Gizmodo: Furniture

Venus Crystal Chair, Probably Manufactured on Krypton

Mark Wilson — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 09:00:00 EDT

Tokujin Yoshioka likes chairs as much as the next chair designer, but he's not accustomed to using standard building materials. His latest project, the Venus Chair, is not built but grown. He shapes a sponge-like substrate called polyester elastomer into a sort of chair skeleton and then submerges it into a tank to grow crystals inside and out. The result is fit for Superman, except he'd never fit in this tiny scale model. He'd need something more like this full-blown La-Z-Boy version:

Style hurts, my friends. And sometimes it even punctures the skin. (Unless you're Superman, in which case it just rides up your crack a bit.) [de zeen via core77]

Disappearing Pool Table Adds Secret Agent Awesomeness To Your Game Room

Elaine Chow — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 02:30:00 EDT

Everybody knows that no real bachelor pad is complete without a pool table, but if you want f@$#ing awesome bachelor pad status, you gotta have it rise from the floor James Bond-style. This ridiculous mod uses a side-sliding trap door in the floor and a hydraulic lift to make a pool table appear where there was none before. Wooooweee, is that your pool cue or are you just happy to see me? [Ballerhouse -Thanks A.J.!]

Pipe Toilet Leads to Elementary Humor

Mark Wilson — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 12:30:00 EDT

We do not know if Sherlock Holmes had the customary stomach troubles related to his opium habit, but if he did, we'd like to think that such problems were reasoned out into this "Ms. Hudson" pipe shaped commode. The winner of a recent Russian bathroom design contest, this particular toilet seems to have to advantages over a normal toilet, except that if you lean back into the seat it might flush automatically. And why we would want such a dangerously splashy feature is a mystery beyond our comprehension. [2-B-2 via Yanko Design]

The Recycled Plastic Bag Chair is Anything but Trashy

Mark Wilson — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 11:15:00 EDT

Anyone who's read about the sickening, Great Pacific Garbage Patch will know that plastic is a danger to the environment. But this plastic bag chair will make it all OK for the next few minutes as the reality of man destroying the planet melts away to cute furniture. Designed by Ryan Frank, the seat is constructed from recycled aluminum coated in plastic shopping bags. And it not only looks fashionable—it looks comfortable (though the reality is probably more akin to sitting on cold metal once your butt sinks through the plastic). Frank didn't come up with the idea entirely on his own, however. This piece inspired him first:

Created in South America, the sculpture is named "Inkuku," which translates to "chicken." And it's a bit more impressive than your standard, tacky, rubber poultry. [Ryan Frank via Curbly]

The Herman Miller Embody Chair, or Aeron Part II

Mark Wilson — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 17:40:00 EDT

Can Man place a pricetag on the comfort of his rump? Yes. Yes he can. And the Embody chair—the sequel to the iconic, $1.5 billion grossing Aeron chair by Herman Miller—is probably way, way too good for your posterior at its $1,600 asking price. But that doesn't mean you can't gawk for a while.

Built from non-toxic and ecologically sustainable materials, the Embody is 96% recyclable. Though its mass appeal, of course, will be comfort. Packing seven different knobs and levers for every kind of adjustment you could desire, the seat is comprised of four layers—the bottom is a series of plastic bands providing suspension, the second is a sheet of coils for support, the third is a system hexagonal rings that shift with your weight and the final layer is a mesh that allows air circulation to keep the sitter cool.

The chair makes wild claims, like lowering a user's heart rate and helping oxygenate the blood stream. We can't affirm or deny such points, but we're pretty sure that the Embody is the snazziest looking office chair we've ever seen. And that's good enough for our butts. [Fortune via DVICE]

Car Hood Coffee Tables Brings the Garage Into the Living Room

Adam Frucci — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 16:10:00 EDT

If you're looking for a coffee table with a bit more personality than yet another flatpacked piece of furniture from Ikea, take a look at Joel Hester's awesome handmade coffee tables.

