Bluetooth cushion for lazy callers

At first glance this might seem like ridiculous proposition, and for US$531 it probably is. But if you talk a lot and don't have a decent speakerphone or other way to have a comfortable hands-free conversation on your mobile phone, the purCushion might not seem as silly as it looks.

Except for taking photos, this Bluetooth cushion includes several basic phone functions, according to GeekAlerts, including volume control, muting, redialing, and other features, with 8 hours of talktime and 300 hours on standby per charge. And unlike most handsets, it's washable.

Via Crave CNET

Cardboard key to a "green" office space

A startup launched last week in the US aims to make furnishing an office as simple as assembling a cardboard box.

Bloxes are the latest option in cardboard furniture which is gaining a toehold in the world of 'green' design. The corrugated cardboard puzzle pieces lock together to form sturdy shapes such as chairs, walls, and play forts.

Bloxes founder Aza Raskin turned to his childhood for the idea, toyed with as an art project by his father Jef Raskin, known as the "father" of the Macintosh computer.

The junior Raskin is using Bloxes to furnish the lofted Chicago office of digital design firm Humanized, where he is president (Mozilla hired Raskin and Humanized co-founders in January to work on Firefox and other projects.)

"You could go out and get yourself a set of cubicles and it'll be boring," Raskin said. But Bloxes, on the other hand, enable creativity on a whim. "It's pretty amazing to see when we need a desk or a workspace, we can build it in 10 minutes."

The interlocking forms are so strong that a car safely drove over a large form capped by plywood, Raskin said. Plus, the "green", recyclable building blocks can be packed flat for easy and inexpensive shipping.
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i-Buddy brings IM emoticons to life

It should have been obvious that the "Nabaztag" was having some emotional problems when it turned to graffiti, let alone self-defacement. The Wi-Fi rabbit had apparently grown quickly from its innocent beginnings into precocious adolescence, perhaps accelerated by instant fame.

Yet it's not too late to set it straight: All it needs is some positive companionship to avoid following Britney to UCLA Med Center. And that's where i-Buddy comes in.

It would seem to be a perfect match for the troubled bunny, recognizing specific acquaintances when they sign onto MSN Messenger and then reacting to certain emoticons accordingly--shaking, twisting, changing colors, and flapping wings, according to Chip Chick. It wouldn't, however, be a good sign if its face turns red during an encounter with the 'Tag. But fear not, the i-Buddy won't pose much of a threat because, at just 3 inches tall, it's only about a third of the rabbit's height.

Via Crave CNET

Foldable chopsticks

In my country, a lot of us eat with chopsticks. Most of those you get these days are the low-quality disposable kinds which leave strands of wood in your food and are way too thin for a good grip. If you feel strongly against using these horrible tree-killing utensils, the Brunton FlipSticks folding chopsticks could just be your thing.

The ends of the FlipSticks which pick up food are made of bamboo, just like regular chopsticks, while the rotating ends are stainless steel. They fold to half the normal length for storage and fit into a handy case for transport.

I hold my chopsticks around the middle or slightly above the halfway mark. This means I'll be using the FlipSticks by holding its metal part, which seems uncomfortable. Though I personally find it odd, it might work for someone else. What's more, it comes with a one-year warranty--that must surely be a first for a pair of chopsticks. The Brunton site lists it for US$33, though it looks like you can get it for much less from other online retailers.

Via Uncrate

Off to a flying start on the Singapore Flyer

Since the dawn of time, harking back to the Tower of Babel, man has felt the need to mark his technological prowess through taller and taller structures, each more gravity-defying than the last. Consider the ones in Asia, which include Taipei 101 in Taipei, Taiwan, Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and now the Singapore Flyer in Singapore. Lucky for this CNETer, yours truly had a good headstart on the Flyer the night prior to its public launch on March 1, thanks to Volkswagen which was celebrating its first anniversary with a press party.

Out at Raffles Avenue, the wheel sits on top of a three-storey building which houses restaurants and a recreated rainforest in the atrium. At 165m high, it's taller than The London Eye (a.k.a. Millennium Wheel) by, well, a mere 30m. Upclose, the observation wheel isnt' as overwhelming as one would expect from all the hype. In fact, come 2009, the Great Beijing Wheel will shadow the Singapore Flyer at 208m tall, carrying up to 1,920 passengers and making it the largest Ferris wheel in the world.
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