Electrolux has been known to crank out some wicked appliances (and other household gear) over the years, but now its getting a taste (ahem) of just how snazzy its lineup will be once these students hire in upon graduating. Engineering minds from all over the world submitted entries into the firm's 2006 Design Lab contest, and while props were (understandably) given to a plethora of participants, only three could claim top honors. Above all was the Nevale Food Carrier (pictured above), which rocks four separated layers for toting "different hot / cold meals" at once, and the digital screen atop its lid provides a real-time readout of the storage conditions while the built-in vacuum system keeps food "fresh and free from bacteria." The first runner up, dubbed The Organic Cook, puts a nasty right hook on Mr. Foreman's offering, as it touts "oil-free frying, grilling, and boiling using infrared technology and vacuum cooking." Taking home the bronze is VESSTO, a "sleekly-designed, portable cooker" that utilizes renewable energy as power via an "advanced version of the Stirling Engine," and also features touch-sensitive controls and a screen for displaying recipes. So if you're interested to know just how stylish your kitchen will look in just a few more years, be sure to click on for a few more snapshots, and hit the read link for the full rundown of spectacular contrivances.

[Via Appliancist]

In an announcement sure to cause lazy people everywhere to raise their arms ever so slightly in glee, home appliance manufacturer Electrolux has revealed a "vacuum shoe" concept model. In order to accommodate the electric motor -- and store all the crap that you've left on your floor -- the concept design features a rather thick and ugly sole reminiscent of Cosmo Kramer's basketball sneakers, so you probably wouldn't want to do much walking outdoors in them. Seeing as this is just a concept model that's at least a couple of testing stages away from a real product, we wouldn't be surprised if the real model was even more "visually challenged." No matter, because a device that completes chores without the owner knowingly doing them is effectively impossible to price, although that doesn't mean Electrolux won't try. And if the vacuum shoe does manage to make it out of testing, it probably won't ship for a while: in other words, don't say we didn't warn you if the excuse of leaving mess around just "so you can have something to test it with when it ships" doesn't cut it with your significant other.