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Deja vu. Knife stand box with bamboo skewers.
2008-02-29 11:12:00
Good ideas seldom come alone. Or maybe they serve as inspiration for other designers and inventors. Look at this knife stand. A wooden box with a bunch of bamboo skewers, that allows knives to be placed at will. The first time we laid eyes on this idea was back in August 2005 when we stumbled upon Martin Robitsch's design. A little later we found Jörg Gätjens' interpretation that was even more minimalistic. And now we have encountered the Mikoto knife stand from French design firm Ekobo. It is available in three different sizes at USD 150:-, 95:- and 55:- respectively but they look very much like Martin Robitsch' design from 2005.
More About: Bamboo , Knife , Stand

Shower and shower curtain rod all in one.
2008-02-24 12:25:00
If this concept could actually be made to work, it would be pretty smart, don't you think? The less holes drilled in the bathroom walls, the better, we say. We don't really understand how the pipe is supposed to support the wet shower curtain, though, but we trust they'll work that out in time. From Matteo Thun & Partners.
More About: Shower

Power strip with room for more AC adapters.
2008-02-24 12:24:00
Contrary to many smart power strip concepts we've seen, this one looks like it could go into production. Albeit just for American plugs, alas. Tributaries' PWRS-T10 sports five regular sockets plus five that can be turned to accommodate five AC adapters. Nothing on price, though. How hard would it be for someone to make a thing like this for Euro standard plugs? Please.
More About: Power , Room , Strip

The famous kik-step turns fifty.
2008-02-24 12:22:00
Cramer, the company that makes the classic and famous Kik-Step step stools, have made a special edition of the step stool to celebrate it's first fifty years. The celebratory model is topped with a unique pattern with quotes from classic literature, and available in black or silver. Cramer charges the same for the anniversary model as for the ordinary ones, but the regular line is available in more colors. USD 65:- at the Cramer web shop, or USD 51:- on Amazon. Our favorite, the stainless one, is USD 93:-, also on Amazon.
More About: Famous

Step stool in a drawer.
2008-02-18 15:53:00
We spotted another idea much like this one a while back. That one was meant to be used in the kitchen. If we remember correctly, the step drawer was removable so it could be used anywhere in the kitchen. This step drawer is just as smart, and it can stay in the same place all the time. And when the kids are big enough to reach the mirror without help, you can just forget about the drawer. Or maybe remove the top and use it as a regular drawer.
More About: Step , Drawer , Stool

Picture hanging tool.
2008-02-18 15:52:00
You place the picture's wire over the hook, and move the picture around until you have found the perfect place for it. After that it seems to be an easy thing to twist the tool and make a small indentation in the wall. The indentation will appear at the exact place where you should hammer in your nail to hang the picture just right. Think we're going to have to get one of these, especially since they are just USD 4:-.
More About: Picture , Tool

Build you own bike hanger from Ikea stuff for around EUR 40:-.
2008-02-18 15:16:00
The folks on IKEA Hacker blog has a neat description how to make a bike hanger for two bikes for a fraction of the cost of a similar bike rack. Using a Stolmen post, two end fixtures and four hooks, plus a couple of pieces of square profile aluminum tubing and some nuts and bolts, you can make this hanger. Should not take more than an hour to build. We might add that your ceiling must be somewhere between 210 and 330 cm (83 - 130). And that the top bike should be reasonably lightweight to allow anybody to put it up. But we do like the idea. Check the description on Ikea Hacker.
More About: Bike , Stuff , Build

Cat brush that grabs undercoat, leaves topcoat.
2008-02-14 08:58:00
Ordinary cat- and dog grooming brushes often have way too timid brush bristles. To get to do a good job on your pet (and reduce hairs on furniture as much as possible) you need heavy duty tools. This steel rake takes care of the undercoat, and grabs only loose hair in the topcoat. From FURminator. Available on Amazon- for USD 28:-.
More About: Brush , Leaves

More work space with a corner cutting board.
2008-02-14 08:57:00
Here is an idea to how you could utilize some possibly unused space in the kitchen. Most people should have at least one corner (we have two) where this big, round cutting board could fit. And provide some extra work space. The board is USD 134:-, and is claimed to have some sort of clip on the under side to keep it in place. Now, if you could live without the clip, perhaps you could make one yourself as a woodcraft project..
More About: Space , Work , Board , Corner , Cutting

Mobile phone with battery back-up.
2008-02-14 08:56:00
We have sometimes made fun of Philips for their often pretty un-cool products. But this time they have come up with something we think is more worthy of applause than razzberries. Philips' new mobile telephone, the Xenium 9@9j (coming in April) has a new smart feature - room for spare power. The phone has a slot for an ordinary AAA battery to be used when the re-chargeable battery runs out of power. The AAA backup is said to provide up to three hours of extra yada-yada time. The downside is of course that the phone is a little bigger, but that we are definitely willing to forgive.
More About: Mobile , Phone , Mobile Phone , Battery , Back

