Unlike the N9x series cellphones which are designed for multimedia of all sorts, the new Nokia N81 is focused on music. It does not have any fancy Carl Zeiss lens or GPS, but it does sport really loud stereo speakers, 3.5mm headphone jack, 8GB of internal memory for all your tunes, 3G, and WiFi.

It can be a decent gaming phone too, with its support for landscape orientation games and a D-pad suited for gaming.

Lastly, the Nokia N81 is configured to find and buy music and games from the Nokia Music Store and N-Gage games service. Sounds like a great integrated entertainment solution.

Price and Availability

US$499 for 2GB removable microSD memory model, US$599 for 8GB internal memory model. Fourth quarter of 2007.

Official Press Release

Nokia N81 and Nokia N81 8GB: Entertainment made simple
With dedicated music and gaming keys, 3.5 mm headphone connector and 3G and WLAN connectivity, the Nokia N81 multimedia computer is a true mobile entertainment powerhouse. With a sleek, polished surface and keys that light up when you activate them, accessing content on the 3D multimedia menu is fast and intuitive. Equally impressive, the Nokia N81 is configured to find, buy, manage and play music and games purchased from the Nokia Music Store and N-Gage games service. The estimated retail price of the Nokia N81 is 360 EUR before subsidies or taxes. The Nokia N81 8GB is expected to retail for 430 EUR before subsidies or taxes. Both versions are expected to begin shipping in the fourth quarter of 2007.

Want a not-so-normal calendar? Try Chrono_Shredder. Designed by artist/designer Susanna Hertrich, the Chrono_Shredder is a modified paper shredder that shreds a date page every 24 hours. Great conversation piece, or a great way to mess up your home.

“The Chrono_Shredder is a device that makes past time tangible. It is a hybrid between calendar, clock and waste producing automaton. It has no on/off-button, thus it is unstoppable, just like time. It features the 365 days of the year represented on a paper-roll. The paper-roll is led through a hacked paper-shredder, which is programmed to use exactly 24 hours to shred one “day”.”

Some people just need a way to visualize how important time is, how it is slipping (or shredding) away every second.

The product is not available for sale at the time of this post.

Make hand-washing more enjoyable for just $20! The LED Faucet Light Attachment from ThinkGeek attaches to the end of your faucet, which magically turns any water flowing through into a bright blue.

ThinkGeek also carries another version which changes the LED color to red whenever the water temperature goes over 89°F (32°C).

Package contains:

• Chamber with LEDs
• Batteries pre-installed plus a set of spare batteries (uses G13-A style watch batteries)
• Instruction Sheet
• Two universal adaptors included. (fits most standard faucets in USA. Not recommended for faucets outside of the USA.)
• Dimensions: 2.25″ (57.15mm) tall, 1.25″ (31.75mm) diameter.

Product page.

Looking for a LCD TV that can match the earthly colors of your home decor? This LCD might be the answer.

Specifications:

• 19-inch widescreen TFT
• Built-in speakers
• 1440 x 900 resolution
• 700:1 contrast ratio
• 8ms response time
• Dimensions: 455 x 318 x 135mm (17.9 x 12.5 x 5.3in)
• Weight: 4kg (8.8lbs)

Treehuggers, prepare to shell out US$474.98 (£289.00) for one.

Product page.

These pretty cube-shaped alarm clocks are not your average clock. These little suckers, called BanClock, have no snooze button. To shut them up, you gotta feed them coins.

What an effective way to start saving!

Dimensions: 10×10x10cm. Price: 5,985 YEN (~US$50) from tokyu-hands.co.jp.

Looking for a 1080p (1920×1080) HDTV? Here’s a nice deal for you, a stylish 37-inch Sharp AQUOS LC-37GP1U LCD HDTV at only US$1,429.99. Throw in the US$136 shipping charge and it becomes US$1,565.99. Still, a wee bit cheaper than Amazon’s US$1,799.

