Technabob » ceramic

Aphrodite USB Hub Makes Your Gadgets Want to Get It on

Technabob — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 00:00:22 +0000

For those of you who don’t keep up on your mythology, Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love, beauty, pleasure and procreation. In other words, she’s a sex goddess. She is also – thanks to the miracles of modern technology – a desktop USB hub.

That’s right, with ceramic mighty Aphrodite USB hub on your desktop, your most intimate desires will be fulfilled. Or at least the intimate desires of any gadgets and flash drives you plug into her bust. Boy, that didn’t sound right at all. Or maybe that’s appropriate in this context. Whatever the case, all I can think of now is that SNL technology hump sketch:

Those gadgets must have been connected to the Aphrodite USB hub before they started to get it on. Assuming, that is, that they could have been charged by a bus-powered USB hub like this one.

If you’re ready to make your technology hump, head on over to Fred Flare and grab the Aphrodite USB hub for $46 (USD). Your gadgets will thank you for it.

MegaPhone Holds Your iPhone In Place, Amplifies Its Audio to Mega Proportions

Hazel Chua — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 14:00:20 +0000

Would you believe me if I told you that there was a way for you to increase the audio from your iPhone many times over without hooking it to some speaker or some other electronic device? If you’re sharp (and know a thing or two about Physics), then you might be thinking of something along the lines of some sort of amplifying device.

So picture the iPhone Portable Amplifier Horn – only about ten times more massive and prettier, and you’ve got the MegaPhone.

Basically, the MegaPhone ceramic amplifier that’s fashioned in the shape of a horn, kind of like the ones you see in movies where people sound alarms or grab the villagers’ attention (yes, I mean those kinds of movies) by blowing into it. However, the designer behind it, En & Is, gave it a modern look by giving it a coat of sleek black and white paint. There’s also a gold-coated version for people who have a more expensive taste.

The MegaPhone ships out with a thin, wooden stand to hold the MegaPhone upright. You can check out the video below to see (or rather, hear) just how much it amplifies sound coming from your iPhone:

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

The MegaPhone looks pretty, amplifies sound, makes for a fine display on your coffee table, and unfortunately costs more than what most people would be willing to shell out for an iPhone dock-slash-sound amplifier: the black and white versions go for 400 Euros (~$544 USD), while the gold one costs 600 Euros (~$816 USD).

[En & Is via Oh Gizmo!]

TARDIS Teapot: Tea and Relaxing Drinks in Space

Technabob — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 01:53:21 +0000

Being British and all, tea has played a role in a variety of episodes of Doctor Who over the years. As a matter of fact, tea was even been consumed inside the TARDIS in the show’s very first season. So it’s only appropriate that there be a TARDIS-inspired teapot, right?

Sure, it’s 58 years later than when Barbara Wright first sipped her TARDIS tea in 1963, but this thing can travel through time, right, so maybe it just happened yesterday.

This awesome TARDIS teapot was handmade by artist Rebekka Ferbrache of Seattle’s jadeflower ceramics. It’s a great rendition of the iconic blue police box, although last I looked, the real TARDIS doesn’t have a spout on the side – or a handle for that matter. It doesn’t look any bigger on the inside, but maybe it holds 10 gallons of tea, and we just don’t know it.

This particular TARDIS teapot is already spoken for, but maybe you can convince Rebekka to make another one for you. If not, she does have a fine-looking ceramic TARDIS coin bank to tide you over.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

[via shutupandtakemymoney]

Rubik’s Cube Mug is Totally Unsolveable

Technabob — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 17:08:46 +0000

No matter how hard I try, I can’t figure out how to turn the sides on this Rubik’s Cube. Maybe it’s the ceramic handle sticking out of the side of it, or maybe it’s the giant hole in the yellow side.

Nope, the reason I couldn’t solve it was the 170-degree scalding coffee that spilled all over my hands when I turned it over.

The Rubik’s Cube Mug is available over at Perpetual Kid for $12.99 (USD). Goes great with the Rubik’s Cube coasters.

The Fukushima Plate Makes Sure Your Food Ain’t Garnished With A Side Of Radiation

Hazel Chua — Sat, 07 May 2011 15:00:13 +0000

The nuclear crisis that followed after the earthquake and tsunami rocked Japan caused a lot of people to panic. This resulted in geiger counters and radiation detectors selling out on the web a few hours after it was announced that the damaged nuclear plants in Fukushima were leaking and that trace amounts of radiation had been found to cross the seas onto the shores of California.

