Oh! Gizmo

By Evan Ackerman

I live and work in Napa Valley during wine season, but I’m the first to admit that I haven’t a clue about wine. That is, I’m the first to admit it privately (like now). In public, I’ll examine it, swirl it, sniff it, sip it, and pretend to have a clue about what it is and where it comes from while I try and sneak looks at the label. Technology has come to my rescue with the RFID Wine Rack. Not only is it filled with hundreds of color shifting LEDs, but the entire rack has built in RFID readers to keep track of your wine. Using your computer, you can add information to the database, or even run custom queries:

“A handheld browser commands the rack to display multiple types of information and project the results with RGB LEDs directly onto the individual bottles, which are identified by the rack via custom walnut veneer radio frequency identification (RFID) tags on each bottle. For example, a collector planning a dinner party could specify they want to see all of their 2003 Napa Chardonnays whose current market value exceeds $50. WineM will identify and light up just the bottles that match those criteria.”

A chardonnay? From Napa? HA! If you’re going to drink a Northern California wine, go for a big chewy red, even I know that much. But that’s all I know, seriously. A video of the wine rack in action, after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »

By Evan Ackerman

Last month we showed you the Haier WasH2O, a washing machine which eschews detergent for regular water. Airwash does one better by skipping the water altogether, using ionized compressed air to clean clothing. Not only does it save water (obviously), but you don’t have to dry your clothes since they don’t get wet in the first place, saving energy as well. I guess that would make it… Drycleaning? Anyway, it’s won a bunch of conceptual awards, and they’ve just come out with a working prototype. No word on how clean it manages to get things (and I question its ability to remove stains), but as long as I can get one of these installed in the floor of my room, I’ll be happy.

[ Electrolux Design Lab Award ] VIA [ TreeHugger ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Here’s a clever way to give you a bit more counter space in the kitchen without going through the hassle of a complete renovation. Appliance manufacturer Dacor has a special line of microwaves known as the Millennia series that are actually designed to function like a drawer beneath the counter. So instead of your microwave sitting on top of the counter wasting space it can almost disappear as part of the cabinetry.

And like any other drawer the microwave actually pulls out making it easier to reach the food than if it had a conventional microwave door on the front. The Millennia series also has all the functions one would expect on a modern microwave in addition to a special child safety ‘Control Lock’ feature since the oven is now down at their level.

A 30-inch model with a black glass finish runs about $1,000 but you’re probably going to want to budget in some additional expenses when it comes to the installation.

[ Microwave In-A-Drawer ] VIA [ Home Improvement Ideas ]

By Evan Ackerman

I’m not really sure what detergent is, but I guess it’s a big deal that the new WasH2O washing machine from Haier doesn’t use any of it. Instead, it uses dihydrogen monoxide, a dangerous chemical that corrodes metal and can be deadly if inhaled. The dihydrogen monoxide is separated into two ions (OH- and H+) which can apparently remove stains and sterilize fabrics. Whether or not you decide to call that “clean” is up to you, since there are lots of totally gross things that are technically sterile. Ew. The WasH2O can handle a soiled 6kg of unmentionables in about 29 minutes and comes in 6 different stains for a smudge under a grand; currently available in France.

If you’re concerned about the potential dangers of dihydrogen monoxide, you can learn more about it here.

[ Haier WasH2O ] VIA [ Engadget ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Not by any stretch of the imagination do I need a toaster with a built-in LCD display but that probably won’t stop me from upgrading for the simple reason that this toaster has a built-in LCD display. So not only will it provide you with an actual countdown to let you know when your bread or bagel is ready but the brushed stainless steel finish will also serve as an excellent fingerprint magnet.

The 800-watt toaster also has 8 different browning settings, defrost and bagel functions as well as cool touch side walls to keep those morning burns to a minimum. But at $59.99 from Cooking.com I’ll probably just stick with my current toaster which is actually just a space heater with a digital watch taped to the side.

