Musical Kettle

The Musical Kettle now ranks as one of the most bizzare kitchen gadgets you will find. It works just like a normal kettle whistle in that the air pushed through it causes it to make a noise… but in this case the noise can be varied.

The creator says…

I wanted to contribute to the design of daily domestic noises. alarms, mobile phones, a doorbell; he is of the opinion that not enough thought has been given to the noises they produce. The musical kettle is a part of series ‘re-design soundscape’. As the kettle boils it whistles your favorite tune.

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Sony's new Better Rechargeable Batteries

Although available for nearly 2 months, Sony have only just released details of some new secondary batteries that have a longer battery life and quicker charge cycles.

The batteries in the photo are basic in their covering and this is because they are not used as individual batteries and instead, are used in a group in items such as power tools.

They are lithium-ion batteries that use a better material to achieve a higher power density of 1800W/KG and because of this can have a 20W continuous discharge. 2000 charge/discharge cycles can be done and 99% of charge capacity can be reached in just 30 minutes.

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Bed with built-in speakers for MP3 players

If you’re still planning a camping trip before the summer ends and don’t like the idea of roughing it, you might want this mattress. Yes, not only will it keep you from lying directly on all those sharp pointy rocks, but it also tosses in a set of speakers to sweeten the deal. Basically, it’s an air mattress to take camping for people who hate camping.

I’m not sure why there is a trend lately with overly high tech air mattresses, but for some reason they keep showing up. Not too long ago there was the air mattress that actually inflated to raise up so you could sit at an angle on it. The built-in 4D QuickPump will deflate and inflate your mattress hands-free. To keep that part powered you’ll need 4 D batteries. Then it also has a built-in amplifier and a set of speakers that can connect to an MP3 player. You can purchase the mattress in both queen sized and twin. The queen mattress will cost you $50 from Amazon.

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Toothbrush Sanitizer

For those of you with a his and hers type bathroom, this toothbrush sanitizer would be the perfect fit. There are several different types of toothbrush sanitizers out there, you just have to find the right one for your bathroom. If there are only two of you that use the bathroom, then this one would work out great. It sanitizes two toothbrushes at once, but no more than that.

It also of course stores them away inside of a protective area. Which means no germs will get on your toothbrush from laying out on the bathroom counter top. That’s especially nice if you’re aware of how many germs get tossed into the air every single time someone flushes the toilet. The UV technology will destroy up to 99.9% of germs that it comes in contact with. The sanitizer runs on batteries, although they don’t state what type. You can purchase it for $39.95 through Amazon, which isn’t really too bad of a price.

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Door with a Ping Pong Court

If you are a fan of Ping Pong but have nowhere to put a table then check out this fancy door. The door doubles as a ping pong table allowing you to play between any 2 rooms.

The door was created by Tobias Fraenze. It sits in a frame and when needed, the ping pong table just flips down.

Via: LikeCool

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Black & White OLED clock

Let me start by saying that I was amazed at the many numbers of comments that we had at the Wrist Watch Tattoo. Several of them said that telling time with an ever-changing digital tattoo on the wrist was a pure hoax, but some were believers.

I recently discovered another way of telling time with some ever changing digits, but this is designed for the wall. The Black & White clock features four separate OLED digits, each of them are on individual power.

I’m guessing that somehow these four numbers are somehow wirelessly synced together, as one number should know its place in the whole. I suppose they could be timed so that the hour number is in sync with the minute number and such.

As you can see, these numbers are black during the daytime, but the designer, Vadim Kibardin, has arranged it so the numbers will glow in the dark. I’m not certain how they mount on the wall.

Right now, this Black & White clock remains only a concept for now, but the designer is currently hoping for a mass distributor. Considering how pragmatic and aesthetic this clock is, it probably won’t be long before the Black & White Clock adorns the walls of mansions.

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TV & Mirror Combo

With everything getting converged these days, it makes perfect sense for the existence of the Fendi Casa Mirror TV Combo. This device is perfect for those who live in hamster-like homes that are so small that even Ikea doesn’t have a design that fits. Well, the name of it is pretty much self-explanatory - it is a standard mirror that works as one, at least until your turn the LCD TV on. Once powered up, the TV will reveal itself in various sizes (depending on your budget), maxing out at 42″. Perfect for those who are living in studio apartments as well as couples who want something a little bit different in their bedrooms.

