Hasta La Gadget!

Dear Diary 1.0 is a computer workstation / desk made entirely of wood. Designed by Marlies Romberg, a recent grad of the Utrecht School of Arts, this bad boy features a laser-cut keyboard, a display, mouse, and a porcelain and silicone USB thumb drive with a signet (one of those wax seals they always put on letters in old-timey movies). We’re guessing that none of this stuff is functional (save maybe the thumb drive), but if you’re in the mood for a good artist’s statement, try this one on for size: “Dear Diary 1.0 is … both the literal and the figurative manifestation of the worlds colliding. A physical reminder that increasingly, the real and the digital are becoming indistinguishable.” Not bad, eh? Just slap your Amazon Kindling on the thing and your anachronistic office will be just about complete. More pics after the break.

[Via Unplggd]

Continue reading Wood computer workstation takes up space, looks great, does little else

Filed under: Household

Wood computer workstation takes up space, looks great, does little else originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Jul 2009 18:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

It’s not enough that humans gave robots a place to congregate to plan our demise, now we’ve adapted them with the ability to extract fuel from the very nectar of life. All that innocent experimentation with fuel cells that run on blood has led to this, a flesh-eating clock. This prototype time-piece from UK-based designers James Auger and Jimmy Loizeau traps insects on flypaper stretched across its roller system before depositing them into a vat of bacteria. The ensuing chemical reaction, or “digestion,” is transformed into power that keeps the rollers rollin’ and the LCD clock ablaze. The pair offers an alternative design fueled by mice, another contraption whose robotic arm plucks insect-fuel from spider webs with the help of a video camera, and a lamp powered by insects lured to their deaths with ultraviolet LEDs. Man, this is so wrong it has to be right.

[Via Hack a Day, thanks Isaac]

Filed under: Household, Robots

Carnivorous Clock eats bugs, begins doomsday countdown originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Jun 2009 04:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Oh, Thanko, fine purveyor of hidden cameras and ill-advised input devices, whenever it gives us a peripheral that looks like, well, a peripheral, it feels like a big step in the right direction. And what do we have here? The Silent Mouse EX is a bit of a misnomer. After all, it isn’t totally silent — rather, the manufacturer claims that it generates 35.5db of noise when in operation. Compared to 58db of sound the “average” mouse makes (or so we’ve heard), that is… well, it’s less. Actually, we have a hard time believing anyone cares about this sort of thing, but if you’d like to prove us wrong, you can hit that read link and put ¥3,180 (approx. $33) where your mouth is. Or better still, just use a trackpad.

[Via Akihabara]

Filed under: Peripherals

Silent Mouse EX reduces mouse-related noise pollution by 22.5db, no one cares originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 25 Jun 2009 09:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Nintendo’s Wiimote has been a big hit. Now a new mouse from HillCrest Labs uses similar motion-sensing technology to let users control an on-screen cursor with the flick of their wrist.

The bangle-shaped mouse called the Loop Pointer is designed for use by consumers who connect their PC or Mac to a TV, says the company. Through a combination of sensors and accelerometers, the remote feels the users’ movements and reflects it on the screen, much like the Wiimote. Users can then click the right or the left button on the remote to make their selections.

With the growth of online video and sites such as Hulu, an increasing number of consumers are connecting their home television sets to a personal computer. The Consumer Electronics Association estimates more than 7 million U.S. households have their PCs and TVs linked.

The Loop Pointer will make it easy for these consumers to search, browse and navigate the internet in a way that’s more fun than using the traditional two-button click mouse, says HillCrest Labs. To use the Loop, consumers have to plug a small USB 2.0 transceiver into their PC and get started.

The product was originally been developed as a concept to demonstrate Hillcrest’ motion control technology and we saw it showcased at the Consumer Electronics Show this year.

The Loop can also be used with the PlayStation 3’s web browser and can also work for Apple TV users who use aTV Flash software.

The Loop is available through Amazon and the company’s website for $100.

And if you are wondering about the similarity between the Loop and the Wiimote, it may not be entirely coincidental. Last year, HillCrest Labs filed a lawsuit against Nintendo alleging patent infringement over the motion-sensing technology.

Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com

Clearly not content with just pumping out one iPod alarm clock after another, iHome has decided to broaden its horizons a bit by creating a new LifeWorks line of input peripherals and computer accessories. Slated to launch in earnest sometime this summer, the new line contains just a few standout inclusions. The iPhone-friendly iConnect Keyboard (pictured above) and HTPC-centric Media Keyboard both look like formidable options for those needing a new set of keys, and there are also a gaggle of mice, webcams and headsets to choose from if those items are more your style. Unfortunately, true innovation is still few and far betwixt, but at least your USB ports will appreciate the effort.

[Via CNET]

Filed under: Peripherals

iHome shows its input peripheral side with LifeWorks tie-up originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Jun 2009 08:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments