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Nintendo knew three months ago there would be a Christmas shortage of the Wii game system. Of course they were right, since they are the ones who place orders from the factory. What to do? Maybe this list will help, full of electronic gadgets and toys that may distract the giftee from the fact that he won’t find his heart’s desire under the tree this Christmas. Or at least baffle him for a while.
1. Radio Control Bugs
The Discovery Channel Store is offering a radio-controlled insect with three interchangable exoskeletons- a Rhinoceros Beetle, Hissing Cockroach and Hercules Beetle. Make your bug move in forward and reverse with a remote control shaped like a stick.
2. USB Doomsday Device Hub
Activate your Doomsday Device with three switches; one requires a key. The red button under a plastic shield controls the doom (with appropriate sound effects). According to the product description, no one knows what really happens when it goes off, but this is a USB hub that no one will mess with!
More wacky gadgets and cool toys, after the jump.
3. WiFi Detector Shirt
The WiFi detector shirt has glowing bars that show you the WiFi signl strength of your location without the hassle of opening your laptop for a try. This will be as handy to wear traveling as the Traveler’s Phrasebook T-Shirt. No word yet on how airport security will react.
4. Infrared Micro Tanks
Imagine remote-contol miniature Lazer Tag. These little tanks fire infrared beams at each other. When a sensor is “hit”, the tank will spin crazily in a circle. After five hits, the tank is disabled. A perfect gift for competitive brothers or friends.
5. Floating Globe
It’s the Amazing Anti-gravity Levitating Globe! It’s powered by magnets, and you can make it rotate in either direction or stand still. You can also get other objects to levitate.
6. The Flying Alarm Clock
This will seem so cool until the time comes to actually use it. The Flying Alarm Clock features rotors that shoot into the air (up to nine feet!) when the alarm goes off. The alarm cannot be stopped until the rotors are found and replacced on the clock. Cool, but oh-so-useful for those who tend to hit the snooze button.
7. Tooth Tunes
Tooth Tunes, the musical toothbrush plays a two-minute music clip that is carried through the jawbone to the inner ear, encouraging kids to brush for the length of the song (about two minutes). Selections unfortunately do not include Vivldi, but music from the Cheetah Girls, High School Musical, and the like, but there is only song per toothbrush. The upside of that is that kids will realize immediately if they are using their sibling’s brush. Eww!
8. Electric Plane Launcher Kit
The Electric Plane Launcher is an accessory every paper-airplane-maker should have, and you can build your own with this kit. You’ll be able to launch paper airplanes at up to 50 kph! It comes with a slew of parts, batteries not included.
9. Toilet Tunes
Toilet Tunes is your bathroom privacy insurance. Attach the sensor to the toilet lid, and put the speaker anywhere you want inthe nathroom. Every time you lift the lid, music plays to cover any embarrassing sounds. Order now and get a spa pillow free!
10. Remote-Control Hand
Like Thing on The Addams Family, this disembodied hand can crawl across the floor on its fingers. Can be a conversation starter, or possibly a way to rid your home of unwanted visitors.
Comments (24)
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The Wifi t-shirt sounds like a gift for myself.
posted by Jonathan on 12-18-2007 at 10:30 am
That remote controlled hand has all sorts of possibilities. I hope it’s selling well because I would love to see (and would buy) the next iteration if it includes a remote control with some directional control and an ability to lift one of the fingers to point or poke at your victim.
posted by Wiley on 12-18-2007 at 12:14 pm
I wonder if the magnetic field from the levitating globe would affect sensitive objects like magnetic strip cards or video/cassette tapes. I know my printer can’t be near a magnetic field.
posted by Tdave on 12-19-2007 at 1:59 am
yeah… those are the same awesome as a Wii
posted by matt vander on 12-19-2007 at 2:16 am
wow. get a life. this isn’t “10 Alternative Electronic Gifts (for those who are coming of age in the ’90s).
posted by James on 12-19-2007 at 2:38 am
what terrible substitutes!
posted by lori on 12-19-2007 at 2:53 am
@#2
I wiped my hard drive after christmas last year with a similar and very strong magnetic pen levitation device that I had set up on my desk about 2 cm from the drive.
It looked great but the damage was not worth it.
posted by Steiner on 12-19-2007 at 4:23 am
The USB Doomsday Device Hub is awesome! I’d like to buy one for me.
posted by marcus on 12-19-2007 at 6:56 am
That USB hub is completly useless to me BUT I WANT IT!!!
posted by Doug on 12-19-2007 at 7:06 am
I have the doomsday USB hub.
When you click the buttons and turn the key it permanently burns goatse into your background. Talk about nuclear holocaust.
posted by SINporium on 12-19-2007 at 7:56 am
The tshirt is awesome
posted by Web Design Romania on 12-19-2007 at 8:13 am
i have the wifi shirt and i have to say that its just about the coolest shirt ever made
posted by Jacob on 12-19-2007 at 9:06 am
Hey. you cna buy gifts like theses and more thinks like a rool up Drum Kit!!! or keybaord. anyway its a great site so here is teh link, salut-tech.com
great for the work place and school and home. Visit it. Trust me
steve
posted by Steven Haggerty on 12-19-2007 at 9:19 am
Um – is it just me or are all of these examples of totally useless and frivolous junk?
The whole world is dying – being crushed under a pile of useless junk like this.
Ask yourself one question: From a website that purports to help you feel smart again – are ANY of these things actually smart?
Personally I’d think you were all a lot smarter if you stopped buying this crap.
posted by nik on 12-19-2007 at 10:20 am
I’m surprised that anyone is taking this seriously. It was meant to be somewhat funny!
posted by Miss Cellania on 12-19-2007 at 10:47 am
You think that alarm clock is useless? I know of a few late wakers including myself who that would work for.
Although personally I like the Clocky better, less a chance of being hit in the eye.
posted by Gen on 12-19-2007 at 11:49 am
We’re giving a Wii away, if anyone needs one.
macenstein.com
:)
thanks, and happy holidays!
-The Doc
posted by Dr. Macenstein on 12-19-2007 at 1:11 pm
Isnt that the point? Totally frivolous, and yet so coool! Keep your lappy in the case, drive down the street, look at your shirt, and rip a signal!
Or get the Doomsday, and have “goatse” permanently burned to your desktop. For the truly abusive! lolol
Scare and impress people, with the radio controlled bugs!
Ey, for the gadget ppl like me, they’re all quite useful!!!! :-P
posted by Ubulindy on 12-19-2007 at 1:16 pm
yum… doomsday…
posted by lordoftheives on 12-21-2007 at 9:04 am
Whoa! This is the most amazing content I have ever seen.
posted by Dave Pen on 12-24-2007 at 9:05 am
that alarm clock will even get me out of bed hahahaha!!!
I must get one!!!
posted by dead sea on 12-25-2007 at 1:34 am
ALTERNATIVES to the wii? They’re cool, but can’t compete.
Besides… you can use that tank a Wii remote, cause the wii’s powered by infared! I NEED SOME!!!!!
(The USB Hub is useless, but make sure you put one on your employer’s desk just for laughs…)
posted by cory on 1-5-2008 at 11:37 am
I think I’d go with the WiFi t-shirt. Pretty cool list here.
posted by test equipment repair on 2-15-2008 at 9:01 am
I think people lose their sense of humor in the 10 days leading up to Christmas. They just get too stressed. These same people might pull it together on the 24th, but it often takes quite a bit of alcohol.
Jeez!
posted by Karen on 12-18-2008 at 10:10 am