They're all made out of the hoods of vintage American cars, making every table one of a kind and each one coming with what I can only assume is a light scent of gasoline. Not only are they beautiful, but they're also environmentally friendly: each table represents a hood that's not in a landfill and a tree that didn't have to turn into a table. They start at $850 and he also makes bed frames, desks and other furniture out of hoods. [Joel Hester via CoolHunting]

Poufman Luxury Leather Seats Are Like Pac-Man Biting Your Bum

Kit Eaton — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 08:20:00 EDT

Pac-Man-like padded seats, kitted out in leather and with accompanying power-pill-like stools...sounds like a fabulously retro way to pay furniture-y homage to the '80s arcade game. The Poufman seating sets come in a bunch of colors, but retro gamers keen to dot them about their homes had better have made lots of dollars in the time since the '80s: the price of these things is unknown, and not listed on the maker's website. And we all know what that means. [Product via Technabob]

Flippable Solar-Powered Lamp Keeps Track of Energy Consumption via Wi-Fi

Sean Fallon — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 13:40:00 EDT

This unique "Spark" lamp concept comes from the far away land of Sweden where the government is planning to install smart energy meters on new homes. The meters are designed to keep track of energy consumption and relay that data over the internet for customers. The lamp uses Wi-Fi to tap into that data and changes colors for a 3-second interval to indicate how current levels of consumption match up to the monthly goal.

It also features a unique "flippable" design that resembles a potted plant when it is gathering solar energy and functions as a lamp when it is turned over. The Spark lamp is actually a very clever concept, but it is not yet available in Sweden, much less anywhere else in the world. [Psysorg via EcoGeek via Clean Technica]

12 Gadgety Trading Floors: Just in Time for Today's Wall Street Crisis

Sean Fallon — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 19:20:00 EDT

As I'm sure you already know, the Dow dropped 500 points today on the news of a Lehman Brothers bankruptcy filing and a $50 billion stock buyout of Merrill Lynch by Bank of America Corp. This tag team of devastation sent stocks spiraling down in the worst tumble we have seen since the 9/11 attacks. Therefore, OObject couldn't have picked a better time to drop their list of 12 gadgety trading floors and equipment. My favorite is hedge fund manager Adam Sender's 20-monitor setup. I bet every damn one of them is flashing some sort of big red warning right about now. [OObject]

Modular Kar Chairs Reward the Skinny-Butted

Mark Wilson — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 11:30:00 EDT

For those who enjoy pizza by the slice, these Kar chairs operate in a similar fashion. Each piece is ordered individually to add a layer of thickness to the seat until your desired dimensions are met, combined until you build a chair (small), loveseat (medium) or football bench (X Large - future gastric bypass). Also of note, those who enjoy numerous pizza slices will find a corresponding satisfaction sitting in the seats with more slices. Each Kar module runs $150, so plan on eating in for a while to afford an entire chair. [Opulent Items via bltd]

Futuristic Origami Desk Cut and Folded from a Single Sheet of Steel

Sean Fallon — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 16:20:00 EDT

No doubt about it, this is one bad-ass-looking desk. But the 3Fold from Formtank is more than just a striking visual design—it is also impressive because it was cut and folded from a single sheet of steel using CAD/CAM technology. Formtank bills it as an excellent CEO desk, which is why it takes CEO money to buy one. Constructing your own version starts at around $7,000. [Formtank via Core77 via Boing Boing]

LightMate Pillow Looks Like Glowing Hentai Splooge Monster That Molests You to Sleep

matt buchanan — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 14:45:00 EDT

Designed by artist Francesca Lanzavecchia, NightMates are "soft anthropomorphic pillows and warming lamps" that are supposed to keep you company (and comfy) at night. They come in different sizes, depending on how much anthropomorphic love you need, but you might wanna stick with the smaller ones that are more like Glo-Worms—the full sized ones are more than a little creepy, like something that slithered off the cover of one of my roommate's NSFW manga collection to do wrong things to you while you sleep. [LightMate via BB via popgadget]

Daewoo Takes Room Divider into 21st Century: Digital Screens in the Screen

Kit Eaton — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 07:13:00 EDT

Folding screens (that occasionally useful piece of furniture, and classic movie prop) get a dab of 21st Century tech with the DID-FS from Daewoo. The old-fashioned wooden frame is there, but supplemented by four LCD widescreens, mounted vertically. That leaves you free to choose what pictures you're using to break up your living space into themes. It'll probably leave you with an empty wallet too, given current LCD prices for displays that big, but there's no info on pricing or availability. That doesn't stop me from lusting after this though... maybe I can achieve the same effect with some MDF, a Dremel and a couple of cheapo LCD photo frames from the local store? [Born Rich]

