We've seen folks lay their noggins on some pretty interesting pillows, but these critters just stand out like no other. Featuring Dig Dug himself along with a menacing Pooka, these homegrown cushions were created by manicmaiden for his / her brother's birthday. We know what you're thinking, but it doesn't seem as if this particularly thoughtful individual is accepting applications for adoptions.

[Via CRAFT]

It's hard to pinpoint the most ridiculous thing about the Urban Tool perCushion which we first peeped as a concept. Is it the vendor's not so flattering name, the marketing shot above, or the fact that Urban Tool will be charging about $500 for their Bluetooth mono-speaker cushion when it begins shipping sometime between October and Christmas? We had the chance to try the perCushion out at CeBIT ourselves. The pillow itself is rigid -- think martini lounging, not bedtime -- and constructed with enough finesse to support your Bluetooth audio streaming or cellphone handsfree adventures in sloth. In its defense, Urban Tool knows that the perCushion is destined to be nothing more than a novelty product at that price range. It's simply meant to bring attention to the rest of its product catalog. Still, we're not sure this is the type of attention they wanted.

We've seen Nintendo's famed NES brought back to life thanks to a needle and some thread, and now Microsoft's latest console is getting the hand-sewn treatment, too. eBayer inkyfingersjunior has apparently found his / her calling in life, as these Xbox 360 plush pillows look pretty snazzy. The units reportedly take some five hours to create and measure almost the same size as their functioning counterparts, 'cept these come with a little extra fluff and a lot less hardware. Currently, a number of variations are available to the highest bidder, but we can't help but favor the comical "Red Ring of Death" edition. Good luck resisting, fanboys.

[Via Xbox360Fanboy]

As if there weren't enough anti-snoring options (let alone ones that fall in the pillow category) already out there, Daryoush Bazargani, professor of computer science at the University of Rostock, has conjured up another. Reportedly, the inventor has developed a "computerized pillow that shifts the head's sleeping position until the noise stops," and he was showing off a prototype at a recent health conference in Germany. The pillow is said to be "attached to a computer, which is the size of a book, rests on a bedside table, and analyzes snoring noises." Subsequently, air compartments within the pillow can be enlarged as needed "to facilitate nasal airflow and minimize snoring." No word on a launch timeframe just yet, but Mr. Bazargani did state that several US outfits had already shown interest.

[Image courtesy of FreePatentsOnline]

While companies have been prying your hard earned dollars away from you for years promising snore-free nights, Brookstone is just now readying its own rendition for spouses on the brink of insanity. The anti-snoring Sona pillow "promotes a comfortable side-sleeping position" based on the belief that "people who sleep on their sides are less likely to snore." Of course, we're in no position to judge the truthfulness of such a claim, but its patented shape has reportedly helped a myriad of users snore less often, inhale more oxygen, and become less loathed by their easily annoyed SOs. Per usual with Brookstone goods, don't expect this miracle device to come cheap, as you'll be forced to pony up $99 for a pillow that only feels comfortable when laying sideways.

As if the Cushion Control pillows weren't cute enough, here we find a USB-powered, felt-covered calculator synth to ooh and aww over. Artists Kelli Cain and Brian Crabtree were able to conjure up this nifty device at a Felt Circuits workshop held in Los Angeles, and while details are relatively scarce, the creation is essentially a homemade eight- x six-inch calculator constructed from dyed wool that was hand-rubbed into felt. The two also "designed, etched, and populated noise-making circuit boards" which were then put into the contraption, and when connected to a USB port, touching the metal contacts that are sewn on "makes a bunch of noise," which we can causally refer to as abstract music. Unfortunately, there's no sign of these things going on sale, but if you beg the duo hard enough, you might find out if another workshop is in the pipeline.

Although we can't be certain if Andy and Tina Szeto attended a Wii marriage counseling session before tying the knot, the television crazed couple did invite a healthy helping of TiVo to join in their matrimonial celebration. Granted, they did stop short of rocking interactive wedding attire, but the two lovebirds did indeed have a pair of his and her TiVo cakes proudly perched beside the more traditional rendition, and to show its appreciation, TiVo actually donated a plethora of smiling plush dolls as party favors. Not to be sold short, the company also gave each member in attendance their own felt TiVo ears for maximum geekness all around, and created quite the marketing scene in the process. Hey, we've definitely seen worse cakes at a shindig before, so click on through for more pictures of the obsessive ceremony.

Continuing on in the grand tradition of products designed to let you be a lazy as possible, the "All-Sound-Catch Cubic Pillow" doesn't look particularly comfortable, but that doesn't appear to be the point. The cushion lattice allows you to stretch out on the couch without muffling any sound, allowing you use the smallest possible amount of energy to, say, talk on the phone. We're just worried that the Lazy Wii Guy will get a hold of one and cause, like, a negative energy vortex that destroys the universe.

[Via TokyoMango]

Alright, this thing isn't technically a phone -- it's just a Bluetooth handsfree -- but we're not sure when we're next going to have the opportunity to whip out the term "pillowphone," so we thought it was in everyone's best interest to use it here. The "perCushion" concept getting passed around at CeBIT this year takes the sound pillow concept one step further, making it even easier than usual to nod off while chatting with boring peeps thanks to an integrated loudspeaker and a rather comfy-looking design. Power is provided by a rechargeable battery so you don't have any unsightly wires following the accessory into bed with you. Maybe designer Urban Tool puts it best when it says that the perCushion takes us back to a time when "communication with a close friend stood for something emotional and touching" -- and sleepy, Urban Tool. Don't forget that part. Look for the perCushion to make the courageous leap from concept to production in 2008.

[Via textually.org]

Until we heard about an upcoming product from Japanese Lofty, we were pretty sure that we knew all about the art of napping (we usually just take one when we're tired), but the company's new high-tech pillow indicates that there's more guesswork involved in naptime than we'd previously thought. Sporting built-in pressure sensors, an LCD display, and what we're assuming is a powerful sleep analysis engine, the pillow seems to do little more than count the number of times your head moves around at night, displaying the resulting data when you wake up in the morning. The sophisticated analysis comes into play when the pillow compares the previous night's movements to your regular sleep patterns (using its impressive ability to identify the bigger of two numbers), and if you had a more restless night than usual, it helpfully suggests that you try to squeeze in a nap or two during the day. Upon learning of this remarkable invention, we dialed up our bosses right away and asked if the Lofty pillow's recommendation carries the same weight as a doctor's note in allowing us to get out of work; unfortunately, it doesn't, so don't expect to see us in line with the other insomniacs willing to throw down a steep $390 when this gets released in September.