Chibi Vision video backpack reborn as trendy gear

When we last saw the Chibi Vision — a backpack with an LCD screen — it was being pitched in Japan as an advertising medium. The idea was that companies would pay people to walk around wearing the pack, and anyone behind them would be transfixed by the backpack billboards. That brilliant idea apparently fizzled, and now the Chibi Vision has a new business model: it's being rented to Japanese teenagers, who for $300 a day get to wear the bag and show videos of their own choosing (you can also buy one for a mere $1,500). One teen quoted by Wired said, "I feel like a celebrity! It's near-futuristic and, like, a bag nobody else has. It's a must for people who love to stand out." We see lots of creative uses for this, like pairing it with a remote camera, creating a sort of mobile, constantly updated webcam. But it sounds like the manufacturer just wants to cash in and make back its investment; at $300 a day or $1,500 to buy, this will stay a toy for Harajuku style junkies.