Good Thinking
Craftworks fridge for garage and workspaces
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Craftworks is the first compact refrigerator designed specifically for the garage, workshop and home away from home living environments. On the outside it has a toolbox red exterior with rugged metal door pulls to blend in with other major tool chest brands. On the inside, this efficient 4.4 cu. ft. refrigerator satisfies space, energy, and portability needs to safely and conveniently provide refreshments where they are needed. Read More
Ryobi AIRgrip Vacuum Holds Laser Level to Wall
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October 17, 2004 The Ryobi AIRgrip laser level is a first-of-its-kind product that uses patented AIRgrip vacuum technology to affix itself to walls without marring surfaces.
The AIRgrip laser level went on sale this month in the US for US$39.97.
The AIRgrip laser level uses a small battery-powered motor to create a vacuum on the bottom of a rubber base so that it can stick to painted walls, glass, untreated drywall, most wallpaper and many other non-porous surfaces. Read More
US$10,000 Pilot Pen 'Shark Attack'
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Pilot Pen is world renowned for its popular and affordable ink tools. This year they also released their most expensive model - the Shark - a hand crafted limited edition collector pen in the Namiki line of fine writing instruments that retails for US$10,000. Combining exceptional artistic vision with top-level craftsmanship and the finest materials, each hand-made Shark pen takes one artist four months to complete, using the traditional raised Maki-e (raised lacquer work) technique, painting the illustration on the body of the pen with brushes so small that some have only two rat-hair bristles. Only 80 pens will be released worldwide so retail value is sure to soar. The task of transforming an outline drawing into a complex decoration of sprinkled powders and fine lines is lengthy and requires many years of study and practice.
The lacquer itself comes from trees that grow only in Asia and the ornamentation is done with 18k gold and sterling silver. Read More
Graphic Technology Xchange boots productivity
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The Graphic Arts Services Association of Australia (GASAA)is extending its online and moderated technical forum (Graphic Technology Xchange) to individual subscribers, effectively dropping the price of access to the invaluable resource from AUD$550 to AUD$20 per annum. The fully moderated forum draws on the expertise and experience of a stellar cast of technology experts in "filtering" useful information to subscribers in streams such as web, PDF, colour management, digital print, proofing, workflow and application software. Read More
The smell of testosterone: Hummer Fragrance for Men
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Brand association is apparently an incredibly potent technology. Why else would we have Tonka teaming up with Ford, Razor with Chrysler, and now Hummer releasing its own brand of cologne. The rugged, high testosterone, military-strength Hummer brand has licensed its name to a new fragrance that will be available in the US for Christmas 2004. Read More
The self-chilling can
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It is the stuff of science fiction but soon enough you'll be reaching in to the pantry for that ice cold drink. It's a paradox that's still a few summers away from supermarket shelves but the I.C Can is very real. Created by Tempra Technology and Crown Cork & Seal the I.C Can works through simple evaporation not compressed gas. The I.C can is about the size of a normal 500ml can and holds just over 300ml of drink. The can consists of two compartments and cooling is activated by turning the base of the can which breaks the seal between both compartments. Read More
Feeling lonesome? Get a yourself a Virtual Girlfriend!
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October 5, 2004 Girls not knocking down your door to go out with you? Tired of dealing with those complex issues such as feelings? How about getting a "virtual girlfriend" instead? Hong Kong based company Artificial Life have developed an interactive virtual girlfriend that appears as an animated girl for new mobile phones with video capability. According to a company spokesperson, users of the latest 3-G mobile phones who subscribe to the service will be able to send messages to the virtual girlfriend, who will respond by voice. Each girlfriend will follow an evolving daily and weekly schedule which includes visiting her virtual home, work or bar, and shopping with her virtual girlfriends.
