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Shoot, it's time to wake up... Japan's Bandai has a better idea: Wake up, it's time to shoot!

Phonevite™, an Internet-based telephone messaging system that debuted last year, has won Best of Show at the 2008 Technology Marketing Corporation's Internet Telephony Conference and Expo (ITEXPO) West, beating 150 other competitors for this prize. This already very popular service is just getting its recognition from the technology community.

Wow! The finalists in the 2008 Electrolux Design Lab competition sure are some tough competition for their more seasoned colleagues. These undergraduate and graduate students in industrial design programs have created some awesome designs for the techie kitchen. I don't know how the judges will pick a winner this year. See if you have a favorite.

Artist Sharon Mount creates cool buildings out of business cards, packaging and other forms of paper.

Students, businessmen, artists, basically anyone who uses a pencil will at some point need an eraser, and the best eraser to use is a new one with sharp corners - which quickly get rounded with use. Not so with the Kadokeshi Plastic Eraser from Japan, which has - count 'em - 28 corners!

Antivirus software may cure most cranky computers but that's not enough for a growing number of Japanese techies whose mantra is "in God we trust".

Just looking at the design for El ZULO, Spanish for "the hideout," makes me sleepy. Instead of putting my head down right here at my desk and catching a few zzz's before my stiff neck and back cry "Oooh, that hurts!," I imagine myself mustering just enough energy to get up, move a few feet away from my desk, and assume a similar, but ergonomic, position in this peaceful, padded, perfectly positioned chair pod for my power nap.

Old Man Smell... Seems that's what's on the minds - and noses - of Japan's aging population these days. Concerned salarymen are looking to a new series of specially formulated products to eliminate age-related aromas.

Call it "don't mask, don't smell" clothing! Specially treated fibers used to make Aoki's summer clothing line not only absorb odors, they kill the bacteria that make them.

Using robots in hazardous situations is something that has saved countless lives and as our technology evolves will no doubt save many more. Knowing this, FireDrake Industries designed a robotic "firefighter" to help keep our loved ones out of danger.

The USB Healing Owl will add a peaceful note to any home office or workstation. There's no guarantee it will make you any wiser, though.

The USB Cooler Mouse really blows... and I mean that in a good way. Well OK, I mean it literally – 5 buttons and an adjustable on-board fan make this multitasking mouse as cool as it gets!

Japan's asbestos cancer “time bomb” ticks louder day by day as the nation's average population gets older and decades-long incubation periods for asbestos cancer and other diseases caused by asbestos exposure end. Now, several new technologies developed in Japan may make cleaning up the asbestos mess not only easier, but safer as well. Hmm, does WALL-E know about this?

Bored with your keyboard? The NISHI-KI keyboard adds a touch of class & culture to this most utilitarian of peripherals. It may cost a pretty penny, but such is the price of made to order exclusivity, not to mention the gorgeous handmade decorative keys.

Last year's USB Necktie was a clever concept that somehow lost it's cool - ironic for a product that was designed to cool. A geek brainstorm at Japan's Thanko Rare Mono Shop has resulted in the USB Necktie Cooler 2... better as a cooler but is it cooler too?

With the message is "Don't just drive - THINK!", Think Global AS is being positioned as the car company of the 21st century. Their vision is to provide carefree, carbon-free mobility - a better way of moving

Isn't it wonderful when a company, especially a small one with limited financial resources does what it can to limit its environmental impact? That's what Chad and his family is doing. Chad is taking steps to turn his small business, PC911, into a green one little by little.

If you've splurged for a fancy new cellphone, iPhone or iPod, you don't want to have it lost amid the clutter of your desktop. The "Leans" Handy Phone Holder helps your small but important communicator rise above the clutter while adding a sense of modern style to your workplace.

This man is jumping for joy. He can hear all the sounds in his environment, just like fully-hearing people can. He can also wirelessly connect to his mp3 player, watch TV, and make and receive cell phone calls... all through his hearing aid!

As Phonak, the maker of his Exélia™ hearing aid, suggests, the picture represents the joy that comes from finally experiencing a full life.