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Shop Hop: AC Gears, New York's Import-Gadget Emporium

by Chad Mumm on March 10, 2009 at 12:29 PM


SHOP HOP: In this new series, the Switched Video crew will be touring shops around the country in search of great gadgets and gear. For the first episode, we show up at AC Gears in New York City to sample some of its newer wares:

AC Gears in New York City is one of our favorite shops; this purveyor of gadgets great and small (and outlet for well-known import gear-site Audiocubes.com) stocks its shelves with some of the most stylish, hard-to-find tech you can find, much of it imported from Japan. Store employee Caleb gave our cameras a tour, showing off four of his favorite items in the store, so check out the video.


More info on the items:
  • Xiao: The Xiao Instant Digital Camera ($500) is the modern Polaroid lover's dream camera... not only can it take great digital photos and print them out from its built-in printer, it has a large retro design that keeps the instant camera design heritage intact while still fitting easily into a purse or a bag.
  • Bandai Gun Oclock: The Gun Oclock ($75) lets you channel your inner Annie Oakley every morning--a small target pops up when the alarm goes off, forcing sleepers to shoot it with the included laser pistol in order to shut it off. Once you're fully awake, you can work on your draw with one of its timed game modes.
  • Rubik's Mirror Blocks Cube: If you tire of the simple color-coded puzzling of a traditional Rubik's cube, then the Mirror Blocks Cube ($35) is your answer. It substitutes geometric shapes for the standard colors, upping the ante on your cognitive visualization as you sort through the inevitable jumble of cubes and rectangles in order to solve it. This is the type of game you can picture kids playing with in the distant science-fiction future.
  • Solio Solar Charger: Do you find that short battery life in consumer gadgets is keeping you from enjoying your life more fully? Do you often find yourself stranded miles from an AC outlet? If this sounds like you, you might want to check out the Solio Solar Charger ($100). It couples efficient solar panels with a high capacity battery to store power, features a strong metal shell, and folds to protect itself. It also comes with a stable of adaptors so your device should have no problem getting the juice.
Visit AC Gears on the Web at acgears.com, check out its blog at geddem.com, or stop by in person at 69 E. 8th Street, New York City, NY 10003.

Tags: big in japan, BigInJapan, gifts, japan gadgets, JapanGadgets, retail, shop hop, ShopHop, shopping, switchedvideo, video

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