I swear I’m not trying to redistribute Gizmodo, but this round up is all from Gizmodo for some reason.

Paper in Pen

You know all those situations when you have a pen but no paper (and your hand quickly becomes paper)? Or when you have paper but no pen? Well, now you can lose both at the same time. Interesting idea, if only pens didn’t last forever and the roll of paper probably will run out in a week.

Product Page (via geekologie via Gizmodo)


Magnetic Clothes Hangers

Elegant alternative to the hook but it’s tough when all houses are built with closet poles and hook hangars are dime dollar a dozen.

Designer Site (via Freshome via Gizmodo)

Lego Sofa for all those awkwardly shaped New York apartments

It… just… doesn’t… look… comfortable…

No MadeDesign (via Notcot via Spluch via Gizmodo)


Book Pillow, or Boollow


The modern day camouflage, a pillow in the shape of a book.

Product Page (via Nerd Approved via The Uber-Review via Gizmodo)

Labels: redesign

The tombstone is one of those things that have gone unchanged for centuries due to the static underlying religious principles. However, with technology advancing as fast as it is, someone was bound to redesign the tombstone, and who better than the Russian mafia? The above image is a laser etched tombstone from a graveyard in Yekaterinburg city, a mafia hotbed in the 90s.

I like it. While I’m not sure if I would want a picture of myself on the stone, when I die, I would want something more than my name and a few descriptive words. It could provide so much more insight into one’s life than what is displayed now, and going to cemeteries would actually be interesting.

It looks like there are companies in the US that provide this service too. Maybe I should start designing my memorial now.

(via English Russia via Boing Boing)

Labels: death, redesign

I’m quickly falling into love with the Russian Art Lebedev Studio. While best known in the US for the ever delayed Optimus OLED keyboard, it’s one of their less interesting products.

Optimus Keyboard Concept Design

After all, this is just an introduction of new technology (that’s not quite ready) to accomplish what people have been doing with paper and sticker overlays for years. Primarily an industrial and graphic design firm, they do design sleek and beautiful form factor for existing products:

Globus Kettle

Sonicum Speaker System

However, what distinguishes them are the iconic forms they give to products

Teresumus Eraser

Mus2 Mouse

Locus Antenna (is the word antenna the same on a TV and an insect in Russian too?)

or the art of function:

Superbitus Money Box

Maybe the only time when dropping the bomb is a good thing

Rozetkus Power Strip

While most of these products lean towards art than functionality, it’s a welcome change from the myriads of generic shaped products in the world:

Boring...

When function requires no specific form, why not play around a little bit?

Labels: art, redesign

Trying to start a car or unlock a door at night can be an annoying task that involves taking a metallic stick and shoving it in a matching hole. Sure, some new and posh cars have a nifty glowing ring around the keyhole that greatly aids in the mechanical mating, but why not have a glowing keyhole instead? The automotive implementation would be simple, but the incremental benefits probably aren’t as great as putting a light source in apartment locks. The trickiest part in realizing this would be trying to get electricity to the door knob, which happens to be on a moving part attached to a hinge. However, with low power consumption LEDs, one could actually charge enough power from the turning of the knob to light the LED next time. Then the only question would be, how do you trigger the LED to turn on at the appropriate time? Any ideas?

Labels: redesign

My roommates brought home several dozen fortune cookies today, and while the tacky fortunes are momentarily enjoyable, the cookies were stale and tasteless. The solution? Dip them in chocolate! Unfortunately, my plans to change the Chinese dessert experience has already been productized and marketed to what seems like a limited success. Fortune cookies are probably one of those products that people who buy them (restaurants) don’t use them (in the sense of consumption), making any cost increase problematic. When was the last time you went to a Chinese restaurant for its fortune cookies? When was the last time you bought fortune cookies? I could imagine an up-scale restaurant offering it, but then they probably have a proper dessert menu instead of the Eastern equivalent of mint candy. So then what would be the most reasonable outlet for such a product? Trader Joe's.

Labels: food, redesign

Match lighter

£2.95 is probably worth never having to start a conversation with “So… what do you do for a living?” after lighting someone’s cigarette outside a club or bar.

Product Page (via Cribcandy via Coolest Gadgets via Gizmodo)

Labels: redesign

Having flown in eight different flights over Christmas break, this idea naturally came to me as I waited in one too many lines to get to my gate. This is such a simple yet elegant solution to one of the many TSA evils, I’m surprised it doesn’t exist yet (or if it does, it doesn’t show up on Google). A plastic belt buckle could save so much time and embarrassment at the airport security line and it would fit in perfectly with other tacky products in SkyMall (or SkyMaul).

One could even start a brand of fashionable non-metal belts for travelers, but functional clothing are almost always considered dorky. In fact, practical clothing has failed to crack the fashion industry time and time again, with the last real great invention being the pockets (which still only seem to have entered the male market). Alright, the zipper maybe.

Labels: belt, redesign, travel

Labels: bookmark, redesign

Labels: redesign, toaster