Category: Strange + Wonderful

There’s nothing quite like a delicious virtual donut and a hot cup of paper coffee before parking it in front of the fake TV to get my day going. This off-the-wall creative project takes items seen in the 3D virtual world of Second Life, and transforms them into real-world (paper) objects.

Remember the Robosaurus? Let me refresh your memory. The gigantic robotic dinosaur looks like a metal, fire-breathing Tyrannosaurus Rex, and might be just about as fierce. Capable of picking up cars, then crushing them with its razor-sharp jaws, I certainly wouldn’t want to run into one in a back alley.

This has got to be the oddest looking computer monitor I’ve seen in a while, but it’s a surprisingly good idea. The 22-inch Samsung SyncMaster 2263DX has a mini 7-inch display that snaps onto the edge of the screen providing just a little extra real-estate.

I thought that the Pac-Man hoodie would be the most outlandish article of clothing I’d write about this week, but leave it to me to always go just one better. So without further ado, I proudly present the LED Pimp Coat… The “deluxe” color-changing coat is not only made of the finest polka-dotted faux fur money can buy, it’s loaded with over 400 colorful LEDs which let you change the outfit’s colors to suit your mood.

Remember the wine-tasting robot that mistook people for bacon? Well I guess they’ve worked out some of the kinks, since the pint-sized automaton with a taste for the finer things is back — this time in the Guinness World Records.

Remember how the Mooninites from ATHF caused such a stir in Boston earlier this year? Can you imagine what those government fearmongers would do if they saw one of these clocks sitting on a shelf somewhere?

Do you often find yourself falling asleep just before you can get to that next Super Mario Galaxy level? Need a boost? Why not give yourself a kick in the pants, Mario style, with this Super Mario Power Up!

Ever wonder how do Mr. and Mrs. Claus keep their toes warm on a cold North Pole night? Why, with these heated USB Santa boots, of course. Leave it to the wacky gadget makers of Japan’s Thanko (the same guys who brought us other gems like these) to come up with these silly oversize red shoes, which keep your tootsies toasty when you plug them into your computer’s USB port.

Usually when I think of Mario’s primary currency, I think of those little gold coins (and maybe some power-packed ‘shrooms). So I was pleasantly surprised to see this arcade machine from Japan in which Mario pays out with real coins.

I found this photo over on Flickr today, and I was so captivated, I had to mention it. Apparently, this guy decided to see what would happen if he hooked an old analog synthesizer up to his brain.

Now I’ve seen some cheap speakers in my days, but even the chintziest ones I’ve seen were at least made out of plastic. Not these. These ones are fabricated from thick paper stock. Xenics Music Cube M speakers offer up some truly low-fidelity sound thanks to their flimsy cardboard construction.

Handmade by eBay seller buttlesscutlass98 (great name, eh?) these milk chocolate bars are cast in the perfect likeness of an NES controller and cartridge. Now I’ll be the first to say that I’d be a little wary of handmade chocolates for sale on eBay (by a guy with buttless in his name especially), but if you’re a real classic Nintendo fan, you might just have to bite into one of these.

This new device was commissioned by the United States Postal Service in order to hunt down some of the inefficiencies in their mail delivery process. Developed by California’s TrackingTheWorld, the gadget is slipped inside of a letter, and tracks the precise journey of an individual piece of mail.

This simple, yet ingenious invention places a tiny chemical thermometer on the outside of your chocolate bar, ensuring that you only eat it at the optimal temperature. Japan’s DARS 22° C premium chocolate bars now include a color-coded temperature gauge which tells you when the bar is at exactly 22° C (about 71.6° F), apparently the “perfect” climate for chocolately goodness.

I saw these ridiculous looking speakers over on 7Gadgets and just had to give them a mention. The perfect accompaniment to your sequined Christmas sweater, these goofy speakers let you listen to your favorite holiday tunes emanating from the O-shaped mouth of of good old Saint Nick.

Sick of listening to throngs of robotic humanoids marching through the city streets gabbing away on their mobile phones? Tired of the Bluetooth Borg collective yammering into space, as if anyone cared about what they had to say?