Ugly
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Hacker goes bananas, creates robotic Chumby driving machine
How well we know how distorted the world becomes when you're only alive courtesy of (insert energy drink here). Thankfully, we've no idea how twisted your mind must be to create a conglomerate with so much going on, it's truly hard to describe in merely a single breath. Nevertheless, bunnie somehow managed to scrounge up enough hardware to hack together a Chumby-based, drivable RC car with the ability to beam back its surroundings so that it could be controlled from afar. Of course, we can't help but pass along kudos for making this thing work, but seriously, it's high, high up on the list of most unsightly concoctions we've ever seen. Hit up the read link for ugly (and duct tape) aplenty.[Via MAKE]
Ohayo's MP4 Player is ugly
No way around it, Ohayo's "design" on this here DAP is just plain criminal. If the hardware weren't slab-a-rific enough, the software interface manages to look cluttered and yet uninviting. 2GB of flash storage and a 1.8-inch OLED screen have never been put to less appealing use. Other than that we're total fans.
Motion-sensing Britepack: the craze is still on
You only thought light-up gear was so last century. As fate would have it, kids aren't tired of rockin' blinky apparel just yet, and Tomorrow Incorporated is looking to take advantage of the lingering fad. One-upping the LA Lights kicks that once ruled the hallways, the Britepack book bag ($39.99) sports a semi-circle of LEDs that light up in a pre-determined pattern each time a step is taken, and they automatically go dormant whenever it detects that class is in session (read: it's sitting idly). Apparently, these packs will even be available in wheeled (oh noes) and non-wheeled versions, and while a couple colors look to be available as we speak, you can look forward to a host of "add-on accessories" to land next year. As much as we'd like to think that these just won't take off, we doubt TI will have a tough time moving its inventory.
66-fan case mod exemplifies overkill
We've seen some pretty questionable case mods involving additional fans, but this one will likely hold top honors until something even more extravagant comes around. The "Super Cooler" straps a grand total of 66 fans around the tower, which probably doesn't do a whole lot of good when all's said and done. Truth be told, we've all ideas that this thing was created more so for people to gawk at than to actually enable users to run uber-overclocked CPUs and graphics cards without the use of water, but whatever the case, it's an interesting (if not cacophonic) take on cooling. Hit the read link for lots more images, and keep those fingers a safe distance away, k?[Via Uber-Review]
Friendship Star knocks off iPod nano, then makes it ugly
For intents and purposes, we're thoroughly numb to iPod nano knockoffs at this point, but when some company goes beyond the call of duty to uglify its copycat attempt, we can't help give credit. Friendship Star International Limited, which earns major kudos on name alone, has created the nano-inspired FD-1888P for those adamantly against click wheels (and products of authenticity). The unit features a 1.8-inch color display, integrated speaker, FM tuner, rechargeable Li-ion, support for MP3, MP4, MTV and AMV file formats and a totally bodacious D-pad control scheme. Pricing information is reserved for those willing to buy hundreds at the time, so who knows how long that will remain a mystery.[Via PMPToday]
Cruis'n looks like Chewie, Baba Booey, and Hong Kong Phooey all in one
We've shown you trailers of nice looking games recently, so now it's time for one that's ... not so nice. In fact, Midway's Cruis'n is looking downright gross.Many Nintendo fans have developed a "gameplay over graphics" mantra, but this "effort" by Midway just seems insulting. There's no reason that a Wii game should resemble an N64 game, unless it's on the Virtual Console.Check out the official Cruis'n trailer above if you want to have your mind blown, in a bad way.
