Remember the motorized mounted fish who twisted and sang his way into pop culture in 2000? It’s about time we had another Big Mouth Billy Bass phenomenon.
Gadgets have a fun side, and that’s OK with me, as I have a fun side too. The newsroom knows my impromptu “Motown moments,” when I burst into songs from the ’60s and ’70s. Today, we look at a few devices ranging from $50 to five figures that also do the unexpected, putting the “fun” in “functional.”
WOWWEE ROBOTICS CHATTERBOTS
($50; chatterbotsonline.com)
No need to surf the Web alone anymore. These companions sit on your desktop and, when connected to your computer’s USB slot, will comment on the sites you visit. Go to google.com and hear, “Ever Google yourself? It’s not a pretty picture.” Type “brb” into your instant-message program to let your friend know you’ll “be right back” and your Chatterbot chimes in, “Be right back.”
It will offer info (“Einstein had flat feet”), comment on your iTunes choices and respond to praise and rebukes. Best of all, you can type in phrases that you want the Chatterbot to recognize and respond to with a random comment.
Each Chatterbot has a different personality — I hung out with the bulldog for a while; the gruff, tutu-wearing fairy godfather and a devilish angel (pictured above) also are for sale. Their comments aren’t too outlandish, and though the mechanical noise of the Chatterbot opening and closing its mouth sometimes can drown out the occasional one-liner, you can prevent that by turning off the animatronics, using the included software.
JABRA BT3010 BLUETOOTH HEADSET
($50; jabra.com)
You love the convenience of using your phone hands-free with your wireless headset. You hate looking like a tech geek while you do it. Jabra has come up with an option that still leaves you looking like a tech geek, but one with style.
At jabra.com/coverdesigner, you can design the cover of the BT3010 headset to match what you’re wearing or to make some other statement. The site’s tools help you; once you’ve finished, print out the design on glossy paper and trim it with a pen knife, such as an X-acto blade, or a box cutter (scissors can do in a pinch). Snap off the transparent cover and replace the current design with your own.
HYMINI WIND-POWERED CHARGER
($50; hymini.com)
For the eco-tistical — people who like to show off their commitment to the environment — the HYmini is perfect. It looks like a hand-held personal fan, but it’s actually a charger for 5-volt gadgets such as phones and small MP3 players. Connect your gadget to the HYmini, then plug the HYmini into a wall outlet for conventional charging.
But you can use the HYmini to release your unconventional side, by strapping this lightweight device to your arm or your bicycle and going for an outing in the wind. The spinning fan and the device’s mini-generator convert wind into power that’s stored until you need to give your device a quick power boost.
According to HYmini, spending 20 minutes in an uninterrupted 19 m.p.h. breeze provides enough juice to power a small MP3 player for 40 minutes or to enable a digital camera to take up to 20 snapshots.
That’s a lot of pedaling — world-class cyclists can maintain a speed of 28 m.p.h. — so the best way to catch that much wind is probably aboard a boat (the HYmini can handle being spritzed with water, but don’t let it get drenched).
A cynic would say to be truly eco-friendly, we would use fewer electronics anyway, because their components may not be completely recyclable or easily disposable. But in the real world, people love gadgets, and using something like the HYmini does help, if only a little bit. The device currently appears in the Smart Home Green+Wired exhibition at Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry.
SONY ROLLY DANCING MUSIC PLAYER
($400; sonystyle.com)
The palm-size, egg-shaped Rolly gets its name from its ability to sprout flaps and roll and spin around to the music it plays through its stereo speakers. You can use the included software to choreograph its moves.
The 2 gigabyte Rolly can hold about 500 songs in AAC and MP3 formats, and the battery can power up to four hours of music and motion or five hours of music alone.
The sight of an egg break dancing on your coffee table while emitting its own 700-color techno light show may not be worth $400 to you, but fun, funky and functional don’t always come cheap.
SEURA TV MIRROR
($2,800 to $28,000; Hydrology, 312-832-9000)
In high-end homes, luxury hotels and fancy restaurants, Seura TV mirrors add a new meaning to “You are what you watch.” The TV is either encased in a mirror that measures 17 to 65 inches, or fits behind reflective glass. Make sure it faces a darker wall to prevent unwanted reflections.
ESPN THE ULTIMATE REMOTE
($299; amazon.com)
This new universal remote connects to your home’s Wi-Fi network to bring sports scores, news and other information from ESPN at the touch of a button. Sports information and TV channel lineups, as well as a mobile Web browser, are displayed on the remote’s screen, so you can keep an eye on both Chicago baseball teams, the Bears, Bulls and Blackhawks simultaneously if you want to.
