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Funny home cut out stickers.

Those salt and pepper shakers you've had your eye on are on sale. They've knocked $800 off!

iTable. These guys have made a touch-screen table that attaches to an iPhone (basically, the table becomes a giant iPhone).

Hungry, but not sure what to make? Check out photograzing! Browse a boatload of quality food pics to find the perfect meal.

Sandwich coasters that you can set your Brass knuckles coffee mug on.

Cold + Pillow = Chillow. Chillow is fun to say. Chillow.

A lightbulb storage solution to a problem we didn't know we had!

Nice magnetic doorstops Via KK's Cool Tools

Do I really need this thing? Ask yourself these questions while attempting to de-clutter the house.

NY Times articles on the tools you really need to maintain your home.

Pumpkin launchers should enjoy this collection of trebuchet/catapult designs.

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.

Stainless steel paint.

Onion goggles.

Batman-esque underground garage with hydraulic lift.

Microsoft to unveil a home server at CES this week in Vegas? This article at Arstechnica discusses the possibility of a machine focused on home automation and entertainment centralization.

Here's a blog full of interesting gifts for under 10 bucks.

WikiHow has a DriCore installation howto available for your edification.

Here is an energy saving tips post from last winter.

The USB humping dog you asked for is in.

Unique DIY photo ornaments.

A table that walks. Finally!

Twist and grow table. Amazing.

Roller toaster.

Make a nice 3D paper snowflake.

Tiny houses from the Tumbleweed Tiny House company.

Post-it note wallpaper made up of four different grey tones which, over time, reveals a usage driven design.

Sweet mug that comes with convenient built-in cookie chamber. Here's a great review of the mug in use.

Great unique gift idea and store thread on Ask Metafilter.

This is one massive bed that measures 12 feet by 10 feet.

Build your very own bottomless pit with this howto (heads up: there is some embedded audio on the site).

Laundry chute turned Cat chute.

PacMan arcade cabinet Halloween costume.

Crazy awesome self assembling robotic chair. Amazing.

DIY Bean bag sofa and/or bed from Instructables.

Another site on transforming household items into other useful (??) household items. Thanks for the tip Paul!

Environmentally friendly home cleaning service. I hadn't realized that there were companies that will clean your home using only animal and environmentally friendly products. This particular company is in the UK, but a quick googling pulls up similar companies in North America as well.

Here are some very unique hand made leaded glass doors, produced using the lead came method, a method in use since the middle ages.

Pumpkin carving. This site has some seriously impressive pumpkin carvings as well as a tutorial, which, although informative, still looks like it requires a lot of artistic ability. Worth a shot though - it's just pumpkin.

Another declutter your home tip page. This one's by FlyLady.net.

USB twister hub with Rubik's cube-like rotating ports.

An outdoor pizza oven party would be a cool alternative to summer barbeques.

Skeeter Bag is a bag that attaches to box fans to catch mosquitos by the thousands.

Lego ice cube tray.

Turn maple leaves into roses with the help of this photo tutorial. Very autumn/thanksgiving.

Interesting Alton Brown video on knife sharpening and maintenance. Instructables also has a step-by-step sharpening howto.

CNN Money article: Middle-class families in worse shape than ever.

Nice and clean magnetic tool rack from Instructables. The nice thing about this organizer is that the actual tool holders can be positioned and rearranged (on the fly) on the metallic backboard.

Designer wood computers handmade in Canada.

Humanoid shaped shelves. Kind of looks like James the doorstop.

How to find a good neighbourhood. MSN article, via Lifehacker.

How to make clear ice cubes.

Use your PC and webcam as a motion activated security camera.

This Old House has made available a very large fall home inspection checklist for your downloading pleasure.

Mike Jagger of Provident security has been on the scene of thousands of residential burglaries and has put together this interesting walkthrough of a typical break-in.

Concrete countertops on Flickr.

This is pretty damn clever. Sizeasy is an online tool that helps you visualize the size of something you're reading about or considering buying online. Punch in your dimensions and see your widget along side things like a deck of cards or a piece of paper.

