NOTICE: Large moosehead wall lights have finally been invented.
360 Modern is a real estate firm in the Pacific Northwest U.S. that specializes in modern homes. Beautiful stuff.
Handy way to skip all the intro crap on DVDs that is usually forced on you when you throw a disc in your player. Apparently the chapters on DVDs that you can't skip (FBI warnings, copyright stuff, etc.) are flagged, on the disc, as UOP, or User Operation Prohibited. This site lists some of the techniques you can try to skip the ennui.
This colour coordinated bookshelf looks cool, but you might have a hard time finding a particular title.
For chewie edge lovers or corner brownie fans - it's the Edge Brownie Pan. All edges, all the time. Via BoingBoing
Puzzle carpet.
This to That is a handy site that will tell you what adhesive to use when attempting to glue various objects together.
Super creative bathroom tiles.
Skinny house in Brazil.
Apparently there are many LED lightbulbs available already. Via TreeHugger
WiiRoomba. YouTube of a guy controlling his Roomba with a Wii remote.
Hardcore Lost fans have a party and repackage the snacks and beer as Dharma Initiative rations. Make your own with the PDFs that they've so generously shared.
Here's a nice set of home improvement videos with the energetic and snappy Eric Stromer.
Faucet Fountain turns your regular faucet into a drinking fountain.
Kids and the Home Office. Here's a list of tips for the parent that works from home.
Save the Internet.
Great Pac-Man bathroom tile work.
Crazy toaster from the future TODAY!
Here is a nice napkin folding howto site with clean pictures and straightforward instructions. I think the shirt's my favourite.
DIY T-Shirt Rack via Instructables.
360 Modern is a real estate firm in the Pacific Northwest U.S. that specializes in modern homes. Beautiful stuff.
Handy way to skip all the intro crap on DVDs that is usually forced on you when you throw a disc in your player. Apparently the chapters on DVDs that you can't skip (FBI warnings, copyright stuff, etc.) are flagged, on the disc, as UOP, or User Operation Prohibited. This site lists some of the techniques you can try to skip the ennui.
This colour coordinated bookshelf looks cool, but you might have a hard time finding a particular title.
For chewie edge lovers or corner brownie fans - it's the Edge Brownie Pan. All edges, all the time. Via BoingBoing
Puzzle carpet.
This to That is a handy site that will tell you what adhesive to use when attempting to glue various objects together.
Super creative bathroom tiles.
Skinny house in Brazil.
Apparently there are many LED lightbulbs available already. Via TreeHugger
WiiRoomba. YouTube of a guy controlling his Roomba with a Wii remote.
Hardcore Lost fans have a party and repackage the snacks and beer as Dharma Initiative rations. Make your own with the PDFs that they've so generously shared.
Here's a nice set of home improvement videos with the energetic and snappy Eric Stromer.
Faucet Fountain turns your regular faucet into a drinking fountain.
Kids and the Home Office. Here's a list of tips for the parent that works from home.
Save the Internet.
Great Pac-Man bathroom tile work.
Crazy toaster from the future TODAY!
Here is a nice napkin folding howto site with clean pictures and straightforward instructions. I think the shirt's my favourite.
DIY T-Shirt Rack via Instructables.
Clever Tree Bookshelf
This creative tree of knowledge bookshelf by Italian designer Matteo Casarosa would fit right in to a children's bed or playroom. It's not clear as to whether the bookshelf is weighted down or supported in some manner, because if not, it looks like one would have to be careful not to place too many books on one side or the other, causing the shelf to tip. It's probably not an issue - just something to think about, as no one wants a branch across the noggin.
Via Design Milk
Doormat with Direction Dependent Message
Here's a nice doormat that both welcomes guests and, later, bids them a coarse adieu. The designers of this clever mat have been able to massage and manipulate a font in such a way so as to create a readable message from both right-side-up and upside-down orientations. Upon arrival, the mat offers a welcoming "Come in", while departing guests are left to deal with the blunt "Go away" parting shot.
Sort of related: Love-Hate shirt.