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Light Pillow

This is one of those lamps you really wish you could afford so that you could place it in your child’s room. Then investing quite a bit in giving the room a highly whimsical theme and creating basically a dream land. Odd lighting that no one would ever expect to see always makes for a great way to change up a room. Even a normally plain room would be perked up with something like this.

It can be tossed onto the floor, placed on a table, hung on the wall or even used as a chandelier. It’s also easy to wash, so for those of you that would use this for a kid, it’d still be a great option. The cover itself is completely removable and made of 100% cotton, while the frame is made of powder-coated metal. They don’t actually give any indication as to what type of light bulb this would need or if it’s an LED light. You can purchase this Light Pillow, designed by Linus Kutavicius, for $189 from Generate.

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Lazy in Getting Up with your Alarm Clock! See this

If you have ever seen those dancing games in the arcades where you tap your feet in time to the music in a specific routine then this is exactly what this alarm clock is… well, a tiny bit smaller.

The Finger Dance Alarm Clock requires that you tap the floor of it by following a correct sequence of lights. Only when you have completed the sequence correctly will the alarm switch off.

The idea is fantastic although I am sure if you really don’t want to wake up then you could just chuck it out of the window. The Dance Alarm Clock will set you back £9.99 in the UK.

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Baby Cry Analyzer

Although a baby crying is just one of those normal parts of having a baby, sometimes it’d be nice to know why exactly they are crying. Typically it’s pretty easy to figure out, give them a bottle or change their diaper and you’re good. However, sometimes the crying just keeps going, so at those points it would be nice to have a translator. Oddly, Think Geek is there to rescue you with this Why Cry Baby Analyzer.

Just whip this out and it’ll take the gadget about 20 seconds to figure out what’s wrong with your little one. It will then show a face on the screen that you can link up with the five different possible issues. There is stressed, sleepy, annoyed, bored and finally hungry. It’d be nice if it translated things a bit more specifically, but at least it’s something. It also displays the room’s temperature and humidity. To keep it powered, it requires 4 AA batteries. You can purchase it for $99.99.

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A vacuum tube chess set for You!

There is a chess set for everyone now. Previously, there were chess sets for WoW fans, cat lovers, the rich, but now even audiophiles have a chess set with this vacuum tube set. Details are a bit scarce, but all you need to do is gaze at the pics to appreciate the craftsmanship.

Photo Gallery by Picturesurf

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Color Changing Ice Bucket

There are already plenty of forms of garden lighting, but now even your ice bucket can add a little mood lighting. After all, why shouldn’t an ice bucket add to the atmosphere too? Alright, so it is a little on the cheesy side of things. However, it’s really no worse than a majority of the lights you find for sale that are meant to be outdoors in your garden area. Plus, this does have a lot of customization features, so you can play down the cheesy factor.

It allows for you to change the color tone, the speed it changes colors and how brightly it shines. So you can dim the lights at strategic points throughout the night. It’s made of plastic and uses LED lights to give you the glow you see here. It will work indoors or outdoors and is fully rechargeable. To charge it back up again, just hook it up to the AC power adapter. The ice bucket comes with a remote control and can be purchased for $67.69.

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Crushed Ice Cube Tray

New from Spain’s Lékué comes the C’rush ice cube tray. It’s a flexible silicone ice cube tray that allows you to easily make crushed-like ice. Gone are the days of putting your ice in a blender or into a plastic bag and using a hammer to get the crushed ice effect. The silicone form allows the “cubes” to be long and narrow which gives you smaller, thinner piece of ice that breaks up easily.

Because the ice cubes are smaller, they will freeze up much faster- in as little as one hour per Lekue. It comes in one of three colors and can be stacked to save space. C’rush was created by three Belgian designers who presented it in a TV contest for innovative inventions. I can’t find it for sale in the U.S. right now, although Amazon has other Lekue ice cube trays listed so maybe they will add this new one real soon.

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Wireless Bathroom Speaker

If you’re not fond of the cases that although do protect your iPod in the shower, it still requires that your iPod be near water, you might like this wireless idea. With this you can have your music playing in the shower, all the while your iPod is tucked safely away somewhere nice and dry. Plus for the guys there’s a fogless mirror so you can shave in the shower. Just mount it to the shower wall and you’ll have an endless supply of music, well at least until the batteries die.

