During the past couple of days, we have made two discoveries. The first is we have found that the Benjamin Franklin chair and stepladder (A) is available in Sweden, too. They call it Sally, but its origins seem Franklinesque to us. Available from Nils Holger for SEK 1.795:- (approx. USD 260:-). The other is that the Rusta stores now sell a foldable wheel barrow (B) that we posted on earlier, or at least one like it. It is SEK 99:-, (approx. USD 14:40) which has to be considered reasonable since the U.S. version was about USD 145:- when we saw it last.brbr

Researchers from British universities, the charity organization Practical Action, American Los Alamos National Laboratory and the hi-fi company GP Acoustics have cooperated in constructing a revolutionary device that is a stove, a fridge and an electric generator all in one. The machine uses thermo acoustics, a spin off technology from space research that can transform the energy in sound waves to electrical power. The super stove channels the heat from a fire into a specially designed chimney, where gas pressure creates sound. The sound is transformed into electrical current via a linear alternator (described as an inverted loudspeaker) and powers the fridge, a computer, a mobile charger or any number of electrical devices. The stove project, SCORE, is so far a concept, but scientists hope to have a pilot rig for trials within four years.brbr

This is a tip from Smart Stuff reader Thomas C. and it has been sitting in the in-box far too long, since we have been waiting to see if this smart concept for space-saving furniture would enter production. We still do not know if it is being produced, but here goes anyway. The Wohnschiene by Hans Hagemeister is a modular shelving and storage device where different modules; shelf, small bookcase, flowerpot, hanger, mirror, etc, can be combined on a wall mounted track. Perfect for de-cluttering a bedroom, an entrance, the kitchen… you name it. Thanks to Thomas for the tip!brbr

The perfect time to introduce a product like this in Sweden must be right now, less than two weeks before midsummer. Midsummer being the prime time of the year to eat lots of new potatoes. The classic midsummer’s lunch would involve pickled herring in a variety of flavors, dill, chives, new potatoes with butter and salt, crisp bread, Västerbotten cheese and, of course, liberal helpings of different kinds of flavored vodka. Although we have not had the opportunity to test drive these scrubbing mitts, we still think they are a pretty cool idea. First of all, the scrubbing of a couple of kilos of taters would probably be a lot faster than with a traditional brush. And, we have heard the ladies in our midst complain that scrubbing new potatoes does bad things to their delicate hands. With a pair of these, that argument is deflated. This alone would probably be worth the SEK 19:- (approx. USD 2:70), that Clas Ohlson charges for them. (Unfortunately they do not seem to be on the web-shop yet.)brbr

According to EU legislation from 2005, airline passengers are can be entitled to compensation in cash for delayed or cancelled flights, or if they are denied a seat on an overbooked flight. However, passengers are not always aware of what they are entitled to, or do not have time to claim compensation. Here is where the Dutch company EU Claim comes in. The company offers to processes claims on behalf of passengers, charging a fee of 27% of successfully claimed compensation. The company claims to have netted its clients over EUR 100,000, averaging EUR 400-500 per passenger so far this year. The company has a website in Dutch (and one partly in English) and a desk in the departure lounge at Schiphol airport. Maybe a business idea?brbr