Since we put the Yahoo! Site Explorer widget on the site, we have been itching to explore the 9,360 9,383 links to Smart Stuff they say we have. Today we took some time and looked some of them over and among them we found this. We’re the most popular .se site on Populicio.us! Don’t know if this means so much, but it sure was fun. Thank you all Populicio.us users!brbr
Just like everybody else we do not floss enough. And if it were not for the little Hummingbird (that we posted on a while back) we would not be flossing nearly as much as we do. To that end, here is a new idea for a toothpaste tube with a built in roll of floss. This will obliterate the I forgot to buy floss argument forever. It is called Floss’n’Cap and as you can see it is from Aquafresh. It has been on the market for a while, but we have not seen it in Sweden. If it sells reasonably well, we would not be surprised if there is a Colgate and/or a Pepsodent version on the shelves pretty soon. The tube won a silver award in the 17th DuPont Awards for Packaging Innovation in 2004, and it is USD 3:50 a piece on Dentist.net. brbr
Some ideas and solutions to common problems are so brilliantly obvious (after you’ve seen it) that all you can do is blushingly admit that you did not think of it. I’m sure you have experienced that after a bit of working, there is not enough room between the hacksaw frame and the blade. And I’m sure you have worked around it somehow to get the job done. But did you think of this? If you did, we can only congratulate you, ’cause that makes you smarter than we are.brbr
We must admit we are a bit partial to breakfast in bed. Particularly in hotels. But one problem with eating in bed is that most trays are very unstable. And the bread-crumbs, of course. But we digress. This tray, designed by Harald Hynell (who mailed us to tell about it) for Bosign, has a pillowy base which makes it adapt to whatever it is placed on (your legs, for instance). That makes it steadier than most. We are sure it is very good for using laptops on your lap top, too. It is available in black, white, willow- or wenge wood and it is SEK 494:- (approx. USD 70:-) on the PID web shop.brbr
This tip comes from Bertil J. who imports these see-through thermometers. We have see the material before; its a kind of plastic that clings to glass through static electricity. This application, however, is new to us, and we think it is kinda neat. The KleerTemp sticks to your window or glass door (no glue, nails or screws) and is easily readable from the inside. It is available in both Fahrenheit and Celsius versions and it is USD 8:- on ElectroOptix’ own web shop. It is also on Amazon- for USD 6:-. Plus shipping, one might suppose.brbr
Today is a sunny day and the thermometer shows +6-7°C. Spring is here and so is the bike season. To mark the occasion we will feature another bike gadget. This tip comes from Paul L., who admits he has not tried them, but still thinks the idea is smart. We can’t but agree. The lights are from Danish Reelight, and they are invented by Troels Pedersen. The light, or lights, are based on electromagnetic induction, which means they generate their own power. No resistance like you get from an ordinary dynamo, no battery changes as with ordinary bike lights. The light are attached to the front and back hubs, and the magnets to the spokes of the wheels. Every time a magnet passes a light electricity is generated. Simple. The lights are DKK 299:- (approx. USD 53:- or EUR 40:-) for a kit of front and rear lights, four magnets and mounting details.brbr
There was a time when a Solex moped, or VelóSolex as its real name was, was a French style icon comparable to the Citroên 2CV and baguettes. Among all the Solex riders were Steve McQueen, who used the contraption during the shooting of Le Mans 1970-71. But this was of course ages ago. Even though the VelóSolex is rumored to be in production again, it has new competition from The Wheel by American RevoPower. Here the boffins have managed to squeeze a minimal 1,1 hp 25cc two stroke into a bicycle wheel along with the drive train and a muffler. The little engine is said to be able to accelerate the vehicle to 20 mph over flat ground and deliver more than 100 miles to the gallon. It uses gas mixed with oil (two stroke juice) and the gas tank is in the water bottle holder. The wheel is estimated to cost about USD 400:- to 500:- when it’s ready for launch in the spring of 2007. And yes, you can choose not to use the engine if you’d rather pedal, but the weight of the wheel (+12 lb. net) might make your bike a bit sluggish. Thanks to Peter K. who mailed the tip!brbr
This post is of course dedicated to our female readers in particular, and a bit of research among friends of the female persuasion suggests this gadget would be a welcome addition to the wardrobe. It is called Strap Trap and it is simply a small plastic loop you sew into the shoulders of sleeveless sweaters or blouses to stop bra straps from sliding into public view. Wether visible straps is seen as a problem or not may be an age or culture issue, but here is a ready solution. The tip is from Hilda V., inventor of the Strap Trap. The Strap Trap is available in black or white and a kit of 12 (enough for 6 garments) is GBP 5:- (about EUR 7:30) shipped within the EU or GBP 6:- (approx. USD 11:60) shipped to the US, AUS and NZ.brbr
This tip comes from Jon B. at Humans.ca in Canada. (Yes, he works for the company that sells these shower curtain rods, but that’s okay as long as the thing is smart.) The curtain rod itself is pretty self explanatory, so we’ll just add that it is available in white, chrome and gold-ish and it is USD 40:- at Bed, Bath Beyond or USD 37:- on Amazon-.brbr
We’ll break the series of reader contributed tips for this very interesting and clever item we just found on Core 77. According to Hân Pham – inventor of the Antivirus cap – unsafe handling of syringes, needles and other medical sharps cause more than 200,000 HIV infections each year, plus millions of Hepatitis cases and other injuries. The solution above, utilizing an item available in great numbers (the used soda can) adding a smart lid to make disposing of needles and other infected sharps easy and safe could save lives. If this invention, an Index:2007 Awards nominee, is not in production, it should be. Check out the Index:2007 list, among the nominees are several we’ve already mentioned on Smart Stuff during the past year! ;-)brbr
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