Sometimes, when you're sharing a shower with a certain special someone, you need to grab onto something solid. And you know, you don't want to pull the curtain rod down or the showerhead out of the wall. That's what Shower Power is for: it's a handle for holding onto during those times when things get dirty in the shower. The box is pretty straightforward in showing you just how you're expected to use it (NSFW):

I especially like the guy talking on the phone while going at it on his desk. Multitasking! [PopGive]

Screw green engines and automated driving. This is what I really want: Carcade, a system that captures the window landscape in real time to create gaming stages on the fly. Created by Andreas Nicolas Fischer, Martin Kim Luge and Korbinian Polk—three students at Berlin University of the Arts—Carcade opens the possibility to never-ending gaming and has the potential to shut up kids doing long-distance car travel all over the world. And only for that, these guys should get the Peace Nobel Prize.

Their demo is quite good. They used a webcam connected to a laptop. The program then analyzes the video, detecting the outline of the landscape and using it as the terrain for a shoot-em-up kind of game, in which you maneuver a spaceship to obtain stars. Best of all, they even implemented a two-player game mode.

It's a lot simpler than the airplane racing simulator we covered yesterday, but my guess is that this could be made even more sophisticated by using laser meters to actually detect depth of the landscape and make more complex, multidimensional game stages. [Carcade via OhGizmo!]

When a video editor became depressed looking at his laptop, he did the only logical thing. He went to the garage, whipped out the welding torch and cooked himself up a portable system that could store a five-drive RAID0 array and two 22-inch monitors. Video is captured via unspecified HDMI-wielding video card and project output occurs through a Blu-ray burner. We don't know what the whole honking system weighs in at, but we do know that this 10-minute spark montage build video puts Rocky !, II, III and IV to shame:

I don't know about you, but I'm gonna go do some push ups. [Modders Inc]

The hard-hitting investigative team at MyFox has just discovered the latest and greatest threat to national security and your children: Fisher-Price's Little Mommy Real Loving Baby Cuddle & Coo Doll, which is sold across the country, has apparently been hijacked by Al-Qaeda to reprogram your children into followers of Allah! If you squint your ears, one of the talking doll's catchphrases sounds like "Islam is the light." God-fearin' parents everywhere are horrified, or at least outside of this McDonald's and Pizza Hut. Why hasn't anyone been talking about the surge where we really need it, the heart of Fisher-Price??? [YouTube]

We don't know what travesties or revelations tomorrow will bring, but it will surely include the Ovetto Recycling Egg. A simple two-sided recycling bin allowing the separation of plastic and aluminum, you may be wondering, "why should I spend $250 on a fancy trash can?" And we could only assure you that this is no trash can. It's a recycling egg. And it's clearly from the future.

Also, it kind of looks like a sex doll for R2D2. [Where Did You Buy That via Treehugger]

We think the Band Saw Safe is as charming as safes come, with various arrows rotating to confound would-be thieves from opening the box. The only problem is, even after reading the description five times though, we still don't fully understand how you actually open it.

The 13 drawers of this band-saw box rotate rather than open outward. Objects for safekeeping are placed into the large, central drawer through a hole in the bottom of the box. Since the arrows on the front of each drawer point toward the drawer's open side, objects may be moved from one drawer to another by first lining up the arrows on the two drawers and then rotating the entire box so that the objects fall from the first drawer to the second.

Then again, maybe it's called the Band Saw Safe for a reason—the key is in the name. [Rogue Cheddar via bbGadgets]

Lego Artist Nathan Sawaya—one of the only three certified Lego professionals in the world—will do a full-size scale Lego replica of yourself for $60,000. You just have to order it from Neiman Marcus, send some photographs, and Nathan will build your natural-size 8-bit version. Given his rates, that amount is quite reasonable and, coincidentally, our remaining budget for the rest of the year. Now I just have to come with an excuse to order one of myself and get another $60,000 to buy one of Uma Thurman.

Acclaimed artist Nathan Sawaya is obsessed with LEGO® bricks. Uh, trust us, he is. He fills his New York studio with more than 1.5 million of the interlocking toy building blocks, and he can sculpt anything out of them — a full-size Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton or a 7-foot-long scale replica of the Brooklyn Bridge, for example. Given the skill and depth of his devotion to his art, it makes perfect sense to immortalize your own magnificent self with our 2008 His & Hers gifts. Send in detailed photos and measurements, then Nathan gets to snapping and BOOM! One-of-a-kind, life-size sculptures of yourselves in LEGO bricks. We priced our exclusive gift individually, so Nathan can "brickalize" you and the S.O., the kids, Granny and/or anyone else you obsess about. (Just make sure you have the rights to their likenesses; we're not here to judge.)

And by the way, if you don't have $60,000, then you should consider entering our Go Miniman Go Lego contest. The vintage shrink-wrapped Lego sets will get you a nice chunk of that money in eBay. But hurry up because the end of the month deadline is quickly approaching. If you want to participate, check the contest rules here and send your video now. [Neiman Marcus]

Now that the Baltimore's XOHM network is up and running, companies are scrambling to release WiMAX-enabled notebooks to capitalize on faster-than-EVDO internet. One of the first out the door is Acer, with two new WiMAX sporting Aspires. The Aspire 4930 comes with a 14.1-inch 1280x800 resolution CrystalBrite screen, 3GB RAM, a 320GB hard drive, a webcam, and retails for $900. The 6930 is all that (including the $900 price point), but with a 16-inch screen instead. Both use Intel's Centrino 2-based WiMAX/Wi-Fi modules. Happy on-the-go downloading!

