February 2006 ~ Strange New Products

Paramount's Great America, in Santa Clara, CA, unleashes the world's first reality rollercoaster, Survivor The Ride.

Based on the hit CBS series, ride seekers start out on a journey surrounded by the sounds of tribal music, jungle drums, fiery 40-foot tall torches, exotic tribal relics and tropical landscaping.

Those brave enough can participate in an endurance immunity challenge as seen on the television show or relive SURVIVOR moments through memoirs of previous seasons.

Riders are then divided into two tribes and challenged to demonstrate their enthusiasm through tribal chants and ritual dance movements that trigger a collection of native masks to spray water on the losing tribe.

The adventure continues as tribes of riders board a giant circular vessel complete with a towering tribal mask looming at its center. Guests sit facing outward and experience a thrilling rocking and spinning motion as the platform swirls along a wave-like track, all while traversing through rugged terrain and ascending hills as high as five stories tall.

Bottled Water Extracted from Fruit

4:07 PM | by Steve Johnson |

Our next entry into the world of strange bottled water, is O18, water extracted from fruit.

The Australian-based company by the same name, uses an award winning "pressure chilling" process to extract water from Australian grown apples and oranges. They freeze the fruit juice and from there are able to separate the fruit from the water.

They claim its the purest water on Earth because it comes from inside the fruit where it's kept free from outside impurities. But while it comes from fruit, it doesn't taste like it, just plain water.

8:42 AM | by Steve Johnson |

Dogs get diabetes too. That's why Abbott Laboratories announced the launch of the AlphaTRAK, billing it as the first complete hand-held blood glucose monitoring system for dogs and cats.

AlphaTRAK can be used by pet owners to test their pets' blood sugar rapidly, and accurately with a very small blood sample, without relying on blood glucose meters designed for humans, which can produce widely variable and inaccurate results in pets.

According to Abbott, as many as one in every 200 dogs and one in every 400 cats suffer from diabetes mellitus. Like humans, these animals are susceptible to both Type I diabetes, or the inability to produce insulin, and Type II diabetes, an insensitivity to insulin. However, Type I is more prevalent among dogs and Type II is more common in cats.

The AlphaTRAK will be shipping out to veterinarians beginning in March. If you want one, you'll have to visit your vet, and request one.

CNET News Via PetGadgets

Beer Can with Lip Wrapper

6:36 PM | by Steve Johnson |

17 Comments

Grupo Cerveza Alhambra is advertising its new beer can design featuring this "lip wrapper" made of tin.

I've never seen one of these things, though I suppose they may have been around in Spain where Alhambra is brewed. The brewer says this is supposed to keep the lip clean, so that you can enjoy both alcohol and good health.

So what is this thing supposed to be called? Lip Wrapper? Can Cover?

Choc Pix Tasty Girls

6:52 PM | by Steve Johnson |

Choc-Pix Tasty Girls is belgian-white chocolate, with a molding of three naked girls.

But that's not the gimmick. When you shine some light on it at the right angle, the molding reveals the same image but in photographic form.

There is nothing added to the chocolate bar to make it do this. Rather, a very intricate texture is carved into the surface of the bar, so that light reflects off it in such a way to produce the photographic image.

£2.95 from Boys Stuff

Link (NSFW)

6:11 PM | by Steve Johnson |

30 Comments

Some ideas are just bad ideas.

Here is a toothbrush that comes with replaceable heads. When the brush wears out, you pull it off, and replace it with a new one.

The idea is that you can save money by replacing only the head. AS IF toothbrushes are so damn expensive. I suppose environmentalists will argue that this kind of product will reduce the amount of plastic in landfills. Ok, but what's next? Q-tips with replaceable heads?

Lip Balm with Appetite Suppresant

12:05 PM | by Steve Johnson |

Omega Tech Labs makes a product called "Promise", a new appetite suppresant in the form of lip balm.

