This rather plain looking, oak-mirror from Designers Anonymous features a series of LEDs that light-up to form the image of a hanging chandelier when switched on. Now to be quite honest, the fact that you can see the dotted outline of the chandelier in the daytime kind oframed f ruins the effect for me, and given the mirror costs ~$840 (£580) I would have preferred if the chandelier was completely invisible until the LEDs were illuminated. But I can be really picky when it comes to light-up mir

Pepper is said to taste its best when freshly grounded, and what if it is served by a droid, not just any droid but a cute looking R2-D2 from the Star Wars films? Well that would be a treat! Hard to believe but it is true. This R2-D2 carries abilities to enhance tastes of food as well, at least on the pepper side.

A Japanese company has come up with a pepper grinder in the shape of R2-D2 to please all those Star Wars fans out there. Standing approximately 4.3 inches tall this peppermill looks exactly like the Star Wars droid, only that it does not have all its special tools – the hologram projector, periscope, computer interface, gripping tool, and the taser. However, it has that what no other R2-D2 has had till date – a pepper grinding mechanism.

So how does R2-D2 serve pepper? All that you have to do is turn its head and watch the pepper come out of the bottom, leaving your food seasoned with freshly ground pepper. This little peppermill is available in one more color – black, and has been named R2-D2. No matter what color it is the function remains the same.

For those who do not know who R2-D2 is here is a little introduction. A fictional droid, R2-D2 is one of the four main protagonists appearing in all six Star Wars movies along with Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and C-3PO. C-3PO is a droid companion of R2-D2. Ever since its inclusion in the Star Wars movies R2-D2 has seen its popularity soaring heights. In the year 2003 it was inducted into the Robot Hall of Fame. It has not only been a part of Star Wars but has also appeared in various commercials and television series. Along with C-3PO it gave a guest appearance in the popular children’s series Sesame Street in the year 1978. Together they also presented the 50th Academy Awards. Need more to prove the popularity of R2-D2?

I won’t even keep a glass of water on my bedside table for fear of it accidentally getting spilled during the night, so the idea of having a boiling pot of water a foot away from my bed in the morning kind of scares me. Even if you really enjoy tea for breakfast, is this bedside Teasmade alarm clock really worth the risk? Like timer equipped coffee makers, the Teasmade will brew about 600ml of tea in a small ceramic pot just prior to the alarm going off (as long as you remember to fill it with water and tea bags the night before) so you always wake up to a fresh pot. But unlike timer equipped coffee makers, which are designed to be used in the kitchen, this thing has the potential to do some serious morning harm if you’re not the type to wake up with all of your senses intact.

It’s available from MenKind for about $88 (£59.99) and if you have to have one, please use it responsibly, as third degree burns are no way to start your day.

This is one concept design that would probably baffle your guests if they happened to see it while the light was off.  When the light isn’t on it just looks like a big hunk of wood with a mysterious cord coming out of the back.  The true colors of the light aren’t revealed until you happen to flip it on.

The dimensions of the lamp are completely unknown, so for all I know it’s 3 feet tall or 3 inches tall.  It appears that it’s actually a pretty decent size though.  On the inside of the Cub Lamp is an etched on leaf design.  This was designed by Julian Robin and there’s no word if it’ll be headed towards mass production or ever be created into something purchasable at all.

Unlike your standard punching bag, which seems like it was designed to look like a hanging slab of beef, this Interactiv’ Boxing setup stylishly hangs on your wall via an adjustable rack so it’s always at the right height. Built-in sensors and LEDs can track where you’ve punched, or direct you where to unleash your fury if you’re using one of the 10 fitness programs which provide a stimulating cardio workout or self-defense training, while a small LCD display provides numerical feedback on your workout. The ‘bag’ itself sells for ~$182, though you’ll have to buy the wall mounting rack separately which is an additional $97. And while I like the space-saving nature of its design, I have to wonder how long this thing will stay safely attached to the wall if you’re wailing on it every day…

You love your dog and you love playing with him, most of the time. But when your dog is ready to chase tennis balls for hours and you are not, the GoDogGo Automatic Fetch Machine will keep you both happy. This pet gadget is an innovative way to play with your dog in the backyard without having to stand up or strain your throwing arm.

