I was just thinking to myself that I hadn't found a good Geek Spy in a while when @randomraj shows me this little gem. Are you always losing your keys? This keychain will make it rather hard for you to lose your keys seeing as it's attached to a giant earphone speaker..
On to the details as described by the website:
The Earphone Speaker Keychain is a great little when-the-mood-strikes-you speaker for your music player of choice. It fits into any standard 1/8" headphone jack, and sounds quite crisp and clear. Keep it on your keyring, your backpack, the zipper of your favorite jacket - anywhere you might want it when listening to music. The speaker part just pops in and out of the keychain part for easy use. The Earphone Speaker Keychain will make sure you always have a speaker at hand for all those important music moments.
This is for the Math Geeks out there. Check out this necklace which features the mathematical constant Pi accurate to the 100th decimal place. Available in Japan only unfortunately. More info here.
There's really not much to say. @rkirpalaney showed me this laptop and I am in love. How gorgeous is this crocodile leather covered laptop launched by Sony in Japan?
Oh and for those actually interested in specs: Intel’s Core 2 Duo processor, up to 8GB RAM, up to 500GB hard drive and NVIDIA GeForce 9300M GS graphics.14.1-inch 1280×800 LCD display and supports WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n and Bluetooth. Windows Vista. Three models are available, VGN-CS92DS, VGN-CS92JS and VGN-CS92XS.
The iPad craze is definitely here to stay and if you can't afford an iPad for whatever reason, how bout spicing your kitchen up with the iPad cutting board? Available from myBrett for 15 Euros.
a) Do guys still use collar stays these days? b) Does this gift imply that women are to stay at home and make sure their men’s shirts are nicely pressed? c) And how would the woman know how she is feeling that day? Does she have to get up early to prepare her man’s shirt with a racy message while he sleeps in?
Right before the final Harry Potter book was released, a few friends and I dorkily started a Harry Potter book club. We had a facebook group page and code names for each other. I was Hagrid. We were so cool. On the day the Deathly Hallows was released, we gathered in one living room to read and eat cupcakes that had Hogwarts logos on them. Cool, I tell you we were. That night, we took our books to Pi and ended up meeting this British guy, whom we used to amuse ourselves by making him say magic phrases with his British accent. Expelliarmus! Wengardium Leviosa! And the most dreaded.. Avada Kedavra... the second half of which, incidentally, sounds like cadeaver, which I guess is apt, given it's a killing spell. British guy was amused for about five seconds before he wished he could use the Avada Kedavra on himself.
Anyway, one dorky element that we missed out on, clearly, was the Magic Wand remote. This button-free remote syncs with your TV remote and "learns" to perform certain functions depending on how you swing the wand. There are 13 different ways to operate your control, even though I can't think of 13 ways to use a wand. But that's why I'm not a magician. Hagrid was kicked out of Hogwarts, remember? Anyway, cute idea. Dorky, yes, but still cute. JUST LIKE ME.
You can get it here. On a side note, I almost accidentally posted this is Geek Spy: Magic Wang Remote. Which totally sounds like a battery-operated pleasure device. Which is also maybe much cooler than a TV wand. But we're not going to go there.
Remember the clock that we showcased a while back that is for the alphabetically inclined? Well, here’s one for math nerds. (Sidenote, why is it that it sounds so much smoother in my head that mathematically inclined people should be nerds rather than geeks? Hmm, a conundrum to ponder over a rainy day methinks.) Anyway, makers of this clock want to ensure that those calculus lessons, math classes haven’t gone to waste. Of course, most of us past a certain age learned to read an analog clock by its angles, so numerals are kinda unnecessary but nice concept. How many do you know? Answers after the cut. Get it for US$25 here. Answers 12 - a radical 1 - Legendre's constant is a mathematical constant occurring in a formula conjectured by Adrien-Marie Legendre to capture the asymptotic behavior of the prime-counting function. Its value is now known to be exactly 1. 2 - A joke in the math world: An infinite number of mathematicians walk into a bar. The first one orders a beer. The second orders half a beer. The third, a quarter of a beer. The bartender says, "You're all idiots," and pours two beers. 3 - A unicode character XML "numeric character reference." 4 - Modular arithmetic, also known as clock arithmetic, is a system of arithmetic for integers, where numbers "wrap around" after they reach a certain value. The modular multiplicative inverse of 2 (mod 7) is the integer /a/ such that 2*/a/ is congruent to 1 modulo 7. 5 - The Golden Mean...reworked a little. 6 - Three factorial (3*2*1=6) 7 - A repeating decimal that is proven to be exactly equal to 7 with Cauchy's Convergence Test. 8 - Graphical representation of binary code. 9 - An example of a base-4 number, which uses the digits 0, 1, 2 and 3 to represent any real number. 10 - A Binomial Coefficient, also known as the choose function. 5 choose 2 is equal to 5! divided by (2!*(5-2)!) 11 A hexadecimal, or base-16, number.
