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Jul31

Portable Anti-Insect Wristband : Dokodemo Bepu

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Wrist attachable portable Anti-insect device.
RelInfo: MYCOM PC WEB: Mosquito Eradication cell-phone service, combat mosquitos in south-eastern Asia.
If you donwload this apprication to your cell-phone, you can get rid of mosquito. This service will expanded south-eastern Asia.*snip*Source says it has a 33 to 62.5 % chance of getting rid of mosquito.

We have "Digital Katorisenko" which is a software for PC to fight off mosquito. So it's easy to imagine we have one for cell-phone.

Jul30

Fabric transform itself by sweat : Nike Sphere React

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The fabric of the cloth will transform from a flat fabric to a three dimentional structure, once the fabric react to moisture such as sweat. Since it's not flat, it won't be sticky and dry itself fast.
RelInfo: health click: Baroreflex of Skin
Once human body was made compression, it will not evaporate sweat so much. And this will reduce the volume of sweat as a result. However the body need to sweat anyhow, so the other part which wasn't compressed will sweat more.

We can control our body sweat partly.

Jul27

Tactile illusion wire mesh : Velvet Hands

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This object is just a wire mesh. But once you hold it between your both hands and rub it, you'll feel it's like velvet. This is a tactile illusion which is caused by brain.
I found this item in Sony ExploraScience. This is fantastic! You can't understand till you actually touch it.
Jul26

Water Heater which cools hot water

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It can make 60 degree lukewarm water. It's convenient when you make milk for your baby.We needed to boil water firstly and then took time to cool it down before. And also we had to be careful not to cool it too much. But now, you just need to push a butten of this item.
(TIGER CORPORATION/ via NIKKEI Press Release: Approx. $157.00)
It's nifty but not innovative.
Jul24

Discerning water temperature by color

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Temperature sensitive LED illuminates the water in different colors depending on the temperature of the water (red=hot, pink=warm, blue=cold).The princple of the light reflection in water is same as the princple of total internal reflection which is important in fiber optics.
RelInfo: Fiber Optics History
In 1870, John Tyndall, using a jet of water that flowed from one container to another and a beam of light, demonstrated that light used internal reflection to follow a specific path. As water poured out through the spout of the first container, Tyndall directed a beam of sunlight at the path of the water. The light, as seen by the audience, followed a zigzag path inside the curved path of the water.

This is a very famous experiment.

Jul23

Bikini lifejackets

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Bikini-type life jacket.
It's too embarrassed to ware this so I downgraded.
Jul22

Count the number of stiches : KnitWit

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You don't need to count the number of stiches by yourself anymore if you use these needles. The device captures the movement of needles and count the number.
If you count wrong, you have to ravel and knit it again.
Jul20

Take your light with a punch : K.On

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Just punch it instead of pushing a switch. The light will turns on and off.
It's rare to input power by impact.
Jul18

Automatic turning pot : Solar Plant Rotator

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This device will let a hanging pot turn automatically. If you don't turn it, plant will grow only toward the sun and will not grow symmetically.It generates electric power by solar energy and turn the pot 2 to 4 revolutions a day. Your plants will grow evenly.
(?/ via bookofjoe.com/ gardeners.com: $19.99)
Sunflower blooming season is coming. -> Sunflower information in Japan
Jul15

Block for drying umbrella : Kyu-Block

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Weight block which is for keeping open umbrella to dry. Umbrella will not be blown off anymore. Hock the umbrella handle to the block. It can be used as umbrella stand, too.
(?/ Yume Mitsuke Tai: Approx. $36.00)
I haven't seen a weight block for umbrella before.
Jul14

Identify birdsongs : Song Sleuthr

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Now you can identify birdsongs in the field in real time. Just point Song Sleuth in the direction of a birdsong. In seconds, the software analyzes, identifies and rank-orders the prime suspects and displays the results.
RelInfo: washingtonpost.com "To Get Fed, Some Birds Wing It"
Horsfield's hawk-cuckoos of East Asia do not cheep much, but they do flap their wings a lot when begging for food. Keita Tanaka and Keisuke Ueda of Rikkyo University in Japan wondered whether the yellowish, beak-colored patch under the hawk-cuckoo's wings might be tricking the adults into providing more food by making them think there are more beaks in the nest.

I like science news. I'm inspired.

