iPad: It’s Official!!

The rumored Apple Tablet is called the iPad. It’s official! Sounds a bit weird and maxi-pad-ish, but whatever. It’s half an inch thin and weighs just 1.5 pounds with a 9.7 inch IPS display. It also has a 16GB to 64GB flash storage. It even has a compass   Bluetooth and Wifi of course…And omg, Jobs just said that you can fly to SF and Tokyo and watch video the whole way on one charge. That is 10 hours of video and 1 month of standby charge. OMG! He’s downloaded all these apps unmodified from the App Store. First, Facebook. He runs it in a tiny iPhone-size window oin the middle of the screen. But he can tap the “2x” button and run things full screen. It’s the same resolution, but just bigger.

Read more at http://live.gizmodo.com/. They’re live blogging, and it’s awesome.

All pictures courtesy of Gizmodo. Go to live.gizmodo.com. Seriously, go now!

Even Poo is Cute

Being Japanese, I can say without hesitation, Japanese people are weird. We like things like Godzilla and Ultra Man. The randomness doesn’t end here. I was just in Japan a few weeks ago and the new little trend was poo. Cute poo.

Enter Unko-san, Japanese translation being Mr. Feces.

Allow me to tell you a little bit about him. Unko-san (pictured above) is a young boy that is on a soul search for true happiness. He is a bit shy but loves festivals. He also has a younger baby brother, Unko-chan, who can use ESP (aka, ESP Baby). It doesn’t stop here. Unko-san has an entire set of unko family and friends and even a Nurse Unko who is currently looking for a boyfriend (what the…). The Unko family is very special and is very much known to be little spirits that can only be seen by “lucky” people (is that really lucky?).

Japan is weird! But the thing is, these little Unko-sans and Unko-chans are really cute. So cute I bought Alisa a little baby Unko-chan plushie keychain (top row, center, with a pacifier – cute, no?). She thinks it’s utterly weird and so do most people. But whatever, it’s cute, it’s the craze so what are you going to do? Go buy one of course!

There’s even a little anime to complement our smelly hero. Here’s a clip:

What do YOU think of Unko-san? Cute or creepy??

Getting the World Off Gas and On Electric Vehicles

Parents are cute. They typically talk about “life before the cell phone” and how they did so many marvelous outdoorsy things when they “were my age” instead of watching Lost or surfing Urban Outfitters.com.

My dad’s a little bit different. A bit on the eccentric side and likes to blurt out theories of the future vs talking about his past. About 8 years ago, I remember my dad swearing that he would never buy a hybrid. He angrily went on and on about how hybrids are silly “transition-mobiles” and they’ll completely die out in the next few years when fully electric cars flood the market.

So it seems for every 1000 strikes, my dad will get a hit or two and then sometimes score a homerun. Not sure if this will be the former or the latter, but this article regarding electronic vehicles I read last month really makes me believe my dad is onto something.

If you haven’t yet heard, a young man named Shai Agassi has a huge dream to bring electronic vehicles to the masses and get the entire world off gasoline. Yes, get the entire world to stop using gas for their vehicles. He has already convinced two countries to let him produce and construct a crazy infrastructure of charging stations throughout the land that will “fuel” all the electronic vehicles (EVs). 17 EV charging stations in Tel Aviv, Israel, have opened so far and Agassi’s goal is to have 150,000 places to plug in throughout the country by 2011. Wow!

Now here for some even weirder, more interesting news. His company, called Better Place, just unveiled a battery swap system. This system, or gadget, replaces a dead battery in a matter of seconds and gets you back on the road quicker than the time it takes to fill your gas tank.

As you’ll see in the video below (with the super cute car from Yokohama, Japan), you pretty much drive your vehicle into a drive-through car wash type system and the battery swap is made underneath the car by robotic trays or “shuttles”. According to Agassi, this technology will make it possible for a person to travel longer distances in an EV without having to stop at multiple charging stations.

Agassi is tackling the main problem many people have with electronic vehicles: where to charge the vehicle.

Therefore, this issue is being attacked on two sides: 1) by building multiple charging stations throughout the country and 2) establishing a network of battery swap stations.

The naysayers mention that this technology has multiple flaws including the consumer’s hesitancy to constantly swap out their car batteries which is equivalent to asking the consumer to replace the engine when the car runs out of gas. Furthermore, the numerous swapping of the battery can damage its protective seal. It is also said that this process requires the standardization of batteries: a move the automakers are not likely to embrace.

Better Place mentions these concerns are minimal compared to the “coalition you need to make it happen.” The company believes that the problematic issues are not about the batteries or cars themselves and concedes that bringing together all the moving parts and components proves to be the real challenge in this gigantic project. He hopes to replicate this system in Denmark, Australia, California, Hawaii and other locations. I hope LA is at the top of this list!

Will you be willing to use Agassi’s system? Share with us your thoughts!

How to Make Super Cute Piggy Pancakes

Mari is pretty much a genius when it comes to finding adorable treats that are fairly simple to whip up…or at least she makes it seem that way. Her item of choice today is a splendidly charming piggy pancake, no doubt inspired by our piglet friend, Bao.

The recipe below is direct from Betty Crocker and makes 10 delightful pancakes. Only 25 minutes to prepare. Click the play button below the instructions to watch the how-to video.

Here’s what you’ll need:

2 cups Original Bisquick® mix
1 cup milk
2 eggs
Fresh blueberries, chocolate chips or raisins

Step by Step Instructions:

1. Heat griddle or skillet over medium-high heat or to 375°F. In medium bowl, stir Bisquick mix, milk and eggs until blended.
2. Lightly oil griddle. For each pig face, pour slightly less than 1/4 cup batter onto hot oiled griddle. Pour scant tablespoonful batter onto griddle for snout and another scant tablespoonful for ears.
3. Cook pancakes until edges are dry. Turn; cook until golden.
4. To serve, place large pancakes on individual serving plates. Place 1 small pancake in center of each face for snout; poke 2 holes for nostrils with end of handle of wooden spoon. Cut second small pancake in half for ears; place at top of face.
5. Use blueberries for eyes. Or like the video, use blueberries for snout and chocolate chips for eyes. (LIVINGcute prefers the former over the latter)

High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): No change.

Success Tip:
Flip pancakes only once! Repeated flipping will toughen the pancakes. Pancakes are ready to flip when they’re puffed, covered with bubbles and slightly dry around the edges. Cook the other side until it is golden brown.

Nutrition Information:
1 Piggy Pancake: Calories 120 (Calories from Fat 35); Total Fat 4g (Saturated Fat 1 1/2g, Trans Fat 1g); Cholesterol 25mg; Sodium 310mg; Total Carbohydrate 17g (Dietary Fiber 0g, Sugars 2g); Protein 3g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 0%; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 6%; Iron 4% Exchanges: 1 Starch; 0 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 1/2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 1
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

More info at Betty Crocker’s Website

I Heart You Online – Super Cute Video

A friend of mine sent me this adorable video clip today.  These two super cute sweethearts will, at minimum, put a warm smile on your face.  Okay, so the lyrics may be a bit online-stalker-ish, but the entire cuteness of the little jingle will fade out any creeped out feelings you might get.  The harmonious tunes reminds me of the older Disney songs from heroines like Belle in Beauty and the Beast and Ariel in The Little Mermaid.  These talented young ladies only use a simple ukulele and their crisp, melodious vocals to carry out a tune you’ll be cheerfully humming along all day.

I <3 you online~