Here's the skinny on upgrading your home network to Gigabit ethernet. It's probably worth doing simply because "gigabit ethernet" just sounds cool and not at all nerdly.

Greenpeace is getting on Apple's case about their use of certain hazardous chemicals in iPods, iBooks and the like. Greenpeace claims that other manufacturers have discontinued the use of some of the chemicals that are still found in Apple products.

De-Clutter your home to sell it faster. Here's a page with a lot of ways to do just that.

Consumer Reports: 20 Free Ways to Save Energy is a nice list of things you can do, mostly around the house, to save energy and of course, as the two go hand in hand, cash.







Househacker/tags/safe

Pelican Emergency Flashlight with Photoluminescence

If you've ever had your power go out in the evening and found yourself stumbling around in the dark to find your flashlight, you may be interested in a glow-in-the-dark flashlight like this one by Pelican (that also happens to contains a 4-hour backup bulb). From the site:

...outfitted with a lens ring that emits a bright glow in the dark. The new generation photoluminescent material in the plastic absorbs the energy from any light source - fluorescent lights, the sun, or even the flashlight's own beam

As useful as charging the photoluminescent matierial on the flashlight with the beam from the flashlight itself sounds, one might be better off storing the flashlight in the garage rather than a broom closet to expose the material to some light, both natural and artificial, during the day. The description suggests the material is 'new generation' - and it would have to be, as the stuff found in toys and trinkets never lasted long enough for any practical purpose. Perhaps Pelican used something along the lines of this material that is both brighter and longer lasting.

Something to think about before the next late night power outage.

Amazon.com link: Pelican Big ED 3700PL Flashlight w/ Photo Luminescent Shroud


Home Heartbeat Awareness System

Home Heartbeat is a notification system that continuously monitors your home's electrical appliances, faucets and other household devices while conveniently sending status data to the "Home Key" keychain, via the ZigBee wireless communication protocol. The system's base station offers internet connectivity that allows for remote monitoring, and the device can also be configured to issue status updates through email or text messages to the homeowner's cell phone.

The system is built in a modular fashion, meaning the device can couple with many different types of (Home Heartbeat) sensors, as they become available. From the site:

The backbone of the Home Heartbeat system is a network of detection sensors: water sensors, open/closed sensors, power sensors, reminder and attention sensors. The sensors can alert the homeowner to a wide range of problems, including pipe leaks and flooding, opened doors and windows, and appliances that are left on. An additional feature is a water shut-off valve that can be controlled and activated by any of the sensors. Reminder and attention sensors can be set to alert homeowners about easy-to-forget tasks, such as changing batteries in smoke detectors or cleaning out the gutters.

According to Fast Company, the basic starter unit offers only one sensor as well as the base unit and keychain and will retail for $149 US.
       



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:

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

LED Enhanced Light Switch Wallplate

Stop bumbling around in the dark on your way to the bathroom in the wee hours of the night with the help of Lite-A-Switch LED wall plates. The lighted wallplate not only directs you to the location of the switch, but acts as a nightlight as well. The site claims the LEDs will last up to 10 years.

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!

Interesting Combination Smoke Alarm Emergency Light

This fire alarm has some interesting features. The smoke detector incorporates an aesthetically pleasing, daily-use, dimmable light that activates during an emergency. In case of fire, the unit communicates with other like units to illuminate an escape route through your home. The unit is powered by your home's electrical power, yet doesn't rely on it. Instead, the device employs a long life emergency back up battery that activates during an alarm. Now if it only had a wifi notification system...

Foot Powered Portable Energy Source

Freeplay has come out with a nice backup energy solution called Weza. The unit works by having the operator step repeatedly on a pedal to produce up to 40-watts of power, which charges an internal 12-volt battery. The Weza outputs to two jumper cables or, alternatively, a convenient cigarette lighter jack. An optional add-on is required for powering essential 120 volt devices, like your PVR.

The Red Cross has some other things to consider for you home emergency kit.

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