tech e blog

This "Face Trainer" gadget from Japan supposedly works your facial muscles to give you a more youthful look. However, we say it just turns you into a real-life cartoon character. No word yet on if this will be released stateside. Continue reading for one more picture.

[Sources 1 | 2]

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If Star Wars existed in feudal Japan, this is what some of the characters might have looked like. These designed, by artist Clinton Felker, draws "heavily on Samurai culture to craft the Jedi and Sith." Continue reading to see more.

[Sources 1 | 2]

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At first glance, the 16-story Gate Tower Building in Osaka, Japan may appear to have a giant hole, and upon closer inspection, you'll realize that it's a real highway for cars. It "has a double core construction, with a circular cross section; the Umeda Exit of the Ikeda Route of the Hanshin Expressway system (when exiting the highway from the direction of Ikeda) passes through the fifth through seventh floors of this building." Continue reading to see more.

[Sources 1 | 2 | 3]

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While Japan has brought us a great number of technologies that people take for granted today, they have also came up with some of the weirdest inventions ever. For example, we have a real-life "Sh!t Burger". Continue reading to see them all.

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Amazon is selling the Blue LED Iron Samurai Watch for only $12.99, originally priced at $29.98. It's designed to look like a faceless band, but at the push of a button, blue LEDs illuminate to show the time. Product page. Video after the break.

[via Amazon]

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If you thought the Bellagio fountain was amazing, think again. This incredible water display, located in Osaka Station, is capable of printing real images and patterns using special computer-controlled nozzles. Continue reading for a video.

[via Gizmodo - gorimon]

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Unlike other roller coasters, Vanish in Yokohama, Japan features a 744m track that leads to an underwater tunnel. It opened in 1999 and reaches a maximum height of 35m. Click here for more pictures. Continue reading for a few videos.

[Sources 1 | 2 | 3 | 4]

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With the global economy still recovering, it's no surprise that many theme parks around the world have closed their doors. Here's a rare look inside an abandoned Japanese theme park called Nara Dreamland. Click here for more pictures. In related news, continue reading for a video tour.

[Sources 1 | 2]

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Called the SWITL, this nifty "robotic hand features a conveyor belt, believed to be made from Teflon, which moves so fast it is able to pick up semi-liquid spills without leaving a mess." Video demonstration after the jump.

But a high-speed version of the robotic arm has also found a role for packing fragile semi-liquid products - which could include some meat products or gels.
[via DailyMail]

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Simply put, the Mayekawa Automatic Chicken Deboner is what nightmares are made of. It "masterfully breaks down a whopping 1,500 chickens in the same amount of time--which, if our math is correct, is ten times faster than a flesh-and-blood butcher." Video after the break.

Automatic chicken deboners are often faster than humans, but often do a poor job of butchering, as they have difficulty adjusting to the different sizes and shapes of poultry.
[via PopSci]

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