Play Pong on the LED Coffee Table by Spark Fun

Tags: coffee table, game, maker faire, Pong, Spark Fun, Table

The latest rage in the design world is the concept of hybridisation; taking one gadget and mixing it up with another so that you are left with a multi-functional gadget. The idea isn’t just practical but the result also comes out with the positives of both products and looks much cooler than either of the originals. Furniture seems to be walking the same path. We recently heard of the trampoline coffee table that surprised a lot of people. Now Spark Fun offers us an LED Coffee Table with which we can play Pong.

The LED Coffee Table is an all-black contraption with which four players can play a game of Pong. The table, which took Spark Fun two years to build, will make an appearance at Maker Faire Austin this fall. The device is built with 64 RGB serial matrices, 4 Atari controllers and the surface of the table is made from an LPC2106 dev board. Now when you have friends over and the beers are over and the coffee is cold, you can always while away the time with a game of Pong.

Via: MakeZine

David Tonkinson’s Memory Device For Viewing Images And Videos

Tags: Cellphones, Concepts, David Tonkinson, Images, Memory tank, Videos

Sometimes it so happens that we really want to view images in a better way, especially those that are taken using the cellphone. However, until now, there wasn’t a specialized device to watch images and media sent as messages through cellphones. Now, The Memory Tank designed by David Tonkinson intends to change all that. The device, which is still at a conceptual stage would not only receive images and media from cellphones but also store and play them.

You could keep them in your living room or probably elsewhere in the house where it can be seen easily. You can store, view and enjoy photographs taken during journeys and you could play the videos as well. The best feature has to be the four screens, which means people, can sit all around the Memory Tank. It has a keypad that helps you send text messages and also images and media to other cellphones. Though not available at the moment, it definitely would be a very interesting product if it ever gets manufactured.

Via: DavidTonkinson

Voie Lactée: Grand Piano in a More Fashionable Style

Tags: Andrée Putman, France, piano, Pleyel, Voie Lactée

Grand old pianos in dusty may not fit into the decor of the homes of today. Intended for music lovers who wish to stick to a more contemporary style, Andrée Putman partners with France’s oldest piano maker, Pleyel, to create a more modern version of something that had, at one time, been a necessity at every home that could boast of elegance. The mod piano, titled Voie Lactée, is a smaller version of the grand piano in shining black lacquer.

The chrome baby grand piano has a music grand made from mother of pearl and styled in checkerboard black and white; the underside of the piano lid resembles the night sky in star-studded blue. Putman and Pleyel intend to release two versions of the piano: a limited edition of only eight and an unlimited version for the masses. The special features of the limited version are not known yet, but it would be hard to get your hands on one of the eight.

Via: BallerHouse

Pedal Your Way To Clear Snow

Tags: Blake, DIY, Pedal Powered Snowplow, Snowplow

When the whole world is talking about sustainability and renewable sources of energy, automotive energy can’t be left behind. Vehicle manufacturers have stressed their responsibilities in maintaining a healthy planet with clean air and abundant energy resources. Now that winter is approaching, we must also consider the less-than-vehicle snowplows. This Pedal Powered Snowplow uses your kinetic energy to get it moving and clearing snow. You could sit on this snowplow and since it has wheels you can actually ride it.
Just imagine, you could actually have fun while plowing snow in your driveway and also get some exercise! Since the snowplow runs on pedaling, you are not using any energy resources and it is completely green and sustainable. Blake, the guy who designed this wonderful and functional snowplow, was inspired by ‘Monster Garage’. You could do this too, if you are interested in DIY products. For now, we must say that the Pedal Powered Snowplow is not only a functional design but a highly workable concept that could be mass produced.

Via: HackedGadgets

Q-Couch Design Uses Sustainable Plastic

Tags: Couches, EPP, Frederik van Heereveld, Polymers, Q-Couch

Frederik van Heereveld, the Belgian designer, has created the Q-Couch, a unique but pleasing range of couches that are colorful, fun and also durable. However, the burning issue among furniture designers is to choose the material for their designs. Wood being so expensive and also not a very sustainable source, furniture designers have been looking for other materials, which are not environmentally unfriendly but also give the designers the freedom to create what they want.

The Q-Couches are made of EPP (Expanded Polypropylene) and is apparently the perfect material for modern furniture. The EPP is already being used in lightweight car parts and packaging and this engineered plastic foam are non-toxic, easily recyclable and also sustainable. The Q-Couch in colors such as orange, gray, bright pink, black and so on. These couches are pleasing to touch and also to see. Van Heereveld is soon going to design couches with armrests and other such utilities.