Acer Leads the Industry with the Introduction of the

First Wireless 4G WiMAX-Enabled Notebooks for the U.S. Market

Aspire 4930-6862 and Aspire 6930-6771 unveiled at

first U.S. WiMAX network launch in Baltimore

SAN JOSE, Calif. and BALTIMORE, October 8, 2008 – Acer America, part of the world’s third largest PC company (source: Gartner data, 2Q 2008), today unveiled its first WiMAX-enabled notebooks – Aspire 4930-6862 and Aspire 6930-6771 – in support of the nation’s first U.S. WiMAX wireless broadband network launched by XOHM in Baltimore. Demonstrating the company’s focus on delivering innovative technology solutions, the Aspire 4930-6862 and Aspire 6930-6771 are WiMAX-enabled Intel® Centrino 2-based notebooks with the first-ever combined WiMAX/Wi-Fi module, previously codenamed “Echo Peak,” part of the Intel WiMAX/Wi-Fi Link 5050 Series.

WiMAX is a flexible wireless broadband technology that has the ability to deliver rich data experiences for mobile users. With the potential to help bridge the digital divide, WiMAX has the capacity to unwire entire cities, including the most remote and poor communities across the globe. In the U.S., WiMAX offers a third broadband alternative to DSL or cable in the home, with the addition of broadband data and a voice network, which users can utilize on-the-go. WiMAX promises to be the highest performing mobile network in the United States with average downlink speeds of 2-4 Mbps and uplink rate of 1-2 Mbps.

"With the launch of WiMAX in the United States, Acer is building on its commitment to deliver first-to-market cutting-edge PC technology for mobile customers," said Sumit Agnihotry, director of notebook product management for Acer America. "By leveraging Intel Centrino 2 mobile technology and the XOHM wireless network capabilities, users will have the availability for anytime, anywhere wireless connectivity. The Acer Aspire notebooks provide users with perfect combination of mobile and multimedia functionality."

WiMAX subscribers in the Baltimore area can now enjoy free-range wireless connectivity utilizing the Aspire 4930-6862 and Aspire 6930-6771 notebook PCs, with new markets to follow in the coming months. The Aspire 4930-6862 is designed for users seeking portability and power in an eye-catching notebook PC. The 14-inch widescreen multimedia notebook offers portability, style and performance for demanding applications.

The Aspire 6930-6771 is a 16-inch widescreen dream multimedia machine for digital media with exceptional performance. The Aspire 6930-6771 brings a true cinematic experience to movies and gaming, with a 16:9 screen ratio. It also delivers amazing performance for demanding applications with Intel Centrino 2 and Core 2 Duo processor technology, 3GB of memory and a fast 320GB hard drive.

“Intel is pleased to see WiMAX-enabled notebooks available today from Acer that leverage the accessibility of this powerful 4G wireless network,” said Julie Coppernoll, director of marketing for WiMAX at Intel Corporation. “By offering these systems with the Intel WiMAX/Wi-Fi Link 505 Series module, residents of Baltimore have the ability to share and download videos and photos, as well as access social media networks seamlessly anywhere they go in the coverage area.”

Specifications for Aspire 4930-6862

* Intel® Centrino® 2 Processor Technology
* Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor T7350

(3GB L2 Cache | 2.0GHz | 106600MHz FSB)

* 14.1" WXGA Acer CrystalBrite™ TFT LCD (1280 x 800)
* 3GB DDR 667MHz Memory
* Integrated Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 4500HMHD
* 320GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
* Super Multi Double-Layer Drive
* 5-in-1 Digital Media Card Reader
* WiMAX Forum Certified™ WAN/802.11a/b/g/n
* Acer Crystal Eye Webcam
* Dolby Home Theater®
* Windows Vista® Premium
* MSRP $899.99

Specifications for Aspire 6930-6771

* Intel® Centrino® 2 Processor Technology
* Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor T7350

(3GB L2 Cache | 2.0GHz | 1066MHz FSB)

* 16" WXGA Acer CrystalBrite™ TFT LCD (1366 x 768)
* 3GB DDR 667MHz Memory
* Integrated Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 4500HMHD
* 320GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
* Super Multi Double-Layer Drive
* 5-in-1 Digital Media Card Reader
* WiMAX Forum Certified™ WAN/802.11a/b/g/n
* Acer Crystal Eye Webcam
* Dolby Home Theater®
* Windows Vista® Premium
* MSRP $899.99

The Aspire 4930-6862 and Aspire 6930-6771 will be available to customers in Baltimore through Newegg.com and TigerDirect.com.

Insert your finger into the Tutukki Bako (Tutukki Box) and you probably won't feel much. Unless you looked at the screen, you wouldn't know that you were clumsily stoking a tiny panda, a small, terrified man or even a woman's unhappy face with an inappropriate-looking appendage. This lovely toy will superimpose a live digital representation of your digit on a couple of equally unsettling scenes and costs about $30, though it's only available in Japan for now (and probably forever). I'm not sure what need or desire this fulfills, but if anyone knows please feel free not to let me know. Bonus screens after the jump. [Crunchgear]

Insert your finger into the Tuttuki Bako (Tuttuki Box) and you probably won't feel much. Unless you look at the screen, you wouldn't know that you were clumsily stoking a tiny panda, a small, terrified man or even a woman's understandably unhappy face with an inappropriate-looking appendage. This lovely toy will superimpose a live digital representation of your digit on a couple of equally unsettling scenes and costs about $30, though it's only available in Japan for now (and probably forever). I'm not sure what need or desire this fulfills, but if anyone knows please feel free not to let me know. Bonus screens after the jump. [Crunchgear]