apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Our friends over the pond at tech magazine T3 sent us this heads up about a project they've been working with their readers in the goal of designing the "best cutting edge smartbook/notebook", sporting a long list of features that the tech-enthused may find high on their wish list. Check out the full specs below.

We've been quite pleased since replacing our Apple TV with the slimmed down PS3 console as the heart of our media center, with a transition smoother than expected. The tipping point for the switch was mostly due to Apple's updates continually nixing our Boxee and XBMC modifications. But we also found ourselves drawn to moving over to the PS3 for greater media playing options, including the recently added feature in the PS3's arsenal: Netflix instant streaming. Our first week impressions below.

The Toki Woki Scroll Clock takes one of the most common GUI elements of OS X (and various other operating systems including Vista and Linux) and converts it into a mesmerizing online time keeper. And yes, you can move the scroll bars.

Name: Canal Apartment Paris
Location: Paris, France
Size: 35m²

Here's an example where home tech has been incorporated with traditional decorative elements appropriate for a Parisian destination. Included are some unique touches that make this vacation rental unique, like glow-in-the-dark striped wallpaper, a trolly cart Blu-ray home theater system, and a triple threat kitchen appliance which combines a cooker, oven and dishwasher all in one unit, combined make the Parisian rental an example of space efficiency without compromise in amenities or details.

Over at Apartment Therapy Chicago this morning, Janel writes about the Yves Behar designed Tony Hawk Ride skateboard controller (yes, the same guy who also designed this much more adult oriented toy and the coolest cable box ever), and the experience of getting your skating fix without leaving the comforts of your own living room.

• Read the full post at Apartment Therapy Chicago

Our friends over at Incase sent us a few product photos of their updated lines of iPhone cases and chargers than can go from the home to the car and back. First are the Chrome Slider Cases available in Gold, Silver, Copper and Black, with a stylish contrasting colour on the inside of each.

For small space dweller, there's often a compromise made between choosing where one can work on their laptop or desktop and where they can eat. And even for those with plenty of space, many of us just dine in front of the new boob tube, the Internet. The table of choice for dual purpose use between being on the computer and enjoying a bowl of Rice Crispies might be Cecilia Olsson's Stella table.

Clutterbug technophiles have a new wall mounted option to help keep all their hand sized devices nearby but out of the way when not in use (and anything else you may keep in your pockets, purse or bag). The naoLoop Loft is a handsome stainless steel wall mounted sheet with plenty of bands to keep mp3 players, cell phones and GPS units safely tucked above your desk or at your landing strip.

The skies are clear but the evening weather has dipped down to sweater or coat weather here in Los Angeles, putting a damper on our outdoor entertaining plans. But even renters like ourselves can add a restaurant type feature to our outdoor dining setup with one of these 500 watt Eastlake Umbrella Patio Heater.

A keen collection of 1970s Russian matchbox labels as posted by Flickr user, wackystuff (who also happens to have an excellent photo set of vintage electronics we highly recommend).

Proving you don't need to spend an extraordinary amount of money nor have a huge space to have a great home office, Andrew of britepilot.com impressed us with his work space for two, furnished nearly completely with IKEA furniture and accessories (like our own!) and brimming with tech options at arm's length.

So here's where your whole back catalog of bad 80's hair metal audio cassettes and mixtapes went! The Cassette's Not Dead Floor Lamp is described as a tribute to the cassette tape, available in three sizes (small, box and floor. The designs were created by tying the audio tapes together with what appears to be package shipping ties to create a lampshade form, making it somewhat clear how to make your own DIY version.

Timothy over at Charles & Hudson was kind enough to send us a heads up about this helpful and relevant holiday online security guide for all of us with an online social life, where announcing our comings and goings might jeopardize our real life home security. Included below are five excellent tips from Charles & Hudson to make sure your holidays are spent safely so all your stories afterward are about fishing, not phishing!

Ah, Egg Collective's Stump lighting makes us wish we had room for a woodworking shop. It's a creative and nature-themed way to illuminate the room using fallen sycamore stumps, while also providing a side table surface. Checking out the photos, it looks like a great project to mimic if you've got the tools and hardware.