A Nod to Great Design at a Fraction of the Price

CB2 has a wonderful nod to other "Solo" cup designs i have seen in the last year or two. However, this one is made of clear "chem lab" beaker glass rather than porcelain. It is handwash-able only, and a complete steal at $1.95. Why pay $40 or more a cup, when CB2 can hook you up for less than a tenth of that?

It's About Time Clock

Here's a clock that gives you the approximate time, i.e. "quarter past twelve" and "nearly one". It's a concept from Laurence Willmott that reflects how we round to the nearest quarter hour. A first strike against the punctuality-fascists who rule our lives.

Train Station Time

A cool, understated, and unconventionally mounted wall clock in its own right, this Double Sided Wall Clock from CB2 has the added appeal of bringing to mind classically modern mid-century train stations. The clock features two faces--one on each side--and its steel frame is finished in gunmetal grey that verges on black. The piece is 15" in diameter and 5.5" thick and will look perfectly at home in either the office or a spare, modern living space. It also runs on a single AA battery, so you won't have a cord running down the wall below it.

Broom Lamp

So we know this is not the greenest product on the planet. Nor the most stylish. But vacuum cleaners have had headlamps on them for a few decades now, why not the broom? Sure, we can think of a couple of reasons.

Firstly, we wouldn't want to see our dust that clearly. Second, one of our current broom's redeeming qualities over the vacuum is the lack of a plug-in cord. A design from 0900-design in the Netherlands, the Licht Vegen lamp plugs in and lights a path through the dust bunnies as they get swept up.
It certainly gives new significance to our belief that cleaning lights up the dark corners. €120, here.

Charcoal BBQ Ready in 60 Seconds, Impossible you Say?

I love the taste of a good charcoal barbecue, but I hate the effort that it takes to get the coals going. I did come up with a technique to speed up the process involving an electric fan mounted on a handle, but that only works if you are near a power point and have a spare electric fan lying around for cannibalism. The 60 Second Charcoal Starter is a much better idea and it will let you do away with lighter fluid and all the other toxic nasties that tend to be thrown onto the coals to get them going.

Stick the metal tip of the starter charcoal and hold the button down to get the charcoal burning. Then point the starter at the coals and really get them cooking. It allegedly takes sixty seconds for the fan forced heat to get the charcoal ready. When they say heat, they are not kidding either, the 60 Second Charcoal Starter is good for 1,290° F, I guess that does not need to be prefaced with keep out of reach of children.
Price: $80 from Hammacher Schlemmer

Uni-Tasking Pizza Scissors Will Slice and Serve

What kitchen implement is wedge shaped and has a sharp edge, perfectly suited to cutting a pizza without disturbing the topping, and then serving the slice?

That's right. A chef's knife. Sure, you could waste $10 on this pair of pizza scissors, which will do the same thing. But that's all they will do. I don't know which is worse. The fact that manufacturers continue to market uni-tasking tat, or that gullible consumers continue to stuff their kitchen drawers with it. What next? An egg cracker?

Heat-Sensitive Wallpaper

Designer Shi Yuan has designed a wallpaper that reacts to heat.

That would make for a very interesting home.

Swing Lamp

For those middle of the night swinging sessions.

PICTURES: "Secret Hole" Scale Hides Your Weight

"Secret Hole" is an innovative scale concept that "moves the 'window of weight' right underneath your feet", allowing you to peek only when ready. Click here for one more picture.

It's one of those "I need to know, but don't wanna look" situations some of us have had in our bathrooms. Sometimes a few self words of encouragement are necessary to prepare for the shock. Make it easier on yourself

“On Target” Video Game Urinal

Set back into each urinal is a pressure-sensitive display, which activates an interactive game when used. This game includes sounds and images, bringing entertainment value to where you’d least expect. It will most likely will be installed in airports and schools “with the functional purpose of improving hygiene”.