Design posts

Designer Liu Yi claims his Toe Mouse is to help those with upper limb disabilities enjoy an internet-rich existence, but I’ll be damned if I’m not the first person to have pondered a foot-controlled mouse’s many other applications for those who simply have, er… idle hands. Oh, come on, you’re all thinking it. We’re all adults here. The internet is sometimes an interactive experience. Sometimes, you need your hands. The Toe Mouse is perfect for those times. I speak, of course, of those times you have an absolutely insatiable urge to make a sandwich at your desk. What’d you think I…

The StudyLite rechargeable desk lamp is the world’s first certified “safe for eyes” study light for children. Developed by one of India’s best product designers, Abhijit Bansod, the rechargeable lamp has no ultra-violet, infra-red or heat radiation. The lamp has a soothing light that gets rid of eye strain and can last up to six hours running on a fully charged battery.The lamp also comes in four different colours; red, white, black and yellow. “When designing StudyLite, I was inspired by the ring of halo that hovers above the head of the wise and saintly,” said Bansod. “Such sages…

Need a bathtub that auto-fills, auto-cleans, and even adds essential oils at timed intervals? Want no more – the Electronic Tub-E is here. While the name is best suited to something that automatically feeds you Big Macs, the tub itself is a thing of ultra-sleek techno design love. To enter the tub? Climb not an unwieldy ladder, cher billionaire… ascend lovely stairs of perforated steel. Where can you purchase this thing of bathing beauty? If you’re in Australia, contact its creators at Wild Terrain Design. If you’re not Down Under, consider moving there just to install this bathtub. Source:…

Want an iPad but don’t have the $499+ to spend on one? Don’t worry if you don’t because I certainly can’t afford one. For all of us less-than-rich folks, we might be able to enjoy something similar.. at a significantly lower price. The PixelPad is a new product being offered at a much lower price compared to the iPad. People won’t have to break the bank because of their need for shiny, new electronics. Instead, designers and developers can purchase this handy tool in packages starting at $24.00, 49.00 and $99.00. All include at least 1 pad, 1 refill, 1 Sharpie marker and a few other pens ready for sketching….

On the banks of the river Mersey in England, a new sculpture by architect Tonkin Liu has been unveiled. The 45 foot high sculpture features 160 huge metal petals and over 60 LED lights that are powered by wind turbines. The lights shine at a brightness that intensifies with the wind speed, with power supplied by three completely off-grid wind turbines. The sculpture was commissioned as part of a larger project to revitalize polluted industrial land near the river. Tonkin Liu won the international bidding competition in 2007. Source: BD Online, Inhabitat…

Going strictly by the chatter on the North American web,  you’d be forgiven for thinking the iPad is going to save the world. But there are also, oh, about a couple of billion people around who, instead of thinking about how the iPad is going to revolutionize media, can’t rely on having small, insignificant luxuries like water and constant electricity. That’s kind of a big deal if you want to do something radical like charging your cell phone, a device that is often a lifeline not just for individuals but sometimes for whole villages. That’s why the Solar Pebble seems like such a step in the right direction….

Imagine it: two fitness buffs take a break from their rigorous exercise regime to get totally blitzed. Six drinks in, one of them suddenly sits bolt upright and says: “you know what would be awesome? A bike that was a treadmill!” K, that’s probably not how this treadmill bike came about. But still, you gotta’ wonder… Of course, the idea is actually much less crazy than it sounds. By putting an inclined treadmill on what is basically a large scooter, you get the workout and resistance of an uphill run without having to be cooped up indoors – and you can get where you need to go to boot. And really, who wants…

Often, when we think of innovative approaches to design and living, we often look to highfalutin conceptual renders and abstract futurist thinkers. But the Hakka Tulou “apartments” in in Yongding county, Fujian province suggest that different ideas about organizing living space can from any time. The buildings were constructed with defense in mind, and they not only have solid walls up to six feet thick but their massive size also allows them to store weeks’ supply of food and water. They contain a mixture of private apartments and shared communal space. Perhaps most fascinating, however,…

There are some things that are just too cool not to mention, no matter how weird it might seem. This is that moment, but what is amazing is that it involves carpet. Yes. Carpet. It is that amazing. Transforming furniture seems to be all the rage lately, so it makes sense that transforming carpet is next on the list, and even though it is hard for us to imagine how this would work in our own homes, it looks amazing and useful. The concept, seemingly, isn’t all that difficult. You have plenty of carpet in your house, right? It sits on your floor, it provides a nice space to walk on, and it provides some cushion…

Yuji Fujimura has got to get out of my head. Sometimes, I’ll be rearranging the contents of my wallet and pause for a moment, sensually caressing my credit card’s smooth plastic, and thinking: ‘Gee. I wish I could ride this thing. Y’know, like a bike.’ Enter Fujimura, who has almost suspiciously answered my cries with his Electric Bike Concept v2. A hybrid electric/pedal bike, the v2 uses a lithium ion battery, and folds into what basically amounts to a plastic rectangle…but then again, it looks like one when unfolded, as well. Possibly the saving grace of the design is that there’s a special compartment…