Emergency Button

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Emergency Button

Shutting down your PC lacks drama don’t you think? It’s just a few clicks of the mouse, nothing exciting. Thankfully the Japanese have a solution. It’s called the Emergency Button.

This device plugs into any USB port and sits quite harmlessly on your desk until you press the front and open the shutters, revealing a big red button. Press this and all hell breaks loose. Well, not really. What actually happens is a video message from one of your “colleagues� appears on screen informing you that your secret base has been attacked by a suicide bomber. Your “base� then goes into lockdown mode. Blast-proof doors (or an animation of blast-proof doors at least) slide down, protecting your PC. And then, er, it shuts down as normal. A bit of an anti-climax really.

Still great fun up to that point. The Emergency Button retails for ¥3,990 (£18). Movies showing it in action are available in QuickTime and Windows Media formats.