apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time


Stovetop for the Visually Impaired

touch-and-turn-1-sz-112009.jpg A few years ago my grandmother was diagnosed with Macular Degeneration, an eye disease that causes vision loss in the center of the visual field due to a damaged retina. When I visited, my grandmother had little sight. Despite that, she insisted on baking my favorite cookies różowy ciastka, pink cookies. I watched her in the kitchen as she did everything by memory, rather than by sight, but when it came to using the stove, it was a little nerve wracking. She placed her face millimeters from the burner to check how for she had turned the knob and how large the flame was. While devouring my różowy ciastka, I started to panic as I imagined by grandmother, living alone, and burning her apartment (and herself) down because she didn't gauge the stovetop correctly. What do blind people do in these situations? Menno Kroezen has designed an option.

  • soniaz
  • November 20, 2009 10:00AM
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A Creative Solution to Desks Seen From Below

When organizing your desk to look clean and clutter-free, step one is to hide your cords by tucking them under the desktop where they won't be seen. Well, that's not so easy for our lofted readers.

  • taryn
  • November 20, 2009 09:00AM
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Final Frame: Toki Woki Scroll Clock

111909scrollclock.jpgThe 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.

  • Gregory Han
  • November 19, 2009 09:00PM
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The Canal Apartment
Tech Tour

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.

  • Gregory Han
  • November 19, 2009 08:45PM
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Google Phone Will Let You Fully Use Google Voice

111809_rg_GooglePhone_01.jpgRight now, the iPhone is the cell phone to beat. Apple just made a great product and people have been flocking to it. What could dethrone the iPhone? How about a new Google Phone! TechCrunch reports on some juicy details, including a full Google Voice functionality.

  • range
  • November 19, 2009 08:30PM
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Skateboarding in the Living Room
Tony Hawk Ride

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

  • Gregory Han
  • November 19, 2009 07:30PM
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James Hopkins and His Great Wall of Musical Tech

112309_james_hopkins.jpgSometimes art just happens by mistake. The Selby comes to mind as a great example, with their excellently composed shots of creative folks and their spaces. Then, there are those like James Hopkins, who utilizes this chaos to make a point on our musical youth culture. Included on the shelf are, but is not limited to, disco balls, shiny speakers, and an array of our past digital lovers - the compact disc.

  • Anthony
  • November 19, 2009 07:00PM
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Incase Chargers and Cases Galore

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.

  • Gregory Han
  • November 19, 2009 05:30PM
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Cover Up Awkward Bathroom Sounds with Your iPhone

111909_tf_coverupbathroom.JPGNothing like being on a great date in the middle of great conversation when nature calls and you have to go do your (sometimes noisy) thing.

  • taryn
  • November 19, 2009 05:00PM
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The Transforming Stella Table is for Work or Dining

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.

  • Gregory Han
  • November 19, 2009 04:30PM
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The Bed Embedded Clock Lets You Check Time Easily

111909_rg_MeltedClock_01.jpgHow many times do you have to get up or glance at a clock while you are in bed? It happens to us quite often, but we simply love this idea of simply putting a clock underneath your bedspread and let your fingers find out the time.

  • range
  • November 19, 2009 04:00PM
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naoLoop Loft Keeps Your Tech in Order

111809naoLoop-loft1.jpgClutterbug 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.

  • Gregory Han
  • November 19, 2009 03:30PM
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The Eastlake Umbrella Patio Heater Warms Up Al Fresco Dining

111909outdoorheater.jpgThe 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.

  • Gregory Han
  • November 19, 2009 03:30PM
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ScanViewer, a Digital Picture Frame With a Built-in Scanner

We at Unplggd are pretty big fans of digital picture frames. They are a great way to display prints and make nice gifts for loves ones. Some of our loved ones still have many pictures that are not in digital form, the JOBO ScanViewer solves the problem of how to display these in a quick and easy way. This high resolution 8" multimedia digital picture frame comes with a built-in photo scanner!

  • joelle
  • November 19, 2009 03:00PM
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Folding Speaker

111909-foldable1-kristen.jpg

We're big fans of unique, funny and whimsical designs &mdash especially when they transform an average item into something above average (whether it's aesthetically or technically). We've been known to purchase a few products here and there based solely on their design.