Virtual Lake Floating Lounge Brings the Sandman Every Time

Sean Fallon — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 15:30:00 EDT

Even the most crippling insomnia is surely no match for the Gentle Wave lounge. Using a handheld remote, users can control a rocking motion that is designed to simulate floating in a lake. It can also be used to manage the intensity of the sound wave massage emanating from its dual 50-watt transducers. Combine that with a supine posture and memory foam chair, and your problems with insomnia will be replaced by the fear of slipping into a coma. However, at $7,000, I will be sticking to drinking a few beers and falling asleep in the pool on a $15 SpongeBob raft. [Hammacher Schlemmer via Likecool]

Pininfarina Xten Ergonomic Office Chair Makes Sedentary Look Speedy

Jack Loftus — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 10:00:00 EDT

Believe it or not, this Pininfarina Xten office chair is only three degrees of separation away from failed Gizmondo exec Stefan Eriksson. But before we begin that game, let's delve deep into this $3,000 office chair, shall we? The seat cups your nether region with "Technogel," which the designers claim reduces spreadsheet and coding fatigue by 60% (fatigue? from sitting down?). The gel is coated with Dynatec fabric, an Olympic games staple that wicks away sweat from the bodies of today's athletes. No swamp ass for you! The chair also comes in a range of colors. Feisty. I like that. But what of Eriksson? Here's a hint: Ferrari.

The degrees of separation go thusly:

The xten chair is the spawn of Pininfarina, an Italian design firm. Pininfarina designs many things, like cell phones and alarm clocks, but chief among them is the ultra-rare Ferrari Enzo. Eriksson is probably best known for wrecking his Enzo on a highway, sawing it in half, and walking away relatively OK so he could continue to make shitty portable gaming devices. And scene.

We have no idea whether or not Eriksson has an xten in his office, but if he does, we're certain its days, like Gizmondo's, are numbered.

[xten via DVICE]

Weighing Seat: A Chair That Weighs Fatties, Farts

Sean Fallon — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 20:30:00 EDT

As if you didn't already feel fat enough, how does sitting on a chair that doubles as a scale sound? Indeed, the Weighing Seat concept from the design team at Atypyk reminds you of how fat you are getting every time you sit down to eat. It could very well be the most effective diet you have ever been on. Either that, or it will force you to start eating your meals standing up. But look on the bright side, you can finally start weighing your farts. Ever been curious about that? What, just Jason and I? Come on guys, admit it. [Atypyk via Likecool]

Compact Table Set Looks Like World War II Bomb

Jesus Diaz — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 07:50:00 EDT

This is not an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile head or an old World War II V-2 bomb or an alien monolith, but a set of table and chairs that will transform any terrace into a chill-out lounge, sans the Margarita and Manhattan cocktails. Here is how it unfolds:

Did I say chill-out lounge and cocktails? At last, it's Friday. So here's my favorite song to drink, relax, and daydream about the future.

[The Contaminated]

Crummy Old Skis Make for Fancy New Media Shelf

Mark Wilson — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 10:15:00 EDT

It's rare that we come across a DIY project that we both: a) want to complete and b) feasibly could complete. But this project takes a used pair of wooden cross country skis and through the magic of just two brackets and a few screws, creates a media shelf with some pizazz. Plus, just spit-balling here, you could attach another set of skis inverted below the first set to create a gnarly wave effect. [Five Whys via Curbly]

Bed Made of DC-9 Fins Lets You Join Mile High Club at Sea Level

Kit Eaton — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 07:10:00 EDT

A chair made of torpedo-launcher parts just wouldn't say "come hither" to techy ladies in the same way as this bed from Motoart. Dubbed Mile High, you can tell it's aimed at the sexier end of the geek furniture market, partly as it's marketed with a "a wonderful playground for you and your co-pilot" slogan, and especially when you notice the line of glowing red LEDs that pimp the frame's lower edge. The 11- by 7.5-foot bed is made of two DC-9 stabilizer fins and a C-130 inner flap. And if there's a particular aviator you want to attract between the sheets, you'll likely have to save up: it's price on application only, which generally means lots of dollars. [MotoArt via TFTS]

Coway's Daan Air Purifier Freshens a Room While Freshening a Room

Jason Chen — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 17:20:00 EDT

These Daan air purifiers from Coway are some of the best looking air purifiers we've ever seen. The ones we've had are like Danny Trejo: workmanlike in its ability to get the job done, but very very ugly. The Daans are the opposite of ugly, and can cover a 161 sq. ft. room with a single unit, or more if you stack a few together. There's even a bonus mood lighting function in case you somehow trick a lady into coming home with you, which seems as likely as you importing one of these from Korea. [Appliancist]

