This heat-sensitive coffee mug turns from "OFF" to "ON" when filled with hot liquid—preferably coffee, although ice-cold laudanum might also be appropriate.

It's 25 bucks right now at Charles & Marie, which is painful. Doubly so because my experience with heat-sensitive coffee mugs is that the plastic lining that actually does the changing can be too easily washed off, especially if left in a wet sink.

Soupe Du Jour [CharlesAndMarie.com via Technabob]

These wonderful plates by Jamie Wieck include embossed features that make it simple to turn a plate of food into a smiling, melting face with the look of a gin-stink transient. Mashed potato hobo beard!

As far as I can tell, they are not actually for sale, so get down to your local homeless shelter with some plaster of Paris and get a'castin'.

(Don't) Play With Your Food [JamieWieck.com via Serious Eats via Pixelsumo]

A clever hacker has created a pint-sized radiation tested he's dubbed the "Polonium Pen" in reference to Alexander Litvinenko, the Russian spook who was killed after drinking a cup of tea laced with the radioactive isotope (according to the most likely theory). He's given instructions for making your own, should you be a foreign national who may or may not have once ticked off Putin.

Ion Chambers [TechLib.com via Griz/Dotcom via Hack A Day]

Continuing our inadvertent but now-critical ongoing coverage of things you can attach to the tow hitch of your pickup truck, these "Animated Hitch Critters" attach to your tail end, plugging into the brake light power lead so that they may shake theirs.

Designs include this vaguely seasonal deer with a target on its gut, as well as a pit bull, bass, and a hog on a motorcycle. They're just $25 dollars, or a fraction of the money you'll lose when someone sues you for distracting them seconds before they rear-end you.

Catalog Page [Skymall.com via RedFerret]

Previously: Tow Hitch TV Mount [BBG]
HitchSafe: Stash a Spare Key in Your Tow Hitch [BBG]

A couple days ago, I questioned some of the methods behind the "Guide to Greener Electronics" issues by Greenpeace, pointing out what appeared to be inequities towards Nintendo (who scored a 0 out of 10) for the sake of dramatic gesture to promote the guide. Tom Dowdall, web editor for Greenpeace, took the time to write Boing Boing Gadgets to explain how the guide was created and why in his opinion Nintendo got the same fair shake given to everyone else.

Dowdall first underlined that Nintendo was given many chances to address Greenpeace's concerns before the guide was published. "We contacted the company by letter to both their European and Japanese headquarters informing them of our guide, the criteria and that they could contact us with any questions, information or requests several months ago," explained Dowdall. "No response was received from Nintendo despite reminders. Before the ranking was published Nintendo received their ranking to correct or question anything we may have missed. No response was received."

Out of four companies newly added to the Guide, Nintendo was the only one who did not respond.

One of my criticisms was that the Greenpeace Guide seemed to judge Nintendo primarily from information—or the lack thereof—on the company's public F.A.Q. page; perhaps Nintendo was greener behind the scenes?

Dowdall: "We only rank companies on their public information and practice, not private information, to ensure the ranking is transparent, companies
can be held publicly accountable when they do make commitments. [Also,] making changes public helps drive competition between the companies."

And as for the criticism that it isn't Greenpeace's responsibility to police the actions of corporations? "We push companies to eliminate toxic chemicals beyond minimum legal requirements. Apple, Dell and HP have pledged to do this, phone companies like Nokia and consumer electronics giants like Samsung and Sony are already doing it. Hence Nintendo (or any company) just following legal rules they have to follow gets them no points."

In general, Dowdall felt like Nintendo got a pretty fair shake. "We treated Nintendo just as we did all the other companies. [That] Nintendo was the only company of the 18 featured who [chose] not to respond in any manner does not really make it unfair."

"The fact that Nintendo has none of this information, polices or practice relevant to the guide publicly available and offered none when requested compares badly when the 17 other companies in the guide are able to do this. If competitors can make these changes surely Nintendo can?"

"We hope this is the impetus for Nintendo to be more transparent, progressive and proactive in addressing the problems of toxic chemicals and e-waste."

Previously: Greenpeace Takes Electronics Companies to Task, But Are They Fair? [BBG]

Ayn writes:

My roommates and I are big-time tea drinkers, and this device looks amazing.  It's a perforated cylinder that you can put loose tea into and then stir into your cup of hot water.  $20 seems a little expensive, but the design is really appealing.

