Now that I've transferred every last little bit of music onto my hard drive music player - including all the embarrassing tunes that always pipe up when I'm trying to act cool in front of guests and which I can never quite brazen out - I live in fear of my player dying on me. Since my laptop is chock full of my fantastically eclectic music collection and and photos of my thrilling life, I'm terrified of that crashing on me as well. Backing up onto yet another hard drive seems like the obvious solution to my hysterical mind. While this Magic Slim may not be roomy enough for all my music, I can at least back up my work and photos so that come the inevitable gadget meltdown, I'll still have a few things left to salvage from the wreckage.The 2.2GB USB hard drive comes with a comely leatherette carry case and costs £80.

Storage Depot [via TRFJ]

The wags at Fujitronic must have looked at their fridges one night when the midnight munchies struck, and realised that there was a serious inside/outside mismatch going on. While the inside was a treasure trove of endless delights (Chardonnay, Dairylea, 35 tubs of Muller Crunch Corner), the outside was... well, a white box-shaped box.

So they've created the i-Box refrigerator, which is shaped like a dog. Or, if you prefer, a polar bear. The fridge is supposed to be for kids but, like the PS2, is much too good to waste on the under-10s. These little working fridges are perfect for keeping near to the bed so you don't break important bones whilst creeping down the strairs at 2am.

How many mobiles have you got through in the past few years? A fair few, I'll wager. But I'm not going to lecture you about disposable lifestyles when I'm obviously one of the worst offenders around. Three cheers and a round of "for they are jolly good fellows" then for the boffins at the University of Warwick. They've teamed up with Motorola to bring you a biodegradable phone that grows into a dwarf sunflower after you pot it up. The seed is stored safely in your handset until you're ready to compost the casing (innards must be binned unfortunately) It's still at concept stage right now but don't forget you can give your old phones to charity until then.

via Hippyshopper

Vanity is a terrible thing; but I must admit that living in a weight-obsessed society, I sometimes bend to the pressure to of trying to appear more svelte. I'll eschew the bread on my burger, I'll waste the benefit of a business lunch by just nibbling on a salad, and I wear black almost exclusively because amazing illusory thinning properties. But until I read about Pilot Electronics MP08 MP3 player, it never occurred to me worry about the weight of my gadgets. At 12 grams (or 0.4 ounces), the MP08 makes the iPod Shuffle's 0.78 ounces seem bloated in comparison; and it makes my old-school 9.4-ounce Neuros morbidly obese.

Ah yes, Japan. Land of dainty tea ceremonies, silent Geisha girls and the bra shaped like two baseballs with a couple of stuffed birds hanging off the side. In a late entry for what must be the world's most preposterous sports trip, those baseball-mad Japanese have come up with the bra-seball, created by underwear geniuses Triumph International for new "team" The Rakuten Eagles. This contraption is to lingerie what Noel Edmonds is to quality television, and it's safe to say that it wasn't designed for comfort, but I'm sure it'll have its fans - mainly the blokes who persuade their poor girlfriends to wear the thing while the game's on. (Insert "yes, and it's sure to have its knockers, too" gag here.) [Lady Muck]

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It's fair to say that Shiny Media's current weblogs are, to say the least, shallow. So, to redress the balance, and hopefully ensure our entry into the great gadget shop in the sky, we've launched Hippyshopper - Ethical Consumerism. Yes, that's right, it's a site dedicated to clean living, with info on organic stuff, ethically sourced products and environmental sustainability. Now, to ensure Shiny Media's sustainability, please do go and check it out right away. Oh, and make sure you click on the "Win Green Stuff" link at the top. We're giving away prizes - for extra Brownie (greenie?) points.

Hippyshopper

I've just been doing a brief stint over on the Bag Lady for Gemma. Inevitably it was all laptop bags, and while mooching about I noticed that Gemma's featured a notebook bag I hadn't seen before. The cheek of it! Anyway, this Lin & Leo lapbag looks mighty fancy to me. For £90 you too can have a handbag with a padded laptop pocket, plus loads of extra room for your keys, phone and purse. There's also a larger version for people who also need room for the kitchen sink.(NO I didn't just cut and paste that last bit.)

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Thought this was just a normal, common or garden kitchen bin? Aha! Well, think again. This is no ordinary trash receptacle - this is the Sensor Bin. "For your pleasure and convenience" the Sensor Bin pops open automatically when it feels you growing nearer. The sensor opens the lid wide to receive your detritus, closing again
3 - 7 seconds after you've moved your hand away. I'm not entirely convinced that this is significantly less strenuous than just pressing a pedal, but who cares - it's neato. Looks like it's only available on the site to resellers at the moment.

Sensor Bin

Paf, and to think we're still excited by scented glitter pens. Over in Japan the school kids get to fill their pencil cases (hi-tech electronic cases for their hi-tech electric pencils, no doubt) with these USB Memory Pens. Available in a variety of colours, the little lid bit comes out to reveal a USB storage device for plugging straight into your computer. It's also got a stamp on the end which the Japanese use for their official documents. Which is just great - now not only are we jealous of the flashy flash memory pens, we're jealous that we don't have any official documents to stamp.

