Today at Boing Boing Gadgets, we were Infomercia, a sinister consumer paradise ruled by Minimac, the Ministry of Machines. A fun fiction-based blogsperiment that continues Wednesday, we turned the day's real-life gadget news into the propaganda missives from an alternate Earth—until someone came along to put a spanner in the works.
At 6 a.m. on the dot, shoppers awoke to the reveille, and the ministry embarked on another "normal" day. Minister Inspiron Touchpreaux urged a stinky ethernet-equipped deodorant dock on you, awarded the Tomy Robo-Q toy robot a staggering 18 puppies out of 20, and pitied those who recycle carboard boxes.
Minister Thank Brando saw Lord British off to space, upgraded your stereo to the TW-Acustic Raven record player, and reported that Inflatable Puncture-Proof Pegasus Pleasure Plates are coming soon! Minister Cray Pippin Wang saw the Sony-Ericsson XPERIA X1 unboxed by the enemy and denied that hi-res photos of the new MacBook were a leak.
The workings of the ministry were rudely interrupted by a mysterious glitch in the system containing a secret message. Undeterred, the ministers hailed Motorola's Krave cell phone; a bizarre bloggin robot; the Olo iPhone companion; and even found time to bring the makers of unauthorized Tetris costumes to justice.
At midday, however, the interloper, a time-traveler by the name of Marvin, announced himself, cracking Minimac's system and opening comments. Minister Pippin Wang hurried to respond with a heartfelt letter to the citizenry. News of a ban on GPS in Egypt and another huggable Elmo doll were no use. Minimac's ministers found themselves disengaged from the propaganda machine and Marvin finally revealed his revolutionary colors.
The story continues Wednesday, when we'll find out what the three ministers make of their new-found freedom–and of their strange visitor.
