Gizmodo: Design

Reinvented Bulb Isn't Just a Bulb: It's an LED Light Source

Kit Eaton — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 11:15:00 EDT

"The lightbulb is dead. Long live CFL!" may be the chant sounding around the world as we switch to the energy-efficient fluorescent lighting, but this has its own problems—something the LED bulb from Frog Design is intended to fix. It's arguable the CFLs are bad for the environment, with plastic parts, electronics and mercury inside, and they emit a harsh light and can't be dimmed. LEDs are more efficient, potentially longer lasting, are dimmable and need less components. Frog has decided that to get consumers to adopt LEDs, and for ease of use, it's simplest to package them in a traditional glass enclosure, complete with screw-fit contacts. It's a design I've secretly thought about for ages: making it into a real product has just one difficulty... bright enough, white enough, long-lasting diffuse LEDs. [Yanko Design]

iRiver Concepts Feel Straight Out of Terry Gilliam's Brain

Jesus Diaz — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 08:00:00 EDT

Apart from their Spinn 70s-retro analog goodness, iRiver had two beautiful concept products in their IFA 2008 stand which had a design that looked further into the past, as far as the beginning of the 20th century. As you can see in the video, both their Clix speaker—inspired by the shape of cathode ray tubes—and their pipe music player—which you can blow to mute (insert joke here), and connect it to a speaker resembling a phonograph horn—look both intriguing and beautiful. [More IFA 2008 Coverage]

Graff Luna: The Samurai Sword of Faucets

Sean Fallon — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 20:30:00 EDT

We are in the midst of a sink design Renaissance folks—crazy new designs seem to pop up all the time. The latest comes to us via Graff in a form that bears more than a passing resemblance to a samurai sword. Plus, the faucet itself is 3 feet tall, so I wouldn't be surprised if visitors to your bathroom linger a bit admiring this masterpiece of plumbing. You even have the option of wall mounting the handles depending on which style you prefer. [Graff via HDF]

Volkswagen Caddy Van Features a Wooden Boat Deck For Sunbathing

Sean Fallon — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 20:00:00 EDT

The designers at Volkswagen brought out the big guns for an upcoming recreational vehicle show in Düsseldorf, Germany by crossing one of their small commercial Caddy vans with a sailboat. While the Caddy Topos Sail design is not capable of traveling on water, it does feature a sailboat style deck on the roof that can be modified for relaxation and sunbathing. It even features a wooden ladder built into the glass to grant easy access to the roof. I suppose that it is clever in a stupid sort of way, but no matter how you feel about the quirky design, it is only a concept.

[Jalopnik]

Photosynthesis Solar Tree Concept Is the World's Best Looking Solar Gadget Charger

John Mahoney — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 12:50:00 EDT

Great concept from designer Vivien Muller for a modular, Lego-like little bonsai tree with 54 mini photovoltaic panels as leaves to soak up juice from the sun and charge your gadgets. Adapters get tucked away beneath a nice little tray, and your gadgets lay on top, basking in the shade. Vivien can you make this, please? I can't keep a real plant alive worth a damn, but this I think could place in the windowsill and be just fine with. More shots of the detachable pieces follow.

[Vivien Muller Portfolio via Behance Network]

Leaked Apple Patent Filing is Full of New Multitouch Tech For a Mac Tablet

John Mahoney — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 11:58:30 EDT

Appleinsider has gotten their hands on a large patent filing from Apple that we haven't seen before, and it's loaded with plans for how a multitouch interface would work on a tablet Mac running full-blown OS X. It covers how small interface buttons will be handled, iPhone-like scrolling through lists, details on a full multi-touch keyboard, and a nifty pop-up scroll wheel. And on top of all that, it seems like it'll even work if you have freaky alien fingers! Let's take a closer look.

The full QWERTY keyboard above has provisions not just for multiple finger keystrokes, but for accepting inputs from all fingers of both hands for touch typing, including multiple key combinations like ctrl-alt-delete and shift/option commands.

As for solving the problem of the many places in OS X where tiny buttons may be difficult to tap (window control buttons, for instance), it looks like we'll see the same pop-up monocle zoom as the iPhone for getting a clearer view of what needs to get tapped.

