lamps

We probably wouldn't recommend this LED ax lamp for renters, but homeowners who aren't fussy about nicks in their furniture might appreciate the sharp design.

Say what you will about the waterproof "Schlagschatten" by German designer Cornelius Comanns; it's certainly versatile. The lamp can be hit into any piece of wood, indoors or outdoors, and easily dismounted when you need to replace the three AA batteries, swap out the LED, or threaten intruders.

The Schlagschatten recently nabbed first place in the Intelligent Hand design competition sponsored by designboom and the Macef international home show. The … Read more

Los Angeles is literally basking in a whole new glow.

The city has decided to replace its street lights and bus stop lighting with LEDs. The bus stop lighting will be solar-powered and off the grid.

LA's Bureau of Street Lighting has been actively testing out different types of energy efficient lighting to replace the public lighting that currently includes a combination of incandescent, mercury vapor, metal halide, and high pressure sodium lights.

In 2009, the agency began an LED street lighting energy efficiency program to actively replace its existing 209,000 streetlights. When complete, the city's energy … Read more

Not everything in today's show is about the "lady parts." That doesn't stop it from being awkward for the gents who might be listening. Not to mention, the gent who helped produce the show.

Medicating menstrual cramps

Pok?mon Menstrual Pad (Thanks Erick!)

Wait, is this a shoe?

Blood Lamp — creepy

What the hell Robotic unicycle

Hey, baby Why cry baby crying analyzer

What a concept bheestie bag: get the wet out of your cell phone

Why didn’t I think of that? Yoke shopper

It’s about time 10 amazing modern watch designs of the future… Read more

Arguably Microsoft's biggest threat is its irrelevance to Web developers. Though the company dominates personal computing and is a major force in enterprise computing, it remains a distant also-ran to LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP/Python/Perl) development for the growing Web ecosystem. On Thursday Microsoft announced its WebsiteSpark program to build inroads with the Web crowd, but the program is unlikely to make a serious dent on LAMP's dominance.

The reason? There are some big strings attached.

Microsoft has gone after Web developers before, but products like Expressions haven't made much headway with Web developers, as The Seattle Times reports.… Read more

This interesting LED light concept will surely go well with those looking to add a little mood lighting while staying eco-friendly. Designed by Jasper Hou, the Timer To Light device is powered using mechanical energy. That's right, no batteries, so no charging. In a way, it works like a wind-up toy. In this case, the base is rotated to store energy, which can then be used to light up the LEDs while it slowly unwinds.

From the images, the Timer To Light concept comes in several pleasant hues, which should blend easily into any room in the house. While … Read more

OK. So we promised you on last week's episode that we would do a single-purpose gadgets episode this week. Turns out, promising that type of thing in advance isn't such a good idea as we actually had to work to find gadgets that fit the theme. So we made it, but admittedly by the skin of our collective teeth. It's all worth it for the segments, though. Patience, young grasshopper!

Sony responds to Kindle onslaught with Reader Touch and Pocket

Pancake machine churns 200 flapjacks per hour (thanks, Peter Lee!)

Ramen robot!

Multiblade pizza slicer guarantees perfect-sized slices

Lava Lamp returns as Mathmos Fireflow

A Propos (of) Nothing The Wall-E USB drive is too cute for even baby talk to describe

This week in hello kitty Hello Kitty limited edition Casio Exilim EX-Z2

It’s About Time Darth Vader clock radio has no patience for your sloth

PRETTY Bugatti Diva espresso machine inspires poetry

Potty Time Public urinal lets you pee into the wall

Kill Me Sony’s new “Girlz Play Too” campaign

Pink Watch (Kill Me Edition) ChicBuds “by women, for women”… Read more

Recently, I replaced an ink tank in a printer and unthinkingly tossed the empty cartridge into the trash bin. Looking at the ink cartridge lamps from crafts site Etsy.com, I now feel a tad guilty.

Who would have thought an expanded printer cartridge could be converted into such an interesting home decor item? Not only does it make a great conversation piece when guests swing by, it's also an innovative way to go eco-friendly.

It's just a shame there aren't any DIY instructions on how to make the ink cartridge lamp yourself. Instead, you'll have … Read more

No kid wants to be the one who blends into a crowd. That's why it's important to start young when setting your children up for a lifetime filled with the nostalgic irony that comes with being tragically hip. Of course, they may not like you when they grow older, but that's fashionable too, right?

Look at this f**king hipster

This Death Star cookie jar is fully operational

Cassette tape lamps light up your nostalgia

NES Controller Business Card shows you mean real geek business

Casio calculator watch. For realz. (Thanks, Sparkman!)

The iPhone’s best neo-retro game: Space Invaders Infinity Gene

Good Vibrations The Vibrator Museum

A propos (of) nothing Japanese auto-fogging glasses prevent eye strain

What the hell? Microsmores (thanks, Sheala)

Kill Me Wi-Fi scale notifies the internet of your lapsed diet… Read more

Designed by Jun Yasumoto, Alban Le Henry, Olivier Pigasse, and Vincent Vandenbrouck, this reading lamp is a bedside light and a bookmark rolled into one. Inside the polycarbonate body is a fluorescent light and a switch that kills the power when you place the book over the lamp. The light comes back on when you pick up your reading again.

See a video of the reading lamp in action here. It's just a pity the lamp is still a concept; we can totally picture places like IKEA carrying the lamp if it ever makes it to market.

(Source: Crave Asia … Read more