What if every wall in your home was a digital display? What if your kitchen table would set itself and also be a touchscreen-enabled entertainment device. What if your kitchen counters were “smart” enough to know what items were on it and had the ability to react accordingly, keeping coffee cups warm and iced-tea cold? These are some of the questions that Microsoft asked when designing what they consider to be the “home of the future.” If it seems very much like Star Trek, only better in many ways, many would agree. The difference is that all of this is possible in the early 21st century, well ahead of…

All the things I want in the house of the future are represented in the Cube. It’s a 3 x 3 x 3 meter home that features a symmetrical box, a cramped living space (with an HD LED TV included), and a lawsuit waiting to happen if you’re in a hurry to go up or down some space-saving stairs. However, it is carbon and energy neutral. For all its oddities, the Cube is totally awesome. Don’t believe me? Hit up the video!…

For years we have heard about self-sustaining homes that can take advantage of the latest technology to harness solar energy and provide the most economical usage of available resources, but we haven’t been seeing them. However, a few families in the UK are getting some eco love with the Home for Life project. Perhaps this marks the beginning of affordable eco-friendly housing? In order to create a self-sustainable, carbon-neutral home, the Danish concept of an “Active House” So what does a house of the future have? Just about everything you could imagine to maximize eco-friendliness: Air-tight…

Who said that a hotel must be a stationary thing? It wasn’t Rotel Tours. This company has created an army of buses (called Rotels) that give guests their very own bed and comfort on wheels. The shocking thing is that this idea is hardly new — the company has been cranking out these busses since 1945. Rotel provides around 3,600 beds, and the people on those beds travel around the world — Africa, Asia, and Europe — while enjoying a scenic view from the comfort of their own “room.” In these “rooms,” there is a bad that measures in at around 6 ft x 3ft and a window to take a peek at the outside world. The only…