Iodata Product Page [via the lovely Akihabara News geeks]

Mac lovers have a new reason to rejoice: FREITAG is now offering form-fitting, Mac only, laptop sleeves for the iBook and Powerbook; with lines as sleek as the machines themselves. Admittedly, a laptop case made of used truck tarps (with color choices limited to fumestained yellow or fumestained white) might not carry the same fashionable, cultural caché as those white ear-buds everyone is sporting these days, but it reportedly goes a long way in making these cases waterproof.

Think back to all those times when your MP3 player / Phone / PDA has run out of battery with no plug sockets nearby to charge it back up. This $200 solar-powered bag solves the problem. The solar panel on the front charges up in sunlight (or indoors if you've got a couple more hours to spare) and then you have portable power for all your gadgetry needs. What it lacks in style it makes up for in ingenuity, and you easily make back the initial cost after you've used it for about 6 months. Get it from Solar Style.

[via The Bag Lady via The Red Ferret Journal]

Remember the Mymo that was withdrawn from the UK market after all that hoo-hah about children and mobiles? Well, it hasn't deterred other companies from trying their hand at pre-teen mobile making, however. The i-Care Baby Bear cell phone from GuideTek Technology is even more cutesy than the Mymo, but has the disadvantage of only being at plastic prototype phase rather than plastic finished product phase. The handset is so simple even an adult could use it. No screen, four speed dial keys on the hands and feet, and that's about it. The upcoming model will also include a GPS locater so anxious parents can keep track of their wandering tots.

Guidetek

It's Easter holls, the sun is shining, and it's time for the Shiny Team to get some Shiny sun. We'll probably be back on Monday, but I can't pass up on the opportunity to say See You Next Tuesday.

After being charmed against my will by the Jabra fashion headset it's Plantronics's turn to tempt me with a pretty earpiece. Codenamed Tahiti, it's as light and tiny as the Jabra - though once again, you can't tell that from this pic. But this headset has other charms than just its size to recommend it. Arriving in a smart travel case (complete with mirror so you can check your headset isn't wonky or anything horrifying like that), the Tahiti comes with a choice of charging options, including a little pocket/bag dock so you can top it up on the road.

Full details on the press release

Just how excellent are these Coo Clocks? Ok, so they're probably best suited to those that dwell in cottages made of gingerbread and sweeties, and would look entirely out of place in most respectable homes, but it doesn't make me want one any less. Every hour on the hour, you'll be greeted by a farm or jungle creature that emerges to make an almighty din before retiring quietly once more. If you want to reassure friends and family, who are slowly and calmly backing away from you and your clock, you can impress them with the sanity of your purchase by pressing a button on the side to activate the act off-hour. Best of all, the clock automatically turns off the pop out action when the room goes dark. It's just a shame they're made of plastic not wood or I'd be typing in my card details right now. £45 from HeadsUp.

Whoever came up with this idea should be sho... no hang on, let's start that one again. If you're not averse to pointing a gun at your head every time you want to dry your hair, this is probably the hairdryer you've been looking for. But be warned, I'm guessing it has a hair trigger.

Popgadget

Ah, if only it was so. I can just see me powering up my Apple iGramophone* to listen to a bit of Ruby Murray (NB to cockneys: the singer, not the curry that would be just plain weird). Someone's been making free with Photoshop again, taking the world of music players full circle with this imaginery Apple 80 terabyte Victrola.

Read [via Gizmodo]

*Yes, I'm sure if Apple did ever make one of these, they'd come up with a less rubbish name than the one I just gave it. But give me a break - it's the holidays.

Take a normal flash MP3 player and a set of speakers, make a burrow for the player that connects it right into the woofer of the speakers and throw some shapes on the living room dance floor. Neat idea that removes the need for those pesky wires that are the blight of my gadget filled life, but with the players only at 128MB and 512MB currently, they're more useless than a laxative at a curry convention. Also, while I've got my grumpy face on, unless you're stinking rich, this is likely to be a bit of a frivolous purchase when you can just plug your hard drive players, flash players - and anything else you fancy -into your hi-fi.

Read [via DAPReview]

Since first hearing the story of a friend who lost her sunglasses in a dinghy / big wave debacle, we've learned that there are many people who have trouble keeping hold of their shades. That's where CLiC come in. They make sunglasses, specs and goggles with a patented magnetic front closure and what they describe as a 'stylish head band' that keeps them on at the back while you're wearing them, and round your neck while you're not. Great if you like sporty styles, but we've yet to see any that beat our trust Chanel fakes...(plus they mess up our hair). Gemma Cartwright

CLiC Products

Since my last mouse met an untimely death in a cup of coffee I've been on the lookout for a suitable replacement. Targus's Kaleidoscope Mice may look a bit like a goth mouse of doom, but while there's darkness up top, there's a party going on round its behind. Move the mouse around and seven different colours will flash along with you, allowing you to have your own one-woman party at your desk (go on, treat yourself - it's nearly the holidays). Prices start at £18.

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