Regular readers of the blog will know that us Geeks are massive fans of the iPhone. And sure the tons and tons of fun apps are an attraction but the thing I love the most might be that there are so many different casings for it. From the cheap plastic cases (of which I break one every two weeks but I don’t care coz that means I can change colours without feeling the guilt of excessive consumption) to the designer, there are no lack of options to choose from. My attention was recently drawn to the iShoes which are rather whimsical interpretations of the plastic iPhone case that you see all over the place. Of course, I think if they positioned it as the iCorset, it might be a better marketing strategy. For who doesn’t love turning their items into lust worthy objects? Available at CitySuper or G.O.D. for HK$169
Continuing the trend of making big bucks with simple ideas, the Ask the Octopus iPhone app, the Snuggie, we bring you the Antenn-aid. It may have started as a joke idea between two designers from Brooklyn but in less than two weeks it’s become a thriving business. A simple bandaid design that covers the death spot of the iPhone 4, Szymon Weglarski and Jon Dorfman opened up shop on Etsy in July 16 and since then, they’ve made close to 2,000 sales. Initially, the Antenn-aids were sold individually but with such high demand, it soon proved to be inefficient, so they switched to a six-pack of assorted colors, which costs $5 plus shipping. Their tagline? “Apple made a boo-boo. Make it all better.” Technical specifications? “Umm.. it’s a sticker.” It just doesn’t get much simpler than that. Now if only we had thought of it first.
Show off your Geek cred with this NDS 'character kit' from Amazon. Choose from the ever popular Mario or the older ugly duckling Luigi. (Sidenote, why is it in Super Mario world, the short chubby one is more popular while in the real world we all strive to be skinny and tall? There's a fable waiting to be written here...)US$15
Nostalgia is always a good marketing tool and sometimes you stumble across something that you can only label as genius. Behold the USB Typewriter. Available on Etsy for US$75 for the DIY kit and US$300-$400 for the actual product, memories just don’t come cheap these days. Of course, some might argue memories are priceless (Mastercard ad anyone?) Check out the video where the USB Typewriter is attached to the iPad giving a nice contrast between the ancient and not so ancient.
This one’s for the boys. Are you always losing your USB thumb drive? Check out these USB cufflinks. For the smartly dressed (no T-shirts for this guy), these USB cufflinks boasts 2GB per link. Perfect as a Father’s Day present (how on earth is it June already?!?) or just something to spice up your guy’s daily work wardrobe. US$195 a pair. Get it here.
I'm a big music listener and I would never leave the house without my earphones. Unfortunately, I think I must be some sort of innate earphones wrecker as inevitably, one side of the earphones will lose its sound without fail within a year. After having broken yet another pair of earphones last year, I dragged ShoeGeek to help me find a replacement. After wandering around the shops for a while, I discovered AIAIAI earphones, created by a Danish design house. I was attracted to these earphones primarily because the wire was thicker than normal hence I hoped that it would survive the one year curse. It will be coming up a year in a month or so and things are looking pretty promising. Having already been a fan of AIAIAI, I was delighted when the company sent me a pair of their latest AIAIAI Track Headphones for trial.
These headphones are a hipster-friendly design by Copenhagen’s Kilo Design, which pays homage to the original Walkman headphones. With a simple stylish design, these headphones come with a range of different coloured parts so you can customise the look depending on your mood. So let's go to the sound, for the audiophiles, the headphones boast 40-millimeter drivers with a sensitivity of 112 +/-3 dB and a 23-Ohm impedance. For the rest of us, the music sounds a little fuller on the bass than other headphones but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Turning up the volumn still brings a nice clear sound with minimal distortion. However, do note that the noise insulation of these headphones are pretty poor. Everyone around you will hear exactly what you are listening to so fans of Justin Beiber might want to shy away from these.
