By Andrew Liszewski

Before Rock Band, banging on pots and pans was the closest thing wanna-be drummers got to being a rock star. So these MIX STIX from Fred seem like such a logical synergy that you have to wonder why no one made the connection before. It’s a simple set of wooden spoons, perfect for whipping up your world-famous pasta sauce, but flip them around and you’ve got a bona-fide set of drumsticks for Gene Krupa-ing your way through the cupboards. Designed by Ignacio Pilotto & Jason Amendolara, the MIX STIX should be hitting the shelves of your local Urban Outfitters sometime this Fall.

[ MIX STIX ]

What’s a sure-fire way to stimulate sales on an aging product? Produce it in new colors of course. And that’s just what Nintendo is going to do starting this summer with the Wii and DSi.

The black Wii will be available on August 1st with like-color Wiimote, nunchuck, and classic controller. Also, expect the red DSi on July 11. Just like almost everything else Nintendo, these will be Japan-only for a while, but it’s probably a safe bet that both will be released here in the States before the holiday shopping season.