Compact Table Set Looks Like World War II Bomb [Design]

This is not an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile head or an old World War II V-2 bomb or an alien monolith, but a set of table and chairs that will transform any terrace into a chill-out lounge, sans the Margarita and Manhattan cocktails. Here is how it unfolds:

Did I say chill-out lounge and cocktails? At last, it's Friday. So here's my favorite song to drink, relax, and daydream about the future.

[The Contaminated]

[Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]

Weighing Seat: A Chair That Weighs Fatties, Farts [Fatty Furniture]

As if you didn't already feel fat enough, how does sitting on a chair that doubles as a scale sound? Indeed, the Weighing Seat concept from the design team at Atypyk reminds you of how fat you are getting every time you sit down to eat. It could very well be the most effective diet you have ever been on. Either that, or it will force you to start eating your meals standing up. But look on the bright side, you can finally start weighing your farts. Ever been curious about that? What, just Jason and I? Come on guys, admit it.
[Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]

Great Idea: Store Those Old CDs in Your Biceps! [Weight Lifting]

As our favorite media become more and more digitally-based, that pile of CDs and DVDs is looking increasingly wasteful. Sure, you can sell some of your stuff on eBay or through a garage sale, but what about that bargain bin edition of Bach classics that's already sitting on your hard drive? Here's a clever use for the media that falls between the cracks. Dumbbells made of 150 CDs (75 on each side) weigh 10lbs a pop—not a bad amount for high rep semi-aerobic lifting. Plus, they look way more geek-hot than the mass-produced gunmetal crap you use at the gym.
[Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]

Spherical Washing Machine Saves Space and Aching Backs [Gadgets]

It may not be as inconspicuous as the laundry lounge chair, but this Sfera spherical washing machine design does have a few notable advantages. First off, it is compact and it can be tucked away in the corner of a bathroom. Second, its rotating spherical tank makes unloading a breeze. All you need to do is turn it over and undo the hatch. The problem is that the Sfera doesn't appear to be viable in its current form. Issues like how the machine would work and whether or not it would be safe to wall mount are not addressed. Still, the concept is intriguing.

[Product Design Forums via The Design Blog]

[Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]

Charmed by Philips' latest Active Crystals USB drives

Ok, you've really gone and put us in a twist this time Philips. The he-man editors of Engadget haven't exactly been wooed by Philips' lineup of Active Crystals USB drives slathered in Swarovski excess. Then again, we're not their target audience. Somehow though, these new 2GB Happy Laura and Naughty Raymond USB drive robots make us want to titter coyly with demure fingertips pressed lightly to our pouty mouths. But for €150 (about $223), we won't.

[Via: Engadget ]

Auto-aiming USB missile launcher makes good use of your Wiimote

It's tough for us to go six months without a newfangled approach to hacking the famed USB missile launcher, so it's with great joy that we present to you this particular one. By utilizing a spare Wiimote, a USB-enabled PC, a USB missile launcher, a few strips of duct tape and a minor amount of programming knowledge, you too can craft an auto-aiming launcher which can find, aim at and attack IR targets. Grab the aforementioned items and hit the read link, just take care to not poke your eye out, alright?

[Via: HackNMod ]

Smoon Ombrella Light Protects Against the Sun by Day [Sunshade Lamp]

The Smoon Ombrella is a lamp which is a sunshade which is a "shining sculpture," according to designer Beau & Bien. I don't know if it could be classified as an sculpture, but it's beautiful and useful: a ten-hour charge will allow you to illuminate any place in your home, outside or inside, for six days, without any cables.

