Oh! Gizmo

By Andrew Liszewski

I don’t get out camping as much as I used to, but one of the skills I at least mastered as a kid was how to build and start a fire. (Because when you’re a kid, when else are you allowed to play with fire?) However the Kinderlite disposable campfire seems designed for those who probably wouldn’t last much longer than a weekend in the great outdoors.

From what I can tell it uses a hanging cardboard container that probably contains a fuel source as well as kindling-type material, as well as a wooden frame with pre-drilled holes that makes it easy to create a teepee structure from gathered twigs. It was designed by Philip John Luscombe from Northumbria University and while it looks like a ridiculously easy way to get a fire started, you’ll probably want to be throwing some bigger logs on there once it gets going if you want it to burn for longer than 20 minutes.

[ Kinderlite Disposable Campfire ] VIA [ Cribcandy ]

By Andrew Liszewski

The Olympic ‘Bird’s Nest’ stadium in Beijing has gotten a lot of attention at this year’s games, and rightfully so. It’s definitely one of the most striking Olympic venues I’ve ever seen (second only to the amazing Water Cube) and is a marvel of architectural design and engineering. And while Timothy Schreiber designed this X Lounger chair well before the ‘Bird’s Nest’ stadium was revealed to the world, you can’t help but draw comparisons between the two. The chair’s design is based on a single ray traced along a periodic double curved surface, and would make a great addition to any Olympic fans living room. That is if it was available for sale, which I’m pretty sure it isn’t.

[ Yanko Design - Timothy Schreiber's X Lounger ] VIA [ Cribcandy ]

By Andrew Liszewski

I wonder if historians in the future will look back on these times as the renaissance for alarm clocks? It seems almost every day there’s a different model popping up that uses some clever trick to get you out of bed in the morning. Today we have the Osim Nioi alarm clock concept which was designed by Alfie Lake. Instead of using a loud buzzing or beeping sound to basically shock you out of a comfortable sleep in the morning (usually putting you in a bad mood) the Osim Nioi releases pleasurable scents, like the smell of freshly baked bread, to wake you up.

In fact the Osim Nioi goes one step further and allows for up to 3 different scent cartridges that can actually be used to give you a more relaxing sleep. For example, in addition to your 7:30am fresh bread wake up call, you can also set the clock to release a lavender scent at midnight, which supposedly calms the body and increases the amount of time you spend restfully sleeping. While I like the idea, I know that the smell of fresh bread isn’t enough to bring me out of my dormant coma in the morning. However, I imagine something that smelled a bit more unpleasant might actually do the trick.

[ Osim Nioi Alarm Clock ] VIA [ The Design Blog ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Designed by Andreas Kraeftner as part of his new GHETTOBASICS line, this simple rectangular foam pillow features an awesome black and white screenprint of a classic 1980’s JVC boombox. And while it doesn’t play music in any capacity, you can leave it on your couch at home or carry it with you on your shoulder wherever you go so that you always have a comfy place to rest your head. If you’re interested in getting a boombox pillow of your own you can contact Andreas directly via his website, but I have no idea what they might cost or if they’re even being mass produced.

[ Andreas Kraeftner's GHETTOBASICS Boombox Pillow (translated) ] VIA [ DesignSpotter ]

By Andrew Liszewski

I know the Amish are anti-technology and all, but I can only assume there has to be a handful of teenagers in every village who would be willing to bend the rules for a cellphone. And while the Maple Phone really wasn’t created to be Amish-friendly, I think the fact that it looks like a block of wood when not in use would help someone who’s not suppose to have a phone keep it a secret. In reality the Maple Phone concept was designed by Hyun Jin Yoon and Eun Hak Lee to not only look stylish, but also be potentially cheaper to mass produce. The phone features a sliding mechanism that keeps the screen hidden when not in use, and the touch sensitive keypad uses a backlight that’s visible right through the wood finish. Best of all you can customize the phone’s appearance with nothing but a switch-blade, a rocking chair and an afternoon of whittlin’.

[ Camera Phones Plaza - Maple Phone ] VIA [ TOYS and GADGETs ]

By Andrew Liszewski

A few months ago I wrote about a couple of pairs of limited edition Puma Disc Blaze sneakers that featured a Tetris design, complete with a blinding 90’s neon color scheme. I have no idea how well the shoes sold, but given how rabid some sneaker collectors can be, I have to assume they were quite popular. And that’s probably why Puma is releasing another custom pair of Disc Blaze sneakers that feature a more subtle design inspired by the 1985 film, The Goonies. In reality the shoes can only be considered ’subtle’ when compared to the Tetris kicks, since these also feature a pretty crazy design with skulls and treasure map patterns, and what looks like hemp loops on the tongue and heel. They even appear to come in a Puma/Goonies-themed burlap sack, and like the Tetris versions before them, they’ll only be available in limited numbers when they go on sale in December.

[ ALBOTAS - Limited Edition “Goonies” Pumas ] VIA [ CrunchGear ]

By Andrew Liszewski

While technically you can turn anything into a ‘fireplace’ with just a pile of fuel soaked rags and a book of matches, this Travelmate portable fireplace is probably a much safer alternative. While it looks like a briefcase, it’s actually made from black powder-coated steel with glass panels on the sides and weighs about 55 lbs, so it’s not exactly the lightest thing to carry around. But it’s completely self-contained and is smokeless since it burns bio-ethanol liquid fuel instead of firewood. And as an added bonus, if you do choose to use it as a briefcase, it seems like the perfect place to permanently “file” any incriminating documents you don’t want falling into the wrong hands.

It’s available from Unica Home for $3,300, and at that price you’d think they’d at least throw in a bottle of liquid fuel, but I’m afraid it’s not included.

[ Travelmate Portable Fireplace ] VIA [ Nerd Approved ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Now don’t get me wrong. This vortex fountain known as ‘Charybdis’ which is located in Seaham Hall, Sunderland (UK) definitely catches the eye, but it’s oddly reminiscent of a giant see-through toilet that’s just been flushed. (Not that I’ve encountered a giant see-through toilet before mind you.) Designed by William Pye, the Charybdis fountain is his largest vortex water sculpture to date, and it was created using a large acrylic polymer cylinder which allows an air-core vortex to form as water is pumped in a circular motion. Not surprisingly the fountain also relies on a heavy-duty water filtration system which is necessary to keep the vortex clean and spinning properly.

[ William Pye's Charybdis Vortex Fountain ] VIA [ Night4Joy ]

By Andrew Liszewski

How’s this for a conversation starter at your next party? You’ll be hard pressed to find a guest who isn’t at least a bit curious about the basketball-sized glowing glass eyeballs you have sitting on your end table. Available from 5.5 Designers, the Cloned Eyeball Lamps are actually custom made based on the color and unique design of your own eyes. You apparently need to fill out a special form which includes selecting a color that best matches your peepers, as well as providing a set of photos of your eyes so that glassblower Livio Serena can accurately create an exact clone of them. I have no idea how much something like this costs, but it’s safe to assume it’s not the type of thing you’ll find a coupon for.

[ Cloned Eyeball Lamps ] VIA [ Shiny Shiny ]