Gizmodo Australia » stress relief

Head Refresher Is 234 Points Of Scalp Massaging Crazy

Elaine Chow — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 03:00:00 +0000

I’m in love with crazy, vaguely acupressure-related gadgets, so this Christmas I might actually drop some cash for the “Head Refresher.” Much like the Head Kanzen, this insane-looking device lets you massage your own scalp, allegedly increasing blood circulation throughout your body, while making it look like an inverted sea urchin is trying to swallow your skull.

It has 234 stimulating points, an ergonomic handle, and–if the model is to be believed–the ability to give your head a full rubdown without ever disturbing your hair. Amazing! And it’s available for the cheapie price of $US34 off of Japan Trend Shop. [Japan Trend Shop]

Choke-able Chicken is a Bonafide Stress Reliever

Elaine Chow — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 05:30:00 +0000

Looking for a stress ball that’s sure to anger the hordes of PETA? Here’s one shaped like a chicken that crows in pain when you squeeze, hit or shake it. Let the chicken have it whenever work’s got you down and it’ll be sure to make you feel all plucky again. This fun little toy even comes in three sizes, priced $US13.90 for a large, $US9.90 for a medium and $US6.90 for a small, so that you can choke different sizes of chicken depending on where you are and how much stress you need to release. [Brando]

Hand Grip iPhone Charger Builds a Strong, Confident Handshake

Sean Fallon — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 22:20:00 +0000

Somehow, I don’t think the world is ready for a charger that powers up an iPhone when you flex a hand grip. I mean, a firm handshake commands respect, but we are still talking about exercise here. So, I think that a solar powered charging case is probably about as eco-friendly as most of us are willing to get. On the other hand, you could view it like a stress reliever—a means of squeezing away your frustrations. Based on the time displayed on the iPhone in the image, my guess is that the designer also had stress relief in mind with this concept as well. [petitinvention via Ecofriend via Gearfuse]

10 Stress Busting Gadgets That Help You Unwind From a Long Week at Work

Sean Fallon — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 20:00:00 +0000

Feeling a little stressed out? Good thing it’s Friday–the weekend should offer ample opportunity to unwind. Unfortunately, some of you may be have so much going on that a couple of days off may not do the job. Not to worry, there are plenty of gadgets out there that can help you recover from the stress that a long week at work, a pile of unpaid bills, constant nagging about your “drinking problem” and a mysterious rash can cause.

Stress Toys: Did you know that there are squeezable stress toys for just about any difficult situation? Here are some examples:

I Have a Drinking Problem: The Guinness Stress Pint will help you kick that habit. Available for US$4.95. [Guinness]

I’m Sexually Frustrated: Grab a handful of Stressticles squeezable testi-balls and save money on a prostitute. Available for around US$10. [Gobaz]

The Copy Machine at Work Sucks: If you can’t go “Office Space” on it with a bat, squeezing this copy machine stress toy may be the next best thing. Available for US$2.99. [Kleargear]

I Ate a Wheel of Cheese Yesterday and Now I’m Constipated: No problem. Take this toilet stress toy into the bathroom with you and let it work its magic. Available for US$1.99. [Office Playground]

A Luxurious Spa Treatment: Perhaps simple stress toys are not enough. What you need to relax is a little time in the spa.

The Wellness Skull: Designed by Dutch artist Atlier Van Lieshout, the Wellness Skull features a small bath in the neck and a sauna in the head. When it is working, steam pours out of the eye sockets. I’m not sure if it is up for sale, but it would definitely be a unique way to unwind. [Project Page]

The Red Diamond Bathtub: What does US$47,200 buy you in a bathtub these days? Well, the Red Diamond comes with two retractable waterproof HDTVs, wireless controls via a built-in GSM module, massage functions, a Swarovski crystal-lined champagne holder and a frame made of solid gold. [Red Diamond via Link]

The Energy Cocoon Balance Bathtub: This spa features an infrared sauna, steam sauna, aromatherapy and light therapy functions, hydromassage, airbubble massage and a hand shower in an extremely compact design. [NeoQi via BornRich]

“Massage”: Note the quotation marks. When all else fails, you can always turn to products like these to “release” a little “tension.”

Fist-Shaped Back Massager: Uh…what? It looks like a cartoon-fist. Ooooh…that’s just wrong. Available for US$6.88. [Spilsbury]

Massage Pants: The manufacturer claims that these pants have multiple massage modes and an automatic temperature control. What are you supposed to be massaging? Why can you get it only in bulk? Are they assuming you will be planning some sort of kinky massage pants party? [Trade Key]

Human Touch Massage Chairs: These chairs were seen leaving a now-defunct Sharper Image store. Human Touch eh? What are these chairs touching me with exactly? [Link]

Sweety is Colour-Changing, Squeezable Interactive Stress Gizmo

Gizmodo US Edition — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 15:45:00 +0000

Designer Haishu Zhang has created the Sweety concept gadget to help soothe away people’s stresses. Apparently he’s designed to be your 24-hour listener, so I guess you just sound-off in his direction rather than at a real person. And Sweety reacts with graphic patterns and colour changes that, um, help you somehow. I’m a little confused how that bit’s supposed to work, but I do understand it’s interactive mode: when the rage hits you, you can just wrestle and pound the little bugger’s soft body. And that’s therapy. [Yanko design]

Stress Relieving Vase Takes Your Verbal Abuse, so Others Don’t Have To

Gizmodo US Edition — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 13:30:00 +0000

Have you ever felt the need to let rip with a stream of expletives, yells and screams, but not been able to as you’d piss-off your noise-sensitive neighbours? Well, with a little help from the Sakebi no Tsufu “Shouting Vase” you’d be able to make as much noise as you like—get it all out, dump all your stress—and still be pretty much inaudible to everyone else. The plastic device is basically a muffler for your yells, with internal baffles that suppress the sound you make. It’s available in Japan for around US$48, and I wish it was buyable here: it would’ve been perfect when I jammed my thumb in a door yesterday and my wife was snoozing nearby. [Crunchgear]

Optimal Office Mouse Reads Stress, Alleviates Stress

Jason Chen — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 23:10:16 +0000

Squeezing a stress ball may have been enough for the 1990s, but it’s the 2000s now and we need to take it up a notch. Enter the Optimal Office Mouse, which not only has a spot for you to stick your thumb on to gauge stress, there’s even a software package that lets you perform stress-relieving exercises to alleviate your tenseness.

It can even alert you of your own stress level in case you’re wrapped up in something and don’t know that the veins in your forehead are busting out again. The only worry we have is that this site seems somewhat phony in that it doesn’t have much product info, but maybe that’s how they do things in the UK. No price or availability info. [HotForest via Shiny Shiny]

DIY Breast-Shaped Stress Reliever

Jason Chen — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 18:45:34 +0000

If you’re picturing a boob when you’re squeezing a regular squishy stress reliever anyway, why not just cut out the illusion and make one actually shaped like a boob? This Instructables post shows you how in 12 easy steps, provided you have the prerequisites first (a woman that will let you use her boob as a mold). The creator says this:

Noticing that my breasts provide a source of comfort for my partner, I decided to take matters into my own hands and make him a personalised version of a classic erotic novelty: a squishy boob-shaped stress relief toy, modeled after one of my very own. Maybe now he’ll leave me alone so I can get important things done.

[Instructables via Fleshbot]