And a virtual scroll wheel design element can pop up when needed, and be manipulated with single finger swipes, or moved around the desktop with a double-finger drag.

This seems like the most fleshed-out set of multitouch tablet tech we've seen from Apple. It's just a patent filing (dated April 15, 2008), but it seems like things are getting a bit more serious on the Mac Tablet front. And I maintain, being a patent filing illustrator has got to be one of the weirdest, if not best, jobs for someone handy with drawing.
More at: [Appleinsider]

Iceland's Ragnarokkin' New Opera House Designed To Be Elf-Friendly

Wilson Rothman — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 17:50:00 EDT

Maybe you don't get over to Reykjavik very often, but the old Viking homestead is a crazy mix of old and modern architecture. Joining the skyline will be the Icelandic Opera House, an icy glass fortress that changes colors throughout the day. Designed by a man whose middle name is Thor, the transparent cube and enclosed 820-seat theater are situated upon a hill known for its magical elf population. What now? Elves, you say?

LED lighting has become a constant in modern architecture—in this case, the LEDs are nested inside the joints of the glass cube, and change color and intensity throughout the day. Though it's not clear whether Hallgrimur Thor Sigurdsson and the design firms Arkitema and Arkthing had this in mind, but the lighting would probably serve the community well, combating seasonal affective disorder on those long long northern winter nights.)

Within the structure are the concert hall, a restaurant and five roof gardens. The square theme continues throughout, where even the box seats in the main hall look like haphazardly arranged cubes.

Great, but what about the elves? It seems the building will be situated atop Borgaholt Hill as a tribute to elves who deep within its caverns (rather like dwarves, if you ask me).

Deep underground, in the highlands and under the cliffs around Iceland live the elves. Their dens are not visible from the outside, but it is believed that they live underground somewhere or other. From the outside the elves’ homes are dark and enclosed, but from the inside a radiant and crystalline space is revealed. The Opera’s expressional form with its heavy and massive lower floor level and its light and crystalline upper floor level refers to the mythical home of the elves.

Sure, every first-year architecture major can see that. [Dezeen]

Prisma LED Streetlights: Light in Three Directions, Pays For Itself With Advertising

Sean Fallon — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 15:30:00 EDT

Thanks to LEDs, the boring old streetlight is getting a fresh look from designers all over the world. Agustin Otegui's "Prisma" concept is among these new designs, and in addition to LEDs and solar power, it features a unique 3-way light system that allows for 30-degree customization in either direction. That means the lights can be used to highlight billboards, project logos on buildings or simply illuminate a specific area on the ground. In other words, it makes the streetlight more versatile. It is only a concept at this point, but it definitely has potential. [Prisma via The Design Blog]

iBasket Laundry Concept is Clothes Hamper, Washer For The Lazy

Elaine Chow — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 15:30:00 EDT

Like most New Yorkers, my building has no laundry facilities of its own and, in order to get clean clothes, I have to summon the willpower to drag my brimming bag three blocks. Oh, if only I had this automated washing machine basket instead. Designed by Guopeng Liang and one of the finalists in Electrolux's Design Lab '08 contest, the iBasket is a space saving clothes hamper and washing machine in one.

The device sports an all clear body and is programmed to begin the wash cycle once your clothes pile up to a certain weight. After giving your unmentionables a good rinse down, it sends a message to your PC or cellphone via its integrated wi-fi. Other than the annoyingly unimaginative name (trust me, iAm as iSick of iThis and iThat as you guys are), this gadget idea seems pretty golden. [Born Rich]

Condom Dispensing "Don't Panic" Button For Emergencies

Sean Fallon — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 16:30:00 EDT

Everyone loves a good panic button, and what bigger emergency is there than being condomless when you find a woman that actually wants to have sex with you? Relax, this condom dispensing "Don't Panic" button has your back. Well, it would if it actually existed. Unfortunately, it is currently in the concept phase. [Designspotter]

