The Buzz: Tools, Trends, and Gizmos

Monopoly has spun off multiple editions dedicated to cities and sports franchises, not to mention all the niche topics known to man—from cat lovers to Nascar. Now, the classic board game can really be tailored to your interests—using your photos. With Photo-opoly, simply add your pics to the game’s standard real estate spots. A photo-cutting guide and all the regular playing pieces are included. $30. Photojojo.com.

In an effort to make hardcore topics like calculus and statistics more palatable, No Starch Press has produced a series of technical guides in manga form. The latest volume, The Manga Guide to Electricity, features the teenage Rereko, who, with the help of kindly tutor Hikaru, explores all things electrical, from flashlights and circuit breakers to the concepts of resistance and Ohm’s law. Coproduced by Japanese publisher Ohmsha with guidance by technical experts, the series features upcoming volumes on physics, calculus, and molecular biology. 224 pp. $19.95. nostarchcom/manga.

Downgrade Your iPhone

It’s a high-concept product—as in one that’ll have you seriously pondering why anyone would need this. But here goes. ZweiPhone is a collection of stickers emblazoned with funky, old mobile designs that you slap onto the back of your iPhone. So uncool that it’s cool, I suppose. A set of 14 stickers ($1 each) available as posters, too, includes such classic designs as the Ericsson T28 and the Nokia 5190 (what a chunker). www.zweiphone.com.

This Jam Jacket case from DLO lets two-fisted gamers really go to town on the second generation iPod Touch. The Jam Jacket Game features ergonomic silicone handles for optimal comfort while holding the device horizontally. Openings allow access to all controls and the dock connector and a removable wrist strap is included. A clear Surface Shield screen protector adds another layer of protection. $20. dlo.com.

Cluetrain Manifesto at 10

My, time sure flies at the intersection of the Web and the rest of life. So goes the legacy of The Cluetrain Manifesto, the influential 1999 publication that cast a plan for a new, bold hyperconnected world. An anniversary project, cluetrainplus10, had bloggers posting on each of the 95 theses set forth in the book. They include Michael Stephens on “Hyperlinked Libraries” and Lauren Pressley’s “The Metaphysical Construct.” 

For innovation in printing, here’s to Snapily. The online print store offers customizable greeting cards that morph from one image into another, sort of like a flipbook. The process, also available for making business cards, invitations, and notebooks, is based on lenticular technology, which interlaces images within a plastic substrate for a 3D motion effect. Templates may not be to all tastes. www.snapily.com.