Using an included remote, the Automatic Fetch Machine can be set to launch tennis balls to your dog’s preferred distance and time interval. Balls can be launched anywhere from fiteen to thirty feet and will be projected anywhere from seven to fifteen seconds. You can also launch a ball by simply pressing the button on the remote if you don’t want it to be automatic.

The Automatic Fetch Machine is designed with a plastic hopper that looks like a big bucket. It can hold up to 17 tennis balls and will continue to launch as long as the hopper is full. The mechanical loading platform is powered by either an AC power plug or six D batteries which will run the fetch machine for five hours.

When your dog is in the mood to play and you’re not you’ll definitely want this Automatic Fetch Machine. You could even train your dog to refill it himself so you never have to get out of your backyard lounge chair

You’ve probably seen sketches like the one above promising you complete cable independence since what, 1996? We’re not about to tell you this is the one technology that finally delivers on that utopian dream, but it’s surely one of the zanier attempts at it. By converting “ultra fast laser pulses” into radio frequency waves, the researchers claim they’ve overcome a significant hurdle to making wireless communications ubiquitous — signal interference. The rapid (each laser burst lasts a mere 100 femtoseconds), pulsing nature of their approach purportedly makes their signal extremely robust, while intended operation at around 60GHz means their microring transmitters (diagram after the break) will be able to operate within spectrum space that does not require a license — neither from the FCC nor internationally. Applications for the microrings would include things like HDTV broadcasts and piping data into vehicles, although we won’t be seeing anything happening on the commercial front for at least another five years. Typical. If you just can’t wait that long, a few Japanese companies you may have heard of are preparing their own 60GHz wireless devices for the second half of this year.

We know that doctors always advise us to eat healthily, and that would leave often delicious fried food down at the bottom of the list, with fresh fruits and vegetables taking up the top spot in terms of consumption. Ah well, if you want to get the best of both worlds, how about considering the One Tablespoon Deep Fryer? After all, it justifies your fears by making up to 2 lbs. of crisp, succulent fried food using only one tablespoon of oil – now how about that? Hammacher is offering the One Tablespoon Deep Fryer for $299.95.

The nominal amount of oil results in french fries with only 3% fat–far superior to the 14% fat content of conventionally deep-fried potatoes. An internal convection oven heats to 338º F and evenly circulates hot air to cook chicken wings, shrimp, or spring rolls with the same crunchy exterior and moist interior produced by conventional deep fryers. Food slowly revolves around the nonstick basin while an integrated paddle automatically turns and mixes ingredients with the oil and other seasonings to ensure even cooking. Virtually all of the cooking oil is absorbed by the food, eliminating the hassle of disposing of large quantities of used oil. The device does not require any preheating, it has a timer, and its cover, cooking basin, and paddle are dishwasher safe.

We’ve seen sanitizing toothbrush setups before, but this one is slightly different since it does razors instead in the form of the Germ Eliminating Razor Sanitizer. As usual, ultraviolet light is used to make sure that all those nasties residing on your razor blade will bite the dust before it can infect you through an accidental cut – or at least up to 99% of the germs out there. All you need to do is place the razor within the case, closed the lid and let the UV bulb get to work right away for six minutes. This case s small enough to be stored in a toiletry bag wherever you go, and will shut itself off automatically after each cycle. Capable of lasting up to 2,000 hours, this $29.95 device is powered by a couple of AAA batteries.

Zippo’s are synonymous with wind-proof lighters, and here is one Zippo product that pays homage to its heat generating capability – the Zippo Hand Warmer. After all, during the chilly autumn and winter months, one’s hands can lose heat extremely easily without a nice, solid pair of gloves, hence making the Zippo Hand Warmer all the more important to tote around. It relies on a platinum catalyzed glass fibre burner that makes it capable of releasing up to 10 times more heat compared to other hand warmers. Capable of lasting up to 12 hours on a solitary 12ml filling of lighter fuel, this £19.99 purchase should have come out earlier from the onset of last winter – ah well, guess those living Down Under can look forward to it this June, eh?