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Design

electric kettle

The ±0 Electric Kettle From Japan

I've been thinking of getting an electric kettle for some time, and I think I've found the most simple, beautiful one I could ever hope for. The small container's power cord is stored inside the base, explaining that one seam you see running around the base of the unit. I'll have to pick this up in Japan or ask Doug to send one back on his next trip. [+- via Core77]

palm

Helio, Sidekick UI Designer Working On New Palm OS

This is some pretty exciting news for us Palm fans who've been waiting (and waiting and waiting) for something new from the handset maker. It turns out Palm has hired Matias Duarte to design the UI for the next Palm OS. You probably haven't heard of him, but he's the guy behind the impressive interfaces for the Sidekicks and Helio's phones. The idea of giving this guy a large install base and a touchscreen to play with is a good one. Palm's got an uphill battle to take on the iPhone, but this could be how they do it. [Engadget]

jewelry

Concept Jewelry Celebrates Birth With Plasticized Human Milk

Did you know that science has made it possible to turn milk into a plastic by solidifying the casein it contains? Well, you do now. But I bet you'd never think of using the technique to turn human breast milk into a "jewel" of sorts, and then use that to make a necklace. But that's exactly what French design team Duende are suggesting. Titled "Perle de Lait" their jewelry range is part of a bigger upcoming art exhibit that celebrates birth and explores "sharing of food between mother and child." It's a pretty amazing idea, though I'm not sure I know many people who'd wear it. Also to be exhibited is a set of "placenta coffins." Weird. There's a detailed preview over at Dezeen if you've got the nerve. [Dezeen]

tic tac toe

Tic Tac Toe Reinvented, Gets Mirror Upgrade

It doesn't take long for kids to learn that when it comes to Tic Tac Toe "the only winning move is not to play." But there's something iconic about the game that means it keeps coming back. And designer Shahar Peleg has crafted such an unusual version I'd be tempted to pop it on my desk: it's mirrored, so the pieces are halved until you place them on the grid. Not as high-tech as cloaked chess, but simple, and surprisingly eye-catching. [Peleg Design via Yanko design, DVICE]

design

Hidden Tap Faucet Changes Temp When You Move Your Hands Side-to-Side

This lovely faucet uses a sensor to follow your hands as you move underneath it. As you move them from left to right, the water increases in temperature, enabling you to control how hot the water is by placing your hands on one side or the other. It's pretty awesome. Hit the jump for a video of it in action. More »

magic chess

Alice Chess Set Features Pieces That Are Magically Transparent

Inspired by the Lewis Carroll's novel ‘Alice through the Looking Glass,' designer Yasmin Sethi developed a chess set that features pieces that "magically turn transparent" when they touch the board. In other words, when removed from the playing surface, a pawn would be opaque—nearly indistinguishable from any other piece on the board. However, when in contact with the board, the piece reveals its true identity. This effect serves to remind the player that the pieces have no value unless they are in play.

More »

alarm

Tyrant Alarm Clock Says “Good Morning” by Hijacking Your Phone to Make Random Calls

The “Tyrant” concept by designer Alice Wang is the latest in a growing line of alarm clocks designed to torture their owners into facing the day. Instead of loud alarms, helicopter attachments and early-morning feats of hand-eye coordination, the Tyrant doles out punishment by hijacking your cellphone contact list and making random calls every three minutes until you get up to turn it off. More »

anti-terrorism gadgets

The 10 Strangest Anti-Terrorism Gadget Patents

These are dangerous times we live in—which is why I am sure that some of America's greatest minds are out there toiling away on new gadgets we can use to protect ourselves in the war against terrorism. Unfortunately, the people who patented these 10 anti-terrorism gadgets are not among these brilliant thinkers. Sure they are creative, but an airplane sleeping gas system and an explosion containment umbrella? Would a doggie earphone that helps you remotely contact your dog to give verbal instructions make you feel safer? Seriously, if this is the best we can come up with, this country is in serious trouble. Hit the link for the full list. [Neatorama]

ping pong

Modular Ping Pong Table Allows For Crazy 12 Player Games

If you have ever watched a professional table tennis tournament (or Forrest Gump at least) you know that a two-person game can get completely insane. Now, imagine the mayhem that would ensue with up to 12 people battling it out at once. Thanks to designer Guenter Arndt and his modular table tennis system, this ridiculousness is a reality. More »

