World Cup gizmos, practical and absurd
For World Cup fans, it's not just about beer, athletic shoes and credit cards. It's also that can be taken home as memorabilia. And there are a lot of them on non-U.S. sites right now.
For England's flag wavers, options abound from the practical to the absurd. The U.K.'s Tech Digest has an amusing compilation of the "five worst World Cup gadgets," which are likely overstocked items that have been slapped with St. George's cross and marketed to soccer fanatics. These include portable speakers bearing the national flag and a 64MB flash drive emblazoned with the words "We Believe" for $14.70 at current exchange rates.
What sporting event would be complete without a beer-guzzler hat reformulated for the occasion? This one costs $11.
Another U.K. site, Gadget Pages, features a host of World Cup products, including a low-tech offering described as "England Fluffy Car Dice and Air Freshener"--now out of stock.
People who purchased the Fluffy Dice also bought a gadget that plays up the global spirit of the competition: the 2006 World Cup Anthem Ball, which goes for $14.74 based on current exchange rates.
The roughly 6-1/2 inch replica of the World Cup Trophy is decorated with 25 flags. Pressing any flag on the ball plays one of 25 national anthems, including themes from the U.S. and England, Germany, Brazil, Mexico and others. The Anthem Ball runs on three AAA batteries.
Also focusing on the "world" in World Cup are leather iPod Video cases from Sumo in select flag colors. They go for $55.17.
Our sister site Crave has compiled a list of even more World Cup gadgets.