Sony's Bravia Theater RHT-G500 3.1-Channel Hi-Fi is a TV Stand Too

Kit Eaton — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 04:08:00 EDT

Stand your precious new HDTV on a simple, old-fashioned plank of wood? No, that's way too low-tech... or at least you might think so after seeing Sony's RHT-G500. It's an "invisible home cinema" TV stand. "A TV stand with a product code?" you might ask. Yes. And an integrated 3.1-channel audio system with S-Force PRO Front Surround technology, HDMI inputs with pass-through, a special PMP connector, and both Bluetooth and wi-fi connectivity. And you can stand TVs on it: it's designed for 32-inch to 40-inch sets. No word on pricing or availability. [Sony Europe via I4U]

Chair Made from Torpedo-Lifting Jaws from a Nuclear Sub Will Cradle Your Explosive Parts

Adam Frucci — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 12:45:00 EDT

I can't say that the Matrix Unplugged Chair looks very comfortable, but it certainly does look badass. That's because it's made from the torpedo-lifting jaws of a nuclear submarine. That's right: the parts that used to handle delicate explosive torpedoes will now be handling your delicate ass.

You adjust the chair using all sorts of fancy motorized hydraulics, with loads of small adjusters that allow you to position it just so. Not that it looks like any position would be all that comfortable.

It's a one-of-a-kind piece, an original prototype that was never used for a full line. Because of that, and because it's made out of parts from, you know, a nuclear submarine, it ain't cheap. We're talking $37,000. For a chair. An awesome looking chair, but a chair nonetheless. I'll stick to my cheap office chair, thanks. [Device Gallery via BornRich]

NéoSun Rotating Lounge Cooks Pasty Nerds a Golden Brown

Sean Fallon — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 18:40:00 EDT

If getting a natural tan is on your summer to-do list despite all of the health warnings about sun exposure, a French company called NéoSun aims to make the process easier with their NéoSunMore lounge. Besides its futuristic look, the chair can be rotated 360-degrees with simple movements of the armrests. That means you can get a nice even tan without having to constantly move your chair to follow around the sun as it moves across the sky. There is no word on pricing or a release date for the NéoSunMore—or whether a much needed "flip" feature will be implemented in the future. [NeoSun via Born Rich]

We Always Wanted a Custom Eyeball Lamp

Mark Wilson — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 11:40:00 EDT

For those of you who've looked around their apartment and thought, "You know what this place needs? A lamp that's modeled after my eyeball!"—your day has finally come. 5.5 Designers will create your own custom hand-blown glass eye. You fill out their order form picking from various eye color swatches and including some pics of your peepers, and through the magic of creepy mail ordering, an anatomical illumination device will show at your door. But to be fair, seeing Murano-based Glassblower Livio Serena at work does make the whole thing seem a lot more "artsy" than "psycho-killery":

Contact 5.5 Designers for pricing and availability info. And please refrain from asking if they can reproduce certain other bodyparts. You'll embarrass us. Again. [5.5 Designers via IfIt'sHip and Shiny Shiny]

Periodic Coffee Table With Embedded Element Samples

Sean Fallon — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 14:40:00 EDT

If there was a contest for the nerdiest piece of furniture ever made, my money would be on this Periodic coffee table. It has everything a science fanatic could ask for, including the actual elements (even the toxic ones) encased in a thick layer of resin to ensure safety. As a whole, the table is actually quite attractive—and it is sure to be a powerful conversation piece. Unfortunately, that conversation may be internal as your date wonders how she got there and how she can escape without offending you. Available for a whopping $9,500. [Element Displays via Born Rich]

Pillo Lamp: A Light Source That Doubles As a Man-Fort

Sean Fallon — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 18:20:00 EDT

According to the designer, Pillo is a "modern way of living" that can be described as "furniture or micro architecture." Essentially, it is a series of carbon fiber rods covered in fabric that can be easily unfolded or collapsed for easy transport. Throw a little light source in there and you have yourself one cozy, blinding little fort for adults that can also function as a unique focal point and lighting source in a room. Obviously, this thing has the word "concept" written all over it, so I wouldn't expect to see it being sold to the public anytime soon.

