Gizmodo: Gadgets, Household

The Figura Vacuum Bot Allows You To Boss It Around

Sean Fallon — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 18:00:00 EST

Does bossing your gadgets around make you feel like a big man? If so, you will love the Figura. It vacuums, waxes floors, and you can verbally abuse it to your heart's content.

Like the Roomba, it works autonomously—but you can order the Figura around with verbal commands like "clean up" or "get out of the way." Plus, the ability to wax floors makes it useful for people who have ditched carpet in favor of hardwood. A price has not been disclosed, but Japanese customers should be able to pick one up staring in April of 2009. [BotJunkie]

Disney's Innoventions Dream Home is a Big Ad For Microsoft and HP...But I Still Want It

Sean Fallon — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 21:00:00 EDT

Recently, Disney announced the grand opening of their new Innoventions Dream Home located in Tomorrowland in Anaheim, Calif. The construction was a collaborative effort between Disneyland, Microsoft, HP, Life|ware and home-builder Taylor Morrison—so naturally the home functions more as a big advertising campaign for current products than an actual "home of the future." Still, I wouldn't mind booting out the fictional Elias family from their 5000-square-foot home to get my hands on some of this tech.

Microsoft:

In addition to Microsoft technology we are already familiar with like Surface, Home Server, Vista, the Zune , Xbox 360 and the like (the home of the future is still running the 360?), there are a number of future technologies installed in the home that were inspired by innovations from their prototyping lab:

•Magic Mirror: A mirror projects different clothes, accessories and hairstyles onto each family member’s image when they stand before it. The clothes not only morph to the contours of the body, but also sway as the person in front of the mirror moves.

•Kitchen of Your Dreams: The kitchen recognizes ingredients as a family member sets them on the counter, suggesting recipes for those items and providing instructions once a recipe is selected.

•Story Time: Visit the child’s room to be transported to Neverland. Read “Peter Pan” aloud to absorb a full multimedia experience, as cues in the story set off lights, sounds, colors and video.

HP:

In the kitchen, HP has their TouchSmart PC keeping things organized and the iPAQ 510 Voice Messenger is available to make calls. In the living room the aforementioned iPAQ is connected to the Surface table to transfer and display photos. They can also be transferred wirelessly to any number of HP digital photo frames in the house as well as to the MediaSmart TV.

As for Life|ware, they provided much of the RFID technology and media center solutions that tied all of the technology together.

To get the full scoop on the home of the semi-present, hit the following press releases. [HP and Microsoft and Life|ware and Disney via Hemagazine]

Space Saving Ironing Board Ladder: As Smart As It Is Deadly

Sean Fallon — Tue, 20 May 2008 20:00:00 EDT

There is no doubt about it—space saving design is a big selling point these days. Take this ironing board ladder for instance. It combines the functionality of a step ladder and an ironing board in a single unit that can fold away for easy storage. It seems like a great idea, but there is something about the unnatural combination of functions that seems a little ominous to me. I mean, it only takes one idiot to find a way to kill themselves misusing something like this. Available for $99. [Tiny Living via BookofJoe]

Schlage Z-Wave Door Locks Can Be Controlled Remotely Using Internet Magic

Sean Fallon — Mon, 19 May 2008 18:20:00 EDT

Schlage is planning on taking door lock security into the internet age with a new lineup of Z-Wave devices that can be locked, unlocked and monitored from a cellphone or other web enabled device. By connecting a Z-Wave gateway to any broadband router, users will be able to take complete control of up to 256 locks—including creating and disabling passcodes as well as monitoring who accessed the door and when.

