Designed by Jiae Kwon, Map-Holes are replacement man-hole covers that serve as a sort of static compass for tourists and pedestrians, showing them what direction to head to find a particular landmark in the city they’re visiting, and letting them know how long it takes to walk there. The idea definitely has merit, but I don’t think replacing man-hole covers is the ideal solution. Not only because they usually exist in the middle of a street, but they’d also have to be perfectly oriented in order for them to be effective. If one gets even slightly misaligned, there’s going to be a lot of misguided tourists.

[ Yanko Design - Map Hole Points The Way ] VIA [ The UberReview ]

So it turns out that all it takes to make it easier to share the time on your watch with someone is a simple 90 degree turn of its face. And that’s basically what’s been done with design studio Maezm’s Sharing Watch, which makes it extremely easy to show someone standing beside you what time it is, without inconveniencing the wearer too much. Unfortunately though, while the watch was designed to promote sharing, it seems Maezm doesn’t practice what they preach since the Sharing Watch is only a concept and isn’t available for sale.

[ Sharing Watch ] VIA [ designboom ]

Anyone who’s ever connected a couple of paper cups with a piece of string will probably find Duncan Wilson’s Cup Communicator reminiscent of a time when cups weren’t known for their part in a terrible internet meme. It’s basically a set of walkie talkies designed to look like a paper cup telephone, but thanks to modern electronics it manages to cut the physical cord. Or as Duncan describes it:

The design of the Cup Communicator is focused on the gesture of use and the relationship between the users and object. I aim to explore the potential of the product as a medium for interaction and reassess the way we use technology.

The form and function of the Cup Communicator refer to the ‘two-cans and string’ children’s toy and the physical factors involved with that device. This typology and its associations remind us of the magic and playfulness of our first communication devices.

Yeah, that too.

[ Cup Communicator ] VIA [ Architectradure ]

It’s still in the research/concept/prototype stage at this point, but I’m already a fan of this Sculpt-a-Light illuminated duct tape which should make pimping out your ride as easy as re-attaching a fender. There are still obvious issues with the overly large power source and ridiculous price tag if this were to hit the market right now, but I like the idea of being able to add a bit of illumination by simply tearing a strip of tape off a roll.

[ Sculpt-a-Light ] VIA [ Architectradure ]

No matter how many branches you pile on the floor of your living room, you’re not likely to make yourself a comfy chair. As it turns out, the reason for this is simply that you’re not using big enough branches… If you use a branch big enough that you can see its individual cells, and you carve it into a block, and then use magic to make it squishy, you end up with what looks to be a spectacularly comfortable chair.

Yu-Ying Wu’s “Breathing Chair” is, indeed, based on plant cells. The bigger cells are more flexible than the smaller cells, so when you sit in it, the carefully calculated network naturally forms an arm chair. It’s made out of a 100% environmentally friendly foam plastic that’s sproingy enough to give you a little boost as you stand up, too. The chair received a Red Dot Design Award earlier this year, which could mean that someone’s going to pick it up for production.

VIA [ Core77 ]

Unless you’re a farmer, meteorologist or umbrella salesperson, I can’t imagine you’re too thrilled when it’s raining outside. But apparently that’s not the case in Japan, where students at Osaka University’s Human Interface Lab have developed the Funbrella which can simulate the feeling of rain, even when the sun is shining.

Using a mechanism not unlike a regular old speaker, the Funbrella can be fed a signal and will reproduce vibrations that feel like raindrops are actually hitting the top surface of the umbrella. The mechanism also works the other way, recording the vibrations created by real raindrops, so the effect can be recreated later. This video goes into a bit more depth about how it works, but you’ll probably want to skip ahead to the 1:40 mark, lest you end up even more confused about the concept.

[ Akihabara News - FunBrella Brings You Virtual Rain Anytime, Anywhere ]

Who would have thought that someone would find a way to make pop-up books, aka the best type of book ever invented, even better? Well that’s exactly what Jie Qi, with assistance from Leah Buechley and Tshen Chew, from the MIT Media Lab have done with their Electronic Popables. The book uses traditional pop-up paper book mechanics but also integrates modern paper-based electronics for more “dynamic interactivity.” In other words it makes them even more awesome, as you can see in the video below.

[ high-low tech - MIT Media Lab - popables ] VIA [ Architectradure ]

It’s just another concept at this point, but Jeong-Sun Park’s Knob Light will be appreciated by anyone who tends to wander the house at night. It’s basically a replacement door knob in the shape of a glowing light bulb, making it easier to find your way around when the lights are all off. There’s no specifics on how the bulb is supposed to get power, since doors aren’t usually wired for electricity, but I’m pretty sure it will use LED based bulbs instead of incandescent ones because of the whole hot glass vs. skin issue.

[ Yanko Design - A Knobby Light ] VIA [ Toxel ]

It’s nice that Audiovox has made it easy for anyone to retrofit their minivan with a PS2 gaming system, but sometimes that still doesn’t provide enough distractions for those who aren’t behind the wheel. When you’re in for a particularly long haul you need something like the Viano “Lounge Concept” from Brabus.

It includes such luxury amenities as fully reclining leather seats, bamboo trim, a Dolby Surround sound system and a Nespresso coffee maker, but it’s the 32-inch LCD display, the Sony Vaio laptops, a Vertu Constellation cellphone and the PS3 that most people will be envious of. (And really, that’s all that’s important.) Sadly though, like the headline says, the Viano’s just a concept at this time.

[ Serious Wheels ] VIA [ TechEBlog ]

If you need a clock that will surely stand the test of time you’ll want to keep your fingers crossed that Daniel Kurth’s Nixie Concrete Clock actually goes into production. At the moment it’s just a one-off concept featuring a set of six vintage Z560M Nixie tubes embedded in a fairly hefty block of concrete, but Daniel is apparently looking into production possibilities.

The concrete clock can apparently be wall mounted too if you prefer, with sufficient engineering of course, and the time is displayed in an irregular fashion so as not to stress people out by constantly reminding them of what time it actually is. But if you just have to know, it was 10:28:09 when the above photo was taken.

[ The Nixie Concrete Clock ] VIA [ Yanko Design ]