By rolling on some lip treatment, you can curb your craving for food. Also, the manufacturer claims it will freshen your breath as well. I suppose that's true, considering it's supposed to stop you from eating.

I'm wondering why they didn't just go full board and throw in some Nestorone to curb pregnancy, and some Nicotine to curb smoking. And oh yeah, make it taste like Cheetos.

One container is estimated to last about a month, with a suggested retail price of $4.00 to $5.00.

11:03 AM | by Steve Johnson |

13 Comments

Meditation is hard work.

That's why there's a new bottled water for Yoga folks to cool down with. H2Om Water (merging of H2O amd the word "Om") is bottled water infused with the healing energies of music and the spoken word.

According to the company that makes it...
Water exposed to loving words and music showed brilliant, and complex crystallized patterns under the microscope at near freezing temperatures. In contrast, polluted water, or water exposed to negative thoughts and words, formed incomplete, asymmetrical patterns.
Here's how the water gets infused with words and music...

First, the label contains words and pictures designed to energize the water with good vibrations.

Second, after the bottling process, they play sounds and music designed to do more of the same.

Third, when you drink it, you're supposed to think of good things. "Think it while you drink it".

1:31 AM | by Steve Johnson |

17 Comments

Liquid Plumr Power Jet is a new drain cleaner (or perhaps drain clearer) that uses the air pressure in the can to blow out pipe clogs.

You twist the cap to enable the valve. Then, push the top of the can against the sink drain, and hold for three seconds. The pressurized air blows out that lovely concoction of toothpaste and hair that's been slowing down your drain.

However, if Junior has been reenacting Moby Dick by sending his little actions figures down the drain, this might make things worse.

Liquid Plumr's website says that the can is not just full of air. It also has somekind of liquid in it. They won't say what it is, but that it's totally safe. I guess they'd have to call it "Air Plumr" if that's all it was.

The website has a demo video.

LEGO Shaped Eggos

1:54 AM | by Steve Johnson |

10 Comments

The old saying "Leggo my Eggo" will soon be missing one letter "g" with the arrival of a new co-branded product.

Look at the product photo, and you'll notice a new "LEGO" variety of Eggos shaped into LEGO brick pieces.

The box states, "Toast, break & build!"

No word on when we might see this in stores. The other two new varieties, Blueberry and Flip-Flop, are mentioned on Kellogg's Eggo website, but not the LEGO variety.

Spray-on Birth Control

12:55 PM | by Steve Johnson |

8 Comments

An Australian-based company called Acrux has partnered with New York-based Population Council, Inc. to create the world's first spray-on contraceptive.

Acrux manufactures a drug delivery device called "MDTS", which sprays a dose of medication to the forearm, which gets absorbed into blood system. Population Council makes contraceptives, including one called Nestorone.

The two companies will jointly market the Nestorone MDTS combo at reduced prices to public sector organisations providing human reproductive health products to disadvantaged people.

Now if only the two companies could partner with Avon to add some perfume, this stuff ought to really sell.

12:17 PM | by Steve Johnson |

Corgi International Ltd., which makes all those die-cast models of automobiles, has a new product called "iCar".

It's their excuse to create something with a small letter "i" in the front of the name.

The iCar is a pimped out version of their model cars, with a display base that allows you to plug in an iPod. You can choose between the Cadillac Escalade or the Nissan 240SX. The Caddy comes with real working spinner wheels, wild graphics, chrome accessories, big tires and stereo system.

Now plug in yer iPod and bang out some Snoop Dog.

When the music plays, the car rocks right to left, front to back, and up and down to the music. Colored lights illuminate the wheel wells, rims, undercarriage, engine and trunk areas, and its speaker pumps out the sound.

Now pull your jeans down a few inches, and put on some Converse All-Stars. There. Now you're iCarin'.

10:45 AM | by Steve Johnson |

A company called RSEE Innovations is selling a raft called, "Recyclers Raft".

