Solid Alliance has released Tengu, British designer Crispin Jones‘ USB marvel. Tengu is a little device with an LED face capable of showing seven different facial expressions that change if you blow on it. Just like what would happen if you blew on my face! If that doesn’t impress you then play some music to Tengu; it will lip-sync the words, just like on YouTube! Have a look and see what you make of it:

Kiddies who grew up in Japan playing with Choro Q trucks will now be at the age where they appreciate this latest gadget by Vertex Link. They are launching the 512MB Choro Q USB hub in three colours of blue, red or black. Compatible with PC and Mac, the Choro Q hub will be available 31st August.

Via Akihabara News

The Illustrated Braille Club is a group of volunteers who get together in Kitajima, Tokushima Prefecture, to turn picture books and other illustrated stories into Braille. The group takes the books and encodes them into dots, which are then printed by a special printer that punches raised dots into the paper. The finished Braille volumes then make their way to not only Kitajima’s local public library, but also to libraries and schools for the blind.

The club’s representative Kōji Sangawa, 82, said “the visually impaired don’t have many opportunities to experience art, so they enjoy our work. I want to continue working as long as my body allows me, with the encouragement of their words of gratitude.” What a nice man.

Via Anime News Network

How can StrapYa possibly know my what my two favourite things in the world are? I don’t know either, but incredibly they’ve combined both CDs and dice to make a Dice CD storage rack! Available in 4 colours (orange, green, pink and blue), the rack holds up to 60 CDs each and costs 1,575 yen (£6/$13).

Please note: I don’t actually like CDs or dice; I think they are the creation of the devil.

Annually, Sanrio host adult fan sales, and in the past have sold items such as a Hello Kitty Fender Stratocaster guitar for 2.52 million yen ($20,460/£10,170). This year’s sale will be at the Mitsukoshi Nihonbashi department store in the business district of Tokyo. One item that’s thought to get lots of attention is a doghouse created by Cummings, a company that produces classy pet products. The doghouse is decorated with 7,600 Swarovski crystals, complete with a Hello Kitty cushion, and is expected to sell for 3.9 million yen ($32,000/£15,907). An even pricier item is a Hello Kitty made from 42,400 Swarovski crystals, valued around 8 million yen ($64,824/£32.223). This year’s sale is on 24th July, so get saving!

Via Far East Gizmos

Check out PingMag’s in-depth investigation into the secret underground world of wagashi (Japanese sweets!).

Heyyyy yoooouu guyyys!!!! Goony is a bendable little “tray” designed to hold all those important items you shouldn’t leave home without. Hang your keys on one of its fingers, bend a little shelf for your phone, or more hilariously, use it to hold three pairs of glasses. Available in brown, green, pink, white and yellow, Goony will set you back 1,800 yen (£7.50/$14.80).

Here’s a smiley little pic of Goony’s designer, Takafumi Nemoto!

Yet another trend hits Japan, this time it’s the turn of Eyelash Wigs.

“It’s so popular that Eyelash Bars have sprung up all around Tokyo”

Intrigued? Check out this slideshow.

Via Wired

Holy molars! Seiko have created a watch called Cavity, which is basically a silver or gold tooth with a filling-shaped face. The chocolate-looking strap states “Eating too much chocolate will give you cavities.” The watch costs 16,800 yen (£70/$140).

Source: Nikkei

Apparently Apple Japan is offering special edition branded Be@rbricks to customers buying a new Mac. No doubt you won’t be able to choose what one you get, making you buy about ten Macs to complete the set of three.

Via Rinkya

We’ve seen sushi cushions before on Plastic Bamboo, but this goes one step further. 70cm long, the Fresh Salmon Pillow is so fresh it’s still sealed. The best thing about it, as the manufacturer states, it “does not smell of salmon.” Shame. Currently sold out, the Salmon Pillow costs 2625 yen (£11/$22).

The Illoiha gym in Tokyo has decided to emphasize the “indoor” in indoor climbing. Wannabe mountaineers need to navigate mounted picture frames in order to scale the wall, rather than the usual artificial handgrips. Oh, sorry, forgot about the shelves and deer head that’s up there as well.

Via Sci-Fi Tech

Is it a cup or a can? Or is it a cup that had has a bottom that slightly resembles a can? Yeah, the second one I think. Cupuc, was designed by Yoshihide Nakatani, who states that the cup might “help you rediscover the importance of culture.” Sure, why not? I’m open to anything. It does, however, come in an excellent little box:

The cups cost 1,365 yen (£6/$12) for 4.

Takahashi Industry Ltd has created the Tree Jacket Hanger, a coat stand in the shape of a tree. It is designed so that clothing can either be hung on an individual branch, or over all four. Hanging on all four allows clothing to keep its shape, as the branches are arranged in the shape of a conventional hanger.

The coat stand is 120cm tall and available in natural grain and brown.

Business Week Online are currently exhibiting the 15 winners of this year’s “Good Design Award”. Have a look!