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Electric Eel Powered Christmas Lights

2008-01-02T08:09:00.001-08:00

The “e” in E-tree stands for two things: eco and electric eel!

In order to raise public awareness for the power-producing capabilities of electric eels, a Japanese aquarium Aqua Toto Gifu, built the E-tree. A conductive copper wire was inserted inside the tank where the slimy zapping sea creature resided, while the other end of the wire was attached to the colored lights of a nearby Christmas tree. When the eel slithered against the wire, the eel’s currents would cause the ornaments to light up.

Glowing Swarovski Cube - FireJewel Necklace

2008-01-02T08:09:00.000-08:00

Oooh, glittering diamond! Well, not really. It’s a 10 mm solitaire Austrian Swarovski crystal, but it does sparkle fabulously thanks to a small internal light.

The $39.95 bling on a string is powered by a replaceable 3-volt lithium battery which lasts about 60 hours. The crystal cube dangles elegantly from nylon-coated wire which is so slender, your bauble will appear to float when you bling it out to the clubs with you

Flinstone Inspired Pedal Car - Twike Electric Hybrid

2008-01-02T08:07:00.000-08:00

The Twike is the world’s first pedal-powered human electric hybrid car.

The company says this car can get up to speeds of 15-45 mph, with a 5 speed electric motor.

The unique aspect about this car is that it can run only with the pedal power provided by your feet, much like the Flinstone mobile. If you team up to pedal with another passenger, the combined power could generate up to 500 watts, which can increase the range of the car by an astounding 50%.

Mainstream 3D Printers - Desktop Factory's 3D Printer

2008-01-02T08:06:00.001-08:00

At $5,000 Desktop Factory’s 3D printer isn’t going to be on everybody’s desktop anytime real soon but until recently 3D printers cost several times that amount. All of us can remember when flat screen TVs were a luxury item, so it won’t be that all long before the early adopters among us are printing out D&D figurines.
The 3-D printing industry is about 20 years old, and in the past two years alone, it has sold around 8,000 machines, or 36% of the industry's two-decade world-wide sales total of 22,000, according to consulting firm Wohlers Associates. And sales are likely to increase further: A Pasadena, Calif., venture called Desktop Factory Inc. has already taken 350 pre-orders for a $5,000 3-D printer it plans to roll out next year, says Cathy Lewis, CEO of the company. About 40% of those orders are from universities and 35% from small businesses, she says. The company predicts printers could start finding their way into homes in five years or so. "The costs have come down and the technology is much more stable and reliable now," says Sivam Krish, chief executive of Genometri, which will use Z Corp. printers to make picture frames; he later hopes to expand to custom toys and jewelry. "We're looking at new product possibilities that are manufactured quickly according to customer requirements." (online.wsj)

Extendable Truck Bed - Extender Elastruck

2008-01-02T08:04:00.002-08:00

So that trendy looking car you have is great, but what if you could have a truck bed with it on demand? Enter the Extender Elastruck, a revolutionary new design in trucks, that could be the way of the future for those looking for some occasional extra room.

The truck is designed to have over 400hp from two electric engines each driving on a set of wheels.

“When not in use, the bed retracts unobtrusively into the rear of the truck,” PopSci said. “It extends by way of an electric piston up to a full-size 4x8 bed with thin-but-sturdy armored sidewalls and a structural support system that can handle the toughest terrain and the heaviest loads.”

This concept would definitely be a must-have for those looking for something useful, environmental and trendy.

Hybrid Motorbike Cab - Eco-Friendly City Swing

2008-01-02T08:04:00.001-08:00

Now this is a fun way to zip around to explore a new city… weather permitting, that is. The City Swing is a hybrid motorbike cab painted a vibrant green to reinforce the fact that it’s evidently a more eco-friendly transit choice than a yellow cab.

The designer, Gert-Jan van Breugel, calls it “a more sustainable alternative for a fast and flexible travel.”

“The City Swing is a hybrid motorbike cab with seats for three people. Driven by bio-fuel or electricity, and by making use of bus-only lanes, the motorbike cab is faster, more economical and less polluting than present-day cabs.”

City Swings seat a driver and up to two passengers and are 65% smaller than a taxi, giving passengers more space between lanes and making it easier to weave between traffic.

Google Phone in Testing - Android Cell Phone

2008-01-02T08:01:00.000-08:00

Google’s new phone, the Android, is in the hands of testers and getting closer to being in the hands of technology media. Designed to bury the iPhone and all comers, the Android is open source and open network. This allows anyone to develop applications and it works on any cell phone network.