Instead of inflating it with air, you stuff it with 2 liter soda bottles. The advantage is that if a bottle gets punctured, you just replace the bottle. You don't have to worry about the raft itself getting full of holes.

You have to provide your own set of 2 liter bottles.

Sounds like a "green" conspiracy to turn us all into campground trash divers.

10:03 AM | by Steve Johnson |

0 Comments

Hair Direct, Inc. is marketing what it bills as a "revolutionary new disposable hair system".

The hair piece is designed to be used for a month, after which, you put on another one. Each piece is affixed to your noggin using some really powerful tape. Because it's designed to be worn for 30 days, you don't have to worry about caring for the hair piece. For a price of $199.00, you get 12 hair pieces in all.

The company sends you their Custom Fitting Kit so that your piece matches the size of your head.

It's been said that you can learn a lot about someone by examining the contents of their garbage. It's becoming more truer than ever.

Golf Buckle All-in-One Combo

9:54 PM | by Steve Johnson |

0 Comments

The day James Bond retires to the golf course from his gig at MI6 he might be sporting the Golf Buckle All-in-One Combo.

It incorporates a little device that doubles as a golf divot repair tool and magnetic ball marker. It slides in-and-out of the buckle through a slot in the top edge of the buckle. It's supposed to save grief from people fretting over where they misplaced their divot repair tool and ball marker.

The buckle also sports a window on the front that holds photos, allowing a guy like James Bond to exchange glossies of his latest conquests both on and off the green.

The buckly is tarnish and rust resistant, and sells for $30.00.

2:24 PM | by Steve Johnson |

One of the joys of being a product blogger is coming across exotic stuff like this can of Curried Goat Meat.

It's made by Vietnamese-based Ninh Binh Meat Cannery.

The product literature that comes with it says that it's made with the meat of mountain goats, potatoes, salt and spices, and that it's manufactured using "modern German technology". I wonder if that means killing the goats with a Walther P38?

It's obviously not anything strange or new for lovers of Vietnamese fare. Just figured curried goat meat deserved some blog space somewhere.

Electric Middle Finger for Quadriplegics

7:49 PM | by Steve Johnson |

What the world needs now is a Remote Controlled Middle Finger!

It normally sits on your desk as a closed hand. When a co-worker says something moronic, you secretly activate the remote control, and it flips them off.

What they need now is a adapter kit for wheelchairs so that quadriplegics can flip people off too.

$27.89 from Prank Place

6:56 PM | by Steve Johnson |

The Pentel Mini Cell Phone Pen could probably solve the problem of disappearing pens.

I have this problem of never having a pen handy when I need one. I only have them when I don't need them. This is why I ask people not to buy me expensive gift pens.

One time I grabbed up about 30 logo'd pens from my old employer (they had thousands of them), took them home, and scattered them everywhere, into desks, kitchen drawers, coffee table, by the phone, everywhere. About a year later, I couldn't find a single one of them.

They must congregating somewhere to plan a worldwide take over.

6:38 PM | by Steve Johnson |

The Dog Butt Towel Holder is a great gift for anal-minded dog owners. You just push a towel into the butt hole and the "+" holds it in place.

Kinda reminds of a very sick visual back when I was a kid, seeing a dog running around with a string hanging out of its butt.

I'm sure they can make these in a "hole" variety of forms (cats, horses, politicians).

£19.99 from DrinkStuff

6:27 PM | by Steve Johnson |

Crumb Pets are little vacuum cleaners made to look like farm animals.

They're designed to adorn your kitchen countertop, and then clean up the little crumbs that get left on the counter or dining table.

So, if you eat like a pig at the dinner table (me!), you can get the little pig to snort up the left-overs. Runs on 2 AA batteries.

£5.99 from DrinkStuff

NASCAR FanView

5:11 PM | by Steve Johnson |

In a joint effort, Sprint Nextel, NASCAR, and Kangaroo.TV have launched a new wireless tracking device called "NASCAR NEXTEL FanView".

