Category: Stuff I want

In goes bread, out comes toast – magic!

This toaster_clip.jpg is recent, but not totally new news. It does not appear these are actually in production and available anywhere, but whenever these awesome ceramic toasters go up for sale, I want to buy one. Hopefully they can be made at an affordable price point.

designer’s own words:
There has been little development of the toaster since the start of the century, whilst other appliances have developed and improved incorporating new technologies and thinking, toaster have remained relatively untouched. When the toaster was first invented eating toast was a social activity that took place on the breakfast table, these days toasters have been relegated to cheap plastic objects hidden away in the kitchen landscape. This toaster is designed to engage the user, re-invigorating the social context of toasting by questioning everything about what we toast with today. I was also keen to make playful object to be proud of having on your breakfast table. Slip moulded bone china allowed me create this intricate and sculptural form, but also provided the material longevity that I required. This is a toaster that brings life and joy to a stagnant domestic appliance, and iconic object for the home.


[tags]Ceramic toaster, Toaster magic[/tags]

WoodPod – Case modding comes to the iPod domain

This is kinda old news, but since I’be been on a case-mod-seeing virtual self-guided tour lately and came upon it again, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to post it. Wanting to improve the appearance of his iPod, ZapWizard decided to create a new custom face-plate for it. You can see his excellent write-up (with pictures) of how he created this beauty. Seeing this makes me weep for my lack of hand-skills.

wood-pod_crop.jpg This photo is snagged from the original article at Bit-Tech and cropped. Apologies for cutting off the bit-tech identifier, but I wanted a narrower pic for my site. I just want to make sure no one thinks I’m taking any credit for the image as posted. All respect to the original article hosts at Bit-Tech and the fantastic write-up for it by ZapWizard.


[tags]Wood iPod face replacement, WoodPod custom case mod[/tags]

Model and toy trains – Lionel starts it all

I’ve been catching up on my non-geek reading lately, and the particular focus of my magazine time has been American Heritage magazine and American History magazine. While there are a number of really cool articles in the latest American Heritage, the one that most made me want to write is something of a history of how Lionel trains came to be (and here’s a shorter link if that one is broken).


AmHeritage-Lionel_train.jpgAround 1900, when electrified toy trains were in their infancy, a battery-powered railroad car appeared in the show window of Robert Ingersoll’s novelty store on Cortlandt Street in downtown Manhattan. It wasn’t intended as a toy. Rather, the little car that tirelessly circled its loop of track was meant to draw attention to the other items on display.

Continue reading “Model and toy trains – Lionel starts it all”

IP Radio

Since I’ve recently posted something about the online radio service Pandora, I figured why not post another online radio “thing” here (where “thing” is a highly technical industry term). The Phoenix IP Radio, highlighted in the latest issue of Computer Power User magazine (one of the few geek magazines I find valuable enough to actually pay for), provides IP access to online radio stations, playlists, and RSS feeds (think podcast here) over 802.11b/g connections. It’s battery operated, so you won’t be running a wireless network connection while being required to have a wall-plug to power it (except when charging the batteries, which are supposed to run 4 hours per charge).

phoenix-radio.jpgFrom the recent press release with some details on the radio

Features of The Phoenix radio include

  • alarm clock
  • eight preset radio station buttons and search mode
  • rechargeable batteries and integrated internal charger for portability
  • lightweight – under two pounds
  • integrated stereo speakers and spatialization enhancer technology for digital sound quality
  • can plug into any hi-fi stereo system or headphones with analog outputs
  • connects to any 802.11b/g wireless network with its easy Wi-Fi connection
  • no computer interface necessary
  • allows for Bluetooth¨ connectivity with adapter offered through Com One
  • bookmark favorite stations and songs for instant access
  • listen to missed shows with radio-on-demand or podcasts
  • embedded software for easy connection to the Internet-based service distribution platform, content & service customization, firmware upgrade over the air, push & pull interactivity and management of subscription or click & buy functions
  • lets you listen to MP3, WMA or uncompressed audio (WAV and AIFF) and supports Real Audio


[tags]Wifi IP radio, Take the online radio experience anywhere you have wifi[/tags]