Via haha.nu
Widget Friendly Desk Clock
SmartPhone software developers Emtrace technologies are developing WidgetStation, a desk clock that, like it's software based cousins, can run widgets. Widgets are displayed on the unit's dual 2.5 inch LCD displays (one colour, one mono). From the site:
WidgetStation is a desk clock which can run various "widgets". Widgets are small, user-friendly applications that can perform a variety of tasks. Users can even create their own widgets and share them with other WidgetStation users!
And also:
WidgetStation is a standalone device, with services available via Wi-Fi or Ethernet Internet access, without being connected to a computer. Alternatively, users may choose to interface their WidgetStation with a computer via USB connection.
According to the hardware specs, the device will run Linux and will be available in either black or white. The price has not yet been set. See the FAQ for a little more information.
Alarm Clock that Runs Away and Hides Unless You Wake up
Clocky is a funny/ingenious/annoying alarm clock that will roll off your nightstand and find a place to hide if you don't wake up to kill its alarm. From the site:
Clocky gives you one chance to get up. But if you snooze, Clocky will jump off of your nightstand and wheel around your room looking for a place to hide. Clocky is kind of like a misbehaving pet, only he will get up at the right time.
The unit is also available in a few colours as well as in a brown shag and can jump (fall?) from a 2 foot height.
Via Reddit
Unusual Wall Treatment
Wallter is the name of this unique wall decoration that adds depth, shadow and interesting light play to what may be an otherwise empty wall. The applications come in circles, rectangles (which can serve as photo frames), teardrop, starburst and 60s retro slats.From the site:
This design can be applied to just one wall and can completely alter the focus of the room. In just a few hours Wallter adds life to walls. The effect can either be stunning or subtle, you decide. For easy, no fuss installation these lightweight pieces have a peel-away 3M adhesive backing. The applications can be applied to almost any interior wall or door.
Via Constructiondeal.com
eXtreme Gardening via Weed Burners
Are you ever out gardening and realise that, as relaxing as it may be, the whole experience could benefit from a flamethrower? If so, one of these weed torches might fit the bill. From the site:
Use this lightweight burner to clear weeds and their roots in driveways or walkways in summer, or to melt dangerous ice patches in winter. Adjustable regulator valve lets you control flame intensity. Durable, nickel-plated steel and brass burner uses widely available standard 14 oz. propane tank (not included).
These aren't new though: here's a heavier duty unit and a video demonstration of another one in action (although not on weeds, but whatever - you get the idea).
Would it safe to say that people that use these probably aren't the same people that sit on these?
Weed Burner at Amazon.com
Via Toolspotting
Slick Glass Mailbox by Chiasso
Sick to death of opening your mailbox to check for mail? With all the flipping, the looking and the closing - who wouldn't be? Well, you'll never again have to wonder if your bills have arrived with this unique frosted glass mailbox from Chiasso. A simple glance is all it takes (now if that still sounds a little too labour intensive, there's always the RF snail mail notifier). The stainless steel unit locks and comes with a tube newspaper receptacle.
The mailbox measures 15.5 by 15 inches and is 4.5 inches deep. $68.
Via RobotDeathSquad
Manhole Cover Welcome Mats and Other Silly Household Goods
How better to welcome your guests than with a faux manhole cover? Of course if you're doing something more formal, perhaps the classy 'foot in the door' high-heeled doorstop will more elegantly welcome your guests. Hell, do both. These products are from WorldWideFred, which produce clever, lighthearted goods for the home and office,
like those pictured here. Clockwise from top left: Manhole cover welcome mats, Rubberized cast-metal Lift and Shake salt and pepper guy, Silicone Hotheads animal oven mitts and a remote controlled Retro Mood Light Alarm Clock that displays a test patterns while playing cheesy game show theme music.
That's all very well and good for the home, but what if you're looking to enlarge your cellphone (and really, who isn't)? This old time phone receiver that plugs into your cell phone will help you get there. Of course if you really want an old time cell phone, you can go here.
Cool Liquid Crystal Privacy Glass
Privacy glass is essentially a regular, transparent glass window system that can be made opaque at the touch of a button.
Switchlite.com explains how the glass works: The secret of the transformation between clear glass and translucent glass is found in the Liquid Crystal sheet. In their non-energized state, the Liquid Crystal molecules disperse light. When voltage is applied, however, these same molecules arrange themselves in a specific direction in a way that permits parallel light to pass through the glass.
