Oh! Gizmo

By Andrew Liszewski

Not everything available from Valve’s online store can be downloaded. I already knew they sold plush versions of various Half-Life baddies, not to mention the Weighted Companion Cube from Portal, but this is the first time I’ve seen this amazing Headcrab hat. Now normally the words ‘headcrab’ and ‘hat’ don’t make an appealing combination, but just check out how cool this guy looks (I assume he’s a medic based on his sweater) wearing one of these. The back of the hat features an adjustable velcro strap so it can fit any sized head and while your friends, co-workers and family might not be impressed with you wearing it everywhere you go, I’m sure Gordon Freeman would be proud of you. And who else do you really need to impress than a fictional video game hero?

You can get your own Headcrab hat from the Valve online store for $29.95.

[ Half-Life 2 Headcrab Hat ] VIA [ Geekologie ]

By Andrew Liszewski

I’m all for incorporating retro trends into a pair of sneakers, but I’m afraid these Tetris print Pumas just don’t do it for me. The shoes are custom variations of the Disc Blaze model which first came out in 1994 and besides the Tetris pattern print, they also feature some early ’90s color schemes. Remember when we couldn’t get enough neon? Yeah, I’ve forced myself to forget those times too. The ‘disc’ in Disc Blaze refers to the large dial on top of the tongue which is used to tighten the shoes instead of traditional laces. The system has since been copied by other shoe manufacturers with relative levels of success, so I’m wondering if Puma is hoping the Disc Blaze shoes will become more popular this time around.

Like a lot of cool stuff the shoes were first available in Japan, but should be hitting the US in the coming weeks. Not surprisingly you won’t be able to find them at your local Foot Locker since they’re only being released to selected Puma ’boutiques’.

[ Puma Disc Blaze 1990s Tetris Pack ] VIA [ Albotas ]

By Andrew Liszewski

I guess when I think about it, the problem of your fly accidentally coming open really only dates back to the invention of the zipper. But even if it’s not an ‘age old’ problem, it’s still a problem, particularly if it’s ever happened to you. So this simple solution created by Lisa Sjövall seems so obvious that you have to wonder why it hasn’t been thought of or even incorporated into pants already. (At least I haven’t seen it before.) The ZipHolder is basically an elastic loop that fastens to the pull tag on your zipper. When it’s done up, the loop is placed around the button on your fly which prevents the zipper from accidentally coming open. In fact it’s so simple there’s really nothing else to say about it, so to fill out this post here’s a collection of euphemisms for your fly being open.

- Your zip code is invalid.
- Your pod bay door is open, Hal.
- You’re flying low.
- I thought you were crazy; now I see you’re nuts.
- Paging Mr. Johnson…
- You need to bring your tray table to the upright and locked position.

You can get the ZipHolder from SmartaSaker for about $6.40.

[ ZipHolder ] VIA [ Smart Stuff ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Remember the T-Qualizer shirt? Not only do these frames use the same technology and gimmick, but they’re actually made by the same company. So if your pad has come to be known as the place where the party stops instead of starts, just stick a few of these all over the place and you’ll have a line around the block every Friday night. (That’s when the kids do the club thing right?)

The SpeaQualiser comes in 2 flavors. The TQ Raver, which has a red, orange and green theme that looks similar to an actual graphic EQ. And the TQ Chiller, which featues a pink, teal and blue theme. Just like the shirt they use a built-in microphone to react to the frequency and beat of your music with electroluminescent, retro-style jumping light bars.

They’re both available from FlashWear.com for about $40.

[ SpeaQualiser TQ Raver And TQ Chiller ] VIA [ technabob ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Remember the John Maeda designed Reebok Timetanium shoes I wrote about last November? Well given they sold out in only 14 hours Reebok thought it would be a great idea to have him give it another go. This time he created a shoe exclusively for women called the Reebok x Maeda Emoretion. While the Timetanium was inspired by (wait for it) …time, the Emoretions are inspired by the 7th law in his book The Laws of Simplicity which is of course, emotion.

Using Reebok’s iconic Freestyle as his canvas, Professor Maeda’s handwritten code decorates the shoe’s lining and creates the digital paisley print, representing a burst of pure energy and emotion. Holographic straps bring this design to life with every move, while the velvet-wrapped mid-sole and tongue-liner give a little elegance to the shoe.

The shoes will be limited to just 100 pairs and will be available for sale on the RbkCustom website starting March 31. And if you’d like to see more photos of the shoes I highly recommend checking out this Flickr gallery.

[ Reebok x Maeda Emoretion ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Seeing how small digital video spy cameras have become is not as impressive as it used to be. But seeing where people try to hide those cameras is still pretty entertaining. A company called Ajoka has managed to integrate one into a fairly normal looking belt buckle. While the 176×144 pixel 3GP videos it captures fall well below even YouTube quality, they only weigh in at about 500kb per minute. So when capturing to a 2GB MicroSD card that equals about 65 hours of video. It’s just too bad that current battery technologies limit the actual recording time to about 3 hours on a single charge.

On the bottom edge of the buckle you’ll find the MicroSD card slot, a record button, a power switch allowing you to conserve battery life and a USB port for downloading the video files to your PC. Since it’s self-contained and doesn’t broadcast the video or audio signals the belt buckle spy camera won’t be picked up by a wireless camera detector, so the only people you’d have to worry about is the fashion police. I just hope the camera uses a wide-angle lens because I’m not sure if secret footage of someone else’s crotch will hold up in court.

[ Belt Buckle DVR With Camera ] VIA [ Spy Review ]

By Andrew Liszewski

If you’re tired of the console wars and wished that all the players could just get along, this hoodie from Fifty24SF will show people it is possible. The design features a veritable melting pot of current and past game controllers all living in harmony against a white background.

But something tells me this particular hoodie was designed well before the final version of the PS3 was released or even unveiled because it still seems to include the old boomerang style controller. Also there appears to be no love for the original XBox or the 360 while the Nintendo is represented with 6 different controller designs. So I take back my original statements since it seems like this hoodie might actually spark a new console war.

You can get it from Upper Playground in XX-Large only for $90.

[ Fifty24SF Controller Hoodie ] VIA [ technabob ]

By Andrew Liszewski

I for one am more than happy to see all tape based formats eventually go the way of the Dodo. We’re not there quite yet, but we’ve made important strides towards ensuring their extinction. But if for some reason you really miss audio cassettes, wearing this tie will remind everyone who sees it that you’re not willing to let the 80’s go, and that you have terrible taste in ties.

It’s made of 100% silk and only comes in black with a pattern of small white audio cassettes all over it. You can get it from House Of Cassette for $103. You may also want to keep an eye out for the upcoming 8-Track tie, the MiniDisc tie and of course the HD-DVD aka ‘obvious joke’ tie.

[ Cassette Tie ] VIA [ Cool Hunting ]

By Luke Anderson

Are you one of those people that must always be listening to your iPod? I’m horrible about using mine, I always think that I’ll use it, but I rarely find the need. I’m usually in my car or at my desk, both of which have an ample supply of music. However, for those that are outdoors a lot, possibly walking or jogging, you’ll love this Tooks Beanie which features a built-in headset.

The beanie looks rather normal, except for the two circles for the speakers, and the cord running down the back. I probably wouldn’t wear this if I were just going out somewhere, but those that like to exercise in the cold might get some use out of it. The Took Beanie comes in six different colors and will set you back $25.

[ EpicOutfit ] VIA [ ChipChick ]