apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

We have seen our share of cruel alarm clocks, but this one takes the cake. So much so that we would probably wake up before the alarm went off out of fear and the thought of humiliation.

Known as the Tyrant, definitely a fitting name, this alarm clock pairs with your cell phone...and your contact list. For every three minutes that the alarm clock remains ringing, your cell phone will dial a random number. If that doesn't get you out of bed, your ex calling back asking why you are ringing them at 6 AM certainly will.

That's right, get online not in line. While the restaurant in question, Momofuku in NYC, doesn't try to stand out as a high tech restaurant in the sense of being filled with touch screen tables or robot bar tenders, it differentiates itself in the way that reservations are made.

Photo: Noah Kalina for Wired

When I have been involved in brainstorming sessions at the office....or a heated discussion anywhere near a computer for that matter, Googling something is inevitable. Whether is to prove someone wrong or to continue the conversation, additional info is always a welcome thing. Researchers from Keio University in Japan agree, and have taken this one step further.

By projecting Google results directly on the table. Through recognizing key words in the conversation, relevant search results and images are projected on the table for the brainstormers to use or ignore. Since it is projected rather than displayed on a built in screen you can tech up your fancy Tulip table than have to replace it.

-via Core77

The Ikea Lack shelf seems to be a popular choice for adding custom doors. I even did it for my own fan cooled media unit. If you want a different look from sliding doors though, tambour doors are another option.

While this appears to be a concept or one off at the moment, we are always interested in more options for LED powered desk lamps.

An on switch and a small speaker housed in a small yellow box. By taking broken bits of records and connecting them together, this little box not only follows the track, it plays back the music through the speaker. We found a different flavor of this mini record player a while back, but while that one was Nascar, this one is Formula 1...and we much prefer Formula 1.

Your mobile phone as a personal shopping assistant? That is what a supermarket in Germany is doing right now. While we are all familiar with the self serve checkout aisles, this supermarket makes those automated aisles feel like something out of the 1950's.

I have a spot in my front yard that would be perfect for this bench, and with the hot weather lately, sitting outside under a tree would be much nicer than the sweating it out inside. Traditional park bench look by day, color changing landscape lighting by night. Click through to see some additional colors and photos.

The versatile STOLMEN system at Ikea has always been a favorite. With all the different bits and pieces you can configure it to be a a room divider, closet, or entertainment unit. While visiting Ikea over the weekend I came across the STOLMEN system set up as a flat panel TV mount.

Robotic dogs, sunglasses with a built in radio. It would sound like I am talking about Sony's Aibo or Oakley Thump sunglasses, but I'm not. In fact, what I am talking about goes way back to the 1960's.

Images via Consumer Reports

It was actually the look of this power bar that first caught my eye, but it was the USB programmable aspect that kept my attention. Why do we need a USB programmable power strip? It can save you 70% in energy costs by turning on and off different peripherals based on when they are and are not needed.

Has the dead iPod icon suddenly shown up? Hearing some strange clicking? While Apple Care is good while it lasts, Fortune magazine tells us about the iPod doctor who is there to step in when you don't have that option. Who is this iPod doctor?

We are loving this concept for a clock. What looks like four bars covered in jibberish actually turns into numerals as they pass through the central black 'clock'. Also, once each individual bar rises to the top, gravity pulls it back down to start all over again reminding us of the swinging pendulum of a grandfather clock. As much as I try to explain this, seeing is believing, so check out the video after the jump...

Coffice. Strange name huh? My first thought was coffin, which is not really where you want to be, but perhaps office furniture maker Bene meant it to be a combination of 'coffee' and 'office'...which is a bit more inviting. Strange names aside, while the Coffice seems to be more suited for commercial environments, we can see this as an alternative to a desk or dedicated office in a small space.

This isn't really meant to protect your MacBook Air while it is left outside in a tent, but the sleeping bag inspiration definitely gives us a unique take on the standard laptop sleeve.

The fast food version of DIY, kind of like picking up a tube of cookie dough at the grocery store and offering your guests home baked cookies...but who are we to argue with convenience. Bottom line is that the Coactlab bent ply lamp is a simple and good looking light source. Click through for more details and pics.

The complex pattern of the snowflake naturally translated into...a USB flash drive. But of course. Definitely beautiful to look at, but not particularly practical as something that would end up being tossed around in a bag. Imagine the goodies that would get caught up in there, not a pretty sight. What I'm guessing would be a pretty sight though is this thing lit up when it is plugged into your machine. The glow through that pattern would be pretty cool.

Drop ceilings always have the stigma of being ugly or taking up valuable ceiling height in a basement. But what if you had the option to virtually open it up to the sky? What would you say?

Bookshelves, TV stand, and lamps all on one continuous line. Think of it as a 3 dimensional etch a sketch. A cool concept no doubt, but if you are the type that likes to rearrange your furniture every once in a while it is definitely not for you. Click through to check out some different layouts.

While I don't think I would ever take the time to wire up and program 448 LED's on top of a Roomba to look like PacMan while it is cleaning the floor....I can't help but stop and stare. Watch out dust ghosts on the floor, PacMan Roomba is coming to get you. Click through to see it in action.

More on the environmentally friendly gadget front. What looks like a regular DECT cordless home phone can reduce your CO2 emissions by 13.5 kg a year. At least that is what Siemens is claiming.

This is one of the cheapest ideas for a laptop stand we have seen so far. Grand total? $5.99. Not a bad looking option either. Ikea hacker reader Quari was looking for an angled laptop stand to keep in the kitchen. Partly for easier typing when searching for recipes and partly to keep the laptop cool. Turns out the Lamplig trivet from Ikea works perfectly.

We have all seen those clip on reading lights for reading books in the dark. There are even reading lights built into book covers. The LED pagelight though is the first one we have seen that can light up an entire page evenly.

I sit on the couch as I write this, with my laptop in my lap. I do have a desk in a dedicated office space, but I tend to prefer to work on my computer from the couch. The funny thing is, no matter how comfortable I think I am, discomfort eventually, and suddenly, sets in.