This is a bit silly, but OK. Tokyo-based accessory maker Thanko has developed a very special gadget that’s supposed to help you fight the summer heat: a necktie clip [JP] that’s attached to a mini fan, which is powered via USB.

The clip weighs 28g. You can cool off yourself by either connecting the device directly to a USB port of a computer (when you’re sitting at your desk) or by plugging it into a battery unit (see below).

Thanko is selling the USB necktie clip cooler in their Japanese online store for $35 (battery unit included). If you’re interested but live outside Japan, wait for the Japan Trend Shop to (maybe) list it – alternatively you can browse their store for other unique cooling gadgets.

Have you ever wanted to shoot video while you were out diving in the ocean? But using a waterproof video camera isn’t for you? Then you should consider Thanko‘s newest product, underwater video camera goggles [JP], which is waterproof to a depth of 5m.

The goggles feature a 2MP CMOS camera, 4MB internal memory, and a USB 2.0 port. It shoots video in 1280×960 resolution (AVI) and pictures in 2560×1920 (JPEG). The ring you can see on the picture enough is actually a “remote control” (which lets you turn the camera on/off when you’re underwater).

Thanko is selling the goggles on its Japanese website for $99 – ask specialized online stores like the Japan Trend Shop or Geek Stuff 4 U if you want to get a pair shipped to you.

Do you like your beverages cool in the summer and warm in the winter? Are you one of those computer users who think it’s too cumbersome to walk to the fridge whenever you’re in need for a drink? Then the so-called USB Hot Cool Box [JP] from Thanko might be the right thing for you.

What the Tokyo-based USB accessory specialist is selling here is essentially some sort of mini fridge that doubles as a heater: just place your drink into it, plug the box into a USB port and push a button (one side activates the cooler function, the other is for the heater function). In other words, you’ll never have to walk to the fridge or try to keep your coffee warm with something else again.

Thanko is selling the USB Hot Cool box in its Japanese online store for $37. Ask Geek Stuff 4 U if they can get one shipped to you if you’re interested.

Temperatures neared the 40 degree Celsius mark around Tokyo over the weekend – reason enough for Thanko to start selling the so-called USB Hinyari Cushion Ver. 2 [JP], which essentially is a USB-powered cooler/cushion for your butt. The Tokyo-based crap gadget maker has offered a very similar item last summer, and apparently that cushion sold well enough to be updated this year.

The new version is “more compact” (395×500×30mm) but still works the same way: just plug it into your computer’s USB port, sit on it, and let it cool your behind through the built-in fan.

In Japan, Thanko is selling the USB Hinyari Cushion Ver. 2  for $16. If you’re seriously interested, ask import/export specialist (and Thanko partner) Geek Stuff 4 U to get one for you.

Do you want to wear sunglasses while being able to shoot videos in a discreet way at the same time? Tokyo-based crazy gadget maker Thanko seems to think there are people who need their HD Video Camera Sunglasses [JP]. The device’s 5MP CMOS camera lets you take AVIs in 1,280×720 resolution at 30fps – handsfree.

Pictures (JPEGs) can be shot in 4,032×3,024 resolution. The material can be stored on microSD cards (32GB max., the sunglasses feature a slot) and later be transferred to a computer via USB 2.0. Thanko says about 1.4GB are enough to store about 10 minutes of HD video.

The sunglasses are already on sale on Thanko’s Japanese website (price: $74). Ask online store Geek Stuff 4 U if they can get one shipped to you in case you live outside Japan.

Tokyo-based crap gadget maker Thanko has outdone itself yet again: the company has announced the so-called Fanbrella [JP] today, a combination of a fan and (you guessed it) an umbrella.

The mini fan in the umbrella is powered by three AA batteries, which is enough for about 2-3 hours, according to Thanko (you can activate the fan by pushing a button on the umbrella’s grip). The Fanbrella weighs 600g.

Thanko is already selling the thing on its Japanese website (price: $49). Ask specialized online store Geek Stuff 4 U if you’re interested but don’t live in Japan.

This video shows the Fanbrella in action:

This is either completely stupid or I am missing something major: Tokyo-based crap gadget maker Thanko strikes again with the so-called “iPad Flexible Arm” [JP]. The idea here is to make it easier for owners to use tablets (both in a vertical and horizontal position) while lying in bed.

