Actually, this “high quality” robot is barely more than a remote-controlled car with a penguin stuff toy on top. The stunt was pulled off by Masaki Aiba, one of the hosts of Japanese variety show Tensai Shimura Dōbutsuen (Genius! Shimura Zoo). Watch as the local populace easily falls for the charms of the robopenguin:

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

When it comes to penguins, “something fishy is going on” is a positive idiom.

[via Japan Probe via Topless Robot]

The line of flash drives comes in the aforementioned polar bear, panda bear, and penguin styles. Each of the drives is made from silicone rubber and is 2.2-inches tall. The drives also come with a key ring for hooking the storage device to your car keys.

Both Mac and PCs are supported and the drives will work in USB 2.0 and 1.1 ports. No drivers are needed on modern operating systems and you can get the drives in a three pack with one of each animal or individually. You can the drives in 1GB, 2GB, 4GB, and 8GB capacities. A three pack of 2GB drives is under $40. That penguin is kind of creepy; it reminds me of Meet the Spartans.

These goofy looking Penguin chargers juice up any gadget that can plug into a USB connector.

You can also cram the battery from most cell phones into the head of the penguin, but I’m not sure that the wonky looking “universal” contacts are exactly something I’d place against the terminals on my battery. I think I might blow something up. At least pengy would look adorable while he esplodes.

Penguin fans, take your happy feet over to ChinaGrabber and grab one for $2.99 (USD) now.

Believe it or not, the robot in the picture is supposed to be “happy”: its eyes change colors to convey its mood, for example yellow to convey happiness and red when its in T-800 mode a bad mood. It can also do other robot stuff, like move around and follow your finger.

It has 5 infrared sensors that prevent it from careening off the precipice that is the computer desk, which has supposedly become the favorite hangout of an increasing number of humans, all of them hungry for interaction and companionship, not realizing that its because they stay in front of their damn computers for so long that they lack company. Stupid humans.

The mydeskfriend has certain “needs”, like food, exercise and “meds”, and you and your friends can attend to it via Facebook. The robot also responds to touch, like poking or shaking, as well as voice commands. Its software will supposedly allow its “personality” to evolve over time.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Arimaz, the company behind mydeskfriend, is entertaining the possibility of licensing the technology behind the toy so that there’ll be more robots for everyone. I’m not sure I like the sound of that. mydeskfriend will be available in September for $99 (USD).

[via GetRobo via BotJunkie]

Thankfully, placing this penguin on top of your television will not cause it to explode, but it will, let you play a table tennis video game using a wireless remote paddle controller. I probably don’t have to tell you this, but I’m pretty sure that you’re not going to get a Wii quality experience here. That said, if you’re too cheap to buy a modern console, or just enjoyed both Happy Feet and Balls of Fury (boy, does that sound strange), then this system is for you.

The console not only plays ping pong, but another 23 supposedly “16-bit” video games as well. I haven’t been able to scrounge up any pictures of the console itself, or screenshots any of the games the system plays, but the description sounds strikingly similar to this far less compelling non-penguin version I found over on eBay, which includes such wonderful sounding games as Agreesorunder, Bounce Wavebug, S-Move Space, Mag Fox and Survivor Tryst – which sounds alot like a reality TV show.

If you’re interested in checking one out, you can find these oddities over at Philippine electronics outlet Electrobrain Enterprises for $30 bills (USD).

There hath he lain for ages and lay battening upon huge sea-worms in his sleep, until Ravelry member Carly Zimmerman created a pattern and shared it for all to knit and see; then once again by man and angels he shall be seen, in roaring he shall rise and on the surface die. Because if you’re not a Ravelry member the link will do you no good; it requires members to login before you can download the pattern. Maybe when the stars are right.

[via CRAFT]

The gold-tone Penguinator and brushed stainless Two-Timer each feature a pair of completely independent time displays, so you can keep track of time in both your home town and in Timbuktu at the same time. Just flip the watch over on your wrist to switch between time zones.

Both models offer sturdy steel cases, along with dot matrix time displays manufactured by Seiko. Plus, they’re water resistant to 5 atmospheres (about 165 feet), so a swim in the pool shouldn’t be a problem.

While you can find them directly from Penguin for about $160 each, I was able to find the gold model over on Amazon for just $125.

Just like real penguins, they wear tiny striped scarves, and their heads flip open to reveal a USB connector (at least that’s what I thought I heard during my marine biology class). Each little bird holds up to 1GB of files, which isn’t a lot in computer terms, but probably more than a real penguin could hold in its tiny pea-sized brain.

They retail for ¥3980 each (about $34 USD), and come in blue, grey and black variants (again, just like real penguins). If you need to get your penguin fix, you’ll have to see if you can get Japanese retailer to Joshin ship you one.

[via tfts]