By Andrew Liszewski

I can think of only one time when I could have used an emergency backup light in my shower (during the great blackout of 2003) but an easy-to-read water temperature display? Now that’s a different story. The ECOlight from Sylvania can be easily installed an almost any existing showerhead, and features a bright LED light as well as an illuminated ring that will change color depending on the temperature of the water coming out. Blue indicates the water is less than 78 degrees Fahrenheit, while red indicates it’s hotter than 105.8. But the best part is that both lights are powered by the flow of the water via some sort of generator inside, so no batteries or external power sources are ever needed. Cool!

The ECOlight is available from the Sylvania online store for just $39.99.

[ Sylvania ECOlight - Water Powered Shower Light ] VIA [ Home Improvement Ideas ]

By Andrew Liszewski

It looks like NU has updated their Dolphin waterproof MP3 player with a new version called the Dolphin TOUCH. How original. Upgrades include a curved touch pad interface so the device stays watertight, a small but usable LCD display and even an FM stereo tuner that apparently works underwater. It’s also got 4GB of flash memory on board, support for MP3 or WMA audio files and comes with a set of standard and waterproof headphones. Unfortunately since it was just announced a few days ago, there’s no info on pricing or availability just yet.

[ NU Dolphin TOUCH ] VIA [ Fareastgizmos ]

By Luke Anderson

I’ve discovered that I’m the kind of guy who finds himself baking something tasty at least once a month. I don’t really have a love for baking, nor am I usually making something for a get-together. Rather, I just happen to like the taste of cake and cookies, so I’ll just end up making some for myself instead of conning someone else into doing it. As a gamer, I’ve been wondering how to represent my gaming affection with my baking tools. (Okay, I haven’t actually been wondering that, but just play along.) So how does one do that exactly? With Pac-Man oven mitts of course!

The Pac-Man HotHead Oven Mitts are made completely from silicone and resemble our favorite yellow pill-eater. To give the inside of his mouth a bit of extra grip, it has been designed to look like the classic Pac-Man map. You can pick one of these up starting in April for $15.

[ Perpetual Kid ] VIA [ Technabob ]

By Luke Anderson

I think it is almost universally agreed that duct tape is nearly the most useful tool on the planet. At the very least, it is by far the most useful tape out there. However, I’ve discovered another very useful adhesive that will have a permanent place in my toolbox. Yes, I do sound like I’m getting worked up over tape, but you have to admit that Self-Adhesive Magnetic Tape is rather appealing.

The concept is rather simple; just cut off a strip of tape, stick it to the wall, another piece goes on the item you’re hanging. Now just slap the two things together and it stays. This is rather handy for items that you might need to take off the wall and hang back up again. Sure, you could buy velcro strips and get a similar effect, but those wouldn’t be nearly as fun. Not to mention at $16 for a 5-meter roll, this stuff is probably a lot cheaper.

[ Pro-Idee ] VIA [ RedFerret ]

By Evan Ackerman

Here it is, a can (okay, package) of insta-chair. The ‘pack chair’ by designer François Azambourg is made of cloth and comes rolled up in a little pack. When a chair becomes necessary, you simply unroll it and flick a switch on the side. The switch activates a polyurethane mixture inside the cloth which expands into foam in seconds, and presto, you’ve got a full size, completely solid chair.

The chair is designed to be sold via mail order, and the designer claims it could be far cheaper to make than other furniture. So far, though, only 5 prototypes exist and I have no idea how you’d go about getting one.

VIA [ Designboom ]

By Evan Ackerman

LEGOs LEGO bricks are becoming popular gadget components; recently we’ve seen them in everything from USB hubs to digital cameras. But unlike those gadgets, this LEGO cell phone from Alcatel actually takes advantage of the whole point of LEGOs LEGO bricks, which is that you can take them apart and put them back together differently.

One of the features of the phone (which is otherwise fairly blah) is a basic white body, with modular LEGOy plates that can be snapped on to change the color scheme. So yes, it’s just a geeky version of interchangeable faceplates… But that’s what makes it awesome, right?

No pricing or availability as of yet.

VIA [ Boy Genius Report ]

By Evan Ackerman

The Venus chair, designed by Tokujin Yoshioka, is made almost entirely of crystals. The chair was grown in a tank over an unspecified period of time and represents something about the juxtaposition between man and nature. Or something. It’s not all quite as magical as it sounds, since the crystals are grown on a chair-shaped fiber substrate and don’t just spontaneously precipitate a chair out of solution (how cool would that be).

The chair is up for a 2009 Brit Insurance Furniture Award, most likely because you’ll need serious medical attention if you spend much time sitting on it. You can’t buy one of these, but I’m totally looking forward to the day when I can go to the store and get myself a can of chair.

[ Tokujin Yoshioka ] VIA [ io9 ]

By Andrew Liszewski

From Blackadder Goes Forth, Episode 1 – “Captain Cook”

Blackadder: Baldrick, what are you doing out there?

Baldrick: I’m carving something on this bullet sir.

Blackadder: What are you carving?

Baldrick: I’m carving “Baldrick”, sir.

Blackadder: Why?

Baldrick: It’s a cunning plan actually.

Blackadder: Of course it is.

Baldrick: You see, you know they say that somewhere there’s a bullet with your name on it?

Blackadder: Yes?

Baldrick: Well, I thought if I owned the bullet with my name on it, I’d never get hit by it, ‘cos I won’t ever shoot myself.

Blackadder: Oh, shame.

That’s right, someone has started a company providing a service based on a humorous exchange from an episode of Blackadder. ‘My Bullet’ will sell you a .50 caliber silver or brass bullet engraved with up to 16 characters of your choosing for just $70. Who knows? It might actually provide some peace of mind, unless you have a name slightly longer than mine. Then you’ll need to keep looking over your shoulder for the rest of your life.

[ My Bullet - "Bullet with Your Name on it" ] VIA [ Nerd Approved ]

By Andrew Liszewski

I usually try and avoid concept devices, but once in a while I come across a great idea that deserves some recognition. Such is the case with the Red Point Measure device, designed by Huang Qiaokun. It’s composed of two rotating arms with a laser on each end, and all you have to do is point the lasers towards the end points of whatever you’re trying to measure. Thanks to the Pythagorean theory, the distance between those two points can be easily calculated based on the angle of the device and how far away the object is. Since laser measuring devices already work in a similar fashion, I don’t think the Red Point Measure is that far off from being a feasible product.

[ Yanko Design - Red Point Measure by Huang Qiaokun ] VIA [ Ubergizmo ]