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Around The Home
Dual chamber Eco Kettle boils only what you need
By Karen Sprey
01:04 June 30, 2009 PDT
Do you boil only enough water for your cup of coffee or tea or are you the person who can’t resist keeping the kettle filled to the top? The Eco Kettle caters to everyone. It features a central reservoir that you can keep filled to the brim and a central valve button in the lid that releases only the amount you need into its boiling chamber, from one to eight cups - saving electricity, time and even water. Read More
illumi-knob helps you find doors in the dark
00:56 June 24, 2009 PDT
If you’ve ever stumbled around a room at night trying to find the door, the illumi-knob will strike you as simply brilliant. Designed to fit over most door handles, the device uses a passive infra-red sensor to detect any movement within 10 feet and then turn on two gentle LED light rings. It’s not bright enough to wake anyone, but more than enough to get you safely to - and through - the door. Read More
Dulux BackPack Roller System twice as fast as a conventional brush
By Karen Sprey
02:34 June 23, 2009 PDT
There’s no doubt a lick of paint improves the appearance of your house, but when it comes to actually doing, it's a chore most of us would prefer to avoid. Dulux hopes to make the job cleaner, easier and faster with the new Weathershield BackPack Roller system. Once you've attached the power unit to the paint pack you just drop it into the ergonomically designed rucksack, switch it on and you’re ready to go – no more paint trays, spills or running up and down ladders to reload the brush. And Dulux says you'll get the job done twice as fast. Read More
StudioDesk: a neat solution for desktop clutter
By Jude Garvey
02:04 June 19, 2009 PDT
Not a week goes by without a slicker, faster or more versatile laptop hitting the market, but until wireless power takes off, we're still stuck with the problem of cords and peripherals cluttering up our workspace. The simple but effective StudioDesk from Bluelounge may be the answer. It hides adaptors, hubs, cords and other odds and ends beneath the desk top, leaving you with a clean look and plenty of room to spread yourself out. Read More
Offi Paket – the dining set that doesn't eat into the room
By Jude Garvey
17:59 June 17, 2009 PDT
Just because you live in a small apartment, doesn’t mean you have to compromise on style. Here’s a smart design idea that will transform a small space into a funky dining area in no time at all. The Offi Paket table and chairs quickly unpack from a uniform tower into a colorful dining set. Read More
Electrolux Rendez-Vous: the kitchen table becomes the table kitchen
06:12 May 27, 2009 PDT
Sharing food with family and friends around the dining table is a universal recipe for a good time, unless of course you're stuck in the kitchen cooking. Electrolux Global Design has come up with a way for everyone to be included in the celebrations with the Rendez-Vous - a concept interactive table with a very high-tech kitchen built-in, and it will even charge your mobile phone. Read More
iTalk voice-controlled alarm clock
By David Greig
00:21 May 27, 2009 PDT
If you're the type of individual who is too dead-dog tired to reach over to turn off the alarm, just couldn't be stuffed or who might enjoy the companionship – or convenience – of talking to an obedient alarm clock, then the iTalk from Neutrano may be what you're looking for. The iTalk is among the first household appliances to use TimeSet Voice technology that Neutrano claims can understand any English-speaking voice – although we're not sure how well it understands the morning slur after that big night out. Read More
Philips brightens up the home with a range of LED-lit decor
By David Greig
01:39 May 23, 2009 PDT
Domestic bliss can get a tad dull from time to time – but you have to hand it to Dutch electronics giant Philips for trying to brighten the home front up with its range of LED-illuminated home accessories. The products include a vase, wine cooler, coasters and platter and have been designed so as to be used in various combinations to create different moods around the home. Read More
Go With the Flo: the transcendental toilet
20:58 May 19, 2009 PDT
"Men are never so serious, thoughtful, and intent, as when they are at stool." We wonder whether this quote from Gulliver's Travels influenced the thinking behind Go With the Flo - a self-sustaining toilet concept from students at ASU College of Design that calls on yoga principles in its quest to define the lavatory of the future. Read More
Alkeo ultra-violet cutting board
By David Greig
18:55 May 18, 2009 PDT
