FUNkey

We like that two young designers--one Japanese, one Brit--have taken that everyday keyboard and given it a funky, fun spin. Enter FUNkeys, enlarged computer key stools made to order in your color and graphics. Better yet, they're stackable when not in use. Our favorite? Self-Destruct.

Click to see more great stuff from Mixko: The Electric Chair | Bollard

Price: 175 pounds (US$332)
Availability: Mixko
Device: Fun stools
Basic specs: GRP material, vinyl lettering, 40 x 58 x 58cm

Professor's Cube

Depending on your idea of fun, the Professor's Cube is a steroid take on Rubik's Cube (which this journalist never cracked, aside from her sanity). Thirty years on since Hungarian Erno Rubik's 3x3x3 square of madness got the world into a twist with its 43,252,003,274,489,856,000 possible permutations, the 5x5x5 Professor's Cube extends that challenge such that no one's counting. Simply a great gift for any office colleague you're plotting to send to the funny farm.

Price: 2,999 yen (US$28.40)
Availability: Toys 'R' Us Japan
Device: Puzzle toy
Basic specs: N.A.

Flu Fleur

It may sound Frenchie, but this gizmo can only be Japanese. Toymaker Tomy's Flu Fleur (read flower) appears to be both an alliteration and takeoff on the original Flip Flap (of which this journalist cheerfully owns one). However, rather than rely on light to propel the bunny-eared petals into frantic flapping, the Flu Fleur responds to sound to open and close its petals. It even glows in the dark. Lots of potty fun for your cubicle desk. Just remember not to water it.

Price: 1,680 yen (US$15.90)
Availability: March in Japan, by Tomy
Device: Sound-powered toy
Basic specs: N.A.

Dechef Microwave Oven

Too bad this is only a concept submission for designboom's kitchen design competition. We're rooting for it as this is homeboy, Singaporean Winston Chai's, piece de resistance--a microwave oven that is as playful as it looks. Peepholes pepper the metallic sides for a quick peek into the cook process, while a musical tune such as la vie en rose plays when the carousel starts rotating, much like the circus carousels. (Now why didn't someone think of that)? Better yet if we could download more tunes directly to the oven. Love it.

Price: N.A.
Availability: Concept
Device: Microwave oven
Basic specs: N.A.

PENCK

Remember the kinetic Infobar phones from the KDDI au folks? Well, this time multitalented graphic designer Makoto Saito is taking a turn with an au project that looks more like designer ware posing as a mobile. Except this seamless metallic blob actually opens up to reveal a camera-phone chockablock with the latest handset features, including miniSD card slot and a 2.2-inch QVGA LCD screen. There's, of course, no need to mention by now that this one's not seeing light of day outside of Japan.

Click to see the inside of the phone

Price: N.A.
Availability: This month in Japan, an au project
Device: Camera-phone
Basic specs: CDMA 1x WIN, 1,240,000-pixel CCD sensor, built-in antenna, stereo speaker, 2.2-inch QVGA LCD, miniSD memory slot, talktime of 210 mins, standby of 250 hours, 57 x 98 × 28mm, 134g,choice of three colors (metal, milk, bitter)

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