Latest MP4 wristwatch sports an FM transmitter, too
We're all but convinced that nobody actually wears these video-playing watches out in public, but just in case there's some otherworldly group out there that takes pride in adorning their wrists with timepieces that are utterly heinous, you're in luck. This iteration sports a 1.8-inch 160 x 128 resolution OLED display, integrated media player that handles MP3, WMA and MP4 files, a built-in Li-ion, 4GB of internal memory, voice recording capability, USB 2.0 connectivity and an FM transmitter for good measure. All this can be yours for the above average price of $126, but if you have any respect for yourself whatsoever, you'll glide right on past this one.[Via The Red Ferret Journal]
Yahee PMP delivers the one-dongle salute
There are afterthoughts, and then there's Yahee's YHM-MPE02. For whatever reason, the design crew (to put it kindly) behind the janky YHM-MPE02 felt the need to stuff a two-inch QVGA display, 4GB of internal memory and an FM tuner into the PMP, but providing a simple USB port or some sort of flip-out connector was apparently not in the cards. If you can manage to overlook such a hideous protrusion (regrettably, we cannot), you'll find that the unit supports a bevy of files including WAV, ASF, MP3, WMA, AVI and JPEG, and there's even a TransFlash expansion slot to load up even more media. We'd typically inform you that you'd have to make a few phone calls in order to scrounge up pricing information, but trust us when we tell you that you (and your reputation) are better off just leaving this one alone. Oh, and it's not even worth mentioning how this thing rips the upper portion of Nokia's 5300 XpressMusic -- but yeah, it does.[Via PMPToday]
Is "ugly" the new beautiful, and "evil" the new good? [Updated]
I have a question for all the Horde and warlock players out there -- as well as anyone who plays their character in a so-called "evil" way. But first, let me explain where I'm coming from.As you know, one of the main differences between the Alliance and the Horde is their sense of style. In fact, the question of what looks and feels good to players of either side may be one of the biggest areas of disagreement that actually exists between them. To a lesser extent, this sort of disagreement exists between classes as well. Warlocks give off a very different feeling from Paladins for example, and different people are attracted to each sort of "aura."Like many players, my sense of aesthetics and beauty fits in squarely on one side of this aesthetic equation, and the other side can be rather difficult for me to understand. I play in the Alliance, and my favorite races are usually the ones that are "beautiful" and noble-looking in a traditional sense. To me personally, the Horde races are hard to relate to.I do sometimes start up a Horde character if I have a funny idea for roleplaying him or her, but eventually something about them starts to bother me. Now that the Horde has prettier blood elves to play, I admit this helped me a lot -- I am gradually leveling up a blood elf alt in my free time -- but somehow being a blood elf in the Horde feels rather out of place, as if I'm not really part of the Horde because I'm not hunched over with a ready-to-kill look on my face. For a long time I couldn't play a warlock either for similar reasons. The class just seemed inherently evil; summoning demons and stealing people's souls seemed wrong somehow. Even though I knew it's just a fantasy game, I still had no desire to mimic in the game something that would be abhorrent to me in real life. I often wondered: what is attractive about the look and feel of these characters to Horde and warlock players?
Newman's janky Windows CE PMP does it all
Newman's been known to crank out a few less than beautiful devices in its time, but the interestingly styled vx1000 certainly ups the ante. This handheld conglomerate manages to wear an awful lot of hats, as it features a built-in media player, four-inch 480 x 272 widescreen panel, an image / text viewer, FM radio, WiFi, gaming functions, and Windows CE at the helm. Of course, we'd be sure to give this thing a whirl before confidently snapping up such a chintzy looking piece, but those willing to take the risk can pick one up in China for 1,999CNY ($264).[Via PMPToday]
Sony unveils world's first, ugliest HD Video Walkman
For those of you not blinded by the unsightly image above, that there is the "world's first HD Video Walkman," or in other terms, one of the ugliest devices we've seen in years. Beyond the fact that this thing resembles a decade-old handheld cassette recorder with a seven-inch HD display flanked on top, it enables users to watch their HDV / miniDV tapes on the go, which isn't likely to entice you unless you shoot for a living. Furthermore, the GV-HD700E can record HDV1080i/DV signals from an external source, sports i.LINK / HDMI / component outputs, supports x.v.Color, and includes a Memory Stick slot for tape-to-flash card conversions. No word on just how much this curious creature will set you back, but those still fascinated can look for it to land in Europe this September.
Mii Spotlight: 'Cause you're ugly
Well, you're not ugly, but there are a lot of ugly Miis out there. We just can't resist moving facial features around and into places they're not supposed to be. Sure, sometimes you do that and you get Admiral Ackbar, but other times, it looks more like what's under the hockey mask in the Friday the 13th films. Not pretty. But even ugly Miis need a little time in the spotlight, so we're dedicating this week's edition to the worst of the worst. Check out the parade of awful after the jump!
