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Sushi Stapler – $4.95
Are those staplers a little fishy? Why, yes! Now your favorite nigiri can also staple your paperwork. Behold the Sushi Stapler from the NeatoShop. They’re the perfect gifts for the sushi lovers in your life: Link | More Fun Back to School items | More Fun and Unusual Office Supplies
Sushi Erasers – $6.95
These sushi erasers sure look good enough to eat! We’ve got some new Iwako Japanese erasers over at the NeatoShop (the production quality is incredible – it’s like precision molding and engineering … for erasers!). Perfect for Back to School and collectors alike: Link
One thing that can make you feel better about the weird things in your home is to see how much worse it could be. A plumbing information site compiled stories, links, and videos of plumbing disasters that range from “substandard” to “Rube Goldberg”! Link -via Dark Roasted Blend
No, your eyes aren’t deceiving you – that is a pool table shaped just like a boat, made by Peter McKee of Master Billiards. He turned a 21-foot speed boat into a $60,000 pool table as a tribute to a water skier who died in a boating accident.
About:Blank has the video clip: Link
Shake Me Salt & Pepper Shakers – $29.95
"Shake Me" is a set of gorgeous ceramic salt and pepper shakers inspired by the classic story Alice in Wonderland (get the name now?). Check it out over at the NeatoShop: Link | More Fun and Unusual Salt & Pepper Shakers
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Cool Material blog spotted this awesome roll of paper towel printed with classic tattoo designs:
Keeping that in mind, if it’s not easy no man is ever going to clean, so luckily someone invented paper towel. Leave it to Rockett St George to upgrade even the simplest of manly necessities. These “kitchen rolls” (leave it to the British) are covered with traditional tattoo art. It’s paper towel that looks awesome, what else do you need to know? Except that now, even when you’re cleaning you can feel a little bit more manly.
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Star Wars Real Mask Magnet – $5.95
A long time ago, on a refrigerator far, far away … Why have boring fridge magnets when you can have these awesomely detailed Star Wars Real Mask Magnets from the NeatoShop, featuring your favorite Star Wars characters?
From Luke Skywalker to Darth Vader and a bevy of Bounty Hunters, we’ve got ‘em: Link | More Fun Magnet Stuff
Whip It Whisk – $9.95
Now with the Whip It Whisk from the NeatoShop, you can whip those eggs, whip ‘em good: Link | More Fun Kitchen Stuff
Perry Watkins of Buckinghamshire, UK, may have set a world speed record for a piece of furniture when he piloted a Queen Anne dining table with silver service for four people at 130 MPH:
The table, named “Fast Food”, reached a top speed of 130mph and averaged 113.8mph, comfortably eclipsing the 92mph set by a sofa in 2007.
Mr Watkins expects to become the official world record holder for the fastest piece of furniture when his time is accepted by Guinness.
A 1994 Reliant Scimitar Sabre underneath the table, boosted by a nitrous oxide kit, provides the thrust for the makeshift vehicle.
Link via The Presurfer | Photo: REX
Yummy Pockets – Potato Chip Bag – $4.95
Here’s a nifty bag to carry all your knick knacks around: the Potato Chip Bag from Yummy Pockets over at the NeatoShop. Don’t worry: it’s guaranteed to be not greasy and non-fattening, unless of course you stuff it with snacks and chocolates. It’s the perfect gift for your beloved couch potato: Link | More Yummy Pockets | Fun and Unusual Wallets and Coin Purses
Commandments Sticky Notes – $6.45
Don’t just remind yourself with boring ol’ sticky notes … command that things be done (or not done, in this case). Behold the Commandments Sticky Notes from the NeatoShop: Link | More Fun Sticky Notes and Stationery
These aren’t your grandpa’s coffee machine. Or your father’s for that matter. Walyou has a neat round up of 18 of the coolest coffee machines, including the Racepresso Machine shown above, an espresso machine that looks like the perfect blend of caffeine and speed, designed by Ilgar Rustamov.
