Of course, this particular foosball coffee table isn't completely handcrafted—but I doubt you will mind. What it does have is a poplar frame, hand-carved handles and a tempered glass top. I don't know if I would put this sort of thing in my living room or anything—but it would be perfect in a den, media room or game room. [Hammacher via The Green Head]

First, the unsuspecting mouse enters into a baited opening in the leg of the coffee table. Once inside, an infrared motion sensor detects the mouse and closes the door behind it. Apparently, the mouse will be forced into a compartment housed underneath the center of the table—a compartment that is actually a functioning fuel cell. In other words, the mouse will be "consumed" as fuel for its next victim.

Yeah, nothing better than watching a mouse die a horrible death while you put your feet up to watch Chuck with a bowlful of mac and cheese. Obviously, I wouldn't expect this one at your local Ikea anytime soon.

[Material Beliefs via Apartment Therapy via Gizmodiva]

We've seen iPhone coasters before, and those were bad enough, but this take things to a whole new level. Also: it's made completely out of cardboard, making it tacky on multiple levels. Seriously, people, control your gadget fetishes, otherwise you'll turn into the guy with a cardboard iPhone for a coffee table. [iLounge via TechDigest]

For those who already have a PC of their own to stick inside, the table is a available gutted of its computer components but still packing all of the joysticks and handy ports. In this bare bones configuration, the table runs about $4,000. Fully loaded with the PC and two packs of games, the system is priced at $4,900. (Those prices include delivery and VAT in the UK.)

Of course, there are other options if your cheap or like your MAME furniture in black. But this Surface Tension table is the most stylish tabletop arcade setup we've seen yet. [Surface Tension via Bornrich]

[Freshwest via Luxist via MoCo Loco]

It's not the best video, but you can see what's going on. Players on each edge of the table block the balls that keep increasing in number to cooperatively boost the score until someone can't keep up. Aside from old-school games, the table can also display some pretty great graphics:

Think of it as a DIY Lite-Brite (although I still want the Luminodot). [Sparkfun]

Kyle spent months putting this together, starting with a scanned image of his original NES control. This he then simply scaled up, carefully crafting each piece out of MDF and hacking his own wiring onto a broken old controller board. The glass top was the final touch, to protect those giant buttons, and inside there's plenty of storage. I guess if you're up for some giant 8-bit game-controlling action you'd probably need someone else on hand.

So, it's not exactly the highest of tech, but, like all the best ideas, it's a simple one. And I love it. [UltraAwesome via Tech Digest]

A cat, for instance, would be followed by LEDs as it walked across the table. Once sitting, only its moving parts would be responded to, such as its tail. It's good that the table only uses 35 Watts of power when fully active, or else mesmerized guests would run your coffers absolutely dry. Each 62" long, 31" wide, and 18" high table is made to order and starts at around $2,500. Check out the gallery if you're comfortable with the idea of a table entertaining guests better than you can. [Because We Can via coolest-gadgets]

But most of all, the Harvard Casino Coffee Table reminds us that smart design—not overhyped technology—drives innovation. – Mark Wilson

Product Page [via uberreview]

This coffee table mod will cost around $4,772. So, yeah, somewhat on the pricey side. – Nicholas Deleon

Stephen Johnson's Coffee Table PC [Chip Chick; original article found in the August issue of T3 magazine]

"...where 2 flying creatures encounter each other. In a serendipitous moment, they flirt. We inhabit this table in ways beyond mere physicality. Like a landscape painting, we allow our minds to immerse in this imaginary scene."

Whatever. All mumbo-jumbo aside, if you have the right-sized cups and glasses, this could be a functional design for a coffee table. Sorta. The trick is to keep those cups and glasses from tilting over into the cracks, and don't try putting your car keys on it. One thing's for sure—it ain't child-proof.

Flip Flap [Artichoke Studio via Moco Loco]