It's called the "Tea Stick" and its by Chiasso. It's even spring-loaded to make it snappier to pop open the chamber.

Ayn's not the only one who wants one, it seems—they're backordered until the 5th of December.

It's sort of like the mate drinker's bombilla, except in reverse. For my loose leaf tea making, I use a simple bamboo tea strainer that I buy at local stores for less than a buck, slipping a toothpick into the outside weave so I can prop it on the edge of a big mug.

Product Page [Chiasso.com via Gizmodo]

• Eton Sound 100 AM/FM Radio for $80, shipped. [Dealnews]

• Nintendo Wii Game Console Bundle for $460 shipped. Most of the games are junk, but if you want a Wii this Christmas you'll take what they offer. [Dealnews]

• Leatherman Blast multi-tool for $42, shipped. [Dealnews]

• Today's Woot! is a Polaroid DVD Recorder with 160GB Hard Drive and ATSC Tuner for $105, shipped.

• Today's Yahoo+Woot is a USB cable with an LED in it for $2.

This Virgin Maria holds more than just the unsullied seed of Yahweh inside her—she also keeps flash memory and a beating LED heart nestled close to the floating peace-fetus himself. Her halo is inscribed with a prayer familiar to even the faithless: "Oh, Maria. Keep my data safe."

You'll need plenty of faith to pay these prices, though: €70 for a measly 512MB.

Product Page [Strato.de via Ship of Fools] (Thanks, St. Teresa, Maker of Light!)

Several outlets have published information about this Aleutia E1 "Solar-Powered Off Grid" computer today using the above picture. And while it looks like a fine little machine—small, rugged, capable of being operated with just an 18-watt draw—I think the picture below is a bit more telling of its real world implication, coupled to a monitor, keyboard, and tatami-sized solar mat.

Product Page [Aleutia.com]

The nattily-named "Spycatcher of Knightsbridge" offers this pen with a UV light for detecting invisible ink and a built-in message shredder available for under $10. Sounds like there may be a shortage of spies to catch in Knightsbridge, so Spycatcher is helping them out a bit in procuring equipment.

Product Page [SpycatcherOnline.com via Coolest-Gadgets]

The "HitchSafe" slides inside your pickup truck hitch, making possible to hide a spare copy of your keys (and anything else) inside. The HitchSafe attaches to a standard two-inch hitch with a steel pin that is attached from the inside, making it difficult to remove it without the combination to the lock.

The HitchSafe has a single review on Amazon which indicates that water can get inside the vault, which isn't promising, but should still be fine for a spare key. The HitchSafe is $70.

Product Page [HitchSafe.com]

Previously: Tow Hitch TV Mount [BBG]

If when showing off a new feature or device on a gadget to a friend you become embarrassed at how badly you've interrupted the flow of conversation, then the interface isn't yet fast enough.

I've been trying to think about ways to judge products beyond just "looks," "interface," and "battery life" benchmarks. "Conversation integration" is a step in the right direction, I think, if awkwardly phrased.

Hungarian designer Levente Szabó has won the 2007 Electrolux Design Lab competition with his concept for the "E-wash," a washing machine that forgoes chemical detergent for "soap nuts," which are completely organic.

In India and Nepal, people have used the soap nut (sapindus mucorossi) for centuries to get their clothes clean. Szabó says that a kilogram of soap nuts would last the typical person a year, and soap nuts are good for people with allergies and gentle on clothes.

His design is attractive, but it's obviously the use of the soap nuts that sets it apart. And I wonder how difficult it would be to use the nuts with a regular washing machine most of us already use. From what I can tell from those selling soap nuts/soapberries, you can just stick them in a cotton bag and put them in the wash.

(Other winners of the competition can be seen here.)

The original "T-Amp" from Sonic Impact made quite a splash a few years ago as an inexpensive amplifier that did one thing but well: push two speakers to provide clear stereo sound. Now there's a new model—the "Gen 2"—and while it's twice as expensive as the previous model at $70, it's also also capable of driving larger speakers.

That's it. It's just an amp. But supposedly a very good one.

Catalog Page [Thinkgeek.com via Gizmodo]

Geeky, light-up couture isn't new at all, as evidenced by this little write-up for "Electric Jewelry" from 1932, powered by a "midget battery."

(P.S. I'm under the weather today, so please pardon any lack of verve or proper grammar. Also, helpful or not to an ailing body, eating a whole clove of raw garlic is bracing.)

