Ekokook concept kitchen’s mantra: waste not, want not

If, like us, you’ve spent a fair amount of time in a kitchen cooking up a storm, then you’re probably aware of one of the major drawbacks of major home-cooking… it generates a ton of waste. That’s right — up to 85 or 90 percent of a family’s trash can be generated within the vicinity of the kitchen. Faltazi’s concept kitchen should be interesting for just that reason — Ekokook is designed to generate essentially zero waste. The solid waste — things like glass — are ground down using a hand-activated steel ball, and there’s also a manual paper shredder which compacts the leftovers into small bricks. Water is stored, filtered, and reused, with waste water being used to water plants. Oh, and there’s also an eco-friendly earthworm compactor in a drawer! Does it get any better? Well, there’s a video after the break to check out.

Continue reading Ekokook concept kitchen’s mantra: waste not, want not

Ekokook concept kitchen’s mantra: waste not, want not originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Feb 2010 18:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dyson’s City DC26: finally, a sucky vacuum for those in studio apartments

We’ve been duly impressed with the Dyson vacs that we’ve encountered in the past, but one thing’s for certain: these things are large. Even the comparatively small DC23 Turbinehead is too gangly for cramped living quarters, but it seems the company that makes ends meet by being exceptionally good at snorting foreign matter from floors has a solution. The newly launched City DC26 is aimed at studio apartments and other small living areas where full-size vacuum cleaners simply aren’t welcome. It purportedly took five years of development to create a Dyson vac small enough to sit atop an A4 sheet of paper without any overhang, but it’s now available to London’s most cramped citizens for £249.99 ($403). There’s nary a word on a Stateside release, but we’re guessing yesterday would be a good time to start saving.

Dyson’s City DC26: finally, a sucky vacuum for those in studio apartments originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 Jan 2010 13:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Art Lebedev’s Rozetkus 3D socket concept gives you five plugs where once there was one

We’re getting ever closer to wireless power, but without a doubt have many years of life with plugs ahead of us. It’s a drag, but fancy concept receptacles help to make our tethered existences slightly more interesting. The UK Folding Plug concept wowed us over the summer, and Art Lebedev’s Rozetkus power strip from a few years ago was great, but now his studio is taking us to a new dimension with the Rozetkus 3D socket. It looks like an unassuming and soothingly blue socket but, push the little button above, and it pops out like a Lemarchand box with openings (and, possibly, eternal damnation) on each face. No word on a possible release, but we’re guessing manufacturers foreign and domestic are flooding Art’s inbox right this very moment.

[Via Yanko Design]

Filed under: Household

Art Lebedev’s Rozetkus 3D socket concept gives you five plugs where once there was one originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 07:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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eStarling photo frame might just have more social networking skills than you do

Digital photo frames have been more than just photo frames since the earliest days of the product category, but eStarling looks to be expanding things even further than usual with its new 802.11n Touchscreen Connected Frame. In addition to that speedy WiFi connectivity, this one boasts a fairly large 10.2-inch display, 2GB of RAM, an SD card slot and, most importantly, a slew of social networking features. That includes support for photos from Facebook, Picasa or Flickr (more services are also promised), a built-in Twitter client, a video inbox feature to receive videos shot with cellphones (or any other internet-connected device, for that matter), and even its own Gmail address to let anyone easily send photos straight to the frame. Unfortunately for anyone considering this as an alternative to a kitchen computer, there’s no full-fledged web browser, calendar apps, or the like, but it will at least give you weather updates, and could well be further improved by some of the promised firmware updates. Of course, all that will also cost you more than your usual photo frame — $249.99, to be specific.

[Via Gearlog]

Filed under: Displays, Household

eStarling photo frame might just have more social networking skills than you do originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 02:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dyson DC25 Blueprint impressions: is the ‘Ball’ worth it?

Dyson’s DC25 Blueprint just started shipping en masse this month, and with an MSRP of $529.99, it’s significantly more pricey that the “bargain-minded” DC23 Turbinehead that we had a peek at last month. The company’s range of ‘Ball’ vacuum cleaners have been around for years now, but this is the first chance we’ve had to roll one over our own carpet. With a striking white finish, impeccable build quality and a design to make any gadget nerd blush, there’s quite a bit here that you won’t find on your average vac, but is the sphere really enough to warrant the lofty sticker? Read on for our two pennies.

Continue reading Dyson DC25 Blueprint impressions: is the ‘Ball’ worth it?

