Technabob » kitsch

Puppy Dog Speakers Are Perfect for Your Maw-Maw Deccor

Technabob — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 01:44:57 +0000

I’m not sure how I missed these when they hit the Japanese tech circuit earlier this year, but these little doggy speakers were just too kitschy for me to pass up.

Made by the wacky folks at Japan Trust Technology, these puppy dog speakers will almost certainly evoke an “ooh” from those who think they’re too cute for words, or an “eeew” from those of you who wouldn’t be caught dead with these on your desktop. I’m pretty certain I fall into the latter category.

But if your grandma has just gotten her first computer, they’ll look perfect alongside her Lladro figurines and portraits of crying clowns. As a matter of fact, they sorta look like those ceramic dalmatians you might have bought with your last scrap of money when you were shopping Wheel of Fortune before they switched that show to a cash-only proposition.

If you’re just dying to pick up a pair of these, you’ll have to head on over to Amazon Japan and get out your Japanese-to-English translator and plunk down your ¥2980 (appx. $32 USD).

[via ITmedia]

1950s Robots Galore, Now Invading!

Karen M. — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 11:40:00 +0000

I was cruising the Internets today and came across an incredibly rich roundup of robots and robot figures from the 1950s. As a robotophile, I was surprised and excited to see several bots that had been previously unknown to me!

Among my personal favorites are the bot above, which although NASA-branded looks like it’s made out of a beer can, and the bot below, which contains a hidden cigarette lighter. It looks a bit like a cross between one of those metal mallets you use to pound meat and Ivan Drago from Rocky IV.

As well, they include these Japanese creations, one of which is an awesomely freaky-looking spiderbot. I wouldn’t want to run into that thing in a dark alley.

Still, even though these have great kitsch value, our robot-making skills have come a long way, baby. Meaning, now we can make ones that actually do stuff. If only modern robot makers would find a way to combine 1950s form with 2008 functionality. Sigh.

You can see pictures of a whole bunch more cool 1950s robots at Dark Roasted Blend.

Xbox 360 Faceplates Get Furry

Technabob — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 17:30:18 +0000

Give your Xbox 360 system a retro-lounge makeover with these animal print faceplates. These snap-on replacements for the standard Xbox 360 front cover don’t just look like their mammalian counterparts, they’re velvety soft to the touch.

Whether you’re going for a jungle theme or fifties kitsch, they’ll definitely get looks when you have your friends over. Before you even ask, no actual animals were harmed in the making of these fuzzy faux fur accessories.

Available from Totalconsole for $18 to $19 respectively, the Talismoon Evolve360 fur faceplates come in cow and leopard prints (what, no lions, tigers or bears? oh my!) They could have at least included a liger in the menagerie. There’s even a matching replacement cover ($17 to $18 each) for your 360 controller if you want to go all out with the animal theme.

[via Hawty McBloggy]