Frankly, it's far more satisfying to whack a full-sized drum kit than a sliver of soft plastic that claims to reproduce the real thing. However, coming from Hong Kong e-tailer Brando, nothing is sacred in the tech space. So (drum roll, please), get ready for a rollout of the USB Roll-Up Drum Kit (US$42).
We're assuming that sensitivity on this is almost nil since it resembles a mouse mat far more than a working instrument. However, if you're aspiring to be a drummer on a budget, this could be a (temporary) solution. Otherwise, if all you really want is to feel like a rock superstar, we'd suggest getting the far more elegant and fun-filled Guitar Hero III game for the PC or any of the game consoles.
With Valentine's Day coming right after the Lunar New Year festivities, here's something to rev up that budding romance into, ahem, overdrive. Taking a leaf out of the infamous Kama Sutra book comes Carma Sutra: The Auto-Erotic Handbook (US$10), an 80-page paperback that moves all the action from bedroom to vehicle.
Touting itself tongue-firmly-in-cheek as a "manual of sex positions for in-car entertainment", this promises lots of backseat va-vroom you'd thought only possible for the double-jointed, complete apparently with illustrations and helpful model-specific advice. The latter is certainly a nice addition given that the majority of Asians drive economy sedans to the monster SUVs and MPVs.
Regardless, we'd suggest you stick to the garage for your in-car entertainment, as public indecency does constitute a crime in most Asian cities. And, oh yeah, remember to keep the brakes on if things get a little overheated under the hood.
We recognize that BlackBerry Thumb can be an all-too-real affliction but, seriously, if you need something like this
therapeutic contraption you've really got to let it go. Literally.
The Xtensor claims to be "the first product on the market to perform with true
bio-mechanically correctness and treats the direct cause of this pain". That may
be so, but to us it looks like a bowling glove combined with those elastic bands that pitchers use for to exercise their rotator cuffs.
In any case, the makers of the Xtensor say it can help rehabilitate habitual
gamers as well as CrackBerry addicts. As for us, we'd rather be at the
spa.
As fond as we are of massaging chairs, beds, or anything else that's shiatsu-enabled, the "Nemorelaxer" seems to take the concept a bit too far.
It's not that we have anything against its restorative properties, mind you; it's the venue that has us a little weirded out. These modules--equipped with recliner chairs, sound insulation, folding desks, and touchscreen monitors--are planned for airports, according to Luxist.
Although they're designed for suites with staffs that will watch your luggage and wake you up,
we'd be too nervous to fall asleep in the 30-minute rental slots now envisioned. These things look like a cross between The Matrix and Invasion of the Body Snatchers, with some elements of an MRI chamber.
Even if we were able to fall asleep, chances are the attendants wouldn't be able to break our slumber. And with our luck, they'd probably pull out a Clocky.
Burning paper models for the dead is a religious tradition practiced by some Chinese. These can include houses, cars and even Rolex watches. The belief is that the departed will receive them in the afterworld, making their lives (or rather, afterlives) more bearable. But what if the dead person is a geek who never fancied flashy cars or gold-plated timepieces? You burn him an Xbox 360, of course.
That's when you need one of these paper craft models from Fx Console. Downloadable from the blog site are a series of PDFs which are templates for making tiny scale models of various consoles and even an iPhone complete with a box. Though small, the level of details on these models is amazing. The Xbox 360 even comes with a drive that opens. Don't take our word for it, go over and download one to see for yourself. The only problem is you may not be able to bring yourself to set one on fire after seeing how nice they look.