Mr. Knocky: I Don’t Wanna Work, I Just Wanna Bang on the Drum All Day

Japan is home to all sorts of brilliant things. Chock up another one courtesy of Mr. Knocky. This silly invention is a remote-controlled drummer, and looks like a ton of fun – for at least an afternoon.

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I have no idea why there’s a “Parental Advisory” logo above, unless you start to swear because he’s only available in Japan so far. The way Mr. Knocky works is by shaking or pressing his remote triggers to make his left or right appendage hit tiny percussive instruments. You can also use him with other drumming surfaces like Pringles cans. Just watch the videos below to see what you’re missing without a Mr. Knocky on your desktop:

Awesome, no? What are you waiting for? Just hop in a plane and head to Japan so you can get a Mr. Knocky now! Or maybe you’ll be lucky and somebody will start importing these things. For now, check out Rakuten for more on Mr. Knocky. As the ad says: “Let’s Knock and Roll!”

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Cardboard Robots: Paper Beats Metal

I’ve seen my share of sci-fi movies and I know how giant robots can be pretty imposing. But these robots made from cut cardboard look like they couldn’t really do any damage – even the deadly, but tragically-flawed ED-209 from Robocop.

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These awesome little cardboard robots were made by Etsy artist Cardboard Myth, and they’re the perfect thing for your desktop toy collection, don’cha think? I sure do. In addition to ED-209, you can find a Gundam-style mech, as well as a couple of totally original creations.

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What’s really impressive about these robots is that they all offer articulated limbs, so you can position them like plastic action figures.

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Just be careful not to get them wet, and definitely keep them away from open flames. Paper robots hate fire.

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You can start building your own cardboard robot army over at Cardboard Myth’s Etsy shop, where these each sell for about $34(USD).