Around The Home

Ever since the first sundial cast its shadow we've been looking for new and inventive ways to tell the time. Timepieces that talk to you, use LED lights instead of numbers and spell out the time in words are just some of the results, and although the Reflectius concept from Art Lebedev Studio (think Optimus keyboard) uses a standard digital readout as the display, the way it achieves this is anything but standard. Read More

Just the other day we brought you the story of SUNLIGHT, an art project featuring a giant solar-powered projection of the sun. It was designed and is being installed by Brooklyn artist Adam Frank. Upon looking over Mr Frank’s website we found an interesting little projector-type thingy-ma-jig that you can set up right in your own home. It’s called REVEAL, and it simulates the sun-cast shadows of a window frame and swaying tree branches on your inside walls. Just the thing for that dingy basement office. Read More

What’s plastic, sings songs, and sits in boiling water? No, it’s not Britney Spears at a cannibal colony, it’s the BeepEgg! This little gizmo lives in the fridge, with your eggs, then rides along into the saucepan when you’re boiling them. Its internal thermostat continuously measures the water temperature, calculates the inner temperature of the eggs, then lets you know what level of hardness they’re at by playing one of three different tunes. Read More

According to the US Fire Administration more than 40 clothes dryers catch fire in the U.S. every day. Annually between 2002 and 2004 clothes dryers were involved in an estimated 15,600 structure fires, fifteen deaths, 400 injuries, and US$99 million in direct property damage. One of the main culprits in dryer-related fires is lint. As it builds up it restricts airflow, not only creating a fire hazard, but also wasting energy. The LintAlert combats this needless destruction and waste of electricity by alerting homeowners to any blockage or restriction in the vent system of the dryer. Read More

There are two types of mice in the world. Firstly, there’s the Mickey, Speedy Gonzales, Stuart Little and Despereaux type of mouse, which are mostly harmless and a bit of fun. Then there’s the filthy rodent type that causes much damage and spreads disease. Pest control specialist Victor is hoping the saying “Build a better mousetrap and the world will beat a path to your door” rings true as it releases its "Multi-Kill Electronic Mouse Trap", a device that zaps mice dead in less than three seconds and reloads almost instantly to execute the next victim. Read More

"Green" mowers like the human-powered Mow Cycle are great for keeping that well manicured lawn along with a clear conscience. But there’s always the chance of running into a patch of particularly thick grass that makes push mowers that little bit less attractive. The Momentum Reel Mower tackles this shortcoming in an ingenious way - its InertiaDrive Technology (patent pending) stores energy like a flywheel to unleash a burst of extra cutting power when required. Read More

Considering that sewing is supposedly a relaxing pastime, isn’t it odd that the very first step in the process – threading the sewing needle – can be so difficult? That’s exactly what Minnesota inventor, Pam Turner thought and that’s why she designed the Spiral Eye needle. It’s a sewing needle that allows the user to simply slide a looped thread towards the needle eye where it is caught and then pulled into the eye. Easy, stress-free and so simple - you wonder why it's taken this long to create. Read More

Some things are just made for each other…bread and butter, coffee and cream, maple syrup and waffles, robot vacuum cleaner and wireless camera…wait a minute, that last one doesn’t sound like a match made in heaven. But this robot vacuum cleaner with an IP WiFi enabled camera could prove me wrong. This little dynamo not only keeps your floors clean, you can direct it to vacuum from your holiday destination and even use it to communicate - or keep an eye on - your family back home. Read More

If you thought micro-pistons were only found in very small cars, think again. These rapid-action mechanical cufflinks are made up of more than 45 micro-components, micro-pistons are just some of them. These super high-tech mechanical cufflinks with their exclusive pushpiece system for easy locking and unlocking will save time when dressing for that black tie engagement – probably micro-seconds. Read More