Two Slashes

When I first heard about Art Lebedev and the Optimus Maxiumus and Tactus keyboards and Mini-Three keypad a while ago, I thought he and his crew might have had something.  (After all, the closest I think I’ve seen to having a changeable display on a keyboard is the one mounted on the top of my Logitech G15.)  And indeed he must have had something, for people still drool over the blasted things when they’re so expensive and hard to come by. But still, I have to give kudos for the attempt and the originality.  And the speakers that look like a mockup of speakers?  Clever-looking, though from what I saw they seem a little lacking in the Ooomph department.

Then there’s the Upravalator, not so much a keyboard (which is still what it seems to be called by them) as a dynamic palette for things like color swatches.  While still a cool idea (especially with the stand), it’s a little less useful as it’s twelve keys, but requires a full video card to run.  It’s still kind of cool, but a little more limited in the ideas I can think of for it.  But still…a video card and VGA port?  I write it off as a technical difficulty, but hey, I’m not the one who designed it.  There’s probably a reason.

All of the other interesting trinkets and accomplishments aside, I was browsing through the portfolio and found Vilcus.  And that’s where my awe went out the window.  To bereplaced with…(and pardon the pun)…shock.

For those too lazy to read the link, Vilcus is a device designed to aid people in electrocuting themselves.  Yes, it’s designed for the sole purpose of allowing you to plug two fingers into a live electrical socket in the hopes that you can give yourself free electroshock therapy.  (I told you the amusement stopped.)  And if it’s not interesting already, they even through in universal adapters so you can get your therapy session in at your hotel room overseas.  Very convenient.

If it’s not depressing enough that there’s actually a demand for tools that enable people to shock themselves enough that such an esteemed design studio needs to get involved, there’s definitely a smack in the face when you find out that ThinkGeek has the blasted things on sale.  Yes, the one and the same ThinkGeek with the caffeinated soap.

I looked, but I haven’t found any news stories about people using these things to shock someone they know in their sleep or anything, but perhaps something like that just doesn’t get published.  It’s bound to happen sooner or later.  And I love how Lebedev even suggest group sessions using Rozetkus.  It’s just a giant o**** of shocks, sparks, and zings.  (ZING!)

I’m so surprised that I don’t think I can rant anymore…so I’ll leave you with my warning that I don’t recommend you try this.