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T-Rex Night Light – $16.95
Afraid of the dark? That’s no longer a problem with these awesome porcelain night lights over at the NeatoShop. I’m particularly drawn to the dinosaur night lights, but the entire selection is actually very neat: Link
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Tsar Egg Cups – $25.95
You don’t need to be the Tsar of Russia to eat your eggs like one! Designer Andrea Kezdi created these gorgeous egg holders inspired by the Fabergé eggs. The Tsar Egg Cups over at the NeatoShop make for a wonderful gift at a surprisingly affordable price: Link | More Fun and Unusual Kitchen Stuff
Little Black Dress Apron – $29.95
Every woman needs a little black dress. With this Little Black Dress Apron from the NeatoShop, you can look chic and stylish, even when you’re washing the dishes or slaving over a hot stove in the kitchen: Link | More Fun and Unusual Aprons | Fun Kitchen Stuff
In 1959, futurist Arthur Radebaugh’s Sunday comic strip Closer Than We Think predicted the electronic home library of the future:
Some unusual inventions for home entertainment and education will be yours in the future, such as the "television recorder" that RCA’s David Sarnoff described recently.
With this device, when a worthwhile program comes over the air while you are away from home, or even while you’re watching it, you’ll be able to preserve both the picture and sound on tape for replaying at any time. Westinghouse’s Gwilym Price expects such tapes to reproduce shows in three dimensions and color on screens as shallow as a picture.
Another pushbutton development will be projection of microfilm books on the ceiling or wall in large type. To increase their impact on students, an electronic voice may accompany the visual passages.
How many did Radebaugh got right? Tivo, 3D TV, projection system (though he envisioned it for books, not for movies). Paleofuture has the larger pic: Link
Plaid Skirt Apron – $23.95
Mad about plaid? The Plaid Skirt Apron from the NeatoShop lets you cook in style. The skirt aprons come in 4 colors: Link
See also Skeleton Apron
Got an old backyard swimming pool that’s sitting empty? Turn it into a self-sustaining garden! That’s what this Arizonan family did:
When we purchased our first home in Mesa, AZ on October of 2009, it came with a large, empty, and run-down pool. Rather than spending thousands of dollars in fixing the pool or having it filled with fill dirt we decided to design an inexpensive & self-sufficient urban greenhouse. Initially, we had anticipated self-sufficiency by 2012 but we achieved our goal by mid-2010. Our family gets about 8 fresh eggs a day, unlimited tilapia fish, organic fruit, veggies, and herbs 365 days a year.
Link – Thanks Tiffany!
Mine & Yours Shotglasses – $9.95
When size matters and you want to celebrate with a mate, here are the shotglasses for you: Mine & Yours Shotglasses from the NeatoShop. Yes, "Mine" is larger – it’s an oversized 4 oz shotglass, whereas "yours" is a puny 1.5 oz version.
It’s a classy way to show who’s boss: Link | More Fun Glassware & Drinkware
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In 1991, star trend tracker Faith Popcorn wrote The Popcorn Report. The book was a best seller that offered a catchy list of future trends she foresaw. Included in her list was a trend she named “cocooning” which reflected “…the need to protect oneself from the unpredictable, the stressful and often hostile, outside environment.” In the Glossary she added an extreme form of cocooning, “burrowing”. Burrowing would be “..the ultimate expression of Cocooning in which consumers dig in, ever deeper, with a bunker mentality.”
While Faith was writing The Popcorn Report, I was burrowing at home in Sacramento, California, creating Public Therapy Buses, Information Specialty Bums, Solar Cook-A-Mats and Other Visions of the 21st Century. The book was published the same year as The Popcorn Report. I was essentially tracking the same trend.
I depicted a future product called the Television Life Support System:
Cautious Americans, sensing danger at every turn, may seek the passive, indrawn personal life of the television spectator, or “couch potato.” Superchairs are sold that can be customized to meet almost every need.
In the same chapter I showed the TV Sleeping Chambers, a cocoon-shaped piece of furniture specially suited to the needs of selfish teenage boys and juvenile males in general. I wrote:
Addiction to television, a disease, can lead individuals to buy bullet-proofed, sound-deadening television-watching cocoons.
In the 1990s I continued to think up home furnishings that incorporated aspects of cocooning. The Potato Couch Room Group allowed one to get comfortable inside a snuggly, split-open baked potato while at home watching TV.
Freeze! Pistol Ice Tray – $7.95
Is your drink packin’ heat? Then you need to cool it down with these pistol-shaped ice cubes. With the Freeze! Pistol Ice Tray from the NeatoShop, you can pop a few rounds and cool your drinks down in no time. Link | More Fun Ice Trays
Disappearing TARDIS Mug – $11.45
If only the Disappearing TARDIS Mug is bigger inside than outside to hold more coffee! The TARDIS disappears from the streets of London when you pour in a hot beverage, only to reappear in a distant galaxy on the other side of the mug.
