Martha Stewart wannabes looking to bring life to the smallest room in the home now have the chance — with a toilet that doubles as an aquarium.
The aptly named Fish 'n Flush is a see-through aquarium wrapping itself around a conventional toilet tank.
"We wanted to develop a product that had a dual purpose — to serve as a proper, fully functional toilet and also as a source of entertainment and conversation," said Devon Niccole, marketing director of California-based designer AquaOne Technologies, which has just started to selling the tank.
He said the company, which specializes in water conservation equipment for homes, had worked with a marine biologist to design a tank that ensured the fish were not harmed when the toilet was flushed.
The aquarium toilet tank, which sells for $299, fits most commodes, with the 2.2-gallon aquarium piece able to be easily removed for cleaning. The toilet tank itself holds 2.5 gallons, which gives sufficient pressure for flushing.
"Some people think we're nuts, but others just love it and parents are using it to help their children with potty training," said Niccole.
We also think it may encourage family members to close the toilet lid. Otherwise Kitty may be going for a disgusting swim.
Not-so bad ideas
- Portable porn? A Taiwanese company has unveiled a set of video-display goggles that turns film viewing into a private affair, and the firm used the world's biggest adult-entertainment convention as the product's launch pad.
According the Web site All Headline News, the video glasses are seen as a boon for sex-film lovers as they offer high degree of privacy with their internal screen and audio through an ear piece. The glasses were demonstrated at the AVN Adult Entertainment Expo in Las Vegas this week, shortly after their unveiling at the Consumer Electronics Show a short distance away. "Imagine, you can take your porn all over the place -- in a plane or a train, but not in the car unless you are the passenger," said Victor Quitoriano of Body Care Resort, the California-based U.S. distributor of the $349 device. Note to airline attendants: If you see someone wearing this thing, be prepared for numerous seat-change requests.
- They say one man's trash is another man's treasure, but no one was expecting this.
An unlikely top seller has emerged in a new line of official New York City apparel — not from the fire and police departments that have long enjoyed the spotlight, but rather from the agency that moves mountains of trash every day.A fashionably grungy brown cap with the Sanitation Department's light blue logo is the new must-have item since the city launched the products last year. The collection is part of Mayor Michael Bloomberg's goal to profit from the city's official landmarks and logos."I'd wear that," said Tam Smail, a 33-year-old tourist from Edinburgh, Scotland, who tried on the cap while browsing for souvenirs at a Times Square shop. "It's a very popular look right now. You see it everywhere."Besides the Sanitation cap, which is being sold at Target stores nationwide, the trash department's line features T-shirts with a similar hipster aesthetic. NYPD and FDNY gear are still selling strong, according to Lloyd Haymes, vice president of licensing for NYC Marketing, the city agency behind the effort.But he said new apparel, like the gently frayed Sanitation cap and faded T-shirts with old-fashioned taxicabs across the chest, tap into a different consumer base that seems to be drawn to a more subtle, "authentic New York.""There's a chance to make it this underground style brand, kind of like, 'You don't know how cool Sanitation is, but I do,"' Haymes said.We think they should broaden the fashion line and call it the Garbage Collection.