Home

Clear sound gets new definition

If simplicity creates good design, this is a perfect example. With so many MP3 speakers on the market, it's almost impossible to stand out. But this system from MoMA has managed to do just that, not by adding bells and whistles but by reducing its appearance.

The "Soundsticks II," as you can plainly see, has a transparent casing that lets you inspect its innards while enjoying "high-quality stereo sound for music, MP3s, movies, and games." Uber-Review says the bases of the speakers are easy to adjust, which is a good thing because you wouldn't … Read more

Denon next-gen A/V receiver specs leaked?

One of the big surprises at CES 2007 was what we didn't see in the home-theater space. Despite expectations that a slew of next-gen A/V receivers would debut, Sherwood Newcastle was the only brand of note to announce a receiver offering HDMI 1.3 connectivity and built-in support for Blu-ray and HD DVD-friendly Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD decoding. But now that CES is history and the 2007 product cycle is ramping up, details on new receivers are finally starting to leak out: Home Theater Blog posted details on five new Denon receivers that it says will debut in … Read more

Update: This week in self-opening trash cans

Most would agree that trash is smelly, no fun to look at, and tastes funny. This is why garbage cans with lids were invented.

Lidded cans solved the problem of not having to look at or smell trash, but the risk of brushing one's hand up against dirty trash-can flaps still existed for some time. This led to the discovery of foot-pedal-operated trash cans.

And now, in this age of cell phones and 60-plus-inch HDTVs, comes the dawn of self-opening trash cans. Options abound, just as long as you're willing to drop a couple hundred dollars on something … Read more

Super Bowl turbocharges sales of tube TVs

It looks as if the obituary for CRT TVs will have to be postponed yet again. Sales of the bulky tube models bested the flat-panel and projection TV competition in the run up to the Super Bowl, according to data released by the NPD Group. Sales of tube TVs were up 61 percent the week before the big game (compared to the previous week), as opposed to a 40 percent jump for flat-panel LCD TVs, a 23 percent increase for plasmas, and a 25 percent rise for projection TVs (such as DLP and LCoS models).

While the sales figures may … Read more

Air filters are bringing sexy back

There are some household gizmos that I thought would never get "sexy." Air purifiers, for example. I thought they were doomed to look like a cross between air conditioners and old-school computer towers for the rest of history. But Blueair's Airpod, as featured on Eclectic Detective, has proven me wrong. The Airpod looks like a cross between a wrapped gift box and a high-end audio speaker (though its design, as well as its name, is clearly inspired by the iPod), and comes in four pretty patterns to match your impeccably designed living space. They retail for around $… Read more

Hello Kitty, goodbye culture

It's no secret that a certain other Craver delights in tormenting us over our sanriophobia, so we are posting this item to beat her to the punch. The "Hello Kitty USB Lap Warmer" really needs no explanation, as it's yet another obvious sign of the downfall of global civilization. (Engadget was equally speechless.) We think it may be a ploy to emit brainwashing pro-Kitty waves through electrical pulses.

Feed me, Seymour!

Many people talk to their plants, but aside from Audrey II in Little Shop of Horrors, and maybe the AeroGarden, how many plants actually talk back?

A new sensor system allows plants to ring their owners up when they want service.

Ambient sensors detect humidity, temperature, light and CO2/oxygen availability in the plant's vicinity. The info is then matched against a plant database in a server that can trigger an e-mail or phone call to the owner when appropriate. The phone calls are coordinated by the open-source telephone platform Asterisk. Depending on the plant's determined needs, the … Read more

Mmm, bacon! (Vegetarians need not apply)

In today's high-paced, BlackBerry-powered world, a lot of things have been made more expedient (and more annoying) through the use of high technology, but there are a few things that gadgets just can't seem to solve easily. One of the biggest ones: waking up. We've seen loads of crazy alarm clocks recently, from the one that you have to chase around to the one that flies to the one that you have to dismantle like a bomb. But here's a prototype for an alarm clock that actually might work: instead of an alarm, it wakes you … Read more

Talk your safe into opening

This almost sounds like a gadget from Maxwell Smart's repertoire, but it seems to be legit. This mini-safe opens not from the usual cumbersome combination of numbers but from your own voice commands.

If you forget the secret word, the safe tells you to try again in four preset phrases. (It sounds like a bad sitcom already.)

On the other hand, you could set up a hidden camera and have fun watching others trying to guess the code. Booby-traps might be in order as well. Maybe this isn't such a bad idea after all.

Turn the backyard into a theater

It may not seem like it, but winter will end someday. And when it does, you'll wish you'd gotten an "Ultimate Outdoor Theater." Cal Spas, a hot tub manufacturer that's almost synonymous with the California lifestyle, has taken a giant leap into the upscale realm with this all-in-one system. And we do mean all in one. In addition to an anti-fog, anti-glare 63-inch LCD television, surround sound, a DVD player, iPod docking station and satellite radio receiver, BornRich says the setup includes a five-burner grill, wet bar, weather-proof recliners and two fire pits--with everything built … Read more