HammacherSchlemmer -- Engadget

HammacherSchlemmer posts

Laughably large Red Light Camera Detector proves that you should just drive safely

by Darren Murph posted Oct 15th 2009 at 2:38AM

Just a hunch here, but we get the feeling that you've gone one step too far when you decide to install a red light camera detector in your vehicle that's larger than a) your GPS unit and b) the bag phone you used between the years 1991 and 1994. For those bold enough to disagree, there's the wild and wacky device pictured above, delivered to you by none other than Hammacher Schlemmer. Packing an internal database of 6,000 red light and speed cameras across the US and Canada, the GPS-enabled device also boasts a 1.6-inch OLED screen to show your position in relation to upcoming cameras, and of course it'll belt out all sorts of warnings to help you avoid the inevitable. Of course, you could just follow the rules of the road, but then you'd have no excuse to burn $199.95 up front and $19.95 annually on this heap. Tough call, no?

[Via NaviGadget]

Robonica Roboni-i rolling robot takes aim at WowWee, holiday shoppers

by Donald Melanson posted Sep 28th 2009 at 3:13PM

Upstart toymaker Robonica has been making promises about its Robini-i programmable robot for a little while now, but it looks like it's now not only managed to get the bot out the door, but land it on the cover of the new Hammacher Schlemmer holiday catalog as well. Headed up by a former Hasbro exec, the company is clearly taking aim at the likes of WowWee, but hopes to one-up them by also letting its robot with a "serious attitude" become an avatar in an MMO of sorts when it's not tormenting your pets. What's more, the Robini-i can also apparently interact with other bots both online and in person, and the more adventuresome folks out there can also take advantage of some basic programming capabilities provided by the included software (Windows only, for the time being). Slightly less entry-level, however, is the $299.95 that Hammacher Schlemmer is charging for the kit, although it appears that could drop to $250 as it rolls out to other retailers.

Read - Hammacher Schlemmer
Read - Xconomy, "Robonica President, an Ex-Hasbro Exec, Hopes to Put Boston Back on Toy Industry Map with Rolling Robots"

[Via IEEE Spectrum, thanks Ken R.]

40 Second Toothbrush complicates, horrifies

by Laura June posted Jun 6th 2009 at 1:59AM

We're not going to claim that the toothbrush can't be improved upon -- we know from experience that's not the case. But there is such a thing as going too far. The 40 Second Toothbrush, however, doesn't really claim to be more awesome than your standard stick-and-bristles affair -- just to be much, much faster. How does it cut the timesink of brushing the pearlies down by 66 percent? By having four intense-looking heads, which are capable of hitting up to six surfaces at once, at a rate of 810 swipes per minute. We haven't taken the thing for a spin ourselves, so we're not going to bother naysaying it, but we will say that it looks like a terrifying way to begin or end a day. The mouth violating 40 Second Toothbrush runs $99.95 from Hammacher Schlemmer and is available right now.

[Via Red Ferret]

Infallibly Polite Speaking Alarm Clock does what it says

by Darren Murph posted May 20th 2009 at 1:07AM

Truth be told, there's an alarm clock out there for every type of waker, but this bad boy just might be the most enjoyable (if such a thing actually exists). Sold by the always intriguing Hammacher Schlemmer, the Infallibly Polite Speaking Alarm Clock supposedly "reproduces the subtle wit employed by P. G. Wodehouse's most famous character, the valet Reginald Jeeves." In fact, it plays back 126 fey wake-up messages in the voice of Stephen Fry, with our favorite being the following: "Excuse me sir, I'm so sorry to disturb you, but it appears to be morning... very inconvenient, I agree... I believe it is the rotation of the Earth that is to blame, sir." If only the thing weren't $99.95, we'd have one in every room.

[Via Slashgear]

Update: ThinkGeek has it for just $69.99 -- score! Thanks David!

