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HP’s MediaSmart EX490, EX495 Have Additional Mac Functionality

Jason Chen — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 04:01:00 +0000

The previous HP EX-487 Windows Home Server was notable both because it was a good WHS, and because it had the ability to support Time Machine over the network on Macs. The EX490 and EX495 do even more.

One of the most important additions is the ability to do “bare metal recovery” on a Mac from Time Machine. This means you can completely restore your Mac from the network backup using the disc recovery utility that’s bundled in. Also upgraded is the ability to do administration on a Mac.

There is also an included video conversion feature, which handles unprotected DVDs, as well as increased power (the 490 has a 2.2GHz Celeron and the 495 has a 2.5GHz Dual Core Pentium) and a “better” user interface. The ability to stream media from your iPhone or iPod Touch via a free app is included as well. And, of course, you get the standard Windows Home Server functions that we love using on a daily basis.

Preorders start today, but there’s no solid word on a ship date.

ChefStack Automatic Pancake Machine Celebrates Gluttony

Danny Allen — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 06:00:00 +0000

And saves you needlessly wasting calories on, you know, cooking for yourself or hitting up a cafe.

Clearly aimed at coffee shops and shut-ins, the $US3500 device (yeah, you read that right) spits out perfectly formed four-inch pancakes at a rate of 200 per hour. ChefStack says its pancake mix is also 97% fat free, so though you’ll be poor, you’ll at least be guilt-free. [ChefStack via Uncrate]

Mirror/Ironing Board Concept

Brian Lam — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 12:00:55 +0000

Aha! I hate pulling down ironing boards and then having to fold their screechy legs back up. Having one disguised as a mirror is a great idea that would save time and space. (Just figure out stability.) [Aissallogerot via Toxel]

With A Name Like ‘Luminotherapy’ It Hardly Sounds Seedy At All

Mark Wilson — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 23:30:00 +0000

Philippe Boulet’s “luminotherapy” bed is supposed to help you sleep. But since when does light shining in someone’s face help them sleep?

Loaded with a variety of multicolored LEDs, you can change the hue of the luminotherapy bed with the touch of a remote. The resulting colours, such as pink, blue and green will make your lover glow with all the vibrancy of a Star Trek Original Series alien babe. Well, that, or they’ll give you night terrors of being stuck on a Cylon base ship (before they got all lovey hippie on the humans) or a painfully hipster sushi joint. [phillipe boulet via Unplggd]

Altrove Lighting: How Spiderwebs Might Look In 2020

Mark Wilson — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:30:00 +0000

Altrove is a new lighting product that uses “transparent wires” (which we think means fishing line, not fibre optics) to create a geometric yet ethereal mesh of light on your wall or ceiling. [Artemide via MocoLoco]

Electrolux Kitchen Designs Have Travelled From The Future

Nick Broughall — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 00:00:17 +0000

These new kitchen concept designs from Electrolux literally look like they’re from the future. Man, I wish time travel was possible…

The Rendez Vous (pictured above) is an all-in-one dining table and kitchen. Not only do you sit around to eat your meals, but you can charge your mobile phone just by popping it on the table, or activate kitchen appliances like a blender or toaster oven the same way. Throw on an induction pan, and you can cook right there on the table, with advanced sensors supplying heat to wherever you place the pan, rather than having dedicated zones for cooking. Underneath the table there are modular drawers to store any manner of appliances, including a fridge, while a virtual chef will guide you through the cooking process.

Meanwhile, the Volare design is “an entire kitchen tucked away in an illuminated piece of art”. It features touch sensitive controls, can fold out to become an induction stovetop, can dispense ice and has customisable functions.

Both designs look fantastic, but it’s important to remember that they’re concept designs, which means the chances of us actually seeing them in our lifetime is as good as convincing Tetsuya to be your personal chef. Still, If they did exist, I’d be planning a kitchen renovation right about now…

[Electrolux Design lab]

Artsick Decals Turn Your Wall Into A Custom Clock

Sean Fallon — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 00:20:00 +0000

Vinyl wall decals are nothing new, and there are a few kits out there that allow you to essentially turn a wall into a clock—but Artsick puts the ideas together in a very customisable way.

Artsick’s kit comes with a hands-only clock mechanism and a series of decals that you can use to set up your wall in any way you see fit. Naturally, it also allows you to customise the look on a whim. It’s like a functional, design-oriented magnetic poetry for the new millennium. [Artsick via Unplggd]

Husqvarna Panthera Leo Mower Is Electric-Powered, LCD-Equipped

Adrian Covert — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 06:30:00 +0000

Growing up, I hated mowing the lawn. My backyard was huge, my allergies were bad and I was stuck with a temperamental push mower. If I had this battery-powered Husqvarna mower, however, I would have begged to do yard work.

The best part of this the Panthera Leo mower isn’t the electric-powered design, or the recyclable materials it’s made of. No, it’s the LCD monitor and sensors, which work together to tell you what speed and height you should mow at, plus inform you when you’re on too steep a hill or about to hit an object. And the mower lasts two hours on a single charge.

Jalopnik says Husqvarna plans to put something similar into production within five years (basically, forever). But seriously, I would have driven this thing to school every day if I had one. Trust me. Oh, and check out more pics over at [Jalopnik].

Firewinder Wind Light, Or Photon Tornado?

Mark Wilson — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 00:40:00 +0000

In practice, the Firewinder wind light won’t look quite this extraordinary. But God bless slow shutter speed photography all the same. [via Inhabitant]

40 Second Toothbrush Doesn’t Use Torture, Just ‘Enhanced Cleaning Techniques’

John Herrman — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 13:20:00 +0000

On paper, the 40 Second Toothbrush, which de-plaques two rows of teeth at a time, looks like a fine idea. On paper. Would you put this in your mouth?

The thinking is that, by fitting around your teeth like some kind of bristly retainer, the 40 second toothbrush can decrease necessary brushing time by 66%. This assumes you were taking 120 seconds to brush your chiclets with a traditional toothbrush, which, let’s be honest, you weren’t.

This brush bears the two telltales marks of a Hammacher Schlemmer product, which it is: it solves a problem that nobody has (an inability to pay attention long enough to brush their teeth) with a method that probably doesn’t work (wrapping your teeth in cupped brushes and vibrating like hell). Oh, I almost forgot about the third mark: it’s $US100. [Hammacher via RedFerret]