So it’s only fitting that this concept by Nils Ferber is aptly named the Fukushima Plate.

Because of the nuclear disaster, a lot of reports have come in saying that the majority of Japan’s food supply was contaminated with radiation. The Fukushima Plate is basically an ordinary plate that’s been fitted with a radiation meter.

In case you’ve got some foodstuff that’s imported from the Land of the Rising Sun, just heap it all up onto the Fukushima Plate and wait for the OLED rings to come on to tell you that it’s not safe to eat. While it looks pretty when it’s all lit up, what you’re aiming for here is actually no rings because that will mean that there’s no radiation in your food.

What do you think? Does the Fukushima Plate deserve to see the light of day and be made available commercially?

[via Dvice]

Death Star Cookie Jar: Need I Say More?

Technabob — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 02:50:07 +0000

Yeah, we too thought Darth Vader was building the Death Star as a weapon of mass intergalactic destruction. Turns out the Death Star was actually built to do something much more important – to protect the Empire’s delicious cookies.

While we last saw the Dark Lord himself guarding his chocolate chippers, he’s now upped his game by storing all the Empire’s bakery treats in this Death Star cookie jar. The ceramic jar measures almost 1 foot wide at it’s widest point, and should hold onto a whole batch of freshly baked Wookiee Cookiees.

You can grab one over at the Star Wars Shop now for $49.99 (USD). Just keep an eye out for X-Wing fighters trying to go for its weak point and turning your baker’s dozen into a bunch of crumbs.

Ceramic Circuit Board Speaker is Wafer Thin and Probably Insanely Expensive

Range — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 15:58:28 +0000

This funky ceramic speaker has got a long history, which starts off with Japanese footballer/fashion icon Nakata Hidetoshi, whose Revalue Nippon Project is basically a way to marry and revitalize traditional Japanese crafts with modern designs.

Museum curator Akimoto Yuji and ceramicist Mitsuke Masagasu worked together to create this delicate looking speaker being produced by Nendo. These high-end speakers are 1mm thin and for now are not available yet. But if and when they ever go into production, they will most likely be incredibly expensive from the way they look. Just look at these things. Don’t they just ooze money?

Whatever the price may be, they do look beautiful and I wouldn’t mind having these in my living room.

[via We Heart]

Darth Vader Cookie Jar

Technabob — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 03:10:48 +0000

I find your lack of milk disturbing.

Pre-order yours over at Entertainment Earth for $99(USD) now.

Gimmepower iPhone Dock: More Like Gimme Money

Lambert Varias — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 11:46:18 +0000

In an interview with the Litchfield County Times, York Street Studio co-owner Linda Zelenko said, “If you look at all the stuff out there, all the objects are these ugly plastic things,” she said. “That was basically the genesis of making something that kind of bridges the gap between an ugly plastic thing and a beautifully designed piece to integrate home furnishings and technology.” That something that she was referring to is this “sculpted ceramic hand that holds, charges and syncs your iPhone or iPod while plugged into your computer,” otherwise known as a dock.

The GimmePower is a spin-off of The Hand, a cast metal hand meant to do one thing and one thing only – hold your TV’s remote control. That’s the level of luxury we’re dealing with here. Which is why I find it funny that the dock has such a tacky name. But if you’re tired of ugly plastic things, try the GimmePower. You can order it at Neiman Marcus for $180 (USD). Stylish, expensive, funny name – it’s just like an Apple device.

[via 7Gadgets]

Doctor Who Tardis Sends Your Coffee Across Time and Space

Technabob — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 01:26:56 +0000

Attention fans of Doctor Who and caffeine! Listen up! I have here your next purchase – a coffee mug that’s based on the Doctor’s main mode of transportation, the TARDIS.

The TARDIS mug is guaranteed to keep your coffee hot, while it can also transport it nearly instantaneously to any location in time or space. Heck, you can even send your coffee across the office to your boss and spill it in his lap if you so desire.

Each TARDIS mug even comes with an authentic police call box lid to keep your java hot while it whizzes across the universe. Entertainment Earth is taking pre-orders for the $18.99(USD) mug to start shipping this October. But if you already have a TARDIS, you could just transport yourself into the future to receive yours now.

I wonder if the mug actually holds much more coffee than it looks like it can hold from the outside. That would be cool – if not physically impossible.

Star Wars Antique Plates: the Forks Are Not With Them

Range — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 15:31:28 +0000

I recently stumbled across these awesome antique plates that were altered with images of Star Wars characters. Can you imagine eating breakfast on one of these?