Happy Birthday to the printing press
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Happy birthday to the printing press ... it was this week 558 years ago that the first Gutenberg bible returned from the binders. It may not have actually been the first book printed with moveable type, (the Chinese had developed moveable type 400 years prior and discarded the technology) but it was the first book printed with movable type in Europe and it spread rapidly, influencing, perhaps even catalysing, three major intellectual revolutions: the Renaissance, the Reformation, and the Rise of Modern Science. Read More
Anti-war lobby puts IRAQ war cost ticker on public agenda
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The United States anti-war lobby has unveiled an anti-war billboard in the most prominent intersection in America - New York's Times Square. The billboard features a constantly updated clock counting the cost of the Iraq war. The clock started at $134.5 billion and is increasing at a rate of $177 million per day, $7.4 million per hour and $122,820 per minute. The unveiling coincides with the release of a new analysis of the cost of the Iraq war, detailing how the $144.4 billion earmarked for Iraq might have funded multiple projects to make American safer at home and stronger abroad. Read More
Office in a Bucket
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Now here's a clever design. Office in a bucket is a portable, inflatable room which comes in a big wheelie bin. A fan in the bottom of the wheelie bin can inflate or deflate the room in eight minutes when plugged in to a standard electrical power outlet. Built for indoor usage only at this stage, the Office in a Bucket (OIAB) has many applications ranging from a portable office, exhibition centrepiece, childrens room or cubby house or chill out room at parties. Read More
Rethinking workplace design
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The office workplace often serves as the birthplace for innovative and creative ideas, but rarely do they themselves inspire creativity and change. The reality is that very little thought goes into the function and adaptability of office workspaces by the people who use them most, you and me. However, that could soon change with the advent of the Macropod workstation. Read More
France Telecom develops flexible display clothing
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In a bid to develop a new prototype for clothing which communicates with the surroundings, France Telecom has developed an integrated flexible screen to display animated graphics on the wearer. Researchers at France Telecom have recently developed operational prototypes of flexible colour screens integrated into clothing, opening up new horizons for services that let users display images on the clothes they wear. Read More
The Instant Book Machine
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The book retail industry could look entirely different a decade from now if the new BookMachine gains marketplace acceptance. The BookMachine is an automated device that can produce a soft-cover, perfect bound, standard-format book on customer demand within three to five minutes. The information and material to produce frequently requested books is contained within the (305 x 120 x 90cm) BookMachine enclosure with plans for broadband connection of all machines to a central database which will contain hundreds of thousands of book titles. Read More
Advancements in vein scanning biometrics brings added security
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Biometrics is a rapidly evolving technology which offers an effective means of dealing with these kinds of verification and identification concerns. One such provider of biometric and security services, Biometrics and Security, has developed a high-end vein scanning identification system that looks set to astound the biometrics community. Read More
Sony releases 3D car navigation system and media player
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Sony has released a new car navigation system which displays realistic 3D models of the road and buildings to aid the driver in navigating. The new top-of-the-range NV-XYZ 77 also has a 30Gb hard drive and is designed to dock in cradles on the car dashboard and on a PC to download audio and video entertainment and new maps as they become available. Currently, only Tokyo and some other major cities are in this map format but work is underway for other areas too. Read More
Samsung combines mid-range camera with phone
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Samsung has raised the bar for camera phone functionality with a 3.2 megapixel camera phone with x3 optical linear zoom lens and x4 digital zoom - thes specs place the phone directly in the medium range digital camera market. The big zoom lens makes it visibly a camera with a phone in the back than vice verca, and the specs confirm it is a serious camera. It is also capable of recording 100 minutes of digital video and can record audio too, and with memory card storage on the side, could transform the way we record our lives. Read More
Piaggio scooter offers sophisticated comms and telephony
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Putting a helmet on your head was once a spiritual experience - you were entering the dome of silence and no-one and nothing was going to contact you until you turned the engine off at the destination. No more. The Piaggio X9 500 Maxi scooter comes with a sophisticated communications system that enables you to integrate your mobile phone, use the FM radio, and even transfer calls to your pillion passenger via the intercom. Read More
A Sony PlayStation 2 Controller with a built in keyboard
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Convergence, convergence everywhere. The signs of a mispent youth were once a highly developed ability with a billards cue. Now it's lighning reflexes and multi-tasking abilities to rival a supercomputer. Now PS2 players can chat and program commands directly from the controller while playing online games. Nyko Technologies' new iType2 PS2 controller has a miniature keyboard built directly into the pad and allows players to chat, share information and type messages to other players with no interruptions in gameplay. Read More
Kleenex Anti-Viral Tissue kills 99.9% of Cold And Flu Viruses
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Kimberly-Clark has announced a new Kleenex brand facial tissue designed to kill viruses that cause colds and the flu. Strong enough to stand up to a cold or flu virus, but gentle enough for everyday use, Kleenex Brand Anti-Viral tissue will begin shipping in late August and will be available at retail outlets throughout the United States by early October 2004. Read More
Hawaiian Airlines offers digEplayer In-Flight Entertainment
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The standard of in-flight entertainment is continually being raised and Hawaiian Airlines' will continue the trend in August by introducing the digEplayer personal entertainment system, a self-contained portable audio/video on-demand in-flight entertainment system. Hawaiian will be the first airline to offer the digEplayer on transpacific flights between Hawaii and Australia, American Samoa and Tahiti. Read More
Radical new computer workstation