Check them out at CitySuper's Log On or LCX. iPhone compatible.
If there's anyone with whom I can empathize in the iPhone/iPad phenomenon, Plants vs Zombies, it's the zombies. They may be gooey and undead and stuck wielding odd weaponry and costumes for the rest of eternity, doomed to move straight ahead in pursuit of crunchy sunflowers and human brains... but I think last night proved I too can blindly follow a single goal for no apparent reason. I've been phone-less for about a week now and iPhone game deprivation has sent me spiraling into a deep sensory-deprived abyss. So when an iPad appeared in my house courtesy of Monsieur Hsu, you can bet I was glued to the screen, tapping away at zombies and demolishing them with my pea shooters and cherry bombs. It is indeed said that your greatest enemy is he/she/it whom is most like you...
Even though the iPad is pretty light, I have to admit, having this iPad Incase Convertible Book Jacket would make it an even more delicious experience, so that I could simultaneously demolish zombies and eat dinner without having to look away from the screen. (I did it last night sans support, but it will only get harder upon reaching the roof level...) It's adjustable like a deck chair and features a sticky support mat so your iPad doesn't slide around when you poke it too hard in exasperation because the zombies are coming ever closer, closer, closer to braindom. And clearly I am only introducing it to you readers because I want Mr Hsu to get one, so that when he comes over with his iPad I can enjoy the fruits of his online shopping. But if you too fear for your brains, and those of your family members, you will purchase one or something like it, seeing as this one isn't available yet.
What's this? Two Geek Spy posts in a week? Well yeah, I've obviously been hard at work scouring the internet for random tidbits that you, my dear readers, will find amusing. Some might say this gadget is catered more to the guys but I know plenty of beer loving girls so maybe it's a bit of both. Behold the USB flash drive that also functions as a bottle opener. Of course, I'm not too sure how smart it would be to have a flash drive acting as your bottle opener if you plan on downing a lot of beers. What if someone spills onto the flash drive? Then you just end up with an overpriced bottle opener. But undoubtedly this will tickle someone's fancy. If that person is you, get it here.
I’ve always thought that beauty gadgets have got to be one of the easiest products to sell from electric eyelash curlers to blackhead removers to portable steamers for instant facials. Tell us ladies that this gadget will do something and we are likely to believe it. Of course, when it doesn’t work, it’s more likely that it’s due to us not being diligent enough to use it on a regular basis than the failure of the product. (Although sometimes I do have my doubts.) Anyway, I just discovered this latest gadget from Oregon Scientific; the Platinum Beauty Roller. Originating from Japan, the Platinum Beauty Roller is a facial massage tool that allows users to give their faces a lift any time. The press release claims that this roller combines nourishing minerals with unique massage functions to rejuvenate and tighten the inner layers of the skin and smoothen the outer layers. I’m not quite sure where the nourishing minerals come from, maybe from the skincare you use along with the roller? Anyway, the key factor of this roller is apparently the special rhythmic piano-touch massage that mimics fingers lightly playing on keyboards that will enlarge your capillaries to push out the excess water and other harmful minerals. If you do try it out, let me know what you think.
Platinum Beauty Roller features: • Instant face lift for slims facial contours • Restore skin firmness and elasticity • Reduce fine lines and wrinkles • Usable with water soluble beauty essence and after make-up • No electricity is required; portable to carry around • Suggested price: HK $1,680
It seems that these days, emoticons have become the everyday vernacular even seeping into the business world. Of course, it’s still the traditional smiley =) as opposed to some of the more intricate \(^.^)/ that might be floating around forums. Well this stamp from Japan is hoping to change things. Each stamp is hand made, and has seven belts which enable you to make over 2000 different combinations for these ‘kaoiro’ which means facial expressions. I can totally see people using this not only as the obligatory entrance stamp to clubs but also inadvertently using it as a date stamp, effectively confusing the heck out of anyone. Get it online here.