One quick way of coming down with a bout of food poisoning is by transferring bacteria and viruses from one food source to another – raw meats are a good example where contamination can occur. A cursory wipe with a cloth, or even a wash in hot soapy water, is unlikely to remove all the bacteria. The Alkeo from Joe Brussel is a self-sanitizing cutting board design that aims to improve food preparation safety by incorporating a medical-grade, germicidal UV lamp to destroy any nasty bugs. Read More
Demy digital recipe reader puts a world of dishes at your fingertips
By Darren Quick
17:34 May 18, 2009 PDT
Looks like the Key Ingredient Corporation is looking to be to recipes what Apple is to music. Instead of iTunes, it has the keyingredient.com website that lets people either share recipes publicly or store them privately and, instead of an iPod, it has the Demy – a digital recipe reader – with 7-inch touchscreen and "kitchen safe" casing – that syncs with your online Key Ingredient account. Read More
Make espresso on the go with the mypressi TWIST portable brewer
By Gizmag Team
01:28 May 15, 2009 PDT
Your life is stressful enough without having to wonder where your next shot of espresso is coming from. One sure-fire solution is to take it with you, and that's where the mypressi TWIST espresso maker from Espressi Inc. comes in. The portable device uses a unique pneumatic system that operates on common compressed gas cartridges and requires no external power so you can enjoy a fresh pull of go juice wherever you can find hot water. Read More
The NotHot Wine and champagne glass cooler
By Mike Hanlon
20:00 May 12, 2009 PDT
Chugging warm champagne or wine on a hot day can get you in all manner of trouble, and indeed, in the immortal words of Dorothy Parker, perhaps more – and delicate wine glasses don't withstand high ambient temperatures for long. Can and bottle insulators have now been around for decades, but when we saw the designer NotHot wine and champagne glass insulators we couldn't help but see all manner of new and more upmarket promotional possibilities. NotHot will create custom printed designs in nine different colours, enabling you to give your outdoor wedding, party or corporate event a unique and memorable take-away item that will go on working forever. There's even a lanyard available so you can hang your glass around your neck! Read More
Century-old French cabinet expected to fetch USD $1.5 million
By Mike Hanlon
19:46 May 11, 2009 PDT
An extraordinary cabinet described as the equivalent of the Cullinan diamond for French furniture will go under the hammer next month. First exhibited at the Salon du Mobilier in Paris in 1908 , the cabinet was made by the great French furniture maker Francois Linke, a leading light of the makers of French meubles de luxe in Paris during the Belle Epoque. Read More
A lamp that reads your mind…maybe
By Jude Garvey
16:48 April 29, 2009 PDT
A Princeton University research team claims that the Psyleron Mind Lamp changes color due to the power of the human mind. According to researchers, "electron tunneling" causes the lamp to move from deep shades of white, red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, purple, and magenta. The powerful LEDs within the lamp help to ensure that the lamp glows brightly even in a lit room. Read More
Shfud for thought
By Paul Best
21:59 April 26, 2009 PDT
If you can’t cook, it’s still possible to do it in style with a set of these kitchen utensil designs, called Shfud (pronounced sh-food). According to the designers Shfud is “about creating new motions in the kitchen that will inspire new ways of preparing food and a new generation of chefs”. The Shfud designs consist of a chopping ball, cutting blade and grater. Read More
Husqvarna's autonomous Automower 260 ACX calls for help via SMS
By Mike Hanlon
04:51 April 24, 2009 PDT
Homeowners with lawns 6000 m² or more spend more than 120 hours every year mowing lawns according to Husqvarna, the world's largest lawnmower manufacturer – that's the equivalent of three weeks work. Those with better things to do, can either pony up three week's wages for someone or buy the Automower 260 ACX, the biggest yet Husqvarna robotic lawnmower. The battery driven EUR 4,000 Automower 260 ACX just goes about its business, 24 hours a day, recharging itself through an electrically powered charging station when necessary. It's completely set-and-forget, and if it encounters any problems, it'll send an SMS to your mobile. Read More
New touch-free faucets use capacitive sensors to boost reliability
02:05 April 24, 2009 PDT