However, the features of the new line of Z-Wave door locks are not all positive. Apparently, the locks will not have companion keyfobs or other handheld RF devices for unlocking the door. The reason behind this move is that Schlage wants users to grow accustomed to using devices like their cellphone—but the bottom line is that will probably take an extra step or two to complete whereas waving a keyfob can be more convenient in certain situations—like when your arms are full. At this point, no pricing or release date information has been made available, but expect to pay more than the $150 price tag of their standard electronic lock. [CEpro]

DIY Party Button: For Emergency Use Only

Sean Fallon — Wed, 07 May 2008 20:30:00 EDT

You never know when a partying emergency will strike—which is why you must always be prepared. If you have the know-how, you can build one of these Emergency Party Buttons and launch the fun in a matter of moments. When the key is turned and the button is pressed, the blinds will close, the lights will dim, the stereo will blast, blacklights, laser lights and a strobe will come to life, and a fog machine will do its thing. To see it in action, check out the video after the break.

And don't worry—when the cops come, another press of the button will make the whole thing disappear as quickly as it started. If you want to build this system yourself, all you need is $634 in parts and the instructions outlined in the following link. [plasma2002 via MAKE]

Dyson 2008 Award Winner Rake n Take: For Picking Up Leaves or Dirty Laundry

matt buchanan — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 19:14:45 EDT

You'd expect first place in the 2008 Dyson awards to go something totally insane, like a vacuum that cleans your carpet and your colon simultaneously. But it actually went to this deceptively simple gadget designed by Ryan Jansen, the Rake n Take, which takes a lot of the suck out of raking leaves. Pulling up on the handle clamps whatever you're raking, so you you don't have to stoop and scoop. It would also be great for clearing your disgusting roommate's biohazardous socks out of your living room. Check it out in action after the jump.

Matroshka Living Concept: 43 Square Feet of Furniture is All You Need

Sean Fallon — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:00:48 EDT

During my last move I took great pleasure in purging my home of items that were doing nothing but taking up space. There is something very liberating about a style that is minimalist and compact—which is why this Matroshka living concept is so interesting. Taking a page from the Casuo apartment in a box, the Matroshka packs a whole lot into a small space. In fact, you can fit an L-shaped sofa, double bed, dinner table, four stools, total seating for 12, a home office workspace, wardrobe and storage in only a 43 square foot area.

As mentioned, the Matroshka is only a concept at the moment, but the designers are working hard to make their dream into a reality. If it does ever see the light of day, it could be a big hit with people who live in cramped city apartments. Plus, since it is capable of seating 12, you may actually be able to do a little entertaining. [Matroshka via NOTCOT via Treehugger]

Miscea Touchless Faucet Magically Spews Out Water, Soap, Who Knows What Else

Charlie White — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 19:40:00 EDT

This stainless steel Miscea faucet spares you the agony and grief of actually touching the soap dispenser when you're washing your hands, and it can also squirt out disinfectant or your choice of other goo, too.

Its motion control interface lets you control the flow by pointing at what you want, and you can even control the temperature of the water with a nonchalant wave of your hand. In the middle of its selector dial, it shows you the water temperature in a digital readout. This is one fab-looking faucet with its LED-lit edges, but it might be a bit inconvenient to plug the thing in when you're installing it, since it requires a 12-volt DC power supply. It might be worth it to amaze your clean-freak friends. [Born Rich]

Gold Man Toilet Attachment Thinks It's a Urinal

Charlie White — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 08:52:36 EDT

Gold Man promises to turn your ordinary toilet into a urinal. When it's time to pee, just place the Gold Man on the toilet, and there you have it, a big porthole for your piss that supposedly keeps all that messy splashing off the bathroom floor, walls and ceiling. When you're done, you simply place the Gold Man back on its specially made base that sits next to the toilet.

This goofy looking attachment might come in handy for men with profound aiming problems, or maybe guys with prostate trouble that causes them to spray rather than stream. The company also recommends the Gold Man for the occasional barfing session you may encounter, keeping your head out of the loo and perhaps avoiding an unintentional swirly.

Hey, wait a minute here.

