The Brits really love their electric kettles; I have fond memories of the kitchen in my dorm in Edinburgh, where the tea flowed freely. But all that water boiling can be wasteful, you know: not only do you end up boiling more water than you'll probably use, but all that extra liquid means it takes more heat, and thus more electricity, to reach boiling.
The Eco Kettle helps by moderating the amount of water actually boiled. Fill the top chamber with plenty of water, then select how many cups you want, between 1 and 8, and the Eco Kettle will fill its lower chamber with only the amount of water you need. Fantastic!
As I usually boil way too much water for my morning cup of tea, perhaps I'm a prime candidate for this sucker. Then again, at a cost of almost $80, perhaps I'll just put less water in the kettle tomorrow.
[via Coolest Gadgets]
Batteries, batteries. They power all sorts of gadgets today, and they're constantly in need of replacing, recharging, or what have you: it's all a drain on the old natural resources. This four battery Solar Charger is out to prevent such needless waste by powering up your cells with sweet, sweet thermonuclear energy—straight from the Sun itself.
Four NiMh batteries can be charged at a time, of AAA, AA, C, or D sizes (don't mix them though); they'll hit full capacity in as little as six hours, given a sunny day. There are also adapters for plugging your small electronics in directly. While batteries aren't included, the unit itself runs for just $14 at present, so if you've got NiMh batteries lying around, it might be a handy alternative.
[via Red Ferret Journal]
Wires, wires everywhere. That's kind of what my desk looks like at the moment. Because I still have two desktops computers underneath, I need to run a bunch of cables up to the top so I can use my iPod dock, speakers, even the power cable for my laptop. But what if I want to make sure the connectors stay on top of the desk when I walk away with the device. I tried Scotch tape at one point, but the adhesiveness eventually wore off, not to mention it looked unsightly.
The Bird-Electron Keeperse Stainless Steel Cable Organizer is a bit of a step up from Scotch tape. Just pop the cable into one of the felt-lined notches, and the weight of the whole contraption keeps those pesky cables from sliding back off the desk. A simple solution to an annoying problem: would that all difficulties could be solved this easily. Granted, for the $55 this is going to cost you, you could buy dozens of rolls of Scotch tape, but think of the aesthetics.
[via Ubergizmo]
I'm not a hardcore biker—heck, I'm not even a softcore biker. Wait, I'm not sure that came out right. I don't do a lot of biking—how about that? But I am intrigued by these new Shimano coasting bikes which boast the first automatic transmissions for bicycles.
Admittedly, I think most people who have reached adulthood have probably learned to cope with manual shifting, so it's not as though this is a desperately needed function. But for those who find themselves put off by the buttons and levers, this might just make life easier all around. I wouldn't expect automatic transmissions to appear in the Tour de France any more than I'd expect them to appear in Indy car racing, but for a leisurely bike around the lake, why not?
Shimano is partnering with Trek to bring automatic transmission bikes to the masses; the models appear to be in prototype at the moment, but you could be seeing them soon.
[via OhGizmo!]
It's always good to see technology put to helpful uses, rather than merely being just a timesink. That said, I'm not sure about these ABS Avalanche backpacks, which are supposedly designed to prevent you from being buried in the snow when the mountain comes down on you.
The pack works kind of like an automobile's airbag. When the avalanche starts, you pull a ripcord, which inflates two large pouches, totaling 150 litres of additional volume. Hopefully, that's enough to keep you on top of the snow, which greatly increases your odds of both surviving and helping others survive.
It's a very cool idea, and assuming it works well, the almost $400 asking price isn't that much to pay. A lot of people die from avalanches because they're not prepared; hopefully, this could tip the odds back in the other direction, when used with proper safety precautions and equipment.
[via Shiny Shiny]
I wasn't sure how much the Korean manufacturer of these light-up umbrellas had intended for them to be referred to as lightsaber umbrealls. Until I went to the product page and scrolled down a bit. First I caught sight of a caption reading "Light Saber Umbrella." Okay. Maybe it's a joke.Then I scrolled down some more to find a picture of Obi-Wan Kenobi fighting Darth Maul. All right then.
Until that, I thought maybe they were echoing more Blade Runner than Star Wars. Oh well. Should you be interested in owning an umbrella that lights up like the sci-fi prop of your choice, you'll be happy to know they can be snagged for around $40, in your choice of white, red, and blue.
The lights are generated by an LED bulb, which is powered by AA batteries. Any more information is pretty much dependent on knowledge of Korean.
[via CrunchGear]
As far as I know, there are still plans to release a Star Wars TV series sometime in the next couple years. But until then, you'll have to sate your fetish for a galaxy far far away by other means. May I humbly suggest an R2-D2 trash can?
It's a natural combination, when you think about it. I mean, R2-D2 is, after all, more trash can shaped than any other droid—okay, except maybe a GNK model Power Droid. Fine.
But nobody's making GNK Power Droid trashcans, are they, smart guy? Yeah. I mean, you'll still have to pay $150 for this 24" tall R2 trash can. And while his dome pops open with the press of a foot pedal, don't expect him to launch your lightsaber skyward or start projecting holograms. For that, you'll need to get the R2-D2 projector. Then, they can fight.
[via I4U News]
Here's the thing about technology: just because you can do something doesn't mean you should. Like a Voice-Activated Answering Machine. Is it really so onerous to have a little light that tells you there are messages and then to press a button to hear said messages? I like to think I've gotten pretty good at pressing buttons in the last twenty-seven years (zing!).
This brilliant piece of engineering comes, of course, from Hammacher Schlemmer (motto: selling over-priced crap since 1825). To activate it, simply say "answering machine." For hours of hilarity, be sure to leave a message containing the phrase "answering machine," thus propelling your expensive toy into a deranged infinite loop. Also, in case you're wondering, it's really only funny the first time somebody mistakes it for an Art Deco ashtray.
A warning: it's tuned to "American" English, so you Brits and Aussies are out of luck (Canadians may be able to sneak by, but I make no promises). The price point is $250, or, roughly five times the cost of the previous most expensive answering machine you were likely to buy.
[via GadgetLab]
We're introducing three revolutionary new devices today: a way of telling what hour it is; a way of telling what minute it is; and a way of telling what second it is. This is not one device; these are three devices.
Man, that never gets old. Seriously, though, I'm not sure about the utility of a clock that divides those three tasks into separate dials. For one thing, none of them appear to have markings telling you exactly what hour it is—what if you mount it upside down? That would be fun at parties.
Don't ask me what kind of price you'll pay for the privilege of having the world's most inscrutable timepiece: I'm sure it's more than you want to pay.
[via Gizmodo]
