GadgetReview

Itching for some short wave radio?  I know I am, in fact I’ve got a hankering.  The Thanko USB Shortwave radio plugs into your computer via USB and receives not only AM/FM transmissions, but shortwave radio as well.  It’s compatible with Windows only and includes some software for recording over the air broadcasts.  Me?  I just like the design.

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Sometimes I get to thinking that Hammacher Schlemmer is the Thanko of people with too much money.  Because they’ve brought out some really weird and overpriced stuff, and they’ll continue that awesome tradition with the Autonomous Saucier.

Say that out loud a couple times, let it roll on your tongue. Autonomous. Saucier.

It’d make a great name for a band, wouldn’t it?

But all kidding aside, what the Autonomous Saucier does is basically keep skin from forming on your gravy.  It’s an automated whisk that you lower into your sauce pan, rest on its feet, and let it spin and revolve around the pot, constantly stirring and keeping your sauce from scorching and sticking to the pan.

It’s powered by four AA batteries, can withstand temperatures of up to 572 degrees Fahrenheit and costs $39.95.  Yes, you’re paying forty bucks for what amounts to an automated whisk.  But if you make a lot of homemade sauces, then you just might want one of these.

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Even though there are plenty of USB microphones out there, you may be quite particular to one specific or favorite microphone.  To help bridge that gap comes the Thanko USB to XLR converter cord.

Simple as that, the cord is Windows and Mac friendly, 5 meters long, and requires no additional software and should be mostly plug and play.  $55 may seem like a lot of cash to drop, but if it is essential to your situation, you may not have a lot of other choices. …Continue reading: Thanko USB to XLR Cord

Having yet to blame a sickness on a dirty toothbrush, I’m sure there’s plenty of you hypo-germaphobes out there that would love to have a gadget like this.  All that is needed is a fresh USB port and you are ready to get your sanitize on.

Looks like a great gift idea for anybody you know that loves brushing their teeth on the go.  If eliminating bacteria is on your to do list, you can pick up this UV USB Toothbrush Sanitizer fresh from Japan for $40.  Thank you Thanko.

[via UberGizmo]

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I love Thanko.  There’s just no two ways about it.  These guys clock out some of the craziest ideas in gadgetry with a straight face, and I love picking them up to talk about them.

Today I’ve got a real winner–USB powered fingertipless gloves.

No, seriously.  Gloves, with internal heating coils, powered by a USB drive and missing the tops of the fingers to make your typing easier.

You see what I mean about how it just LOOKS like a stupid idea?  Who needs gloves indoors, right?  Nobody, really.  But here’s the kicker–heat on your hands can loosen muscles.  Like the muscles you’re using to type, for example.  These gloves could be a way to beat carpal tunnel syndrome before it even starts.  I’m not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV, but it sure sounds feasible to me!

And if you actually want a pair of these winners, you can lay hands on them for right around thirty bucks a pair.

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Bone conduction seems to be of all the rage these days when talking about submersible earphones.  I had a bland experience with the Finis SwiMP3’s and feel that music underwater has yet to be truly conquered.

Thanko of Japan has just announced the new EMP-708LITE Vonia earphones that use bone conduction to transmit the music to your brain in up to 5 meters of depth.  This product is only available in Japan but you can order a pair for around $45.  Any opinions on this technology??

[via NewLaunches]

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Oh Thanko…have I told you lately that I love you…r insane brand of gadget lunacy?

The boys and girls out at Thanko have truly done it again.  They’re offering up a waterproof USB camera that will remain waterproof up to 20 meters deep, which is approximately sixty feet.

It’s got four gigs of onboard memory, USB, stores files in AVI at 736X280 resolution at 20 frames per second.  Even better, the battery takes up to two full hours of nonstop running to go blank, so you’ll have plenty of time to learn all its various features.

But yes, you read that right…they’re actually offering up a waterproof diving USB camera.  I admit there are plenty of other possible uses for it, but the fact that you can actually use it as a diving camera strikes me as a bit outlandish.  But if you ever wanted to hunt gold in the Caribbean, and don’t mind shelling out a hundred and forty bucks worth of that gold in advance, this has GOT to be the way to do it.

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I’m really starting to love the folks out at Thanko for making gadgets that can only be described as either “the zombie-eyed daydreams of shoe salesmen” (thanks to Married With Children for that one) or “madness of the kind you only see in H.P. Lovecraft novels” (that’s all me).

Because today they have brought me a new pie made from the fruit of their tree of insanity, the Thanko USB soldering iron.

No, seriously.  A soldering iron you hook to your computer.

You have essentially three power settings with this, depending on what power supply you use.  One USB port will get the Thanko USB soldering iron to two hundred degrees.  TWO USB ports (it comes with a bifurcated USB cable) will bring it to three hundred degrees.  And using a 9-volt battery?  That’ll put it at FIVE HUNDRED DEGREES.

I found myself wondering who on earth would hook a soldering iron to their computer, when chances are, they’d be using the soldering iron ON their computer.  Thanko, of course, is mum on that point, but the sheer hilarious joy of their offerings keeps me in stitches, and hopefully, you too.

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Thanko doesn’t exactly have a good record when it comes to their gadgets, folks, but here’s an exciting piece of news–apparently their MP4 viewer is coming to be regarded as a solid buy!

Now that’s exciting enough as it is–it’s almost like saying “Man, this fried cockroach tastes delicious!”–but not only will this little item, the DIGITAL MP4 AudioPlayer AV, play your MP4 videos, but it also serves as a digital camera.  It has 8GB of onboard memory, with miniSD cards fully supported, even if they only work with Microsoft XP and Microsoft Vista.

Moreover, it also includes a 4.3-inch screen, a mini remote, two mini speakers and an estimated battery life of four to six hours, making this one of the most portable media viewers ever.  Thanko is already selling this device to Japanese customers–word is that the English store will be selling it soon, in case you want to take the chance that this is Thanko’s best product ever.

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Now what an amazing product this could be.  Thanko has produced what could quite possibly be the smallest MP3 player in the world.  Weighing in at a measly 8 grams and measurements of 16mm x 25mm x 22mm, this has got to be the most easily lost gadgets as well.

Available in 2GB and 4GB models and respectively priced at $55 and $75, it will be interesting to see how quality these things actually are, and not just some gimmick due to the size.  Tiny! …Continue reading: Thanko MicroSports MP3 Player Is The Smallest Player I Have Seen Yet