Just landed (appeared?) at the NeatoShop: Link | More Disappearing Mugs | Fun Glassware and Drinkware
Chillbots Robot Ice Tray – $7.95
Need to unwind after a long day at work? Pour yourself a drink and drop in a Chillbot or two. The Chillbots Ice Tray from the NeatoShop makes wonderful retro wind-up robots that can kick start any beverage that needs coolin’: Link | More Fun and Unusual Ice Trays
When Nikki of WhiMSy Love had a friend staying over for a short bit, she wanted to make her living area more inviting than just the standard airbed. As you can see, the solution was not only cute and clever, but darn right cheery.
Bacon Platter – $19.45
Whaaat? You’re going to serve bacon, the most delicious thing on earth, on a plain dinner plate? Don’t be silly: you need the Bacon Platter from the NeatoShop. The ceramic serving plate even has raised edges so the oh-so-yummy bacon juice doesn’t dribble down wastefully on the table.
Link | More fun Kitchen Stuff
Old and busted: sitting on the floor
The new hotness: sitting on a hole in the floor!
The OOoo chair is the brainchild of the design firm Decker Yeadon. It’s basically a set of holes in the floor where you can slip your legs into and, well, sit down:
You can easily make your own OOoo Chair if you have a wooden floor and a basement. The OOoo Chair, you see, is accomplished by drilling O-holes in your floor, so if you live in an apartment the OOoo Chair would likely be intrusive to your downstairs neighbor.
You can easily make your own OOoo Chair if you have a wooden floor and a basement. The OOoo Chair, you see, is accomplished by drilling O-holes in your floor, so if you live in an apartment the OOoo Chair would likely be intrusive to your downstairs neighbor.
And remember folks, less is more. Now where’s my router? Link
Souper Action
Figure Spoon - $9.95
Got a fussy eater? Make mealtime fun for your toddler with cool utensils, plates, and other neat kitchen gadgets from the NeatoShop: Link
I ask because it’s for sale on eBay. The toilet was removed from the late author’s New Hampshire home by the new owners in the 1980s. It hasn’t been cleaned yet, so it’s super-authentic. You can bid for it or buy it immediately for $1,000,000.
eBay Listing and Article via Geekosystem | Image: eBay
Cartoonists have a crazy streak. They can’t help themselves; it’s how they are made. As a cartoonist-inventor, I sometimes cannot resist the temptation to illustrate a concept even while knowing it is crazy, stupid or at least poorly conceived. For instance, I have invented silly toilets solely to keep myself amused. I have also spent time pondering whether there might be non-traditional locations within the home where a toilet might be placed. Is it merely for reasons of tradition that toilets are consigned to bathrooms? Could toilets be placed in hallways, in dining rooms, or in the middle of the living room? Why not outhouse-like facilities (of modern design) on the porch, deck, or in the garden?
There are likely many good reasons for not locating a toilet in the middle of a kitchen. I understand that. But why not locate a toilet inside a shower stall? In fact, I can imagine extreme situations where water and space are so scarce, as on a submarine, where toilets might be incorporated into showers. But admittedly that is not the case in a home or apartment. But to see what it might look like, I drew a toilet inside a shower and I succeeded in amusing myself. I admit the concept is somewhat disgusting and disturbing given that dampness is the perfect medium for the spread of disease, contamination, smells, and so forth. I will give my idea an F for practicality but an A for whimsy.
Where else in a home might a toilet be placed? In 1983, I proposed The Living Bathroom, a space-saving concept for small apartments and cabins. I like my cute and clever execution of the idea, though I worry that the issue of odors was not addressed.
In 2007 I revisited my Living Bathroom concept, making it more stylish and adding a chimney. The chimney contains a built-in fan that sucks vapors from the toilet toward a roof vent. Both the chimney and the toilet come in polished stainless steel and look very modern. Note how the Toilet Concealment Chair slips over the toilet. It rolls forward on wheels when there is urgent need to use the toilet.
Skeleton Apron – $23.95
No bones about it – there’s no better gift for your favorite chef whom you love to death than this cool skeleton apron from the NeatoShop: Link | More Pirate-wear | Fun Kitchen Stuff
