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Where else would such a device come from? Japan, that’s right, home of plenty of odd gadgets and gizmos.

This device, called the QBox for reasons that are unclear, is aimed straight at the lucrative 12-16 year old paranoid-girls-with-laptops market. It is an update to the old “secret boxes” where one can store jewelry, some pictures, or perhaps other items that mom and dad wouldn’t approve of.

Essentially, the Qbox is a small treasure chest with a USB port ($70). You plug it into a computer, install the software, and then you can open it by typing in the correct password. Unfortunately for those who might prefer to open their secrets in silence, opening the box makes a piercing musicbox-like theme play and colorful lights to spin around. Like the name, the reason for such inclusions is unclear, but I think it might have been intended to inform a sleeping teen that her Qbox had been compromised.

The idea is neat, kind of, but the potential exceeds the execution. The next version will include the ability to record your own music, an excellent idea. But what about an option to turn off the lights and sound (to avoid waking the parents every time you open it)? Better yet, have it send an email each time it’s opened, or keep an audit log.

With new technologies like RFID and wireless internet access, there are plenty of new ideas for toys to experiment with- and we’d love to hear about any interesting toys by email or in the comments!