Gadgets ! What's Next

These glasses have the flute and stem but are missing the stand. That’s because you’re supposed to stick them in the stand when not in use. The sand you ask? Yes, they were designed for hot Swedish summers at the beach.

They come in sets of four with each glass representing an element of nature; fire, air, water, and earth. The 5th element? The glasses themselves. Ooh, clever.

On first sight, the Octocube is all smoke and mirrors. You could spend quite a while trying to figure out what it is or does. Go on. See if you can figure it out. If you can’t work it out from the pictures alone then how about the name. Octocube. Any help? The sharper eye will observe the 2 cables/pipes at the rear so surely it does something right? Designer Vivien Muller has created this little mystery for your Thursday morning enjoyment. Give up? Entirely created from a single 90 degree elbow, the Octocube builds up into a radiant heater with a large surface area, and the inherent flexibility and modularity of the elbow. It is designed to be a sculptural heater that fits in with any interior.

Check out this new key fob from Delphi, using E Ink and destined for a futuristic auto near you. Using the same E Ink tech in the Amazon Kindle and Sony Reader but on a smaller scale, it sips power, digitally painting images on a screen without continuously using energy. This key fob is an example of what can be done with E Ink’s next-generation segmented display cells (SDC), thinner and flexible enough to bend around curved devices.

This groundbreaking gadget will wirelessly communicate with your car, telling you from a distance if you need gas, giving you remote starting capabilities, letting you adjust your car's climate control, and even helping you find that vehicle in a vast, crowded parking lot. Its E Ink allows this handy little bauble to go a long time without a battery charge. Best of all, the company says mass production will keep the price low. Whoa.

You know, technology and gadgets don't have to be so cold and impersonal. Even good design usually involves a lot of plastic and curves and smooth surfaces; where's the warmth? The softness? When was the last time you felt like you could cuddle up with a gadget?

That's why I like this unfortunately-named Knit Komputer Kord Kozy. It takes the power cord to a laptop and makes it something squeezable, something you don't need to hide away under a desk. Sure, it'll collect dust like nobody's business, but isn't that worth it for a little softness?