[ Krups Brushed Stainless Metal Toaster with LCD Screen ] VIA [ UberReview ]

By Evan Ackerman

If you’ve ever taken a shower, you’ve probably experienced the frustration of having to wait for the water to warm itself up to a tolerable temperature. Perhaps you get so frustrated that you go and brush your teeth in the interim, smugly returning a few minutes later to a toasty warm shower. But what about all that wasted water, huh? And the wasted energy heating that water? And the wasted money? Not feeling so smug now, are we? The ShowerStart hot water saver claims to save (over the course of one year) 2,500 gallons of water and $75 in heating costs for an average family of 3, by automatically turning your shower off as soon as the water warms up. Flick the switch on the ShowerStart when you’re ready to go, and you’ll get hot water instantly. It mounts just behind your shower head, so you won’t even notice it’s there.

Essentially, the ShowerStart works like a flourescent lightbulb as opposed to an incandescent light bulb. For a small up front cost and a little bit of inconvenience, you save money and energy in the long run. Does it make sense? Absolutely. Am I going to buy one? Probably not, because I’m just that lazy.

[ ShowerStart ] VIA [ Red Ferret ]

By Andrew Liszewski

While clever door innovations are nothing new high-end appliance manufacturer Gaggenau feels that the best way to improve upon the door is to simply get rid of it. Their new BL 253 Lift Oven has a unique ‘LiftMatic’ function that will lower the oven’s glass ceramic base directly to your countertop allowing food and dishes to be easily loaded. Another push of the button will then cause the food to be automatically raised into the cooking cavity.

Besides just looking cool the Lift Oven also has several practical advantages over a traditional stove. Since heat rises the hot air remains in the oven cavity when the base is lowered resulting in minimal heat loss if you need to check on the food. Another obvious advantage is that you don’t need to risk a nasty burn by touching or reaching into a hot oven to remove cooked items. In addition to the lift function the BL 253 also has a sleek stainless steel finish and a stainless steel tinted glass window that’s illuminated via halogen lighting.

But while the Gaggenau Lift Oven might look like just a concept the company will actually be producing and selling them come October of this year for around $3,300.

[ Gaggenau BL 253 Lift Oven ] VIA [ Home Improvement Ideas ]

By Andrew Liszewski

The Tefal Quick Cup (or T-Fal for those in North America and Japan) is another shot at improving the kettle by only heating as much water as is actually needed. You simply fill the reservoir with cold tap water and then any time you need hot water for coffee or tea you just push the red button and it will be automatically dispensed. The water is only heated as it travels from the reservoir to the spout and it only takes 3 seconds to bring the temperature to just below the boiling point using Tefal’s patented Opti-Quick system. And if you only need cold water just push the black button and you’ll get clean, filtered water from the spout instead.

Since the Quick Cup only heats the water as it’s being dispensed it dramatically cuts down on wasted energy. In fact Tefal claims the kettle can reduce energy consumption by 65% compared to a standard kettle. Not only is using less energy better for the environment but it’s also great for your monthly energy bill.

The Quick Cup will be released in early July (in Europe at least) and will retail for about $120. While it’s not cheap it’s probably one of those ‘better in the long run’ kind of things.

[ Tefal Quick Cup ] VIA [ Gadget Candy ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Here’s yet another product that makes you wonder why no one has ever thought of it before. In this case it’s a South American appliance company called Consul that has made a simple improvement to a couple of refrigerator models they sell. The outside of the fridges are made to work like a dry-erase board allowing you to jot down notes, make a shopping list or just doodle with the included red and purple dry erase markers.

If you’re like most people your fridge’s compatibility with magnets has made it a depository of take-out restaurant flyers, emergency contact reminders and tacky souvenirs. Now you can take back your fridge and turn it into an original piece of art that reflects your own tastes and drawing skills.

Unfortunately it seems the Aqualera fridges are only available in Brazil at the moment and run about $760 for the model with freezer and about $630 for the model without.

Also if you check out the Aqualera website there’s a section where you can make your own fridge doodles online. Just click on the ‘COMECAR A DESENHAR’ link.

[ Aquarela Refrigerators ] VIA [ Josh Spear ]