Innovation

Burger King Japan Goes Wide with the Pizza-Size Burger

by Steve Levenstein

What makes a Whopper look wimpy? Burger King Japan's new Pizza-Size Burger, that's what! This 8.8 inch (22cm) wide mega-meal is massive for short but not for long: it's only available from December 8th through 25th... and, sorry to say, only in Japan.

3 comments

'Clippy' Pocket Scissors Holster Covers All the Points

by Steve Levenstein

Running with scissors again? Japan has something for that: the “Clippy” pocket scissors holster! This kissin' cousin to the classic nerdy Pocket Protector makes it possible for sharp travelers to practice safe snips.

Polar Bear & Penguin Ice Cube Cups Raise Environmental Awareness While Cooling Your Drink

by Steve Levenstein

Global warming poses grave consequences for polar bears and penguins. Raise awareness of their plight while you raise your glass... cleverly chilled with global warming warning ice cubes from cups conceived by Japan's Atsuhiro Hayashi.

1 comment

LED Emergency Flashlight Pig Needs No Batteries, Won't Hog Energy

by China.new

The cute, practical & eco-friendly 'Dynamo Torch Pig Shape' from Chinese online gadget emporium Shanghai Donya may have an unwieldy name, but this flashlight swine will rise & shine when storms strike and power outages leave you in the dark.

10 Overly Cute Japanese School Buses That Go the Extra Smile

by Steve Levenstein

Too cute for school? Not in Japan, where settling at mere cuteness means you're not trying hard enough. That high-pitched sound you're hearing isn't a school bus in need of a brake job, just its pint-sized passengers squealing "KAWAII!" in unison.

6 comments

USB Big Mouse Makes Other Computer Mice Seem Inadequate

by China.new

If you're unsatisfied with your mouse, supersize it! That's what the tech tyros at Brando Workshop have done, and the result is the USB Big Mouse, a glowing blue optical mouse that's bigger, bolder, and better than before... well, bigger at least.

Classy or Crass? China Cranks Out Steve Jobs Memorial iPhone and iPad Covers

by China.new

Was it a crass way to commemorate a class act or a stroke of entrepreneurial genius anticipating huge public demand? Within mere hours of Apple founder and tech icon Steve Jobs passing away, memorial iPhone and iPad covers were flooding out of Chinese factories and onto retail store shelves.

3 comments

Scratch Music From The World's Best Scratchers: Cats

by Lady Bee

Leave it to Suck UK to advance the cause of scratch music by creating the ultimate scratcher for the ultimate cool cat. Here's DJ Fellix with the latest in scratch technology - the Cat Scratch deck.

2 comments

Flu-fighting Egg Yolk Antibody Lozenges Help Lick Influenza

by Steve Levenstein

Anti-influenza lozenges made with egg yolk antibodies are now being sold in Japan, just in time for flu season. The lifesaver-shaped "Barrifull" lozenges are said to be particularly effective when you're stuck in a crowd of coughing, sneezing commuters.

Leg Hair Font Adds Kick to Your Cursive

by Steve Levenstein

Desktop publishers rejoice! If you thought every possible typeface theme had already been explored, you haven't seen Leg Hair Font. Created by 20-year-old Japanese art student Mayuko Kanazawa, Leg Hair Font is a kinky, curly, shag-adelic cursive that comes in both upper and lower case.

2 comments

99 Percenters Will "Occupy Earth" To Prove The 1 Percent Wrong

by Ron Callari

Awakened like a sleeping giant, the 99 Percenters were first motivated by the Arab Spring - but now have orchestrated a movement that has taken on a whole life of their own. Commencing with a make-shift tent city constructed overnight in downtown Manhattan four weeks ago, Occupy Wall Street has caught not only America's zeitgeist but one that is cyberventilating across the globe as well.

11 comments

Double-Edged Frozen Food Knife Cuts Cold Turkey and More

by Steve Levenstein

The innovatively designed CHIC Frozen Food Knife from Japan makes short work of ice-cold meats, poultry, seafood, bread and more thanks to its wickedly sharp, double-sided molybdenum-steel blade.

1 comment

Beijing to Build 42,000 Electric Car Charging Posts Within 5 Years

by China.new

Chaaarge it!! Beijing is becoming China's “Electric City”, at least where drivers are concerned. An ambitious plan to set up 42,000 new electric car charging posts by 2015 intends to match the current number of gas stations in China's bustling capitol.

1 comment

Recolo Time Lapse Digital Recorder Camera Speeds Up Your Life

by Steve Levenstein

Lights, camera, inaction! If you're one of those people who enjoys watching the grass grow, you've got entirely too much time on your hands... or, you've got the Recolo Interval Recorder from Japan's Compact Impact.

Obama Fried Chicken, You're Gonna Get Served!

by China.new

Why call on a mere Kentucky Colonel when you can chow down on chicken cooked by the Commander In Chief? Obama Fried Chicken was set up to serve students from nearby Beijing Aerospace City College campus... unless KFC China's lawyers "serve" the store's owners first.

New Brand Advocate Platform for Hotels Generates ROE & ROI

by Ron Callari

Flip.to is a new marketing platform that helps hotels turn their guests into advocates. After completing a successful beta, today the Flip.to team is announcing a new batch of results that would make any hotelier smile.

7 comments

USB to AC Wall Outlet Adapters Tap the Grid, Not Your Laptop

by Steve Levenstein

Eneplug USB-to-AC wall outlet adapters from Green House of Japan let any plug provide power to your electronic lifestyle devices. Anything from iPhones and iPods to MP3 players and even your USB Eyelash Curler can get hooked to the grid, so forget about flipping your laptop's lid!

Apple Co-founder Steve Jobs Mourned by China's New Tech Generation

by China.new

Steve Jobs, Apple's co-founder and visionary former CEO, was tremendously admired and respected by China's newly wealthy, entrepreneurial, tech-savvy generation. In the wake of his sudden passing, a number of instant memorials paying homage to Jobs have sprung up at Apple's flagship Chinese stores.

3 comments

Meet 'Pepsi Pink', Japan's New Strawberry Milk Flavored Cola

by Steve Levenstein

Just in time for Japan's “winter party season” comes Pepsi Pink, a blush-tinted cola which should sell well in the homeland of Hello Kitty. According to Pepsi Japan, new Pepsi Pink is bursting with the rich aroma and refreshing taste of strawberry milk.

11 comments

Advertising's For The Dogs Says Beneful Dog Food

by Lady Bee

What input does your dog have on your choice of dog food? Absolutely none, if you ask me. But Nestlé, maker of Beneful Dog Foods, has other ideas. Beneful ads are now being aimed directly at European canines. U.S. dogs are next, you wait....

4 comments