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Send mock-threatening messages from iPhone with ease
I thought I'd seen pretty much everything, but as more and more iPhone apps come out, there are an increasing number that lean toward the bizarre. A good example is Corbeau, [App Store link] a U.S. $1.99 application that lets you create ransom notes or threatening emails with little effort. Of course, it's all in fun, but one wonders about the mind behind some of these apps. With Corbeau (French for crow, which is slang for someone who sends anonymous notes) you simply use the keyboard on your iPhone/ iPod touch, and type your brief note. If you are sending to a Mac or another iPhone they get the note as you created it. If you are sending to another device, you can save your note as an image to your photo roll, then forward it as an email attachment. The current iPhone software does not allow 3rd party apps to send attachments, although that is fixed in iPhone OS 3.0. You can change the size of the letters, and drag and drop the letters to change their position before you save your work. You can also choose a photo that's on your iPhone to use as a background. You can shake the iPhone to clear the screen, or you can tap the trash icon. I don't know how much use people will get out of this app, but I would think it might be handy to send notes to people or companies you are unhappy with. One final note. Although the app is called 'Corbeau', when you save it to your iPhone from the U.S. App Store it is called 'Blackmail'. An appropriate name, if ever there was one.
Lebedev's 'Superbitus' bomb bank proudly displays your love of war and money
You know how sometimes you come across a new product and wonder why no one had ever thought of it before? Well the latest creation from Art Lebedev Studios -- a single-use, bomb-shaped piggy bank -- is definitely not one of those products. Lebedev, best known for the eternally-delayed Optimus keyboard, the petite Mini Three, and the uncomfortable-looking Mus2 "pointer" mouse, must have decided that what the world really needs now is a way to store its change in a ceramic container modeled after World War II era munitions. The idea here is that you use the included marker to write your savings goal on the outside of the so-called "Superbitus" (or a pinup girl, if you want to keep the meme going); then, after you've accumulated the requisite loot (we assume that you need to tabulate that separately), you're supposed to destroy the bank not with a hammer, but by "dropping the bomb." Yeah, we know, this is probably not the best way to store or spend your hard-earned money, but if you're the type who likes to show off "artsy" trinkets to your friends, this product might be right up your bomb bay alley.[Via Chip Chick]
