Technabob » relaxation

Pac-Man Stress Balls: Squash Some Ghosts and Chill Out

Technabob — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 00:00:27 +0000

Now I don’t exactly remember the part of Pac-Man where you smash the ghosts with your giant fists of doom, but I suppose that would have been pretty cool. At least now you can try and replicate that gameplay dynamic at home with these Pac-Man and ghost stress balls. (Is a ghost really a ball?)

They’re perfectly sized to fit in the palm of your hand, and are great for working out any extraneous hostility you might have – especially if you got stuck on one of the more difficult levels trying to get that bonus “fruit” that looks like a Galaxian spaceship or that damned key. And if you’re the self-deprecating type, you can squash Pac-Man instead of Blinky, Inky or Clyde. Say, where’s Pinky, by the way? Maybe he’s off regenerating himself back in ghost cage.

But I digress. If you’re feeling stressed out, you can get your hands on the Pac-Man and ghost stress balls over at KitschaGoGo for £3.99 to £4.99 (~$6 to $8 USD).

Wheeme Massage Robot: Therapeutic Toy Car

Lambert Varias — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 12:50:53 +0000

DreamBots Ltd. has a very loose definition of massaging. To them, as long as something is touching and roaming over your body, that’s a massage. The company is developing WheeMe, a quirky little massage robot that is essentially a toy car. The WheeMe has “fingerettes” – i.e. toothed wheels – that will “massage” you as the robot randomly roams over your body.

The WheeMe does have one neat trick up its sleeve though – it’s equipped with a tilt sensor that prevents it from falling or losing its grip. Here’s an unconvincing video of the WheeMe in action:

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

No thanks. I’d rather have a massage robot with actual hands. Check out WheeMe’s website for more info, and some borderline NSFW pics.

[via OhGizmo!]

Banpresto Fruit Palette: Float Some LED Citrus in Your Bathtub

Technabob — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 11:50:39 +0000

Apparently, the folks in Japan have some different ways of chilling out in the tub than what I’m familiar with. Banpresto Fruit Palette are light-up fake fruit that you float around your bathtub while you soak to help you let your mind drift. Ahhhhh… There’s nothing like some oversize plastic citrus to help you relax.

But unlike conventional (or organic) fruit, these oversize citrus have an array of colorful LEDs that light up the segments of fruit, and project patterns onto the walls and ceiling of your bathroom.

Fruit Palette fruits are available in Lemon Yellow, Pink Grapefruit and Lime Green Lime varieties, but I bet if you try and take a bite out of any of these, they’d all taste the same – like plastic.

So if you’re feeling particularly fruity today, the guys over at HimeyaShop have been kind enough to offer these outside of Japan for $32 (USD) a piece.

Projector Pot Casts a Relaxing Ocean on Your Ceiling

Technabob — Thu, 07 May 2009 12:25:44 +0000

Here’s a great way to help chill out the next time you’re feeling stressed out.

Created by Japan’s I Love New Yoku, the Projector Pot (Relaxing Ocean) transports you to the open seas any time you dim the lights. Just set the Projector Pot on any surface, power it on, and turn down your lights. The 4-inch cube has a bright battery-powered LED light source that casts moving patterns that are reminiscent of water reflections off the top of a body of water.

Now the bad part is that unless you live in Japan, you’ll have to wait to relax. At this point, the Projector Pot is only available in its native land (priced at ¥3990 – appx $40 USD). I’m hopeful that the guys over at Audiocubes will bring these into the States, as they’re already importing other goodies from the same company. For the time being, you’ll just have to go to the real ocean.

Varier’S Zero Gravity Recliner

Lambert Varias — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 12:30:15 +0000

Furniture makers Varier are offering space-age Zen goodness in the form of the limited edition Gravity Balans recliner. Varier claims that the Gravity Balans’ fully reclined position is “probably the closest you will get to zero gravity”, because in it one ends up in a position where the feet are higher than the heart. You guys figure that one out.

The shape of the chair is definitely weird; even Varier says it’s weird. And we all know that weirdly shaped furniture = expensive furniture. Not one to rebel,the Gravity Balans sells for $1,200. Clearly only handsome painters with level 2 stubble who love to nap after painting will be able to afford this.

Each of the 250 Gravity Balans recliners will be signed and numbered by its designer, Peter Opsvik. Buyers can customize their purchase with various colors and accents, and can even choose to have a “kid-friendly” version. I assume that the kid-friendly version can be used to go sledding. While experiencing zero gravity.

[via Asylum]

Relaxation Station Will Find a Way to Make You Chill Out

Technabob — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 21:49:15 +0000

Sure, we’ve all seen devices that promise to help you relax, whether with light, sound, or even aromatherapy. This new gadget out of Korea takes the kitchen sink approach to chilling out, combining all of the aforementioned techniques to get you to unwind.

The LTK-2000 Therapy Station starts out with 24 relaxing sounds in categories ranging from “concentration” to “therapy for depression” to get your mind off the din of your everyday life. Once your ears are soothed, a ring of bright blue LEDs pops out of the device to provide your eyes with a up to 5,000 lux of light therapy.

Once your eyes and ears are relaxed, your nose won’t feel left out, thanks to an array of herbal aroma cartridges which can pop into the top of the unit. If that’s not enough, the system also has a built in anion generator, which is supposed to help purify the air you’re breathing.

If this thing can’t help you to relax, you’re probably beyond hope. Now all you’ve got to do is figure out how to get one imported from Korea, and you’re all set. If you’re up for the challenge, you can find them for sale at Enfren for 378,000 KRW (that’s about $395 USD). There’s also a video of the device in action over on AVING.

Digital Sound Feeling System: Huh?

Technabob — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 04:06:22 +0000

Japan produces some of the most important innovations in the world of technology, but they also are known for making some of the oddest gadgets ever invented. This one is no exception.

This strange looking device from SEGATOYS produces three-dimensional “healing” sounds which are designed to help you relax. You’re supposed to keep the battery-operated Digital Sound Feeling System with you in times of stress, and the sounds it produces are said to make all your cares slip away.

Personally, I thought the imagery on SEGA’s promotional website made me think they were selling some other sort of battery-operated “toy” for “relaxation.” Maybe my mind is just in the gutter.