The Bright Idea light is a USB powered mood or work light made of soft silicon and plastic. It has a bit of humor in it since we all know how working thru long hours straight into the the night can be frustrating. Next time, plug in the Bright Idea light and “bing”, maybe you’ll get an idea. Cartoons huh? Designer: Graham Alexander Bayne
Yanko Design
The Flo backpack is a modular, ergonomic, and performance strength bag perfect for city trips to all day hikes. The rigid thermofoam bags come in three flavors; the urban day pack, the weekender, and the 5-day trekker - that quickly snap into the universal Flo frame. Made of lightweight molded plastic, the frame features large air channels to maintain breathability and a flexible core for unrestricted mobility. One question, where does my Nintendo DS and iPod go?
Designer: Ivan Huber
The Color Guard mosquito bed net is the first bed net that has a double-layered sheath preventing mosquitos from biting through the net. Also, each net is dyed a custom color by its owner with a colored insecticide that impregnates the fibers. It’s safe to humans and non toxic to all animals except those pesky insects. Designer: Eric Burns
Yanko Design
The Vaio Zoom notebook concept takes everything we know about holographic technology and squeezes it inside a thin glass form factor. When off, the screen is completely transparent and the keyboard goes opaque. Turn it on and the touchscreen holographic festivities begin. Even the mouse buttons are holographic!
It’s just a concept so there’s no info on important tidbits like tactile feedback, battery life, system stats, etc., but rest assured technologies like this are closer than you think. It may not come all at once but it’s coming.
1. The average coffee tree has a “life expectancy” up to 70 years, which is comparable with the length of a human life! The first harvest is picked when the tree is about 5 years old, and after that the coffee plant supplies a steady harvest of raw coffee several times a year.
2. The history of coffee is quite a mystery. Humankind knows at least a few different legends describing the origin of that popular drink. In accordance with one of them, coffee came from Africa and was named after the province of Kaffa in Ethiopia. Another legend states that coffee was first discovered by monks who quickly became passionate coffee enthusiasts as it helped them survive through long periods of monotonous prayers and meditations. One more legend about the coffee origin declares that the coffee plant is indigenous to Europe and was first used by herdsmen tribes, who ate coarsely ground coffee with fat of their cattle. Maybe, that fascinating coffee dish should be brought back and served in Starbucks? :)
3. When, in the 17th century, “coffee madness” reached Europe, Pope Clement VIII declared the beverage to be a “devil’s tool” and warned the Christians against drinking it. But that only was until he happened to taste that heavenly drink himself… So, the Pope quickly changed his mind and decided to baptize coffee and, by doing that, to defeat the devil… Thus, the Pope’s final approval made coffee a legitimate beverage for every Christian!
4. The custom of tipping servants originated in early English “coffeehouses”, which were quite dirty and noisy places in that time. In order to have a better service and to ensure getting a cup of really good and strong coffee, customers would put coins in a jar with a label “TIPS”, or “To Insure Prompt Service”, on it. 5. In about the same time in London, women set up an official petition condemning coffee. A crowd of angry housewives complained that their husbands enjoyed themselves in coffeehouses instead of coming home and fulfilling their domestic duties.
6. In the 18th century Germany, it was believed that drinking coffee could make a woman sterile. Instead, women were advised to drink beer…
7. In 1732, Johann Sebastian Bach expressed his love for coffee in the “Kafee-Kantate”, which included the following aria “Oh, coffee tastes so sweet, coffee is like a thousand of kisses, it’s even sweeter than Muscat!”
Shooting for the moon is a bit easier when you have one of these wacky Russian personal moon light boxes. I can't even imagine what they're for, but the users so far have come up with some fascinating, classic and even cryptic uses for a portable crescent. Good luck getting any sleep next to this thing, though; it appears somebody accidentally set the brightness level to "sun." [English Russia]
Is there a woman alive that doesn't look forward to relaxing in a warm bath surrounded by the warm glow of candlelight? Mood lighting can turn a relaxing soak in the tub into a indulgent, decadent treat. With handy suction cups and a waterproof body, these beautiful Spa Lights will transform bath time from lush to mega-lush. Use the suction cup to attach Spa Lights to the sides of the bath or against the tiles in your shower and enjoy their warm yellow glow... alternatively let them float freely onto of the water for a more organic, oriental feel. Spa Lights come as a pack of two, and one set of batteries will give you a healthy 120 hours of relaxing, fun and beautiful lighting.
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