In addition to being able to play music from your iPod, it also has an FM radio. Which offers you a little more versatility if your iPod doesn’t have enough music on it for your tastes. While you’re in the shower you can also keep track of the time since there is an LCD clock. One down side is that having this in the bathroom means anyone can have music in the shower. Even those that sing painfully off key. You can purchase the Wireless Bathroom Speaker for £24.95 or about $40.

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Magnetic 4-Ball Color Changing Lamp

Here’s a really interesting ball lamp, since today’s theme is balls after all. The Magnetic 4-Ball Color Changing Lamp has four acrylic balls with LED lights inside that change colors and are removable and adjustable with magnets. The balls are powered by a low voltage power rod in the middle (low voltage=no shock if you touch it). It looks like a pretty neat and colorful lighting design.


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Want to Buy a Digital Photo Frame

Got a dad who likes showing off his snaps? Follow our five simple rules to find him a frame that delivers sharp images and great features at a pleasing price.

Plain old picture frames are so last century. After all, they don't do much more than show off one shot. Snore. Digital photo frames, on the other hand, let you create slideshows with cool transitions to display all of your vacation pics. Some of these handy devices integrate video, audio, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and a host of other features, too. The best part? LCD technology is finally becoming affordable enough for these frames to be had at reasonable prices. We've reviewed a bunch of digital photo frames and have found that you can land a great bargain on an excellent one; but you need to know what to look for. So here are our rules for picking the perfect digital picture frame.

Rule 1: Consider the User

Some of the picture frames we've reviewed, such as the Sony VAIO Wi-Fi Photo Frame VGF-CP1 ($299 list), have fancy features like full Web browsers, streaming Internet radio, and text news feeds. With some exceptions—such as the Smartparts 8" WiFi Digital Picture Frame (SPX8WF; $140 street) and the Kodak EasyShare W820 Wireless Digital Frame ($150 street)—Wi-Fi photo frames generally cost quite a bit more than those that display only local content. Those features also add complicated menu options that may be confusing to novice users. And people on your gift list may just want to see their photos and little else, so it may be best to stay away if you don't think you or the person receiving the frame will take advantage of the wireless features.

On the other hand, more sophisticated users will enjoy Web-enabled features, such as the ability to e-mail photos or see up-to-date weather forecasts. Features like dedicated e-mail addresses make basic Wi-Fi frames, such as the Smartparts model, a good fit for anyone with a wireless network.

Rule 2: Don't Buy Based on Brand Name Alone

We had high hopes for HP's first digital photo frame, the HP df750 7-inch Digital Picture Frame ($129.99 direct), for example, so we were surprised to find that the company built it around a dismal LCD riddled with scaling problems that produced jagged, grainy images. This frame also has a hard-to-maneuver menu system that makes it difficult to recommend.

On the flip side, the lesser-known Pandigital used an excellent display in its 8-inch PanTouch Digital Photo Frame ($169.99 list) touch-enabled frame that delivered quite good images and can now be had for about $100. Our tests showed images with pleasing color accuracy, and the device offers picture adjustments for brightness, contrast, tint, and color for fine-tuning almost any photo to perfection. The bottom line: Always read reviews before you buy!

Rule 3: Never Settle for Resolution Below 640 by 480 Pixels—Regardless of Price

Rock-bottom prices on some frames, such as the $79.99 (list) Cenomax F7024B 7-inch Digital Photo Frame, may render them mighty attractive, but beware subpar images. This frame's resolution of 480 by 234 pixels is too low to display details, so most of its images look boxy and pixelated—no bargain! Consider only frames with a resolution of 640-by-480 or higher.

Rule 4: Select Your Aspect Ratio

Photo frames typically come in one of two aspect ratios, 4:3 or 15:9. By default, most point-and-shoot digital cameras capture photos in 4:3. A frame with an aspect ratio of 4:3 will be the best fit for your photos, as 15:9 frames will have to crop a piece of the top and bottom of your photos to fit the image on the LCD screen. On the other hand, a 15:9 aspect ratio gives your images a pleasing widescreen feel, which might be a better bet for some. One of our high-rated frames, the Sony DPF-V900 9-inch Digital Photo Frame, displays in 15:9. That, together with its slick design and intuitive software, makes it look and feel like a mini HDTV. If you shoot a lot of portrait images, you might also want to consider a frame that can stand in either landscape or portrait mode. The Ipevo Kaleido R7 Wireless Digital Frame ($199.99 direct) takes that flexibility to the next level with its rotatable display.