Features:

• Full HD 1080p (1920 x 1080) Resolution.
• Vyper Drive game mode eliminates perceptible lag between game console and display on the TV.
• Side terminals enable easy access to game connections.
• Custom remote control includes special Game button for quickly jumping to the side terminals and activating the Vyper Drive mode.
• 10,000:1 (32″) / 8500:1 (37″) Dynamic Contrast Ratio and 6ms response time.
• Three HDMI Inputs and dual component. All are compatible with 1080p sources.
• Wide Viewing Angles (176°H x 176°W).
• OPC Function automatically alters brightness to adjust to changing room conditions.
• High Brightness (450 cd/m2).
• Built-in ATSC / QAM / NTSC Tuners provide access to DTV and analog TV channels.

Well, when you keep a dog, you should take it outside for walks. Paws needs exercise too to stay sexy and healthy. But if you have no choice, or that the rainy season is here, or you’re just plain lazy, I suggest getting him a dog treadmill.

What a great product that could be saving dogs that are not getting any walks their whole life.

Just one little problem. It is unknown where we can get the one pictured here…

The LG BH100 is a player that is capable of playing back both Blu-ray and HD-DVD media. Will this really be the end of the HD format war? Well, Gizmodo says no.

Although playing back movies from both format works fine, the main drawback lies in the lack of full HD-DVD support. The HD-DVD menus don’t work, which disables access to numerous special features available in most HD-DVDs. And it only managed 1080i with HDMI, instead of 1080p mode.

But other than these few kinks, Gizmodo believes that the LG is good enough for the 95% of us. Although retailing at a high price of around US$1,200, it plays back movies fine, has better than average image quality, saves space (vs. having two players), and the design looks really cool. Soft-glowing buttons and matte aluminium finish make the BH100 a joy to look at.

For a more detailed report, visit Gizmodo.
LG’s official press release.

Best used for people who works from home. The ErgoQuest 500 lets you start working the minute you wake up from your sleep. Or even for MMORPG addicts who wants to save every minute of their life slashing away in some dungeon.

The ErgoQuest 500 is special height-adjustable computer desk which you can use while sitting, standing, or lying down. It can withstand up to 400lb (181kg) of weight, so your rig should be safe on it.

Got multi-monitors? They even carry optional LCD arms to hold two more LCDs for a triple monitor setup.

Features list:

• Work Surface: durable 1.5″ thick medium density board with black laminate and rubber-molded edge.
• Keyboard tray and arm: Spring loaded sleeves adjust in width to accommodate a variety of keyboards. Mechanism has two pivot points, allowing the tray to tilt through 90 degrees and provide a range of positions for use in a reclined mode.
• Power strip. Has 6 grounded outlets with a 12 foot grounded cord and plug. Strip can be mounted on either side.
• Motorized legs: raise and lower table to and up to 400 lbs. of equipment from 31 to 50 degrees with the push of a button, for use in sit, stand, or recline position with minimal effort.
• 5″ Casters: Heavy-duty, ball bearing casters with elastomeric wheels to provide smooth movement. Front two casters are locking.
• Keypad: provides push button controls of the motorized legs and monitor tilt platform.
• Motorized monitor tilt platform: tilts monitors weighing up to 150 lbs. from 0 to 55 degrees for comfortable use in many positions including supine work. Also accommodates LCD monitors.
• Cord management grommets: two 3″ diameter holes with plastic grommets provide power strip access below the tabletop.
• Powder-Coated Steel Tube: The 2″ diameter steel tube frame eliminates a need for cross members beneath the work surface. They provide maximum clearance for recliners, beds and wheelchairs. Durable finish resists scratching.

The privilege of comfort doesn’t come cheaply. Each set is currently priced at US$3,695 from Office Organix.

Want pretty lamps that double as speakers? Soundolier’s Wireless Speaker Lamp is perfect for your home. As a lamp, it looks really neat and will fit into most home decor. As a speaker, it probably isn’t something good enough for audiophiles but decent enough for the rest of us.

Buying a single lamp is possible, but a pair is highly recommended for stereo sound. And by purchasing a separate $79.95 wireless audio transmitter, you can stream tunes from your iPod and DVD player wirelessly to the lamps.

The lamps are US$279.95 each and can be purchased online here.