Most people go to fortune tellers to hear good news. (Quick fact: fortune telling is actually a class B misdemeanor in the state of New York.) And most fortune tellers focus on the good to keep people coming back. Not so with the Swami Crystal ball. Encased in plastic, atop a footed stand, this swami is sarcastic and a bit sinister. The ball lights up, his head, eyes, and mouth move and he lets out peals of mad laughter. He bears a striking resemblance to an undead Robert Smith.

Activate the swami by touching the globe or pressing a button, but prepare to be snarked at. The whole thing measures about 17 by 12 inches, and will cost you a whopping $59.98 from Halloweenonly.com. And that doesn't include the required 4 AA or DC adapter.

Want more spooky and less snarky? Give the GhostRadar a go. This gadget will help you find "ghosts, spirits, and other entities." The battery-powered device has three energy sensors, a bio-feedback sensor, a clock timer, sixteen lights, power and mode buttons, a beeper and a UV LED. You can also use the thing as a USB storage device (128GB-2GB)--the USB cable is included. Pricing starts at 33 bucks. Educational discounts available. Cool!

The GhostRadar's sensors track changes in electro-magnetic turbulence, heat, light, and biometrics, which may indicate an apparition is nearby. Then it uses complex algorithms (is there any other kind?) to analyze the data it picks up from the lunar cycle, your skin (creepy!) and other energies, to find ghosts. When it detects a presence, its beep rate changes as well as the pattern of its light array, so you can assess position, movement and danger. Egads! I don't think I'll be using this thing. I mean I don't really believe in ghosts, but I have seen things I can't explain and I'd rather not confirm their existence.

By the way, if you think this is all hooey, GhostRadar has this to say:

"GhostRadar does not guarantee to detect ghosts, nor does it imply that they exist. But it might, and they may."

Ever played with a Ouija board? I know I tried them out at many a sleepover and never believed that the thing moved on its own. Apparently, if no one is willfully moving it, but it still moves around the board, that can be attributed to the ideomotor effect. This psychological phenomenom refers to when a person makes motions subconsiously, but believes that paranormal forces are behind it.

Related Links:
Scarelog: Misty Bowls and Blinking Eyes
Scarelog: Find the Graves of Famous Dead People!
Scarelog: Extremely Eerie Makeover, Haunted House Edition
Scarelog: Happy Halloween, Cubed Style
Scarelog: Creepy, Crawly, Slithery Toys
Scarelog: Spooky Skeletal Delights
Scarelog: Time to Be Scared!
Scarelog: Make Your Own LED Throwie Rat
Scarelog: Freak Out Your Friends and Coworkers, Remotely
Welcome to Scarelog: The Thirteen Days of Halloween

Images of Ghosts captures by the Ghost Radar