Holiday gift roundup: 6 wacky special editions from around the world

Every year, especially around the holidays, manufacturers introduce attention-grabbing special editions. Here's a round-up of some of those, along with a few complimentary products from specialty shops designed to please niche markets. Some are available only in Japan or England, but for hardcore fanatics, that just enhances their, uh, allure.

Rainbow bright
The Pentax's K-r SLR (pictured at right) got a colorful redesign for the holidays. The bright, limited-edition, tri-color version—complete with robot head—is available in Japan, according to Engadget, which reports that the specs will be the same as the original, and it will come with a 35mm prime lens with a wide F2.4 aperture for about $1,187, or 99,800 yen. You'll probably have to go to Japan for this one or have a friend ship it over, which will add to the cost. The K-r wasn't reviewed in our latest Ratings (available to subscribers), but other Pentax SLRs, such as the K-7, and the K-x, performed well.

Photo: Motorola

These are not the droids you're looking for
The Motorola Droid 2 for Verizon is one of our top performing smart phones, and now it comes dressed up as R2-D2. Droid 2s have a touchscreen display and full PDA capabilities that allow you to create and edit spreadsheets and text documents, Bluetooth support for wireless hands-free communication, a 5-megapixel camera, and a music player. This version comes in a custom box resembling carbonite and features R2-D2 notification sounds and ringtones and a "binoculars" app, according to the press release.

Photo: TomTom

Let the force be your guide
You knew there'd be more than one Star Wars product. TomTom GPS navigation devices are now available with Star Wars branding, and for $12.95 you can download the voices of four Star Wars characters to any TomTom device: Take directions from the dark side, Darth Vader, or pick a wise Jedi, Yoda naturally. Han Solo and C3PO are also available. For more information and to see a video of TomTom recording Darth Vader's voice, see our previous coverage.

Photo: Engadget

Live in your world, play in Bravia's
This 22-inch Sony Bravia LCD TV has a built-in PlayStation 2 base, so you can play your classic (i.e., old) video games. The PS2 can also play DVDs, of course, and the TV can play video from Sony's Bravia service over Ethernet and can be outfitted for wireless. It's only available in the U.K. for now, where it goes for about £200, or about $315. The 22-inch Bravia LCD from our latest Ratings had a good overall picture and was nicely priced compared to other name-brand competitors. (via Engadget)

Photo: DVICE

Old School
With Tron: Legacy out this holiday season, this limited-edition Tron-style motorcycle helmet, from the French designer Ruby, appeals to nostalgia. They'll be available in January 2011 to coincide with the French release of the film for about, according to DVICE.

Photo: Universal Designs

New School
If retro isn't your style, Universal Designs has a leather Motorcycle suit replica of those in the upcoming Tron: Legacy. It's available in men's (Sam Flynn) and women's (Quorra) versions and costs about $900 to $1000, and is available as separates. The company also makes replica motorcycle suits of Wolverine from X-Men II (pictured), Batman from Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, and Iron Man.

If any other odd special-edition tech products have grabbed your attention, let us know. We love this stuff.

Pentax K-r receives a rainbow paintjob, 35mm prime lens for limited edition kit [Engadget]
May the DROID be With You: Limited Edition DROID™ R2-D2™ by Motorola Lands on Verizon Wireless' Network [Motorola]
Sony Bravia KDL-22PX300 LCD makes room for a PS2, your classic game [Engadget]
Tron helmet transforms your scooter into a real world lightcycle [DVICE]

—Kevin McCarthy