So the iPad is finally out and the early adopters are all eager to test it. Personally, I haven’t decided if I’m pro or against the iPad. What I am interested in knowing is how businesses will take marketing forward using new technology. (Must be the PR Geek in me.) Earlier, I wrote about how the Langham Hotel was offering guests an iPod guided tour to their Chinese contemporary art which the hotel boasts as being the first in the world. Hot on the heels of this comes the news of InterContinental Hong Kong equipping its Concierge teams with iPads. I’d be interested in seeing how the InterContinental will utilise the iPad’s functionality to compliment guests’ experiences. One question I have would be with regards to mobility. After all, a key selling point of the iPad is the fact that you can take it wherever you go much like a netbook. If the iPad is stationed at a concierge desk much like any desktop or laptop, what would be the point? (Besides the cool factor of being the first to utilize the iPad and generating buzz about it.)
Thankfully, the InterContinental realizes that and won’t be underutilizing the iPad’s functionality. They’ve already downloaded a ton of apps for the iPad such as the Hong Kong 720º by the Hong Kong Tourism Board. In addition, videos of the concierge team’s top local recommendations will loaded onto the gadget as well. Of course, it’s early days yet and I’m sure the InterContinental will be coming up with more uses for the iPad. What do you think would be some cool uses for the iPad in a hotel concierge service?
Image caption: InterContinental Hong Kong Chief Concierge Louis Baleros with the iPad
In a city where tiny apartments are prevalent and stress rampant, this Foldaway Massage Chair should be pretty ideal for the Hong Kong market. Boasting of invigorating leg and foot massages and folding to the size of the ottoman, the Foldaway Massage Chair uses air cells to inflate and deflate to deliver a kneading sensation. Finger-like nodes provide acupressure massages on the toes, arches and soles of the feet. At US$800, this is a pretty pricey gadget (not to mention it’s basically the Osim iSqueeze plus a chair, and the iSqueeze is considerably cheaper) but there’s something about its red and white colour scheme that has us wanting this overpriced ottoman that folds into a 22” x 19” block (the press release calls it a cube but the math nerd in me disagrees). Of course, the fact that us Geeks are suckers for anything convertible might also be a factor. What do you think? Is it worth it?
I'm not sure if these are sold out yet, but Joyce is now peddling a line of exclusive iPhone cases designed for their annual Truly Gifted line, which went on sale last week and will go until March 14. Last year, they released a limited-edition USB stick by Alexander McQueen, but this time they've partnered with no less than six design houses, including Anna Sui, Marni, Bless, Dries van Noten, Etro and Rick Owens. Now maybe my standards are a bit high, but does it seem like some put more effort than others into their little creation? Having six designers really creates a scale for judgement. For example, is slapping your logo on a bright yellow case tantamount to releasing your own branded limited-edition iPhone case? I would think not, but here Dries is certainly doing it... and I'm betting some brand whores are buying, too, given that four out of the six aren't stamped with logos, thus rendering them indistinguishable from the HK$38 cases you can buy in any shop on the street. Sort of. Bless' pebble-shaped creation is no doubt the most unique, but I could get on board with Etro's, which utilizes the house's signature print work, or even Rick Owen's crater-faced creation.
All of this leads me to wonder at which point the dilution of brand value will actually begin to affect luxury retailers. It's great for the consumer, and especially the Hong Kong consumer, that luxury-good retailers are spreading their wings into numerous markets, instead of concentrating on the US and Europe as in years past. Asia has always put up with a lot of complaints regarding fake designer goods, which is fair, because you can find a lotta fakes out here. But what about the brands who are whoring their name out to the point that for every seasonal item offered, there's an equivalent limited-edition version produced? Flooding our continent with a small supply of unimaginative exclusive goodies isn't exactly pumping up the value of your brand, is it?
Many luxury houses get into the fragrance market because it's a way to increase their brand's reach at lower income levels. For the gal who can't own a Gucci bag, for example, there's always the Gucci Envy perfume. That, I understand: you want consumers to be able to access you on some level while they save up for the big-ticket items. A small stable of exclusive products goes in the opposite direction, intended to reward those who are truly loyal to the brand.
And now we have something not quite here, not quite there: exclusives that aren't that exciting, intended to please whom, I wonder?
6:04 PM
hkFashionGeek
, Posted in
or the older ugly duckling 
. (Sidenote, why is it in Super Mario world, the short chubby one is more popular while in the real world we all strive to be skinny and tall? There's a fable waiting to be written here...)US$15
