Hand painted tilt-a-mouse

Seriously, we Americans could learn a thing or two from the Russians, Chinese, and Japanese, as they all know exactly how to ugly up a mouse better than anyone. As expected, the "hand painted" Daruma tilt-a-mouse proves no different, as its vivid color scheme and less-than-ergonomic grip make for a critter that only a mother (or indebted manufacturer) could love to point with. Of course, you could make a case that the tilting interface that intelligently moves your cursor about the screen is worth a few marks, but considering the entirely more sexy innovations we've seen in mice of late, we're not sure this is going to lift off as anything but technochotchke. But hey, who are we to judge the beauty of your next spherical mouse? It's all yours for a steep ¥9,700 ($82).

[Via Spluch]

[Matthias @ Apr 22nd 2007 8:54AM]

In case you don't know, what this little guy is ;-)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daruma

Not, that it seems to be a good idea though...

[umijin @ Apr 22nd 2007 9:02AM]

Ummm... The Chinese wouldn't have anything to be proud of in this case, because this is Japanese.

[Gaijin @ Apr 24th 2007 3:07PM]

It would have to be either a mythical dragon, diplomatic giant panda, the great wall that can be seen from space or an iconography of venerable chairman Mao to do the chinese proud.

[Daikon @ Apr 22nd 2007 9:22AM]

Any word on Maneki Neko versions?

[Jamar @ Apr 22nd 2007 12:38PM]

Who knows, but at least Maneki Neko is more Chinese than Daruma (the former I see in practically every small to moderately-sized business in Shanghai, the latter I've only seen twice).

[Daikon @ Apr 22nd 2007 8:52PM]

I see a lot of sushi places in Chinatown also but that doesn't make it Chinese ^_^

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maneki_neko

[VJH @ Apr 22nd 2007 9:42AM]

I'm holding back for the tanuki version. Not that a extra daruma isn't nice, but I'm not sure which eye I should paint in and I don't my local shrine would would let me burn it there at the beginning of next year...

Just because a product is described on a Chinese web site doesn't make it Chinese any more than being taken from Engadget would make it American...Geez.

[Castle @ Apr 22nd 2007 10:13AM]

Daruma is Japanese; has nothing to do with the Chinese. Also, the price being in the Japanese yen should have been a clue.

[Mike @ Apr 22nd 2007 2:07PM]

Well, actually Daruma (aka Bodhidharma)was a South Indian who created the Chaan school of Buddhism which was later brought to Japan as Zen. Though, I believe the Daruma dolls are only found in Japan.

[S. Brown @ Apr 22nd 2007 10:20AM]

It also wards off laptop thieves.

[orijinal @ Apr 22nd 2007 11:01AM]

looks like Scuzzy from ReBoot

[Bob @ Apr 22nd 2007 11:27AM]

Weebles wobble but they don't fall down

[mtvkilledusall @ Apr 22nd 2007 11:40AM]

Way to show your cultural ineptitude, Engadget.
Congratulations.

[Jeff Ramos @ Apr 22nd 2007 1:09PM]

wow.

the fact that you mention something being chinese and mention it's cost in Japanese yen is ... yeah. It's fine though, I know we all "look alike" and all that. You know, for a site that does so much overseas news reporting, it's sad that you can make this sort of mistake. Not even for the ethnic difference, but to say China in one breath and yen the next?

Didn't the same thing happen when you guys did a post about a BenQ product? Maybe you should just say "over in slanty town" or call us Charlies. Generalizations are always easy. Especially in the fast paced world of reporting about things to put on desktops.

[Jeff Ramos @ Apr 22nd 2007 1:44PM]

to your credit though, this was posted on a Chinese website, so honest mistake.


then again, they clearing are reporting on Korean and Japanese news pieces right under that, so...

[nora @ Apr 22nd 2007 2:16PM]

Well, it's a gadget, definitely Asian, but it sucks, so it can't be from the Japanese, and because it sucks, it just HAS to be from China, right? RIGHT!

[bob @ Apr 22nd 2007 10:56PM]

Man, don't you people READ these articles? It doesn't say that the product is Chinese, only that the Russians, Chinese & Japanese know how to uglify a product concept. Geez!

[healthstore @ Apr 23rd 2007 2:13PM]

yeah you collegiate crew cut bearing lower east side converts... leave your hole and find out more about what is going on in the world around you.

[blahblah @ Apr 23rd 2007 6:05PM]

bob, maybe you should read the title first: "Hand painted tilt-a-mouse does CHINA proud"

[JP @ Apr 24th 2007 12:11PM]

Does this thing remind anyone else of a character from the show ReBoot? I'm thinking Hexadecimal's sidekick.