Wikipedia Links to Every 2006 April Fool's Joke

It's still the 31st, and already they have more than a dozen. Don't be FOOLED! (pic props to iWoot)

Now You Can Own Your Own Mini-Gigantor

Tetsujin 28, affectionately known as "Gigantor" in the United States, started out as a comic in late-50's Japan, was made into an animated cartoon in the early 60's (here's the theme song) and supposedly made into a feature-length movie in Japanese last year (although it seems to have vanished). Gigantor was the ultimate toy: A remote-controlled flying robot taller than a house. Well now you can own your own mini-Gigantor for only $3,000. I don't know what it does, but it probably doesn't fly. I want one. (props to Engadget)

New Google Talk Leaked

A new version of Google Talk -- complete with "Buddy Icons," "themes" and other useless features --has been prematurely LEAKED online.

'Tunnel Cam' Robot Explores 1945 Prison Escape

A secret tunnel dug and used 61 years ago by twelve prisoners to escape Philadelphia's Eastern State Penitentiary will be explored this weekend by a CRAWLING ROBOT from Envirosight. Archaeologists and historians working on the project used ground-penetrating radar to find the exact route of the tunnel under the prison courtyard, and excavated the tunnel's entry and exit points last year.

'GhostRadar' Goes Portable

One of The Raw Feed's favorite crazy Japanese companies, SolidAlliance, has taken the "GhostRadar" concept and designed a PORTABLE version designed to dangle off of cell phones. The company announced today an alliance with a company called Strapya, and their intent to later sell the device as a cell phone accessory. (In Japan, most cell phone users have a strap with personalized junk that hangs off the phone.) GhostRadar "works" by detecting changes in surrounding magnetic waves, indicating the presence of a ghost. The original version, launched about a year ago, also served as a USB storage drive. Given the timing, you may be tempted to believe that GhostRadar is some kind of April Fool's prank. But if you know anything about SolidAlliance, most of their products are at least this nutty. The tiny GhostRadar goes on sale in late April. I want one.

New ThinkGeek Products Leaked

Seven new products at ThinkGeek became available one day earlier than their APRIL 1st official launch date, including the iZilla Digital Media Monster, USB Desktop Tanning Center, 1up Mushroom Kit, RFID Blocking Kit T-shirt, Buzzaire - Metered Dose Caffeine Inhaler, Wireless Extension Cords and a new Screened Sphorb. ThinkGeek's page is just one of many APRIL FOOL'S PRANK that hit one day early.

Nintendo Revolution Specs Leaked

Gaming site IGN leaked details on the Nintendo Revolution months before the company planned to unveil them. The original article has been pulled, but PLENTY of blogs and news sites have preserved the information.

Worst USB Gadgets That Don't Yet Exist

Someone -- this post doesn't say who -- has created photographs of USB memory drives that DON'T EXIST in real life. (props to Militant Platypus and Attu Sees All)

Ultimate Fighting Championship - With Robots

The Robo-One 9 event held in Tokyo March 18 and 19 featured some awesome ROBOT FIGHTS. These are fully humanoid Japanese robots with moves right out of the WWF. The champion, OmniZero.2, takes out his opponents with "body slams," "reverse body slams," a move called the "crouching jab," and another called the "double windmill." Plus some really fancy footwork. I want one. Here comes the VIDEO!

Robotic Briefcase Acts Like Dog: Heels, Barks

Samsung Italia is offering a robotic briefcase-on-wheels called FidoBag that ACTS LIKE A DOG: It recognizes your voice and comes when you call. It follows you around. If someone steals the briefcase, the bag actually "barks" at an eardrum-piercing 197.5 db. UPDATE: This item is a HOAX, according to an entry in the Wikipedia. (props to coolest-gadgets.com)

Remote Control Night-Vision Spy Car Toy Hits

Timmy is never too young to start being a peeping tom PERVERT. The Spy Video Car is a remote-controlled toy car with an infrared camera attached to it (for seeing in the dark). A headset has a display over one eye. The lot will be available this fall for $99 - $159. (props to MAKE)

Headless Robot Cat Now Shipping

TomCat is a headless ROBOT CAT from Iguana Robotics that movies pretty fast (two body lenghts per second) and doesn't need a litter box. These "research quality" robots are made-to-order. Here comes the VIDEO! (props to The Red Ferret Journal)

New Airport Scanner Uses Weapons Database

A prototype airport security scanner looks at the shapes of objects in luggage and carry-on bags and COMPARES them using neural network software with weapon shapes in its database. The system is being tested at Manchester Airport.

Drivable Star Wars Landspeeder on eBay

Proof you can buy anything online: A drivable replica of a Star Wars LANDSPEEDER, is currently on sale on eBay.

