Gizmodo: Coffee Table

Super Soaker Coffee Table

Jason Chen — Wed, 28 May 2008 18:20:00 EDT

Jellio's Candy Table doesn't actually have candy inside (which would be tooth decayingly fantastic), but it does have super soaker-like squirt guns. Not the new, lame super soakers, but the old simple ones from the early '90s. We're not sure if it's actually a real Super Soaker or just a replica, but in either case, you get a coffee table's worth of them for $350. That's actually not too bad for a coffee table; especially one that you can use to hydrate yourself. [Jellio via Boing Boing Gadgets via Dvice]

NES Controller Mod, May Just be Most Fun Coffee Table Ever

Kit Eaton — Fri, 09 May 2008 07:40:53 EDT

Forget touchscreen, solar powered or even self-destructing coffee tables... Kyle Downes has modded the coffee table into its best version ever: a retro-tastic NES controller. Just look at the sleek lines, the high quality finish and classy glass top. And then giggle at the fact that it actually works. Don't believe it? Check out the video after the gallery.

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]

The Wave LED Coffee Table Provides Motion-Seeking Light Show

kevinhall2 — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 18:00:00 EDT

Here's an interactive LED coffee table that refuses to simply table your coffee—it twinkles and sparkles, reacting to movement. The Wave uses 32 near-infrared sensors which observe the space above the table and any motion detected is mimicked with trails of light and color from 480 LEDs.

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]

Harvard Casino Coffee Table

Mark Wilson — Sun, 13 May 2007 11:00:42 EDT

While gambling may be a sinful cause of families falling apart, coffee is a less frowned upon addiction. Enter the $298 Harvard Casino Coffee Table: the perfect balance between City of Sin sensibility and Middle America hypocrisy. While the conservative top layer is comprised of fine oak, the three secret layers below hold roulette, craps and blackjack. It's the perfect setup for when you're gambling with your police buddies and the real cops bust in.

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]

Homebrew Coffee Table PC

Gizloco — Wed, 09 Aug 2006 11:42:01 EDT

Forget a coffee table book about coffee tables, Stephen Johnson has created a coffee table PC mod (not the only one, mind you) sure to be welcomed in any geek's home. The coffee table houses a computer with a 160GB hard drive, TV tuner and an LCD for weather forecasts. It's water-cooled, too, which is the international symbol of a computer nerd. Built-in Wi-Fi rounds out the package, so streaming downloaded TV shows syphoned off the Dark Net is entirely possible. Looks like Johnson found a clever way to integrate a computer into the home theater.

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]

Flip Flap Coffee Table Does Double Duty

Charlie White — Tue, 28 Mar 2006 11:38:35 EST

Flip Flap, a coffee table designed by Artichoke Studio's Han Kiang Siew, functions as a tabletop and magazine rack at the same time. To hear the artist tell it, it's like a landscape...

"...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]

HP Misto Coffee Table PC

Charlie White — Wed, 22 Feb 2006 14:15:55 EST

HP celebrated its 40th anniversary of selling overpriced printer ink by revealing Misto, a concept from its labs that combines a coffee table with a touch-screen PC. The giant screen, of undetermined resolution, would be used by a group, which would gather around and play board games, look at maps, or arrange pictures for viewing. Since it's just a concept, there is no indication of when or if it will be developed, and if so how much it will cost. No question, it certainly won't be cheap—this is a coffee table that doesn't exactly invite you to put up your feet.

HP Labs marks 40th with high-tech coffee table [CNet]