The whole virtual pet phenomenon has always been kind of a mystery to me. There was Tamagotchi a few years back, the creepy virtual girlfriend/boyfriend that's of a similar nature, and more recently NintenDogs for the Nintendo DS have all been somewhat popular ways of taking care of something that wasn't actually alive. Is it really that appealing to have to dote on something that you know all too well is just a little gadget? Apparently the craze isn't over yet, as Bandai is releasing a virtual ant farm in Japan. Yeah, a virtual ant farm. Real ant farms don't take that much work, people. You just put ants in there and watch them do their thing. What pleasure can be derived from watching virtual ants build a virtual colony on your desk? Seriously. Well, I guess if the boss has a strict anti-ants policy this is really the best option you have to get your beloved insects in the office, at least virtually. This brilliant and useful piece of technology will be available in Japan come November for about $70. — Adam Frucci

Tokyo Times, via Gizmodo