Kidtropolis' Magic Indoor Treehouse Bedroom

Sean Fallon — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 20:00:00 EDT

I'm not sure who is getting the Magic Treehouse Bedroom that is currently being constructed by the craftsman at Kidtropolis, but I'm jealous. When I was a kid, I didn't have any fancy indoor treehouse to sleep in—just a cot and some newspaper. Still, I am not too bitter to recognize the artistry that goes into making a custom bedroom of this caliber. Just don't let your kids see it—unless you have a lot of money to burn that is. [Kidtropolis via WIred GeekDad]

Writing Spoon Turns Your Coffee Into Ink

Sean Fallon — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 18:00:00 EDT

Admit it, you like those inexpensive restaurants where they use paper tablecloths and servers write their names upside down with crayons. Why? Because you love to doodle (and you love crayons). If only you could combine your passion for food and drink with your passion for doodling in one simple device. Enter the Writing Spoon by Spanish artist, Julie Mariscal. It incorporates a makeshift fountain pen into the spoon, making it possible to use things like coffee or soup as ink. You can pick one up on her website for around $31, which is a hell of a lot cheaper than it would be to get your own Gizuccino-making machine. [Julie Mariscal via Trend Hunter via Coolest Gadgets]

KDDI's Concept Cellphone is Half Transformer, Half Musical Box

Kit Eaton — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 04:28:00 EDT

The KDDI AU Design Project bunch over in Japan have stumped up with this latest concept phone for music cellphones of the future. And it blends two things we like a Giz: funky cellphone tech and Transformers. In fact Box To Play is less "robot in disguise," and more "hi-fi in disguise" because when it's a phone, it's a normal phone—keypad, camera and such—but when it transforms it's its own speaker system with a graphical visualizer around its faces. Neat, and exactly the sort of innovative design I'd like to see in future phones. Check out the movie of the concept in action at the KDDI link. [KDDI AU]

UnsTable Is a Perfect Place to Keep High-End Gear, Funerary Urns

John Herrman — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 20:00:00 EDT

By surrounding its thin (and hopefully sturdy) steel legs with movable blocks, the somewhat cleverly named UnsTable creates the illusion that it's on the verge of collapsing. The novelty would probably wear off pretty quickly, and the table doesn't have a great deal of mileage as a prank device. I mean, you've got to lure someone to your weird yellow desk, sit them down and have them scatter important, delicate items across its surface, just so you can sort of kick one of the legs to the side and make them think, for just a second, that their stuff would be broken. In any case, it's an attractive table. Check out the animation below to see the the UnsTable in "normal" and "oh no!" modes. [Core77]

The Sonance Kayak Speaker: For the Living Room, Not the Rapids

Sean Fallon — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 18:30:00 EDT

I'm not quite sure where the name "Kayak" came from because it obviously does not resemble a small boat, but this speaker from Sonance is still a unique looking piece of equipment. The system was designed by the gurus at NACSound and they claim that the Kayak offers stereophonic sound from a single speaker (like numerous other manufacturers) thanks to an acoustic reflector suspended in the center. The Kayak can also be suspended horizontally or vertically depending on your needs. It cranks out a decent amount of sound at 60W with a sensitivity of about 86dB, but it will not come cheap at $2900. [Sonance via Dvice]

T6 Volkswagen Concept Car is an Office on Wheels

Sean Fallon — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 17:30:00 EDT

Having easy access to your office 24 hours a day can be both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, you will never miss a beat. On the other, it may seem like you are always stuck at work. With that in mind, check out the T6 concept workaholicmobile designer Alexander Zhukovsky has put together. It comes complete with all of the technology and space you and your co-workers need to get the job done—even when you are stuck in traffic. In other words, it is a boardroom on wheels.

The car is sectioned off into two pods connected by a central hinge—one for the driver and one for working passengers. And, because the wheels are fixed to the outside of the pods, the space inside is maximized. All-in-all the T6 is a fantastic looking concept, but it seems a little impractical given videoconferencing alternatives. Still, in certain situations, it would offer companies the chance to get out of a stuffy boardroom and bring employees to interesting new locations or provide a close-up view of a construction project. Again, the T6 is only a concept at the moment, so I wouldn't expect Volkswagen to be rolling them off the assembly line anytime soon. [Cardesign via AutoMotto via The Design Blog]