Filed under: Household

Dyson DC25 Blueprint impressions: is the ‘Ball’ worth it? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Panasonic serves up latest prototype robots, dish washing servant included (video)

Keeping those dreams alive by scrubbing dishes at your least favorite eatery? Best put those aspirations on the front burner, as Panasonic’s got a mighty fine robot swooping in to take your place — and for a whole lot less cash, to boot. At Panny’s robotics laboratory in Osaka, the company recently showcased its latest gaggle of prototype robots designed to help humans take it easy more often. Among the usual suspects were a porter robot designed to help with heavy lifting, while the star of the show was undoubtedly the dish washing bot that wasn’t afraid to get its metallic digits wet and soapy. As expected, an array of integrated sensors kept it from grabbing a wine glass too tightly, and its four fingers enabled it to do most everything a human washer could (sans the kvetching). Have a peek at these guys in action just past the break.

[Via Impress]

Continue reading Panasonic serves up latest prototype robots, dish washing servant included (video)

Filed under: Household, Robots

Panasonic serves up latest prototype robots, dish washing servant included (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 18 Oct 2009 11:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dyson’s Air Multiplier is the overpriced bladeless fan you never asked for

We can’t fault Dyson for chutzpah. After putting the company’s spin on vacuum cleaners and then hand dryers, we probably should’ve guessed that a revolution in table fan engineering was next up. When we first saw an image of the Dyson Air Multiplier “bladeless fan” a few spurious theories popped into our heads as to how it works, but it didn’t take long to figure it out: it has blades in it. It’s just that these blades are inside the lower canister, rather similar to, dare we say it, how a vacuum cleaner is set up, with the air then routed through the ring up top. The benefits of this tech are that there are no nasty blades to get fingers caught up in, but also that there’s no “buffeting” — that on-off gush of air caused by fan blades unceremoniously chopping up the air into inelegant segments. Unfortunately, the downside of the Dyson method is that you can’t make Darth Vader voices through the backside of the fan, and the whole assembly is closer in noise pollution to that of an actual vacuum cleaner than a regular table fan. And then there’s the matter of price: $300 for the 10-inch model, $330 for the 12-inch, and neither of them offer nearly as much wind as a regular fan this size — quite a steep entry fee for the gentle breezes that emanate out of this plastic wind tunnel. Full PR is after the break.

Continue reading Dyson’s Air Multiplier is the overpriced bladeless fan you never asked for

Filed under: Household

Dyson’s Air Multiplier is the overpriced bladeless fan you never asked for originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Oct 2009 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NPD: Mac owners are bigger gadget nerds than PC owners

There’s no easy way to say this so we’ll just spit it out: Mac owners are bigger gadget nerds than PC owners. At least that’s the conclusion drawn in NPD’s 2009 Household Penetration Study. NPD concludes that Mac owners not only own more computers than the norm, they also own more types of consumer electronics — the average Apple household owns 48 consumer electronics devices compared to 24 in the average computer household. In fact, NPD suggests that “Apple household owners’ actions and purchases can be used by the industry as leading indicators for hot new products and adoption.” Unfortunately, there’s no direct mention of Linux PC owners because they usually still live with their parents. Oh!

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

NPD: Mac owners are bigger gadget nerds than PC owners originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Oct 2009 07:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chumby Guts kit lets you build your own Chumby device

Chumby may now finally be branching out with a few less cuddly products of its own, but it looks like you can now also expand your Chumby options yourself with a few basic DIY skills — or you could if you were lucky enough to get in on the first batch of Chumby Guts kits. Offered exclusively through the Maker Shed, the kit includes all the necessary “guts” to let you build any sort of Chumby device you like, and has apparently proven popular enough to sell out before the first shipment even arrived. Those hanging on for that Chumby toaster of their dreams won’t have to wait too much longer to get their fix, however, as the second shipment is set to arrive in late November, and will run the same $99 as before.

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Household

Chumby Guts kit lets you build your own Chumby device originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 21:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Verizon bubs flub, hawk their last Hub

No, we didn’t accidentally link to the wrong page — that “page not available” you’re getting over on Verizon’s site is where the Hub’s product site used to reside. The whole thing’s been unceremoniously yanked and the product sunsetted, suggesting that the carrier’s functionality-rich VoIP base station wasn’t getting the love it needed to justify its continued existence, Verizon didn’t know how to market it, or some combo thereof. We got the following statement from Verizon today, which doesn’t exactly come right out with the discontinuation — companies often avoid admitting that a product’s said its last goodbyes, for whatever reason — but basically says the same thing in a more wordy fashion:

“Verizon Wireless, like many companies, continually changes and updates the products and services it offers to customers. Our sales teams in all channels will continue to focus on providing our customers the latest and most innovative wireless products and services. Verizon Wireless will continue to support existing Verizon Hub customers with post-sale service or support .”