How Stuff Works offers some more detail on the technology involved.
The "Smart Glass", as it's also called, promises to be a huge energy saver for homeowners over the coming years, as it won't be long before smart glass is coupled with home automation systems that turn the transparency on and off at optimal times throughout the year.
There are a few companies on the web that offer liquid crystal privacy glass, but finding a price on any of their sites seems to be impossible, which means that this flick-of-a-switch privacy glass, although very cool, is also likely to be ultra expensive.
Here's another privacy glass gallery from a company that understands the subtle power of lightning bolt bullet points.
Categories: privacy glass cool invention fun electricity lighting green efficiency
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Funny Toilet Disassembly Howto
Stephen Granade offers up this funny and thorough step by step guide on how to disassemble a toilet, which he
created for our collective benefit after discovering that many DIY sites on the net were a little lacking in some fairly important steps:
The Internet claimed that disassembling a toilet to check the flange or to replace the wax ring was easy. Invariably, the same sites that talked about how easy this task was would follow that up by saying, "A TOILET BREAKS EASILY BE CAREFUL!!!!" The sites also varied in how detailed their instructions were, in one case even going so far as to skip the whole "removing the tank" part. As a public service, I'm going to give you the definitive step-by-step guide to disassembling a toilet to repair it.
Also be sure not to miss the toilet diagram Stephen has created, which, although highly technical and beyond the comprehension of the layman, is a useful toilet anatomy nonetheless.
Link: How To Disassemble a Toilet In Many Easy Steps
The Internet claimed that disassembling a toilet to check the flange or to replace the wax ring was easy. Invariably, the same sites that talked about how easy this task was would follow that up by saying, "A TOILET BREAKS EASILY BE CAREFUL!!!!" The sites also varied in how detailed their instructions were, in one case even going so far as to skip the whole "removing the tank" part. As a public service, I'm going to give you the definitive step-by-step guide to disassembling a toilet to repair it.
Also be sure not to miss the toilet diagram Stephen has created, which, although highly technical and beyond the comprehension of the layman, is a useful toilet anatomy nonetheless.
Link: How To Disassemble a Toilet In Many Easy Steps
Sub Thirty Dollar Homemade Air Conditioner
Some enterprising student at the University of Waterloo has made his own air conditioner using a fan, a large garbage can and some vinyl and copper tubing. The device works as follows:Here's the basic setup. The garbage can is filled with ice water, which is then fed by gravity (a siphon) through the copper tubing coiled along the back of the fan. The hot air passing through the tubing warms the cold water, cooling the air. Waste warm water is then pumped outside. The system will cool an average room to a comfortable level in approximately 15-20 minutes. Depending on flow rate, a full bucket of water will last approximately 1-3 hours. I use a single bucket before bed on hot nights, which lets me get to sleep. Once the water runs out, the house has cooled off enough that the fan alone provides sufficient cooling.
Recently, someone has posted instructions for making improvements to the homemade air conditioner, which involves an aquarium pump to recycle the water, which in the first generation model, was routed outside the house.
Via LifeHacker
Cool Puzzle Shaped Hardwood Floor
Puzzle Floor is a unique flooring option suitable for game rooms, children's bedrooms, play areas or whereever else you'd like a fun, unique floor. Puzzle Floor is comprised of interlocking 5/8" solid northern hardwood puzzle pieces. The flooring does not, however, install like a traditional jigsaw puzzle but instead makes use of a simple two piece (male/female) design that requires no guesswork or head scratching (well, no more than any hardwood flooring install, likely). The system is similar to laminate flooring in that it's a floating floor (i.e. it's not fastened in any way to the subfloor) and if properly installed and maintained, will not "buckle, crack or squeak", according to the manufacturer.
The flooring goes for $15 a square foot, including North American shipping.
Top 10 Strangest Kitchen Gadgets
TechEBlog.com has a great roundup of some of the weirdest (and coolest, no?) kitchen gadgets out there, including the Toasterkettle, which, although looks quite strange, probably actually toasts bread, unlike the transparent toaster.