Via: 3RingsDesignerPages

Cast A Beam Of Light With An LED Glove Torchlight

Tags: Gloves, LED Torchlight, Tilen Sepic, Torch

It must have always been the dream of many to shoot a beam of light by pointing one’s finger at someone. The idea brings back memories of Sci-Fi novels and movies where even laser beams can be sent out from a finger or an eye, for instance! Slovenian designer Tilen Sepic has designed a conceptual torchlight that can be worn as a glove around the wrist. The light is emitted through the white LED and the light-emitting source is near your forefinger.

This uber-cool concept comes with a battery pack and the light would be transferred through the attached optical fibers. All you need to do is point your finger at a certain location and you can see the light there! The best part about this design is that there is nothing that would come in the way of the beam of light and you wouldn’t have to worry about the shadows the torch might cast. We wonder when this product will enter the market because, for now it still is a concept.

Via: Tuvie

The Rim, A Timepiece That Makes You Learn Reading Time All Over Again

Tags: Clock, Jansen Lye, The Rim, Timepiece, Unique Design

We all crave for a change in life and the change naturally comes with time. Now how would you like a timepiece that is a change from the usual, a creative piece of art that is different you will have to relearn how to read time? Designer Jansen Lye has designed The Rim, a clock that is so unique you would find it difficult to comprehend. The product is very simple and minimalist, but the concept of the clock is what is intriguing.

This unique timepiece has its hour and minute hands outside the clock rather than inside like the rest of them. This distinct feature of the clock makes the minimalism of its structure seem ironic. You could use this in your office, bedroom or anywhere else. You may however require a little practice and relearning in order to read the time efficiently. The Rim thus presents an almost dream-like design and a really sophisticated and elegant look.

Via: DesignZen

A Redneck Community Of Trailers

Tags: Cabins, Rednecks, Rural Designs, Trailer Mansion, Trailers

Living in the mid west or away from either coast would make sure you would come across one of those rednecks, disliked but admired, seen with suspicion but also empathized with for all the difficulties a redneck family might have to undergo. Movies always portray the rednecks to be living in cabins and tin boxes. Now how would you like a community of such wooden and tin houses all stacked up next to each other and one upon the other?

If you don’t mind sharing a drink with a robust and rugged redneck, or if you want to pray to good ol’ Jesus before dinner with one of these peasant families, you really must visit this cluster of trailers. Make sure you leave your ego and prejudices behind, for this is redneck country amigos, and a redneck doesn’t welcome a stiff lipped urban softy with open arms.

Via: FurnitureStoreBlog, DeliciousGhost

Bali Wine Rack For An Exotic Look

Tags: Bali, Bali Wine Rack, Indonesian Wood, Wave Design, wine rack

Wine racks always have been charming. In the olden days, one would die to get a rack made of vintage English wood. Though it might still look charming to have Victorian furniture, it is sometimes interesting to see something that is modern and perhaps even futuristic. Bali Wine rack brings a little bit of Indonesia to your home and you can keep your exotic aged wine bottles in the rack and be the envy of your friends. The rack is designed to hold 12 bottles and has been designed to look like waves.

Ah, the beautiful beaches of Bali! The moment you buy this rack, you would long to visit those beautiful sandy beaches and smell the fragrance of tropical flowers. It comes either in the crimson or ebony finish and is made of Indonesian wood. The rack would definitely change the way your kitchen looks. This simple and functional design can be customized for you kitchen and costs $69.99. Get your Bali Wine rack here.

Via: PadStyle

Nelson Bench Remake Shocks You With It’s Stark And Simple Design

Tags: Bench, Chic, Furniture, Modernists, Nelson Bench, Postmodernists

Nelson Design was originally designed in 1946 when it was at the forefront of a new wave movement in designing furniture. We expect you to not confuse this with the new wave music. The design combines form and function in tandem and looks amazingly beautiful. It could be what all the postmodernists would love, for you not only bring a little bit of history but also go a step beyond the current with this range of Nelson Furniture. The remade version of the bench measures 4 ft and 6 ft and looks noble and humble.
The design is an understatement of sorts, though, in a good artistic way. It would be like stripping your exquisitely designed room of it’s chicness with Nelson Bench remake’s simplicity. The bench is so designed that it can withstand many pounds of weight and can be used a seating area, display area, to keep plants, or anything else that would occur in your mind. Since a number of colors are available, you can choose the one that suits your room’s design the best. The benches cost $259 to $299. Get the Nelson Bench remake here.

Via: PadStyle