So the good news is that current Hub owners should be good to go without disruption in service — for the time being, anyhow. Question is, where’s that Hub 2? Is the company completely abandoning the curious practice of competing with itself by pitting traditional landlines against VoIP and Verizon Communications against Verizon Wireless, or are they just making way for something a little more awesome?

[Via Zatz Not Funny]

Filed under: Household

Verizon bubs flub, hawk their last Hub originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 20:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New VTech cordless can download cellphone address books over Bluetooth

We’ve seen plenty of landline phones that can also double as Bluetooth headsets, but VTech’s new DS6321-3 takes it to the next level: it can also pull down your phone’s address book, meaning you’ll never have to remember a number again. Apart from that it’s the usual cordless phone stuff, with DECT 6.0, three handsets, and — they still have these! — an answering machine, but it’s really the Bluetooth stuff that’s interesting here, so much so that VTech’s even promoting this guy for use in homes without landlines. Should be out now for $100.

Filed under: Household

New VTech cordless can download cellphone address books over Bluetooth originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 06:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dyson DC23 Turbinehead impressions

Dyson. Just the mere mention of the name conjures up a litany of emotions, though we suspect the most common feeling associated with it is “eh, too expensive for a vacuum.” For years now, Dyson has managed to make an otherwise drab sector exciting, with its array of vacuums (and hand dryers, to be fair) being amongst the only ones out there that gadget nerds could actually get into. The eldritch designs, promises of never-ending suction and stratospherically high price tags have helped Dyson garner an almost cult-like following, but at long last, it seems the outfit is looking to slide into homes of the somewhat less affluent. Granted, $399 for a vac ain’t exactly cheap, but considering that the DC23 Turbinehead is the outfit’s cheapest canister ever, we couldn’t help but give it a spin. Head on past the break for a few impressions.

Continue reading Dyson DC23 Turbinehead impressions

Filed under: Household

Dyson DC23 Turbinehead impressions originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 28 Sep 2009 18:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Panasonic’s Robotic Bed makes sleeping with robots a reality

Know what we hate? The long groggy walk from our beds to the computer. It’s only 10 feet but its potentially dangerous and honestly, exhausting. Panasonic’s Robotic Bed is set to change that by automatically transforming from a static bed to a mobile wheelchair… and back. Once converted, the robotic chair can navigate the home while avoiding obstacles with “no need for training,” according to Panasonic. The canopy is fitted with a television and plugs into the home network so you can control home appliances and view security cameras. Obviously, its primary purpose is to give people with limited mobility more independence. However, bloggers can dream can’t we? The Robotic Bed will be unveiled for the first time at the Tokyo Big Sight show on September 29th.

Filed under: Household, Robots, Transportation

Panasonic’s Robotic Bed makes sleeping with robots a reality originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 Sep 2009 04:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vu1 Corporation sees bright future for ESL light bulbs

Rivalries. Controversy. Government intervention. The life of a light bulb isn’t easy these days, and it looks like things are about to get even more complicated. While CFLs and LEDs may now be fighting it out to replace traditional incandescent light bulbs, Seattle-based Vu1 Corporation says it has developed a new type of bulb that’s better than either of ‘em, and could hit the market by mid-2010. Making use of ESL technology (or electron stimulated luminescence), the new bulbs seem to be the cure-all many folks have been looking for, with them promising to provide a more natural light than CFLs or LEDs, turn on as quickly as an incandescent bulb, and eliminate some of the pesky problems associated with CFLs (like their use of mercury). According to the company, they’ll also be about as efficient as CFLs, although they will cost about $20 a pop to begin with, which Vu1 says is comparable to a dimmable CFL reflector bulb. Some bold claims to be sure — claims made even bolder by the must-see “documentary” after the break.

Continue reading Vu1 Corporation sees bright future for ESL light bulbs

Filed under: Household

Vu1 Corporation sees bright future for ESL light bulbs originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Sep 2009 16:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: EeePC modded into a WalleeePC

We know how it is — you were an early adopter of the netbook craze sweeping every nation from Austria to Australia, but now that 11-inches is looking like the new de facto standard, your old 7-incher just isn’t cutting the mustard anymore. So what do you do? You mod that sucker into a kitchen cabinet door, of course. You’ll need a 7-inch USB touchscreen to layer atop an EeePC 701, along with a few other bits and bobs, but the most important thing to remember is a spectacularly loony soundtrack. Or so the video after the break seems to instruct us.

