Japanese Engineers Toy with Maid Robots and Gundam

There's a trend with robots being made in Japan these days. Apparently, the Japanese see a need for robots that can assist people, particularly the elderly and the disabled. A number of maid robot models have been designed and made that can do a number of household chores, like the laundry, and floor vacuuming. One of these models was even made to resemble the cartoon robot Gundam (left), but of course, it only comes with domestic-use technology.

One of the later models is this more generic-looking maid robot (top), which also serves as a conveyor of household stuff like a television set (it has a platform as its behind). The picture shows it picking up a tray. It can also operate a washing machine. But maybe it would have been better if it comes with its own washing machine?

Anyway, maid robots are one thing, but there's also another fascination for Gundam, as you can see here. Bandai decided to make one as tall as a person (second, left) complete with movable joints, flashing lights, sound effects, and a real anime girl to boot (is she a robot too?)! It's your ultimate toy. Too bad it's not designed to be worn.

If a human-sized Gundam robot isn't enough for you, here's one (bottom) that's big enough to fight invading aliens from outer space and protect the Earth. Who knows. maybe in the near future, Japanese engineers would try to make a real Gundam Earth "defense" robot.


Have you ever wondered how a Gundam robot would look like if it's transparent? Well, this toy below may be able to help. It's a "clear" Gundam that's see-through in all respects! Get it before it vanishes forever!

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A Teddy Bear Phone Is Something to Bear With

It used to be that the shoe is the most popular clothing item that is often depicted as a phone in fictional shows like Dick Tracy. But these days, practically anything can be turned into a mobile phone.

Shown here is a teddy bear phone that lets you speed dial by pinching it's paws. It's cute, but not something that you'd use at the office if you not out to get attention. Just imagine yourself with this pressed against the side of your head in a meeting.

Save gas! Turn your car into a water hybrid.

Shower Radio - Finally There is a Good One

by H. Y. Wong

A shower radio is one of those useful bathroom gadgets that many people would be pleased to have. You can listen to weather and traffic news while taking a warm shower first thing in the morning, so that you know what to expect on your way to the office. After a hard day's work, you can tune into your favorite jazz music station while having a relaxing bath. It just makes your showering and bathing experience so much more enjoyable.

The most important quality of a radio intended for bathroom use is that it has to be waterproof. Most ordinary radios will not be able to endure the humid environment of a bathroom, let alone survive an accidental drop into a bath tub filled with water. This is why shower radios have to be specially designed.

There are many shower radios on the market. Unfortunately, according to user reviews, most of these radios suffer from one or more of the following problems: shoddy construction, cheap materials, inadequate water insulation, lack of durability, poor signal reception and low sound quality. In particular, many users complain of difficulties tuning into their favorite stations. A lot of these radios have poor antennas and thus are unable to receive as many AM/FM channels as ordinary radios. And even if they do, the reception is often fuzzy and intermittent. This problem is often made worse by cheap loudspeakers that play hollow and tinny sounds.

It seems that many manufacturers have not got serious with designing and manufacturing radios designed for the bathroom. The end result is that shower radios are often perceived as inherently low quality products.

Fortunately this is not always true. The good news is that there are good ones around, though they are few and far between. One of them is the Sangean H201. There are many good things to be said about this radio but four main ones are: excellent AM/FM radio reception, crystal clear sound, tough water resistance and high build quality. It is a cut above other similar products on the market. From consumer reviews, the Sangean H201 has shown that it can tune into stations that other shower radios have difficulty receiving, and that its sound quality is excellent with hardly any distortion even at high volumes. Its solid, sturdy, high quality construction also impresses many users. Furthermore it comes with other useful features like 10 station presets, LCD display, clock, timers and two mounting options.

With the Sangean H201, you will now be able to truly enjoy high quality radio broadcasts while taking a shower or having a bath.

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Find out more information about the Sangean digital shower radio and other practical bathroom gadgets. You will also discover many other interesting household gadgets on the web site.

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