Plastic razor blade cleans without scratching.
2008-02-13 09:19:00
What possible use could one have for plastic razor blades? They could not conquer one's stubble, could they? No, but they very popular with the car detailing crowd. It seems that plastic razor blades can remove old paint, adhesive or any other kind of goo without scratching the underlying surface, i.e. your freshly applied n-teenth layer of clearcoat. The plastic razor blades Pare double sided, have the same dimensions as ordinary razor blades and they will fit most common holders. They are available in three versions; a hard, durable yellow, a soft, flexible blue, and an in-between colored orange. USD 9:- for a pack of 25 from ScrapeRite.
More About: Scratching , Plastic , Blade , Razor

Spray in all directions.
2008-02-13 09:18:00
Pump spray bottles really suck. As soon as you turn one a teenzy-weenzy bit off its upright position it stops spraying. Getting the last of the contents is also virtually impossible. With this extra flexible piece of tube with its weighted end, most pump spray bottles can be made to work in most any position. The Spray Rite tube is supposed to replace the original tube inside the bottle. It is USD 5:- for three.
More About: Directions

Paint both sides in one session.
2008-02-13 09:16:00
These Paint er's Pyramids are supposed to allow you to finish both sides of a shelf, a door or any other finishing job without having to wait for one side to dry. They are pyramid shaped distance blocks made of plastic, and they are promised not to dent or leave marks on the surface. The plastic is also supposed to be resistant to paint, varnish and the likes. USD 7:- buys you a pack of 10.
More About: Sides

Gecko's feet provide ideas for new sticky stuff.
2008-02-08 07:46:00
Anyone who has seen a gecko race upside down across the ceiling must have been impressed by the the little critter's ability to stick to any surface. Scientists at UC Berkley and Lewis & Clark College in Oregon has gone beyond fascination. They have developed a new material sporting millions of tiny plastic fibers that imitate the gecko's abilities. The material will grip whenever slid across a surface, and releases when pulled at a 90 degree angle. According the researchers a 2 square centimeter piece can support almost a pound of weight.
More About: Ideas , Stuff , Feet

Apple corer with apple core ejector.
2008-02-08 07:45:00
We have mentioned apple corers before, but this particular solution is new to us. It offers a new take on the eternal problem; i.e. how to get the core from the corer without hurting your fingers. Here's the apple corer with its own core ejector. It is USD 10:-.
More About: Apple , Core

Expanding power strip provides room for adapters.
2008-02-08 07:44:00
All our bulky adapters is a constant problem. If you have a home office with computer, printer and scanner, if you want to charge your cellphone and your iPod and maybe your digicam, you need room for six adapters. Very few power strips can provide that much space. This clever idea, though, provides space through expanding. Each socket can be pulled away from the others to make room for more adapters. It is USD 40:- at Ideative.
More About: Power , Room , Strip

Grommet that holds cables in place.
2008-02-04 10:16:00
We suppose you have seen those holes that some office desks are endowed with. Those that you are supposed to put your power and other cables through to minimize clutter. Well, we think this idea for a cable duct grommet beats everything we have seen in this area so far. Admit it, you have crawled on the floor to retrieve an unused cable, too. Or maybe you are in the habit of placing something heavy on them, when they are not in use? Cable grommet by Ram-hae Keum and Jung-Jin So. Love it.
More About: Cables , Place , Holds

Waste basket that hides the unsightly plastic bag.
2008-02-04 10:15:00
As smart as it is simple. Just the way we like it. The waste basket has two parts; the inner one for putting the plastic bag (and the trash) in, and the outer cover to hide the plastic bag and make it appear more elegant. From Ideaco. Design by Ichiro Haba and Kazuya Koike.
More About: Basket , Plastic , Waste

Unlocking roadside toilets via text message.
2008-02-04 10:14:00
The highway authorities of Western Finland had had some problems with people vandalizing the public roadside restrooms they had installed for the urgent needs of travelers And, one might surmise, to reduce the number of patches of yellow snow along the side of the roads. The solution was not closing down the restrooms altogether, or investing in video surveillance. No, instead the Finns decided to put in text message controlled locks. The cost of opening a restroom is nothing more than the regular text message, but the senders number is kept in a database for some time, allowing maintenance to track down vandals. The state of Swedish roadside restrooms is usually somewhere between "horrible" and "core melt down", so this idea might be something for Swedish Vägverket to study?
More About: Toilets , Message , Text , Unlocking , Mess

The African cargo bike is coming to Europe - and the US.
2008-01-31 11:56:00
We have posted on the African cargo bikes before. They have been manufactured in Kenya among other places, but as far as we know they have so far only been sold in Africa. Now, however, one manufacturer -- Yuba - is going to try and sell their bikes in both Europe and the US. The Yuba Mundo has a longer wheel base than ordinary bikes and a large cargo holder with room for two people or 220 kg (485 lb.) of cargo. They are supposedly going to sell three versions; a one-speed, a six-speed, and a five-speed with a specially reinforced transmission. In the US prices will start at USD 750:- and in the EU it will start at EUR 540:- (about USD 798:-).
More About: Bike , Cargo