Kurage Fiber-Optic Chandelier Adjusts Brightness By Tweaking its Curves

Kit Eaton — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 08:27:00 EDT

This chandelier-ish lighting design, dubbed Kurage3, allows you to change its level of illumination by changing how curved a shape it makes. Simple science really: If you make it curve past the critical angle for the 1.5-mm fiber-optic, instead of shooting through the tube of glass, the light from an LED light source leaks out at the corners. It's a messy, organic-looking light fitting, which is how fiber-optic lighting should be, or so it feels to me... that way it'd fit into my organic-looking, messy home. It's from Schemata Studio, but there's no info on whether you'll be able to buy it for real. [Yanko Design]

Fujitsu's iMac-Alike FMV Desktop Gets Upgrade, Bigger 19-Inch Version

Kit Eaton — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 04:52:00 EDT

We'd already drawn comparisons between Fujitsu's all-in one FMV F-A50 desktop PC and the design aesthetic of the iMac, and now Fujitsu has upgraded the range and added a 19-inch version to the range. The F-B70T even features a bigger "chin" beneath the 1440 x 900 screen, alongside a Intel Core 2 Duo P8400 running at 2.26GHz, with 2GB RAM, a 500GB hard-drive, integrated TV Tuner, webcam and Wi-Fi. The smaller 16-inch F-B50 has an Intel Core 2 Duo CPU T8100 ticking over at 2.1GHz with a 320GB hard-drive, and looks much the same as the original A50. There's no data yet on pricing or availability. [Akihabaranews]

Yamaha Branded Deus Ex Machina Motorcycle Exoskeleton On Video, Looks Tron-esque

Jason Chen — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 13:40:00 EDT

We've seen this crazy motorcycle exoskeleton before, but its inventor Jake Loniak has just mocked up a video showing what it would be like in motion. Yeah, we're pretty damn impressed, but the guy gets cocky:

I believe a working prototype could be made, but it would take a great deal of time and engineering. This isn’t fantasy. It’s a green vehicle, and all of the numbers are based in the real world.

But who would actually use this? Sure, it looks pretty amazing and you can park it vertically in a garage to save space, but imagine having to unfasten yourself from this every time you get to work. Or the supermarket. Or grandma's house. At least with a Segway you can hop off and do your business. [Popsci via Crunchgear via Boing Boing Gadgets]

Animated Waterdrop Sculpture May Amaze, Make You Seasick

Kit Eaton — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 11:00:00 EDT

Less spine-tinglingly freaky than the eerie-eyeballed Opto-Isolator animated sculpture, the upcoming Waterdrop sculpture by Héctor Serrano Studio for Roca may have a different side-effect: seasickness. It's made of hundreds of moving vertical bars, each with a glowing tip, driven by motors to mimic in large scale the surface of a puddle after a water drop impact. Imagine: a darkened room with the repeating oscillations of a huge simulated sea surface. At the very least, it may make you wonder where the bathrooms are. On show at 100% Design London from 18 September. And if you can't make it, there's a video of the effect at the Waterdrop link. [Waterdrop via Designboom]

Nokia Pimps 8800 Cellphone With Carbon Arte Version

Kit Eaton — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 04:37:00 EDT

Nokia's just come up with a new entry in its Arte series of "jazzed up" cellphones with the 8800 Carbon Arte. The old slider phone now has panels of carbon fiber in its front and rear faces, along with titanium and stainless steel. Internally it looks like the phone is pretty much unchanged, though now its storage has been bumped up to 4GB from 1GB. It remains a tri-band GSM phone, though, and Nokia expects it to hit the shops in Europe by the end of the year for around $1,600. [Phone Arena]

NBC's Gemini Divison Debuts Windows Mobile 100

Jason Chen — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 19:30:00 EDT

I think NBC's web-only Sci Fi series The Gemini Division is about an alien, or a robot, or an alien robot that somehow got Rosario Dawson to be its girlfriend. I like that. I also like the Rosario somehow got her deliciously moisturized hands on what looks like a "Windows Mobile" phone, which Screen Junkies was kind enough to point out. That phone ain't Windows Mobile. If that phone is Windows Mobile, I'm Diane Keaton. And let me tell you, Diane Keaton is a lot manlier than I can ever claim to be (and looks nicer in a suit). Maybe buff alien robot guy brought it from wherever he came from and gave it to her as a present?