Tactical flashlight records late night jungle excursions

by Darren Murph posted Apr 3rd 2009 at 7:53AM

Much like the toaster, the microwave and the sandal, the flashlight hasn't changed an awful lot since being first engineered in the late 1300s. Thankfully, we're finally seeing a little innovation in the space with Hammacher Schlemmer's Infrared Flashlight Video Recorder. Upon first looking it over, it's hard to tell that this thing is different from any other heavy duty tactical flashlight; underneath that matte black finish, however, are 17 infrared LEDs and a video camera capable of capturing footage (with audio!) up to 13 feet away from the device itself. Both video and snapshots are captured in VGA (640 x 480) quality, and while only 15 seconds can be logged on the 128MB of built-in memory, the miniSD expansion slot opens that up immensely. The rub? Nah, it's not the absurd $399.95 price tag, it's the "three C-sized batteries" requirement. Drat.

[Via OhGizmo]

Timelapse Garden Video Camera keeps tabs on plant growth / death

by Darren Murph posted Mar 30th 2009 at 8:24AM

For those of you looking to prove just how green your thumb really is, have a gander at the Timelapse Garden Video Camera. Offered up at the always intriguing Hammacher Schlemmer, this weatherproof garden tool engages in the tedious task of taking snapshots of your flora in customizable intervals and then weaving them together into a single 1,280 x 1,024 AVI video. The lens can focus as close as 20-inches away, and with the bundled 2GB USB flash drive, upwards of 18,000 photos can be stored at a time. Amazingly, we're told that it can operate for up to four months using four AA cells, and it even turns itself off at night and back on in the morning in order to not waste capture space and battery life. It's shipping now to hedgers, groundkeepers and everyday plantsmen for $159.95.

[Via OhGizmo]

GPS homing device gets you back where you started, nowhere else

by Tim Stevens posted Dec 17th 2008 at 11:08AM

If there's one problem with modern GPS devices it's that they're "highly complex" -- at least that's what you might think if you're a frequent Hammacher Schlemmer shopper. Believing that people find things like touch screens or buttons a little too much, the gadget company has created what it calls a "GPS Homing Device." For a penny under $80 (roughly the price of a real nav system) the over-sized key fob lets you mark your current location and then, after an exhausting day of bargain hunting, find your way back to where you began just by following an arrow -- all without relying on the help of the parking lot attendant. Makes a great gift for the directionally-challenged shopaholic in your life.

[Via Chip Chick]

Trapdoor Toaster releases bread on the bottom, removes trademark "pop"

by Darren Murph posted Jul 21st 2008 at 8:37AM

For whatever reason, toasters are redesigned entirely more often than most any other kitchen gadget, but the Trapdoor Toaster may actually be an alternative worth checking out. First off, the item you see above is no concept -- as a matter of fact, it's available for purchase right now at Hammacher Schlemmer. Essentially, this thing inhales bread, bagels and frozen waffles, toasts 'em to your preferred level of brown / black and then shoots them out below onto a serving tray. Sadly, this removes that iconic eject function that makes traditional toasters so fun to watch, but it does prevent you from scalding your fingertips as you try to dig out slices from the fiery slots. Novel? You bet. Worth the $79.95 asking price? Not on your life.

[Via Coolest-Gadgets]

Handheld germ zapper uses nanotechnology to nix parasites

by Darren Murph posted Jan 2nd 2007 at 4:22AM

If you're the type who rocks latex gloves everywhere you go, or you're just tired of toting around that messy liquid hand sanitizer, Hammacher Schlemmer has your solution. Posing as a flip-phone wannabe, this handheld germ-eliminating light reportedly eradicates "99.99-percent of E-Coli, staphylococcus, salmonella, and germs that cause the flu and the common cold." Aside from resembling a bevy of Nokia handsets, the device purportedly utilizes "UV-C light and nanotechnology" in order to "disinfect workplace keyboards or telephones (or mice), as well as items in the home that sustain germ vitality such as toothbrushes and cutting boards." Notably, it must be held just so above the germ-infested area in order to sterilize it, but an internal timer signals when the process is complete. So while we aren't apt to load down our knapsacks anymore with something so petty, the highly susceptible out there can get their own portable germ-slaying handheld now for $79.95.

[Via Slashgear]