Added 7 October, 2013
Hydrogen-powered automobiles are already on some roads and the technology is improving. The logical next step is to remove buildings from the electricity grid by placing a self-contained hydrogen power station in each one. Sound too futuristic? Consider the Hydrogen Reactor Portable Power Pack from Brunton, a little power system that never needs...
Added 3 October, 2013
Everything is getting smart these days: smart phones, smart watches, smart refrigerators. The trend is a concept called the Internet of Everything, in which all manner of heretofore normal items are becoming digitally interconnected. The Stir Kinetic Desk is a good example. At the touch of a button, the desk raises and lowers on hydraulic legs so...
Added 1 October, 2013
We recently heard from real estate agents that solar panels are the new "must-have" accessories for homebuyers in the US and Europe. The trend is marching on and going even more mainstream as solar panels are being sold relatively inexpensively in stores around the world, including the Home Depot and Lowe's in the United States. . The Swedish home...
Added 18 September, 2013
Just as it is with fashion, home design goes in and out of style. Once it was stainless steel appliances and granite countertops. Now, real estate agents in the United States are reporting that solar panels are the must-have accessory for new home buyers. At least six of the 10 largest American homebuilders are now including photovoltaic devices...
Added 19 August, 2013
On the Internet, cats are surprisingly enduring. Like the animal itself, this trend has multiple lives and seems to grow with every new year. It all started with The LOLcat meme back in 2005, which gained much of its traction through the weekly ritual of "Caturday" on 4chan and "I Can Has Cheezburger." Like so many Internet fads, this one started...
Added 16 August, 2013
It seems like any object can benefit from a design makeover these days. People like to surround themselves with designy things that are nicer than average. And it doesn't hurt if it is somewhat unique and that no one else has it. This modern aesthetic has even trickled down to toilet tissue, which the Spanish company Renova is creating in numerous...
Added 8 August, 2013
The IKEA catalog debuting this week as an app for iPhone and Android includes an augmented reality feature that lets shoppers envision how furniture will look, without actually having to have the furniture itself. The app, which was downloaded by 8.5 million users worldwide last year, allows access to extended catalog content – including 3-D...
Added 30 July, 2013
Hard on the heels of our story about Keysave, a Belgium-based company that will scan your keys and upload 3D files to a secure server so you can access and print anytime you need, comes an even better idea. KeyMe, a kiosk located in 7-Eleven in New York City, invites anyone to save a key in digital form that is accessible anytime. Here's how it...
Added 25 July, 2013
Landscape designers are changing their focus from aesthetics to edible fruits and vegetables. Dubbed "Aesthetic Foodscape Design," growing edibles is moving from rural areas to urban centers. Complementing the trend of "hyper local" eating that includes farming on rooftops, edible landscaping is being done to overcome the urban disconnect to...
Added 23 May, 2013
Seattle-Tacoma International and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International airports have both employed about 100 sheep to graze their vast lawns. And the city of Paris has replaced lawnmowers with sheep in some of its public parks. Now Chicago's O'Hare International Airport hired about 25 goats to graze on the grass and keep it trimmed. Starting...