Household -- Engadget

Coway intros SWV-08AM megasonic cleaning apparatus

by Darren Murph posted Apr 15th 2008 at 8:02AM

Now that the Ultreo toothbrush has made you a believer in the cleaning power of ultrasonic waves, why not pick up a cleaner sure to do the same for objects not located in close proximity to your incisors. The oh-so-sleek SWV-08AM megasonic cleaning apparatus is reportedly designed to "remove dirt and agrochemicals" from fruits, dishes, etc. with little to no detergent. There's also an integrated P-Sediment filter to make sure the water coming out is ultra-pure, and those two large buttons determine whether the blasts are strong or soft. Honestly, we're not exactly sure what this piece of kit will run you, but to our ears, it's just screaming "pricey."

Cyber-Rain XCI gives you wireless control of your sprinkler system

by Darren Murph posted Apr 15th 2008 at 1:23AM

Frustrated with that exorbitantly high water bill stemming from all the H20 wastefully spewed out from that non-intelligent sprinkler system? Enter the Cyber-Rain XCI, which gives owners wireless control of up to eight watering zones. After hooking up the controller(s) and plugging a wireless access point into your PC via USB, users can look forward to the solution automatically tweaking their irrigation system based on weather conditions, seasons, etc. It'll even log water savings and chuck out a graph to prove its value. C'mon, you know it's worth $349 to make your thumb look way greener than it actually is (and save some water, too).

[Via Unplggd]

Light-emitting wallpaper runs your lamps right out of a job

by Darren Murph posted Apr 13th 2008 at 1:03PM

Looking for a fanciful way to dress up your room even more after tossing in a set of ASCII Curtains? Fret not, as designer Jonas Samson has crafted light-emitting wallpaper that's sure to go over better than that solar iteration you tried years ago. Currently, the technology behind the invention has yet to be divulged, but all those tidbits should get clarified when it goes on display at the Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milan. We do know, however, that it removes the need for bulbs in areas that just require basic lighting, and judging by the shots on the creator's own website, designs could be lit in part, in whole or not at all. Still, don't write those fixtures off just yet -- you do care about resale value, right?

[Via Inhabitat]

Video: Thingamagoop alarm clock mod haunts your dreams, wakes you to its nightmare

by Thomas Ricker posted Apr 10th 2008 at 8:47AM

Remember Thingamagoop, the little synth monster controlled by light thanks to the photocell governing the main oscillator? Well, this alarm clock mod requires a 9-volt DC jack and adapter, switch SPDT, and some audio cable and wire to bring it all together. A few snips and solder burns later and voila, the monster Moog alarm clock is born. Man, robots... synthesizers... it's like the ultimate nerd sub-cult. Video after the break, detailed hacking instructions on the other side of that read link.

P.S. Yes, he has throw-switch nipples and a uh, knob.

Continue reading Video: Thingamagoop alarm clock mod haunts your dreams, wakes you to its nightmare

OSRAM unveils Ingo Maurer-designed Early Future OLED lamp

by Darren Murph posted Apr 7th 2008 at 3:26PM

Though we've seen OLEDs used for interior lighting purposes before, OSRAM and designer Ingo Maurer have churned out what's possibly the world's first dedicated OLED lamp. Aptly named Early Future, the creation is being produced as a limited edition and unveiled at the Light&Building Fair in Frankfurt, Germany this week. Each OLED tile measures in at 132- x 33-millimeters, but we're not told exactly how energy efficient this desktop illuminator is (nor where to find one). Leap on past the break for a closeup of the tiles.

[Via OLED-Info, thanks Ron]

Continue reading OSRAM unveils Ingo Maurer-designed Early Future OLED lamp

Swarovski-bedazzled Nespresso Coffee Maker

by Joshua Fruhlinger posted Apr 6th 2008 at 1:40PM

If you've covered your entire house in gold and diamonds and are left with little else to pimp out, you can always move on to the kitchen. The Nespresso Crystal Edition coffee machine is covered with 3100 Swarovski crystals and will only run you about £1,995 (or about $4,000). But does it make coffee? Does it ever - it comes with a removable grill for macciato lattes, sports an illuminated collecting pan for your used coffee capsules, and does it all with the single press of a pretty, shiny, blingy button.

[Via Red Ferret]

Researchers turn brushing your teeth into child's play

by Joshua Topolsky posted Apr 6th 2008 at 10:45AM

Kids -- they hate brushing their teeth. Sure, we try and show them pictures of zombie faces and toothless seniors, but it just doesn't work. Finally, someone has come up with a solution to the problem: make it fun. Researchers at the National Taiwan University have devised a scheme which turns brushing your teeth into a webcam-tracked video game. Using an LED-studded toothbrush, a camera mounted above a mirror, and an LCD display, kids can watch plaque and debris get annihilated from a cartoon mouth while they scrub their choppers. The system is able to track detailed, three-dimensional movement of the child's hand, covering 24 separate areas of the mouth. Kids who tested the system were found to brush twice as well as those who hadn't used it, but were also extremely cocky about their perfect teeth. Check the video after the break to see the magic happen.

