Oh! Gizmo

By Andrew Liszewski

This office chair made from an authentic F-4 Phantom ejection seat is a fantastic way to exit a meeting where things aren’t going the way you’d like. Instead of storming out and slamming the door, you can simply pull the ejection lever and blast your way out. Although… I guess it would work best if the meeting was being held outside, or anywhere without a ceiling. And you’d probably want to wear a parachute just in case. Not to mention there’s a good chance the rockets used to propel the ejection seat upwards have probably been removed. Hmm… Well maybe the idea isn’t as solid as I first thought, but the chair’s still really cool.

(Image courtesy MotoArt)

[ MotoArt.com - F-4 Ejection Seat ] VIA [ CrunchGear ]

By Andrew Liszewski

While it doesn’t feature any groundbreaking innovations, I still like this StudioDesk table from Bluelounge which is specifically designed for laptop users. It’s got a clean, simple design which includes a sliding desktop surface that reveals a hidden compartment where you can hide all of your cables, power bricks and other peripherals. And so everything is still accessible, there’s an elongated slot across the width of the desk allowing syncing or charging cables to connect to the laptop sitting on top. It will set you back $599.95, but keep in mind that’s real mahogany used in the legs and other details, not particle board.

[ Bluelounge StudioDesk ] VIA [ Chip Chick ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Growing up I had a nasty habit of bouncing my leg under the table during dinner which I’ve since solved by simply eating my meals on my living room couch instead. But seeing the Constant Shaker chair created by Alice Wang as part of her Chairs for the Dysfunctional exhibit, I have to wonder if all my fidgeting wasn’t a good thing.

According to her site, researchers think that the unconscious muscle movements might be intentionally triggered by our brains to burn additional calories when we’re inactive. So Alice’s Constant Shaker chair features a sensor that will actually calculate the amount of calories you’ve burned while not sitting still, and will display the results on a simple LCD.

[ Alice Wang - Chairs For The Dysfunctional - Constant Shaker ] VIA [ MoCo Loco ]

By Evan Ackerman

“Vitrik.” That’s the name of the patented coating that allows the Nottage G-1 pool table to be a pool table. Made of toughened glass, the table’s surface with the Vitrik coating on it mimics the rolling resistance of felt, meaning that although it looks like you’re just playing on glass, the balls behave as though they’re on a regular felt surface with slate underneath. The rest of the table looks slick but is built entirely to competition specs, with the possible exception of a rather creative ball return system.

The G-1 pool table is also available with a frosted top that can be lit from below to make the entire surface softly glow. The base price of the table is about $25,000 which, while it seems like a lot, is apparently not too terribly expensive compared to other high quality pool tables. Video showing the ball return system, after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »

By Andrew Liszewski

When it comes to coffee tables, don’t cheap out and get a 2-dimensional version like I did just to save some money. You might think you’ve gotten a bargain, but when you get home you’ll soon realize that your magazines, coasters and even TV remotes all require that third dimension. Instead, go with something like this Stereovision concept table by John Nouanesing which is designed to look like an anaglyph image. Sure you’ll need to wear those 2-color glasses to get the full effect, but 3D is all the rage right now isn’t it?

[ Stereovision ] VIA [ TrendsNow ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Designed by Dante Bonuccelli for the 2009 UMUL Project (Use More, Use Less) the Text-ile chair is made from discarded keyboards, and might actually be just as comfortable for touch typists as it is for hunt-and-peck types. Of course the comfort level depends on the type of keyboard being used, and if this chair ever goes into production I’m sure there will be a dedicated group who refuse to sit in it unless it’s made from an old IBM buckling spring model.

[ MoCo Loco - Text-ile by Dante Bonuccelli ] VIA [ Cribcandy ]

By Andrew Liszewski

While wandering the floors of a trade show like CES, the only thing more important than having a bag for stashing press kits and other assorted crap is finding a comfortable place to sit while writing. Unfortunately for me that turned out to be the floor 90% of the time, but not next year! Thanks to Hammacher Schlemmer ($129.95) I’ll always have a place to sit, and shout directions, with this Messenger Bag Director’s Chair.

The chair folds down to less than 4-inches thick and while the whole package weighs about 9lbs it can actually support weights up to 250lbs, which equates to about half of the brochures I had stuffed in my suitcase when I left Vegas. As an added bonus there’s a cup holder on one of the armrests for holding your perpetually empty water bottle, and various pockets for storing other gear.

[ Messenger Bag Director's Chair ] VIA [ The Design Blog ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Without a doubt, the biggest downside to Rock Band is the drum kit, guitars and other gear that ends up cluttering a corner of your living room when you’re not playing. But here’s an elegant solution to the mess. The Rock Box is an upholstered leather (or at least leather looking) ottoman designed to cleverly hide your Rock Band gear. It’s spacious enough to hold 2 guitars, the foot pedal and the microphone, and also features a specially designed lift that raises and lowers the drum kit with an easy one-hand motion. Now the Rock Box unfortunately isn’t cheap, it’s currently $199.99 on Amazon minus the Rock Band instruments, but it’s a neat solution that cleverly blends both form and function.

[ AK Rock Box Gaming And Storage Ottoman With Drum Lift ] VIA [ Chip Chick ]

By Chris Scott Barr

Remember that little chat we had yesterday about robots and zombies taking over the world? Well I’m still convinced that it will happen one day (sooner, rather than later) and take my preparations for the uprising very seriously. One thing that is an absolute must-have in every household is a large safe for storing gratuitous amounts of armaments. Sure, you could go with one of those little stand-up lockers, but those can only hold so much, and are a little to obvious. You need to go with something a little bigger, while still well-hidden. You need the Bed Bunker.

This big-ass safe is perfect for holding guns, ammo, explosives and even a sword or two (those never run out of ammo). It’s fireproof, which means that if there are any documents that you think might still have value after the robot/zombie uprising has settled, you can keep them safe as well. All you need to do is pick the bed safe that fits your size needs and shell out between $2700 and $5200. Oh, and you’ll need to stock up on things to fill it with.

[ Bed Gun Safe ] VIA [ Coolest Gadgets ]