Breakfast Topic: Little Red Riding Nether Ray
I know, I know... today's breakfast topic comic seems a bit dark and gloomy -- but don't worry! Things are not what they seem! The girl's grandma is actually a professional hunter of evil grandmavores. The girl-grandma team tricks the beasts into their doom: first, little Red lures the beasts close to the cottage, and then Granny springs a woodsman-shaped target dummy on them and mutilates them from behind with her epic daggers disguised as knitting needles. Annnywaaaay, the topic for today is these scary creatures known as nether rays! Now we can ride them! But... the question is, does anyone want to? I know the nether ray in this picture looks pretty spooky, and I'll admit that there are some screenshots in which they look okay at first. But over all, aren't they really rather ugly, pudgy and too much like a fish with serious dental problems? I was over there questing in Skettis with a friend of mine today, just earning some money in a few spare minutes I had to play, when we stopped to gawk at the Sha'tari Skyguard dwarf just swooshing along on his nether ray mount, looking as pudgy and as awkward as can be. I realized, this thing doesn't look like it should be a mount at all. Your legs kind of sink through the creature's tendril hood or whatever it is, and some races apparently have their hands hanging out in thin air, holding on to reins that should be there on any normal mount, but not on this one.Do you agree that this thing is an ugly waste of your reputation grinding time? or am I totally missing the aesthetic genius of this?
Hand painted tilt-a-mouse
Seriously, we Americans could learn a thing or two from the Russians, Chinese, and Japanese, as they all know exactly how to ugly up a mouse better than anyone. As expected, the "hand painted" Daruma tilt-a-mouse proves no different, as its vivid color scheme and less-than-ergonomic grip make for a critter that only a mother (or indebted manufacturer) could love to point with. Of course, you could make a case that the tilting interface that intelligently moves your cursor about the screen is worth a few marks, but considering the entirely more sexy innovations we've seen in mice of late, we're not sure this is going to lift off as anything but technochotchke. But hey, who are we to judge the beauty of your next spherical mouse? It's all yours for a steep ¥9,700 ($82).[Via Spluch]
Ugliest Luigi ever
Poor Luigi. The lanky plumber already has enough problems dealing with his older brother always stealing the spotlight and Princess Daisy's failure to commit to a serious relationship, but now he has to worry about embarassing photos from 20 years ago resurfacing on the internet. We all have our fair share of unflattering pictures from the 80s, but the images posted for this vintage Super Mario Bros. doll auction are downright embarassing. This 3.5'-tall toy was a promotional item from Nintendo that was never released to the general public. Head past the post break to see what the green guy looked like before he tamed his hair and trimmed his mustache. He really let himself go back then -- look at that hat![Via GameSniped]
Citizen's VIRT W700 gets a facelift, remains ugly as sin
We applaud the effort, we truly do, but the masterminds behind Citizen's VIRT W700 Bluetooth watch should seriously consider a sabbatical to think about just how ugly their creations really are. Sure, we've seen worse in terms of brutal fashion miscues, but for a watch that sports such an elegant feature list, the unsightliness is almost unforgivable. Nevertheless, for those who aren't out to garner new friends with their wrist attire, the revamped W700 does smooth a few of the awkward lines found in the original rendition, and aside from syncing with your Bluetooth handset, it offers up on-screen caller ID, an OLED display, a vibration feature to alert you of an incoming call, lockable contact list, and a privacy feature to set your outgoing information to unavailable. The backlit display also flips out if you wander too far from your mobile, essentially doubling as a nifty cellphone finder after a long night of partying, and considering that a full charge will last you around five days, you can survive a week off without your AC adapter. Slated to hit the Japanese market next month for a currently undisclosed price, Citizen's latest VIRTs will be landing in blue, black, and the female favorite, pink.[Via MinistryOfTech]
Ristretto coffee mouse brings the beans and the ugly
Thankfully for us, the world's ugliest phone has already been faced and dealt with, and while we've seen quite a few unique mice in our day, this one practically roasts the compoetition for the most unsightly. The Ristretto coffee mouse is a minature critter designed for -- c'mon, you got this -- mousing about in your favorite beanery or java shop, and while we suppose you could view this as a symbol of your unwavering love for entirely overpriced cups of caffine and sugar, we doubt it'll score you any solid conversations outside of awkward Amway plugs. Still, these devices appear to be at least somewhat hand-crafted, as the designer has a bevy of custom desgined models for show, and while we've no idea where you could spend your hard-earned dough on this thing, this looks like a private DIY project at its finest at best.