ebooks

Dual-Screen Ebook Developed, Navigates in Real Page-Turn Style

Sure the Kindle is fab, and printed media may soon be "dead"... but ebooks really don't feel quite as good the real thing do they? A science team from Maryland and Berkeley Universities noted that we do much more sophisticated navigation when we read a real book than is offered by current ebooks, so they've designed an advanced prototype with two pages. It works like a normal book, with page turning maneuvers to get to the new page, and you can even fold it back into a single-page version, or separate the pages to share info with someone else, as the video shows. More »

concept

Portable XBox 360/Zune Phone Fantasy is Exactly What Microsoft Should Make

From the same T3 concept design stable that brought us the 2010 Wiimote yesterday comes this piece of pure gadget fantasy. Ramming a XBox 360 and a Zunephone into a slender, shiny little package is always going to be a great idea... and would undoubtedly sell like hotcakes. But considering there's no real Zune phone, and you can now buy bigger cases for the '360 rather than smaller, this is going to stay in fantasy land for a long while. [T3 via Yanko]

timepieces

Digimech Clock Does Digital the Old-Fashioned Mechanical Way

The Di Grisogono Meccanica mechano-digital watch is indeed amazing, but I'm almost as impressed with Duncan Shotton's Digimech clock (maybe it's because it looks like I could afford it). The UK designer has crafted another take on mechanical-digital timepieces, with sliding black-patterned bars that comprise the individual seven-segment displays. And actually, that description does nothing for the gizmo—you should check out the video to see it in action. More »

space saver

Badkamer: Save Bathroom Space With Fixtures That Slide on Rails

In a dwelling where space saving is of the utmost importance, the Badkamer concept could make a tremendous difference in a small bathroom. Essentially, the design would allow users to slide their fixtures out of the way on an abacus-like rail system that doubles as plumbing. Only the toilet would have to remain stationary because of its need for larger pipes—the shower, sink, mirror and cabinets could all be re-configured on a whim. Apparently, the design is so efficent that it can turn a 6 1/2 sq ft space into a fully functioning bathroom. A truly ingenious design that will undoubtedly find its way into some cramped urban homes in the near future. More »

future city

Doha, Qatar: A Future City as Envisioned by Syd Mead

You may know "futurist" Syd Mead from his design work on geek friendly movies like Blade Runner, Tron and Aliens—but in his most recent work he envisions a future city by the name of Doha, Qatar. Naturally, his work speaks for itself, but I must admit that it stands in stark contrast to the bleak world of Blade Runner. Maybe he has become more optimistic as the years have passed. Oh, also, Joel's interviewing Syd soon and I'm sure if you have questions, he'll ask them for you. [Syd Mead via PSFK via Treehugger via Boing Boing Gadgets]

design

The Camoria Camera Documents Your Memories Based on Feelings

You know how miserable you felt when your girlfriend dumped you? Apparently the Camoria camera would—and it would snap a photo of that little life gem and file it under the "what a bitch" category. The Camoria, as designer Akbiyik Volkan envisions it, is an ear mounted digital camera that documents your memories in digital form based on how you are feeling at the time. How it manages to do that exactly is not known, but the designer's page does mention that he is currently looking for a producer to make his concept a reality. [Coroflot via DVICE]


design

Cellphone Concept Features Shape-Shifting Screen

Designer Rune Larson has made a name for himself coming up with simple, but unique new takes on the cellphone. However, with this shape-shifter concept he complicates things a bit by incorporating two layers of plastic into his design—one flexible layer and one hard layer with liquid inside. The liquid would be pushed between the layers, forming different shapes on the surface. More »

design

The Fossil Washbasin Will Hypnotize You Into Being Late For Work

We have seen some awesome sinks over the years, and at least one that was inspired by geology and topographical maps. The Ammonite washbasin from HighTech features a similar "organic" theme, but in my opinion, a much more captivating design. Apparently, Ammonites are an extinct species of cephalopods that existed about 400 million years ago, and their shells are prized by collectors. When integrated into a concrete sink, this prehistoric design creates a hypnotic spiral of water. More »

toaster cannon

The "Moaster" is the Highest Popping Toaster in the World

You know how sometimes your toast doesn't quite pop out of the toaster fully? And because your judgment is a little impaired that early in the morning, you decide to jam a fork in there to dig it out only to be electrocuted and rushed to the hospital? Sure, we have all been there. However, Freddie Yauner, the dude behind "The Moaster," will not have to worry about that anytime soon because he has set the record for the "highest popping in toaster the world" according to the Guinness Book of World Records. More »