Jul13

Skeleton paper craft : Bony

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Skeleton paper craft which height is almost 160cm (5.2feet). Names are on each joint and joins are movable. It's good for learning human body.
(Nishimura Shoten/ amazon.co.jp: Approx. $44.00)
You can go to the fantasy world with Howl's Moving Castle paper craft and after that come back to the real world with Bony boy.
Jul12

Bird-Call Bird Feeder

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A bird feeder with authentic bird songs scientifically-proven to attract wild bird. Features: A soundchip of the recordings of the 10 most popular North American burds (cardinal, robin, oriole, chickadee, house finch, mockingbird, wren, nuthatch, titmouse, and sparrow). By selecting the appropriate regional setting, you can attract the birds that are native to your area.
(?/ petgadgets.com: $29.99)
RelInfo: cnn.com: "Chickadee chirps complex code"
Tiny chickadees, known for their scolding calls, communicate details about nearby predators, biology PhD student Chris Templeton of the University of Washington found."If you ever go out and are hearing a chickadee making a really long string of "D" notes on a call -- six or eight or even 10 -- you know there is a really dangerous predator around, maybe the next-door neighbor's cat or an owl or a fox," Templeton said in a telephone interview.

Don't make birds confused with this item.

Jul11

Free hexagon screw wrench

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This wrench is for any size of hexagon screw.There are some iron poles in the socket and they can move up and down. Poles touching the flat part of hexagon screw are pushed and the other poles catches the screw from the side.
(?/ englishrobin.net: Approx. $128)
You don't have to change socket anymore.
Jul09

Digital wind bell

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This is the digital wind bell which creates sound by wind pressure. There are three kinds of sound, which are "Fuurin (wind bell)", "Kawa to Kaze (stream and bird)" and "Suikinkutsu".
(BANPRESTO/ BLUE SPOT: Approx. $26.00)
We are transforming nature stuffs from digital to analog based on the idea that we can find relaxation in nature."Rainfall sound machine"is a good example. But "Digital wind bell" is against this idea. I don't understand...
Jul08

Golf Club Drink Dispenser

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Golf club-shaped drink dispenser. It's cleverer to use this item than to bring thermos bottle or plastic bottle with you.
(?/ via bookofjoe.com/ hammacher.com: $39.95)
Nobody expect you to bring your drink out from the club case.
Jul07

Aluminum Lightweight Extension Ladder

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Minimum height is 70cm (2.3feet), Maximum extension is 3.3m (10.8feet).This foldable ladder keeps its size more compact than ever for storage.
(?/ kaiserkraft.jp: approx. $398.00)
I found this item in the catalog for professionals. There were many other interesting things in it, too.
Jul04

Free Piston Stirling's engine Kit

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Stirling Engine creates energy from temperature difference. It is good for the environment.It doesn't use crank mechanism so its structure is easy to understand. It continues piston action for about a hour with a cut of hot water.
(?/ UnDigital Kagaku HakubutsuTen: Approx. $63.00)
RelInfo: Kagaku Kousaku Kan: What is Stirling's Engine
It's old, but future.- Quiet engine- Efficient- Clean gas emissions- Any heat source

Jul03

Key which shows if it is locked itself

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This item consist of two parts, one is a key and the other is the attachement for a key cylinder of the door. When you locked the door with this key, you can know if it's rally locked or not through the little window of the attachement.
(rv-sys.com: Approx. $20.00)
Jul03

Shower Tap Radio

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Waterproof FM/AM radio which can be attached to the tile with suction cup. It is tap-shaped.
(?/ iwantoneofthose.com: Approx. $30.00)
Jul03

Pers Tea Drinkers Mug

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Pocket is attached to the side of the Mug. You can put a tea bag in it.
(?/ wdrake.com: $5.99)
Jul03

Water-soluble confetti

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These confetti will dissolve in water so that you can easily clean up by throwing water over them.
(j-screen.com: Approx. $4.50)
Jul03

Bicycles connected each other : InSTEP Path Finder Bike Trailer

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Bicycle can be connected to the another bicycle so that you can enjoy the ride together.
(?/ dynadirect: $79.00)
Jul03

Driver for screw which has no groove on the top

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Driver which can screw up the screw with no groove on its top. It uses ceramic material which swell and shrink by electric voltage. It transforms the swelling movement into the rotational movement and will screw down. Once you screw down these no groove screws with this driver, it's difficult to take out them. It is good to use as an antitheft device.
(NTT/ via asahi.com)
Jul03

Sprincling water flying disc : Geyser Flyer

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Dunk it in water and play flying disc. It will sprincle water from the holes on the side.
Jul03

Rose Surprise!

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Rose Surprise is a table firework filled with fragrant rose petals. This will be a nice present to the birthday party.
(?/ bimbambanana.com: $26.00)
Jul03

Subtle Safety Defensive Ring

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Just extend this ring, it can be used as brass knucles.
Jul03

Remote Controlled Crawling Hand

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A hand will crawl around by remote control. Everybody will be surprised.
(?/ thedoghouse.co.uk: Approx. $30.00)
Jul03

RC GolfBall : RC Golf Incred-a-Ball

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This gold ball has a spinning gyro in it and you can control it by remote control. You can bring your friends a surprise on the green.
(?/ iwantoneofthose.com: Approx. $30.00)




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