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Foosball On Steroids

As if foosball wasn’t demanding enough designer Elia Marinucci had to go make one that uses magnets, audio commentary, and electric shocks! On either end of the table is a button which activates magnets along the field changing the ball’s path. To top that off, corner pinball bumpers knock the ball around and the final uber move is the KICK IT! (also the game’s name) which generates an electric pulse if you manage to knick your ball hard across the field.

Designer: Elia Marinucci

GreenHouse Effect

The GreenHouse Effect is a collection of 10 product concepts by Orcadesign exploring the approaches to sustainability through design. What could green design be? Beyond statistics, technology and sacrifices? How can the (green) product sincerely and meaningfully connect with people, making it a truly more appealing alternative to other (not-so-green) products?

Designer: Orcadesign

Recycled Packaging Lights by Anke Weiss

The packaging lights show the transformation of a mass-product into a unique item. Through individual adaptation the packaging of products like juice, cookies or soap gain a new purpose. The packaging which purpose it is to support the sale of its content becomes a product itself. It survives the point where it usually turns into garbage.

Designer: Anke Weiss

Pumping Breasts

Mommie’s breast milk is still the best solution for a baby’s health but dang it those rascals hurt mommies sometimes with their teething. Breast pumps have been around for awhile but this one take the cake in terms of design and even function. Besides looking slick, the nozzle pivots since nipples are in (eh hem) different places. What’s really interesting (kinda scary too) are the 3 suction settings. Am I the only one thinking what the highest setting feelings like?

Designer: Miji Rhoe

Inflatable Sled To The Rescue

Snow is fun but it ain’t no joke. If you suddenly take injury or fall ill, it becomes a nightmare obstacle for both you and rescuers. The Firun is an inflatable rescue carriage light enough to wear as a backpack. Using an inflated solution provides cushioning and makes it a lot easier to drag. I know it’s kind of tasteless to say this but I imagine a pack of dogs pulling me, MUSH!

Designer: Janine Züst

Reuse in Design

With green being the new black, everyone is jumping on the bandwagon and claiming they are environmentally friendly. But what is actually being done here?

Well…executives are high fiving each other for masking their planet plundering ways with carbon credits, designers are trying to figure out how they are supposed to help the environment by making more stuff, and every year McDonald’s hosts a nation wide ‘clean-up’ day where volunteers pick up the companies rubbish from the landscape.

Steve Jobs Interview

In an exclusive interview, Apple’s CEO talked with Fortune senior editor Betsy Morris in February in Kona, Hawaii, where he was vacationing with his family, about the keys to the company’s success, the prospect of Apple without Jobs, and more.

Watch Out Mighty Mouse, Memory Mouse Is Here

No matter how awesome the Mighty Mouse is (Apple’s version, not the cartoon), it’s low on brains. Enter the Memory Mouse, you’re atypical hockey puck style mouse complete with 4 or 8 GB of built-in memory and a touch scroll wheel.

Designer: Miji Rhoe

Killing Trees on the Go

I have said it in the past and it still holds true, printers are one of the stupidest technologies on Earth. These single purpose machines are always screwing up. They process information like my grandmother on Valium and cost more to operate per use than smoking crack cocaine with a Belgian prostitute. That being said, printer design has (up until now) been very boring and unimaginative.

Designer: Hung Chih Wang

Keep Feet Clean

Feet rinses are quite common in many Asian cultures but tubs aren’t exactly ergonomic enough to facilitate. Designer Sein Park wanted to design a feet washing basin that was comfortable to use, safe, and compact. The result is a simple flip down base with a channel below to catch excess water. The height sits at a perfect 50-60 cm from the floor so none of that awkward bending over.

Designer: Sein Park

SIGNAL Smoke Detector

Signal is a smoke detector by Matthew Jobson with a few simple, but interesting twists. When the batteries run out, the lid opens to display the brightly colored housing, this visually alerts people of the need to change batteries. By including glow in the dark arrows and outer body, the designer is trying to involve children in the process of fire safety education.

Designer: Matthew Jobson

Best of February 2008

Every month we take a look around and select some of the most interesting designs that was showcased here. Below you’ll find the most popular designs we’ve tracked over the last 30 days – an overview of designs you shouldn’t have missed in February 2008.

Fruit Playground

Have you ever noticed how fruit seems to go bad faster in a bowl? It’s true! Some uber-chemical process with gases occurs just from the fruit touching each other. The Portafrutta remedies thats problem by using 35 individually laser cut pieces of wood to form peaks and valleys. The design strategically spreads fruit out without too much contact between them. Even without fruit there’s a nice sculptural quality to it.

Designer: Angela Violino & Tim Boyce