Gizmodo: spoon

The Captivating History Of The Spork

Sean Fallon — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 22:00:00 EDT

Whether you call it a "spork" or a "foon," we must all ask ourselves where we would be without the genius that brought fork and spoon together as one.

Actually, we owe a debt to several industrious culinary proto-spork pioneers: Samuel W. Francis filed a patent in 1874 for a combination fork, and knife and spoon. Harry L. McCoy invented a cutting spoon in 1908 followed by Frank Emmenegger's tined edge spoon in 1912. However, the first person to actually file a trademark for the term "Spork" appears to be a man named Hyde W. Ballard (although there is no official record of this). The term eventually passed down to The Van Brode Milling Company in 1970, but they stupidly gave it up to the UK's, Plastico Limited in 1975.

There are many imitators, like Lifeventure's laughable "Forkspoon"—but in the end there can be only one true Spork design. And, after over 100 years, we finally experienced its ultimate evolution:

Our lives will never be the same. [Wikipedia T-Shirt via NerdyShirts]

Cereal Spoon USB Drive Was Once Edible

Jack Loftus — Sun, 24 May 2009 12:00:00 EDT

The USB Cereal Spoon will never get soggy in milk, because it's completely covered with several layers of glue. Yum!

It works, as you can see in the video, but if I owned one of these I'd rue the day I came home plastered from the bar and tried to eat it. So, yeah, basically every night. I'm a writer, you see.

[Techeblog via Geekologie]

Star Trek Spock...I Mean Spork

Sean Fallon — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 19:00:00 EDT

Finally, a Star Trek-themed utensil that will allow me to eat both ice cream and pasta at the same time. Thank you ThinkGeek for bringing this wonderful product into the world.

If you want one for yourself, time is of the essence. The titanium Star Trek spork is a limited edition of 1701 (fittingly). Available now for $23. [ThinkGeek via CraziestGadgets]

IC3 Intelligent Cutlery System Silently Judges You During Meals

Jack Loftus — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 13:00:00 EDT

Diets are tough, what with the eating and drinking of beer, and that being really, really, enjoyable and all. The IC3 Intelligent Cutlery System wants to help. How? Well, designer Alex Schulz says that as you chomp away at dinner, the IC3 does the traditional job as a fork, knife or spoon, and then goes the extra mile by silently judging and recording every bite you take.

Even more interesting is that each attachment does something different. The fork, for example, measures fat, protein and sugar content. The spoon? That weighs the food, while the knife takes your food's temperature and ensures it's safe for eating.

Then, after your meal, the IC3 synchs up with a PC or other information gathering device and produces a nutrition report, which you'll probably follow religiously for a few weeks before falling off the wagon. [Yanko Design via DVICE]

Writing Spoon Turns Your Coffee Into Ink

Sean Fallon — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 18:00:00 EDT

Admit it, you like those inexpensive restaurants where they use paper tablecloths and servers write their names upside down with crayons. Why? Because you love to doodle (and you love crayons). If only you could combine your passion for food and drink with your passion for doodling in one simple device. Enter the Writing Spoon by Spanish artist, Julie Mariscal. It incorporates a makeshift fountain pen into the spoon, making it possible to use things like coffee or soup as ink. You can pick one up on her website for around $31, which is a hell of a lot cheaper than it would be to get your own Gizuccino-making machine. [Julie Mariscal via Trend Hunter via Coolest Gadgets]

Spoon With Built-In Scales, Perfect for Dieters and Dealers

Kit Eaton — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 07:05:32 EDT

This spoon, which looks like a prop from CSI, has built-in scales so you can scoop and check the amount all in one. Made of ABS plastic and stainless steel, it has an LCD screen, and an accuracy of 0.005 ounces. It also measures in metric or imperial and can keep track of added weights. Just make sure you use it for cooking ingredients, and not for measuring stuff that might get you a visit from CSI for real. Available for about $37. [Gadget Review via ProIdee, OhGizmo, GeekAlerts]

Zing Lunch Launchers: The Latest in Food Fight Technology

Sean Fallon — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 19:00:24 EST

Man, I love the guys at Worldwide Fred—but parents and janitors probably feel differently thanks to this ZING! spring-loaded spoon launcher. The way I see it, if you are going to go into battle, you had better have the right equipment. Loading up a round of vegetables in this thing will surely give you an edge over your enemy. Peas will rain down like hellfire. Pricing not yet available. [Product Page]

Side-On Cutlery Makes It Almost Safe to Eat at Your Aunt's Grimy House

Matt Buchanan — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 11:51:12 EDT

The germaphobe in us always freaks out a little bit when we see silverware lying on a bare table, either at someone else's house or a restaurant. (Our own table is a chemical-cleaner-scorched wasteland.) So we hope that eventually all silverware will be like Jens-Martin Skibsted's designs for Side-On Cutlery, which have built-in stands that keep the parts that touch your food and your mouth gloriously contact-free from dirty, microbe-infested surfaces. Well, your germy-ass mouth aside. [Mater Design via Boing Boing]

Keepon Robot Keeps on Keepin' On in Spoon Promo

AddyDugdale — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 05:22:47 EDT

Austin band Spoon have collaborated before with yellow robot Keepon, but their new video, for "Don't You Evah" gives us a little more than the first one. Keepon's creator, Hideki Kozima, costars alongside the little blob of sunshine, and there's a whole load of robot cameos toward the end.

If you want more of the same thing, only live, Keepon and Spoon will be making an appearance on September 10 at the Henry Fonda Theater in LA, kicking off Wired's NextFest fair. [YouTube via Creative Commons]