Again, this is no ordinary sink. The top part of the sink unlike the normal ones has been made from recycled rubber, which otherwise would have gone waste. We did come across some uses of recycled rubber before like sculptures and furniture, but the use of it in a sink is something new and thought provoking. The close-up picture [below] provides you an understanding of how it would look like.

The RUBBiSH sink has been designed by Minarc Studio and has won an award in 2010 Architect magazine R + D awards.

[source: inhabitat.com]

Feeling “hot hot hot” with that buttoned up shirt? Don’t worry. Now you can cool “off, off, off” even with the tie on. Yes, with the USB Necktie Cooler 3 you could cool down yourself even in the hottest days. The cooler comes with a portable charger so that you could power it up any time and any where. It is priced at $35.00 at Thanko.

[source : technabob.com]

The disparity that exists in different parts of the world is hard to ignore. Around the globe one can find places where people still do not have the basic requirement for a safe and clean toilet system. So a noble effort like Poosh does deserve accolades. The system called Poosh consists of a toilet seat with a biodegradable bag that can be fitted to any bucket. The mechanism allows the seat base to open when someone sits on it and close to stop the foul odor or the growth of flies.

When the bag gets filled the seat is detached. The removal of the seat from the bucket automatically seals the bag. The bag which is pretreated with chemicals catalyzes the decomposition of human waste so that in two weeks it turns into manure that could be used in the fields.

The portable toilet has been designed by Mark Whiting with YoonHee Kim, Hannie Yu, Eunjung Choi and Prof. Sangmin Bae. Poosh uses mostly post consumer products like plastic bottles and rubber in its manufacture. The bio-polymer layered bag can be easily made locally, reducing the cost. The use of this toilet is not only a step towards cleanliness and hygiene, where proper toilet system isn’t available, but would eventually check the spread of many diseases in those areas. For more information on Poosh click here.

[source : tuvie.com]

Patience, craftsmanship and finesse are the words which we instantly relate to, when we see something as grand as this. Be it toothpick or Lego or paper or cards, structures like this have always caught our fantasy. So here we have the Minas Tirith, built entirely of matchsticks which is on display “at the Iowa State Fair (Des Moines Register building)”.

For more pictures visit doryfour’s photostream on flickr.

My first question happened to be whether this was some kind of an art or a campaign to ride more and more bicycles. Although it might look like an art with innumerable circles but actually it is a strategy to sell bicycles. Instead of an indoor display this shop in Altlandsberg, Germany uses the idea of simply mounting them on the exterior wall of the shop, without the need of any signboard. Needless to mention that it would definitely attract onlookers and the attention it requires for good sales.

The display has about 120 bicycles and at the window is the co-owner of the shop, Christian Petersen.

[source : flavorwire.com]

Think about a shoe that can tighten or loosen itself automatically without the wearer having to touch it . Well, Nike could be on its way to create such a footwear, a model of which you see in the picture. The patent filed by Nike goes “The automatic lacing system provides a set of straps that can be automatically opened and closed to switch between a loosened and tightened position.” Since the shoes would have self adjusting straps, the awkward moments of loosening of laces and bending down to tie them, would no longer be a problem.

As the rumor goes, 2015 would be the ideal year to have the pair. Till then, let’s just dream about it!

[source : popsci.com]

Japan has always been the home to robots and other advanced technologies. And this isn’t any different. The “Intelligent Toilet” you see above can identify your health condition based on your urine. The system can analyze the excreta, generate/store reports and also provides features to measure blood pressure, body temperature & body/weight ratio. Overall, a full scale health analysis, just a ‘pee’ away.

Of course there are other additional gadgets involved. The “Intelligent Toilet” is capable of storing data of five different members and is available for sale in Japan, for an estimated US$4100 to $5850 a piece.

Manufactured by market leader Toto, the system will also be available in the US and China soon. Even Brazil, Russia and India are next to follow.

[source: google.com]

[image source: AFP]

Contrary to our speculation in believing this building to be some form of a tourist spot, it is actually the M&G Research Laboratory in Venafro, Italy. The curvaceous structure actually comprises of frames with tents made of PVC coated polyester stretched across and supported by “symmetrical metal lattice arches“. Not only the shell looking forms are awesome on their own but the thoughtful placing in a pool multiplies the beauty, thus providing a completely rewarding sight [other factors for positioning the premises in a pool are security and thermal regulation].

The interior is a “column free space” which include two separate segments. One part is dedicated to research and production, while the other is for development of  processing mechanism. The research laboratory has been designed by Samyn and Partners.

[source : travelwithfrankgehry.blogspot.com]

These cute R2D2 pair would no doubt attract attention on any shirt cuff. The silver plated Lego Star Wars R2D2 cufflinks is a nice option for fans of Star Wars to show off their liking. Either get it for yourself or gift it to a friend, one especially attached to R2D2! In case you are interested in something else then there’s also a pair of Darth Vader and Storm Trooper cufflinks to grab onto.

R2D2 cufflinks is priced at $19.99 and DarthVader cufflinks at 25.99 from Cufflinks’ shop at Etsy.

You are presently gazing at the pedal powered submarine, called Scubster. Built by French engineers, this 3.5m underwater vessel is propelled forward by simple pedaling [no harmful emissions involved]. Although the compartment is watertight, one has to have an oxygen cylinder and mask to enjoy the ride.  The man powered craft can speed up to 8km/hr [5mph] with the efficiency directly depending upon the rider. The more you pedal, the faster it is.

The watercraft as of now can be ridden at a depth of 6 m [20 ft] and used for a duration of one hour. Although the submersion time depends on how fast the oxygen gets depleted, it looks to be a perfect option for shallow water adventures. Designed by Stephane Rousson, Scubster could possibly be one of the contenders of 2011 International submarine race in the United States.

[source : inhabitat.com]