Quick Links: Banana Phone, etc.


image Banana Phone
Disguise your mobile phone as a banana. Admittedly a pretty stupid product, and yet I want one. Too bad I'm one of the last people on Earth not to own a mobile phone. (via OhGizmo)

5Lb Fat Replica
image Amazon is selling a "A grossly dramatic replica of 5 lbs. of fat." However, gift wrapping is not available for this item, so you can't send it as a mean gift to someone you don't like. The one reviewer for this item gives it "Bonus points for the realistic blood vessels!" I don't know if this is at all related to the Pet Fat gimmick that someone was marketing a few years ago. (via J-Walk)

Hodag Search
The town of Rhinelander, Wisconsin is holding an open casting call "for people who have the best Hodag stories or "sightings" of the mythical creature." Video of people telling the stories will be used in an upcoming TV ad campaign. For some reason, I have a vision of Ellen Feiss doing these ads: "And the hodag was going, like, bleep-bleep-bleep-bleep."

Digital Beautification
Researchers have developed a "digital beautification" algorithm that, when applied to a photograph of a human face, can make that face look "more attractive in just a few minutes without significantly altering the person's appearance." The algorithm and software was developed by Tommer Leyvand of Tel Aviv University in Israel. My problem when anyone takes my picture is my complete inability to smile on command for the camera. If I try to fake a smile I get a maniacal grimace look. If this algorithm could do anything to fix that, I'd definitely use it.
image

Body Manipulation Folklore/Tall Tales Technology

Posted on Mon Aug 14, 2006


Comments

> Disguise your mobile phone as a banana. Admittedly
> a pretty stupid product, and yet I want one. Too
> bad I'm one of the last people on Earth not to own
> a mobile phone. (via OhGizmo)
No doubt inspired by the Nokia "banana-phone" and Raffi's song (remember that? It was pretty much an internet meme a year or two ago - so much so that a lot of fanimutations based on the song was created).

Heh, for some reason I could imagine a cellphone in that suddenly going off with that bananaphone song as it's ringtone.
Posted by RAMChYLD  on  Mon Aug 14, 2006  at  12:30 AM
Is that a before and after picture of that girl at the bottom? I really can't tell which picture she's supposed to be prettier in.
Posted by Sakano  on  Mon Aug 14, 2006  at  05:42 AM
wow, this has a great product image. (from the same people that make the 5lb Fake Fat)
Posted by katey  on  Mon Aug 14, 2006  at  06:35 AM
Alex... I will be the last one NOT to own a mobile phone. Nice to know I am in good company for now though. 😊

Katey... A friend of mine uses one of those every Halloween... and they are delicious (if not a bit gory)!

I agree with Sakano... can't really tell much of a difference in the before & after face pic.
Posted by oppiejoe  on  Mon Aug 14, 2006  at  08:30 AM
Ok, am I the only one that thinks, if anything, that that girl looks better in the before picture? It's more noticeable in the enlarged picture given in the link. I mean, her forehead was made huge by the software, not to mention her angry scowl in the second picture.
Posted by Archibold  on  Mon Aug 14, 2006  at  02:50 PM
Ten dollars is a lot to pay for a banana. Even the organic ones don't cost that much.
Posted by Big Gary  on  Mon Aug 14, 2006  at  04:31 PM
The woman in the before picture looks approachable and friendly. The one in the after picture looks like a scheming bitch.
Posted by Joe  on  Mon Aug 14, 2006  at  09:26 PM
Katey, I want that so much!
😊
Posted by Boo  on  Tue Aug 15, 2006  at  09:21 AM
I agree that the girl looks better in the before picture... but that's just one picture. I Googled the guy and found his website - http://www.cs.tau.ac.il/~tommer/beautification/ . Some of the faces do indeed, in my opinion, look more attractive "after", especially the girl in the middle of the top set (frowning a little in the before pic).
Posted by Seamyst  on  Tue Aug 15, 2006  at  08:24 PM
Haha. Joe, that is exactly what I was thinking. Thank you for putting it much better than I could.
Posted by Archibold  on  Wed Aug 16, 2006  at  07:38 PM
My singing teacher has a cheap fabric knock-off of the banana thing for his mobile phone - he can never hear it ring, and when he wants to make a call he has to fumble for five minutes to get the damn thing open.

As for the photo thing - why? what is the point?
Posted by Nona  on  Mon Mar 05, 2007  at  05:55 AM
I WANT A FREAKING BANANA PHONE!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't care who you are those things are awsome. Kill all Furbies!!
Posted by Mary Ann  on  Thu Mar 15, 2007  at  11:01 AM
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