A rude awakening behind the wheel

It's been months since we heard about scientists researching a car seat that would detect when a driver is getting sleepy, but there's still no word that it'll ever become reality. So until then, we're stuck with intravenous supplies of caffeine and other, more rudimentary technologies to keep us awake behind the wheel.

On that front, companies are taking small steps to refine wearable alarms that will scream your ears off if your head begins to bob in slumber-like fashion. The Anti-Sleep Driving Alarm, for example, is smaller than previous models and can be disguised as a Bluetooth headset to hide your narcoleptic tendencies.

That subterfuge will be instantly unmasked, of course, if your head dips more than 30 degrees and sets off an alarm that will make you jump out of your skin. Come to think of it, maybe it's just better to take a nap and save your eardrums.

Via CNET Crave

Hello Kitty kaleidoscope projector

To have a psychedelic experience involving Hello Kittys, fans of the mouthless cat can pop some LSDs and stare intently at their collection of toys. The problem with doing that is that it's illegal in most countries. To overcome that problem, you can buy the Hello Kitty Mangekyo Projector from U-Mate.

This spherical contraption has a kaleidoscope disc which is used to project repeated Hello Kitty lights onto your ceiling. It also has blank kaleidoscope discs which can be laid with beads so you can create normal, less freakily obsessive patterns. It isn't cheap at US$215 from the Japan Trend Shop, but it's a must-have for all those who dedicate their extra bedrooms as Hello Kitty shrines.

Via Boing Boing Gadgets

Kung Fu Panda in my hands, dissected

BERLIN, GERMANY--Here at Crave Asia, we've seen numerous flash drives, from palatable sushi to disguised hard drive bricks that grace our gadget blog on a weekly basis. Naturally, we won't pass up on a chance to blog about the Kung Fu Panda thumbdrive that was given to APAC journos who attended HP's Connecting Your World event in Berlin. That said, there's really not much to write about here except that the thumbdrive is in a figurine of Po, the lead character in the animation movie Kung Fu Panda.

Most importantly, this is exclusive to the event here, so you won't be able to get a-hold of one. Hah! More shots of Po dissected and plugged in after the break!
Read more »

HP's 3.5-inch digital picture frame is tiny

BERLIN, GERMANY--Fortunately, it doesn't cost an arm or a leg, even though you may end up wondering what to do with this after purchase. It's too small to be placed in a living room environment and too big for the wallet. But being tiny does appeal to our geek love for miniaturization. So it's hard to resist getting one of these. After all, it costs only 49 euros (US$76) and you should be able to get it in Asia in about two months' time. The picture frame has a QVGA resolution, measures 95 x 77 x 13mm, reads from SD, SDHC and MMC flash media, and has an internal memory able to hold up to 45 pictures.

A DVD for the socially shy

If you've always felt awkward in front of other people, especially women, Avex Entertainment has an interactive DVD that it claims can help you overcome that neurosis. Called Miterudake, which literally means "Just Looking", this DVD features videos of 50 women of different age groups and nationalities staring straight at you. From time to time, the women will also talk to you (only in Japanese, unfortunately).

Personally, I find it strange buying a DVD that has people looking and talking to you. After all, anyone watching the DVD will soon realize it's all just a recorded footage, and the situation is simply not the same in real life. But hey, this comes out of Japan and we've seen weirder stuff. So 2,625 yen may just be a small price to pay to find out if the DVD can help the socially awkward "adapt to others", as stated by the creator. You just need to overcome that shyness to ask a pal for help in getting the Miterudake DVD on his/her next visit to Japan.

Via Tofugu
Picture credit: Tofugu

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