Rule 5: Images Are Only Part of the Picture

Superior image quality isn't the most important feature to everyone. Sure, you want to see your pictures clearly and sharply, but ease of use and additional features are also something to consider. For instance, the PF Digital eStarling Impact8 Connected Wireless Digital Photo Frame ($169.99 list), the D-Link Digital Photo Frame (DSM-210) ($244.99 direct), and the Pandigital 8-inch PanTouch all have easy-to-use menu systems; the first two mentioned integrate Wi-Fi, so you can send pictures to the frame over a home network. In addition, these frames let you view images from online photo sites. If you're tech-savvy, you'll find it simple to set up the frame at your parents' house and upload your pictures to the Web so your family can see them. (As mentioned before, these complex frames also include complicated menus, so they're certainly not for everyone.) For those who want to pass the photos around at parties, the Viewsonic DPX702 might do the trick. The frame features an internal battery, which allows up to 1 hour of cable-free photo viewing.

And there you have it. So start by reading the reviews mentioned below, and be sure to follow our rules as you shop for a digital photo frame.

In this roundup:

Cenomax F7024B 7-inch Digital Photo Frame

$79.99 list
This frame's 480-by-234-pixel screen resolution is the kiss of death. It makes images appear boxy, jagged, and pixelated.

D-Link Wireless Photo Frame (DSM-210)

$244.99 direct
You'll enjoy the large, high-quality display of the D-Link Wireless Photo Frame (DSM-210), but the mats for the frame's surround suffer from poor design that gets in the way of usability.

HP df750 7-inch Digital Picture Frame

$129.99 direct
Even though this photo frame sports an HP logo, its image quality, user interface, and overall build disappoint.

Ipevo Kaleido R7 Wireless Digital Frame

$199.99 direct
With a poor viewing angle in portrait mode, this Wi-Fi frame's rotatable display isn't enough to offset the high price.

Kodak EasyShare EX811

$229.95 direct
It's the first Wi-Fi–enabled digital photo frame we've seen that is relatively easy to set up and use. Although its photo quality isn't the best, the frame's other offerings—including 128MB of onboard memory and headphone jack—attract attention.

Kodak EasyShare W820 Wireless Digital Frame

$219.95 direct
The Kodak EasyShare W820 Wireless Digital Frame gives you a budget-quality device at a premium price—not the best combination.

Pandigital 8-inch PanTouch Digital Photo Frame

$169.99 list
This frame's LCD has rich colors and lots of image adjustments for the pros. It gives the highly rated Sony DPF-V900 9-inch a run for its money.

PF Digital eStarling Impact8 Connected Wireless Digital Photo Frame

$169.99 list
You won't get tons of fancy features with the PF Digital eStarling Impact8 Connected Wireless Digital Photo Frame, but that keeps the interface drop-dead easy.

Smartparts 8" WiFi Digital Picture Frame (SPX8WF)

$125 street
If you're looking for only the basics in a wireless digital photo frame, the Smartparts 8" WiFi Digital Picture Frame (SPX8WF) can afford you very good image quality and simple navigation at a fantastic price.

Sony DPF-V900 9-inch Digital Photo Frame

$299 list
In terms of image quality, ease of use, and aesthetics, this is one of the best digital picture frames we've seen, but extra features you may not need inflate its price.

Sony VAIO Wi-Fi Photo Frame (VGF-CP1)

$299 list
The Sony VAIO VGF-CP1 digital picture frame is pricey, but its high performance and extensive feature set justify the investment.

ViewSonic DPX702

$149.99 list
This 7-inch digital photo frame's rechargeable battery makes it handily portable, but poor contrast levels make images look a bit washed out.

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World’s Smallest Microwave Oven

In today’s society, lunch meals often consist of fast foods or a soda and chocolate bar from the snack vending machine just because the demands of work limit the amount of time people have at lunchtime. Many often skip lunch or eat lunch at their desk.

If this sounds like you, Heinz has created the world’s smallest microwave oven known as the Beanzawave.

Not only does this small microwave easily fit on your office desk, but get this, it’s USB powered.

