25 Mind-Blowing Gadgets
Few weeks ago we’ve presented a number of innovative gadgets, devices, designs and concepts. Unless explicitly specified, none of them has been officially released or produced yet, and none of them is currently available for end-users. But what about existing products? What about innovative designs which are already available in stores and can be bought straight away?
As part of our Monday Inspiration series we present 25 mind-blowing gadgets and devices which are already available today. Among them, you’ll find loudspeakers, turntables, TV sets, furniture, laptop sleeves and extra accessories. Please notice: most of them aren’t cheap at all, and many of them cost over $10,000.
You might want to take a look at
- the article Innovative Designs and Devices which covers innovative, futuristic gadgets, devices, designs and concepts
- 15 Stunning Cutting-Edge Gadgets and Technologies
BeoLab 4 PC
BeoLab 4 PC is a no-fuss version of the popular BeoLab 4, optimised to bring outstanding stereo sound to the desktop. All it takes is a mini-jack cable from your computer, portable music player or any other source with a headphone jack. Price: $990.
Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin iPod Speakers
Zeppelin is an integrated iPod speaker system from Bowers & Wilkins. Zeppelin fills a room with stereo sound and deliver a pretty unique musical performance. Simple yet effective design. Detailed CNET review. Price: $599.
Retro Sixties Radio
A sexy green “Sixties” AM/FM-radio, with a nostalgic style, power LED indicator and adaptor jack (3 x AA batteries not included) which is also available in pink.
Philips Aurea
Philips Aurea is a 42” Flat TV with Pixel HD and Ambilight Spectra. The sensorial halo of Ambilight Spectra creates a new dimension to the viewing experience. The Active Frame extends the light and atmosphere of the image outside the screen in a kaleidoscope of colours. Philips promises: “you feel fully immersed in the images, viewing becomes a more intensive experience than you could ever imagine.” Price: £3000.
Sound Speaker System 500 XL
500 XL is a pretty unusual loud speaker system. “Sometimes bigger IS really better, especially when it comes to sound. That’s why we took a puny pair of earbuds, put them in Fred’s highly technical Way Big machine, and created 500XL - it’s 500 times the size of the original! How great will these look on your desktop alongside your mp3 player or PC?” Price: unknown.
Turntable Rega Planar 78
Known for its tonearms, Rega makes a fine range of turntables including the Planar 78 — a mono turntable that only plays old-old-old-school 78s. The highest care has gone into the design, which uses Rega’s ultra-low-vibration state-of-the-art rigid-mounted motor assembly. The platter is metallised, giving good mass and accuracy. Price: £224 - £3,850 excluding arm.
Alpha TV Love
Alpha is a TV set composed of two slender elements joint by a frame in chrome tube within which the special wirings are pulsing. A choice which comes from the rejection of the assumed bidimensionality of common LCD screens, always supported by a cumbersome pedestal, and which focuses on a new layout with the capability of containing the space required by electronics and DVD player. Price: unknown.
Lunch Bags
The same oilcloth that covers your kitchen table can transport your children’s lunches — or your own — in leak-free style. These reusable lunch bags will cut back on waste since they can simply be washed with a damp sponge (oilcloth is not washing-machine safe). Use a single pattern for the whole bag, or cut out complementary patterns or solid colors for side panels. You can attach small Velcro tabs to hold the bags closed, or clip the tops with colorful wooden clothespins.
KEF Muon Loudspeaker System
KEF Muon loudspeaker is fabricated from super-formed aluminium, which uses a similar moulding process to vacuum forming. It uses malleable sheets of heated alluminium to achieve otherwise impossible shapes. Price: $150,000.
MX Air: Rechargeable Air Mouse
MX Air: on your desk, advanced laser technology is supposed to provide you with precise tracking and instant response. In the air, innovative Freespace motion sensing transforms hand motions into responsive cursor controls.
Deco Lounger
Fortress Seating’s stylish Deco Lounger loveseat splits in two. Supersized at 72 inches wide and 60 inches deep, the Deco Lounger can be pushed together to accommodate one loving couple or one sprawling TV viewer—or split into two parts for those times when you want a little more personal space.
