GadgetMadness: We find the coolest gadgets first

We love our red PSP 2000 alot. We love the enhanced graphics, the Skype capability, and especially the TV output feature. We don't love the lack of remote and docking station though, especially when using the TV out functions of the PSP. Maybe it's because we use the PSP Camera to shoot photos & movies that we then like to display for our friends and family on their TV, but it's always been very inconvenient not having some sort of docking station or remote control. Sony's finally wised up to this (seriously guys, what took so long?) and released this nifty docking cradle with remote that will both charge your and output your PSP 2000 to your TV provided you have the right cables.

PSP Dock @ Play-Asia.com

A little bird named William sent us a note this morning about a cool new resource called "TestFreaks." TestFreaks gathers product reviews from thousands of review sites into one neat profile for each product to give you a concise one-page idea of what other sites think about a particular gadget. (Kind of like a RottenTomatoes "Tomatometer" for electronics and other products.)

TestFreaks appears to still be in beta, but shows promise. Would you use a site like this to check out multiple product reviews before you buy?

TestFreaks

Sometimes we come across gadgets that really get us excited! However after we read the specs of said gadgets more closely our little gadget balloons get deflated. Case in point, the Pet's Eye View Digital Camera. This compact digital camera attaches to your your pet's collar and is made of ultra durable water-resistant ABS plastic. Photos are shot at 640x480 resolution at intervals of either 1, 5, or 15 minutes. Sounds great, so what's the catch? According to the product description there's only enough internal memory to hold roughly 35 photos, which means at best you're only going to capture a little over eight hours in the life of your pet before you'll run out of space. (No mention of a memory card slot to add extra memory either, bummer.)

Pet Eye View Digital Camera

Wowwee's latest robotic creation, the Femisapien has her own music video on YouTube. "Robot Girl" is the creation of Robert Oschler from RobotsRule.com and we have to admit we laughed more than once while watching this clever remake of "Barbie Girl." Femisapien is due out later this summer for $99, and is able to control all of your other Robosapien toys. With those moves and curves we have no doubt they'll listen to her every command.

Those of you who read GadgetMadness regularly know that we go out of our way to track down gadgets and other geeky products that don't fall under the "mainstream" category. We feel life's too short to fill your mind with everyday and mundane stuff! That being said, it probably wouldn't surprise you to know that our taste in movies is just as bizarre and varied - we prefer our horror and science fiction to be just as obscure and unique. Here's our Top Five List of rare horror and science fiction films you've probably never seen (that we love.)

#5 - "Bad Taste" (1987)

Trailer for "Bad Taste"

Aliens come to Earth to open an interstellar fast-food chain, and humans are the food! While you won't recognize any of the actors in this film, you may recognize its director; Peter Jackson went on to direct the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy as well as "King Kong." "Bad Taste" lives up to its title with tons of over the top gore and humor, and the special features on the two disc special edition give you some insight on Jackson's beginnings as a filmmaker. (For example: the aliens heads weren't as long as Jackson would have liked because the mold he originally created was too long to fit in his mum's oven for baking!)

Check price on Amazon

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#4 - "Bio-Zombie" (1998)

Trailer for "Bio-Zombie"

What happens when you cross "Mallrats" with "Dawn of the Dead" and throw in some "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure" for good measure? You get the horror comedy "Bio-Zombie" which has tons of laughs and plenty of zombie goodness. A film that doesn't take itself seriously at all, which is even apparent in the DVD audio setup: there are options for English, Cantonese, or "Engrish." (No we're not kidding.)

Check price on Amazon

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#3 - "Liquid Sky" (1982)

Trailer for "Liquid Sky"

"Liquid Sky" has been called the "funniest, craziest, most perversly beautiful science fiction movie ever made" and we couldn't agree more. Set in New York during the early 1980's, "Liquid Sky" chronicles the story of Margaret and Adrian: Margaret sells drugs and performs at the local club, and Adrian models. Both have their lives turned sideways when an alien that feeds on the chemical in the brain that is produced during climax or drug use lands on their roof, and starts to feed in a very strange way.

Check price on Amazon

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#2 - "Rawhead Rex" (1986)

Trailer for "Rawhead Rex"

Based on the short story by Clive Barker in Volume 3 of his "Books of Blood" series, "Rawhead Rex" is about an ancient demon who is awakened and then proceeds to rampage and murder across the Irish countryside. While not as gory as some the other films in this list, "Rawhead Rex" delivers on shock value and brutality.

Check price on Amazon

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#1 - "The Keep" (1983)

Trailer for "The Keep"

Set in 1941 "The Keep" is the story of a fortress in the Romanian Alps and the dark apocalyptic force imprisoned within. Directed by Michael Mann and starring Jurgen Prochnow, Gabriel Byrne, and Ian McKellan "The Keep" was originally almost three hours long but was edited by Paramount Pictures to a short 93 minutes. The screenplay for the film is based on the book of the same title by F. Paul Wilson (the first book in the "Adversary Cycle"). "The Keep" has a haunting and dreamlike score that was created by Tangerine Dream.