[Via Gizmo Watch]

Continue reading Researchers turn brushing your teeth into child's play

Bioscleave House aims to maintain equilibrium, requires waiver to enter

by Donald Melanson posted Apr 4th 2008 at 3:07PM

We've seen plenty of houses of the future, but none quite like this so-called Bioscleave House by artists Madeline Gins and Arakawa, which promises to force people to "use their bodies in unexpected ways to maintain equilibrium." Those equilibrium-inducing measures include, as you can see above, a vast undulating floor (somewhat curiously made of concrete), as well as off-kilter power outlets, walls painted in about 40 different colors, and windows of varying heights, all of which is designed to keep occupants and visitors "on guard" at all times. That equilibrium also comes at some risk, however, with visitors required to sign a waiver before they enter (children aren't allowed in at all). What's more, while they seem quite pleased with their creation, the artistic duo didn't build the $2 million dollar house for themselves, and they're now looking for someone else to call it home.

[Image courtesy Eric Striffler / The New York Times, thanks TSM]

Inventor proclaims laziness, shows off self-making bed

by Darren Murph posted Apr 4th 2008 at 12:26PM

It's one thing to exemplify laziness; it's another to buck the habit just long enough to invent something to keep you idler, longer. Enter Enrico Berruti, an everyday fellow who has created something that almost anyone with a bed could see as useful. His Selfy bed, quite simply, uses a variety of moving parts, bars and linens to make itself at the push of a button. To be fair, Mr. Berruti was thinking of disabled individuals who would have a difficult time making their own traditional bed when conjuring this thing up, but he didn't hesitate to mention his own indolence as motivation. Hopefully there's some kind of safety feature to prevent users from accidentally activating the thing while they're still snoozing -- can't imagine that being any fun.

[Via Physorg, image courtesy of AFP / Getty Images]

Jean Nouvel faucet completes the PlayStation abode

by Darren Murph posted Apr 2nd 2008 at 4:41PM

For the diehards out there (oh please, we know you're out there) who've already snapped up a PS3 Grill along with a lifetime supply of SIXAXIS BBQ sauce, there's hardly a better way to accent your PlayStation-themed home than with Jean Nouvel's chrome faucet. We'll be honest -- the glaring lack of a square button leads us to believe that this thing wasn't actually created with Sony's famed controller in mind, but hey, a boy can dream, can't he?

[Via PS3Fanboy]

Art Lebedev's Defendius. Because unlocking doors is just a little too easy

by Donald Melanson posted Apr 1st 2008 at 1:58PM

Sure there's plenty options out there for those that want quick and easy security measures for their doors, but what about those that like to make everyday activities a challenge? Thankfully, the geniuses at Art Lebedev studios have now come up with a solution in the form of the Defendius door chain, but you better act fast -- we hear it's available for today only.

ControlThink's new Z-Wave USB Adapter is firmware-upgradeable

by Paul Miller posted Mar 31st 2008 at 9:26AM

While we have interns to switch off the lights and regulate Engadget HQ temperature, plenty of folks rely on the Z-Wave standard for home automation. Unlucky for them, most Z-Wave adapters need to be replaced every year or so to support new protocol features, so ControlThink built what it's billing as the "industry's first upgradeable Z-Wave USB Adapter." The cute little USB dongle goes for $40, and runs at 4x (40kbps) speeds, but is backwards compatible with 1x devices. We know, you can hardly contain your excitement.

Firewinder LED windmill, for the eco-friendly barbershop

by Nilay Patel posted Mar 26th 2008 at 6:34PM

We're all about the wind-powered LED rigs lately, but for some reason we're just not as captivated by the Firewinder LED windmill as we'd hoped to be. The vertical corkscrew features rows of white LEDs embedded in the blade's edge that brighten as the winds blow harder, which is definitely a neat concept, but in execution it looks more or less like a super-high-tech barber pole -- a look we're not certain we're willing to drop £99 ($200) for. Check the super-dramatic vid after the break.

[Via Inhabitat]

Continue reading Firewinder LED windmill, for the eco-friendly barbershop

Motorola's DH02 mobile TV with PVR gains GPS and HSDPA, loses R

by Thomas Ricker posted Mar 26th 2008 at 9:36AM

Motorola just announced a new portable DVB-H TV to followup its DH01. The name? DH02, of course. The new mobile TV now features a GPS receiver and Tele Atlas maps, an HSDPA / GPRS back-channel for interactive media, and new "auto-flip" portrait to landscape (presumably via accelerometer) touch-screen display of unspecified dimensions. The UI takes advantage of the touch-screen with an "intuitive click, drag, and scroll" navigation. Moto does call the WQVGA display high-resolution -- which is anything but high if the DH02 carries the same 4.3-inch display of the DH01. Motorola also likes to call the DH02 a PVR since it includes a 5 minute buffer for timeshifting, live pause, and frame grabbing. Thing is, while the former DH01 could record video, that capability is not mentioned anywhere in the DH02 press release. Perhaps the microSD slot is dedicated to GPS maps now, instead of recording space. It does offer Bluetooth and, uh hem, "stunning" video playback. Really moto, stunning video from a sub 30fps play rate in a 480 x 272 resolution? Hyperbole of the press release aside, we're still looking forward to a hands-on at CTIA next week.

Designer LEXON Jet clocks do dot-matrix with style

by Donald Melanson posted Mar 24th 2008 at 12:33PM

It may not boast any fancy or slightly terrifying measures to haul you out of bed in the morning, or pack the DIY flavor of some clocks we seen, but if you just want to keep things simple and stylish you could certainly do a lot worse than one of these new LEXON jet clocks from designer Theo Williams. Available in wall/desk clock (pictured above), clock radio or travel alarm clock versions, the clocks each boast an electroluminescent backlit display, which lights up all your vital information (including the temperature) dot-matrix-style. You can also get the clocks in your choice of gold or brushed aluminum finishes, although it seems that only the wall clock model is available right now, with it setting you back €45 (or just under $70).