pillow
Latest
Cozy up with Blooper
We're not exactly sure where each of you would place cushions on a list of life's essentials -- they're right next to DS games ending with 'z' on our list -- but if you are a lover of cushions (and some of us live with such people), you may as well be a lover of totally awesome cushions.That's where Etsy member punzie can help out, because she's crafted a (currently very small) range of $20 Nintendo cushions, including the charming teal Blooper design you see above. While there's only three to choose from right now, she does take requests -- we're half-thinking about asking for a Kuribo's Shoe cushion to call our own. Sit yourself down in your cold, hard, unpadded chair and hit the break for a couple more examples of her work.
Urban Tool's Bluetooth perCushion for rich urban tools
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.%Gallery-17896%
NES on our pillows isn't pain in our hearts
Granted, there comes a point in your life when it should no longer look like your mom decorates your room. Still, these fantastic NES pillow cases made by Penguinotic might be too cute to resist.Given that they're 1) handcrafted, 2) video game related, and 3) on Etsy, you can bet these covers don't come cheap. Just one will cost you $40, although if you buy two you only have to pay $70. That's still an exorbitant amount of money for pillow cases, but at least there's a small deal involved. We're also not sure how practical they are, since the design might make sacrifices in terms of comfort. If your NES nostalgia runs deeper than your concerns of practicality, though, then there's no doubt that these covers will make your pillows incredibly awesome. Also, the next time you get so frustrated with a game that you want to throw your controller, you can just beat up your doppelganger pillow instead.[Via Technabob]
MPillow promises to relax you with light and sound
This one looks to still be a good deal away from showing up at a store near you, but if a group of designers have their way, their so-called MPillow could one day be working its magic to lull you to sleep (although it will have quite a bit of competition on the high-tech pillow front). Helping it stand out are some built-in wireless capabilities that'll let you stream MP3s from your PC or pull some presumably relaxing sounds off the MPillow servers, as well as some soothing lighting that changes color and intensity along with the music. As you can no doubt guess, however, there's no indication that the pillow is actually headed for commercialization, so you'll just have to make do with some of the current music-playing pillows for the time being, or not.
Homegrown Xbox 360 plush pillows warm the heart
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]
UFO Catcher Tengoku
We still haven't heard word on whether or not Nintendo will ever bring Rhythm Tengoku to the states (Highly unlikely), but Sega has been keeping the rhythm-action title going in Japan with its GBA-to-arcade port and, according to this new find, UFO catchers filled with Rhythm-Tengoku-themed prizes!Provided that you're proficient with maneuvering a claw to pick up crap, you'll be able to win a number of brightly-colored, long-sleeved shirts with the minigame collection's characters screen-printed on them, as well as pillows shaped like Rhythm Tengoku's iconic, hairy onions. Click the link below to the beat, and check out more photos of the vending machine goodies past the post break.
Yet another anti-snoring pillow on the horizon
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]
Gotta pack lunches for 'em all
Banpresto and pretty much every other Japanese toy company knows the importance of releasing a steady stream of Pokéstuff lest any of us fall out of the series' thrall and stop buying for a while. To keep us thinking about Pokémon all day, they've made a duo of new items designed to keep Pokémon mastery on your mind all day.First is a cute picnic set made up of two square containers, with a stylized Pokémon graphic on the lid. Hey, if every plant and animal in the Pokémon universe is a Pokémon, does that mean that, when Ash and company eat lunch ...Uh, on to the next item! It's totally cute and leads to no horrific revelations! The Pokémon Diamond & Pearl Super DX Onemuri Makura is just a cute pillow in the shape of either a sleepy Piplup or a sleepy Pikachu, wrapped up in a blanket thing.
Brookstone kicks out anti-snoring Sona pillow
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.
Homegrown USB-powered calculator synth doubles as pillow
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.
TiVo takes the cake at San Francisco wedding
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.
Cubic pillow lets sound in, dignity out
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]
Urban Tool's "perCushion" pillowphone
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]
Cuddle up to your iPod Pillow--and listen
ThinkGeek.com, vendor of things freaky, strange and just cool, has a huggable, squeezable, squishy iPod-shaped pillow for sale for twenty bucks--or at least it will as soon as they restock. Before you run away, saying to yourself that you have enough huggable squeezable squishy iPod-shaped pillows in your life, consider the fact that this pillow can actually play music from its internal speaker. Hook it up to your iPod (or other portable media player) or play back the built-in FM radio. (FM Radio!? It's like having your own Zune!!) What's more, the large, plush buttons on the pillow actually work. Which brings the pillow to a new level of just plain weird. If there exists a subtribe of the infamous Furries that specialize in technology, this would make the perfect holiday present. As for me, I'm trying to convince myself to pick one up because I know my three-year-old would just go wild about it.
Japanese pillow offers napping advice
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.
iPillow: squishiness* for iPod cuddling
When I think of battery powered speakers for the iPod I usually picture a white plastic molded dock-type accessory, but apparently there is a market for cuddlier options. One such example is Brookstone's iPillow Portable MP3 Speakers (pictured here with a Creative MP3 player but compatible via mini jack with any MP3 player). This device takes six D batteries which probably means it can pump quite some volume in that huggable housing. Be careful not to use the iPillow in an iPillow fight because the mesh pocket doesn't offer much padding for that iPod of yours! The iPillow is only available in silver (but frankly in the picture here it looks blue to me).[via Popgadget] [*squishiness is not a real word]
