Tuesday, November 22, 2005

my wish list

actually don't want anyone to waste money on these but I thought they
were cool. These are mostly non-tech related.

Truffle Tree

Price £25.00 (Approx:$46)

Truffles are among the most expensive natural foods in the world,
highly prized by gourmets and top chefs alike. Black truffles can
fetch on average a price ranging between £130 - £240 per 500g. The
fungus lives in a symbiotic relationship with oak and hazel trees and
is traditionally found using a trained pig or dog......How exciting
it would be for the keen gardener or gourmet to find a truffle in
their very own garden!
Truffle UK Ltd supply truffle inoculated trees at a price of £25
each. They arrive as a 40cm high plant, inoculated with either the
burgundy, (tuber uncinatum /aestivum), or the elusive black (tuber
melanosporum) truffle fungus. They are suitable for growing in areas
over chalk or limestone, and the fungus requires a high Ph of over 7,
but soil can be treated to provide suitable conditions. Truffle UK
Ltd provide advice on harvesting (with or without the aid of dogs and
pigs) and after-care for trees.
[I don't have any place to plant it]
http://tinyurl.com/892a8

Tree2mydoor - trees and wild flowers

Price £26.00 (Approx:$48)
Tree2mydoor offer a living gift with a difference – it won’t die
slowly on your kitchen table. So instead of a few limp carnations why
not spoil someone you know with the gift of a tree or wild flowers to
plant in their garden delivered straight to their door. Not only do
they last a lot longer but they do their bit to combat climate change.
The variety is endless, you can even choose trees and plants native
to your area. Or if you’ve got the room why not pick a garden tree
pack including four native species. If you’re short on space, the
wildflower range is perfect and will attract local wildlife to your
garden. It can also be used to create your very own wildflower
meadow. There’s even an option if you don’t have a garden - you
can dedicate a tree in countries across the globe and do your bit
towards a carbon neutral future.
Deliveries UK only.
[UK deliveries only, and I have no yard]
http://tinyurl.com/8cnm4

Plantarium

Price £19.99 (Approx:$37)
The clear green seed gel in this unique gift for the green or not-so-
green-fingered kid, 9or big-kid) lets you watch the life-cycle of a
seed from germination to mature plant in minute detail. Watch as the
seeds germinate and root systems develop in the nutritive gel base,
originally designed from aerospace technology at the laboratories of
Globus International, until your plants are big enough to make there
way in the real world.
The acrylic container provides a perfect environment for seeds to
germinate and grow in their own private desk or table top greenhouse.
Choose from Basil and Tomato or Sunflower and Melon seeds then simply
sit back and watch them grow. When they’re ready the plants can be
transferred to the garden for growing on.
http://tinyurl.com/86q2r

Grichels

Price $15.00
These fun gifts look like they should have been in Terry Gilliam’s
movie Labyrinth. US artist Melissa Joe Smith’s catalogue of
otherwise mundane items (ring binders, address books, vases) have
each been given a quirky leatherface makeover to become a fantastical
Grichel.
Grichels are one-of-a-kind, with a distinct personality due to the
leather folds and fitted glass eyes. In fact, you can even order a
Grichel eye patch - complete with an embedded ocular instrument.
Update your diary or address book with the perfect watchdog! They are
beautifully crafted, and eat very little.
[waste of money but cool in concept. If I was still friends with any
artists I would get them this]
http://tinyurl.com/c48sh

Ecosphere

Price £79.99 (Approx:$147)
The Ecosphere is a completely sealed ecosystem containing active
micro-organisms - red shrimp and algae - in a clear ‘soup’ of
filtered seawater. It was born out of NASA scientists research into
self-contained communities for space explorers to live in during long-
term space flights. Simply provide the EcoSphere with indirect
natural or artificial light and warmth ant the ecosystem will thrive
without needing further attention. The light allows the micro algae
to produce oxygen and food for the shrimps, which in turn produce
carbon dioxide and nutrients for the algae to grow.
EcoSpheres are beautifully crafted and scientifically fascinating and
provide an unusual feature for the home or office and an interesting
educational tool for kids. They have a life expectancy of two to
three years but it is not uncommon for a system to last much longer
– some have continued for over 10 years.
Prices Range from £79.99 - £229.95.
[way too expensive, but cool]
http://tinyurl.com/8a65b

Oidz

Price £7.46 (Approx:$14)
They may look like a dodgy set-piece from the days of Dr Who, but
these highly polished, highly magnetised little discs, made from a
naturally occurring mineral called hematite, are the most amazing
playthings you’ll see this year. They work in the same way that
playing with the box the toy came in is always more fun than the toy
itself – you take something incredibly simple and add your
imagination! And once you get your hands on Oidz, you won’t be able
to put them down.
Already fast becoming a playground and office desk cult – Oidz are
an essential time-wasting thingamabob, - when gently parted and
thrown in the air they cascade down to earth emitting a most
unbelievable sound, and there are loads of other ways to make them
‘sing’ too. They’re also great for balancing tricks and with a
little imagination there’s no end to the fun you can have and stunts
you can pull.
And as if that wasn’t enough there’s also a smattering of science
in there too.
[cool]
http://tinyurl.com/cvlw5

Solar Airship

Price £12.95 (Approx:$24)
It looks like a big black sausage and it flies higher than Mary
Poppins with a rocket pack. Meet the Solar Airship - it's filled with
air, but your poor old gaspers won't have to inflate the 26ft (8m)
beast. Just hold the tube open at a brisk amble and let physics, a
sunny day, and fresh air do the rest.
The airship's intimidating black film outer layer absorbs the heat
from the sun's rays, stokes up the air inside and voila! Let the hot
air rise to the awe of pedestrians and terror of low-flying aircraft.
Think hot air balloons, except with natural heat instead of gas.
If you're one for statistics, savour these: 230 grams; 50 metre's
worth of tether line, and, did we mention it was 26ft long? However,
please note that to hit 30,000 ft you're going to need a slight
tether extension and possibly an interim licence from the Airforce.
And, don't worry about going onwards or upwards yourself; it takes
150-200 of these bad boys to lift the average adult...
http://tinyurl.com/7cfq9

Cathedral

Price $29.95

This unique game of spatial strategy has a deceptively simple concept
but remains challenging no matter how many times it's played. Armed
with either black or white 3D pieces (apparently shaped like medieval
architecture, so: spires), two players grab land within the 'walled
boundaries' of the board's edges, obstructing and controlling as much
of the growing city as they can. If an opponent’s piece is
surrounded then a hostile takeover - medieval style - is put into
action. The winner is the player left clutching spare buildings that
would occupy the least amount of space within the walls. Think of it
as a medieval twist on working your way through the property ladder,
but with middlemen like real estate agents cut out. Perhaps with a
fighting monk's trusty broadsword.
If you can block and outmanoeuvre like a demon with a medieval
mindset (again, think about dealing with estate agents) then victory
is assured - and your partner will be crying out for another shot!
Cathedral Classic is recommended for players aged 8+, and if you
click on the link below you can pick up a tidy hardwood version.
http://tinyurl.com/98fu7

Airzooka

Price £9.95 (Approx:$18)
You wouldn't think a blast of air could be soimpressive, but once you
get hold of the airzooka you won't be able to put it down... girls
with long hair make particularly dramatic victims. Great for office
wars and freaking out the dog. Best of all it doesn't need any
batteries, and because it fires air it never runs out of ammo -
unless you're in space.
http://tinyurl.com/86cet

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