By Chris Scott Barr

Have you ever been listening to music outside, only to find that other people are leeching off of your speakers by listening from afar? You can easily thwart these audio thieves with the cunning use of headphones, but what about when you’re watching TV? Sure, you could watch it inside and draw the curtains, but that’s no fun. No, what you need is a way to block your screen so that no one else has the chance to catch a glimpse of the video you worked so hard to be able to watch.

The TV Hat is an amazing product that takes video watching to a whole new level. At first glance it simply looks like a really stupid baseball cap. Closer inspection will reveal that your first impression was spot-on. Basically, this ridiculous thing will hold your iPod (or any other small device with a screen), so that you can watch it in private. Oddly enough the flaps aren’t there to block people from seeing your screen. Rather, it keeps you from seeing just how many people are pointing at you. This fashion statement can be yours for just $30.

[ ThingsYouNeverKnew ] VIA [ GearFuse ]

Product photography is an art form. It must appeal to the senses, tickle one’s fancy, instill a sense of urgency – I NEED IT! Take this Arcade Putting Pro game, available at JCPenney.com on clearance for $30.

The golf balls are MOVING! You can tell because of the whooooosh lines. The father is EXCITED! His son is about to sink a putt! He may also be excited because he bears an uncanny resemblance to Adam Sandler’s friend Peter Dante.

But something strange is afoot. Peter Dante looks excited, yet apprehensive, as if something off camera is about to happen. Something BAD! “My son is about to sink this putt but OH MY GOD THAT MAN-EATING TIGER THAT ESCAPED FROM THE ZOO IS COMING RIGHT AT US!”

The kid, meanwhile, seems to be looking right at the director.

“Don’t look at the camera, Carl, look at me. Okay back straight, shoulders square aaaaand… putt. There you go. Man, that turquoise shirt is showing up great on camera. Turquoise is 2010’s color of the year, mind you.”

“Okay guys, let’s break for lunch,” announces the director. “Dad, I’m going to need you to stick around, Carl you’re all done for the day. Nice work. Everyone else, let’s get set up for the second product shot. This next one will be used for Amazon’s product page and I’m gonna need Randy and Beverly in here. Randy, same story as Carl but look straight down. Beverly, I need to you scream as you notice the tiger charging at you. Dad, you’re going to be wearing a non-identifying red baseball cap, a ringer tee, and I want you to look directly at me as though you’ve been huffing glue while riding the city bus all morning. Perfect.”

And that’s the story behind the Arcade Putting Pro product photos. As for the product itself, a JC Penny customer says:

“Purchased game to use at a fall festival. Set up at my house for a trial by adults, no children. Game started falling apart within 5 minutes. The plastic screws that connect the main part of the game to the mat would not stay in. Used the 2 replacements sent; same thing happened. The folding plastic brace that lifts the main part of the game fell off continuously. I used metal screws to reinforce so that I can hopefully get some use from it.. Very poorly made- not worth the price.”

So there you have it. An otherwise poor-quality product that’s been saved by exceptional marketing photos.

Clearance! Arcade Putting Pro [JC Penney via dealnews]

By Andrew Liszewski

You know what I like most about this wifi-detecting baseball cap that’s powered by a couple of CR2032 batteries and displays the strength of any 802.11b or g networks in your vicinity? The fact that it’s pretty much completely useless to the person actually wearing it! I mean the whole point of a wifi detector is so you can find an available hotspot and get yourself some free wireless internet, but unless you’re taking this thing off every 5 minutes to check the light-up panel on the front, you’ll be oblivious as to when you actually find a network. At least it’s just $21 from Thumbs Up.

[ Thumbs Up Wifi Cap ]