"Here honey, this is the new iPhone!"
"Why does it say Windows Mobile on it?"
*CHOKES HER*

Apologies for the spoilers. [Gemini Division via Screen Junkies]

RCA's 1969 Two Thousand TV Was Computerized Vision of Future, for $2,000

Kit Eaton — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 11:40:00 EDT

Back in 1969 RCA made an attempt at a high-end TV that was a vision of the sets of the year 2000. The Two Thousand was even made in a limited run of 2,000 and cost $2,000. That's around $12,000 in today's money, but for that price you got a 23-inch Hi-Lite tube that had "such a vivid, detailed picture" you could "even watch it in a brightly-lit room." There were even "computer-like "memory circuits" that stored your fave channels, and preserved settings for volume and picture control. That must've seemed like the future indeed in an era of dial-twiddle-tuning to find the right VHF channel. The full advert page makes fascinating reading.

"No motors, no noise and no moving parts to wear out," just computer-designed "electronic memories"... fabulous, especially since I remember hunkering down before our old TV to swirl the dial. My Dad used to get me to change the channels, as a kind of intelligent remote control. Nowadays my cat brushes past the touch-controls on my flat-screen LCD TV and does that job for me. [Paleofuture via Boing Boing Gadgets]

Lexus Nuaero Concept is Straight Out of Starship Troopers

Jack Loftus — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 21:00:00 EDT

Does one reach for a camera or a can of RAID when the Lexus Nuaero concept pulls into the driveway? Sure Jon Rådbrink's design looks incredibly cool, fast and futuristic; but then again I've also spent the last few minutes looking over my shoulder to see if Sigourney Weaver was about to burst from the wall in a load lifter to do battle with it in my office. As it turns out, there's a lot more to this design than just looks, and Rådbrink believes the car's "low weight and large presence" will be the way premium cars could be manufactured in the future. Oh, and it's loaded with tech, too.

To drive this catamaran-inspired luxury car, the driver would use a drive-by-wire steering pad and a completely customizable multi-point touch screen. Rådbrink contends that our hands are far more accurate for driving than our feet, so he's eliminated pedals. Everything is controlled via the steering wheel. "Since the car is powered by electrical motors [found in each of the four wheels]," Rådbrink says, "there is no transmission and you break intuitively by pushing the steering wheel away from your body."

The kicker is that this 14.5-ft. car is designed with lightweight materials meant to increase mileage and efficiency. How light is light? Try roughly the same weight as the diminutive SMART fortwo. "I believe that this design paradox of low weight and large presence could be the way we’ll define premium in the future," Rådbrink said. Just don't forget the futuristic airbags if this ever makes it into production. [Jon Rådbrink via DZEEN]

Silent Alarm Clock Wakes You Up With Good Vibrations, Smooths Roommate Relations

Elaine Chow — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 19:00:00 EDT

Back when I was in college, one of my most frustrating experiences involved a roommate in my dormitory apartment who mistakenly believed that she would be able to wake up daily for her 8:30am lecture series. Said roommate could sleep through an elephant parade. Oh how I seethed in the mornings as I clutched my pillow to my head, begging for the noise to pleasepleaseplease just STOP. If only this alarm were available back then. The Silent Alarm Clock, designed by Johan Brengesjo, uses a wireless rubber ring that vibrates to wake you up in a tactile, noiseless fashion. Though it's just a concept device right now, somebody ought to make and market one right quick. Think of how many friendships it could save! [Yanko Design]

Brunopasso: The Sports Car of Espresso Machines

Sean Fallon — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 08:00:00 EDT

Inspired by high-end Italian sports cars, designer Tadahito Ishibashi came up with the Brunopasso PD-1—an espresso machine that looks like it should be hauling ass down the highway. Outside of its sleek curves, the illusion is enhanced with dashboard-style gauges and a beechwood lever. But that is not where the similarities end—much like a sports car, the Brunopasso does not come cheap at $850. With Ferrari putting their brand on everything from laptops to Segways these days, I'm sure they are kicking themselves for missing out on this one. [Brunopasso via Tuvie via DVICE]