“Electric Jewelry” for Milady (Dec, 1932) [ModernMechanix.com]

• Eyefi 47-inch 1080p LCD monitor (no tuner) for $900. I have no idea what the quality of this panel is—and I'd guess it's pretty low—but that's a heck of a price. [Dealnews]

• Toshiba HD-A20 1080p Upconverting HD DVD Player for $250, shipped. [Dealnews]

• Refurbished Philips Upconverting 1080p DVD / DivX Player + USB for $36, shipped. [Dealnews]

• Craftsman Professional True RMS Auto-Ranging Multimeter for $40, plus $6 shipping or in-store pick-up at Sears. [Dealnews]

• Today's Woot! is a refurbished InFocus IN76 High Definition Home Theater DLP Projector for $905, shipped.

• Ack-ack – Words that entered the Brits' (and our) lexicon from World War One. [BBC]

• Tuber – Video of an orchestra that makes its instruments from vegetables. [Guardian.co.uk] (Thanks, Dan!)

• The Truth in One Free Afternoon – OnNYTurf, makers of the fantastic Google subway map hack for New York, have to sue Long Island Railroad to get train schedules. [OnNYTurf]

• No I Will Not Fucking Kindly – Great criticism of the incongruence of Bioshock's play mechanics with its Randian conceit. I've maintained for a while that after the mid-game reveal, it should have turned into a sandbox game. [Click Nothing]

At $170, the little "Torpedo Entertainment Projector" might entice some as a second display device or project fodder. Gizmodo's Charlie White took one home and found it to be complete junk, even with bargain price factored in.

What about contrast ratio? Well, there wasn't any. We projected a white chip chart with numerous degrees of white down to light gray (see a shot of the projected chart in the gallery below), and you can hardly tell the difference between any of the chips. It was the worst contrast ratio, or lack thereof, performance we've ever seen.

On the other hand, the only review on Amazon is pretty positive, and the guy sounds like he knows what he's talking about.

After pre-testing, I'm happy with the performance. Elsewhere on the interweb the resolution is incorrectly given as 940 x 240; the 940 value must have been combined from 3 LCDs. After counting pixels I'm sure resolution is very close to 320x240 which represents a loss in quality from VHS tape video. The fan is noisier than newer full sized projectors.

320 by 240 pixels is the same resolution of common cell phones—and less than an old television. But replacement bulbs are only $10, which is something. (Bulbs in quality projectors can cost in the low hundreds.) It still sounds like it might be worth waiting until these are on discount, then buying several to create some sort of low-fidelity art installation.

World's Crappiest Projector Reviewed [Gizmodo]

While chiptune music resonates for me in part because of the generational memories infused by years of 8-bit videogaming, chiptune artist Haeyoung Kim (a.k.a. "BubblyFish"), in this interview on Listening Post, offers another theory:

LP: I think I get the sound of chiptune music -- I mean, it sounds good to me -- and I was wondering, do you have to have grown up with classical videogames in order to get it, or... HK: Not at all.  Like me, I was never a videogamer when I was growing up.  Yes, that was the time when I grew up, but I did not play any games.  I think the videogame sound is very general, and it's very familiar to different generations.  It doesn't have to be [just for] the generation that grew up with it.  So people will be familiar, and also, this lo-fi sound is a very distinctive and warm sound, and I think that's why people love it so much.

Interview: Chiptune Artist Haeyoung Kim, BubblyFish [Listening Post]

Prevously: Blip Festival '07 Starts Tomorrow [BBG]

A "Harmonix spokesperson" (really a PR rep) sent us this today:

As sometimes happens when new products first go into manufacturing, we discovered an imperfection with the strum bar in an early production run of guitars that were shipped at launch. We want to inform you that we have since identified and fixed the issue in all subsequent production runs of the guitars. If you are experiencing a problem with your guitar or any of your other Rock Band instruments, simply visit the customer support website (http://support.ea.com/rockband) and we will send a replacement immediately. Harmonix is dedicated to creating 100% customer satisfaction and to those of you who've encountered any hardware issues, we are sorry for the hassle.

That would seem to confirm the "two models" theory of guitars; unfortunately they did not confirm that there are two separate models of drum kits. I have follow up seeking confirmation.

Update: The same Harmonix spokesperson followed up with me to say: "We've not had any reports on faulty drums."

