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| Reviews by Stefan Blitz |
Here at FOG! HQ lots of cool stuff comes in, giving us the opportunity to check out some merchandise. Here’s our thoughts on some of the latest stuff that’s passed through our rigorous testing.
Star Wars “Stay Classy” T-Shirt
“Lando’s not a system. He’s a man. Lando Calrissian. He’s a card player, gambler, scoundrel.”
And he’s classy. Damn classy.
As administrator of Cloud City, Lando knows what’s going on.
So when he tells you to stay classy, you better do it.
Before he sics Lobot and a half dozen Ugnauts on your ass.
This shirt reminds you and informs the ignorant that Cloud City is one classy place.
Lando says so.
Star Wars Chewbacca Extra Chewie T-Shirt
If you like your shirts with extras Wookiee, then this is the one for you.
It’s the Star Wars equivalent of the Oreos Double Stuff, showing off exactly when “Extra Chewie” means.
In other words, a whole lot of Chewie.
Which is fantastic. More Chewbacca in anything is a blessing. If it had been up to me, his career would have been far more diverse.
He could have taken over Jason Patric’s role in Speed 2, Could have played Will Graham instead of Edward Norton in Red Dragon and would have killed it opposite Charlie Sheen on Two and a Half Men.
At least this shirt lets everyone know there’s never too much Chewie.
Back in the glorious 80s, two books defined comics: The Uncanny X-Men from Marvel and The New Teen Titans from DC.
This shirt captures the iconic core members of The Titans (soon to be a new show on TNT called Blackbirds):
Nightwing (formerly Robin The Boy Wonder), Wonder Girl, Cyborg, Raven, Kid Flash, Starfire and Changeling!
Under the creative direction of Marv Wolfman and George Pérez, The New Teen Titans was one of the best and most defining comic books of the decade.
Now, get your old school superheroing on and add this shirt to your collection.
Titans Together!
Batman ’66 Batmobile Batman Pop! Vinyl Figure
Atomic batteries to power! Turbines to speed! Cuteness to maximum!
There might not be a cooler vehicle in the history of pop culture than the George Barris designed Batmobile.
Scaled to fit the included Funko Pop! Adam West Batman figure, and you’ve reached a whole new level of Bat-tastic, Kitschy, Retro Goodness, old chum!
This fantastic collectible is a must have for any self-respecting Bat-Fan and a perfect way to celebrate the Caped Crusader as he patrols Gotham City for the scourge of rogues causing havoc to Commissioner Gordon and the good citizens.
Holy, dark knight detective plastic reproduction!
If you grew up in the Eighties, you will never forget the impact that Pac Man had on American culture.
A simple 8-bit game featuring a pill popping pie shaped avatar who traveled a maze trying to outwit a quartet of ghosts (Inky, Pinky, Blinky and Clyde) spawned breakfast cereals, an animated series and even a hit album, Pac Man Fever…
And I’m headed to the arcade
I don’t have alot of money
But I’m bringing everything I made
I have a callous on my finger
And my shoulder’s hurtin’, too
I’m gonna eat ’em all up
Just as soon as they turn blue
That feeling can be yours forever with this pretty awesome lamp. This Pac light changes color, rotating through the color spectrum (and the option to change according to the music reminds me a little bit of the seizure inducing Pokemon animation, as the Ghost colors strobe to maddening effect). It’s powered by a USB cable (which is included). Cherries and pretzels are unfortunately, not included.
For anyone who get’s a little restless in a meeting, on the phone, brainstorming or just watching tv, the liquid glass thinking putty is a must have.
I half expected that after playing with it a bit that it would become cloudy, but it remains rystal clear, reminiscent of playing with melted glass. It’s also odorless and doesn’t leave any residue (oily or otherwise) on your skin.
It’s also really addicting. It can be stretched, shattered, kneaded, snapped and even melted. it is, without a doubt, one of the most basic concepts, executed flawlessly.
As a matter of fact, I have it next to me on the desk to my right as I’m typing this. I might need to take a break…
To the untrained eye, one might notice this climber’s clip attached to my computer messenger bag, and think it’s nothing more than a keyring.
But, it’s become one of the most essential tools I carry with me; a rugged charging cable that I have with me at all times in case my phone needs a refreshing charge.