Konka's leopard print LCD TV / Magic Mirror
While we've seen a variety of magic mirrors in our day, we've yet to come across one with such a nifty premise, only to be completely and utterly ruined by a leopard print motif. Sure, the off-kilter design scheme might attract a few people still stuck in, well, whatever era leopard print was marginally acceptable in, but generally speaking, we're guessing most folks won't give it a second glance. Konka's Magic Mirror isn't a mirror by trade, but its vertically-mounted 42-inch LCD TV is directly wired to a webcam in the bezel, which can display whatever stands in front of it, theoretically accomplishing the same task as a tried and true mirror. Additionally, it can be used as a normal TV for viewing television, movies, etc., but considering its upright alignment, it's probably best reserved for digiframe duty. For the folks (read: one or two) out there wondering about the price, unfortunately we're not sure, but we'd suspect that you could darn near steal these things from Konka if you just let its stockpile collect a little dust for a few months first.[Via Uber-Review]
NEC unveils Vista-equipped VALUESTAR all-in-one / LaVie J laptop
No, we haven't heard any rumors of NEC merging with Fujitsu, but apparently both companies enjoyed busting out the ugly stick on their latest creations. Expanding its VALUESTAR lineup, the VW990/HG sports a relatively gorgeous 32-inch LCD HDTV with a WXGA resolution (or a 20-inch WSXGA+), but loses all hope of being attractive due to the gaudy PC flanking its bottom. While the firm has various spec'd models available, you'll find in them an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, up to 2GB of RAM, NVIDIA's GeForce Go 7600, up to 800GB of hard drive space, a Blu-ray drive (read-only), four USB 2.0 ports, dual FireWire connectors, PCMCIA, flash card reader, gigabit Ethernet, 56k modem, VGA, audio in / out, and a hybrid digital / analog TV tuner to boot. On the laptop side, the 12-inch LaVie J (pictured after the jump) ultraportable packs an Intel Core Duo U2400 processor, up to 120GB of hard drive space, Intel's 945GMS Express integrated graphics set, up to 2GB of RAM, dual-layer DVD burner, a trio of USB 2.0 ports, 802.11a/b/g, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, SD / SDHC slot, PCMCIA, audio in / out, VGA out, and if you're really going against the grain, you can pick this bad boy up in "Urban brown" as well. The clunker of a desktop should be available right alongside Vista's upcoming release for ¥360,000 ($2,989) to ¥500,000 ($4,150) depending on your configuration and LCD size, while the Vista-equipped laptop should land early next month for around ¥200,000 ($1,660).Read - NEC's VALUESTAR W/S lineupRead - NEC's LaViE J lineup
Edgetech unveils unsightly mini internet machine, dubbed The Edge
We fully understand how hard it's going to be for anything to top this in terms of handheld sexiness, but Edgetech International must be using a design team stuck in the early '90s, and a marketing squad not too far removed from the Phantom confines. The firm's latest handheld, simply dubbed The Edge, is a smallish portable internet machine that bears striking resemblance to a old fashioned pocket organizer, and reportedly provides true wireless internet all the time. Claimed to be "non-carrier specific," Edgetech doesn't exactly expound upon how its fliptop machine can consistently pull in internet access from anywhere, and doesn't even feel the need to describe the specs for us. Nevertheless, we do know that it can purportedly enable subscribers to "conduct a wide variety of e-mail and voice mail options, all by voice command." The strangely mysterious device reportedly comes with a $200 pricetag, while the wireless connectivity runs you around $50 per month, but until our current selection of smartphones forget how to access those 2.5G, 3G, and 4G networks, we're good.[Via TGDaily]