Previously: Fix Your Broken Rock Band Strum Bar [BBG]

For just two hundred bucks, you can mount a flat-screen TV to the tow hitch of your pickup truck, making it possible to carry your expensive television close to the rock-strewn asphalt. But hey, at least when you get to the stadium parking lot for a little tailgating action, you can commiserate about your busted TV with your buddies.

Product Page [TowHitchTV.com] (Thanks, Edwin!)

From the F.A.Q. page of teh $45 "Coffee Table Ottoman," a memory foam foot rest designed to be placed on your coffee table:

Q. Why not just use a pillow?   A. Not only would a pillow slide all around the coffee table, you put your head there. Keep your pillows clean and use a Coffee Table Ottoman.

So hear me out on this: What if you had two pillows...

Product Page [RelaxationDesigns.com]

Above, the "Bar of Soap" prototype device by Brandon Taylor, Stacie Slotnick, and Michael Bove, all working out of the MIT Media Lab. Its function is not to do anything, but to instead anticipate what you would want to do by dint of how it is held. Hold it like a phone? It guesses phone. Hold it like a TV remote? Its internal accelerometers indicate "TV remote." On its own it's useless, but as the ability to detect its user's intended use improves—earlier versions were in the 60-70% accuracy range if I'm reading the data correctly—it may find its way into a multi-purpose gadget in the future.

Is it just me or does the picture looks like it came out of an '80s-era copy of Omni?

Project Page [Media.MIT.edu via Oh Gizmo via Architechtradure]

The "Preserve" plastic razors are made from 100% recycled plastics (in the handle), 65% of which is harvested from old Stonyfield Farm yogurt cups. If your local recycler takes #5 plastics you can drop it off there when you're done with it; otherwise Recycline, the manufacturer, will provide you with a postage-paid mailer with which to return the razor.

A four-pack of razors costs $7.25 from the Preserve store, which isn't too bad for disposable razors. Better, you can also just buy replacement blades from Preserve. That would obviously be the most conservative tack.

Product Page [Recycline.com via Shaving Stuff]

These "Lite Cylinders" are made from fiberglass, making them both easier to toss around and safer. Unlike standard propane tanks, the Lite Cylinders won't corrode, are translucent making checking gas levels easy, and don't explode when exposed to fire. (Or so they claim. It'd be fun to prove them wrong.)

Unlike the steel tanks you can rent from the hardware store, the Lite Cylinders are $100 a pop.

A Propane Tank With a Clear Difference [Toolmonger]

The orbiTouch is a (very) non-standard input device that allows you to control your computer by manipulating two paddles towards an outer ring. (They slide instead of turn.) By combining the positions of both, a variety of keystrokes, including letters, can be performed. It's not a replacement for a standard keyboard, but instead an alternative input device for those with disabilities that might prevent them from typing on a standard QWERTY.

It's also $400, so best reserved for those who really need it.

orbiTouch Keyless Keyboard [OhGizmo]

It is taking an act of will not to purchase this gorgeous AM/FM radio from German design haus Troika. It plucks every connective cord that resonates between my design lobe and my wallet—a smattering of silver knobs, a giant exposed speaker driver, held in wood like an electric ice cream sandwich. And it's tiny—just a five-inch square. Oh, my heart! This is my Aesthetic's Heel.

You know, screw it. It's only $75. It must be mine. Please excuse my rapture. I don't even listen to the radio!

The Trokia Boom Box can be bought at Seattle's Blackbird store for men or online at DesignStore.com (where I just purchased mine so you bastards can't keep me from my little love idol).

I confessed my post-purchase guilt to Gadget Lab's Rob Beschizza, who told me, "That is a radio to keep forever and give to a grandchild. 'All you'll hear is static, sonny—they sold the frequency off 10 years after I bought it, to AT&T Featuring Google. But we used to dance to the Macarana with this.'"

[via Monoscope]

The "Moflow" water pack from Polarpak looks like a traditional back-mounted water carrier, but the inclusion of an air pump adds two useful features: you don't have to suck on a hose to get a sip of water, as biting on the tip gives you a blast of pressurized liquid; the air pressure in the reservoir helps keep the water from sloshing around. You can add a shower head attachment as well for a little backwoods rinse down.

It looks like a wonderful addition to the standard design, but I'd worry that the little hand pump, which isn't integrated into the system, would be easily lost.

It's selling at a suggested $32, but you'll still need to purchase a backpack with a standard hydration pack slot.