Weighing Seat: A Chair That Weighs Fatties, Farts

Sean Fallon — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 20:30:00 EDT

As if you didn't already feel fat enough, how does sitting on a chair that doubles as a scale sound? Indeed, the Weighing Seat concept from the design team at Atypyk reminds you of how fat you are getting every time you sit down to eat. It could very well be the most effective diet you have ever been on. Either that, or it will force you to start eating your meals standing up. But look on the bright side, you can finally start weighing your farts. Ever been curious about that? What, just Jason and I? Come on guys, admit it. [Atypyk via Likecool]

Compact Table Set Looks Like World War II Bomb

Jesus Diaz — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 07:50:00 EDT

This is not an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile head or an old World War II V-2 bomb or an alien monolith, but a set of table and chairs that will transform any terrace into a chill-out lounge, sans the Margarita and Manhattan cocktails. Here is how it unfolds:

Did I say chill-out lounge and cocktails? At last, it's Friday. So here's my favorite song to drink, relax, and daydream about the future.

[The Contaminated]

Spherical Washing Machine Saves Space and Aching Backs

Sean Fallon — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 18:40:00 EDT

It may not be as inconspicuous as the laundry lounge chair, but this Sfera spherical washing machine design does have a few notable advantages. First off, it is compact and it can be tucked away in the corner of a bathroom. Second, its rotating spherical tank makes unloading a breeze. All you need to do is turn it over and undo the hatch. The problem is that the Sfera doesn't appear to be viable in its current form. Issues like how the machine would work and whether or not it would be safe to wall mount are not addressed. Still, the concept is intriguing.

[Product Design Forums via The Design Blog]

Crummy Old Skis Make for Fancy New Media Shelf

Mark Wilson — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 10:15:00 EDT

It's rare that we come across a DIY project that we both: a) want to complete and b) feasibly could complete. But this project takes a used pair of wooden cross country skis and through the magic of just two brackets and a few screws, creates a media shelf with some pizazz. Plus, just spit-balling here, you could attach another set of skis inverted below the first set to create a gnarly wave effect. [Five Whys via Curbly]

KitRadio Teaches Electronics By Turning Components into Diorama

Kit Eaton — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 08:50:00 EDT

From Samuel Rhoads-Clarke, KitRadio is part DIY radio, part mini-artwork diorama. It's designed to teach you about the inner workings of a gizmo that we take for granted as a "black box" item nowadays, or "become familiar with the technology behind the product" as Samuel puts it. To that end, the wooden box and components with brass images attached are self-assembly, and create a tiny urban- or farm-scene diorama when they're completed. Sounds totally bizarre, and slightly cute at the same time... just the right thing to get techy kids interested. No word on whether it'll become a product rather than a prototype. [Dezeen]

Curvy Follo Washbasin Prevents Unsightly Crotch Splashes

Sean Fallon — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 20:20:00 EDT

It's not quite as cool looking as the Fossil Washbasin, but the Follo does have some unique features of its own. Instead of a standard drain, the Follo utilizes drainage grooves to reduce standing water. Plus, the curvy appearance is more than just eye candy—it is designed to reduce the embarrassing splashback that always seems to find its way to your crotch. As my fellow Giz editors have pointed out, the only problem is that it would be impossible to pee in. Such a shame—this design is dead to me now. The Follo will be available in a range of styles and configurations sometime before the end of the year.

[WMD London via Born Rich]

Dinosaur Light Scares Away the Monsters, Long-Term Girlfriends

Mark Wilson — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 09:30:00 EDT

The "T REX" dinosaur light combines some of our best memories from childhood: Puzzles, dinosaurs and interior decorating. Assembled from 16 pieces (of some mystery material), this $26 tyrannosaurus is ready to destroy any monsters still lurking in your closet. And please note, we said "monsters" not "skeletons"—that time you were reprimanded for hopping the counter at Dairy Queen and mouthing the soft serve spigot is not this poor lamp's cross to bear. [Brando]

