There are devices like Apple’s Airport Express that can be used to stream music wirelessly from your computer to your sound system, but what about other devices that aren’t fitted with a WiFi transmitter such as your MP3 player or TV? That’s where these matchbox-sized i2! Stream Wireless Audio Transmitter Cables come in handy.

Being able to stream audio between any two devices with a standard 3.5mm audio jack, you could use these Wireless Audio Transmitters to retrofit a favorite pair of wired headphones with the convenience of wireless technology.

Simply hook up the receiver to your headphones and the transmitter to a sound source and you can listen to the TV or play your favorite tunes in bed, completely untethered and without disturbing your partner. During the day, you could also use the them to wirelessly hook up your iPod to your sound system, or according to Thanko (who stock them in Japan) the Wireless Audio Cables can also be used to stream your tracks to up to 5 mates – as long as they each have a receiver (and set of earphones) of their own.

These i2 Stream Wireless Audio Transmitters charge over USB, getting around 7 hours of audio streaming from a 7 hour charge and the kit includes a pair of USB cables, 2 pairs of audio cables, 2 lanyards, 2 belt clips and are available now over at Hammacher Schlemmer for $119.95.

Sources:
Hammacher Schlemmer and Thanko Japan

We’ve seen spy gadgets from Thanko before, but nothing quite like this. Called the Button Spy Camera, it includes “a golden ring” that allows you to control the camera subtly from a distance, lessening your chances of getting caught.

The control ring can handle on, off, record, stop and shutter functions while the pin-hole camera itself saves all your images and video to its 4GB of built-in memory.

Just how the ring works and the distance it will operate from are a mystery, but at $96 | £62, the Button Spy Camera looks like a Bond gadget I think we’d all like to experiment with.

Sources:
Brando via CrunchGear

Thanko Japan have just released a new multifunction cooling pad for netbook users called the CoolPad, that cleverly incorporates a 2.5-inch SATA HDD slot and a 3-port USB hub. The pad, which is really more like a dock or a “mini-notebook PC station”, gives you a bit more flexibility when working with a pared-down netbook and keeps things cool when you’re over-working the CPU.

The built-in SATA HDD slot enables you to easily hook up another hard drive for extra storage space and the additional three USB ports will help accommodate all your iGadgets, cameras or pocket HD camcorders all demanding connectivity.

The CoolPad looks as though it will not be a Japan-only release, as it will apparently be offered through GeekStuff4U.com from December 24th. Thanko has it listed at a bargain price of just ¥2,480 ($27.50), so we can probably expect something around that…plus exorbitant delivery for 225g direct from Japan.

Sources:
Thanko Japan (Translated) via Akihabara

Thanko Japan have put out yet another spy watch for all you keen voyeurs out there, this time including a very conspicuous view-screen to help you capture better spy pics and movies. Called the MP4 Watch, this timepiece-cum-camcorder lacks the more covert styling we saw in their 4GB Camcorder Watch last week, but makes up for it in added functionality.

Its 1.8-inch (160 x 128 pixel) LCD display will tell the time and date as you’d expect, plus help you line-up your shots which are stored on its 4GB memory.

The MP4’s camera rests on the top edge, so positioning it for recording may result in more obvious stances than a dial-mounted cam – but you can’t have everything, I guess. It includes a mini-USB port on its side for transferring data, supports AVI, MP3, WMA and JPG file formats and is currently out of stock – but will be available again in mid-January for a not-too-unreasonable ¥14,800 ($164) over at Thanko Japan.

Sources:
Thanko Japan (Translated) and DVICE

I wonder if MI6 is affected by budget cuts and economic downturns? If so, they might want to look into this Video Camera Watch at Thanko Japan. This budget watch packs a compact video camera capable of recording AVI video at 352 x 288 resolution through a tiny, inconspicuous, pinhole lens mounted on the dial.

The built-in 4GB of memory should get you a couple of hours of super-secret filming while people around you notice your tacky, diamante-studded, synthetic-strapped timepiece and seriously question your taste. If this is a non-issue, head on over to Thanko Japan where you can pick one up for ¥13,800 ($150).

* Apparently it will only work on XP and Vista, so everyone else will just have to make do with a Super-Secret Spy Lens.

Sources:
Thanko Japan (Translated) via Akihabara

An interesting new earphone set from Thanko Japan aims to make listening to your music on-the-go easier, with a novel magnetic clasp that attaches to your earlobe. The earphones direct sound into the ear while allowing external sound to be heard, lessening your chances of being flattened by a bus as you cross the road.

The downside to this design is that a lot of sound is bound to escape, making them less than ideal when on the aforementioned bus or in quiet places like libraries. The earphones are designed to look like earrings and come in six different styles including a skull and crossbones. Aye Mateys.

Some models come with a microphone on the cord so you can use it for making Skype calls and will set you back around $18.

Sources:
Thanko Japan (translated) via Gizmodo