HDR Photography - The Secret to Mind-Blowing Photos

2008-01-02T08:00:00.001-08:00

Don’t invest in a fancier camera; buy better software. As megapixels reach their practical maximum, software is improving to heighten image quality.
HDR, or High Dynamic Range photography, is quickly becoming one of the biggest phenomenons among professional and amateur photographers alike. The real beauty in these highly-detailed, extremely vivid images is that anyone can do them.

An ordinary photo gets most of its detail in the midtones, and under-exposed photo from the highlights, overexposed from the shadows. By taking photos at different ISO levels (light sensitivity), then layering them on PhotoShop or other photo editing program, high intensity detail can be seen throughout the entire image.

Dark Mission, currently a New York Times bestseller, is an example of how modern technology could go back into history and redefine what we can learn through the moon without physically having to go back. Richard C. Hoagland, the author and founder of the Enterprise Mission, wants to take the old black and white photos from the moon and apply HDR techniques.

Some of the photos were over-exposed, some were under-exposed, so he thinks if they layer them, scientists could gain tremendous insight.

If it’s that easy, why haven’t they done it? Apparently the US government “lost the photos.” Make whatever you will of that.

Meanwhile, get out there with your camera and start shooting! Check out the HDR Pool on Flickr for inspiration.

The World’s Toughest Cellphone - Sonim XP1

2008-01-02T07:56:00.000-08:00

The World’s Toughest Cellphone - Sonim XP1 (VIDEO)The Sonim XP1 is designed to military specifications to withstand harsh environments and the worst that you can throw at it and it comes with a three year unconditional guarantee to back it up.

“Yeah, we’ve heard all this before--how tough could it be?” asked Crave. “Well, the company is so confident that it’s invited bloggers and journalists across Europe to ‘torture-test’ the ‘indestructible’ mobile phone and publicize the results on its campaign blog. You can go here to watch someone tee off on an XP1 with a 9-iron.”

The "world's toughest phone" will take on Europe, starting with Stockholm. The new military-spec, Bluetooth, and push-to-talk GSM Sonim XP1 is engineered for outdoor sports enthusiasts and those who work in harsh environments, certified to withstand shock, water, wind, dust, dirt, and extreme temperatures, the U.S.-based mobile Sonim Technologies announced. And not that you'll need it, but there's also a three-year, unconditional warranty (PDF). (crave.cnet)

See-Through Cell Phone - WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) Phone

2008-01-02T07:55:00.000-08:00

See-Through Cell Phone - WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) Phone (GALLERY)Industrial Designer, Pei-Hua Huang, has created a neat design for a future cellphone. The WYSIWYG-phone or ‘What You See Is What You Get’-phone will, like so many phones today, do more than let you talk - it is also a camera. The phone will allow the user to quickly see their subject through a transparent viewfinder which is also the phone’s screen.

Most Expensive Suitcase Ever - Henk designed by Frog Design

2008-01-02T07:53:00.001-08:00

HENK is absolutely one of the most beautiful rich people’s items I have ever seen. It’s incredbily customizable, richly detailed, superbly functional. Everything is perfection of this suitcase. I really find it to be a work of art more than a suitcase. And at about 20,000 dollars for this suitcase, you may not want to use it all the time. I command you to go to the HENK website to see all of the options this suitcase has. You will not believe it!

New Luxury Mobiles - 0% Plastic

2008-01-02T07:53:00.000-08:00

Bellperre offers exclusive mobile phones made without plastic components at all. The company uses only high quality materials such as leather, steel, gold, hardwood, sapphire and other fine material. Their devices will be released at the CeBit show this week in Hannover, and for now you can place your orders by email.

Of course when we say exclusive mobile phones, it means exclusive, judge from what they say:
The diverse collection provides a handset to suit every taste, lifestyle and gender. Customers can choose from a wide palette of colours and finishes, materials and leather designs. Choose from classic calfskin, real reptiles, fashion prints or metallic leather - all in a rainbow of hues. (gizmag)

Ultra Luxury Fashion - £2.4m Diamond Dress

2008-01-02T07:52:00.000-08:00

If you have enough riches to have this dress then you are one of the members of Walton family. This very expensive dress worth £2.4m was designed by Thomas Heverin of Sligo and was specially made for the launch by Appleby’s. It is encrusted with 4,000 diamonds which takes 200 hours to hand sew each.

Unisex Luxury Handbag - Dior Homme Delville Silver Leather Duffle (Man Purse + Purse)

2008-01-02T07:50:00.000-08:00

Some trends are for men, some are for women. In this case, I have finally found a super-luxury trend that has been created for both men and women by DIOR designer.

This Dior Homme Delville Silver Leather Duffle has been conceived as an almost cylindrical bag made with delicate and beauty silvery calfskin. This brand new Dior bag has two flat and flexible cotton handles as well as a detachable shoulder strap. There are also four zipped exterior pockets around the body of the bag and another one within the central compartment.