The thing is specifically designed for use with the iPad and iPad 2, but according to Thanko, most tablets not thicker than 18mm will fit.

The iPad Flexible Arm is already on sale in Thanko’s Japanese online store (price: $61).

Tokyo-based USB accessory maker Thanko has updated one of its coolest spy gadgets, the so-called Slim Video Pen HD [JP]. As the name suggests, it’s a pen that houses a micro camera to shoot video in HD, namely in 1,280×960 resolution (and at 30fps).

And in contrast to a similar pen Thanko introduced last year, this new one starts recording automatically when it detects motion (Thanko doesn’t specify from how far away).

The video is stored in the AVI format on microSD cards (32GB max.) and can later be transferred to a computer via mini USB 2.0. Thanko says the built-in battery lasts for about 75 minutes and that 1GB is enough to store 30 minutes of material.

The company is already selling the spy pen on its Japanese website [JP] for $61. Ask Geek Stuff 4U if you live outside Japan and are interested in getting one.

Thanko says video will be shot in 640×480 resolution at 30fps and stored on the 4GB internal flash memory (1GB is enough for 30 minutes of video, according to the company). The camera is powered by a button battery, and needless to say (this is a Thanko product, after all), there’s a USB port, too.

The gadget is already available in Thanko’s Japanese online store (for $120). Ask specialized shopping services like the Japan Trend Shop or Geek Stuff 4 U if you’re interested but live outside Japan.

Japan’s most famous maker of silly gadgets, Tokyo-based Thanko, today announced yet another micro camera, the MAME-CAM DX [JP]. The 8MP device weighs just 14g and can record video “in HD”, namely in 1,280×960 resolution and at 30fps (AVI). JPEGs can be shot with 3,264×2,448 resolution.

Thanko says that owners can also use the device as a voice recorder. All files can be stored on microSD/SDHC cards (32GB max.) and transferred to computers via the camera’s USB 2.0 port.

The MAME-CAM DX is already on sale on Thanko’s Japanese website (price: $99). Contact Geek Stuff 4 U if you’re interested but don’t live in Japan.

What do you get when you combine earphones with an alarm clock? You get the EARINALM [JP], an invention from Tokyo-based crap gadget maker Thanko. The idea here is to let the alarm wake you up when you fall asleep in the train listening to music, with your earphones on.

Apart from the alarm function, the EARINALM also offers a stop watch and calendar function.

Thanko already started selling the earphones in its Japanese online store. If you’re interested but live outside Japan, contact Thanko partner Geek Stuff 4 U or online service Flutterscape to get an EARINALM shipped to you (price in Japan: $37).

Sometimes, just sometimes, Tokyo-based USB accessory maker Thanko announces gadgets that are not completely silly. Case in point: the so-called MAME-CAM that Thanko started listing [JP] today, a micro camera that looks cute, is fully functional and weighs just 11g.

The camera is sized at just 30x27x27mm and connects to your computer via USB 1.1.  It shoots video in 640×480 resolution (AVI, at 30fps), pictures in 1,600×1,200 and records audio in mono quality.

The MAME-CAM supports microSD cards holding up to 32GB and has a battery life of about 36 minutes (when shooting video).

Thanko offers the camera in its Japanese online store for $95 – you can ask Thanko partner Geek Stuff 4 U if you want to get one shipped outside of Japan.

We haven’t covered anything coming from Tokyo-based crazy accessory maker Thanko in a while. But yesterday, the company started selling its newest super-silly USB gadget: an allergy mask [JP] that not only will make the wearer look like a “cat” (well, kind of) but also comes with a built-in mini fan (see picture below).

The fan is supposed to make you breathe easier (?) and is powered by USB (I guess you need to figure out a way to hide the USB cable and stay connected to a computer when using the thing).

Thanko sells the mask in their Japanese online store (price: $25). Ask Thanko partner Geek Stuff 4 U if you really need to get one shipped outside Japan.

Are you suffering from cold hands while using your computer? You don’t think heated, USB-powered gloves are a dumb idea? Then Thanko’s so-called “Ninja Gloves” [JP] might be the right solution for you.

