International

'Happy Farm' Online Game Inspires Eco-friendly Pig Cottages

by China.new

A Chinese pig farm project inspired by the hugely popular online game “Happy Farm” has seen over 500 eco-friendly pig cottages spring up in the coastal province of Jiangsu. Though these swine are living fine, don't get jealous: their luxurious digs are intended to encourage tastier meat.

iPhone 5 Ice Pop Comes in Mango and Pear Flavors

by China.new

The iPhone 5 has been released in China... and it's delicious! Unless somebody from Apple Inc "calls out" the manufacturer on this frozen ice pop's provocative name, hungry Chinese will be chilling their choppers on iPhone 5 brand Mango and Pear flavored frozen fruit snacks all summer long.

Door Handle Cover Keeps Klutzy Kids From Kabob-in' Their Noggins

by Steve Levenstein

The puzzlingly named “Waffle Handle” stops evil doers, er, evil doors, from inflicting pain, injury and subdural hematoma's on your precious snowflake's pristine forehead. If you don't have them, shame on you: you're a bad parent who's bad and should feel bad.

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Siri Takes Lead From SNL's Self-Deprecating Humor Making Apple Butt Of Joke

by Ron Callari

Does anyone remember when iPhone prototypes were left behind in Silicon Valley bars only to be found by those looking to make a quick buck while providing the techie world with an advance sneak peak at Apple's latest iteration? In both cases, Apple execs were none too pleased and subsequent police investigations and threats of litigation were filed against Gizmodo and ex-Apple employees responsible.

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Kusa Flip Flops Have Grassy Soles, Never Need Watering

by Steve Levenstein

Keep ON the grass! With Kusa Flip-Flops, your lawn is underfoot whenever and wherever you walk. The shaggy Syn-Turf soled sandals let you relive one of summer's sweet simple pleasures: wriggling your toes in the cool green grass.

Japanese Face Slimmer Smooths Skin, Shrinks Face, Scares Everyone

by Steve Levenstein

Lose that Duckface and put on a Blow-up Doll face! The "Face Slimmer" may make you look silly (or worse) while you wear it but the promised reward of a bonafide “beautiful woman smile” make three minutes a day of shame more than worthwhile.

Tornado Beer Dispenser Puts a New Twist on Draft Beer

by Steve Levenstein

The Tornado Beer Dispenser from Japan's Asahi Beer invites toasting tipplers to go “Bottom's Up!”... literally. The dispenser injects draft beer into the base of a specially designed plastic mug, in the process creating a short-lived alcoholic vortex of epic proportions.

Calcium Supplement Study: Your Bones Or Your Heart?

by T Goodman

Though the majority of physicians recommend calcium supplements for bone strength, some to women over 40, but most just to postmenopausal women, there have been studies that indicate that such supplementation is not the best medicine for heart health.

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Pepsi Salty Watermelon is Pepsi Japan's New Sweet Seasonal Treat

by Steve Levenstein

Another season, another new & exciting Pepsi flavor! This time around the drink designers at Pepsi Japan have reached back to a traditional Japanese summertime treat, salted watermelon.

Is Buffy, The Mobile Slayer, Facebook's Ace In The Hole?

by Ron Callari

Being left behind on the mobile landscape has motivated countless bloggers and techie prognosticators to cyberventilate as to FB's future. Based on an 11th hour stock devaluation by the company themselves (see previous post, "Facebook's IPO Morality Tale…"), coupled with the claim the company can't survive in the public sphere relying solely on ad revenues, Zuck has ridden a roller-coaster of criticism in one week's time that has cast yet another shadow over the world's largest social network.

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Lettuce-like Vegetabrella Turns Rainy Days to Salad Days

by Steve Levenstein

The Vegetabrella from Japan's Tokyo Noble is as green and wrinkly as a fresh head of lettuce, and the resemblance grows even stronger when it's rolled up. Just be sure you leave the lettuce in the fridge and take the Vegetabrella along on stormy days or you'll end up as soggy as an un-spun salad.

Mt. Fuji Travel Tissue Case Blows Its Top When You Blow Your Nose

by Steve Levenstein

Sneeze the moment with a cute & clever Mt. Fuji Travel Tissue Case! The 100% cotton case designed by Tomohiro Ikegaya for Goodbymarket relies on users to provide the case's one moving part: the tissue paper poking out from Mt. Fuji's snow-capped summit.

Aston Martin's Lagonda SUV Concept Spies Well-Heeled Chinese Drivers

by China.new

Aston Martin Lagonda Limited, famed for its high performance GT sports cars favored by the likes of James Bond, reckons its future lies far to the east of MI6 headquarters in the garages of China's rich and famous. The super-luxury 4x4 Lagonda SUV is expected to cost a pretty moneypenny and would likely leave 007 shaken, not stirred.

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Coin Laundry Calls When Your Clothes Are Clean

by Steve Levenstein

Kyoto Laundry Service announces "Hello Call”, Japan's first coin-operated laundry voice information service. Got things to do and people to see? No problem, your machine will phone when it needs more detergent, more change or more repairs.

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Facebook's IPO Morality Tale: If The Green Shoes Fit, Wear Them?

by Ron Callari

Facebook's reversal of fortunes in such a short span of time has played out almost like a modern-day morality tale. The fall-out of the social network post-IPO, after such an enthusiastic build-up was telling. While it lined the pockets of some (namely investment bankers), it deprived the 99 Percenters (or Dumb F*cks as Zuckerberg so adroitly labeled them back in 2004) full-disclosure, resulting in a subsequent short-fall on their FB investment.

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Chengdu's Love Zebra Crossing: Street Hearts for Sweethearts!

by China.new

Cross your heart and hope to... live? In an effort to ensure the often bumpy road to romance gets off to a smooth start, the Chinese city of Chengdu has provided a Love Zebra Crossing painted up in lovely red & white.

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Self-Stirring Pot Puts New Spin on Stove-top Cooking

by Steve Levenstein

Is stuck pasta your kitchen nightmare? A Japanese dentist has created a stir with Kuru-Kuru Nabe (“Round and Round Pot”), a cooking pot with sculpted sides. Turn up the heat and watch basic thermodynamics go to work so you don't have to!

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Technology and the Future of Payments: Credit Cards and the Mobile Wallet

by Gadgetry Inc

We are currently living in the digital age, where seemingly advanced technologies from the past are slowly being rendered obsolete. One such technology includes those from the payments industry, where advancements in mobile wallets, which takes advantage of Near Field Communication (NFC) technology.

Celebrate Lamborghini's 50th Anniversary with Asahi Wonda Gold Canned Coffee

by Steve Levenstein

Gentlemen, start your mornings! In honor of the upcoming 50th anniversary of Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A., Japan's Asahi Soft Drinks is including one of 10 miniature model motorcars with selected cans of Wonda Gold coffee.

Peak Download: Internet Access Arrives at Remote Tibetan Village

by China.new

A pilot project to provide network services for a tiny Tibetan village has allowed residents to connect to a wider world many did not know even existed. The project, sponsored and funded by China Telecom, also provides villagers with internet-ready computers, Tibetan-language web development and skills training.