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Go With the Flo: the transcendental toilet

By Noel McKeegan

20:58 May 19, 2009 PDT

Go With the Flo concept design

"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

Alkeo sanitizing chopping board

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

The Demy digital recipe reader can store up to 2,300 recipes and is a great way to share y...

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

mypressi TWIST portable espresso maker

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

The NotHot Wine and champagne glass cooler

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

Century-old French cabinet expected to fetch USD $1.5 million

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

The Psyleron Mind Lamp changes color due to the power of the human mind … we think

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

Shfud for thought: the Chop Chop slices and dices whatever is thrown into the ball without...

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

Husqvarna's autonomous Automower 260 ACX calls for help via SMS

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

By Anne Hanrahan

02:05 April 24, 2009 PDT

Sensa Field automatic faucets utilize capacitive sensor technology

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

By Anne Hanrahan

21:03 April 22, 2009 PDT

The AquaHub six-line water management system

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

By Noel McKeegan

06:38 April 22, 2009 PDT

iHouse SmartFaucet knows your taste in H2O

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

LG Artcool changeable image airconditioner

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

By Anne Hanrahan

19:05 April 8, 2009 PDT

The Cooka, from Italian designer Maurizio Maiorana,is made from a non-toxic, liquid silico...

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

Dishwashers save water

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

Quick! Out of the way, it's the Walking House!

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

BBQnique is a dining and cooking product in one

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

LoJoBall: the lounging lovechild of bean bag and pouf

By Anne Hanrahan

04:36 March 31, 2009 PDT

LoJoBall: the lounging lovechild of bean bag and pouf

Not sure about you, but I never found the traditional bean bag the most appealing of items, always having to re-adjust myself to stay comfortable and still have my drink within reaching distance. Gizmag has recently looked at some of the latter day improvements that seek to redefine these polystyrene ball filled sacks into a comfortable alternative to furniture, and the LoJoBall -a sphere like creation that is a cross between a bean bag and a pouf - is another that fits the bill. Read More

The Breezy Seat fan-forced toilet odour filter: no more courtesy flushes

By Loz Blain

23:14 March 24, 2009 PDT

The two sections of the 'Breezy Seat'

They say necessity is the mother of all invention - so we're going to steer clear of the Tennessee inventor of the Breezy Seat. It's a battery-powered, fan forced toilet seat that turns on when you sit on it, sucking smelly air out of the bowl and sending it through odor-absorbing filters and "nano-modules" before it escapes to stink up the rest of the house. Far more effective than air freshener sprays that merely paint over the turdy waft with a thin veneer of "mountain air," the Breezy Seat kills the odors right where they begin. And let's face it, in a modern world, you really shouldn't have to be holding your breath as you walk past the bathroom after your brother's been through. Read More

Watchdog windows: motion sensitive glass could boost home security

By Darren Quick

22:57 March 18, 2009 PDT

Presumably the UV lamp would be slightly more hidden in real world applications

Besides letting in light and providing pleasant views, windows unfortunately also provide a convenient entrance for burglars. Security systems have long employed contacts that, when broken, activate an alarm, but what if the simple act of moving around outside a window were enough to raise the alert. That’s the concept behind a system developed by scientists in Berlin that sensitizes windows and doors to detect suspicious movements. Read More

Kalorik's high-tech, double-barrelled wine cooler

By Jamilah Le

21:51 March 17, 2009 PDT

Kalorik Wine Cooler

Even if you’re a wine buff, this wine cooler with an in-built microprocessor might still surprise you. The Kalorik Wine Cooler is programmed to maintain the ideal drinking temperature for two bottles of wine, and gauges the temperature of the wine itself, not the bottle. It has an LCD and screen and wireless links to two temperature probes inserted into the bottles. Read More

Laundry POD: from salad spinner to washing machine

By Karen Sprey

00:22 March 16, 2009 PDT

RKS Laundry POD

It’s a great example of thinking outside of the box: as industrial design firm RKS were redesigning a salad spinner they discovered women were buying them to wash their delicates, so they modified the technology and created a portable, hand-powered laundry machine. The Laundry POD is stylish, easy to use and eco-friendly, saving energy and water, and is perfect for delicate items, “in between” and small loads, camping and traveling. Read More

The (unfortunately named) Blight solar blind

By Darren Quick

23:09 March 12, 2009 PDT

The integrated solar panels

Blinds are handy things. They give us privacy at night and block the sun’s rays during the day. But what if there was a way to capture the light from the day and give it back at night to illuminate the house? That’s the thinking behind Vincent Gerkens’ concept design which takes a Venetian blind and combines it with flexible solar cells and electroluminescent foil to produce the ‘Blight’ – that’s short for ‘Blind Light’, but I’d be tempted to give the name some more thought if I were Vincent given the images of pestilence and decay the word evokes. The Blight captures solar energy during the day and uses it to power the electroluminescent foil covering the blinds to produce light at night. Read More

Black & Decker previews high-tech locking system

By Darren Quick

21:24 March 11, 2009 PDT

Black & Decker's Remote Access Control

Black and Decker is giving homeowners a way to lock up their daughters when they aren’t even home. The company's new motorized locks are designed to complement the emerging electronic ‘smart homes’. They can be activated remotely and can even directly control home security and automation systems, and vice versa. Read More

The Vue personal video network

By David Greig

00:48 March 4, 2009 PST

Vue Camera

Wondering what is going on at home or in the office while you are away? Avaak, a leader in the supply of ultra low-power easy-to-use, wire-free video technology has just launched its Vue™ personal video network. Combining real-time remote video viewing and Internet connectivity, the wire-free Vue system is a network of small, magnetic mounted, battery-powered wireless cameras with a range of up to 300 feet that can transmit an estimated one million frames on a single battery. Read More

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