Here's how to ruin a thing of beauty. Find aPrada phone, one of the mostgorgeous handsetswe've seen, and attach a scruffy miniature teddy bear to it. Worse yet, dress the little sap in some tiny Prada label too, then charge nearly $100 for it.

That pretty much sums up this line of phone straps marketed by the design house, as seen on Chip Chick. And believe it or not, the teddy pictured here actually isn't nearly as hideous as some of the others in the "Mobile Trick Quirinos" line, such as those clad in pink, red, and white.

Why Prada chose to do this, especially after coming out with somelust-worthy accessoriesimmediately after launching its phone, is beyond us. Then again, we've never understood high-end designer labels; the closest we've ever gotten to them is the new arrivals at Ross.

It's a curse of life in the 'burbs: Every year you swear your holiday lights will outshine the rest of the neighborhood, and every year the Joneses humiliate you with something new. No more.

We guarantee that they won't find anything like the "ETree" at Wal-Mart, K-mart, or any other mart in the United States. This bizarre floor lamp, created by designers of U.K.-based Nimble Critters, features 10 branches that can be contorted intowhatever shape you wish, according to Technabob.

You'll pay ahefty pricefor originality, however, as a lamp like the one shown here costs more than $2,000, while a smaller version goes for around$745. But it's a two-fer: Not only will you ace the competition, but you may scare them off for good because they'll think your house has been commandeered by alien cephalopods.

Remember theFake Sun Roof? Now there's a pretend window you can put up on a blank wall too.

Designed by Mongoose, it's a potential solution for overworked, underpaid underlings who complain that they're stuck in a window-less room all day. To create that clever illusion of sunlight, Makoto Hirahara's Bright Blind uses electroluminescent sheets. If the fake sunlight gets a bit too bright, simply adjust the blind down just like the real thing.

According tognr8, these are custom-made and available, though other gadget blogs state that it's still a concept. Whatever the case, it'll be some time before you can lay your sun-deprived hands on one.

The last time we saw a set-up like this, we were trying to figure out how to spellNebuchadnezzarwithout much luck. But this takes the concept behind the "G-Tech Neber" to an entirely new level, out of theclinical categoryand into the living room.

Despite its Pottery Barn-inspired name, the "Maya Single" media apparatus impressively features an architecturally designed chair with strategically positioned 60-watt speakers, subwoofer, and 32- or 26-inch screen perched precariously by a metal arm hanging overhead, all accented with natural wood trim, according to T3. The sound system definitely puts it ahead of the similarly inclined "Alternative Computer Control System" but, for pure technological appointments, it still falls short of the "Aura."

Still, the Maya is one sweet ride. The only major drawback, so far as we can tell, is that it doesn'tfully recline.

This is a sad commentary on the state of modern culture. There was a time when lockets were reserved for photos of loved ones or, in the '70s, perhaps a gram or two of an illicit substance. Now? AUSB drive.

It's obviously not the first time we've seen a memory stick wornaround the neck, but most of those trinkets were the actual drive themselves. There's something about secreting it as a hidden treasure that makes this "Olinari Sterling Silver Dog Tag" particulary perverse, not to mention overpriced at $349 (or $319 without the 2GB Sony Micro Vault). Luxist calls it "the perfect hoiday gift for that hard-to-buy-for, rugged person" (rugged?) but we're reasonably sure we could come up with something better for that kind of money.

Bird in the hand
Now this is what we call a superzoom.Bushnellspecialises in putting together binoculars and digital cameras. Great for twitching -- that's birdwatching to you, chuckles. This 3.2-megapixel model does video, too.

Finding good website templates is tough. Finding good website templates that are standards compliant (or at least trying to be) is even tougher. Here are more than 40 that are CSS based and standards compliant (or at least with a good head-start on being so). The best part is that they’re all free!

The imagination ofIsaac Asimovnotwithstanding, there are countless robots roaming the Earth simply toentertainus, whether byland,seaorair. And when we tire of their efforts, others are ready tocookfor us and evendo the dishes.

But face it, we've all really wanted just one thing ever since we were kids: a pony. That's why this year we're writing to Santa for "Tekno the Robotic Pony," a mechanical friend that moves in every direction by remote control but, more important, responds to being "walked, fed, brushed and played with just like a real pony," according to Gizmodiva. Even more impressive--if not a little weird--it comes with a "Tekno Translator" that "helps you find out exactly what Tekno Pony is thinking."