New gadget from Japan hailed as ghost detector

The Japanese company that launched popular computer data storage units shaped like rubber ducks and sushi started selling a new product today – a ghost detector.

SolidAlliance’s portable GhostRadar beeps and flashes red lights in response to unusual magnetic waves. It also reacts to body heat and perspiration detected by a sensor where users place their thumbs.

The gadgets went on sale today in Japan and the first shipments to the US are on their way, said SolidAlliance Vice President Yuichiro Saito.

GhostRadar is a novelty item that comes attached to USB memory storage device, which holds data such as documents, digital photos and MP3 music files and plugs into a computer’s USB port.

Its memory ranges from 128-512 megabytes.

The device’s memory and ghost detector functions are not linked, Saito said.

GhostRadar is recommended for spooky late nights alone at your computer, and for those curious about finding out if their sudden chills represent a supernatural visitor, Saito said.

The device may beep as often as once an hour in a place that’s haunted, but might fall silent in other spots, Saito said. He wouldn’t elaborate on how it worked.

"This detects invisible phenomena and so the system is confidential," he said. "This is not a game. This is a measuring device."

The company’s other USB memory offerings have been hits in Japan.

The Sushi Disk comes with replicas of various types of the Japanese delicacy, including shrimp and raw tuna. The i-Duck storage unit includes a colourful glowing duck.

In Japan, GhostRadar costs about twice as much as a regular memory storage unit at 19,800 yen (€142) for 512 megabytes, according to Yokohama-based SolidAlliance.