A Japanese outfit called Niyari has decided to embrace the lovely brown and orange color scheme of the original Atari 400 keyboard and update it for today’s computers. Why? Why the heck not. At least the version made by Niyari has actual low-profile keys instead of those pressure sensitive things on the original Atari 400.

Still, from the appalling industrial design to the completely impractical keyboard, to its anemic system memory, the Atari 400 is definitely not a computer milestone worth repeating in my opinion. I suppose if you’re feeling really nostalgic, you might want to grab one of these over at Geek Stuff 4U, where it sells for about $149 (USD). Or, for that price, you could just buy yourself a couple of Atari 400s over on eBay.

Aside from all the ugly, the glasses sound pretty good. They have a special 3M multilayer optical film that is good for hundreds of wash and use cycles. The glasses have larger frames with a loose temple for comfort. They are also designed to fit over the top of most prescription glasses and they have a flap over the top to keep light out. Dolby will offer children’s sizes next quarter. My local theater can’t seem to get all that sticky goo off the floor, the last thing I want is to wear some glasses the nasty person before me used to pick their ears.

They will cost about $12 per pair, making 3D movie tickets cheaper since they can be reused figures Dolby. I doubt that reusing glasses to save money is something that would be passed on to the people there to buy tickets.

You know those little cardboard things that go around your cup of coffee at Starbucks? They’re actually pretty ingenious if you think about it. I mean, not only do they function as a buffer between the hot cup and your hand, but they can be used as a form of advertisement. So the company has found a way to bring advertising to their customers, while providing something useful. That’s just plain smart. So why do I hate these RuMe CUFF wallets so much?

After all, they too serve dual purposes. They keep your hand from getting burned, and hold your money. Just because you can make something that does two things, doesn’t mean you should. First, do you really carry a cup of coffee with you so often that it could actually replace your wallet? Second, do you have so few things in your wallet that it’s going to fit nicely around a cup of Joe? Third, and I can’t stress this one enough, you will throw this away at some point. No matter how hard you try, eventually you’ll chuck your cup into the trash instinctively, while donating your funds to the city dump.

There are probably a dozen other reason why this thing is a bad buy. Sure, it’s only $10. But then again, you already have a wallet, and you get one of those cardboard things for free with your coffee. The product page does mention that you can also use it as an armband as well. I still stand by my previous thoughts. Why waste time and money on this thing?

[via Delete Yourself]

Someone has spent a ton of time lovingly crafting a crochet car cover for their Smart Car. My grandmother would be duly impressed were she still around. I may not like the looks of the car, but the workmanship is superb.

The pattern and colors change on each body panel to keep the car from looking the same everywhere. I guess the cover is sort of like a hat and you can pull it off and wash it. I wonder if the doors open with the crochet cover on the car or if you have to remove it to open the door.

[via Craftzine]

I don’t know about you, but I certainly am not cool with poking my crotch every now and then in order to type. It’s too impractical for geeks, and not even the blind would call this thing beautiful.

[via Yanko Design via puremodern]

This home theater system is by Boxetti and it’s like having a Transformer in your house. It goes from a white, ugly display case to a white and orange, ugly home theater system.

The concept is cool, but the glaring colors are a bit much. Also, the “transformed” state of this home theater system is pretty visually displeasing. It kind of reminds me of a freezer or a dishwasher.

Transforming systems are über cool, but I have to say that this one looks über ugly. Ah well, at least you won’t be able to afford it. At $8,000 (USD), only the rich will be able to waste their precious coin.

[via Born Rich]

As if things weren’t bizarre enough, someone is selling these NES – I repeat NES, Famicom, 8-bit, Final Fantasy 1 – “pirate originals” on eBay, with starting bids at $45 (USD). That someone is eBay user andrew-cole.

I must say that it’s a surprisingly faithful de-make.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Another classic, Chrono Trigger, also gets pirate-originaled:

I thought that since it was first released on the SNES that the NES port wouldn’t be that much of a downgrade. Unfortunately for our eyes, I was wrong:

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Good lord. Worst choice of colors ever. But the worst of the worst has to be this godawful pretender:

This premise sets such high expectations. I was actually interested to see how an 8-bit Diablo II would look like. Would it be a side-scroller, an even more primitive version of Golden Axe? Or would it be more like Wizardry?

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Or it could be a generic RPG with no relation to Diablo II at all, except for the probability that Diablo himself might have made the game. As I said, andrew-cole is selling these and more NES de-makes like Dragon Quest VIII and Megaman X on eBay.

If you’re feeling unusually decadent today, you might want to buy one of these just for the heck of it. But I sincerely hope that Tyrael descends from the heavens and lands at the speed of light on your heathen ass if you so much as consider buying that Diablo de-make. Andrew-cole should pay you to play that game.

[via gameSniped]

Why do they always have to redesign the look of the Transformers? Can’t we just stick with the classic one? And maybe the Armada version?

Also wtf was Optimus’ vehicle mode supposed to be? He looked smaller than Bumblebee. If that trailer is any indication of the game’s quality then it seems to be transforming into something not worth buying.

Transformers: War for Cybertron will be released for the PC, Xbox 360 and the PS3 on June 22 this year. I’m really hoping this turns out okay.

[via IGN via Digg]

Obviously these are all conceptual images, but since quirky is already accepting pre-sales (pre-sales are different from pre-orders in that a set number of pre-sales must be reached before the product is actually manufactured), I’m pretty sure the real Cable Caps will be as creepy as these mock ups. Still can’t figure out how they’re used? Here, let “printer man” (Really? Printer man? It took a group of people to come up with that?) show you how.

