Japan is famous for their sushi as well as weird and wacky stuff (games, peripherals, fashion sense - you name it), and here we have today something from the first category. The Pop ‘N Music Be Mouse Windows-based game doesn’t require any insane 4000 dpi laser gaming mouse, as it ships with its very own colorful multi-button mouse that will be used to dictate gameplay. This music pattern matching game requires the user to open the insect-like wings on the Be Mouse controller in order to gain access to all nine buttons. Reminiscent of Beatmania, each time a colored indicator falls down on the screen, you have to tap the corresponding button in order to keep up with the pace. Tunes are based on the popular Japanese Pop ‘N Music arcade series. The Pop ‘N Music Be Mouse will retail for $69.90 apiece.

Product Page via Technabob

Popularity: 29% [?]

We’ve seen stranger things than Toshiba offering a limited edition collection of luxury handsets, but the hoops you have to jump to be among the invitation-only buyers of this handset is what intrigued us.  Apparently, you have to purchase the April issue of some mag called Seven Hills and pray you’re among the lucky 1,000 readers who will get some sort of unique code. Once you get the code and you’re ready to buy, you have to initiate the buying process with a credit card, no cash please. Then you have to wait 30 days for a personalized handmade lacquer box that has Kansai Yamamoto’s imprint to be made.  I’m not sure how they justify the price on the Cosmic Shiner handsets, but if you’re a lover of fashion maybe the fact that it has some designs by Kansai Yamamoto will persuade you. Not much else is known about the expensive $4,000 phone, except that buying one also entitles you to a free membership of some concierge service that makes hotel and restaurant reservations for you.  That’s it folks. That’s how some poor sap will spend his money on a useless luxury phone. 

Popularity: 36% [?]

I love robots as much as the next gal (maybe even more) but I doubt I’d ever trust my kids with one. To get a glimpse of our future, lets turn our attention to Japan where department stores are introducing cute robots to babysit rambunctious kids while mommy shops. Physorg says parents visiting the Fukuoka Aeon Co. department store can drop off their kids with the kid-size machine that can track kids thanks to a special coded badge. The robot uses these badges to identify kids by their name and age, and chats with them despite its limited vocabulary. The robot also uses its eyes as projectors to beam advertising messages or still images it captured with its bionic eye–both great tools to brainwash the future consumer.  Robots are becoming increasingly popular in Japan, so by using robotic babysitters, the Japanese believe they are training their kids for the future.  

Popularity: 28% [?]

It cannot be denied that Apple’s hardware is often imitated in terms of design, but never once is a third party hardware manufacturer actually come out with a device to knock the almighty iPod off its perch. The Onda VX767, however, is proof that these non-Apple manufacturers are making some progress towards that objective, featuring a form factor that is stunning at first glance, leading you to think that this might actually land a few jabs on the iPod touch in the ring itself. Some of the features found include :-

• 4.3″ widescreen display with 16:9 aspect ratio and 480 x 272 resolution
• Codec support for 3GP, ASF, AVI, FLV, MOV, MPG, MP4, RM, RMVB and WMV
• FLAC, MP3, WAV and WMA audio support
• Compatible with JPG, BMP, GIF and PNG picture formats
• Integrated FM tuner with over 40 preset stations
• microSDHC memory card slot
• Microphone
• TV output

Onda claims that the impressive VX767 has an audio playback time of 40 hours before it requires a trip to the nearest power outlet, while video playback is good for long haul flights at 10 hours. There is no word on pricing, but hopefully Onda will be merciful with our wallets and purses.

Source: Trusted Reviews

Popularity: 27% [?]