For $2,150, however, it's a bit out of most budgets. [Coliseum via Boing Boing]

[Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]

Crapgadget: USB back massager, limbo string and more obviously terrible ideas

Remember those battery-operated vibrating ladybugs that people used to pass around (multiple times) as office gifts? Yeah, that critter ain't got nothing on this stable of patently awful gizmos. We've seen a remarkable amount of garbage pass under our noses in the past few weeks, and we've rounded up the worst of the worst for your consideration. So, is a USB shell speaker really more embarrassing than a V-Sports console for folks tired of searching for a Wii? Is the i-Knock personal IM notifier more unnecessary than the Encore Rockin' Music Lamp? Or does the OMG-inducing Limbo String walk away with the gold here? We know, each and every item is a festering turd in one way or another, but which of the ones below just exemplify the word "crap?" Choose carefully.
Read - USB shell speaker
Read - USB back massager
Read - V-Sports console
Read - i-Knock IM doohickey
Read - Encore Rockin' Music Lamp
Read - Limbo String

Crapgadget Crapdown: Too Many, Too Fast Edition

Speakers in a half-shell, dude!USB back massager, with a hint of BrookstoneV-Sports console -- lamer than the Viii-Knock IM notifier: for the person who gets no IMsDock-infused music lampLimbo String: converting good guys into morons one stoop at a time

[Via: Engadget ]

Daan air purifier kills the unbearable stench of rotting fish in style

Finally, purifying the air in your home doesn't have to make your pad look like it was ripped from the pages of the SkyMall catalog. If you put a value on looks (and you do, don't you?) you'll be pleased to know that a Korean designer has created the Daan -- a new purifier that gets the job done while actually looking somewhat stylish. The devices suck up dust and cat hair in a 161 sq. ft. space, but are modular in nature, allowing you to stack multiple units on a stand for cleaning larger spaces (they can also be separated and moved to smaller rooms). Home electronics-maker Coway will apparently manufacture the device, but we don't have a word on street date or price. Sure, they may still be killing you slowly, but at least they'll look good while doing it.

[Via: Engadget ]

Is this Philips' next-generation Senseo?

Going out for coffee is so pre-recession, right? Either way, what you see above is a purported rendering of Philips' next-generation Senseo coffee system, which actually looks to be taking a step backwards in the design department. Not that we have anything against non-futuristic styling -- just an observation, is all. We know, at least a handful of you are already champing at the bit to yell "FAKE1one!," but really, who spends time creating a mockup of a java machine? And besides, aren't all the good designers working up those derisory iPhone nano images?
[Thanks, GPFransen]

[Via: Engadget ]

Beer Belt: A Haiku [Wisdom]

Six beers on my belt.
I'm ready for my wedding!
I barfed on the priest.
[Product Page via Boing Boing Gadgets]

[Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]

Luxury Leatherman Costs $40,000 (For When MacGyver Stays at the Ritz) [Gadget Bling]

Let's say MacGyver, or some other other gadget-loving, outdoorsy nut, finds themselves trapped in the deadly confines of a five-star luxury hotel like the Ritz-Carlton. Room service is unavailable; the concierge could only procure balcony seats for the opera; and the champagne is most definitely Korbel, not Cristal. Would they panic? Of course they wouldn't, because they're obviously armed with a $40,000 Leatherman.

Leatherman's 25th annivesary Argentum collection is more for show than cutting a dangerous bow line, but each of these extravagant "tools" is still fully functional. The collection ranges from the modest $12,000 Acanto to the $40,000 Dorado, and are the work of Argentinean artist Adrian Pollarols. You can see the opulence of the finished product taking shape in these early sketches:

Suddenly those perilous trips to the Ritz ice machine down the hall aren't looking so bad, after all. [Leatherman via Boing Boing]

[Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]

Vortex Fountain Scares the Piss Out of Traditional Fountains [Water Fountain]

The Vortex Fountain eschews gentle, soothing streams for a powerful water funnel. The illusion of a standing block of water is created by an acrylic case hidden by transparency and water cascading down the sides, and the vortex itself is formed through the combination of strong, alternate currents of water that collide in the tank. Depending on the angle from which you view the fountain, it alternates between a majestic restraint of nature and an oversized science experiment involving expensive two-liters. Here's a clip of the Vortex Fountain in full vortexness:

[Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]