See? Despite their deranged looks, the Cable Caps are pretty easy to use: just thread the USB’s head through the slot in the middle of the band, stick it into the head, and then wrap the rest of the band around the rest of the cable. There are six designs in all, none of them decent.

As I said, pre-sales are now being accepted at quirky. Cable Caps are sold in sets of three for $8 (USD) per set. They’re pretty useful, just don’t stare at them.

No product is perfect, and just by looking at the Advantage I can already see a couple of problems with it. First of all, it’s butt ugly. Second, the keys on the top row are too small for my comfort. Cool Tools commenters also complained about the hard and loud keys.

If the Advantage was reasonably priced I could overlook all of those complaints. Unfortunately, Kinesis is selling the keyboard for $300 (USD). The model with the switchable layout is priced at $325. Right now Kinesis is offering a 10% discount for online purchases, reducing the Advantage’s price to $270, but still. Kinesis should work on improving the keyboard’s aesthetics or at least the quality of the keys.

I feel like the only thing you should be playing through these awful looking clown speakers is some sort of disturbing, scratchy carnival music that might be playing in the background of one of those circus horror movies.While some of you may think these puffy-cheeked, red-nosed speakers are cute, I’ve officially filed these under “evil clown” in my database. Ok, maybe not quite as evil as this clown.

Still, it’s definitely one UGLY clown. If you just have to have one of these, head on over to UXSight, and plunk down your $8.69 (USD). Just don’t blame me when it arrives and you immediately regret your purchase.

I’m not too disgusted with that USB tattoo, because well, it’s simply lame. I think if it was just a tiny mark I can let it slide, but the ginormity of the thing just kills it. Now this wall outlet tattoo is pure genius. Now the guy won’t have to worry about powering any gadget he may have tattooed on him. All he needs is a tattoo power cord and he’s good to go.

I saved the best – meaning the worst – for last: some guy tattooed the text that’s displayed on Microsoft’s infamous Blue Screen of Death. What do you think his point is? That his arm crashed and needs to be reset?

Maybe now he wishes he could reset the night. Or maybe he’s already gone ahead and had his arm tattooed blue to complete the picture. Check out the rest of the worst at PC World. To restore your faith in geeky tattoos, let me also point you to some video game-related tattoos that were posted on Kotaku. I especially like Mike Fahey’s Final Fantasy Wizard tattoo.

[via Everything USB]

The phone was seized in a raid of the Naples-based mafia group Camorra. According to BBC, the ugly outdated monochromatic phone gun can shoot up to four .22-caliber bullets out of its antenna ”in quick succession”. Look at that abomination. In a world filled with iPhones and Blackberrys, how the hell is that a disguise? What’s next? Pager Grenades?

[via BBC]

The mutant offspring of an old G3 iMac and a VHS deck, Cory Baker’s iVHS casemod is one of the ugliest Mac designs I’ve ever seen. Heck, even the original iBook toilet seat design was more attractive.

I guess the only good news here is that this bastard child didn’t get its start as an actual iMac. Cory actually purchased an a la carte iMac motherboard off of eBay (for about 20 bucks) and modded it to fit into the case of his old VHS deck. With the addition of an ATX power supply, a few cables, a VGA connector and some electrical tape, this Frankenstein’s monster of a Macintosh was born.

At least he could have used a Betamax deck, couldn’t he?

Never mind the bizarre umbrella lighting fixture that’s been implanted into the canine’s brain. And if shoving a charger into the dogs nose holes isn’t bad enough, you can also juice up the battery by plugging his ass into a wall socket. If the ASPCA would start taking complaints about inanimate objects, now would be as good a time as ever.

It’s so awful, I’m tempted to not tell you where you can get one. But you know me. I’m sure there’s somebody on your holiday list who’s deserving of this big old lump of coal in their stocking. You can have the pick of the litter in white or yellow for just about $7 to $8 bucks each.

The stuffed bear cam attempts to make passers by smile. Instead, it’s much more likely to record the look of horror on the face of each subject.

Bringing back memories of the horrific pink bunny suit that Ralphie was forced to wear in A Christmas Story, the costume fits (badly) around your computer monitor, and conceals a webcam in its nose, snapping pictures of unsuspecting victims.

Under no circumstances should anyone be allowed to buy one of these unless they’re playing a practical joke on its recipient.

The Haro PC case is a big green blob that encases your computer and attempts to give it a personality. The weird looking creature holds small computers (like the Mac Mini) with ease. When connected, it the case provides animated expressions, which can be controlled by the provided remote. In addition to its electric ear flaps, gesticulating arms and light-up LED eyeballs, Haro also can speak (in Korean, I assume,) making it even more annoying.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Now before you Anime fans hang me out to dry, I know that Haro is a beloved character from the Gundam series. But even, but even the staunchest fanboys would have to agree this thing is just plain hideous.

[via Thought from the Sidelines]

The $15 remote control features the likeness of Sesame Street’s most annoying character of all time, Elmo. It’s got big soft candy-like buttons and is shaped like Elmo holding a big pink or orange heart. I can only pray that it doesn’t make any of those wretch-inducing Tickle Me Elmo sound effects when you press a button.

If you ever catch me using one of these to control my system, please put me out of my misery.