You still have to clean the Gold Man, don't you? Its makers recommend using a shower spray to rinse it off after each use. Huh? Just spray it in the shower, and you're golden? That's going to be a lot of trouble; it would probably be easier to clean your bathroom after each use, or just pee in the shower. Forget this bullshit. Get a real urinal—we recommend the Kohler Bardon Touchless. – Charlie White

Product Page [Neorex Oy]

Knife Cabinet Imprisons Son of the Voodoo Knife Holder

Charlie White — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 14:30:00 EDT

Pity the poor little dude at the bottom of this knife cabinet, barely getting out of the way of the longest knife. This 11.5-inch mini-cabinet holds a variety of knives that you supply yourself, the longest one with a 9-inch blade. Get a 9.5-inch blade to really put the hurt on the poor little guy.

He must be related to that poor son of a bitch doing time as the Voodoo Knife Holder. – Charlie White

Product Page [The Wireless Catalog, via Boing Boing]

Vortex Vacuum-Powered Vibrator, For Those Stay-at-Home Moms

Travis Hudson — Wed, 16 May 2007 19:00:28 EDT

Hey ladies, ever take a look at that big manly beast of a vacuum and get turned on? No longer will that vacuum be no more than a cocktease. The Vortex Vibrator is a small extension that attaches to the end of your vacuum and provides hours upon hours of tantalizing fun. It works by directing the flow of air around your "ladybits to a fabulous orgasm," according to the girls at Shiny Shiny. After the jump, a video demo of the Vortex, which is unfortunately work safe and not by the Shiny Shiny girls.

I may not have any lady parts, but that looks like it would hurt. $70. –Travis Hudson

Product Page [Via Shiny Shiny]

Memo Motion Sensor Plays Your Message When Someone Walks In

Charlie White — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 13:10:00 EDT

Record a message on the Memo Motion Sensor, and as soon as someone enters the room it starts playing back. You'd better make that message brief, though, because you're limited to 10 seconds. Talk fast. At first we thought the recorder was sitting in a charging stand, but that's just a plastic parking place for this battery-operated device.

This seems like a good idea, but the dog may not much care what your messages are when he triggers playback by merely prancing into the room. It's available in Europe so far for €19.90 ($26.69), but we're hoping someone in the United States takes this idea and perfects it, giving you longer than 10 seconds to record your message, adding a sensitivity control to reduce false alarms and making its battery rechargeable. – Charlie White

Product Page [getDigital, via Coolest Gadgets]

Great Find-All Helps the Forgetful Cope With Their, Uh ... Forgot What I was Going to Say

Charlie White — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 13:30:46 EST

We all have ways of coping with our forgetfulness, but the Great Find-All could solve that problem once and for all. You just attach the four transponders to items you don't want to forget, and then when it's time to go, just press the corresponding button on the remote control and each of the items will make its own little musical sound to help you find it.

Sure, there are single whistling keychain devices, but this maxi-model with its four satellites can cover even the most forgetful dolt. This looks like an Asia-only item for now, but with all the forgetful people stateside, it could be a sales bonanza here. For god's sake, bring it here now. – Charlie White

Japan revolutionizes the whistling keychain [Akihabara News]

Hook Box Combines Two Conveniences In One

Charlie White — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 09:48:17 EST

Small inventions like the Hook Box can make a big difference in your quality of life. Mount these ceramic hooks to the wall, and immediately have a place to hang your coat with a small storage bin just above, a suitable waystation for things you'll need to grab or get rid of when you depart or arrive such as keys, sunglasses and your wallet.

Now if they could just put a small power outlet for charging up your cellphone inside that mini-bin, it would be the ultimate in convenience. Unfortunately, this looks like just a concept—we're not seeing any place to buy these yet. Someone, manufacture these for sale already. – Charlie White

Designer's Page [Luca Nichetto, via Spluch]

Do-It-All Designer Toilet Cleans Up By Itself

gizmodocontributor — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 06:27:30 EDT

If you thought Japanese toilets were already the stuff of legend, then think again and check out Matsushita's latest work of art — the designer-made, self-cleaning, near-silent, iPod-loving audio crapper.