[Project Page via The Design Blog]

The Beam Bed Makes Drooling on the Pillow a Divine Experience

Mark Wilson — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 10:00:00 EDT

There's nothing particularly technologically innovative about the Beam Bed, but it uses a sunburst-shaped lighting and support system to emit a glorious glow that's perfect for wooing the ladies/thwarting the monsters. As we've long been scared of both said species, we're pleased to see that the furniture market is finally catering to our insecurities with no shortage of style. Now just to find some plastic "rainburst" sheets and all of our sleeping abnormalities will be cured at last. [Lago via CribCandy]

Giant, Functioning LED Wristwatch is Actually a Table

Sean Fallon — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 13:50:00 EDT

The aptly titled 'Big Time' table from artist Lee J Rowland is, in fact, a giant wristwatch with a programmable LED clock. It has a touch button feature like a normal watch that allows the user to switch between time, seconds and date functions. You can even program it to display an 8 letter message of your choosing. As far as the table side of things is concerned, there are also slim utility drawers hidden somewhere in there so you can store coasters, silverware and the like. The price is available upon request, so you know it won't be cheap. However, if money is no object, chrome and gold finishes are also available. [Lee J. Rowland via BookofJoe]

Space Shuttle Media Center Is, Wait for It, Out of this World!

Mark Wilson — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 13:30:00 EDT

Following our never-ending theme of the adult adolescent astronaut furniture, we spotted this media center shaped like a spaceship. With room for a computer and/or various media equipment, we think it's meant for kids and we also don't care. Because as if the recessed pod bay doors weren't enough, the ship features an LED backlighting capable of displaying 20 patterns of light. Now if there were only some decent blinky buttons onboard and "pew pew" sound effects, we'd have something really special. Contact for pricing. [Caroline Mcclelland bia bornrich]

Twist Chair Will Corkscrew Giant Holes into Your Lawn

Elaine Chow — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 18:30:00 EDT

Here's a great product to ensure that you'll never be invited to somebody's backyard ever again—the “Easy Install Twist Chair.” Instead of having four legs like regular chairs, the Twist uses a corkscrew base that you plug into the ground and spin until it's solidly placed. Bring the chair along the next time you go to a garden party and see if your hosts appreciate you aerating their lawn. [Yanko Design]

Laundry Concept Hides Washing Machine In Lounge Chair

Elaine Chow — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 16:00:00 EDT

Someone I know once had the awesome idea of turning a laundromat (popular here in my neck of the woods) into a singles bar. With this concept washer and dryer from Indian designer Harsha Vardhan, we could up our prospective plans a notch and instead turn laundromats into singles lounges. The make believe washing machine doubles as a large seat whether it's in active or passive mode. The inner chamber of the chaise acts as a pressure washer and cleans clothes with ionized air instead of water.

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]

Numeric Keypad Chairs Provide Computational Comfort

Adrian Covert — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 15:30:00 EDT

These numeric keypad chairs are pretty amazing in a nerd chic sort of way. If you tried cramming these into your 700-square-foot bachelor pad, you'd look like the biggest tool alive. But in a place with a million square feet and that white, minimalist vibe, they'd be pretty amazing. These appear to be concepts, but the obscure Japanese site they came from makes it hard to tell. [PantoGraph via misterstarfish via Technabob]

Frellstedt Light-Up Bench: Illumination For Bums

Kit Eaton — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 14:00:00 EDT

Kind of the inverse of the psychedelic LED effects we showed you earlier, this relaxing Light Bench is maker Frellstedt's idea of the future of seating. You know, the future where even garden furniture uses up electricity and contributes to global warming. Okay, it's stuffed with LEDs, so it only consumes 95W, but you know what I'm saying. With its shifting, selectable color patterns, it's way too nice to end up in all but the best municipal parks, where it'd just keep tramps awake in the wee small hours. Ed. note: In case you didn't get it, "bum" is a double entendre. [Trendir]

Reflect Noise-Sensitive Table Calls Out Conversation Hogs

Jack Loftus — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 22:00:00 EDT

Every office has one. The loud-mouthed, conversation-hogging know-it-all who interrupts meetings with long-winded diatribes, and then holds them hostage until the sweet release of 5 o' clock. The Reflect table tries to tackle this problem, and help quieter meeting attendees, perhaps, with a series of LED bulbs and microphones that track the flow of conversation. There's one little problem with this table, however. While great in theory, real-world applications might prove this table is more distracting than the one-sided meetings they're meant to relieve. [Reflect via MAKE]