Personal Cell Phone Jammer Fits In Pocket

I told you Monday about the CJAM 1000, a powerful, battery-operated suitcase cell phone jammer that knocks out any communication with a half-mile radius. Well say hello to its little friend, the CJAM 100 -- a PERSONAL cell phone jammer that looks like a cell phone from the 90's and fits in your pocket. This one-button, four-ounce device blocks mobile phone calls within a 50-foot radius. Another related product, the CJAM 500, isn't portable, but can block cell calls in STEALTH MODE, without anyone detecting that they've been blocked. It does this by waiting until it detects a signal, then it briefly goes on to block the call. You can also adjust the CJAM 500 for a variety of ranges. The CJAM 100 and the CJAM 500 are available only to government buyers. I want one. Of each.

Video Games Help 'Lazy Eye'

Playing virtual reality games might help amblyopia, also called LAZY EYE, which is a condition where one eye works harder and better than the other, according to researchers at Nottingham University. Current treatments can require some 400 hours of therapy. But by "tweaking" 3D VR games -- sending an image of the player's own racecar in a driving game, for example, only to the "weak" eye -- therapy can be reduced to just one hour.

Bugged Chinese PCs Could Spy On U.S. - Group

The congressional US-China Economic and Security Review Commission is questioning a decision by the U.S. State Department to buy 15,000 PCs from Lenovo, the largest Chinese brand of computers, citing fears that the computers could be BUGGED. Lenovo bought IBM's PC business last year. (props to Engadget)

Computerized Cigarette Case Helps You Quit

A combination hardware/software solution to the problem of quitting cigarettes, called SmokeSignals, monitors your habit, then gradually reduces the number of cigarettes it dispenses down to ZERO. The cigarette case features a display on top that tells you how long until you can have your next cigarette. Graphs, charts and other data helps you track progress on a PC. Here comes the VIDEO!

Packet Sniffer Used to Catch Cheating Girlfriend

Some geek suspected that his girlfriend was cheating on him, so he set up a PACKET SNIFFER to find out. (Turns out she was.)

Rechargable Headphones With MP3, FM Hit

The new ButterFly FMP3 Player is a headset with built-in FM radio and MP3 functionality. The ButterFly connects to a PC via USB for transferring MP3 files and RECHARGING the headphones' built-in batteries.

New Software Lets You Spy On Cell Phones

New $150 software called FlexiSPY lets you completely INVADE THE PRIVACY of anyone that has it installed. The software lets you listen in on conversations, read SMS messages and even use the phone's built-in microphone to eavesdrop on people when they're not using the phone. UPDATE: Personal Tech Pipeline is reporting that Finnish security firm F-Secure calls FlexiSPY a Trojan and "a perfect hacker tool." (props to Gizmodo)

New Portable Cell Phone Jammer Hits

Nice. Now you can surround yourself by a half-mile communication-free zone. The CJAM 1000 is a powerful battery-operated device that JAMS all nearby cell phone, pager, Wi-Fi and microwave communication. Turn it off when YOU want to make a call. Fingerprint ID provides security. The CJAM is not for sale to individuals -- only government types and is sold primarily to block cell-phone detonated bombs. Know anyone in the government? I want one. (props to The Red Ferret Journal)

New Gadget Reads Deleted Text Messages

A $277 USB gadget called the Deleted Text Message Reader enables you to read DELETED SMS MESSAGES from a cell phone's SIM card. You use it by inserting a SIM card into the device, and plugging the reader into your PC. Bundled software enables you to read 10 or 20 of the most recently deleted SMS messages. (props to The Red Ferret Journal)

Customizable Soda Hits

A company called Ipifini has come up with an idea for a CUSTOMIZABLE SODA. The bottle is filled with carbonated sugar water. Several buttons on the bottle, when pressed by the consumer, release flavors, fragrances or colors -- up to 32 possible soda choices in a single bottle.

Worst USB Gadget Yet: Spy Mouse

The CP-1 Spy Mouse houses a HIDDEN MICROPHONE that transmits sounds that can be picked up by any nearby receiver. It starts recording whenever the mouse is plugged in or the PC is turned on and keeps on recording until the power goes off. (Props to The Red Ferret Journal)

Now YOU Can Play With "Desperate Housewives"

If a new game centers on ADULTERY, LIES, DRUGS AND CRIME -- well, it must be Disney. Buena Vista Games, which is a Walt Disney joint, plans a "Desperate Housewives" PC game this fall. In the game, players take on the role of a housewife on Wisteria Lane and try to become even more desperate than the rest.

"V For Vendetta" Cell Phone Coming To U.S.?

Is a new Korean cell phone that looks a heck of a lot like THE PHONE everyone had in the movie "V For Vendetta" Coming to the U.S.? The movie sux. But the phone? I want one.

