We enjoy electric fireplaces as much as the next guy due to their convenience and ability to not spurt fiery ashes onto your carpet, but having an outdoor one is very strange. It might just function decently on a patio or a deck as a centrepiece for your friends to gather around, which is probably why this one has concealed speakers and MP3 support. Plus, the included shrubbage goes pretty far in convincing guests that it's a real fireplace sitting out in the middle of your backyard. [AVING via Uber Gizmo]

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The Beef: I am not a shortwave enthusiast, by any means, but the industrial design, open for a literal interpretation on the industrial. It's got AM, FM, shortwave, longwave, SSB and aircraft band frequencies. There's a scan or manual input by 10-key. And check the analogue gauge and yellow-glow back lighting. Very nice. There's also an aux in for audio input.
The Catch: It's shortwave. And $350.

Awesome: The Eton FR1000 Voicelink is maybe one of the most pornograpic survival radios I've ever seen, but functionally so. IT has AM/FM/NOAA Weather/2-Way GMRS Radio. And a Flashlight, siren, and Cellphone charger. It runs off of 4AAs, but has a hand crank. The design seems superfluous, but those cutouts actually protect the knobs. There's a large handle on the back. If I were to die stranded in the wilderness, I might be slightly less upset clutching one of these beautiful machines. $US150.
The Catch: No word on water resistance, and the recessed knobs seem hard to turn with gloves on.

If you by some miracle find yourself in the great outdoors this winter, what better accoutrement for your wrist than his Timberland HT2 outdoor performance watch? It has dials on top of dials, of course showing the time in both analogue and digital form for keeping track of four time zones in all, but also times your outdoor frolics down to the 100th of a second.

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The cute little Zabady AV-J189S splash-proof sound system from Twinbird can do a lot of things. It has a slot-loading CD player and a USB jack for thumbdrives and other local storage that contain MP3 or WMA files. When you dock it, the lithium-ion battery charges up and can run for 4.5 hours on CD, and up to 7 hours using just the built-in FM radio. The one thing it won't do is help you commit suicide by bathtub electrocution: While not truly "waterproof," it meets the same IPX7 specification as many rugged outdoor devices. "If by any chance you make a mistake and drop it into the bath, it is all right," says the promo page. [Twinbird (translated) via Akihabara News]

This water carrier for outdoorsy types includes a pressurizing hand pump that works to improve the design of ye old camelback-canteen in several ways: First, you won't have to suck on the straw to get hydrated, an inflated reservoir doubles as a pillow, and mounted high, works as a pinch shower. Joel notes that the hand pump could be easily lost, to which I agree. [Polarpak via Boingboing]

Is this the sexiest piece of astronomical equipment you've ever seen? The Porter Telescope is a limited edition bronze sculpture that also happens to be a very smart piece of engineering. Based on an original design from the 1920s by Richard Porter, it acts as a garden sundial by day and a reflecting telescope by, well, whenever you like (but night is probably best for stargazing). The optics have been redesigned 21st style to deliver the best possible performance.

Naturally, if you're going for something so serious, you'll need a marble pedestal to stand it on. You aren't going to dump this on any old garden table! This happily lives outdoors, too, and will either grow to a cool green like any bronze statue, or you can put in some effort to maintain the sleek brown look.

Cost? A stylish US$59,000. But there's never been a better time to spend that sort of money. And if you're happy to spend it, the shipping charges involved probably won't scare you either. The official site has plenty more details, as well as a link to video on the fabrication and design process. Sexy, sexy geek stuff. [Porter Telescope via Luxist]

It bounces, it spins, it see-saws. The Spirohop must, must, MUST come to Australia. Pleeeeease??!

Take your typical see-saw, add the bouncy goodness off the classic spacehopper, and then let the whole thing spin on its axis. If they made these in grown up sizes, I'd be outside playing on one right now instead of in here staring at computer screens.

Cue Demtel voice. How much would you expect to pay? This is listed at £69.99, or about $160. The site says they'll ship international, so even wearing some hefty shipping charges, this ride-on will be such a hit all summer it will be well worth the dosh. [Spirohop via BabyGadget]

We had no reason to offer any further proof that Japan is the unquestionable winner when it comes to wacky inventions, but the Melody Road convinces us our judgment is completely accurate. The Melody Road will allow a car passing above it to play a simple tune, which is made audible by ridges on the road's surface. The pitch of the note created is increased by increasing the frequency of the ridges, and the opposite is also true. Jump for more details, and a completely baffling video.

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I'm not sure why every product made for the iPod has to start with a small "i". Anyway, Hercules has a new outdoor speaker for your iPod coming soon called the i-XPS 120. The cool part is that this particular speaker is designed for the outdoors and is waterproof. So waterproof, in fact, that the test unit Hercules sent me came with a watering can just to test this out.

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