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Being retro is trendy nowadays, and any self-respecting “true” gamer must have thorough knowledge of the history of gaming (even though they weren’t even born when some of the consoles came out). In other words, if you know what a NES is - you’re ok; if you’ve played it - even better; if you were old enough to play it when it first came out - you’re a god.
Fortunately, you don’t need to prove anything to wear a keychain. Even you’re not a NES expert, the Nintendo Keychain can be seen as a tribute to the forefather of the consoles of today. The keychain features three items: a NES console, a cartridge and a controller. The essential parts for a pleasant gaming experience… if they were real, at least.
A cool keychain doesn’t necessarily mean an interesting photo or design. It can be more than that - even though complex things are not very practical: you either get a too-large keychain, or a too-small game or gadget.
The Chutes and Ladders Keychain looks just the right size for a pocket - which probably means the game would be very difficult to actually play (unless you have unusually small hands). But if you like miniatures this is impossible to resist. Even more so if you were a fan of the game when you were young.
Space Invaders are cool, period. Come on, they were invented 30 years ago and people still know what they are! That’s impressive.
Because of the 30th anniversary, Taito has been releasing all sorts of cool Invaders-themed merchandise. If you think a pillow is too much, you can now get something that doesn’t say “I’m a geek” so loud: a Space Invaders Keychain Set. Each set has three colorful pixelated aliens encased in clear acrylic cubes - to keep them from taking over your pockets?
Either way, evil invaders or cute retro aliens, the Space Invaders have a place in pop culture and in people’s hearts.
(It sounds melodramatic, but it’s true; it was one of the first games I ever played and I always remember it fondly.)
The first thing I did with my latest USB stick was lose it. Well, I put it in “a safe place” - and promptly forgot where. An USB stick that looks good and can be attached to my keys or phone is therefore a very good idea. I’m sure there are lots that fit the description, but today we have the Jt Baby USB Drive.
This 2GB drive comes in black, green and purple, is about 31 x 12 x 2 mm and weighs only 2 grams. It’s a good thing it can be attached to a larger object, otherwise it would get lost in minutes. But it has a major downside: the back seems unprotected and, hmm, a bunch of keys banging on the connectors doesn’t seem like a smart thing to me.
Mr. Manufacturer, you got the general idea, but you screwed up at the end, I’m sorry.
P.S. If you’re still planning to get one, watch out for the 4GB version too (which was too pricey at $37 and didn’t fit the scope of this blog).
Weird hypothetical scenario: you’re on a sinking boat. You are going under. What do you worry about? Why of course, your car keys.
This seems to be the idea behind the Waterbuoy. It’s a keychain with a rubber ballon that automatically inflates shortly after hitting the water; it also has a LED beacon that can be seen from a large distance (250m at night). So, in case you happen to be on Titanic 2, you can hang your valuables from this (it holds up to 1 kg) and know that, in case you survive, you’ll be able to find them.
So, get one if you’re sailing and paranoid or unsure of the safety of the journey. Or if you’ve got $30 lying around and you want to make sure your stuff will float in case you drop them in the pool.
Keychains have become a part of us, they tell the world something about our personality.
If your personality is all about “look at me, I’m manly AND smart”, try this. The Testosterone Molecule Keychain features a molecule probably few will recognize, though most know about it.
In a best case scenario, you’re a scientist and the girl of your dreams notices the keychain and, being extra-smart too, recognizes the molecule and is extremely impressed. In a worst case scenario, the girl in question asks what it means and tells you that people who want to show off their manliness are lame (but hey, it’s not showing off if 98% of the population doesn’t get it, right?)
Ah, bubble wrap… Delight for some, torture for others. (I’m in the “delight” camp, I love popping bubble wrap.)
But, the thing is, you don’t always have bubble wrap handy (and it would be weird walking around with a big piece of bubbles… right?) There is a possible solution for the compulsive popper - although I’m not sure it’s the ideal one.
Introducing the Electronic Bubble Wrap Keychain. It’s a substitute for bubble wrap which could satisfy some. The keychain has 8 rubbery little “bubble” buttons which make an appropriate sound - plus a surprise, each 1000th pop makes a silly sound: a boing, a bark, a rude noise etc.
You can watch a video of it in action here:
As for me… I might be convinced if I tried it. For now, it’s just a poor substitute.
Being retro is trendy nowadays, and any self-respecting “true” gamer must have thorough knowledge of the history of gaming (even though they weren’t even born when some of the consoles came out). In other words, if you know what a NES is - you’re ok; if you’ve played it - even better; if you were old enough to play it when it first came out - you’re a god.