The Naoto Fukazawa-designed CH1001M will set you back ¥388,500 (US$3,253) but it's clearly worth twice that. For starters, what other bathroom appliance is made of space-age acrylics that repel shit so effectively they need to be cleaned only every three months?

Then there's the 60-micrometer soap bubbles that sweep away every last molecule of goo, or consider the built-in lighting for sleepy-head peeing comfort. Perhaps the onboard repertoire of music and nature sounds floats your boat? Failing that, the presence of an audio-in jack for connecting your favored MP3 player surely makes you reach for the Amex. You know you want it. – Jonny Hiratsuka

Self-cleaning toilet [Kaden Watch]

Puzzle Alarm Clock Presents Mild Challenge, Wakes You Up

Charlie White — Thu, 02 Mar 2006 12:44:55 EST

If you ve snoozed through one-too-many alarms and then way overslept, Bim Bam Banana s Puzzle Alarm Clock will give you a quick intelligence test that is bound to wake you up before it will stop its incessant honking. As soon as you can assemble the four puzzle pieces that are popped up into the air at your predesignated time, the thing will finally shut up. That should be just enough commotion to assure that you won't go drifting back into la-la land. You ll pay $52 for that privilege.

Product page [Bim Bam Banana, via popgadget]

Sharp AX-700S Superheated Steam Oven

Charlie White — Tue, 21 Feb 2006 15:28:21 EST

Next time you have to suffer through another one of those bone-dry turkey dinners at Aunt Mabel's, you'll wish she had a Sharp AX-700S Superheated Steam Oven. The company is touting the health benefits of food prepared using steam cooking. The AX-700S combines conventional heat with steam that's been superheated to 550 F, condensing and melting away the fat in meat and poultry while keeping the taste and moisture inside. Plus, when you want to bake or heat up things that should be crispy, it can also function as a conventional oven. Available now, the only downside to this great-sounding concept is the price: $1,400.

Superheated Steam Oven [Pop Gadget]

Sharp AX-700S Superheated Steam Oven on sale for $1199.99 [Amazon]

Fresh Out of the Water Closet

Charlie White — Sat, 04 Feb 2006 12:04:53 EST

OK, all you weekenders, get your minds out of the gutter and into the toilet, because here's all the latest potty news. First of all, there's a new toilet seat by Aspidor that uses an induction fan with a charcoal filter to take away that, uh, aroma that finds itself wafting away from the water closet. The thing reacts to body warmth, turning on its little fan when you sit on it. And, you don't even have to plug it in, because it has a rechargeable battery. It's $349.

Speaking of toilet seats, there s reportedly a heated toilet seat craze sweeping the United States. Toilet maker Todo, a Canadian company with factories in Mexico, announced it will open up a new manufacturing facility to keep up with the burgeoning demand for the warmed-up seats, which are enormously popular in Japan. A heated toilet seat, you say? Don't knock it til you ve tried it. Some of your favorite Gizmodo writers use one every day, and that 98.6-degree seat sure makes a cold room seem a lot warmer early on a winter's morning.

And lastly in our potty-mouthed roundup are a couple of toilet-centric toys. Here's where Mr. Poopy and Mr. Pee-pee come out to play in all their plush-toy splendor. Teach the little ones all about toilet training with these two whimsical companions, the Pee & Poo Dolls Duo Pack by Emma Megitt. And, if you accidentally drop one of them into that well-ventilated loo with the heated toilet seat, don't get pissed. It's OK, they're washable. Get the pair for $44, I shit you not.

The Aspidor No Odour WC [Red Ferret]

Heated Toilet Seats [Shiny Shiny]

pee & poo dolls duo pack

How Many Gizmodo Writers Does It Take to Change a Light Bulb?