It's a handheld scanner allowing NASCAR fans to hear radio communications between drivers, watch televised video, as well as in-car camera channels, along with audio replay-features. It's also taps directly into NASCAR's timing and scoring system, providing fans with real-time race data and statistics at the touch of a button.

The device will make its debut on Feb. 17 at Daytona International Speedway, where it will be available for rent.

Read more about it.

4:37 PM | by Steve Johnson |

A company called SmartShopper, Inc. is developing a device called "SmartShopper", a voice activated shopping list and to-do organizer.

The user presses a button on the unit and says the name of a grocery item they will need on their next visit to the store. It converts it into digital data, and remembers it.

The unit has a LCD and an embedded thermal printer that actually prints the list right out of the unit. The items on the list are printed out according to the categories in the grocery store, so that all frozen items are grouped together, etc. The unit comes with nearly 2,000 grocery items already entered and the user can add their own favorite items or brands.

It also allows users to create an errand list, by saying what tasks they need to complete, and the unit will print them out together.

Sounds like this device is a great way for stores and manufacturers to print out coupons with your shopping list.

12 Gauge Magnum Energy Kick

11:19 PM | by Steve Johnson |

Energy supplements are nothing new, but I always enjoy well-themed products, such as this energy pill labeled, "12 Gauge Magnum".

These are new from Carmel, IN-based BDI Marketing, described as "double aught energy kick". It's largely a caffeine pill especially designed for people seeking an effective shot blast of get-up-and-go.

I like the gimmicky lead shot form factor, with the sales copy, "Stay awake & alert with a buckshot blast." The packaging also says each pill is equivalent to 6 cups of coffee.

Grass for your Cat's Water Bowl

11:05 PM | by Steve Johnson |

9 Comments

Look carefully at this fancy self-filling water bowl. Why is there grass growing in it?

The Drinkwell Pet Fountain now comes with an "Aqua Garden" for cats. It grows a blend of wheat, oats, barley and rye that cats supposedly love to eat. The grass is said to relieve indigestion, control hairballs and protects your houseplants from Fluffy's desire to graze.

The grass is shipped in "Pod Packs", which you just toss into the blue hanging basket. When it grows and gets eaten, you toss another Pod Pack in there. This way, the manufacturer keeps getting more of your money.

The Aqua Garden is still pretty new, and not yet mentioned on Drinkwell's website.

Cold Beer, Warm Handle

10:10 AM | by Steve Johnson |

BeerHugs are beer mugs with grips on the handles.

It's designed to protect your hands from adhering to the handle when you pull a mug out of the freezer (like the old tongue-on-pole phenomenon). It also keeps the handle the dry as water condensates on the glass.

I imagine it might even help weaker, geriatric, beer drinkers grab ahold of their brew.

The grip is permanently fixed to the handle and is dishwasher safe. The company will even print your restaurant's logo on the mug.

Marijuana Lip Balm

1:32 PM | by Steve Johnson |

Next up in our look at odd lip balm flavorings is this one from Novio LLC under their Chronic Candy line.

Chronic Lip Candy Hemp Lip Balm is actually raspberry flavored, though the product's label markets it as "Hemp Lip Bomb".

Chronic Candy is a line of confections that contain hemp essential oil to provide a marijuana-like flavoring. None of the products actually contain marijuana or THC.

The company also sells a cannabis fragrance, which I presume you wear on your skin, so that you can please olfactory senses of the pothead-lover in your life.

10:38 AM | by Steve Johnson |

5 Comments

DoubleUps For Beds is a line of bed sheets and comforters designed for couples where the two folks have opposing sleep preferences.

Imagine two separate bed sheets sewn together only at a small patch near the foot, and that basically describes it.

This way, you can snuggle up the way you like, while the spousey can roll around and pull on the sheet without pulling anything off of you.

Supposedly, anyways.

Egyptian Economy Toilet Paper

5:06 PM | by Steve Johnson |