By Andrew Liszewski

I’m often disgusted at the appearance of my keyboards, and I’m the only one who uses them. So I can’t even begin to imagine what it’s like to deal with them in a multi-user environment like a hospital, which is probably the worst case scenario. According to Falcon Innovations, an average multi-user keyboard has 3,295 microbes per square inch, but thankfully their scare tactics don’t come without a solution.

Their Germ Genie is another germ killing keyboard sanitizer that uses UV light, but instead of having to remember to place it in some sanitizing box every night, it sits above the keyboard providing ‘always on’ protection. And of course by ‘always on’ I mean ‘only when someone isn’t typing’ since UV light can be harmful to skin, so the Germ Genie includes a motion sensor to turn off the light whenever someone’s actually using the keyboard. It retails for about $220, but the company seems keen on selling then en masse to large facilities, so I suspect it gets cheaper the more you buy.

[ Germ Genie ] VIA [ Gizmag ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Winner of a 2010 Red Dot Design award, the SEIL (Safe Enjoy Interact Light) bag concept was created by Lee Myung Su to provide a safer way for cyclists to signal. Technically when signaling with their hands a cyclist is only riding their bike with the other hand, which can be dangerous. So the SEIL fixes that problem with an LED-equipped backpack and a detachable wireless remote which can be mounted on the handlebars. And besides signaling your turning intentions, the SEIL bag can also be used to let others on the road know when you’re about to slam on the brakes, or even if there is an emergency.

[ Design You Trust - SEIL bag by Lee Myung Su design lab ]

By Andrew Liszewski

I’ve never had the privilege of operating a motor vehicle in a country where they drive on the opposite side of the road, but I can imagine it would take a little getting used to. But I’m pretty sure the oncoming traffic would serve as a constant reminder of just what lane I needed to be in. However, if you don’t think that’s enough, and find yourself driving while traveling a lot you might want to bring this little contraption along. The Lanesafe is designed to suction cup to your windshield and project a green arrow/red X constantly reminding you which side of the road to be on. It’s got a built-in solar panel keeping it juiced up during the day for use at night, but a 12-volt adapter is also included. ~$33 (£21.23) from Wallace Cameron.

[ Lanesafe ] VIA [ The Red Ferret Journal ]

By Andrew Liszewski

It might not make for great stage demos like the iPhone, but I’ll be damned if these low-tech silicone oven shields aren’t the cleverest invention I’ve seen all week. While you can get oven mitts made from silicone that do the same thing, I like that these oven shields stay permanently attached to the racks so they’re always there to protect your fingers from burns (if you’re the forgetful type) since they stay cool to the touch in temperatures up to 450F. Unfortunately at one point they were available from quite a few online shops like Amazon for about $10 each, but they seem to be disappearing or going out of stock. Anyone know a reliable place to buy these?

[ Silicone Oven Shields ] VIA [ CraziestGadgets.com ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Given the fact I’ve watched countless humans accidentally walk into freshly cleaned windows, it’s no surprise that birds do the same thing. Except that hitting a skyscraper in mid-flight can actually be fatal to our fine feathered friends. So a German company, Glaswerke Arnold, has developed a new type of glass with a patterned UV reflective coating that’s visible to birds, but not humans. It’s been around since about 2006 but the latest version features a criss-cross UV pattern making it even more obvious. It apparently reduces bird strikes by as much as 75% and as an added bonus it also serves to help insulate the building where it’s installed.

[ Glaswerke Arnold - Ornilux Makido Glass ] VIA [ TreeHugger ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Designed to replace the blades on a standard ceiling fan, the Purifan enclosure features a 5-stage filtering system that cleans and circulates over 2,000 cubic feet of air every minute. So in an average 20′ x 20′ x 8′ room that means a new supply of fresh and clean air every 90 seconds. The hanging enclosure apparently puts no more load on the ceiling fan’s motor than a standard set of blades, though you can also purchase the Purifan with a motor of its own that provides more RPMs for larger rooms.

But what I like most is the fact that the blades are completely enclosed. As a chap who’s slightly on the taller side I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been getting dressed and accidentally reached up too high, whacking my fingers on a ceiling fan. And as a kid, let’s just say ceiling fan incidents weren’t always accidental. The Purifan isn’t cheap though. The enclosure with a mounting kid is $399.95 and a replacement set of filters is $42.50 or $52.50 if you’re dealing with smoke odors as well.

Oh and if there are any aspiring web designers reading this, the Purifan website is a perfect example of information overload. Seriously, it’s like an infomercial teleprompter exploded sending shrapnel of useless facts and quotes all over the place.

[ Purifan ] VIA [ Apartment Therapy Unplggd ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Those handheld personal security alarms aren’t a bad idea if you often find yourself in sketchy areas, but if they’re not easily accessible – ie buried in the bottom of your bag or accidentally forgotten at the office again, they’re pretty much useless. So these iSafe Bags solve that problem by simply turning the bag itself into the actual alarm. They’re available in a wide variety of styles for everyone from kids to college students to even business types, and they each feature a strap that when pulled sounds an alarm that’s louder than a car alarm, and triggers a hidden flashing light.

On a set of 2×9-volt batteries the iSafe bags can continuously sound the alarm for up to 2 hours, making them useful for emergency situations like getting lost when hiking, and an interval mode will keep it running for even longer. The bags start at $59.99 for a kid’s backpack, and range in price up to $89.98 for a laptop-friendly messenger bag. And the company even has a policy whereby they’ll replace your bag when it becomes old and unsightly with a new one for up to 50% off the original price. (The replacement bags basically don’t come with the alarm system, and require you to transfer it from your old bag.)

[ iSafe Bags ]

By Chris Scott Barr

Water and electricity are two things that you don’t generally want to mix. Unless your goal is to kill someone (likely yourself), that is. Of course water is a tricky thing, which seems to find its way into places you don’t really want it. If you have a place that is particularly prone to getting wet, such as a basement, you might want to consider checking out this Wet Circuit Release Waterproof Power Strip.

This strip has been specially designed to minimize the flow of electricity when it comes in contact with water. This means that not only are the devices plugged into it going to remain safe, but you’re far less likely to get shocked if you’re standing in the water with the power strip. In fact, it works so well that the strip can survive being submerged in water for up to two hours before there is a danger. For $35 you might want to consider picking one up if you have areas that could potentially encounter water.

[ WetCircuit ] VIA [ Gearfuse ]

By Andrew Liszewski

I’m all about going the extra mile to ensure kids are safe and sound, but I also believe the occasional scraped knee builds character. So I’m a little dismayed to see Italtrike’s take on the classic tricycle, which is an important staple in a little kid’s dangerous stunt repertoire. It’s got a padded seat featuring a 3-point safety harness while the front wheel can’t turn sharper than 45 degrees to reduce the chance of kids having fun the tricycle jack-knifing and toppling over.

Instead of pedals on the front wheel the oko Plus features a completely enclosed chain-drive too, and on top of it all there’s even a handbrake! I guess the days of kids controlling their speed down a steep hill with just the soles of their shoes are long gone. On the plus side the seat and handlebars are adjustable to nine different positions allowing the tricycle to grow with your child from 2 to 5 years of age, which is good since you’ll want to get as much use out of it as possible because it runs ~$146.

[ Italtrike oko Plus ] VIA [ Gizmag ]