And since I carry on the exterior of my bag, it gets banged around more than it should. But unlike other charging cables, this one is housed in a combination of durable engineering-grade polycarbonate and reinforced stainless steel, providing it with the strength and ruggedness needed to carry it with me at all times.
The question isn’t if you need it, but rather how quickly and how often. This is as necessary as having your phone in a case.
Like many people, I use my smartphone constantly. Checking news or social media, watching videos, making notes and occasionally actually making phone calls.
I do, however, use it often as a recorder, for making notes to myself or more importantly, using to conduct interviews. And although the built in microphone is serviceable, it doesn’t always get the job done. And after having sampled several external microphones over the years, the iRig Mic Field is by far the best device I’ve ever used.
Able to record in digital stereo, this mic connects via the Apple Lightning connector and rotates 90° for optimal audio/video positioning. The sound quality is fantastic and can be used for audio or video with ease. Another great feature is that there’s an integrated headphone output for real-time audio monitoring and an LED indicator allowing easy level adjustment.
Well designed and delivering exceptional quality, the iRig Mic Field is an easy and solid recommendation.
Marvel Retro Captain America Limited Edition Action Figure Box Set
I previously reviewed the Spider-Man edition of this figure, produced by Diamond Select and for the most part liked it, with a few reservations. Suffice to say, they knocked this one out of the park.
Based on (although seeming slightly smaller) than the original Mego design, this set includes a reproduction of the Seventies Mego figure, plus variations on costumes and accessories allowing you to create/transform the figure into Steve Rogers in his army uniform (and with the classic original triangle shaped shield) and a more modern take on Captain America with an updated sculpt, costume and shield.
This is a vast improvement over the Spider-Man figure. The costumes fit better and overall is a less fragile product. This is not a kid’s toy (if the price wasn’t already an indicator), but if you’re a fan of Megos, Marvel, or Captain America, you will in no way be disappointed. The packaging is sturdy, but as I was informed from my previous review, an X-Acto knife can remove the figures and accessories cleanly and the included magazine is both informative and entertaining. My only wish now would be a companion Bucky/Winter Soldier release.
Secret Agent Projection Alarm Clock
In theory this seemed like a good idea.
In execution it reminds me more of a paranoid conspiracist sleeping with a gun under their pillow.
Granted it’s not really a gun.
It’s actually a vibrating alarm clock shaped like a Walther PPK that you can pull the trigger, which then projects the time on the wall.
This features a snooze alarm and works fine. I guess actually sleeping with a gun under my pillow (real or fake) isn’t all that appealing.
And in all honesty, kind of in bad taste. If you’re a gun enthusiast, congratulations, you have a new way to start your day.
This retro inspired speaker is nothing more than a piece of plastic. And a disappointing one at that.
One is supposed to cradle their cell phone in the device and sound amplifies through the hollow plastic enhancing the sound louder. It’s a clever play on old technology, only it’s not that clever and in person it’s rather cheap looking.
Batteries are required to enhance the volume and unlike the photograph to the left, my phone has never displayed like that (as a matter of fact, the home screen is never horizontal). There’s an included USB cable for charging purposes (which also makes little sense since the device runs on batteries). Take a nice look at the photo. It never is as cool as that.
Thumbs Up UK Click Stick Selfie Pole
Ah, the selfie.
One of the most tacky, narcissistic additions to our culture in quite some time.
Even the description is unnerving:
We’ve all been there; you gather your friends for that massive group Selfie, you are reaching for that button… And damn! You’ve just cropped yourself out! Designed to ease the strain of taking Selfies, thumbsUp!’s Click Stick will drastically change the way you take photos! This smartphone monopod is intergrated with a button which allows you to remotely take photos; The Click Stick needs no bluetooth, pairing or batteries! Simply plug your Smartphone into the headphone socket, strike a pose and click the stick!
So it’s with great embarrassment and humility that I have to admit this is pretty damned cool. It’s simple, it’s easy and it takes great pictures. In addition to selfies, it allows you to get a better photo in a crowd by adjusting it to a straight angle and holding it higher than other people’s heads. It’s also small enough at seven inches that you can bring it with you (and when it’s fully extended to 39″ you can pretty much capture anything.
Highly recommended.