Proclaim Speaker DMT-100
Fortress Seating’s stylish Proclaim Speaker DMT-100 has pivoting arms which allow the DMT-100’s midrange and tweeter enclosures to be moved up, down, forward, backward, and side-to-side. They’ve done away with rectilinear speaker cabinets altogether. Price: $25,999.
Nokia Prism
Nokia Prism is a mobile phone adorned with bold geometric patterns, beveled surfaces and vibrant color accents. Price: $250.
On/Off Mug
“At plain sight On/Off Mug is a standard black mug as they come a dime a dozen and in big white letters it say OFF. Nothing fancy, but once you add the hot beverage of your choice, the mug changes color and is turning white and in big black letters it states: ON. Dishwasher safe of course!” Price: $25.
Drink Selector Mug
Drink Selector Mug allows you to define your preferences just on your mug. Twist rings to reveal your choice of drink and your milk and sugar preferences. Among available options: Decaf, Mocha, Tea, Latte, Cappuccino, Herb Tea, Hot Chocolate, plus various further options to get your morning drink just the way you like it. Price: $23.99.
9 to 5 Laptop Sleeve
At last! 9 to 5 Laptop Sleeve is a laptop sleeve that you can bring with you to corporate America. Designed with a heavy duty vinyl and padded with 1⁄4 fabric backed foam. Flannel lining may vary depending on availability. Price: $40.
Laptop Hideaway
Laptop Hideaway is made to sit on the floor next to your couch (or bed, chair, or desk). It keeps your laptop protected, easy to reach, and hidden away from view. Works with 15.4-inch laptops-both widescreen and standard. $49.99.
Dynamic Life Shirts: Proximity Effect
You both wear these 8-Bit Dynamic Life shirts, and the closer you get to each other, the more hearts light up on your chest. Its default state has two hearts a-glowing, displaying that special place she has in your heart even when you’re far away. Get within hugging distance, and the removable animated decals go nuts with all six hearts a-blazin’. Price: $25.
Tik-Tak Clock
Tik-Tak Clock: “I wanted to express time differently – with a decorative impact as well as a practical function. The powder coated shades of grey give depth to the piece, whilst the red second hand emphasises time’s continual movement.” Price: £89.00
Squeezebox Duet
Squeezebox Duet is a network music system. It allows you to play songs stored on your PC, tune in to Web radio stations, or connect to online services such as Pandora and Rhapsody. Plus, the multi-room controller with 2.4-inch color display and scroll-wheel navigation enables you to browse, select, and play music from the palm of your hand. $399.99.
BTC Dual Monitor 150 DS
BTC 150 DS is a dual monitor both of which is flexible enough to change its position according to your needs. Price: unknown.
Logitech Di-Novo Mini & Di-Novo Edge
“All you long-time diNovo loving fans can take heart — Logitech’s finally given a major overhaul to our favorite ultraslim, tactile, stylie keyboard and mouse. The new diNovo Edge (which runs on Bluetooth, of course) finally fixes some of the long standing issues we’ve had with the keyboard, including having an integrated battery (plus dock / charging cradle, much like Logitech’s mice have long since had – a single charge should supposedly last two months), light-up function keys that show which key mode you’re in.”
PieLamp + Bookshelf
Pretty colorful and unusual design solution — for a lamp and a bookshelf. Price: unknown.
Bonus: Home Theater
No, it’s not for sale, but it should be! The music engineer Jeremy Kipnis sure knows his entertainment. His gigantic home entertainment system is not only filthy posh, it’s actually quite a bargain for US $6 million. The picture elements alone are composed of a Sony SRX-S110 Professional Video Projector with a 4,096-by-2,160 resolution and the Stewart Snowmatte 1.0 Gain Laboratory-Grade Motion Picture Screen stands at a mammoth 18 x 10-foot which is nearly equivalent to an actual theater screen viewed from the balcony!”
Bonus: Computer and Coffee On The Go
The Yuno PC is a new personal computer concept designed to help you get the most out of your morning without holding you back or constraining you to a desktop PC. Everyone has their routine, what they read, watch, listen to, and of course drink. The Yuno PC mug incorporates all the important morning alerts such as weather, time, traffic, stocks, and more on its touchscreen display. You can also display your images as a screensaver if you just want to relax. It lets you enjoy the morning the way you deserve to, stress-free and highly caffeinated.