Thanko, the Tokyo-based maker of all things USB, sometimes produces gadgets that aren’t silly. Today, the company announced the Micro Sport MP3 Player [JP] that’s supposed to be especially suitable for people who want to listen to music while doing sports. The only drawback is that the thing doesn’t look to be designed for this purpose at all (but maybe that’s just me). Integrating one earbud into… → Read More
For some reason, Toyko-based USB accessory maker Thanko is selling a wide range of “spy gadgets”, with a button camera and an HD video pen as the latest additions to the line-up. Today Thanko gives us a wrist watch [JP], which may look rather unassuming from the outside but actually sports a micro spy camera. → Read More
Tokyo-based USB gadget maker Thanko gave us a video camera button last July, which was basically a mini camera for your shirt or jacket that could be used for secretly recording video. And today the company started selling the second version [JP] of the Spy Button Camera whose main new feature is the sound recording function. → Read More
Tokyo-based USB accessory specialist Thanko has a thing for spy gadgets. Just look at their spy button camera, the USB necktie with a built-in camera and the camera watch they developed in the last few months. Last July, Thanko started offering a a pen with an integrated micro camera. And today the company announced [JP] the so-called Super Slim Video Pen 2, which is a spy pen that shoots video in… → Read More
Back in August, I blogged about Thanko’s Catgirl Earphones, which were shaped like cat ears. And today, the notorious Tokyo-based USB gadget maker started selling the so-called Hot Cat Gloves [JP]. A big day for the Cosplay crowd, especially those with a penchant for dressing up as a catgirl.
These things may appear totally silly, but Thanko says that the Catgirl Earphones from the summer are… → Read More
Tokyo-based crap USB gadget vendor Thanko does roll out devices from time to time that are not that crappy. And their so-called AV Bank Dodeka [JP], a media player that boasts a 7-inch screen (iPhone: 3.5 inches), seems to be one of those. It’s a major upgrade to the AV Bank Thanko started selling just last month.
The Dodeka’s LTPS screen has a 800×480 resolution and can double as a digital… → Read More
Tokyo-based USB gadget maker today started selling two spy cameras, the so-called Camera Cap [JP] and the LED Spy Light [JP]. While it’s a bit of a stretch to call the latter a spy accessory, the bizarre cap can surely be used for undercover reconnaissance and other shenanigans. As to be expected, both gadgets are kind of silly and powered by USB. → Read More
Tokyo’s best gadget maker Thanko seems to be on a roll this winter. They already released a couple of USB-powered slippers, gloves and similar crap gadgets. Their newest offering is the Nekotan, a pair of USB-powered black cat paw gloves [JP]. No, I don’t get it either. → Read More
It’s Thanko time again. The Tokyo-based company, famous for gadgets like the USB-powered boob warmer, the USB eye warmer or the USB gloves, is now offering not one [JP] but two [JP] USB-powered, heated slippers – just in time for winter. I can’t decide which one is uglier, but maybe you can. → Read More
Infamous USB gadget maker Thanko can’t be stopped, it seems. They gave us USB-powered shavers, USB-powered neckties and even USB-powered boob warmers. And today the Tokyo-based company started listing the USB eye warmer [JP] in their online store. As you might expect, it warms your eyes. → Read More
Tokyo-based Thanko has brought us many USB-powered crap gadgets in the past. But in the last few days, the company has rolled out not one but four of those gadgets in rapid succession: A USB shoe dryer, USB eyelash curler, USB toothbrush sanitizer case, and a USB blanket (all links in Japanese). And you can get all of this stuff even if you live outside Japan. → Read More
OK, now the USB gadget craze gets really silly. Tokyo-based crap USB accessory maker Thanko has been selling USB-powered slippers and gloves that are supposed to keep you warm in the past, but the new model, Dinosaur foot-shaped slipper(s) [JP] (of all things), is probably the silliest. → Read More
My first reaction – when I saw today on Thanko’s web site that the notoriously silly gadget maker from Tokyo is selling USB-powered gloves with built-in heaters [JP] – was: Who actually buys this kind of stuff? I mean Thanko is a real company, they have brick-and-mortar stores in Tokyo (two of them), they have employees etc. But they have been surviving for years now, even though they closed their… → Read More
Following the GPS watch introduced last week, Tokyo-based USB gadget maker Thanko is selling another product that actually makes sense. The so-called AV Bank [JP] is being marketed as a versatile media player that can be used as a music player, photo frame, video player and voice recorder. And it’s relatively cheap, too. → Read More
