By Andrew Liszewski

I just threw out a giant stack of 3 1/2 inch floppy disks the other day, but it’s nice to see that their larger 5 1/4 inch forefathers have become useful in other ways.

From Acorn Studios comes these coiled Note Books that use old recycled 5 1/4 inch floppy disks as covers. Each note book is hand made and comes with 80 sheets of plain white recycled paper. So besides looking like a true child geek from the 80′s you can also be happy to know you’re helping out the environment 360 KBs at a time.

The Floppy Disk Note Books are available from Acorn Studios for $9.95.

[Floppy Disk Note Book] VIA [Popgadget]

By Andrew Liszewski

I never have a problem with phone calls that inconveniently come while I’m in the shower because quite frankly I can never hear the phone. However for some people with extraordinary hearing, or ridiculously low water pressure jumping out of the shower to answer the phone can be a nuisance, especially if the call is unimportant.

For those who really need to know who’s trying to get in touch with them while in the shower this combination Radio and Wireless Caller ID will probably do the trick. While listening to the weather and traffic reports you can also keep an eye on who might be calling you. The caller’s name and number is displayed on the unit’s LCD screen which connects wirelessly to the caller ID box attached to your phone line. And if you’re the type who enjoys a really long shower the unit will store the name and number of the last 10 callers.

The Shower Radio with Wireless Caller ID is available from Gadget Universe for $49.95.

[Shower Radio with Wireless Caller ID] VIA [The Red Ferret Journal]

By Andrew Liszewski

Winter this year did not come with the usual force we experience in these parts so while we’re not as desperate for summer as we normally are it’s still nice to know it’s coming.

For those summer nights when you feel like heading to the beach for a cook-out but don’t want to haul a big BBQ the Grilliput will probably come in handy. When assembled it provides a cooking space of about 23 cm by 26 cm, not big enough for a large party but enough to entertain a few friends. The big advantage though is that the Grilliput collapses down into a single stainless steel tube 29 cm in length and only 2.2 cm wide which means you can quite easily carry it in your back pocket. (Once it’s cooled of course.)

You will have to supply your own fire and fuel, be it wood or briquettes and of course the meats and vegetables which probably aren’t as pocketable as the Grilliput is.

The Grilliput is available from ‘I Want One Of Those’ for about $40.00.

[Grilliput Camping Grill] VIA [Coolest Gadgets]

By Bruce Eaton

Time to embrace your inner green thumb Buddha and grow some nirvana on your desk with the Bonzai Tree in a Can. Coming to you straight from Japan and just like the ones Mr. Miyagi grew, this tin opens up to reveal black sand soil and inside that are the bonzai black pine seeds. Perfect for desks, the office, or a window due to its small size of 3.5″ diameter x 1.25″ tall. Even in a cubicle, it will not be eating up space.

With some basic gardening rules, such as remembering to water it, you should be good to go. And $12 is a good price for those even just looking to see if they can grow a bonsai without the financial risk of say, killing off a 300 year old bonsai myrtle from Okinawa.

[Bonzai Tree In A Can] VIA [Uncrate]

By Andrew Liszewski

Ferrofluid is basically microscopic magnetic particles suspended in a soapy-like liquid that has the appearance of black sludge. However when a magnetic field is applied the liquid seems to come to life and forms some truly remarkable shapes. You can see a video of Ferrofluid in action here and I guarantee after watching that you’ll be running out to your local science store trying to find a bottle of this stuff.

Martin Frey, a student at the Berlin University of the Arts has developed a grid of computer controlled magnets that can produce dot graphics in a shallow container of Ferrofluid. This in turn can be used to create simple animations (scrolling text) or in a slightly cooler application used to interactively play the old SNAKE game. The direction of the snake is controlled by tilting the box itself and this motion is translated to the game VIA internal gyros.

A video of the Ferrofluid Display including how it works and what’s inside is available here.

[Ferrofluid Display] VIA [electro^plankton]

By Andrew Liszewski

The Post-It Note can be a great way to remember important things that need to get done. The problem I often have is that I end up with a mountain of them, and subsequently things that were jotted down to be remembered actually get forgotten as they get buried.

The Genius Pad makes forgetting important things a bit harder to do, by basically super-sizing the Post-It Note. At 30cm x 30cm these giant sticky notes function just like the regular-sized versions and can be safely stuck and removed from any surface. For now they’re only available in the classic yellow color but to be honest what other color is as effective?. While I can see these working really well it’s only a matter of time until my place would become a sea of yellow.

The Genius Pads are available in pads of 100, 150 and 300 sheets from Arash and Kelly and cost between $11 and $31 (after currency conversion.)

[Genius Pads] VIA [Better Living Through Design]

By Andrew Liszewski

Is it just me, or is the mouse and cellphone on an inevitable collision course of convergence? Both sides seem to be incorporating more and more functionality every day and I think one day both parties will go as far as they can and decide that a mouse/cellphone is the final innovation.

For now at least Brando brings us a USB mouse that incorporates a laser pointer as well as a thermometer which displays the current temperature of the room on the mouse’s built-in LCD display.

One thing I particularly like is that the mouse is attached to its cord VIA a USB connection. The included cord has a built-in retractor allowing it to be set at a custom length however being attached with a USB connection theoretically means you can use any USB cable if the included one doesn’t suit your needs.

This multi-function mouse is now available from Brando for $18.00.

[Brando USB Mouse with Laser Pointer and Thermometer] VIA [Gadget Candy]

By David Ponce

Way to re-purpose stuff, eh? This fun little creation was on display at the Milan Auto show recently. It’s a sofa, made by Italian designer Zak, that uses some Goodyear RunOnFlat treads.

Aside from the pic and that little tidbit of info, the link chain doesn’t exactly produce any more useful info.

So there you have it. A sofa made from Goodyear tires.

VIA [Gadgetblog.it]

By David Ponce

Fun little headset coming out of Plantronics this month: the MX203S. It’s being positioned as a headset for people who enjoy listening to music with their phones. They’ve made the thing more comfortable, and supposedly improved sound quality. They don’t look half bad, and at $30, it’s smack in the kind of ballpark I like. From the press release:

The MX203S stereo mobile headset features Plantronics? Flex Grip? under-the-ear design for a secure, comfortable fit while walking or running. It incorporates WindSmart technology for clear conversations in outdoor, windy environments. Users listening to music with the MX203S hear a ring when a call comes in and simply touch a button on the headset to answer/end.

It’ll work with most phones equipped with a 2.5mm jack and should be available some time this month from retailers all over, and the Plantronics website.

[The MX203S]