Gizmodo: self-cleaning

Seattle's Filthy, Prostitute-Ridden Automated Public Toilets Now Available on eBay

John Mahoney — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 14:00:43 EDT

After spending $5 million of the city's tax dollars on high-tech, self-cleaning public toilets and then watching them quickly devolve into disgusting havens for just about every urban deviance imaginable, the city of Seattle is trying to cut their losses by vending all five of them on eBay where they can be yours for $89,000 each, discarded crack pipes not included.

In theory, the toilets' self-cleaning mechanism is capable of spraying down the whole interior with water jets and detergent every day, but the drainage systems quickly became clogged with trash, rendering them completely useless. Drug fiends and prostitutes were also fond of the 20-minute auto-locking doors, but the depravity quickly became too much for everyone, says the NYTimes:

“I’m not going to lie: I used to smoke crack in there,” said one homeless woman, Veronyka Cordner, nodding toward the toilet behind Pike Place Market. “But I won’t even go inside that thing now. It’s disgusting.”

[eBay via NYTimes]

Nokia Morph Cellphone Rolls Up, Stretches, Cleans Itself

Kit Eaton — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 04:55:08 EST

Nokia's new Morph concept phone would use nanotechnology to give it a flexible body with a transparent display that could be re-shaped depending on the user's needs, a far cry from today's solid and chunky devices. Even the electronics inside it would be transparent and flexible, so the whole phone may be twisted and stretched into bracelet shapes or tablet form, and nanotech cleverness means it would even clean itself. Developed in cooperation with Cambridge University, this glimpse of a distant future is now on display at the MoMA in New York. Jump for video and yadda-yadda press release.

Nokia and University of Cambridge launch the Morph - a nanotechnology concept device
New York, US and Espoo, Finland — Morph, a joint nanotechnology concept, developed by Nokia Research Center (NRC) and the University of Cambridge (UK) - was launched today alongside the "Design and the Elastic Mind" exhibition, on view from February 24 to May 12, 2008, at The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York. Morph features in both the exhibition catalog and on MoMA's official website.

Morph is a concept that demonstrates how future mobile devices might be stretchable and flexible, allowing the user to transform their mobile device into radically different shapes. It demonstrates the ultimate functionality that nanotechnology might be capable of delivering: flexible materials, transparent electronics and self-cleaning surfaces.

Dr. Tapani Ryhanen, Head of the NRC Cambridge UK laboratory, Nokia, commented: "We hope that this combination of art and science will showcase the potential of nanoscience to a wider audience. The techniques we are developing might one day mean new possibilities in terms of the design and function of mobile devices. The research we are carrying out is fundamental to this as we seek a safe and controlled way to develop and use new materials."

Professor Mark Welland, Head of the Department of Engineering's Nanoscience Group at the University of Cambridge and University Director of Nokia-Cambridge collaboration added "Developing the Morph concept with Nokia has provided us with a focus that is both artistically inspirational but, more importantly, sets the technology agenda for our joint nanoscience research that will stimulate our future work together."

The partnership between Nokia and the University of Cambridge was announced in March, 2007 - an agreement to work together on an extensive and long term programme of joint research projects. NRC has established a research facility at the University's West Cambridge site and collaborates with several departments - initially the Nanoscience Center and Electrical Division of the Engineering Department - on projects that, to begin with, are centered on nanotechnology.

Elements of Morph might be available to integrate into handheld devices within 7 years, though initially only at the high-end. However, nanotechnology may one day lead to low cost manufacturing solutions, and offers the possibility of integrating complex functionality at a low price.

Ad Watch: Swiss Self-Cleaning Toilet

Jason Chen — Sat, 27 Jan 2007 10:00:46 EST

Watch as an attractive Swiss broad shows you why a self-cleaning toilet is a bad idea in a public place, but a great idea at home.

Let's see if we've got this straight. The Swiss get self-cleaning toilets and the Japanese get toilets that treat your ass like a Queen. What do we get? A bald pirate pressuring housewives to clean more often. – Jason Chen

Thanks Chris!

Self-Cleaning Underwear: A Bloggers Dream Come True

Adam Frucci — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 19:26:47 EST

The US Air Force has developed self-cleaning underwear that kills bacteria and forces liquids to bead and roll off. They might have had people who don't have easy access to laundry facilities in mind when they developed this, but something tells me it'll be more popular with people who have access to laundry machines but are just too damned lazy to wash their clothes. Just what we need, an excuse for lazy slobs to be even lazier and slobbier. Thanks, Air Force. –Adam Frucci

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