03.31.2005

iPod on the road

Car makers are teaming up with Apple to let drivers play iPods through the car stereo.

This week the 2006 Mercedes-Benz M class will offer a $300 iPod integration kit that lets users control the iPod -- plugged into a special jack -- via buttons on the steering wheel.

In June, Volvo will install an iPod connection in the arm rests of some of its models. Unlike the Mercedes system, which displays song title, artist and album, Volvo's displays only track numbers.

Apple says it has also teamed with Nissan, Fiat and Ferrari to do something similar, while Mini began providing iPod connections last year.

Via the Wall Street Journal.

Posted by regine Category: devices
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03.31.2005

Synchronize your pet with your favourite colour

No more dull-looking doggies! Pet Esthe has come out with a pet hair dye called Vivid Color. By mixing seven different colors ,Aei including Lovely Fresh Pink, Dressy Violet, and Active Light Green,Aei and four medium colors ,Aei clear, gray, dark gray and black ,Aei you can create unlimited numbers of shades. Pet Esth/(c) Vivid Color makes the pet's image more impressive and harmonious with your desires!

Via Japan Today.

Posted by regine Category: home
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03.30.2005

Pharaonesque pampering

Another "only in Japan" news. A Goa'uld Sarcophagus Salon has opened in Ginza., Tokyo. To get the full oxygen-treatment, you have to step into the "AirPress", a caspsule filled with 30 percent concentrated oxygen that promises to help you recover from fatigue and make you feel fresh and pampered. 1,000 yen (9.35 USD) for ten minutes. If you had my boss, you'd agree with me: that's a bargain!

Via News 3Yen.

Posted by regine Category: body
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03.30.2005

Cappuccino at home

A couple of days ago I discovered that Bialetti, the famous Italian company known for its espresso coffee maker, has also developed a cappuccino maker, the Mukka Express. The product has been around for a while, but I saw the TV commercial for the first time earlier this week and decided to write about it for everyone else who might have missed out on this. The shape of the Mukka Express is very similar to that of Bialetti's traditional espresso maker, but with rounder curves. You fill it in with both water and milk . . . and coffee obviously, and you pour out a perfectly well mixed cappuccino. You can check how it works on the demonstration video (click on the link at the top of the page).

I have to admit I am a little skeptical about the end result; on the other hand, I have been using the Bialetti milk frother for years and it has performed outstandingly. The Bialetti Mukka Express, comes in a cow/print pattern (mucca in Italian means cow), and also in polished aluminum. You can get it for $ 89.00 or, if you happen to live in Germany, for �64.99, but if you are in Italy you can get it for just �41.62. The bad news is that the product seems to be backordered pretty much everywhere, but you can always bid on it on ebay.

Posted by Camilla Category: home
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03.30.2005

Aluminum-free Absorbent-deo

I hate to be an alarmist but for years I've been reading about the link between Alzheimer's Disease and aluminum and worrying about the aluminum-based antiperspirant I use. Not enough to give it up and go natural but enough to check the shelves all the time to see if there's a non-aluminum alternative. So far there really hasn't been one. There are deodorants without antiperspirants like those salt-based crystals that control bacteria but they don't help if you're having a sweat gush during a job interview.

I finally saw something new the other day: Adidas Absorbent-Deo, which instead of preventing you from sweating, uses tiny cotton fibers to mop it up before it shows through your clothes. It looks like any other solid antiperspirant but it goes on much drier, kind of like a giant chapstick. It feels a little waxy at first but it does melt into your skin within a few minutes. I don't know yet how well it works because I haven't been in any sweat-inducing situations but I will be keeping a close watch during my next run or anxiety attack. The only version I saw was "for WOMEN" but I know plenty of guys who would like to be powder-fresh too.

I don't see this online anywhere yet, or on the Adidas site, but I found it at an Eckerd for about $3.

More about aluminum absorption from antiperspirants from HealthCentral.com.

Posted by Mia Category: body
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03.30.2005

80s nostalgia

Remember Twister?

It's back! In the bedroom this time. The Twister Duvet Cover is available in King and Queen size, and has matching pillowcases and big soft dice to spend hilarious "yellow right hand-green left foot" evenings.
Via Noticiasdot.

And just in case you can't get enough of 80s revival, here's the computer version of Simon.
Via Coin-operated.

Posted by regine Category: toys
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03.29.2005

I-Box fridge pets

My sister always makes fun of me for anthropomorphizing inanimate objects but Fujitronic Manufacturing clearly understands how to grab people like me. Their I-Box refrigerator for children is a working fridge but it's shaped like a dog or polar bear and rather confusingly, includes a different virtual pet (panda, tiger, penguin, or dog) in the on-door LCD. There doesn't seem to be any connection between the fridge and the pet, so if you yourself don't partake in a substantial snack for a while, your pet will be fine. Or it may die. But not because you didn't eat, it's just because that's how those things are, they are very fragile and hard to keep alive. If the pet dies, you don't have to keep looking at its lifeless body while you reach for the yogurt, the game can be restarted. Cute, and I'd like one for my office, but it's expensive, $400. The I-Box is available in Asia, but Fujitronic is still seeking distribution in the rest of the world.

From WSJ (subscription).

Posted by Mia Category: home
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03.27.2005

Sharp Healsio Steam Oven

The Sharp Healsio oven introduces a new way of cooking that uses steam superheated at 300 degrees Celsius. Amazingly, this melts away not only the fat but also reduces the salt content, while preserving essential nutrients. And don't think it'll reduce everything to a soggy mess, either. At the recent press launch in Singapore, it wowed the audience by toasting bread. This oven steams, grills, roasts, bakes, defrosts and reheats. Here are some of the things it can make (click on the recipe PDFs if you read Japanese).

Launched in Japan late last year, it recently became available in Singapore (sadly, only in silver) for S$1,799. It will soon be rolled out in other Asian markets such as Hong Kong and Indonesia, and then Europe and North America later in the year.

Via CNetAsia.

Posted by saresha Category: home
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03.27.2005

Flashy entertainment

Last November, LG Electronics launched the LG LH-C643 home theatre system. Noted for being decorated with 24-carat gold, it's perfect for those who fear that their guests might somehow miss the 71-inch HD plasma telly, said then to be the biggest of its kind in the world. The gold was a wise move on the part of LG, because it was barely two months later when they were pipped for the title of World's Largest Plasma Display Panel TV by Samsung's 80-inch monstrosity, the HPR8072 , which comes only in boring old black. The LH-C643 costs a cool 80 million won.

If you prefer a piece of bling you can carry around with you, opt for the limited edition Samsung Yepp YP-W3 1GB MP3 player. Shaped like a pocket watch, it features scratch-resistant sapphire glass and a white gold plated exterior studded with diamonds. A bargain at 900,000 won.