Hidden Electrical Outlet Safe
Hide your valuables in this clever, locking electrical outlet safe. From the site:Very easy installation and anyone can do it. The wall socket safe comes with a template, saw, and a key. You use the template to trace the rectangular pattern on your wall that will become the opening for the hidden safe. You then use the saw to cut through the drywall and make the opening. Slide the wall socket safe into the opening you just created and use the key to lock it. When you need to take something out or put something in, just use the key to open and close it. Looks just like the real thing and can be placed anywhere.
Thieves also wouldn't suspect:
- An Old Fashioned Peanut Butter safe.
- A snooty Royal Crown cola safe.
- An old school Stone safe.
- The odd Leftovers safe.
Super Cool Automated Computer Controlled Bar
Combine thirst, geekyness, programming, a monitor, pumps and booze and what do you get? An automated bar, of course. Make your own and impress the friends that are impressed by geeky things with the coolness that is keypad driven drink mixing. The author, a college student, surprisingly enough, claims to have spent about $400 on this summer project before losing track. One screen shot shows that the bar is PIN protected, which is probably a good idea, given that he's moving it into his dorm.
Also see Bar Monkey for pictures of other setups as well as a forum with instructions and help on building your own. If you only need drink ideas, check out the drink search engine, YourNextDrink.com.
Anima Causa Flexible Seating System
Anima Causa makes this pliable, molecule-like, configurable seating system (calling it a chair would seem drastically insufficient) that is made of 120 soft balls covered with elastic fabric. The designer claims it can "change its form according to the emotional state of the body". Yeah. The system comes in two sizes; the large measures 220cm x 180cm (7.2ft x 5.9ft), and the medium 160cm x 130cm (5.2ft x 4.2ft).Pricetag: $2950 + shipping. Ouch. The beanbag stays for now.
Via Gizmodo.
Awesome Murphy Wall Bed for Pets
Here's a nice way to treat your pooch to a comfortable bed that doesn't take up the valuable floor space of a traditional dog pillow. From Amazon:This uniquely designed Pet Bed allows you to have a beautifully decorated home and provide a comfortable place for your favorite pet to sleep. They feature real wood construction. We use no plastic, particle board or vinyl wrap, just solid wood or furniture grade plywood. There are several rich furniture stains to choose from. This Pet Murphy Wall Bed comes with premium slow-down hardware which allows you to adjust the speed that the bed descends to the floor.
Make Your Own Hot Tub
J. Kelly McCoy wanted a hot tub. J. Kelly McCoy didn't want to spend $5,000 on a new one. J. Kelly McCoy did what anyone would do: he built his own - for a mere $1,200.
Strange Under Bed Nightlight
This under-bed nightlight would be nicer if it pulsated and produced a low sci-fi-like hum. Actually, the device is manually dimmable, so theoretically the pulsation would be possible. Of course that might be problematic for anyone actually trying to sleep, but, you know, tough.
The light comes from 14 long lasting LEDs and runs off of your homes power, so in other words, batteries are not required. via boing boing
Large Retro Digital Wooden Box Clocks
Anyone looking for appropriate nick nacks, bric-a-bracs, chachkas or whatnot to compliment their throwback Atari or Colecovision ought to check out this chunky wooden clock from furnicreations.com. The clock captures quite the retro look, and would fit right in with basement wood panelling and A-Team lunch boxes. Of course, if your house isn't going for that old school look but rather has never quite left old school, then it would work just as well. The site is in flash so there's no direct link, but just click on 'store' to browse their unique, if small, product line.
Wired Article on the Coolest Rooms on Earth
Wired has a nice article up on the coolest, most gadget-filled, automated rooms on the planet, including a home that Michael Douglas had a hand in designing in the 1980s. Apparently people with money dig LCDs rising from bed foot boards quite a bit - and it's hard to blame them, really. DIY Arcade Driving Game Cockpit
Zero Gravity Magnetic Spice Rack
Having a wide selection of spices at your disposal in the kitchen is great, but shoving them deep into a cabinet usually means only the most common, frequently used spices remain accessible - much to the detriment of your culinary creations. So, most people have a spice rack to keep things in order and available. What most people don't have, is a sweet, space saving "Zero Gravity, Magnetic Spice Rack" like this one. From the site: Protect Yourself with this Bedside Table
Designer James McAdam went to work to unclutter bedrooms, and this combination night table / stick + shield kit is the fruit of his labour. If you're ever being robbed, you would not have to scramble in a panic to find your shield as you would know exactly where it was - right beside you, doubling as a night stand! Simply disassemble and prepare for battle! The shield is very nice touch, as you really don't see a lot of shields in the area of personal self defence anymore - good work James McAdam!