Too bad they’re just decorative, and you can’t eat off of them. If you could, it probably would go something like this…

“Luke, I am your father! Shut up Vader, you’re on my plate and I’m eating off your face!”

These cheeky ceramics are hand-embellished by BeatUpCreations and are available at her Etsy store. There are a few different designs to choose from. including Yoda, C-3PO, and R2D2 plates, as well as a few different Darth Vader ones. She even has a Sith vs. Jedi vase up there too. Grandma should definitely put this on her mantle…

[via Domestic Sluttery via Kat Hannaford]

Ceramic Speakers: Don’t Play Anything Too Heavy

Lambert Varias — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 11:30:38 +0000

This beautiful pair of ceramic speakers, designed by Joey Roth, “are designed to leave the sound untouched, warm, dry, and detailed.” The handcrafted 4″ speakers are made of porcelain and cork, which the product’s page calls “acoustically dead.” I think that’s a good thing.

I’m seriously wondering if the speakers will break if it plays stuff like Children of Bodom or Lamb of God.

But if by “acoustically dead” it means that porcelain and cork don’t absorb sound, then metalheads can enjoy their favorite bands with these babies. Can someone explain the acoustics of porcelain to this poor writer?

gSelect sells the porcelain speaker set for $500 (USD); unfortunately it’s out of stock as of this writing. You may want to head on to its product page anyway so you can leave your email address and be notified when the product is available again.

[via likecool]

Darth Vader and Stormtrooper Incense Holders: Smell the Dark Side of the Force

Technabob — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 23:45:27 +0000

I’m not sure who the target demo is for these Star Wars Imperial incense holders. Maybe they’re for geekster-hippies? Dunno. What I do know is that they’re weird, and therefore I had to write about them. Because as you know, we’re all about weird here on technabob.

Now what sort of incense would burn well inside of Darth Vader’s ceramic head? Let’s see, maybe some lavender or patchouli? Nah, I think the dark side deserves something more pungent – perhaps something woody or musky. And I always thought that stormtroopers should smell like coconuts. Why? Again, I’m just weird that way. Both Darth and Stormie hold incense coils, and can even be used to burn those mosquito-repellent coils. I thought Mosquitoes would just explode in mid-air at the site of this Sith Lord and his trusty soldier.

But seriously… Maybe if the Empire had been burning incense in the Death Star all the time, they would have been more mellow, and they would have invited the Rebel Alliance over for a brownie and macramé party instead of trying to blow them up. Can’t we just all get along?

If you really want a pair of these, you can grab the set over at Amazon for $49.95 (USD).

R2-D2 Coffee Mug Flips Its Lid for a Cuppa Java

Technabob — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 22:04:02 +0000

I have no idea why it’s taken over 30 years for someone to come up with an R2-D2 coffee cup, but it looks like the Star Wars licensing crew has finally given in to their caffeine cravings and authorized one.

And a damned fine R2-D2 coffee cup it is, complete with a removable dome that’ll keep your coffee warm when you leave it sitting on your desk. For the time being, CubeWorks’ ceramic R2 mug is only available in Japan, but I’m hopeful somebody will decide to import some so I can finally satisfy my Starbucks and Star Wars addictions in a single maneuver.

I found these over on Japan’s Tanomi hobby site for ¥1800 (appx. $20 bucks) each, but by they time to pay to ship something this fragile from Japan, I’m betting you’ll be paying more for shipping than the mug itself cost.

Technabob geek gift tip: Goes great with this Star Wars Coffee T-shirt.

[photo via Japan Star Wars]

…and This Little Piggy Had Sound

Technabob — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 17:00:31 +0000

How many times have you said to yourself: “I could really use a new speaker for my MP3 player, but I really want one that looks like a pig. Oh, and I happen to live in Japan.” Well, to the none of you who have actually said that, have I got something for you!

These ceramic pigs from Japan’s I.D.E.A. feature a full-range speaker in their bellies. The only thing tastier than pork bellies is amplified pork bellies! Mmmm.

They’re available in black, white, and shiny gold, but you really want the pearlescent pink one, don’t you? Of course you do. My favorite thing about the piggy speaker is the skinny little tail that doubles as the connector for your media player. Oink!

Currently, I.D.E.A. Pig Speakers are only available in Japan, where they sell for ¥4,725 (appx. $50 USD).

I just want to put that Spider-Pig song on my iPod, hook it up, crank it to 11, and put it on infinite repeat.

