Around The Home

Hydrofloors are vertically movable floors that mean you’ll literally be able to walk on water. Designed to reclaim the surface area of a swimming pool that is wasted when the pool is not in use, the floor height of the pool can be lowered mechanically to reveal the already full pool or raised to cover the water and provide some extra floor space. Read More

What really annoys me about doing the laundry is having to sort through all the colors and fabrics. Especially when - despite my care - I accidentally include something red with all my whites and I’m left with oodles of pink sports socks and tees! A clever design concept from Yali Dai could solve all my laundering problems. The Individual Washer is an upright washing machine that can sort and wash all your clothes together – regardless of color, material or washing temperature requirements. Hooray, that means no more extra sorting, no more color bleeding and no excess water usage! Read More

There’s all sorts of massage chairs available, but many of them are excessively large and to be honest - not particularly blessed with good looks. The Foldaway Massage Chair not only delivers a massage to the legs, feet, back and buttocks – it folds up into a colorful footstool that can be used as an extra piece of furniture or stored neatly away. Read More

TricorBraun’s Oil Only Spray System is a new way to dispense pure cooking oil by using air rather than a propellant. It uses a special valve system and a unique actuator that is capable of atomizing 100% pure oil without the need for additives. So you still get all the benefits of a cooking oil spray without any unwanted chemicals. Read More

For most of us clocks are a purely utilitarian device. They tell us the time and we don’t generally give a second thought to their inner workings. But the mechanical wooden clock designs of Clayton Boyer put the inner workings of clocks on full display resulting in conversation starters that are not only functional, but beautiful as well. And, if you’re feeling up for the challenge, you can build your own. Read More

As someone who has been responsible for the death of every single pot plant that has been placed in my charge, I was interested to discover a new computerized system that is designed to take the guesswork out of growing houseplants. It's manufacturers say the Click & Grow system takes care of all a plant’s needs such as watering and fertilizing by way of sensors, a processor and special software contained in the pot. Read More

Yep, you read it right, spray-on glass. It could revolutionize the fields of agriculture, medicine, fashion, transportation - really, it would be easier to list where it might not be applicable. The remarkable product, called Liquid Glass, was developed by the German nano-tech firm Nanopool GmbH. Their patented process, known as “SiO2 ultra thin layering” involves extracting silica molecules from quartz sand, adding them to water or ethanol, and then... well, they won’t tell us what they do next, but the end result is a 100 nanometer-thick, clear, flexible, breathable coating that can be applied to almost any surface. We’re told that there are no added nano-particles, resins or additives - the coating is formed using quantum forces.

The possible uses are endless. Read More

If I had to choose a job in a restaurant kitchen, then the saucier or sauce chef would be my last choice. Considered inferior to the sous-chef and head-chef, the saucier is responsible for preparing all the accompanying sauces for meals…making sure they aren’t lumpy, they don’t stick to the pan or worse, burn. I’ve seen enough TV celebrity chefs abusing their kitchen staff to know this is one job I would refuse. However, if I had the Autonomous Saucier at hand - all would be fine. This clever kitchen device automatically stirs your sauce whilst you get on with other food preparation. Pure genius… Read More

Ice cubes are so passé. We’ve already seen them challenged in their drink cooling duties by Sippin’ Rocks and now there's a new threat looming. The Ice Ball Mold transforms an irregular shaped chunk of ice into an icy sphere, which its proponents say are more desirable than cubes because they melt more slowly due to their smaller surface area - thereby keeping your drink cooler and less diluted for longer. Read More