Aiyaya. Too bad this pole dancer got yanked off the shelves of Marks & Spencer. A touch of the British prudishness at work? We're sure there'll be other stores soon stocking up on this toy. Another great desktop toy for your pub-crawling tech buddy or colleague who's seen one drink, or pole, too often. This little tease will gyrate up and down the pole to disco music and flashing lights, pretty much like the real thang and not to be confused with bar-top dancing. All she needs is a good plug-in to a USB port. Blonde, of course.
Give us the good, old switch anytime. This one's just too much hard work to get some illumination. Not unless your kid's playing the Big Bad Wolf in a school production of the Three Little Pigs. In which case, you can get your little tyke to put in some practice huffs and puffs to blow this lamp on. There's an added benefit to this. Your sweet pea will be so worn out, he'll be too tired to hound you. According to the site, you turn Elica on by blowing directly towards it, ensuring there's enough revolutions while you're at it. To turn if off, do likewise.
Price: 150 euros (US$199) Availability: At the official site Device: Interactive lamp Specs: Glass, steel, ABS light source included, 220V-230V at 50/60 Hz or 110V 50V according to model, special purple led regulated to be very dim for making the lamp glow in darkness, mercury free motion sensor, weight 2kg
'Fess up, you perverts out there. If it's touchie recliners you desire, here's a cheaper alternative to Osim's pricey iSymphonic massage chair that combines massage with music therapy. The iCush may not give you the ultimate rubdown, but it vibrates enough along with the plugged-in music to give you a Pyramat-like experience. HoMedics says you can link the Audio Sync to the programs for an even wilder ride, whatever it means by that.
The next time you go night golfing, get ahold of these nifty tracer balls. So maybe your partner might giggle over red-lit UFOs whizzing over the green. But we're guessing you'll have the last laugh when he's the one handicapped, and we're not talking golf handicap proficiency here. Unfortunately, all good things come at a price. These thingamabobs cost US$32 a pack of three, and--get this--the batteries aren't replaceable. You get up to 80 hours of gameplay on this. After which, like Cinderella's midnight spell, that pretty glowing thing is going to morph back into a plain, old non-luminous golf ball.
Price: US$32 for pack of three Availability: At LatestBuy Device: Golf ball Specs: Official size and weight, non-replaceable 5V Lithium battery, flashes upon impact for 5 minutes (approx. seven flashes per second), 80 compression multi-layer ball, Surlyn cover
Seems to us the humble umbrella's gotten its second wind. This one may not project images like the Umbrella Photo Browser, but we were tipped off that it's apparently the first-ever windproof-designed brollie. We've heard of bicycles and planes being put through the windtunnel test for aerodynamic fine-tuning. But this is the first that we're blown over by an umbrella going through the same stringent shakedown. What's blasted out at the end of this tunnel is a brollie that's virtually unbreakable even against a windforce of 10. Think uprooted trees, very high waves and reduced visibility. And it's all thanks to a patented asymmetrical shape that's a gust of inspiration by Netherland's University of Technology. Although in that sort of ripping gale, you'll be labeled certifiable to be even out of doors.
Price: 49.95 euros (US$66.30) Availability: More information at the homepage Device: Unbreakable umbrella Specs: Asymmetrical, self-positioning shape, plays with the wind but never goes inside out, slimline design, revolutionary open-close mechanism