Water Clock Tells Time Using Dishes, Magnets and H2o

Technabob — Thu, 07 May 2009 12:00:14 +0000

This elegantly minimal clock lets you create your own custom time-telling device using a combination of plates, cups and liquid of your choice.

Designed by Kouichi Okamoto with ceramicist Daniel Jo, the Water Clock consists of a small fired clay base topped with a pair of magnetic spheres. A pair of powerful magnets underneath the delicate clay surface move the tiny orbs in a circular path to tell the current time. While the spheres are magnetic, they’re actually buoyant, so if you fill up a glass with H2O, the “hands” of the clock actually float on the surface of the water. Each of the spheres can be placed into any dish, plate or other vessel you happen to have lying around.

And while all the designer’s pictures show the clock working with crystal clear water and delicate china, I don’t see any reason why you couldn’t make your own clock using beer, wine, orange juice or Donkey Kong Jungle Juice swimming in a Dixie Riddle Cup. That’s the true beauty of this thing.

The Water Clock is available over at Generate for $299 (USD).

Plug Mug Renders Your Mug Useless – Take That You Coffee Cup Thieves!

Technabob — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 12:01:28 +0000

How many times have you walked into the employee break room to grab a cup of Joe, only to find that some ass-hat has “borrowed” your coffee cup out of the cabinet? Well now, you can finally do something to make sure that your mug is safe from pilfering by co-workers once and for all.

Spinning Hat’s Plug Mug features an ingenious design that ensures that only the person in possession of the watertight drain plug can partake of a cuppa without ending up with a scalding hot lap full of liquid. And you’ve got no reason to feel guilty if that were to befall Susie Secretary when she walks off with your cup. If the bright exclamation mark and stop sign and gaping hole in the side of the mug aren’t sufficient warning, she fully deserves what she gets.

You can grab the Plug Mug over at UK gadget shop I Want One of Those for £9.99 (Appx. $14 USD.)

Pac-Man Gets the Mosaic Treatment

Technabob — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 17:38:14 +0000

Here’s a piece of art any retro game fanatic would be proud to hang on their wall. It’s a handmade Pac-Man mixed media piece, using teeny ceramic tiles in place of pixels.

Perhaps inspired by the oh-so-awesome Ms. Pac-Man bathroom, this piece entitled Perpetual Pac-Man would look great in any game room. Or if you’re a serious retro gaming geek – hanging in your bedroom. Of course, it might freak me out to see Blinky staring back at me with his googley eyes in the middle of the night; “Don’t eat me, man. Eat the cherries! Eat the cherries!”

Created by Donna over ArcadeArt, Perpetual Pac-Man measures in at 20″ (w) x 8″ (h) and is handcrafted from acrylics and urban ink on canvas, then hundreds of individual colorful tiles made by the artist herself.

It’s just one of many fun old school arcade-inspired pieces over in ArcadeArt’s Etsy shop. Be sure to swing by and check it out.

R2-D2 Cookie Jar: Chocolate Chips and Microchips

Technabob — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 13:01:56 +0000

There’s one thing you can say about R2-D2. He’s fiercely loyal, and will always do what’s needed to protect your stuff. So why wouldn’t he be the perfect guardian of your precious Tollhouse cookies?

I was just minding my own business (shopping online) this morning when I came across this great R2-D2 cookie jar. The hand-painted ceramic R2 stands about 12-inches tall and flips his lid, letting you put all your tasty baked morsels inside the little droid.

Now go figure that there’s a warning on the product page that reads: “The Star Wars Collectible Cookie Jars are intended for decorative and collectible purposes only. They are not intended to hold cookies or any kind of food item.” I don’t know about you guys, but I think I’ll take my chances on contracting lead poisoning if I can keep my cookies in R2′s head.

Cookiehead R2-D2 can be found over on Amazon for $39.99.

Darth Vader Mug Holds the Dark Side of Your Coffee

Technabob — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 22:21:35 +0000

What better way to glug down your favorite beverage but out of the head of everyone’s number one movie villain, Darth Vader.

While it’s officially being called a “stein” thanks to its flip-top head, the ceramic Dark Lord mug is perfect for those of us who like a really big cup of coffee.

The oversize mug has a 24 ounce capacity, more than enough joe to keep you buzzing all morning long. Of course, you’re not allowed to add any cream or sugar, as Darth only drinks his java black.

If you prefer a different kind of buzz, you can always fill it with beer and bring it to toast at next year’s Oktoberfest.

The Darth Vader Stein is available from Amazon for around $14 USD.