Gearlog: Blooming Bidet: The Mercedes of Butt Washers

I'd be lying if I said that the idea of a bidet didn't make me cringe slightly--but honestly, the idea of a nice, warm jet of water does seem more sanitary than a piece of one-ply toilet tissue. In Japan, it seems, folks can't get enough of their butt streams, a market that NCM's Blooming Bidet is eager to capture.

I'm not quite sure where the whole blooming part of the process comes in, even after reading all the specs--and I think I might be better off leaving it in the realm of mystery. Still, despite the fact I'm less than an expert in the world of bidets, NCM's entry seems fairly tricked out: It offers an LED light, a three-way power saving system, a dual seat sensor, a remote control, an oscillating wash, a massage feature, nozzle-position adjustment, five levels according to personal preferences, a seat warmer, a warm air dryer, deodorization, a self-cleaning nozzle, and a whole slew of other features.

Toss in an FM tuner and some video capabilities, and this thing beats my iPod hands down.

The Blooming Bidet will be on display to the public with a number of other wacky Korean gadgets at New York's Koreannovation show on May 14th and 15th.