It’s an actual expensive toy - a €249 fidget car - released by a company famous for producing expensive toy-like musical devices.<p>I guess overpriced products like this are good at generating social media buzz and anchoring the brand as more prestigious. Not much different from gold apple watches or overpriced mac pro wheels. It’s basically free marketing.
Teenage Engineering has reached peak Teenage Engineering. Not that it's a bad thing. Gotta respect the fact that they've got such a strong brand they can just put out a pure collectible / art piece.<p>And that thing looks like it's built to last a 1000 years.
Detractors don't see the need for this. But they already put out two other toys to be used as race tracks for these:<p><a href="https://teenage.engineering/products/tp-7/" rel="nofollow">https://teenage.engineering/products/tp-7/</a><p><a href="https://teenage.engineering/products/po-80" rel="nofollow">https://teenage.engineering/products/po-80</a>
Out of curiosity, can this geometry be used for building electric cargo bikes/trikes. I'm always on the lookout for geometry that gives the same tilting gravitational forces as a bicycle but with the ability to be stable when stopped, and this looks promising.
Found a video <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEwcCsT6AHg" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEwcCsT6AHg</a><p>It a lot bigger than what I imagined. Looking at those picture I thought its size of a keyring.
WTF is this thing? That's just about what I think with every teenage engineering product. Some of their others have been something I'd actually buy were the price affordable, this one on the other hand is just a big WTF. I had to double check that it's not Αpril 1st.
I seriously thought these were to hold in your hands and be able to "skate" in a prone position... (I wasnt thinking about the feet) -- but I was disappointed when I didnt find a video of some dorks in the 'burbs having an extreme summer with grip-carz
I have a feeling TE realised ages ago that as long as they design something well and provide a hip marketing page for it, they can sell everything. Borderline trolling by now.<p>One can admire their consistency: started with overpriced toys and continue with overpriced toys.
I see all the comments on this thread show as being only a few hours old at most, but they were posted several days ago. Not sure what's happening.
Sadly, this in sort of on brand… but it is symptomatic of the infantilisation of society , which is all good except for the fact that it strips them of their agency and makes them ideal tools for the select few. Oh, and infantile parents also create terrible, unhappy, disturbed children, so there’s that.<p>Welcome to the prestige fidget spinner society.<p>Sigh.
Imagine archeologists in 1000 years unearthing one of those and trying to figure out its purpose or cultural meaning… (and no, your data won’t survive)
This is depressing and infantile, honestly. At least before TE maintained a veneer of being related to creative activity. Now they really are a toy company for rich hipsters