What may have been good enough then (the first British-made washing machine), is a horrible piece of crap now. But of course, that's true for most types of machines ever made. [Science Museum]

The idea is simple—a mini countertop washing machine that can sanitize your germ-ridden kitchen towels. I mean, how often do you clean those things anyway? You probably have one draped over your faucet right now—stiff as a board. Imagine what kind of nasty things that towel must be crawling with. At this point, the machine is only a concept and there are no specific details on how the device might operate, but my feeling is that it would be more practical if it utilized UV light instead of soap and water to sanitize the towels. It would be greener and most likely take up less space. [Yanko via Home Tone via Cribcandy]

The OVO Washing Machine concept takes and ordinary front loader and swaps the clear glass panel for an information-packed display. So from across the room, you can see, hey, my socks have four minutes left, or, ooh, my favorite sports team just won the big game.

Just imagine your buddy calling you up for his next Super Bowl party. You politely decline. Because you, sir, have laundry to do. [Yanko via DVICE]

The only thing we can see is that you don't need to repeatedly bend down and unload the washing machine when the cycle's done, but you still have to dump your wet clothes into the dryer afterwards. This saves up to 60 seconds of time, but probably diminishes the washing capacity of the machine. Our LG has fins and jets on the side, whereas this just has holes for jets.

We think functionality trumps laziness this time—we'll pass. [Tuvie via DVICE]

Ryan Rose added an ethernet port and a limit switch to his washer to detect on/off cycles and transmit the data in a more forceful way than some lame "ding" sound. When Ryan's drawers are done, his washer sends the signal to a couple of LED signs in his living room that flash "WASH," as well as sending Tweets to his questionably-named Twitter account, Pimpy3Wash. It's actually pretty useful; clothes can get nasty when left to ferment in the machine, and I know I'm not the only one to get distracted by all the shiny things on the internet instead of keeping a careful watch on my duds. [MAKE via Technabob]

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]

[Product Design Forums via The Design Blog]

While the Alternative Clothes Cleaner unfortunately still remains in the realm of fantasy, I'd like to believe that someday an appliance like this will finally exist. Then we can all place bets on how many cosmopolitans I'd need to chug before I can pull out my unmentionables in front of the cutie two sofa-washers down. [DVICE]

I think it's the spin cycle. The tiny water-efficient unit rotates with incredible speed, making a sound that's somewhere between a pneumatic drill and a jet engine launch. During the first load of laundry we washed, Anya (the cat) stood three feet away trembling in fear.

She's a tough cat, so it's a bit disturbing to see her scared.

Anya raised one paw, ready to smack the mechanical beast down if necessary. We couldn't approach her to assuage her fears with pets/snuggles. She was busy in a battle for her/our lives.

Since that evening, it's gotten better, but only a little. Frequently, she sits in front of the washer when it's not in use, studying the slumbering beast for any weakness and knowledge of what makes it tick.

It's just a lousy situation, as there's no good solution here. (Imagine that conversation with our landlord. "You have to buy our cat new laundry equipment, sorry.") We have to give it time—time for our very loved pet to become less and less intimidated by an electronic device that doesn't even know she exists. Because there's simply no way to tell an animal that inanimate objects mean them no harm.

And while it's kind of funny for a moment or two, eventually you start to feel like a real jerk for keeping such electronics around. Has anyone out there had similar issues with their pets and gadgets?

Plus, the F636HT features a generator that can heat and treat your guns on the go—and the included solution is good can clean up to 1000 guns. Unfortunately, it won't make your guns softer and gentler to the touch nor will it leave your weapons with a fresh lavender scent. Oh, and it costs a whopping $7100. [Sonics Online via Ballerhouse via Uberreview]

Plus, it is as functional as it is attractive, with touch controls on the outer ring of the wash well and an LCD screen on the lid to monitor the progress of your crusty underwear. It even conforms to low power and water consumption standards—or at least it would if it ever made it into production. [Yanko Design]

We're not sure how useful this is—who spends all 40 minutes of the cycle standing in front of the washer?—but LG apparently has other ideas in mind. Oh crap, that reminds us that we left a wet load in the washer last night! – Jason Chen

A Washing Machine with Mp3 player by LG [Unwiredview]

A dispatch from the Clio awards [Slate]

OK, so it's just a washing machine. But a very quiet one because it uses Vibration Reduction Technology to, amazingly enough, reduce vibration from unbalanced loads. You know, like when you put 43 boxer shorts and only one T-shirt in it. Or something like that. According to Samsung, their tests show that it has "the lowest vibration and noise level of the front-loading washers tested" even while running at 1300RPM. More revolutions per minute and prices after the jump.

The 1300RPM is its maximum speed, which is supposed to have better cleaning powers and open worm holes between parallel universes. OK, maybe not the later, but at least it has been designated as Tier 3 on the Energy Star scale (the highest level) and it uses SilverCare technology to remove "odor causing bacteria in cold water without bleach." And that, my friends, is almost as cool as opening worm holes.

The Neat White model will wash $1299 out of your bank account, while the Tango Red, Onyx Blue and Stratus Gray will quietly grab $1399. – Jesus Diaz

But why would you want to claim the world's fastest washing machine? I can see why it might be useful for B&Bs or people with 87 children, but it's like boasting about having the world's cleanest car. And as far as my limited experience as a domestic goddess goes (dirty clothes? wear 'em in the shower) I don't think that 35 mins for a wash and 2 hours for a dry is particularly Bugatti-tastic. – Ad Dugdale

Speedster of a Washing Machine [UberGizmo]

Extra close pinup after the jump.

–Brian Lam

Samsung Washer [Akihabara News]

Transparent washing machine and air conditioner pics after the jump.

–Lisa Katayama

New Transparent Household Electronics [Tokyo Mango]

The drums have about 5,000 perforations, while most have about a 1,000, presumably to get better water flow during a cycle. And the front door is made from polycarbonate plastic, hard and light enough to be used in riot gear shields. There's also a pull out handle for moving it around. Which is cool, but really useless at the same time. Who moves a washer? Never mind the gripes, though. We just like it because its freaking purple. –Brian Lam

Dyson washing machine - 2-drum wash action [Appliancist]