Tokyo-based Thanko, famous for its plethora of USB-enabled gadgets that make no sense whatsoever, has announced a GPS-enabled watch [JP] today. And this device has a USB (2.0) port, too. It’s compatible with Windows XP and Vista. → Read More
Tokyo-based crap gadget maker Thanko is rolling out another USB device, but this time the gadget (kind of) makes sense. It’s a USB mini camera [JP] that can be used for a variety of activities, including shooting pictures and videos underwater. It’s water-proof up to a depth of 20m. → Read More
I don’t know how and I don’t know why they do it. But Thanko, the Tokyo-based maker of gadgets no one needs, is now selling a USB-powered soldering iron [JP]. Alternatively, you can use the thing with a 9V battery. → Read More
Japan’s No. 1 crap gadget maker Thanko surprisingly announced a new device today that doesn’t look too crappy: The DIGITAL MP4 AudioPlayer AV [JP], a portable media player that houses a digital camera. The device comes with 8GB of built-in memory (miniSD cards are supported and works only with Windows XP/Vista. → Read More
After some initial investigation, I can’t figure out how you skip tracks on this thing. Can’t figure out the volume either. Shuffle function? Not sure. There seems to be but a single button. Perhaps everything is controlled via a cryptic series of multiple button presses a la the iPod shuffle. Whatever the case, this is the “MP3 Micro Sport” from Thanko. → Read More
Weird, weirder, Thanko. The Tokyo-based gadget makers are unstoppable when it comes to USB stuff, including household products. They already gave us the USB-powered boob warmers, the heated USB wrist band and the USB lunch box warmer. And today it’s time for the USB-powered shaver [JP]. → Read More
Every once in a while, Tokyo-based crap gadget maker Thanko does release a gadget that’s not completely silly. This new USB record player [JP] for use with a Windows PC (XP and Vista) or Mac (OS X) is not really that exciting, but it’s one of them. → Read More
It’s Thanko time again. Today the Tokyo-based crap gadget company released another of their weird inventions, the Shoubenkozou [JP], a cupid-like mini figure that for some reason is able to “pee”. And needless to say, the thing can be connected to your computer’s USB port. → Read More
Tokyo-based crap gadget specialist Thanko is usually known for selling USB stuff nobody needs. Their newest hit product doesn’t feature a USB port, but the target group for their Catgirl Earphones [JP] should be quite small, too. Marketed as a gadget for the Cosplay crowd, the earphones are supposed to turn your girlfriend into a cute catgirl. → Read More
Does your dental plan suck? Are you afraid of the dentist? If yes, then the Dental Microscope [JP], offered by Tokyo-based crap gadget specialist Thanko, might be the right choice for you. Similar to its lightoscope released back in April, this new microscope is a combination of a microscope and a light. Needless to say, there’s a USB port, too. → Read More
USB gadget specialized Thanko strikes again. This time, the Tokyo-based company gives you a small portable camera [JP] that can be attached to your bike or helmet, for example. The so-called Action Camera is similar to a device Thanko released in May, but this new model isn’t waterproof.
But it can record video at 30fps (in 640 x 480 VGA), weighs just 80g and stores video on MicroSD cards (up to… → Read More
Yet another USB gadget from Thanko: This time the Tokyo-based company surprises us with a USB can cooler and heater [JP]. That’s right, you basically get two practical devices for the price of one (a simple switch does the trick).
Plug the gadget into a USB port and it will keep your beverage warm in the winter and cold in the summer. Thanko says this is usually the case for about 4 hours (after… → Read More
Following the spy button camera that just came out last week, a USB necktie with a built-in camera and a camera watch, Tokyo-based gadget maker is now offering a pen with an integrated micro camera [JP]. The so-called Super Slim Video Pen isn’t as spectacular as previous spy gadgets from that company but comes with a decent price, at least. → Read More
Tokyo-based crap gadget maker and USB specialist Thanko has a weakness for PC mice. In the last weeks, they gave you the “mid-air” mouse, a mouse with insects in it, a heated and a cooling mouse. The last one, a “silent” mouse that makes almost no sound when using it, seems to be a perfect fit for Thanko’s newest invention: a silent keyboard [JP]. → Read More
Thanko, specialists of all things USB, brought us many good things in the past. Camera-wise, the Tokyo-based company rolled out a water-proof mini camera, a USB necktie with a built-in camera, not one but two video watches and (just recently) an HDV camera.
But these fantastic devices had one flaw: They were small, but not small enough. Reason enough for Thanko to announce the video camera… → Read More
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