These are not the first USB gloves the Tokyo-based crap gadget maker has on sale, but maybe the coolest. Just plug them into your computer’s USB port and push the “ON” button to warm your hands.

The Ninja Gloves are available on Thanko’s website or on Geek Stuff 4 U for everybody living outside Japan (price: $32.43).

My last post on infamous crap gadget maker Thanko dates from September. But that doesn’t mean the Tokyo-based online store has stopped offering silly products. Take their newest idea, for example: the so-called “Quiet Keyboard Cover” [JP]. What does it do? It not only protects your valuable keyboard from dust but also covers your hands – in order to reduce noise while typing.

Definitely a big problem (which the company boldly tackled back in summer 2009 already), but OK. It’s so dumb, it’s almost not funny anymore.

You can order the Quiet Keybpoard Cover on Thanko’s website or over at Geek Stuff 4 U (price: $35.76)

For reasons unknown, Tokyo-based accessory maker Thanko keeps churning out “spy” gadgets. This time we get a watch [JP] that looks quite bland from the outside but features a micro camera that can shoot both pictures and video. Another selling point is that it’s Thanko’s first spy watch that’s waterproof (IPX8 certification) – isn’t that great?

Videos can be recorded in 640×480 resolution at 30fps, while the watch shoots JPEGs in up to 1,600×1,200 resolution. Other features include 4GB of internal memory, a USB port, and compatibility to computers with Windows XP / Vista / 7 / Mac OS 10.5 on board.

The watch, which weighs 86g, can be ordered over at Geek Stuff 4 U for $158.95.

Here’s a video that was shot with it:

It took Thanko‘s star engineers over two years, but I bet the work was worth it: after showing you the USB Necktie Cooler 2 back in June 2008, the Tokyo-based USB gadget maker now presents, you guessed it, the USB Necktie Cooler 3 [JP]. The silliness just doesn’t stop, it seems.

It’s basically a silk necktie with a plastic fan built into the tie’s knot. Just plug the thing into a USB port (the cable is 135cm long) and use the switch to turn the fan on and feel cooler instantly. If you want to use the tie on the go, get the optional battery pack holding four AAA batteries. As far as I can see, there are no major differences between version 2 and 3 (apart from the design of the tie).

Thanko is offering the USB Necktie Cooler 3 to Japanese customers only, but if you’re interested, you can ask specialized store The Japan Trend Shop for import help (the store currently sells version 2 for $88).

The world’s most famous USB crap gadget maker strikes again. Tokyo-based Thanko is now offering a USB stapler [JP], which is actually just an electric stapler (it requires three AAA batteries to work) that doubles as a USB hub with four ports. That’s two problems solved with just one device.

For some reason, Thanko points out the thing can staple up to five sheets of paper at once, but I think that’s more of a weak point.

If you’re really interested in getting the USB stapler hub but don’t live in Japan, order it over at Geek Stuff 4 U ($32.45).

Not everything Tokyo-based crap gadget maker Thanko churns out is necessarily silly or utterly useless. The infamous company is now offering a Bluetooth wristwatch [JP] with a pretty clever concept: it allows you to detach the device’s LCD and use it as a wireless headset, for example in case you want to make calls or listen to music.

Thanko says the wristwatch is basically compatible to all phones that support Bluetooth 1.2, for example the iPhone or Blackberry. According to the company, its redial function allows you to make a call to the last number dialed by the push of a button. The display can show the current time, the number you just dialed etc.

You can charge the watch via USB for 2 hours, which gives you power for 120 hours stand-by, three to four hours for phone calls, or five to six hours for listening to music via the headset.

People living outside Japan can get the device over at Geek Stuff 4 U (price: $114.95).

Tokyo-based crap gadget maker Thanko is at it again. This time, the company is giving us the USB Seat Air [JP], which is nothing but a butt cooler cushion for office chairs. It’s the last Thanko product in a long line of gadgets that either cools off or heats up parts of your body.

All you need to do is to place the cushion on your seat, plug it into your computer via USB and let the cushion cool your behind for as long as you like (the cable is 148cm long). The cushion is sized at 49 x 50.5 cm.

Thanko already started the Seat Air in its Japanese online store (price: $45). If you’re interested in getting one for some reason, ask import/export specialist (and Thanko partner) Geek Stuff 4 U to get one for you.