Charlie White — Fri, 27 Jan 2006 09:17:18 EST

Two. One to actually do most of the light bulb changing and another to give it a snarky, sarcastic and surprising twist at the end. Well, if that light bulb in question somehow gets separated from its base and those two writers are left holding a dangerous broken light bulb in hand, this $8 EaseOut Bulb Remover will make it easy to reach inside there and twist out the remains of that hapless light bulb s base. That thing that looks like a CD is actually supposed to be a safety shield, protecting sensitive, all-seeing eyes from stray shards of glass. Best of all, the entire tool is nonconductive so there's no danger of any shocking experiences.

[Cue the snarky writer now] What? Huh? Sorry. I wasn't paying attention.

Safe Light Bulb Removal [Productdose.com]

I.C. Can Self-Chilling Container

Travis Hudson — Fri, 29 Jul 2005 13:21:35 EDT

The entire concept of self-chilling and heating beverage containers seems cool at first, but by no means is this a fad that will revolutionize the drinking world. Prices will be high and there is something about having an 8th grade science chemical reaction going on underneath the beverage that will be consumed. Regardless I.C. Can is nearly complete on their final model of the self-chilling can. The can will drop at least 30 Fahrenheit in just a few minutes after the reaction takes place. Call me old fashioned, but I ll stick with my ice cubes and refrigeration. [Thanks, Josh!]

Self-chilling beverage can [Griffology]

I Can't Believe It's Not Marble

gizguest — Tue, 19 Jul 2005 12:11:51 EDT

Christiaan Oppewal and Silvijn van der Velden design furniture like only Dutchmen can. These chairs look anything but comfortable and appear to be made of stone and other nasty, cold materials. However, they are really made of polyester and are extremely comfy.

The price is between 4,450 and 5,650 euros which means that when you go into a store selling these in Amsterdam they'll kind of smirk at you and whisper "Poor American, his currency is so undervalued." Then you'll leave and buy a $10 Coke.RD

Ontwerpers.

Sausage Carving

johnb — Tue, 19 Jul 2005 11:40:26 EDT

Jurgen, our eBay Ninja, found this charming little site that teaches you how to carve hot dogs into little shapes. Apparently the people in Japan are so bored they have to resort to making sausage elephants and reading Manga. Give them a paintbrush and some primer. They can come over and paint my stairs.

Sausage Carving Page [Nipponham via LastMinute-Auction]

Smooth Wake-Up Light

gizguest — Tue, 19 Jul 2005 04:46:51 EDT

Japanese company Matsushita has released a wake-up light that gradually brightens at 30 minutes before a set time. That in itself is nothing new, but the lamp also makes bird-chirping sounds two minutes prior to the alarm time, rendering horrific, shrieking demon birds in your dreams. If that "chirp chirp" is too cheesy for you, you can opt for a slightly less cheeky version and set it to wake you with a "melody that blends the sounds of a music box and tinkling glass."

The noise is emitted at a frequency of 3,000 to 4,000Hz, which, according to the company, is specially calibtrated to awaken the brain. -RD

Wake-up Light [Nikkei]

The "Kick-Me Please" Lamp

gizguest — Tue, 19 Jul 2005 03:10:24 EDT

K-On is a lamp attached to a pole. To turn the light on and off, just give it a good punch. Another version of the lamp lays like a big ball on the floor waiting to be kicked.

Spanish designers Hector Serrano and Lola Llorca had the idea a few years ago as part of their hilarious Manolo Is Gonna Have Fun project but they never commercialized it. Too bad. -RD

K-on [Progetto25zero1]
I Like Football (On Sunday Afternoon) [Manolo Is Gonna Have Fun]

BYO Outdoor Misting System

johnb — Mon, 18 Jul 2005 14:00:08 EDT

With only a fan, a spray bottle, and a little love, you, too, can cool your mottled, puffy skin with a sweet mist. While I'd fill my spray bottle with a little kerosene and create a beautiful light show for my neighbors, you can hook yours up to the garden hose for hours of delightful misting action.

Building an outdoor mist cooling system [Grynx]