Safety lock for nervous hotel guests.
2008-01-31 11:54:00
There are occasions when you might want a little extra privacy. In hotels, offices or maybe student accommodations. At the same time, door locks are not always up to the standard you might want them to be. The How Sar lock has been made to address this problem and to offer a little more safety to those who want it. It consists of two parts. The flat one is placed by the recess where the door latch goes and it will sit between the door and the sill when the door is closed. By inserting the crescent-shaped part you lock the latch in its position and the door cannot be opened. To unlock, you simply remove the crescent part.
More About: Safety , Hotel , Guests , Lock

Bike stand with integrated bike pump.
2008-01-31 11:51:00
This stainless steel bike stand has been made for an art project in Ypenburg (a new dwelling area in the Netherlands). Eight stands will be placed outside eight buildings, with the purpose of stimulating neighborhood interaction as people pump their bikes. An added benefit is that bikes will be a lot easier to top up with air. We should have these in Stockholm.
More About: Bike , Integrated , Stand , Pump

Slippery-tape with extremely low friction.
2008-01-29 06:33:00
This tape can be used whenever you want to reduce friction between two surfaces. Like drawers, for instance. The tape is transparent, and is promised to be very tough, so it will not wear down any time soon. The slippery-tape is USD 11:70 per roll of 18'. That should be enough for all the drawers in an average home.
More About: Friction

Automatic turn indicators for cyclists.
2008-01-29 06:32:00
Safe Turn is an Australian invention aimed at improving safety for cyclists. It is a small automatic turn indicator to be attached to a sleeve or glove with a clip or an elastic strap. It is completely automatic; a tilt switch reacts as you raise your arm to signal a turn (you do signal your turns, don't you?) and starts the flashing light. As you bring your arm down after the turn, the switch turns the indicator off. Pretty smart. It is AUD 19:95 (about USD 18:-) a piece.
More About: Automatic , Cyclists , Cato

Cook pots that can cook different dishes at the same time.
2008-01-29 06:31:00
The pot to the left is the Eco-Cook , a concept for a new cook-pot insert by French designer Camille Kechenyi. It is not yet in production, but we guess one or other of the world's cook-pot manufacturers will adopt (or steal) the idea pretty soon. By cooking more than one food in the same water you will not only save time, but energy, too. As a comparison, we offer the triple-partitioned pot on the right, that we ourselves found in use at a street restaurant in Thailand recently. The Thai pot has permanent partitions, which of course allows simultaneous cooking of foods whose flavors are not supposed to be mixed.
More About: Time , Dishes

Smart towel wins Muji Awards.
2008-01-19 14:28:00
Muji is one of our favorite stores, and has been for years. Their simplicity and no frills attitude to the products has great appeal to our inner minimalist. Muji has sponsored an international design contest where the entries of course all have been in the Muji spirit. The first prize winner was this idea for a towel, called "towel with further options". It begins life as a large bath towel, but as it gets worn it can be cut down to face towel, bath mat, wash cloth, cleaning cloth and dust cloth. The ready made cutting grid means there will be no fraying along the cut edges. More on the prize winners on Muji's competition pages.
More About: Awards , Smart , Wins

Wall for flat tv combined with home office.
2008-01-19 14:26:00
Anyone who works from home, and do not have a spare room to use as an office, may find this idea appealing. It is a swiveling mounting wall for a flat-screen tv combined with a fold out workspace. You work on one side and when it is time for play you just swing the leisure side forward. Come to think of it, it could be just great for people with lots of space, too. Then you do not swing the thing, but let it be a room divider between the home office and the living room. From Gruber+Schlager.
More About: Office , Home , Wall , Home Office , Flat

Make tarp weights out of old PET bottles.
2008-01-19 14:26:00
There seems to be no end to the uses people can think of for our everyday used PET bottle. Here is one we have not seen before. For those occasions when you cannot use a rope to tie down a tarp, fill used PET bottles with water or sand, screw on the special cap, and attach the clamp to the tarp. USD 2:40 at Lee Valley.
More About: Make , Bottles , Weights

Simple carrying device for largish PET bottles.
2008-01-16 03:57:00
Large PET bottles can be a pain to carry around. This simple carrier handle addition to larger bottles (like 1.5 and 3 liters) makes them easier to carry. We have never seen it before now, but it is no doubt available in lots of places. we found these in Hanoi, and they were put in place after purchase on the bigger bottles. Unfortunately the handles are not removable once they have been pushed in place. Re-use would of course have been preferable...
More About: Simple , Device , Carrying , Bottles

Eye-glass frames with its own carrying strap.
2008-01-16 03:56:00
Anybody who watches television with any kind of frequency may recognize the glasses. You can for example see actor Robert Joy wear them as a forensic doctor in CSI New York. If the producers of the series thought these frames enhanced his geekiness, or if it is a simple product placement, we do not know. The frames, however, seems to have become quite popular lately, with the smart magnet on the bridge to make them easy to put on and take off. More info on Clic's own web site.
More About: Glass , Strap , Carrying