Flashlights that hug around your neck

I was playing cards with some friends the other night and the power went out. Fortunately, we got a few flashlights and were able to continue the game, but not without some level of awkwardness as it was hard to hold the light in one hand and deal the cards with the other. Things could have gone a lot more smoothly, however, if we had a few of the flashlights I just got in.

It's aptly called the HUGlight. Unlike most traditional flashlights, the HUGLight is a malleable steel alloy wire stick, covered with thick soft foam rubber, with light coming out from both ends.
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Readius' all-in-one e-book reader dead, but not gone

Polymer Vision's dream of an all-in-one e-book reader and portable media device has reportedly faded.

The Netherlands-based maker of the Readius folded recently, according to a report in England's Hampshire Chronicle. The company was a spinoff of Philips and had offices in Southampton in the UK. The local paper says 50 jobs at the Southampton location were lost when the company went bankrupt on July 7.

The Readius was a strange-looking, if ambitious device. Part portable media device, part e-reader, the Readius was innovative in that it used a flexible E-Ink display so it could be folded up to be made smaller. It initially caught the attention of gadget hounds at the Mobile World Congress in early 2008, and was supposed to launch in fall of 2008.
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Reading lamp that's a bookmark

Designed by Jun Yasumoto, Alban Le Henry, Olivier Pigasse and Vincent Vandenbrouck, the Reading lamp is a bedside light and a bookmark rolled into one. Inside the polycarbonate body is a fluorescent light and a switch that kills the power when you place the book over the lamp. The light comes back on when you pick up your read again. See a video of the Reading lamp in action here. It's just a pity the lamp is still a concept, though we can totally picture places like Ikea carrying the lamp if it ever makes it to market.

Via Newlaunches

Toys, glorious, toys at Tokyo's Toy Show

Lots of quirky, silly toys at the annual Tokyo Toy Show, and Japan Cscout has the coverage for those of us who can only wish we were there. It's hard to pick a favorite since there are, as expected out of Japan's creative toy labs, so many wacky, weird products. But if we have to choose, here's a personal preference: The Otamatone. The new sounds toy resembles a music note but plays like a theremin while squeezing on the cheeks of the Otamatone. Designed by CUBE works and Maywa Denki, Japan's new media artist, this emits more squeaks than beautiful sounds, but it still looks fun. Too bad the Bowlingual upgrade didn't score this round as a mutt-owning colleague had put the original dog translator down as a "waste of good money".
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Get ready this end July for Sega's creepy-looking Dream Cat Venus

When we first caught sight of Sega Toys' meowing, purring robo-feline we fervently hoped Lucky the robo-dog or some other bigger, stronger robot would come along and scare the creepy cat out of the neighborhood.

Alas, that's not to be. Yume-Neko Venus, or Dream Cat Venus, is slated for a July 30 release, according to Sega (PDF in Japanese). The fake feline will cost 10,000 yen (about US$108)--not bad considering you'll be saving a bundle on kitty litter and toy mice.
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