Sunday, December 27, 2009

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Sunday, July 5, 2009

World's most expensive USB flash drive

Japan's Solid Alliance may be the king of USB flash drive retailers but the company's execs have decided that's not good enough - they're now charging a king's ransom for a thumb drive so exclusive you can thumb your nose at all and sundry.

Yes, it takes the princely sum of one million yen - about $10,000 - to buy the Mnemosyne USM Memory. Professionally hand-crafted from solid aluminum buffed to a mirror finish, the Mnemosyne owes its striking good looks to Milan-based Italian Design Studio Toshi Satoji Design.

It holds a very respectable 16GB of data... that is, once you break down the 3" square cube to access the actual USB key ensconced at its center.

Part Rubik's Cube, part jigsaw puzzle and part Borg starship, the Mnemosyne USB Memory is definitely like nothing you've ever seen before and obviously that's a big part of its allure.

Is it worth ten grand, though? Depends... on who you want to impress. If the answer is "everyone", then Solid Alliance would very much like to hear from you. (via Asiajin and MyCom)

First ever Eyeball tatoo

A Toronto man has been the first to get an eyeball tattoo. Basically, he has turned the whites of his eyes blue.

Corneal tattooing is usually used for patients that have had trauma to their eye, not for this, which is called body modification.

It took 40 injections of blue ink in order to complete this procedure. Pigment was injected under the top layer of the eye using a syringe. The syringe injected the ink into the eye. At first they had tried a traditional needle with ink on it, but when the ink didn't hold, they switched to the syringe.

The man has reported that all is well so far, but it feels like he has something in his eye.

I can barely stand needles poking me anywhere, but in the eye? I can't even imagine. I wonder what would happen if you decided to change your mind after it was done?

Who here wants to get the world's next eyeball tattoo? Maybe a colorful rainbow would work nicely.

Sources: absoluterandom, nypost

Most Creepiest Bakery of the world

Imagine running up to the bakery around the corner and coming across bread shaped like body parts. Sound yummy? Artist Kittiwat Unarrom creates just that; gruesome works of art out of bread.

Kittiwat Unarrom has a master's degree in fine arts and creates bruised and battered heads, feet and other internal organs at a bread shop in Thailand.

He started using his skills and made sculptures out of bread. This came naturally to him because his family runs a bakery. The bread is made out of dough, raisins, cashews and chocolate. He just adds his own touch to the finished product.

This makes me wonder how long the line wraps around the bakery in order to purchase this finely crafted delicious bread.

I would love to go over to my parent's house with one of these. Carefully setting the concealed bread on the table, I would wait until all of the food was served and innocently ask my mom if she could pass me the bread. Imagine her surprise when she lifts open the cover and comes face to face with one of these gory delights. Okay, so I'd never be invited over to dinner again, but I think the look on her face would be so worth it.

I think this could be an excellent idea for restaurants. They could use one of these heads as a bread bowl and serve spaghetti in it. It would kind of be like eating brains, don't you think?

Sources: amiedotcom, foodmall

Craziest Concept Cars

On the 26th of October, the Tokyo Motor Show kicked off with a roar. Some of the highlights included the Lancer EVO X and the highly anticipated Nissan GT-R. Manufacturers also introduced a handful of concept cars that can only be described as "unique."

Here are my picks for the 10 Coolest and Craziest Concept Cars from the Tokyo Motor Show:

10. The Suzuki PIXY.

Suzuki PIXY

Suzuki PIXY This really stretches the meaning of the word car. It can only seat one person and is used for short trips across town. If a longer trip is required, 2 PIXYs can "pair" up and go into a Suzuki Sharing Coach (SSC). They are powered by either solar energy or clean burning Hydrogen. They can also be used inside buildings and easy to use for "non-drivers"

9. The Toyota i-Real

Toyota i-Real

Toyota i-Real
Another concept that really stretches the meaning of the word car. It is basically a 3-wheel scooter with a seat and armrests. You control the vehicle by using a pair of joysticks, one in each hand. The i-Real will also warn you of anything that is within a certain distance by noise and vibration to ensure no collisions.

8. The Suzuki X-Head

Suzuki X-Head

Suzuki X-Head

At first glance, this looks more like a scaled down Tonka Truck we see kids playing with at the beach. However the X-Head is no toy according to Suzuki. It is dependable and functional, while still offering an enjoyable driving experience. It can also take on different roles by simply changing the bed.

7. The Diahatsu Mud Master-C

Daihatsu Mud Master-C

Daihatsu Mud Master-C

A compact transporter with a huge amount of cargo space. It is designed with a body-on-frame structure to increase life-span and off-road capability. The cargo area can be accessed by 1 of 3 doors on either side or the rear. The interior sports a single LCD multi-display and moisture repellent upholstery.

6. The Suzuki BiPlane

Suzuki BiPlane

Suzuki BiPlane

A new kind of motorcycle design that is based on the 1970's drag bikes. The heart of this machine is a 1000cc twin-cam 4 cylinder. The block it liquid cooled to provide safety and comfort for the rider. The aerodynamics were inspired by riders who compared the feeling of accelerating on a long straightaway to taking off in a jet.

5. The Nissan NV200

Nissan Nv200

Nissan Nv200

A futuristic work van designed to provide for whatever a company or individual needs. The NV200 doesn't look very unusual till you see the pod hidden under the body open. The pod slides from under the rear of the vehicle and can be customized to meet the needs of whomever is driving it.

4. The Honda PUYO

Honda PUYO

Honda PUYO

This is my second visit to the PUYO and I still laugh at the "skin" of the vehicle. The idea was to create a body that would absorb the energy from low-speed collisions and was welcoming to people. The exterior is spongy to the touch and has no sharp corners in an attempt to increase safety. The interior is colorful and provides feedback in the form of colors as apposed to the traditional gauge.

3. The Nissan PIVO 2

Nissan PIVO-2

Nissan PIVO-2

The PIVO 1 was introduced to the world 2 years ago at the Tokyo Motor Show. The new PIVO is more advance and driver friendly according to Nissan. All 4 wheels can turn 360 degrees and operate independently. The PIVO2 is capable of going not only forwards and backwards, but side to side as well and anything in-between. The interior also features a "Driving Agent" that reads your facial expression and can cheer you up or calm you down depending on the circumstances.

2. The Mitsubishi i-MIEV Sport

Mitsubishi i-MIEV Sport

Mitsubishi i-MIEV Sport

Proof that an electric car can have a sporty look and feel to it. The i-MIEV Sport uses 3 electric motors. Two of the motors are built directly into the wheels. The highlight of Mitsubishi's new concept is the ability to use microwaves to recharge.

1. The Mazda Taiki

Mazda Taiki

Mazda Taiki

One of my favorite concepts from the Tokyo Motor Show. It looks a little like the next design for the BatMobile. The most impressive part about the design of this car was how the body lines were chosen. After soaking strips of cloth in resin, they were left to take the shape of the wind. For that reason alone it gets my vote. Seriously though it just looks amazing.

The Tokyo Auto Show will continue through till the 9 of November. This year has brought a myriad of amazing and strange designs from every manufacturer that attended. Let's hope next year is equally as amazing.

Source : MSN AutoShow

George Delozier
Motorized Innovations
InventorSpot.com