California Scientists Do 'Origami' With DNA

Nanotechnology researchers at the California Institute of Technology have invented a method for "quickly and easily" -- it takes "just a couple of hours" -- folding and weaving strands of DNA into ANY SHAPE they want. The method is useful both for the future creation of nanodevices, and also for getting free publicity for CalTech. Have a nice day! (pic props to medGadget)

Super-Strong Robot Muscles Powered By Alcohol

Mad scientists are secretly toiling away in a lab to build ROBOT MUSCLES that can convert chemical energy into bone-crushing muscle power. The muscles, called fuel cell muscles, take hyrdogen or methanol (which is a pure synthetic alcohol) from a robot's "bloodstream" and use it to contract tiny wire "muscles." (Scientists speculate that humanoid robots would actually drink alcohol every night to power their muscles.) When you get thousands or millions of these muscles, they become super strong.

Police Use Virtual Reality to Experience Insanity

Des Moines, Iowa, police are using a virtual reality system -- called a "VIRTUAL HALLUCINATION MACHINE" -- to experience the sights and sounds of mental illness, including schizophrenia, to help them cope with mentally ill people they deal with on the beat.

Gamers Battle At 35,000 Feet

Twenty-four of Europe's top video game players will take part in a tournament called the Trans-Atlantic Showdown today DURING A FLIGHT from Copenhagen to New York City. The gamers are part of Global Gaming League's AmeriCup vs. EuroCup competition taking place in NYC. The event is part of a publicity stunt sponsored by Connexion by Boeing's in-flight internet access division. The event is covered LIVE via video, audio, digital camera pix and blogs.

Worst USB Gadget Yet: Time Clock

The Japanese company OfficeWOW is offering a USB TIME CLOCK, with supporting software. Now you can bring one of the joys of blue collar work into the office. (props to Akihabara News)

Look, Ma! No Hands! (On Crazy New Wristwatch)

It's another day, and another INSANE WRISTWATCH produced by the Isles of Japan. Why the Japanese continue to produce wristwatches that require mental effort to read is beyond me. But as long as they keep making 'em, I'll keep blogging 'em. This gem, called the EleeNo Art 14 sports two oddly shaped quasi-circles that rotate. You tell the time by following the lines and reading hour and minute on separate graphs.

Soldiers Use Game Skills to Master Remote Guns

Strategy Page columnist James Dunnigan says that CROWS (Common Remotely Operated Weapons Systems) -- which are big guns manned remotely by someone inside an armored vehicle with a joystick and live cam -- have proved highly successful in Iraq because the soldiers operating them grew up playing (presumably first-person shooter) VIDEO GAMES. Experienced gamers have no difficulty gaining total situational awareness and whipping around the video camera on the guns, spotting hints of trouble and blasting anything that moves. CROWS is one of several "weapons for the Nintendo generation," according to the Dallas Morning News. The military is even using the Pentagon's game, "America's Army," to train CROWS gunners. The guns were first deployed in Iraq in January, 2005. Here comes the VIDEO!

Latest Job Taken By Robots: Tour Guide

A red robot called Cicerobot has been hired as a TOUR GUIDE inside the Agrigento archaeology museum in Palermo, Italy. The robot has wheels, a keyboard, a monitor, video camera and sensors that help it avoid crashing into priceless artifacts. Cicerobot, which begins work next month, can also conduct "virtual tours" for people logging in remotely over the web.

Korea to Recruit Gamers For Sim Testing

The South Korean Air Force plans to recruit professional online gamers and use them as WAR GAME SIMULATION TESTERS. They will be allowed to compete in tournaments so they don't lose their skills, but not accept prize money.

Pirate Hip Hop Station Blocks Pilot-ATC Comm

Airline pilots say an illegal pirate hip hop radio station called "Da Streetz" is INTERFERING with air traffic control communication at Miami International Airport on two separate aviation-only frequencies. Authorities pinpointed the original source in a warehouse and confiscated all the equipment (except the radio transmitter itself). They found no actual people there. Meanwhile, the broadcasts are continuing from another location, which the authorities this time cannot find.

'Missile Command' Game Documentary Hits

A new documentary called HIGH SCORE follows classic arcade game enthusiast Bill Carlton as he attempts to break the all-time high scoring record of the Atari classic, "Missile Command" -- 80 million points set in 1983. Here comes the VIDEO!

Nintendo Game Cube to Help With Diabetes

Doctor Harold Goldberg at the University of Washington and a few game developers are working on a MEDICAL APPLICATION for the Nintendo Game Cube that will help diabetes patients communicate with their doctors. Goldberg's vision involves enabling patients to test their own blood sugar and blood pressure using digital devices that can be connected to the Game Cube hardware (or PC or smartphone), and also a software interface that queries the patient (have you been eating doughnuts again?, etc.). Data would be sent to the patient's doctor.