By Andrew Liszewski

Do you have trouble feeling motivated to do anything besides play video games? Well it turns out your constant pursuit of high scores and unlocking achievements is exactly what could save you from your slothenly lifestyle. The Green Goose system, originally developed by a company of the same name to illustrate how an eco-friendly lifestyle could save you money, has been re-purposed to turn the activities of everyday life into a sort of video game. At least when it comes to tracking scores and unlocking rewards.

The system is centered around an egg-shaped sensor connected to your router that reports back to a website where your stats are tracked. The sensor accepts input from a wide variety of peripherals like a credit card sized pedometer you carry with you, a toothbrush monitor and a set of accelerator and radio-equipped stickers which attach to items like water bottles, floss or even your vacuum. As you go about your daily routines your use of these items is tracked and converted to lifestyle points tracked on their website, with more points being earned for consistency and intensity. Available soon as a starter kit (including what’s pictured above) for just $24.

[ GreenGoose ] VIA [ ReadWriteWeb ]

By Andrew Liszewski

How cool is this? A company called Technology Pools based in the UK can actually build you a new pool, or retrofit an existing facility with a movable floor that can be raised or lowered at the push of a button. The idea is to maximize the use of the pool and the space it takes up by re-purposing it. While you can raise the floor half-way making the pool suitable for hilarious diving/broken neck pranks, I’m sure the real benefit comes when you raise it all the way to to the top. Once it’s dried off it becomes extra space you can use for parties, dance floors or even a parking space as recommended on the company’s website.

To be honest all I see here is the opportunity for an endless number of pranks involving stuffy, uptight millionaires who have no idea the banquet table they’re sitting at will soon be 5 feet under water. I’ll bet they’d be so shocked their monocles would even fall out. Take that Rich Uncle Pennybags!

Not surprisingly Technology Pools doesn’t list the price for a pool with a movable floor on their website, but you can assume there’s enough zero’s in there to keep it out of reach from people like me.

[ Technology Pools ] VIA [ My Urban Garden Deco Guide ]

By Ryan Nill

The Crown7 electronic cigarette delivers your hit of nicotine whenever you need it. Just turn it on, pull it to your lips and take a drag of your favorite body chemistry changing drug; it’s a lot like the real thing, sans the fire. No longer will the masses be forced to drag around boxes of highly taxed death sticks or be forced in to submission by fire; this electronic cigarette delivers a statement on your ability to both scoff at the smoking bans and announce your over-dependence on an outside chemical to the world.

Available in a sleek narco-stick (100$) format as well as the more elegant pipe (150$) and the basic cigar (67$). Replacement Nicotine cartridges run about 10$, less if you buy in bulk. The high price may offset some, but if you’re buying cigarettes, you should be used to extreme price gouging already.

[ Crown7 ] VIA [ Gizmodo ]