Don't pretend you haven't heard of Hello Kitty. So what if you're the manliest man who ever strode bow-legged on God's sweet earth? That's no excuse for not being up on your Japanese cutesy cartoon cat characters. Especially not ones that have become squillion-dollar brands in their own right.
Besides, as a brand, Hello Kitty is gadgety to the extreme. Sanrio, the firm behind the brand, has slapped Hello Kitty on all manner of consumer electronics, from laptops and digital cameras through to guitars, waffle makers and, er, fire extinguishers. Thanks in part to some diligent research on our sister site ShinyShiny, read on to find 20 of the best Hello Kitty gadgets.
1. Epson Hello Kitty laptop (pictured). It's got a 12.1-inch display, 512MB of RAM, and a 40GB hard drive, and when it came out in December, cost the equivalent of £1,115. Besides the spiffing desktop wallpaper, the famous Kitty logo is splashed on the exterior. Read more
2. OKWAP A236 Hello Kitty mobile phone. It's pink, it's a slider, and it comes with a Hello Kitty case and screen-wiper for your dosh. On a more high-tech tip, the phone supports handwriting recognition, complete with a stylus. Read more
3. Exmode DC500 digital camera. Hello Kitty gadgets aren't just entry-level devices for kids, y'know. Honest. This is a five-megapixel camera with a two-inch display, and an SD card slot for storing shots. Plus That Cat's on the front, obviously. Read more
4. Hello Kitty Crystal Xbox. Take one old-skool Xbox (as in the growly original model, not the new 360). Paint it pink, slap Hello Kitty all over it, and kill a few people in Halo 2. So wrong, but so right. Read more
5. Hello Kitty Fender Stratocaster (pictured). Okay, so you probably won't see Noel Gallagher or The Twang brandishing a Hello Kitty axe on-stage anytime soon, but there's any amount of cardigan-wearing indie bands who'd love it. Yes, the cute level DOES go up to 11... Read more
6. Hello Kitty waffle maker. It's waffly versatile, y'know. Oh, alright, it's not - it can only make four waffle shapes. But still, at three minutes per waffle once it gets warmed up, it's just the thing for sweet-toothed kitsch-lovers. Read more
7. Hello Kitty MP3 player. I don't really get excited any more about 256MB flash-based players, especially if their battery life is a measly six hours. But hey, the feet control the volume on this Kitty-themed player, while the hands switch it on and off. That's cool. Read more
8. The robot that loves Hello Kitty. You can't take over the world and enslave humanity without a good cover story. Pretending to be bananas about Hello Kitty isn't a good cover story, but that hasn't stopped this bot. Read more
9. Hello Kitty Skype phone. Because new technologies like Voice-over-IP are so much friendlier when you interact with them via the medium of cutesy Japanese kitten. Read more
10. BenQ Siemens AL26 mobile phone (pictured). Another slider handset based on Hello Kitty, which comes preloaded with themed wallpapers, games and ringtones. Yes, it's pink, but at least it looks vaguely stylish and grown-up. Honest. Read more
11. Hello Kitty USB lap warmer. There is, admittedly, something a bit wrong in a huge pink Hello Kitty cushion that plugs into your computer to keep your nether regions toasty-warm. But you won't be complaining come Winter. Read more
12. Tink Pink Hello Kitty Digicam DC571. Another five-megapixel digital camera, except this one's way more garish, complete with a properly bling logo on the front. Read more
13. Hello Kitty Pop-Up Toaster. Not only does this toaster star, yes, Hello Kitty on the side. But every slice of toast that pops out will have her face branded on every slice! So you can sell them on eBay! Also toasts bagels. Read more
14. Hello Kitty Fire Extinguisher (pictured). An oldie, this, but a goodie. One for anyone who imagines themself fighting fires in a manly way, with, er, a pink extinguisher with a cartoon cat on it. Read more
15. Hello Kitty Karaoke System. Okay, so this probably involves singing along to horrendous songs for children, but I live in hope that you can buy proper karaoke albums for it (i.e. NOW That's What I Call 80s Classics) too. It's got a disco light, although sadly no smoke machine feature. Read more
16. Hello Kitty USB speakers. If truth be told, the computer hasn't yet been invented with enough USB ports to handle all the Hello Kitty USB gadgets. At least these speakers have a practical use, although the way the actual speaker is on the back of Kitty's head is a trifle disturbing. Scientific laboratories get firebombed for less than this! Read more
17. Hello Kitty Wacom Favo graphics tablet. If you're based in a large city, chances are you know at least one designer who's just a little bit up themselves. Which means next time it's their birthday, you'll be wanting to buy them this A6 tablet, which works for both PCs and Macs. They'll thank you for it, trust me. Read more
18. Hello Kitty Solar Swing clock (pictured). Forget pendulums. This clock has Hello Kitty's head bobbing around instead, and is powered by eco-friendly solar energy, allowing you to pretend you're saving the world. With gadgets! Read more
19. Hello Kitty Air Purifier. This healthy gadget cleans the air, and more importantly, ITS BOW LIGHTS UP WHEN IT'S WORKING. It's little touches like this that make the best gadgets, y'know. Don't pretend to look puzzled - we've seen you dribbling over that blue light on your PS3... Read more
20. Hello Kitty Fujifilm Pivi mobile printer. This mini printer is the size of a CD case, and connects to your phone via infrared, to print off your camphone snaps. The definition of a gadget that'd sell zillions more in Japan than here in Europe. Read more
[Via Tech Digest]