Office workers no longer have an excuse to miss their lunch because of their busy work schedule. Even students preparing for their final exams or finishing their school assignments can enjoy a warm snack or hot drink without leaving their train of thought.

Currently, the Beanzawave is a prototype model but “experts at the Microwave Association insist the sophisticated miniaturized technology does exist to turn the eye-catching gadget into a reality.”

Aside from it’s small size, this microwave is fast cooking due to it’s use of a series of mobile phone frequencies that are said to be efficient enough to cook some foods in under a minute.

Although the Beanzawave is USB powered, it can optionally use lithium ion batteries making it a truly portable microwave that can be taken on camping trips or fishing trips.

It is expected that once the Beanzawave enters the retail market, it will retail for about $160.

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iPod Stereo Pool Oasis with built-in massager

I remember back in my day when a we just had normal blow up chairs in the pool. Normally they were the kind you have to lay flat on too. Now all these crazy kids have their new fangled technology tossed in. They can’t just have a normal blow up chair, no, they need speakers and cup holders. Well this blow up gadget would definitely make for a relaxing day out at the pool. Especially since you’ll have you tunes handy and playing right by your head.

It also has a vibrating massager that targets your lower and upper back as well as your thighs and calves. It has a spot to hold your iPod or MP3 player that will keep it safe, it stores it within a built-in waterproof dock. There’s an attached remote that fits into the armrest to control the massager, but no such remote to take care of the MP3 player. Which means you’ll have to either deal with a song or brave taking it out of the waterproof area to change the song. To keep the lounger powered it requires 4 AA batteries. It’ll cost you $199.95 from Hammacher and Schlemmer.


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Oven Cooks with Lasers

We already discussed an oven that cooks via USB, and we would be remiss in our duties at Techno Uptodate if we did not report on other advancements in oven technology, such as this particular oven that cooks with lasers.

That’s right, lasers (just imagine the hands doing quotes like Dr. Evil). In fact, this oven uses a combination of three lasers to cook your food, which are specifically under your control. So if you want your pizza cooked at 350 degrees, you can make that distinction. I’m not really sure how that distinction is made, though. I mean, do you just use one laser for Jiffy Pop and three for a turkey?

I would imagine that complications will arise when cooking with lasers, which is why this oven has a “specially designed ventilation system”. I’m guessing that this system fans away the odd scents that occur with laser cooking. Then again, I really don’t know much about cooking with lasers. Man, that sounds like some futuristic cooking show. “Hello, everyone, and welcome to Cooking with Lasers. Today we’ll be blasting a pot roast”.

That is about all my sources tell me about this particular oven, which is still a concept for “Cooking in the Futur”, an Electrolux competition. Personally, I think it is a neat idea whose time has come, and I hope designer Ludovic Peperstraete wins some sort of award for this.

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Microwave oven cooks by USB

How many times have you had to work straight through lunch, only to wonder if being lightheaded affected your job performance more than taking a half hour and eating something substantial. But sometimes you just can’t leave your desk. So does that mean being chained to cubicle and eating cold food the rest of your hectic career? Well how about a USB microwave which can heat small dishes right where are? It’ll have the ability to feed you hot food and drive workmates nuts with the wafting scents of cooked food coming from your cube. That’s where the strangely named Beanzawave comes in as the world’s smallest portable microwave oven.

About the size of a portable camping light, the Beanzawave is run by USB and can cook a tiny snack sized meal or warm a beverage. Currently in prototype, the Beanzawave is a tad over 7 inches tall by 6 inches wide and 6 inches deep. How can USB create the kind of power used to generate microwaves? Well, the reality is that it doesn’t use microwaves at all, per se. It uses the same sort of waves used for cellular telephones (which should give everyone pause considering we all have a phone next to our ears every day) to generate the heat needed to cook or warm up the food or drink. And the Beanzawave can tune those cellular wave frequencies to generate exacting head to cook a wide variety of small foods including pot pies, cups of soup, or even a hamburger.

The Beanzawave was developed by Gama Microwave Technology in association with Heinz (yes, the ketchup company) which hopes to pair it with their new snack food line known as “Snap Pots.” The current prototype also gives the option of powering it with lithium ion batteries making it completely portable for camping and outdoor sportsman activities.

Cost is projected to be about $150.




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