Join Christian Schallert’s shape-shifting apartment
We have reported on many small apartment dwellers who have turned their cramped spaces into something innovative. There was that Hong Kong man who created the Domestic Transformer, and the Japanese man who built his house in a space designed for parking.
This is Christian Schallert, who lives in what many blogs are calling a “Lego apartment”. At least, that is how one of his friends in the video (which you can see after the jump) describes it. I’m not certain whether the Lego is a good description, but it certainly is creative.
Schallert took a place that was a complete dive and turned it into a compact yet cozy living space. Apparently, he was inspired by the designs of Japanese homes plus hidden storage units.
Continue reading » Christian Schallert’s shape-shifting apartment
Zippo Emergency Fire Starter Kit
There are just moments in life when you just want to get away from it all – the hustle and bustle of the city, the craziness and hectic lifestyle at the office, and all the pressure in your life due to a “modern” lifestyle. Well, what better way to do it than align yourself with nature, hanging out in the wilderness with a tent and all your favorite comics in tow?
Oh yeah, that would mean starting your own fires now, right? If you’re a true blue adventurer, then you won’t rely on sissy firestarters but really work to get that first spark out to burn some cinder and get a campfire going. Of course, you might want to enlist a little bit of help via the £19.99 Zippo Emergency Fire Starter Kit.
There is a reason why it is called so – it is meant to be used in emergencies only, so don’t take the easy way out all the time by using this to get that fire started and blazing so that you can be warm and toasty inside. No cheating now, you hear?
Mosquito Repelling Lantern
Since summer is going to come around for those of you living in the northern hemisphere, it makes perfect sense to prepare for your outdoor activities, and that includes on ramping up on anti-pest sprays and lotions, just in case camping is high on your list this year. Of course, if you are going to spend plenty of time outdoors, carrying a lantern around with you would be an extremely good idea.
Why not take the route of what most consumer electronics manufacturers do, and that is through the magic of convergence? This is where the Mosquito Repelling Lantern comes in, working as a standard outdoor lantern that is equipped with d-cis/trans allethrin, a repellent that has been field-tested by the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research and is proven to repel up to 98% of mosquitoes.
The lantern will rely on a 2.5″ x 1.5″ mat that has been saturated with the repellent which rests on a metal grill right on top of the lantern, where a butane-fueled heater will vaporize the repellent in order to create a 15′ x 15′ zone that is mosquito-free – other biting insects included. The eight LEDs within the lantern is capable of producing an efficient glow, powered by a quartet of AA batteries. The Mosquito Repelling Lantern is going for a highly affordable $36.95 if you are interested.
Military Mosquito Countermeasure
Getting bitten by bugs, especially those blood sucking mosquitoes, isn’t anyone’s idea of fun when camping in the great outdoors, don’t you think so? We too, subscribe to a similar idea, which is why we tend to look out for gizmos such as the Military Mosquito Countermeasure. The name itself is pretty much self-explanatory – after all, if it is good enough for military personnel who are abroad, surely it is good enough for those of us back home, right?
Proven to be up to 98% effective in repelling mosquitoes in field tests that were conducted by the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, this neat little gizmo will rely on d-cis/trans allethrin, a synthetic version of a naturally occurring insecticide that is commonly found in chrysanthemum. Perfect for those who spend plenty of time outdoors be it gardening, camping, or other forms of recreation, this countermeasure will slide into an included pouch that is equipped with belt loops and a sturdy clip, making it a snap to tote around.
A 2 1/2″ x 1 1/2″ mat that is saturated with repellent will be slid into a metal grill, where a butane-fueled heater vaporizes the repellent to create a 15′ x 15′ zone that is virtually unbearable for mosquitoes and other biting insects. Each $34.95 purchase comes with a sole butane cartridge and a trio of ThermaCELL Mosquito Repellent mats, where the former lasts up to a dozen hours, while the latter lasts 1/3 of that.
My ECO Can brings recycling to a whole new level
So everyone around you know that you are an environmentally friendly person, but what they do not know is how far you will go to make sure that there is still a planet for our descendants to inherit – and this has caused you to part with $12.99 so that you will be able to bring home the My ECO Can. Just what the heck is My ECO Can? For starters, this is a new, eco-friendly, portable and reusable drinking bottle – so you need not worry about nasty plastic or paper cups being used at the next office party, as you will tote around your own drinking apparatus.
To make it less shameful for you (assuming you’re rather reserved in terms of character), the My ECO Can will come disguised in the shape of a soda can. Needless to say, this is a biodegradable product being made from natural corn starch, and is microwave and dishwasher friendly – not to mention leak proof to boot!
PooPoo Paper Company – Adds to the Crap on your Desk
Let me introduce you to the PooPoo Paper Company, manufacturing recycled and odorless paper products made from elephant poo, the company also makes a load of other paper products, all from poo derived from large fiber eating animals. Think horses, cows and the very exclusive, panda poo.
They start by collecting readily available poo from various wildlife parks, and then they convert it to paper, which they sell as stationary, greeting cards, notepads, photo albums and holiday cards, because nothing says Happy Holidays like a card made out of poop. I’d like to point out that a portion of the proceeds go to elephant conservation and welfare programs, which help foster healthy and happy animals who keep, giving us, um, more raw paper materials, and the cycle continues… with a single elephant turd being made into about 25 sheets of stationary. Continue reading » PooPoo Paper Company – Adds to the Crap on your Desk
UNO III Streetbike
For many kids living in South East Asian countries, hitting their teens would often mean one thing – gaining the freedom and independence of movement through the use of motorcycles, and after that, moving on to cars when they’re of legal age to drive. Well, when they first start off on those two-wheelers, they’re certainly excited like all get out, and would do their best to modify and trick out their bikes to stand out from the rest of the crowd – not to mention impress the chicks.
The UNO III Streetbike is no vehicle for teens though, considering the rather expensive £8,500 price tag attached to it. What makes this piece of engineering so different from others is the ability to deftly switch from a two-wheeled dicycle to a sleek, three-wheeled sports bike (and of course, back again if the need arises) at a moment’s notice.
When in Uno Mode, the U3 can prop itself on two rear wheels, where internal gyros will control the bike to maintain stability even as it makes tight turns and slow, controlled movement a breeze. Whenever you start to go faster, the third wheel will fold out automatically, whereas the rear wheels slide back to transform the U3 into a sleek urban streetbike, now how about that! A single charge will give you a 30 mile range, while juicing it up from empty might take the better part of four hours.
Electric Bicycle Built For Two
Electric bicycles aren’t anything new, but this one that you see here definitely is – we’re talking about an electric bicycle that has been specially built to seat not one, but two people. This is touted to be the only one of its kind to date, where it can assist both riders up to 20 mph in relaxed, relative comfort. Seems perfect if you have plenty of hills around your area, don’t you think so?
A 500-watt electric motor will drive the rear wheel in order to assist riders up hills or across broad flats for easy cruising. Using a twist of the right handlebar will help you control the motor’s variable speed, while your thumb’s push will change the six gears. If you want to speed up, there’s this old fashioned method of pedaling so that you can amble along faster than 20 mph.
When running on a full charge, its detachable 48-volt lithium battery can provide enough juice for up to 25 miles – just make sure the combined weight of both you and your partner do not surpass 500 lbs. The asking price? A rather steep $3,400.
