Geek In Me

by Ellen Slattery via greendaily.com

Rest stops aren’t usually places you think much about. If you’re me, you’re usually sprinting in to empty your bladder, grabbing some calorie-laden snack from the vending machine (because you were too absent-minded to pack something before you left) and getting the heck out of there, because as we all know, rest stops are creepy, depressing places.

Well, unless you’re in Yoyogi, Japan, in which case the rest stop might finally live up to its name: a place to stop and rest, among surprisingly environmentally-friendly surroundings.

The walls surrounding the parking area are made of aesthetically-pleasing volcanic rock embedded with ivy, and plants will change depending on the season. Inside, urinals automatically adjust to use the least amount of water necessary to flush your, uh, specific liquid deposit, and if your cell phone needs a charge, just charge it for free with the energy generated by the rest stop’s solar panels and wind turbines.

Oh, and if you need a break from driving, chill out in the lounge area, which is heated and cooled using low-emissivity glass. And don’t worry about having to rely on Pizza Hut and Wendy’s to fill your empty stomach - instead, reach for low pesticide, low fertilizer and locally grown vegetables, which you can eat with reusable chopsticks.

This all sounds great, except for one thing…if you stop in Yoyogi, you may never want to get back on the highway.

via ubergizmo.com

The Sound Princes sdevice from Otohime is an electronic “flush” that not only helps you out in embarassing situations, it also helps save the environment by minimizing the use of water. After all, Japanese ladies are pretty modest with the kinds of noise they make while relieving themselves in the loo, which led to them repeatedly flushing the toilet so that whatever sounds being created would be masked by the torrent of water. The Sound Princess recreates the flushing sound without wasting a drop of water, where waving one’s hand right over the front sensor will automatically activate it for approximately 25 seconds. Now that’s a pretty long flush if you ask me, so thankfully they can be stopped by pushing a button on the Sound Princess. I wonder if the sound also includes the tank refilling itself, as not having that would give the game away.

by Joshua Topolsky via engadget.com

Proving once again that old gadgets die hard (some, at least) Sony Japan is introducing fancy new paint jobs for two of its oldest — and most successful — products. Come July 3rd, the venerable PS2 will be hitting shelves with a new job, a new outlook on life, and a “red cinnabar” paint job. The refreshed system will run you about ¥16,000 (or around $153). Meanwhile, that metallic blue PSP we’ve seen is making its way to Japanese gamers on July 17th, sans Madden ‘09, for ¥23,800 (or $227) for the Value Pack, or ¥29,800 (or $284) for the a decked out bundle including a 1seg tuner, 1GB Memory Stick, and handsome matching carrying case.

by Patricia Mayville-Cox via greendaily.com

Butter has disappeared from Japanese grocery stores.

And, according to an LA Times article, no one knows when butter will be back and bakeries are hurting. The butter shortage began two years ago when Japanese consumers began to drink less milk, following heavy media coverage claiming milk is bad for your health. Milk consumption and production has also been affected by Japan’s low birthrate, with fewer elementary students getting a daily milk at school.

The low demand left the milk supply so high two years ago that some milk producers were just dumping it down the sewers to get rid of it. Since then producers have adjusted, and there is less milk being produced, leaving less milk to make butter.

by Joshua Fruhlinger via engadget.com

We love exit signs in Japan. They frame just about every door and hallway: guy with briefcase freaking out and bolting out an open door. This is clearly not the first USB hub in an unusual form factor, but Donya has fed our love for the panicky icon. Complete with ports on the little guy’s feet and briefcase, he’s available for about $10 or ¥999.
[digg=http://digg.com/gadgets/USB_hub_brings_Japanese_exit_sign_to_your_desktop]