I’ve absolutely no idea why the folks at LG decided to skin up their mediocre LG SH240 cell phone. This GSM HSDPA handset comes with some sort of silicon coating on the front, encompassing the keypad and D-pad as well so that whenever you touch it (through sending text messages and composing notes, of course, and not fondling the cell phone itself), it will feel like skin unlike the cold, rubbery feeling on other handsets. I suppose if you talk long enough on the SH240, the battery will start to heat up, giving the “skin” surface a semblance of warmth to somewhat resemble an actual human touch. This is one of the weirder gimmicks that I have seen to push the sales of cell phones, and it certainly won’t be the last. I’ll give the LG SH240 a pass.

Source: Gizmodo

Popularity: 24% [?]

Ladies, ladies. How many times have you actually rushed out from your home only to realize that you have forgotten to bring your cell phone with you, much less your house keys? This interesting LadyBag ensures such a thing doesn’t happen ever again, featuring RFID tagging technology that ensures your keys, purse and cell phone are inside the back before the smiley face lights up. Should you fail to include any of these three essential items, the item’s corresponding logo will appear on the LED display as a reminder. I wonder whether this concept will see future iterations include voice reminders. It would be good if they included a traveling make-up kit indicator as well just in case you need to freshen up before that big date of yours at a posh downtown restaurant.

Source: Gearfuse

Popularity: 36% [?]

Air purifiers aren’t supposed to look beautiful as they are more of a functional device than anything else. Thankfully, the boffins at Sharp decided otherwise, bringing clean cut lines to their new line of air purifiers so that your home doesn’t have to look like a relic from World War II. The C100 and C150 air purifiers feature triple filtration technology with HEPA filters to trap most of the unwanted guests in your home. These filters are extremely low maintenance, requiring a change only once every five years. They will be able to increase a room’s relative humidity to 50% while a “library quiet” mode ensures you don’t have to read the same passage for the umpteenth time, trying to understand it. The C100 and C150 can cope with 254 and 347 square feel rooms, retailing for $399.99 and $499.99 respectively.

Source: Gizmodo

Popularity: 23% [?]

Now here’s a small device that is powered by either Windows XP or Windows CE, allowing you to get basic computing jobs done just about wherever you are while functioning as the all important cell phone. Some of the features include the following :-

• 500MHz Via C7-M processor
• 200MHz ARM9-based system-on-chip
• Up to 4GB DDR2 RAM
• 4″ WVGA (800 x 480 resolution) internal display, 2.2″ 320 x 240 resolution outer display
• 30GB/60GB or 4GB SSD option
• WiFi and Bluetooth 2.0 connectivity
• GPS navigation support
• 3- or 5-megapixel camera

This little onder measures 160mm x 65mm x 25mm and tips the scales at a rather hefty 385 grams - definitely not something your pocket will welcome as it fits into a bag much better. Koreans will be able to get their hands on the Miu HDPC this July, as it retails between $400 and $500 after conversion, depending on the system specifications.

Source: Windows for Devices

Popularity: 26% [?]

STMicroelectronics has successfully developed a chip which it claims will be able to detect strains of influenza in human subjects, and has been touted to be a “mini laboratory on a chip”. Parents who are scared stiff of their kids catching the dreaded bird flu will definitely welcome such an invention, capable of detecting the virus within a couple of hours. Apparently, this new chip has garnered interest from a fair bit of people, including airport officers who want to scan passengers so that they know whether someone is carrying the deadly virus or not. No idea is advocacy groups are open to this idea since the issue of personal privacy will definitely crop up.

Source: Gearlog

Popularity: 20% [?]

New parents are often on the lookout for something that is unique where their kids are concerned, and this Lamb Bottle Hugger is definitely one of them. It makes your kid stand out from the crowd even though he/she doesn’t know what peer pressure is all about at the moment.

The insulation keeps the contents at a constant temperature longer. The elastic mouth tightly holds onto the bottle and sippy cup to ensure its position and keep from falling out and your child will have an easy, comfortable grip when the Bottle Hugger is being used. Bottle not included.

The Lamb Bottle Hugger can be yours today for $11.

Product Page via Nerd Approved

Popularity: 25% [?]