crave]

Its industrial strength casing can withstand dust, shock, water and repeated dropping. It comes with Bluetooth, push to talk, and dual speakers that are extra loud. It comes in various colors: black and black, black and red, black and blue, black and green, and black and gray.

The Toughphone is also known as the Sonim XP1, and incase you were interested it’s also been nominated to represent the word “fugly” in the dictionary (by me). That being said I know it’s purpose is for a higher calling than social status and in that case it is a nice phone.

[via Chip Chick]

It’s up for auction on eBay and it’s a life-sized replica of the Halo weapon. It’s 36”x14” and has a mirror finish stainless steel blade.

If you happen to be the lucky winner of the auction you’ll get a collector’s card, a walnut wall plaque and a Certificate of Originality from, Lionheartsrealm, the creator of this masterpiece. Also if you happen to win this auction, I envy you completely.

[via technabob]

The new Lawnbott has added Bluetooth technology to its controls so that you can program and control it from anywhere via your cell or laptop. That comes in really handy when you’ve promised your wife you’d mow the lawn and yet you want to go out with you buddies instead, now you can do both. It works the same way as its predecessor and has two lithium ion batteries. It can go up a 30 degree incline and will mow a 38,000 sq ft area before returning to its dock for a charge.

It does come with a blade stopping sensor if anyone should pick it up which is really nice as well. It is pricey, $3,250, but if you’re like me and have a huge back yard that’ll pay for itself in free time quickly.

[via DVICE]

UCLA developer, Michelle Hauer, and her team filed the patent for the camera (Intraocular Camera for Retinal Prosthesis) which is small enough to be planted on the eye’s lens. In turn that would be able to fed directly into the optic nerve which would benefit the blind or into a portable hard drive for various nefarious deeds. They claim the power would come from an onboard battery and the patent made mention “optical control signals”.

I understand the usefulness of this device and I look forward to hearing more about it. I hope it’s never something I have to look in to personally, though.

[via engadget]