During these down days of winter (yes it’s snowing again!), coming home to a dark and cold apartment, there’s nothing like a cozy fireplace to cheer up the room and make you feel all warm inside. But what if you don’t have a fireplace?

This new device from a Japanese company just showed up on Engadget.com, a great site if you’re looking for the new, the loopy or the latest. This recent entry caught my eye, because sometimes it’s hard to find an apartment with a fireplace. And it's always hard to find a heater with a big personality!

So, if you really want a fireplace, get a look-alike! Just plug this puppy  in and an LCD screen approximates a log burning away and warming up the ambience. And the heater part will actually warm up the room.

What do you think? Loopy or cool enough to pull up a chair and read a book? Engadget definitely has an opinion - "chintzy." I think it's hilarious!