The Line System Creates All Your Furniture With A Single Line

Elaine Chow — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 17:30:00 EDT

The Line is a funky furniture system that uses a single unbroken line of metal to create an entire home furniture set—including a lamp, a work table, a hanger, a bookshelf, a wine rack, a CD rack and a TV unit. Made by Aykut Erol, the system is supposed to “extend infinitely with a single line regenerating itself.” I'm not sure how much I want my home to look like it was created out of a giant Etch-a-Sketch, but the resulting pieces are kind of cool to peruse. [Yanko Design]

Stealth Figher Design Cues In The Kinzo Air Office Desk

Kit Eaton — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 10:15:00 EDT

The Kinzo Air from Kinzo Architecture might make working in a proper office bearable. Although with its Stealth-fighter design cues, a guy wearing a HUD helmet with oxygen might be more at home behind it than an accountant. It looks like its perched on the ground momentarily, ready to speed off— in fact I'm sure it's radar-invisible, although it would be the worst desk to carelessly bump into ever. It does have integrated drawer, cable-concealer, bin and similarly-sleek filing cabinet, and it's modular with single and double versions. [Yanko design]

Treadmill Desk With Five Monitors Overstimulates As You Exercise

Sean Fallon — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 15:00:00 EDT

Treadmill desks are nothing new, but while products like the Steelcase Walkstation try to trick you into doing extra work while exercising, the JW Treadmill desk is unapologetic about being purely focused on entertainment. In fact, it goes completely over the top with a five-display setup.

Despite it's name, the JW Treadmill desk can accommodate just about any exercise machines you have in the house. It also features electronically controlled monitor height adjustment and a variety of optional laminates, bumper molding and frame colors to match your decor. Unfortunately, precisely how much one of these desks will set you back is not known, but I have no doubt that it will be expensive—especially when customized. [Treadmill Desk via Born Rich]

Transparent Clockwork Desk For the Wealthy Steampunk Aficionado

Sean Fallon — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 19:30:00 EDT

I have seen a lot of cool desks in my day, but the Executive Desk that artist Dale Mathis has created is definitely one of the finest. As you will see in the video after the break, the gears in the desk actually work—making it a fully functioning piece of art. And as such, you won't be finding this thing at IKEA anytime soon. Each desk is handmade to order and will set you back a whopping $21,000.

[Redstone Gallery via Born Rich via Boing Boing Gadgets]

Ergonomic Workstation: The Ultimate in Geeky Gaming Comfort

Sean Fallon — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 14:10:00 EDT

The Ergonomic Workstation from Ergo Motions may look like a dentist's chair, but I must say that if my dentist had this thing in his office, I would be in there for a root canal right away. Ergo Motions mission is to help gamers and heavy workstation users avoid the repetitive stress injuries and posture issues that often result from sitting on your ass and typing away on a computer all day. The Ergonomic Workstation Phase I prototype appears to do that—and much more.

Features:

•Industrial rack mounted hardened PC
•Two 19” Digital monitors
•7.1 surround sound system
•Wireless network capability
•Ergonomic keyboard and mouse
•Video conferencing capability with a built-in camera
•VOIP with full telephony features
•Articulating calf support (programmable to reduce DVT)
•Mechanically adjustable armrests
•Mechanically adjustable head rest and monitors
•Pneumatically inflatable lumbar and headrest bladders
•Mechanically reclining motion to 38 degrees
•Mechanically adjustable seat depth (knee to hip)
•Mechanically retractable monitors
•Swing away keyboard (manual)
•Form fitting seatback, armrests and seat cushion
•Memory chair presets via proprietary Motion Control Board/Software
•Compact design using twelve square feet of floor space

As I mentioned earlier, the Ergonomic Workstation is currently in a prototype phase so the when, where and how much information is not yet known. But I wouldn't be surprised if it was far too expensive for the average lazy geek to afford. [Ergo Motions via Born Rich]

Halo Lamp is Heaven Sent For Artists

Sean Fallon — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 18:40:00 EDT

As a guy who dabbles in the arts, I can sympathize with anyone who struggles to find the perfect light for their creative projects. The Halo Lamp by Sander Muller offers a seriously good looking solution to this problem with the Halo Lamp. Because there is a circular ring of light and no bulb, it minimizes any annoying shadows that might interfere with your work. The Halo Light is a custom job, so be prepared to shell out some serious cash for it—but if you have ever been into an art supply store you are already well acquainted with exorbitantly high prices. [Sander Muller via Yatzer via Yanko via Boing Boing Gadgets]