People don’t seem to mind paying a few bucks to use a public toilet, so designer Fabian Brunsing figured the same idea would fly when applied to a park bench. The idea is pretty simple, just insert 0.50 Euros and a rather unpleasant looking set of spikes retract providing a comfortable place to sit. I just hope there’s some kind of audible timer or warning for when your funds are about to run out.
Update: So with my MacBook unmuted it turns out there is indeed a warning alarm in that video. Thanks ‘relawson’.
If you’re out for a drink at a bar, sometimes it’s good to attract a little attention. Not the “belligerent drunk” kind of attention, but more of the “guy that can make people laugh” sort. If that’s what you’re going for, then you need to dress the part. Naturally, ThinkGeek has you covered.
Keychains and belt buckles that open beer bottles are nothing new, but what about a t-shirt? This would have to be the first of its kind that I’ve seen. The opener itself is actually designed to look like the hand of a drunken robot, which is depicted on the shirt. The only way this could get any better is if the robot were Bender. I am assured that this $20 shirt is actually a prototype stolen from the year 2998, so don’t let it fall into the wrong hands.
Just like when you ask for a Kleenex when you want to blow your nose, the Gorillapod brand has become synonymous with those multi-limbed mini tripods that let you mount your camera almost anywhere. But Fotopro’s new RM-110 flexible tripod, um, thingy… nicknamed the ‘Spide’ (there’s no r) looks like a worthy challenger to the throne.
Like the Gorillapods, the RM-110 has three articulating limbs coming off of a plate with a standard tripod mount, but the individual points of articulation on each arm can be tightened with a screwdriver to lock them down. Not only does it ensure your camera doesn’t move, but it also lets it support heavier mid-range DSLRs as well. They also come with four different sets of feet including spikes, suction cups, magnets and rubber allowing it to work on any surface, and it’s expected to be available sometime in the third quarter of this year for about $60.
The Z-Cart concept, designed by Mete A. Mordag, is supposed to make grocery shopping excursions a little easier and more organized thanks to a set of removable baskets and a unique expanding design for extra large loads. But I couldn’t care less about those features. What piques my curiosity is the rechargeable electric scooter accessory which attaches to the back of the cart and lets you stand while zipping around the store. On one hand, power-sliding around the corner into the cereal aisle is one of my many childhood dreams, but on the other hand, since I already get rammed by seniors with non-powered carts, grocery shopping could end up being a total free-for-all. Still, far more entertaining.
Remember the Ohio Art Twirl-O-Paint toy from the 70′s and 80′s? Well this Rot.Sketch app for the iPhone, from developer Jean Helfenstein, pretty much does the same thing, minus the wet paint flung all over your parent’s dining room.
You start by drawing a random design on the screen by swiping with one finger to create a moving point, or with two fingers to create a moving line, and then you literally spin your iPhone or iPod Touch on a flat surface to create the psychedelic digital designs. I’ve included a video below which shows the process, though it’s pretty easy to understand even with a rudimentary grasp of centripetal forces. But because of the flat back design of the iPhone 4G, this could be one of the first apps to only be compatible with the 3G and 3GS because of their spin-friendly curved backs.
The app’s already been submitted to the iTunes App Store and is just awaiting approval, and I imagine it will set you back just a couple of bucks when it’s available.
It’s definitely not the first universal remote accessory for the iPhone, but with a price tag of just $9.99 for the hardware and a free application, it’s safe to say it will probably be the first one a lot of people actually buy. The IR emitter can only be purchased through Ryz Media’s My TV Remote application, but it’s a free download that will probably change the way you use a universal remote.
Instead of a cacophony of on-screen function buttons, the app uses a program guide approach that lets you browse through channels and listings like you were scanning through your music collection. It’s also got social media connectivity like Facebook integration allowing you to see recommendations or what your friends are currently watching. Setup also appears to be a breeze, though at the moment the app is limited to watching TV, so controlling your other AV gear is hopefully just a software update away. And unless this is some kind of scam I’m not seeing, with a $10 price tag it’s pretty much an impulse buy.
For all the sleek beauty that the iPhone has, in some ways it still doesn’t compare to the elegance of some of the older-style corded telephones. One Etsy user realized this, and decided not only to make a retro dock for their iPhone, but to Steampunk it as well.
Each awesome dock is hand-sculpted and hand-cast in urethane resin, which produces a stylish, yet functional base for your phone. The USB cable is routed through the base, hidden from view. The handset itself is completely functional for making calls with your phone. The only thing stopping me from buying one is the $450 price tag.
I don’t know if the design was inspired by an interstellar spacecraft or not, but I do know that a) the MamaRoo Bouncer is hands-down the most high tech baby chair I’ve ever seen and b) the makers can probably expect to get a visit from the hundred acre woods’ vicious copyright lawyers any day now. (Oh bother!) First of all the bouncer rivals most Air Force flight simulators with the ability to move up and down and side to side which allow it to recreate five unique soothing movements including car ride, tree swing, rock-a-bye, ocean and of course the most soothing movement to a human infant, a kangaroo ride. It’s also got built-in nature sounds to help calm your bundle of joy, or you can hook up your MP3 player of choice and simply drown them out instead.
Above the actual seat you’ll also find a distracting mobile with three plush balls decorated in the style of Van Gogh, Monet and Seurat in order to stimulate your kid’s brain. High-contrast black and white on one side for newly developing infant minds, and color on the other for when they’re older and need more stimulation. It’s also got a rather steep price tag of $199.99 from ThinkGeek but that’s what baby showers and excited grandparents-to-be are for.
Tending a bountiful garden takes a bit more than just a green thumb, there’s also a lot of back breaking work when it comes to planting, weeding and harvesting. But if Australian inventors Brendan Corry and Peter Sargent have their way, performing those tasks could be as comfortable as taking a nap. Their creation, the Wunda Weeder, has workers laying on their stomach on a sort of bed with an adjustable headrest suspended just above the crops they’re tending. It’s fully adjustable depending on what type of crop it will be used with, and the electric motors that propel the Wunda are powered by the sun thanks to a set of solar cells on the roof which doubles as a shade and rain guard.
At first glance it looks like a contraption you’d see wandering around Willy Wonka’s factory, but its creators believe it could triple farm productivity and even pay for itself after the first year, even with a price tag that’s expected to be around $8,000.
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