Hasta La Gadget!

When something particularly bad or painful happens, some people just withdraw and never come out of their cocoons. They can recover slowly or they can get worse and one day decide that they want nothing more than to end it all.

So many of the latter go to the Mapo Bridge in South Korea to do just that. Between the years 2007 and 2012, more than a hundred people jumped from the bridge in attempts to end their lives. They might not have gotten the help they needed previously, but you can at least convince them otherwise at the last minute. That’s what the Seoul City government is trying to do in collaboration with Samsung Life Insurance.

Instead of constructing high fences or a suicide barrier on the bridge, they added interactive handrails that address passersby directly. They’re embedded with motion sensors to detect the presence of anyone near them, so when someone passes by, the handrail lights up with an inspiring quote or message that were written with the help of psychologists and suicide prevention specialists.

A sample message is as follows: “How have you been? Have you eaten? If you need to talk, why don’t you talk to us?” This is then followed by a number for a suicide hotline.

Since launching the project, the Seoul City government claims suicide rates from the Mapo Bridge have dropped 77%. This potential lifesaver is just ingenious, and while it won’t solve the underlying problems of potential jumpers, it could convince them to get the help they need before taking their lives.

[via CRAVE Australia via C|NET]

When you have the world’s largest headphones, you don’t put them on your head. You sit between the earcups and let the sound assault you. These monstrous headphones were created by Dallyn Rule for the recent Mini Maker Faire in Vancouver, B.C.

They measure almost a full human body length and they are completely functional and made from 100% recycled material. Making this huge pair of headphones has been a dream of Dallyn’s since childhood.

They may be the only headphones designed to never ever touch your ears or head. Yet it still produces music designed for individual listening – like a surround that affects your entire body. And it doesn’t affect those around you very much at all. So it is a very personal way to experience music.

Great work Dallyn, though is it just me, or are you wearing actual headphones in that second image above?

[via Damn Geeky]

If you love the look of plants on your desk, but have a nasty habit of killing them through neglect, consider this faux greenery as an alternative. What look like tall blades of grass are actually unfortunately-named Pooleaf pens with long wisps of silicone coming off the end.

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You can avoid for it as long as possible, re-wearing outfits again and again, but eventually the awfulness that is laundry day will come. It’s even worse if a clothesline is involved, requiring you to painstakingly hang garments instead of just cramming them all in the dryer, but this adorable cable car clothespin holder should bring you at least a sliver of joy.

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When you think about it, the lowly stool is one of the most versatile pieces of furniture in your home. It serves as everything from a chair, to a foot rest, to a table, to a place to eat and work. And Joe Levy, an industrial design student from New Zealand, has managed to cram in even more functionality with his SpoolStool.

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