06.30.2005

Cableyoyo

Cableyoyo is really quite a neat device that will help you manage the multiple cords that are becoming every tech gadget owner,Aeos nightmare. Just looking over my desk makes me want to get one; now the question is, how many cables can a cableyoyo handle? According to the picture below at least two, but if it can,Aeot handle more than that, then my desk might just get cluttered with cableyoyos instead.

Cableyoyo was conceived and produced by California-based designer Dominic Symons of bluelounge, and is available is stores for $4.99, or in a three pack for $14.88 at J&R. It comes in white, black and silver.

Via gizmag

Posted by Camilla Category: devices
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06.30.2005

Octane Re-energizing Gel

I think I really have to try this out, especially these days where here in Italy temperatures have reached 100 F (40 C) ... maybe the refreshing and energizing effects of this apparently wondrous gel will prevent me from morphing into a sloth.

The best times to try Octane(tm) are:
a. At work / school. A perfect aid to surviving long hours. Also, in the early mornings, if you have trouble getting out of bed. It's the point where you know you have to get out of bed but can't because you'd like to sleep a little longer!
b. Immediately after a warm shower
c. After 14 hours of gaming and/or coding
d. Any time you feel excessively warme. Really, any time you feel drowsy, its a good boost

Available for $11.95 at j!nx.com

Posted by Camilla Category: body
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06.30.2005

More geek fashion

Also available on j!nx.com a pair of girl fitted pants that have GEEK written across your butt ($29.95). They sure would match the Choose Your Weapon t-shirt shown here a while ago. Now, in my high school days, this outfit would have probably gotten me emotionally scared for life, but I guess today I would just proudly show my geek butt around.

Posted by Camilla Category: wearables
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06.30.2005

Need a new washing machine?

I am not sure how I ended up reading articles on a site called Good Housekeeping, as I am so far away from being interested in being a good housekeeper as I could possibly be. But if you ever had movers packing up all the stuff in your house and are waiting for them to be done, there is plenty of time to kill and what's better to do than surf online while the connection is still up? Aimless surfing has always been responsible for interesting and unforeseeable encounters ... and this is how I stumbled upon this washing machine article.

If you are looking to buy a new washing machine, this review could prove quite helpful. My personal favorite: the Laundry Room Chic, available for $ 1,499 at Sears. It is quite expensive, but it comes in different colors and is described as [...] an energy-conserving champ [that] also has a sanitary cycle that kills bacteria found in diapers and other germy items.

Posted by Camilla Category: home
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06.29.2005

The doctor toilet

Where will Japan's toilets stop?

As one sits on Toto's Intelligence Toilet, it extends a little cup to take five cubic centimeters (0.15 fluid ounces) of urine, which is sent through a tube to a hidden sensor to measure sugar levels. The cup is then cleaned automatically. While doing your urine check-up, you can also pop open a built-in box next to the toilet paper roll and take out the velcro to wrap around your wrist to check blood pressure.

Also on offer are a scale under the floor and two bars above a washstand that can measure how fatty your body is. All the test results are displayed on a single panel and fed into a personal computer. The machine can accumulate individual records of a family and offers the option of blocking other users from seeing your data. "But our original idea is to have the mother adjust dining menus in accordance with the health of her family," a spokeperson says.

Intelligence Toilet costs between 380,000 and 562,000 yen (3,500 to 5,170 dollars) .

From 3yen.

Posted by regine Category: body
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06.29.2005

The wooferang

Oh! The Wooferang , a goofy wooden boomerang for dogs. Probably funnier for dogs owners than for the pets.

Via designboom.

Posted by regine Category: toys
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06.27.2005

Amplified mp3 player

I don't want to alarm any Apple cultists, erm enthusiasts, but I think even the biggest iPod devotee would agree that the volume is a little lacking when you hitch your player to a real stereo system or some serious headphones. Once you crank it up to a level where you can hear your music over the roar of a plane engine, you get clipping and distortion. There iPod amplifiers, but they add some bulk which can be annoying if you're toting the iPod around, which sort of defeats the purpose of having such a portable player.

Kenwood's new HD20GA7 mp3 player is intended as a component for their ES-A5MD micro-stereo system. It has a built-in digital amplifier to boost the sound so you get more power at lower volume levels and avoid distortion. The iPod-esque (but of course) player comes in white and black, with a 20GB hard drive. Plays mp3s, WMAs, and WAV files. Color screen.

Available this month in Japan, but hopefully will be released further as it could be the first mp3 player suitable for a true audiophile.

From Nikkei.

Posted by Mia Category: devices
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06.26.2005

Hannspree lifestyle televisions

The Taiwanese "lifestyle television" company Hannspree is bringing their case-modded and branded television sets to the US. While televisions have evolved, even going tube-less, they pretty much still look the same. The relatively ancient projection screens relegated to the basement often don't look structurally (just externally of course) very different from the beautiful huge plasma screens you can get for about oh, ten grand or so.

Hannspree sets are customized to fit lifestyles. And sometimes even hairstyles.

The bear and cow tvs are actual stuffed plush toys encasing a slim and light LCD screen. Your kids can hug their tvs to sleep while watching commercials for toys (sorry, is that a movie?). Cute, but a little disturbing.

The cello model is made of wood and mimics the elegant curves of the instrument. I don't know if this makes tv watching a more "emotional" experience as Hannspree claims, but nice-looking things can be more enjoyable to use. (interesting book about this concept: Emotional Design: Why We Love (or Hate) Everyday Things.)

Hannspree will also be releasing models that are branded with pro sports teams. Every Major League baseball team and NBA team will have a model designed with its logo and colors. Someone who just generally enjoys a sport can have a tv shaped like a ball.

The televisions will be available in October and will run anywhere from $450 to $1400.

Press release.

Posted by Mia Category: home
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06.23.2005

Smart swimming goggles

Katie Williams, from Brunel University in London, has created a nifty prototype of swimming goggles . The total time spent swimming, the number of laps completed and the speed traveled are shown in a tiny heads-up display inside the goggle lens, using a system that reflects information off tiny mirrors.

Posted by regine Category: wearables
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