By Andrew Liszewski

You know I can’t seem to put my finger on it, but Elecom’s new DATA clip USB flash drives look oddly familiar to me. Their design awkwardly combines a USB flash drive with a traditional, curved metal paperclip. (Except plastic is the material of choice here.) And I say ‘awkwardly’ because when attached to a stack of documents the drive part ends up sticking out, which to me looks like it could easily be knocked off when passed around. A more improved design would have the DATA clip attached to a document so that the flash drive part hung over the page, making it more secure. But who knows, maybe that’s not even possible?

[ Elecom DATA clip by Nendo ] VIA [ designboom ]

By Andrew Liszewski

I’m convinced that 80% of the world’s carabiner production is used by first year college students. But if you’re just using one to hold your dorm room key, student I.D. and meal card, a locking mechanism isn’t necessary. For the remaining 20% which are used to keep mountain climbers securely attached to their safety lines, being able to easily and securely lock and unlock them is an important feature. And that’s what prompted Black Diamond to engineer their new Magnetron auto-locking Carabiner.

On either side of the carabiner’s brightly colored locking ‘arms’ you’ll find a strong magnet that’s attracted to a steel insert, keeping the locking mechanism closed until you depress both sides to open it. And once opened, the opposing magnets actually have the same polarity so they repel each other, keeping the arms held open until the carabiner is closed again. (If my description is making things sound more confusing than they really are, just watch this promotional video from Black Diamond which eventually shows how the new system works.)

Don’t run out to your local outdoor shop just yet to pick one up though. They won’t be available until July 2012 at the earliest, presumably to allow for ample safety testing first.

[ Black Diamond - Magnetron Technology™: The reinvention of the auto-locking carabiner, coming July 2012 ] VIA [ Uncrate ]

By Andrew Liszewski

I usually think these kinds of giant, inflatable holiday decorations are just plain lazy. Particularly for Hallowe’en when it’s so easy to create something far spookier for trick-or-treaters. But this time I’m willing to make an exception because this 8 1/2 foot tall inflatable Stay Puft Marshmallow Man from Ghostbusters is all kinds of awesome. He’s available for pre-order from ThingsFromAnotherWorld for $88, which is a little expensive, I know. But, 1) That probably includes the air pump needed to keep him inflated and menacing and 2) It’s an 8 1/2 foot tall Stay Puft Marshmallow Man!!!… I rest my case.

[ 8 1/2 Foot Tall Inflatable Stay Puft Marshmallow Man ] VIA [ The Green Head ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Just because you’re a gearhead doesn’t mean you don’t also have an appreciation for the finer, slightly more electronic, things in life. So the gasket iPhone 4 case brings together the automotive and gadget worlds with a design inspired by the shape and hole pattern of a head gasket from a high-performance engine. Made from genuine brushed aluminum with a suede inner lining, the case is a simple snap-on affair that offers extra protection with minimal added weight. And is available in 5 metallic colors for a pretty typical $29.99.

[ Gasket Brushed Aluminum Case ] VIA [ Jalopnik ]

By David Ponce

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: bundles are great. Today we’re looking at the Dell Inspiron 620s, a desktop that comes loaded with a second generation Core i5 processor, 6GB of RAM and discrete graphics. More importantly perhaps is that in today’s deal, you also get a 24-inch LCD. Usually this configuration should set you back $1,054 but today there’s a $394 rebate. That’s almost $400 off, leaving the bundle at $659, shipped.

This particular deal is ending soon though: today, August 2nd.

[ Dell Inspiron 620s At $659 With Bundled Monitor ] VIA [ LogicBuy ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Apparently just lifting dumbbells isn’t good enough any more. Like those crazy exercise belt-driven fitness contraptions of yesteryear, these BodyVib weights actually vibrate at 36Hz (or 2,160 vibrations/min) with an amplitude of 1.2mm, which is apparently more than enough to ‘intensify’ your training by up to 50%. The idea behind the vibrations is that it causes the muscles in your hands and arms to quickly contract and relax in response, burning more energy in a shorter period of time, and resulting in a longer afterburn time.

After a 30 to 50 minute charge (yep, it’s one more thing vying for power bar access) the dumbbells will vibrate for up to 2 1/2 hours. And to prolong the battery life they use a sensor to only start the vibration motor once you grab the handle. If it works as they claim I don’t see why everyone shouldn’t upgrade to vibrating weights… except for the price. Available in 3.3, 6 and 10 pound pairs, the BodyVib dumbbells sell for a whopping ~$1,060 (£649) to ~$1,190 (£729) on Pro-Idee.

[ BodyVib Vibrating Dumbbells ]

By Andrew Liszewski

It’s probably not a concept that Nikon or Canon are going to embrace any time soon, but if you don’t have much confidence in your photography skills, Sascha Pohflepp’s blind ‘Buttons’ camera will certainly appeal to you. It’s actually part of their ‘Blinks and Buttons’ art exhibit, and as you can see in the photos, the camera has no lens, no sensor and no optics whatsoever. Just a faux shutter button that triggers a cellphone hidden inside to retrieve and display a photo from Flickr that was taken at the exact same moment. So in a manner of speaking, the Buttons camera actually takes other people’s photos.

And since the camera was created as part of an art piece, I feel obligated to share the artist’s ‘motivations’ and ‘inspirations’ behind it:

Taking a photo means making a memory. Choosing a moment in time and framing a situation. Archiving it or making it public. Either way, we create a visual item that we have an emotional attachment to through our memory. Photos help us to remember moments in our past. Often they even become a memory in their own right. For many, making their moments public through services like Flickr is already part the process of photography itself, creating archives which contain a vast collection of visual fragments of individual lives.

[ Buttons - A Blind Camera ] VIA [ @ronbrinkmann ]

By Andrew Liszewski

They’re really nothing more than a rubber ball with a slit cut in the side, but a simple design coupled with a cute pun of a product name makes me wish these Great Balls Of Wire were all over my home. Created by Søren Refsgaard, they’re designed to store excess lengths of cable (up to 5 feet, depending on thickness) which can be quite simply bundled up and crammed inside, making things look neat and tidy under your desk or behind your home theater. They’re also available in 6 bright colors to match your decor, which makes them more appealing than simply taking a knife to a tennis ball. Unfortunately I can’t seem to find them for sale anywhere, so if anyone stumbles across them, please feel free to share.

[ Great Balls Of Wire ] VIA [ Better Living Through Design ]

By Andrew Liszewski

I’m sure we’ve all seen light switch covers with a couple of integrated plastic hooks for hanging keys, or whatever else you don’t want to lose, or forget to bring, when you’re running out the door. But why rely on hooks when mankind has already discovered, and harnessed, the awesome power of magnets? This alternate light switch cover features a high power magnet on the back, strong enough to hold even an unreasonably loaded set of keys. And its red and silver, magnet-like finish, can probably also be easily painted over so it’s not so garish. $24.95 from the Fancy Store.

[ Magnetic Light Switch Cover ]