Electrolux Connected Griller Seems Awesome For Social Cooking

Jason Chen — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 18:00:00 EDT

Chris Fox's Electrolux concept would be the missing piece in any Korean BBQ night out, if by "missing piece" you mean "a slight upgrade to what you currently have." Instead of one gigantic grill in the middle of the table, this concept links up many different cookers and plates via daisy chain and can all be powered by one outlet. Great for cooking your own meat to optimum tenderness, but even greater for having your own home BBQ without having to buy one of those industrial sized cookers. Just a design for now, damn it. [Yanko Design]

AlterEgo Shows Off Incredibly Realistic 3D Animated Faces

Elaine Chow — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 18:00:00 EDT

Pendulum Studios, the guys who brought you the in-game movies in Stuntman 2 and are working on the forthcoming Silent Hill 5, have released a couple videos showing off their AlterEgo team's proprietary facial performance software. The program brings out some of the most realistic and precise 3D animated expressions available to the market today. When you've finished watching the (kind of hilarious) video above, check out the company's hi-res demo videos as well. [Technabob]

Freewheeler Speaker Can Be Rolled Around: Yeah, That Makes it Worth $21,000

Sean Fallon — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 21:30:00 EDT

The Freewheeler speaker features a frequency response of 52 - 21,000 Hz, a 112dB output, a built-in FM receiver, a battery life of 8 hours and a wireless range of 656 feet— but I'm having trouble figuring out what makes it worth $21,000. Is it the fact that it is roughly the size of a Mazda Miata tire (only thicker) and can be rolled around? Because I'll be dammed if I'm paying that much for something I have to push. Still, 8 morons spent $1000 bucks on that stupid iPhone app so there is no telling what people will drop big money on.

[Made in Design via Technabob]

10 Unique Olympic Flame Cauldron Designs

Sean Fallon — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 18:20:00 EDT

Earlier this week, the NYT put together a timeline of the evolution of Olympic torches throughout the years. The guys at OObject have followed that list up with 10 of the most notable cauldron designs, and they make a good point while they are at it. While the cauldron was a part of the festivities since the original Athenian games, many people forget that the torch relay was conceived as Nazi propaganda. Kind of puts the whole Beijing relay protest situation into perspective. Like it or not, politics and the games go hand in hand. At any rate, it is interesting to see some of these cauldron designs compared side by side. [OObject]

Piano Doorbell Turns the FedEx Guy Into a Virtuoso

Sean Fallon — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 17:50:00 EDT

Musical doorbells are annoying enough, but what if you gave your visitors the freedom to express themselves creatively? That's exactly what designer Li Jian had in mind when he came up with the Pianobell. Unless you are friends with a lot of talented musicians, I don't see much of an upside here. On the other hand, it could be amusing to torture your FedEx guy with a bizarre form of performance anxiety. Fortunately for him, the Pianobell is only a concept at this point. [Labexp via Freshome]

Insect Lamp May Cause Smiles (or Nausea, Vomiting and Diarrhea)

Mark Wilson — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 17:30:00 EDT

For some of us, the cheapest lamp at IKEA will do. For others—especially those of us with doctors' orders to only read by illumination from insect—not any old fixture will work. No, those with Insect Luminance Disorder (ILD) require constant attention by lightning bug butt. However, when the bugs aren't mating, we can only recommend the Nymph lamp, the leading FDA-sanctioned artificial treatment for Insect Luminance Disorder (ILD). It will run you $2,600 and insurance companies are often reluctant to pay, but to those of you reading this from the faint light of a mason jar filled with half-dead bugs and a pile of grass, you'll know it's well worth the price. [site specific design via Geek Alerts]

Ridiculous Keyboard Napkin Crumb-Proofs Your Laptop

Sean Fallon — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 21:00:00 EDT

Chunky geeks that enjoy eating Cheetos while working on the computer would never have to worry about cheese covered fingertips again if they had keyboard napkin protection. And hey, you are working hard with all of that lifting, chewing and typing, which is why you can easily remove the napkin to wipe the sweat from your brow after the snacks are gone. Unfortunately, the keyboard napkin is only a concept at this point, so messy laptop users that sweat when they eat are SOL for now.

[Project Page via Swissmiss via Likecool]