"The Keep" was once available on laserdisc, but has never been released on DVD. Fans have sent repeated requests to Paramount Pictures and to Michael Mann for a director's cut DVD, and to date have been unanswered. (The creator of "The Keep" fansite has all but dedicated his professional and personal life to the film.) We feel this is a terrible shame. After 25 years this film still has life and a large fan base that wants to see the original vision of "The Keep" that Michael Mann intended - us included!

We hope you enjoyed our Top Five list of rare horror and science fiction films. Did we leave your favorite film off the list? Let us know in the comments below!

"Do you like our chameleon? Is it real? Of course not, it's artificial..." Okay, so while this USB lizard isn't the freshest find we still get a kick out of watching his rolling eyes and tongue-spitting action. Available at Audio Cubes, and priced almost as much as the real thing.

Cube Collection USB Chameleon

Thanks to the latest advancements in genetic manipulation, Japanese scientists have created a new form of mushroom that you can now grow on your own. Just add standard potting soil, sunlight, and lots of love and in a few days you'll start to see your own vinyl 1up start to push up from the soil!

At least, that's what you'd convince your co-workers of when you bring in the vinyl pot full of potting soil that you water everyday. Then one day you'd come in early to place the vinyl mushroom in your pot to fool them! (Maybe that's just us - we like to play silly tricks on co-workers any chance we get!)

ThinkGeek.com

What's In The Box

• Kicker zKICK ZK500 Digital Stereo System
• Dock Adapters to fit Zune 30GB, 80GB, 4GB and 8GB
• 1/8"Stereo Aux Input Cable
• Instruction Manual
• Remote Control

Specifications

• Speaker Design: 2- Way
• Woofer Size, in (mm): 5 (127)
• Tweeter Size, in (mm): 3/4 (20)
• Tweeter Design: Silk Dome
• Passive Radiator Size, in (mm): 6 x6 (152 x 152)
• RMS Power, Watts @ 1% Total Harmonic Distortion: 2 x 20
• Effective Frequency Range, Hz: 50-20k

Video Review

Pros:

• Rotary control is super easy to use.
• Auxiliary input accepts audio from any audio source.
• Seriously clear treble and impressive bass in a small package.
• Charges Zune player while docked.
• RCA Composite outputs for audio & video output to TV. (4GB/8GB Zune excluded)
• Multiple dock adapters to fit any Zune.
• Looks like something you would see in The Batcave.

Cons:

• AC power only - no batteries.
• Rear transport handle is a little too short for a good grip.

Conclusion

The Kicker zKICK ZK500 for Zune uses 5" Full-Range Drivers, 3/4" Silk Dome Tweeters and an innovative 6" square passive subwoofer to deliver the best sound we've ever heard from our special edition Halo3 Zune. Setup and connection to a television is a breeze, and with an auxiliary input jack you can connect just about any other audio device to the ZK500. Highly recommended!

Price is $249 as of this review - Check current price on Amazon

What's In The Box

• Blood Red PSP-2000 Handheld Console
• "God of War - Chains of Olympus" Game on UMD
• "Superbad" Movie on UMD
• "Syphon Filter: Combat OPS" Voucher
• AC Adaptor
• Battery Pack

Video Review

Pros:

• It's blood red, and red gadgets are in.
  
• Comes with a great movie and one fantastic game.
  
• Slim PSP-2000 includes Skype and extra memory. "Chains of Olympus" graphics look amazing.
  
• Did we mention it's red? We've had our special edition red PSP-2000 with us all weekend, and it attracted attention everywhere we went.
  

Cons:

• Does not come with handstrap or neckstrap.
  
• Does not come with Memory Stick Duo.
  
• Does not come with USB cable.
  
• "God of War" UMD is standard white, not red.

Conclusion

If you don't already have a PSP, this is the bundle to get. If you already have a PSP Fat or Slim and you're looking to trade them in for something cool, this is also the bundle to get. We traded in one of our old PSP-1000's and our silver PSP-2000 for this awesome bundle, and we're glad we did.

Red PSP "God of War" Bundle at Amazon

PSP Camera at Play-Asia

Remember how cool ant farms were as a kid? The only problem once you got your kit home was getting the actual ants, which typically took about a month via mail order. On top of that if your ant farm was ever knocked over your pet ants would get out into your room, which typically lead to a choking cloud of ant spray and your ant farm being tossed in the trach.

Bandai Ants Life Studio is a virtual ant farm you can keep right on your desk without fear of your ants escaping! You can interact with your pet ants by giving them sugar, salt, pebbles, worms, and fruit to help them thrive and build their nest. Shaking your ant farm will result in your ants becoming stunned and confused! This cool new life sim is available now from Audio Cubes.

Bandai Ants Life Studio