The price of this unisex Dior bag is $1,585 and there must be some trendy and rich couples that will fight to wear this Dior bag on the streets…

Weatherproof Jacket Also Bullet And Stab-Proof

2008-01-02T07:49:00.000-08:00

t’s a dangerous world out there, and if we’ll take our own security for granted, the consequences could be lethal. So to avoid being paranoid, this Black Weatherproof, Bullet-proof And Stab-Proof Jacket, you’ll be protected wheter it’s the weather, knives, hypodermic needles, broken bottles and even a wide assortment of bullets. The jacket is made from 100% polyester canvas with a PU-coating on the reverse and at 3 kilograms it isn’t abnormally heavy either.
"The downside of all this protection though is that the jacket will set you back just over $2,000 ironically making it the most valuable thing a would-be thief could steal from you." (ohgizmo)

Lego Bling - Forever Young Ring No.1

2008-01-02T07:47:00.000-08:00

Class up your LEGO ring with a little Bling. The Forever Young Ring No.1 adds a shiney stone to an already cute design.
Ladies love diamonds, and dudes have a thing for Legos. What happens when you mix the two? You get a Jacqueline Sanchez original: jewelry that is astonishingly cute and unlike anything you've ever seen before. Take a look for yourself at Pixelgirlshop.com, where Sanchez's handcrafted creations are sold. The Lego reminds you to stay young at heart, and the diamond--well, it's a diamond, and you can never go wrong with that. It's an original piece with class, heart and a hefty price tag (at $250, that's one expensive Lego). But when it comes to love, money is no object. Right? (pixelgirlshop)

Spectacular Web Design

2008-01-02T07:44:00.000-08:00

This will undoubtedly be the viral marketing piece of the new year. Created by HEMA, an international retail organization, this spin-off site is an example of creative web design. All I can say is visit this ‘Hema’ site. It lasts about a minute and is fun to watch.
Customer-friendly and with a unique profile, HEMA distinguishes itself from other retailers by selling its own brand.

OLED Watch Concept - When Shaken, Stars Tell Time

2008-01-02T07:39:00.001-08:00

This is a great concept timepiece by designer Lv Zhogfang. The watch face appears as a random field of moving “stars” or more like balls when the watch is held still. When the wearer shakes their wrist or the glass is tapped, the balls form the hands and hours markers!

Very original and fun!

While still in the early stages of development, it doesn't seem like it would be that difficult to manufacture. And if they're not too expensive I'd get one. It's definitely a step up from the "shake activated" watch I have now. When you shake mine the minute and hour hands come off and float around inside. It would be cool if that was supposed to happen, but it's not. Stupid Folex. (geekologie)

OLED Watch Concept - When Shaken, Stars Tell Time

2008-01-02T07:39:00.000-08:00

Wallet Mp3 - Walletex

2008-01-02T07:37:00.000-08:00

Smaller. More memory. Faster processing. This is what we want out of our tech-gadgets, right? This music player pays the bill (I mean, FITS the bill) as it is as thin as a credit card. Australian company, Walletex, has created the Wallet mp3 - a super-thin, waterproof, 4GB music player. And the price is just as small: only $100. [More]

Netsurfer Computer Work Station

2007-07-16T04:25:00.000-07:00

A mix between the Space Shuttle cockpit and a dentist’s chair, this stylish computer desk (if you can call it a desk) from Snowcrash looks more suitable for sleeping than surfing. Don’t get me wrong, I would definitely take one of these Swedish-designed recliners. NETSURFER emerged from SNOWCRASH´s search for new forms of furniture compa-tible with new technologies. Abandoning the conventional combination of chair and desk, the NETSURFER rethinks our relationship to the computer and our surfing requirements. The semi-reclining position with the screen at eye level is designed to be comfortable for long periods. Pillows support the neck and lower back, arms and legs are supported on adjustable arm and footrests. (snowcrash.corpsite.tc)

Van Gogh Vodka

2007-07-15T08:36:00.000-07:00

Van Gogh Vodka is the exclusive vodka of GALApalooza, the prelude event to the three day Lollapalooza rock concert held at Grant Park in Chicago on August 2-5, 2007. This brand features 17 flavors some of which include Acai - Blueberry Vodka, Mojito Mint Vodka, Espresso Vodka, and Wild Appel Vodka. Good to go whether shaken or stirred.

Electronic Cigar - Smoke'em If You Got'em

2007-07-15T08:33:00.000-07:00

Want all the wonderful features of a big fat cigar without inhaling a ton of tar? This faux-cigar uses “microelectronic control and supercritical atomizing technologies”. Huh!? The upside: you don’t need to carry a lighter. The downside: you have to carry a case full of electronic equipment. WARNING: I’m not suggesting this is a healthy alternative to smoking.