Hasta La Gadget!

Spin calls the reissue of the Flaming Lips’ 1997 album Zaireeka “unconventional.” My question, however, is: if nothing the Lips do is conventional, shouldn’t the unconventional be the unconventional?

I mean, consider the original release of Zaireeka–the album was a four-disc set with all four intended to be played on different CD players at the same time. I tried to listen to the record with a group of friends in college once, but given the different start rates of players, it was nearly impossible to sync the things up, despite the ample syncing tones at the beginning.

Perhaps this reissue will make matters easier. The band is re-releasing the record on cell phones. Says lead singer Wayne Coyne, “We’re trying to get together as many people with phones to cram into a bathroom and play it. It’ll be a cool experience.”

The record is arriving in the next week or so, so you’ve got that long to find three friends as dorky as you to try it out. The test starts now.

Video of the new Zaireeka after the jump.

Looking for a case for your Apple portable? Consider the iChair, a slim case with a built in kickstand. iChairs have a rubber-coated matte finish. Because the kickstands are flush with the case when not in use, they don’t add any extra bulk. The iPad version is lined with microfiber and has two kickstands: one that holds it up high at three different angles, and one that holds it lower, just right for typing.

The case is available in black with your choice of an extra top slider case in either blue or white. All models come with a screen protector, cleaning cloth, and squeegee board for pushing out any bubbles when you apply the screen protector. In fact, the iPhone 4 case comes with front and back screen protectors. The iPad version lists for $49, while the iPhone 4, iPhone 3G/3GS, and iPod Touch versions list for $34. Not convinced? You’ll also get free shipping in the continental U.S.

Arthur Xin’s Soft Screwdriver is a clever combination of tool-roll and multi-tip screwdriver. Like a bullet-belt, the soft case has tubes to stow seven screwdriver shafts, plus one larger tube with a metal handle into which you slip any of these shafts.

Then you just roll up the bag and it wraps around the central section to form a big, easy-to-grip handle.

It’s a concept design, and as such could do with a little more work. In particular, chirality seems to have been somewhat overlooked, which is a problem in a screwdriver. First, the handle would tighten itself in one direction and loosen in the other, meaning constant re-wrapping when swapping between screwing and unscrewing.

Worse is the method of tip-attachment: the various shafts actually screw into the master handle-tube, again giving one-way screwing.

These could be easily fixed with a Velcro tab on the roll-end and a bayonet fixing in the handle, making this a very practical multi-tool. And hey, maybe they could include a screwdriver to open up Apple’s evil iScrews?

How About a Soft Screw? [Yanko]

See Also:

• Doctor Who Sonic Screwdriver, Now Screws Screws
• Most Complicated Screwdriver Ever

Uber, a mobile limousine-booking service, has become a favorite among in-the-know techies in San Francisco. Launching its service in New York, where taxis are heavily regulated and easy to find already, may prove more complicated.

Originally posted at The Social

Guitarists: How much did you pay for your instrument? If it was less than $825, then look away now, because this gorgeous leather case costs more than your guitar.

The case is called the Arizona Arena and comes from the Whipping Post Leather company, a name which neatly evokes the brutal flaying required to skin a dead cow. And unlike its bovine donor (or even your guitar), the case looks like it would last forever, sewn with “marine grade threading” and equipped with stainless steel buckles and loops. It does in fact come with a lifetime warranty.

Inside there is one-inch thick foam padding and outside you get pockets for stowing a pint of bourbon and anything else the modern guitarist might need. There is also a strap which does double-duty as a shoulder-strap or backpack-strap.

The picture above shows the Arizona Arena, and you can also go for the darker Georgia Brown or the pale tan Mojave Sand for the same high, high price.

Arizona Arena product page [Whipping Post Leather via Uncrate]

See Also:

• NES Guitar: The Real Guitar Hero
• Rock Out: Fingerist Turns iPhone into Guitar
• Gibson Dark Tiger: 'The World's Most Advanced Guitar'
• Hum-Bucking Pedal Juice Powers Guitar Effects Pedals