Product Page [PolarPak.com]

This Dirt Devil "Purpose for Pets Portable Extractor" looks like a fairly standard sort-of-steam cleaner, but its main claim is that its integrated blacklight LEDs can expose pet stains that would remain otherwise invisible on carpet or upholstery. It's also useful for those who realized too late that shag carpeting was a bad choice for a dungeon.

In all it doesn't look like a bad deal, considering that buying a separate UV flashlight will cost you at least $20-30, while the Dirt Devil gives you a cleaner as well for $100. You could also simply try cleaning the entire carpet or couch at once, but as the owner of a drooly dog, I understand the appeal of a spot clean. Now if I could also teach him to urinate the word "stain" with the same fidelity as the example dog. I'm jealous of that mutt's kerning!

Product Page [DirtDevil.com via Coolest-Gadgets]

I've been mulling Greenpeace's "Guide to Greener Electronics" since its release yesterday, especially its ranking of Nintendo, who scores a zero out of a possible ten. On the one hand I appreciate their attempts to hold electronics companies to high environmental standards; on the other, it seems that they may be making an example out of a popular company by holding them to arbitrary standards, much like they did earlier this year with Apple and the iPhone.

Nintendo's main sin seems to be not a lack of environmental responsibility, but a lack of information about their policies. The PDF that details Nintendo's failings links repeatedly to this FAQ page on Nintendo's site, where they answer "What does Nintendo do to help protect the environment?". (Examples: "We limit our use of colored paper"; "We require that manufacturers not use any banned substances (such as lead, mercury, etc.) in components, nor use them in the manufacturing process for any components used inside of our products.")

That second claim by Nintendo is pretty broad, but also clear: they say they aren't using banned substances. And I'll agree that they should be publicly listing the standards to which they are adhering and a list of the specific chemicals they aren't using, as requested by Greenpeace. But Greenpeace's decision to label Nintendo's "Chemicals Management" score as "Bad," giving no points on their scale, instead of "Partially Bad," seems to be an attempt to single out a popular company to better publicize their report as a whole. Public shaming is a useful tool, but not at the expense of fairness.

I remain genuinely conflicted. Should Greenpeace have given Nintendo a chance to address their accountability issues before issuing the report? Does Greenpeace deserve credit as a watchdog when they seem willing to forgo evenhandedness for dramatic gesture? Or does the end justify the means?

How the companies line up [Greenpeace.org]

The Times has a nice write-up of the Blip Festival, a four-day event starting tomorrow here in New York that is being called the "Woodstock for chiptunes." I had the good pleasure of going to the first Blip last year, and it was downright transcendent. (I wrote about my experiences for Table of Malcontents.) I intend to be down there every night this weekend. The only question: how do I shave an 8-bit mohawk?

From Melena Ryzik in the Times:

Among the stars this year are Hally, a Japanese musician who helped found the chiptune scene in Japan and is known for his work on Famicom, the original Japanese Nintendo; Haeyoung Kim, a k a Bubblyfish, a classically trained pianist and the sole female performer; and Bodenständig 2000, a duo from Germany making a rare appearance in the United States. (The London-based chiptune superstar David E. Sugar has gotten so popular that he was impossible to book, Mr. Rosenthal said.)
Each night eight musicians will perform, accompanied by V.J.’s who will live-edit video onstage. Behind them will be a specially designed low-pixel screen that looks like a giant, moving version of Lite-Brite, the electric toy. The effect will be as lo-fi as a high-tech party can get.

Making Old Hardware Play New Tunes [NYTimes.com]
Event home page [BlipFestival.org]

The "TwoDaLoo" is a frightening two-throne toilet that is sold as a way to get closer to your partner. "Saves rocky marriages," claims the ad copy. In all my relationships, I can't once think that the missing element was to face my partner across a cold porcelain fence, hands clasped, staring wide-eyed into each other's grimacing face. I'll admit: it's easier than having someone sit on my lap aligned just so.

Even better? The TwoDaLoo is good for the environment, for both bowls are washed clean with a single flush. Your sense of environmental responsibility so assuaged, perhaps you might consider upgrading to the advanced model, which includes a seven-inch LCD TV and iPod docking station.

The TwoDaLoo costs $1,400 in bulk orders of 12 units.

Product Page [Wiserep.com] (Thanks, Josh!)

Update: Tommy passed us this video from SNL for the "Love Toilet," a parody commercial from the '90s that is the exact same idea, right down to the single flush.

Updated Bonus Link: 15 Wackiest Bath Products [ThisOldHouse.com]