[Via JKK Mobile]

Continue reading Video: EeePC modded into a WalleeePC

Filed under: Household

Video: EeePC modded into a WalleeePC originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 Sep 2009 12:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DIY mini-fridge is just big enough for a can of soda, just odd enough to scare the FBI

Full-sized refrigerators are awfully easy to come by. Your average yard sale has one keg-sized example sitting in the corner (probably with the door removed), but what if you need something smaller? That’s when you turn to instructables and learn how to put together this peltier-powered mini fridge. It has a trio of coolers (under)powered by a 55 watt, 5 volt power supply sprouting enough exposed transistors, wires, and fans to make it all look like something the Department of Homeland Security warned you about. It’ll drop a can of soda down to a perfectly frosty 46F, but sadly nobody bothered to mention exactly how long that process takes — hopefully a little less time than was required to stick the thing together with expanding foam.

[Via Hack A Day]

Filed under: Household

DIY mini-fridge is just big enough for a can of soda, just odd enough to scare the FBI originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 Aug 2009 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CRISTAL combines ‘The Sims’ and Surface for full room control

Have you ever yearned for more immediate control over your surroundings? No, we don’t mean Magneto car-flipping abilities. We mean more like wrangling all of the gear in a room into some kind of understandable and connected system. If you said yes — and you’re a Sims aficionado — you’ll want to check into CRISTAL. We’re not talking expensive champagne here, we’re talking about the “Control of Remotely Interfaced Systems using Touch-based Actions in Living spaces” system (c’mon, it sort of makes sense). The premise is simple: instead of having to juggle multiple remotes and input systems to deal with a room full of technology, CRISTAL merges a Surface-like touch area (your coffee table in this scenario), an overhead camera, and connected devices to form a frighteningly intuitive control scheme. The idea allows for all sorts of handy arrangements, like being able to virtually drag media from a server on one side of the room to your TV on the other, dim lights in a particular area by swiping on that location, or draw a path for a Roomba to clean using the overhead view. Right now this is just a research project, of course, but the team working on the concept believes costs could move down from the astronomic $10,000-$15,000 the setup would cost now to a more affordable range. Until that happens, you’ll have the video of CRISTAL in action after the break.

Continue reading CRISTAL combines ‘The Sims’ and Surface for full room control

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Household, Networking

CRISTAL combines ‘The Sims’ and Surface for full room control originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 15 Aug 2009 11:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Crestron’s Prodigy Home Control System gets prices, specs

Heads up, home automation fanatics: It seems that the CEDIA folks have got the inside scoop on Crestron’s new Prodigy Home Control System — and have been kind enough to share their hard won knowledge with us. A lower-cost system aimed at the mass market, this guy features a ZigBee-compatible controller with remote, a SideShow-combatible in-wall touch panel for all of your fave widgets, and the usual control switches, dimmers, and thermostats. The system starts at around $825 for the PMC2 controller (up to 100 wireless devices), PLX2 remote, and P-MNETGW wireless gateway. Or you can just bite the bullet and go for the sample system which includes the above, four zones of audio, one thermostat, 15 wireless light dimmers/switches, and the in-wall touchscreen for about $5,500. Or, if none of the above appeal to you, you can just turn off your own lights. Be sure to check out those glamor shots in the gallery below.

Gallery: Crestron’s Prodigy Home Control System gets prices, specs

Filed under: Household

Crestron’s Prodigy Home Control System gets prices, specs originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 Aug 2009 13:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Philips HF3490 Wake-up Light is also a bedside lamp, iPod dock

Did you know that waking up by natural light is a lot less stressful than doing it with sound? Yes, apparently your toast tastes better too. Philips has long been a proponent of light alarms and, in an effort to stay hip with the kids, it’s added a detachable iPod / iPhone dock to its latest offering. The HF3490 might never serve as your music station, but it tries hard, bringing an FM radio and some soothing sounds along. With 30 different levels of brightness and a “dusk simulator,” this device has enough tweaking options to ensure you wake up just the way nature intended — with birds chirping and soft sunlight on your pillow, all simulated by futuristically ugly electronics. If you can get over the $199 price, you can pre-order one for delivery on August 22.

[Via Coolest Gadgets]

Filed under: Household

Philips HF3490 Wake-up Light is also a bedside lamp, iPod dock originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Jul 2009 18:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Woodstation acts like a weather station, looks like a dead tree

Usually the intersection of woodcraft and gadgetry consists of little more than taking a piece of gear and putting it in a box. Woodstation may be no different, but at least it does its thing with some style, placing its LED display beneath the surface, allowing it to seemingly display weather data on the wood itself. And if that weren’t enough, the device contains a motion sensor (it turns itself on when you enter the room) as well as date, time, and alarm functions. Available in a maple or walnut finish, this bad boy is currently available in the UK for £89.95 (about $147). And unlike the Amazon Kindling, this thing actually works.

[Via Pocket-lint]

Filed under: Household

Woodstation acts like a weather station, looks like a dead tree originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Jul 2009 23:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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