tie
Latest
Billy Mitchell's tie makes cameo in Donkey Kong Country Returns
Donkey Kong Country Returns developer Retro Studios doesn't just have a knack for successfully rebooting beloved Nintendo franchises, it's also got a wicked eye for bold fashion statements. For instance, the star-spangled signature necktie of Donkey Kong high-score contender Billy Mitchell (pictured right; from The King of Kong film) must have ensnared the attention of somebody at Retro, as the familiar pattern managed to sneak its way into DKC Returns, hidden in the backdrop of World 3-2 (pictured left). Now, if only the developer could have found a way to sneak in Mitchell's undying admiration of hot sauce, or, you know, his overall winning personality.
Happy Father's Day from WoW.com!
This was so cute we had to share -- that future Alliance kid at right is Cara's son Riley, no doubt owning it up on Daddy's Death Knight in the battlegrounds. That's right -- the DK who rolled over you with Howling Blast in Wintergrasp yesterday was actually played by a 9.5 month old baby. How's that burn feel? Cara tells us, and the pic was part of a "WoW you're a great father" theme for Riley's first Father's Day.From all of us here at WoW.com, here's a shout out to all of the fathers out there, both Dads of players and Dads who are players themselves. Take a break from taking down Ulduar or grinding out those Argent Tournament quests and make sure to give your Dad a call (and/or the usual tie or socks) today. Or just send him an in-game email for those of you who play with your pops. Happy Father's Day!
Thanko's own necktie doubles as spy camera, naturally
A necktie from Thanko -- you could tell this thing was only fit for a double agent already, couldn't you? Freshly introduced and ready to draw attention to your poor taste, this here spy tie includes a built-in video recorder along with a minuscule handheld remote used to turn it on and off. The video camera itself is installed on a USB-equipped slab of flash memory (4GB, or about four hours of low resolution footage), making those tie-to-PC transfers extra snappy. And at ¥12,800 ($128), it comes off as a bona fide steal compared to less useful alternatives in Bloomingdale's. Our only lingering question? What's a brother got to do to get a clip on version?[Via AkihabaraNews]
USB necktie's much-anticipated followup finally arrives
Admit it, you've spent a good many sweat-drenched months waiting for this moment, when the USB necktie would come into its own. Sure, last year's model was great and all, but it lacked a certain amount of class that you find necessary in any USB-based fashion accessory. So you played the waiting game, and this time it paid off big. Thanko's second-gen USB tie fan has a slip cover, which hides the fan completely when you're going about your day, and slides down to reveal that powerful fan when it's most needed. Also, this year's model is made out of fabric, a huge win over the chunky plastic of last year's version, making this tie the true must-have accessory of the summer. Thanko's selling this in Japan for 2,980 Yen, about $28 US. What a steal.[Via Pocket-lint]
Space Invaders on your neck, ears, and ... waist
We're always on the hunt for Space Invaders gear, especially now that Space Invaders Extreme is out and it's awesome. We're so obsessed that if given the choice and proper funds, we might just have everything we own decked out in little alienoid designs.Today, we bring you three steps closer to doing just that. First, you can get yourself a geektastic tie or boxer shorts, which come to $40 and $22 respectively. If those don't do anything for you, you can also check out the super slick Invaders headphones shown above. Aside from them just looking cool, they only cost $20 from NCSX. We're most tempted by the headphones, but if the tie cost a little less, that would be one hot gift for yourself or the man geek in your life.[Boxers and tie via Technabob]Source: Space Invaders silk tieSource: Space Invaders boxersSource: Space Invaders headphones
Necktie Hero
If you love Guitar Hero so much that you can feel it like it's right in your neck, be sure to check out this geektastic tie. Since your boss will likely have absolutely no idea what this represents (unless he's so hip that he can't see over his pelvis), you can probably get away with showing your video game pride at work in this instance. Are you ready to rock this tie? Then go buy it at Zazzle for $29.95.[Via Technabob]
Toshiba's Mike Eves wackily compares format war to fuel
Although one has to consider Toshiba's obvious bias in the format war, we still can't quite wrap our heads around what Mike Eves is trying to get at here. Reportedly, the company's retail marketing executive for its consumer products division told Pocket-Lint that the "HD DVD / Blu-ray battle is like petrol versus diesel at the pumps," and somewhat clarified his thoughts by asserting that "both would probably exist together rather than a single format winning out." Of course, that last statement doesn't deviate too far from the sentiments issued by Sony's Howard Stringer just days ago, and while he couldn't be coerced into admitting whether or not combo players were a good thing, another spokesman did state that he wasn't keen on having two units under his TV. Whatever the case, we can't imagine that having two formats for the duration would be a boon for consumers, but regrettably, we're hardly any closer to seeing a clear-cut winner today than we were on the day these two left the gates.[Thanks, Timothy, image courtesy of SciFi]
