If you’re open to the idea, though, then you might be interested in this bit of news. There’s this Chinese entrepreneur named Yanshi An, who will be selling tea fertilized with panda poop very, very soon. The notable thing is that he used to be a teacher of calligraphy at Sichuan University.

He recently bought over eleven tons of excrement from a panda-breeding center to use on his tea, which he hopes to harvest this coming spring. And he’s extremely excited about his Panda poop tea project, too. That’s probably because of the price. A kilo (about 2.2 pounds) of the tea is projected to be priced at more than US$77,000, but that’s only for the first batch. Future batches will be priced lower at around $3,000, since they’re considered to be a more “inferior” batch, as the poop won’t be as fresh anymore (but then, it really is panda poop ever really “fresh?”)

An insists it’s not all about just the money though, as he says that his main mission lies more along the lines of environmental protection by replacing chemical fertilizers with natural ones. He says: “Panda dung is rich in nutrients… and should be much better than chemical fertilizers. People should make a harmonious relationship between Tea heaven, earth and the environment. Everybody has an obligation to protect the environment.”

[via Weird Asia News]

These drink mixes come in their own lithographed metal cans and are branded with one of our favorite characters of the Star Wars universe. The three drinks include Vader’s Dark Side Roast, Chewbacca’s Hoth Cocoa, and Yoda’s Dagobah Green Tea. I could be down with some Hoth Cocoa on a cold day – that sounds good.

The three flavors come together in one set. I’m not sure how large the cans actually are, but there’s just a small sampling of each. There are three ounces of ground coffee, an ounce of tea leaves, and 8 ounces of cocoa mix. That’s not a lot, but let’s face it you are paying for the cans much more than the contents. You can get the set now for $29.99 (USD) over at ThinkGeek.

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]

One thing I’ve always thought strange was how the little paper bit just dangled off of the side of the mug. It’s practically begging to slip into your piping hot water, thus forcing you to fish it out and make a small mess. There are plenty of creative solutions, I’m sure, but here’s one that I’ve not seen.

This $25 Tie Tea Cup by designer George Lee has two special notches in the lip. You can use these to wrap the string around, securing the teabag in its place. Seems like a simple enough concept. I have to say though, the price does seem a little off-putting. I mean, if you’re someone that drinks tea often enough to warrant this purchase, you’ll probably want to buy a set of four, but I can’t imagine paying a hundred bucks simply so your teabag stays where it should.

[via RGS]

You can order the lamp at Das Rote Paket for €65 (approx. $82 USD).

[via inspire me now via productdose]

Sadly, it might not work on your lattes. Silver Lake Research cautions that the strips should be used before you add any syrups or milk to your drinks, but they can be used on either hot or cold beverages. Oh well. Perhaps the perfect gift for your maiden aunt? You know, the one who swears that real coffee will make her bladder explode through her nostrils.

Since all decaf bevvies still contain a little jolt, the single-use strips will only detect caffeine above a 20 mg-to-6 oz ratio, and they’re available in packs of 20 for $9.95. Might be worth the cash to buy a few and start indiscriminately dipping them into your friends’ drinks. Knowledge, people, is power.

[Medgadget via Slippery Brick]

The gang over at Charles & Marie listened to your feedback, and have worked with Dutch designer Damien O’Sullivan to produce a new version of the minimal black-and-white mug that says “cold” when it’s cold, and “hot” when it’s hot. It’s amazing how one small text change can really make such a difference. Heck, just the utility of knowing when that coffee that’s been sitting in there all day long is cold as ice should be enough to merit the $25 price tag.

Charles & Marie is now offering the Hot/Cold mug on a pre-order basis now, so if you want one, you’d better head on over and place your order. They should start shipping in about three weeks.

In its dormant state, the mug offers a black “OFF” display, but once your hot coffee or tea hits the inside, it gradually transforms to read “ON”. A heat sensitive pigment changes the color of the mug from black to white.

While it may be designed for coffee, the $25 mug is Charles & Marie’s “Soupe du Jour” offer of the day. So if you want one in time for the holidays, you better grab yours now.