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The Plasma 2System is an unprecedented computer peripheral designed to support the human body while interacting with the computer on a daily basis. The only healthy way to work at a computer for hours at a time is to change positions several times throughout the day. Slight posture shifts make a big difference in optimising the performance of your body and mind. The Plasma 2System is the first technology to make this possible by combining the infinitely flexible Stance angle chair with the Plasma 2monitor and keyboard positioning unit to support an innumerable number of working positions for your body. Read More
TAG Heuer's radical new V4 watch movement
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Since its earliest days, TAG Heuer has led Swiss watchmaking tradition by challenging and innovating its most time-honored conventions. Founded in an horological golden age, it has repeatedly revolutionized the timing and watchmaking world. With the Monaco V4 Concept Watch, the first design-integrated mechanical movement truly of the third millennium, the tradition continues. Read More
The Insane Company you Work for
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The corporation is many things to many people. To some it is the devil incarnate, to others it is the instrument by which they earn a living and in the American legal sense, it is a person. Under American law, companies are accorded the same privileges as humans – all of the same protections and rights. A landmark film entitled “The Corporation” puts forward the notion that if the corporation is a person, then that person is insane. Read More
Vote in the 2004 US Presidential Election
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Later this year, Americans are to vote for a new president. Whoever they may choose, the outcome bears consequences far beyond US domestic affairs, as decisions made by the US President affect the lives of citizens on all continents. Not surprisingly, some people believe that non-US citizens should have a say in the outcome of the election and a site entitled theworldvotes.org has been set up where the rest of the world can have a voice in elections that matter. Read More
Innovative Advertising Ideas Generation Tool
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Perth-based advertising agency Breakthrough has released an original and innovative ideas generation tool specifically focussed on advertising. The card-based system is designed to assist in concept generation and media selection and is one of the cleverest concepts we've seen to help with brainstorming communications strategies. Adpack is a card-based tool made up of trigger or strategy cards which contain proven techniques that are current and relevant in today's business divided into three sections - Media, Offer and Power Words. Each of these cards can be combined to create powerful marketing ideas. Read More
Australian Invention of the Year Award Finalists Announced
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The seven finalists in the Australian Design Awards Australian Invention of the Year Award 2004 have been announced. Judging for the awards is based on six main criteria; commercial viability, inventiveness, functionality, technical feasibility, safety and social/environmental consideration and eligible inventions must not be in mass production or available widely in the market place. Read More
Microwave modem enables cost-effective rural communications
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World-leading wireless microwave modem technology developed by South Australian company Inspiration Technology has paved the way for cost-effective telecommunications in remote and rural communities all over the world Read More
OddPost - the next big thing in email?
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Dave Weinstein discovers a new web-based email service which offers seriously useful functionality compared to Hotmail. Oddpost looks and works like an e-mail "client" but is downloaded into any browser. It also offers great spam filtering, large 10MB attachments, news and blog aggregation and much more. Read More
New printer produces 3D objects on demand
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Imagine a machine which accepts CAD drawings, then produces a three dimensional prototype within a few hours for $100 - it now exists. The successful implementation of the technology points the way to this technology eventually finding its way into local bureau which produce while-you-wait samples as a service, and eventually to the home where designs could be downloaded from the internet and manifested at whim. Read More
Tholos - a window on the future of communication
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Tholos is an ambitious project aiming to create landmark tourist attractions in the centre of capital cities around the world where the public will be able to meet and talk as if they were facing each other even though they may be thousands of miles apart. Tholos uses a huge cylindrical 360 degree screen which is three metres highand seven metres in diameter. The screen simultaneously transmits and receives very high definition moving images in real-time and hence people will be able to have eye-to-eye conversations with non-distorted life-sized images of their friends overseas. Directional microphones and speakers will enable the privacy of conversations. Read More
Land-mine detecting Plants created
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Danish scientists have made a scientific discovery with significant humanitarian and environmental potential. They have shown that it is possible to produce plants which change colour in the presence of specific compounds within the soil, opening the way for the first bomb and land-mine detection plant. Read More
Lie detector glasses tell you if someone is telling the truth
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A new lie detection technology promises remarkable benefits in determining whether people are telling you the truth IN REAL TIME. The technology is already being tested in a wide variety of applications such as anti-terrorism, law enforcement, and insurance claim assessment and has even been built into a pair of glasses with internal LED lights which will run a real-time analysis of conversations of the wearer, reporting on the veracity of the person the wearer is speaking to with a claimed accuracy of better than 95%. Read More
Survival Pod delivers emergency essentials
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November 26, 2003 The Survival Pod is a waterproof shelter, a storage unit for first aid and food supplies, an emergency stretcher, a water purification unit and even a lifeboat in extreme situations. The compact, durable design from Euforia Design was inspired as a response to the devastating and recurring flood situation in Mozambique that leaves hundreds of thousands homeless and bereft of clean water, food and shelter. Read More
Automated check-ins could replace receptionists
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Monday November 10, 2003: The ever-growing list of redundant job titles may yet claim another prized scalp - the receptionist. With Qantas already trialing automated check-ins in Australia, the latest news is that hotels in America are now testing a similar kiosk design. Read More
Same-day Digital Newspaper Publishing launched in Australia
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Saturday September 13, 2003: A digital newspaper printing service that allows Australians to read newsprint versions of international publications at the same time they roll off the presses overseas was launched yesterday by the Premier of NSW, Mr Bob Carr. Read More