Consumer Reports' take on HD DVD / Blu-ray players: it's a tie
We've taken a look at a number of Consumer Reports' views in the past, but the latest critiques give format fanboys (hardly) any ammunition to use against their respective rivals. Reportedly, CR evaluated Pioneer's DBP-94HD and Toshiba's HD-XA2, and while we were anxious to see which unit "proved" superior, the fact is that both units garnered an impressive 91-percent rating. Granted, the publication did review a total of nine high-definition players from each camp, but the general feeling was that all of them provided "excellent HD picture quality with high-def discs." In the end, we were told that both sides had their pros and cons; for Blu-ray, it's the wider array of players from various manufacturers, while HD DVD maintains the lead on price. Truth be told, we're not terribly shocked to see both camps getting a fair amount of praise, and while we know there's lots of you out there holding out for one to win the proverbial race, it sounds like we could be waiting a bit longer for the finish line to be crossed.[Image courtesy of ConsumerReports]
ThinkGeek 8-bit tie prank could be a reality
Apparel website ThinkGeek posted a number of fake products yesterday during the internet-wide April Fools fool-a-thon. When we laid eyes on the jagged 8-bit tie, we fell in love. ThinkGeek apparently received a flood of e-mail begging them to make the tie a reality. Assuming it's not an extension of their prank, it looks like they're working on it. For REAL.Posted below the tie's price information is a small note from the ThinkGeek staff: "Hey! You! Quit emailing us to make this for REAL already. We promise, we'll make it.". The "add to cart" button is also missing, which is where fake products revealed themselves as hoaxes. Real or just more prankage? We're hoping it's the former. Please don't toy with our gentle hearts like this, ThinkGeek. We might actually look forward to meetings, weddings, and funerals if we can wear that tie.
APD alert: Wii Helm
ThinkGeek is apparently offering a brilliant new product: the Wii Helm. Besides the +7 charisma you'll obviously receive, the Wii Helm allows one to strap in a Wiimote to the top of a sleek, shiny helmet to free up both hands for other endeavors. The demo video shows a daring pioneer in her quest to utilize head motions to conquer Wii Sports.Yes, it's a joke, and a clever one at that. But upon watching the video, we here at the Fanboy could only think of a glorious future, in which the official Night at the Roxbury game features realistic head-bobbing for super-mega-funtime. Truly amazing.Another "joke" at ThinkGeek involves this tie, which we thought was horribly cruel, because it is awesome in every single way. However, torrents of furious E-mails (nineteen of which were ours) have forced ThinkGeek to actually start manufacturing the product in the near future. Viva la 8-bit![Thanks to Dustin, Alex, and Liqwid!]
Thomas Pink's iPod-concealing Commuter Shirt
The designers at Thomas Pink must get their iPods jacked on a regular basis, because they've followed up on their nano-concealing tie with the "Commuter Shirt" that hides your DAP, cellphone, or PDA under even more clothing, and includes a second secret spot under one cuff for storing your credit cards. We're assuming that the demand for this shirt stems from the fact that today's mugger regularly reads Engadget, and is easily able to identify and snatch that signature pink tie right off the necks of unsuspecting businessmen. The less-flashy blue or white "Commuter Shirt" should help alleviate this problem somewhat by tucking that 'Pod into an inner pocket by the wearer's stomach, with built-in channeling to ensure snag-free movement. Now, if they can only figure out a way to hide that crease and lump in your shirt which muggers will soon be looking for on everyone not wearing a pink tie.[Via GigaOm and TUAW]
Tie with secret iPod nano pocket
If you just can't bear to put your nano in your pocket or man-bag, luckily there is a third choice: Thomas Pink's Commuter Tie. On the back side of the tie is a secret pocket to house your iPod nano complete with a flat mounted loop of fabric to hold your headphone wires out of sight. I'm guessing you then thread the headphone wires through the top of the tie and up to your ears.The Commuter Tie is available in what looks like hot pink in this image (cropped to show the secret pocket up close), or in a sort of salmon orange on another image on Thomas Pink's U.K.-based website. I imagine those of you crafty enough could bust out the thread and fabric scraps and add this to just about any tie.[via iLounge]