Ingenious Candles with Built In Matchbook
Now this is clever! Never have to search for a lighter or misplaced matchbook again with these matches-included candles. From the site:Hygge-lys Paraffin candle with a built-in matchbox. Walton was inspired to create these candles shortly after coming to Denmark. In Scandinavia, cosiness - locally known as hygge - is often associated with the use of candles. Walton quickly perceived the need for a special candle that kept the matches within easy reach. So he cast a little matchbox in the bottom of each candle, and produced a little booklet to explain the genesis of the product.
via smartstuff.se
DIY Arcade Cabinet
If you're interested in retro video gaming, you've probably thought about how cool it would be to have an arcade style stand-up video game system in your basement or gameroom. If buying one is out of the question, why not consider building your own MAME (Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator) unit? This howto describes the steps from cutting the MDF to installing fans, speakers and of course buttons and joysticks. They've included a parts list with costs, which totalled £ 630.79 (about 1,118.19 USD), which is nearly $2,ooo cheaper than the Costco and Target models. Cute and Depressing Melting Snowman Canisters by Marcel Dzama
Gas Pump Beverage Dispenser
Dead Horse Warning:Adding an old style gas pump booze dispenser to your bar will prompt your guests to say "fill 'er up!" well over a thousand times.
The dispenser is 2 feet high and 5 inches in diameter.
Kung Fu Bookends
If you have a lot of books and don't want to, um, bookend them with your standard, run-of-the-mill, boring bookends, then check out these stylish and funky kung fu items from Wrapables.com.
Unique Tube Chairs for the Bar
If you're looking for a different way to furnish your bar, take a look at some of the interesting items over at DrinkStuff.com. It's hard to tell if these tube chairs would be really comfortable or not, but they sure look cool. The site is British, but they do claim to ship to many countries around the world. For those of you looking to class things up a bit, remember, you can't go wrong with a giant stiletto chair, which is some sort of cardinal rule of interior decorating, it turns out.
James the Unique Doorstop
James the Doorstop combines rubber with funny to make a great doorstop. The site says that he would make a great gift, but you would have to be pretty sure someone would dig this sort of thing before giving a doorstop as a gift. "Merry Christmas! Uh, yeah, it's a doorstop ya see..."
Tough Guy Fridge
Ten50 Design has a line of chromed-out biker fridges with features that include handlebar grip styled door pulls and, as you can see, flames. Prices range from $5935 for the 30" model to $6480 for the 36".
Voice Recognition Safe
The Science Museum Store (of Science Museum) sells a voice recognition safe for £ 19.99 (US $34.67). The safe allows you to set your own password which, when spoken, opens the lock. The safe also allows a four digit code to be entered on the keypad, which is plenty, really, as any security expert will tell you that anything over four digits is just security overkill.
A 10 Dollar Linux Answering Machine
From the 'Because we can' file...If you:
have $10, need an answering machine, have a Linux box and have some spare time on your hands, then you may be interested in making your own linux based answering machine. This howto will walk you through the steps to get you up and running with a geek badge called the linux based answering machine.
Useful Flash Room Planner
If you have an empty room to fill or even just grown tired of your furniture status quo, then this slick flash app will help you hack out a new layout. Start with either a prebuilt room or design your own room from scratch. Once you've settled on a room design, you're able to play around with different arrangements to your heart's content - no lifting belt required.
Amazing Dinosaur Plant Laughs at Death
This plant has been around for 290 million years, has seen dinosaurs come and go, and interestingly, has the skill of apparent resurrection! Like it says: Amazing! The plant ships looking like a dead, dried up plant. Placing the plant in water will bring it back to life. The plant can hibernate in it's 'dead' state for up to fifty years, giving you plenty of time to water it. If you still find yourself forgetting, you may want to consider an automated solution.
via The Green Head
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