Automatic faucets are a good idea, they're convenient, hygienic and big water savers, but many of us who've encountered these "smart taps" in public washrooms would be familiar with the inordinate amount of hand-waving that's sometimes required to actually make them work. Fontaine believes it has the answer with its new line of Sensa Field automatic faucets. Rather than relying on motion activated Infrared sensors which have a tendency to cut out mid-rinse, these taps utilize a capacitive omni-directional sensing zone around the spout which the company says guarantees activation the first time. Read More
AquaHub conserves H2O in the garden
21:03 April 22, 2009 PDT
With water conservation becoming an increasingly urgent priority in many parts of the world, we're always on the lookout for something that saves on H2O. Described as a "power strip + surge protector for watering outdoors", the AquaHub is a water management tool that connects to a standard garden hose, branching out into six regulated irrigation outlets to pinpoint and cater for the specific needs of different areas within the garden, saving time as well as water. Read More
High-tech tap sets temperature using facial recognition
06:38 April 22, 2009 PDT
Once a new technology hits the deck we are constantly surprised by the different scenarios in which it gets applied, so I guess that means we should have seen this one coming. iHouse has unveiled a new concept product which brings facial recognition into the home bathroom. Dubbed the SmartFaucet, this indulgent piece of plumbing recognizes you when you stand in front of it and delivers water flow and temperature to suit your individual tastes, all while checking your email on the inbuilt touch-screen. Read More
The LG Artcool Photochangeable air conditioner goes quieter
By David Greig
17:47 April 18, 2009 PDT
April 16, 2009 In a world where ongoing technological improvements are accepted as the norm, a development that can hide or improve the appearance of those ugly necessities like air conditioners is a god send. Anything that lowers their noise level will also be warmly (pun intended) welcomed. After all who is really out there looking to purchase an air conditioner that will constantly interfere with the pleasant sounds of the home based entertainment system or wishes to place an ugly monstrosity in a prominent position in their home? The leading supplier of air conditioners in the world, LG has not only realized that air conditioners are not all about technology, design and style are just as important and a unit that runs as quiet as a mouse will be a big seller. Recently LG Electronics' launched the new low noise Deluxe Split Inverter Air Conditioning range that extends their highly successful range of Photochangable air conditioners. Read More
Cooking's silver lining: the roll-up stove-top
19:05 April 8, 2009 PDT
Cooking might be a chore or a pleasure, depending on your culinary proficiency. But what's out of your hands is how much room you have to prepare your culinary feast. If there's barely elbow room to stir your pots and pans, then this funky looking roll-up stove-top from Italian designer Maurizio Maiorana - called the Cooka – might be just the extra hand you need. The design resembles a yellow table mat and is made from a non-toxic, liquid silicone rubber that can be rolled up and easily stored once you've finished cooking with it. Read More
Dishwashers save more water than washing by hand?
By Jamilah Le
05:40 April 7, 2009 PDT
To handwash or not to handwash? When it comes to saving water, it seems some people firmly believe that the dishwasher is one of those things that need to be sacrificed. Too much water and energy is the argument. A new study firmly refutes this idea and - keeping in mind that it's presented by Electrolux, a company that makes washing machines - revisits the debate on dishwashers. Read More
Walking House: moving home takes on a whole new meaning
By Darren Quick
03:18 April 2, 2009 PDT
For anyone who has wanted to get away from it all without leaving the comforts of home Dutch design group N55 has just the thing – a walking house. Consisting of a basic module measuring 3.5m high by 3.5m wide and 3.72m long the walking house can cover a decidedly leisurely 60m an hour on its six insect like legs. Read More
BBQnique: outdoor entertaining that stands out from the crowd
By Jude Garvey
23:51 April 1, 2009 PDT
The BBQnique is a barbecue with a difference. The barbecue burner is incorporated into an outdoor granite dining table and offers a multitude of cooking options. Within minutes it can be changed from from a grill to a hot plate, oven or even a wok burner. Now, your dinner guests will be able to help prepare their own meal! Read More
Celeste H Calabro
- July 5, 2009 @ 22:20 UTC
