So much in love with shiny new toys, it's unnatural.
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The WaSnake shelf concept by designer Jean Louis Frechin not only holds your stuff, it also features connectivity that allows it to display news from chosen RSS feeds and even SMS messages. Plus, the whole unit is highly configurable so you could find a spot for it on nearly any wall in your home.
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I suppose it goes without saying, but the design team at Non-Object took all of the things we have learned about making motorcycles and threw them in the trash, pooped in the trash, then lit the can on fire when they came up with the "nUCLEUS"concept bike. Outside of the obvious design features, this "square against air" electric motorcycle includes a hydraulic system that lowers the body to the ground when idle and then raises it up when in motion—but all I can think of when I look at it is the word "drag." Again, this bike is only a concept, so don't expect to see it on the street anytime soon. [Yanko Design]
Have an office without a window? Put down the sledgehammer and try one of these faux skylights or windows from The Sky Factory. Simply put, their SkyCeilings and Luminous Virtual Windows are photographic illusions that give users the impression that they have a beautiful outdoor view when, in reality, they are stuck in a gloomy, windowless prison.
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If you can guess what this is at first glance then you're a better man than I ...
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concept
12:10 PM on Wed May 7 2008
By Kit Eaton
6,180 views,
12 comments
Latest by foureight84: you can get lazier by allowing people to code their own os for the phone. more »
Tim Dubitsky's Hood.e concept was originally intended as a safer way for his nephew to walk to school and listen to music at the same time. Apparently, his route takes him across busy streets which could be dangerous for someone wearing earbuds or headphones. With the speakers embedded in the hood, users can ditch the earbuds and cords while still being able to hear the music and ambient noise. At this point, the Hood.e has not made it past the concept stage, but the idea is definitely a hell of a lot better than some of the other crap out there. UPDATE: Hood.e is not a concept, it is an actual product you can purchase now for $160. [Hood.e via Core77]
design
Your goldfish may never truly be free, but if you had one of these infinity aquariums you can trick them into thinking they are thanks to a design that "loops the fish around in an infinite tunnel of water and glass." It's like a mini fortress of solitude for your little underwater friends—giving them a life precious semi-freedom before you unceremoniously flush them down the toilet. Not surprisingly, the "Swimming Around In Circles" aquarium is only a concept at this point.
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I understand that there are many people out there who can't face the day without a cup of coffee. Hell, I'm guzzling a black coffee down as I write this. However, I draw the line at having an emotional, "intimate" experience with my delicious bean-based beverage—the kind of experience that the HeartBeans grinder promises to deliver. According to the project page, HeartBeans utilizes a motor inside a mahogany shell that measures the pace of the user's beating heart. By operating in sync with the heartbeat, it is intended to "induce an experience of intimacy with the process of making coffee" while producing a different flavor with each use.
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Mukesh Ambani, head of Mumbai-based petrochemical giant Reliance Industries, is ranked as the fifth richest man in the world with a net worth of $46 billion. Unlike billionaires like Warren Buffet who reside in modest accommodations, Ambani is going balls-out with his new home. In fact, the home he calls "Antilla" will be the world's most expensive residence when the four-year building project is completed this January. When all is said and done, the 22-story Mumbai Tower it is based on will reach 550 feet into the sky with an absurd 400,000 square feet of interior space at a total cost of $2 billion. So what accommodations does that kind of coin buy you?
Face it, that box you live in ain't no palace. When you can pee in the toilet from the living room, it's time to start finding ways to maximize your precious square footage. I may not be able to convince you to throw out your old, ratty chairs or your college textbooks that refer to the US as having 48 states, but in this week's Thank Giz It's Friday roundup, I can offer you some insanely clever space-saving ideas that will help make some sense of the chaos.
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You may recognize Alphagrip from their bizarre line of handheld keyboard/trackball mouse hybrid controllers—but by the looks of their entry into Microsoft's Next Gen PC design competition, it appears that they are planning on taking things a step further by integrating a computer screen. The controller itself is basically a beefed-up version of their previous product—a design intended to maximize typing speed, conveniences and comfort. 
Exposed cables can be downright hideous or damn near artistic depending on the situation. Apparently, when South Korean designer Kwangho Lee sees a mess of tangled wires, he thinks "art." The concept behind these "lamp sculptures" was to strip lights down to the bare essentials and weave the exposed cable into intricate designs. Whether the final result can be considered art is a matter of opinion—but I can tell you that I won't be hanging one of these in my apartment anytime soon. [MoCo Loco via Gearfuse]
If you had $15 million to spend on a home, would you choose to drop that cash on this concept home set to be built in a Cotswold nature reserve? Apparently that is just what an anonymous buyer did recently, making the "Orchid House" the UK's most expensive country home—and it won't be completed for three years. For that money the buyer (rumored to be in the entertainment industry) will get a home shaped like a bee orchid that should produce more energy that it consumes thanks to an underground pump and geothermal heating. Great, so the house will pay for itself in about a 1,000 years. Additional pic after the break.
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7:50 PM on Tue Apr 29 2008
By Sean Fallon
11,824 views,
39 comments
Latest by iomatic: @Ubik2501: Very nice reference. wagers on World of Starcraft as the next big MMOG? more »
This unique foosball table dubbed "Toto Treme Terra" is a project recently unearthed by designer Chelpa Ferro. Not much is known about the hardware fitted into this thing, but it certainly does look intimidating. What we do know is that it results in a game of foosball with some unique sound effects. An audio clip is available on the project page link—but it would be a pity if that was all those speakers were used for. [Project Page via VVORK via Likecool]
We have all seen those gadgets that display the time or a message using a rapidly oscillating wand fixed with tiny LEDs. However, only designer Jacky Wu was clever enough to apply this technology to a jump rope. After all, it makes perfect sense—as you jump, the device records each revolution then displays that figure (along with time and calories burned) using LEDs embedded on the rope.
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gadgets
If growing up in upstate New York has taught me anything, it's that shoveling snow really, really sucks. The I-Shovel is a new device that promises to automate this task—much like the Roomba and the Husqvarna lawnmower have done for other annoying chores. According to the project website, the I-Shovel can automatically detect snow accumulation and clear the driveway when it deems that the snowfall is significant enough to be cleared.
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