As if the Cushion Control pillows weren't cute enough, here we find a USB-powered, felt-covered calculator synth to ooh and aww over. Artists Kelli Cain and Brian Crabtree were able to conjure up this nifty device at a Felt Circuits workshop held in Los Angeles, and while details are relatively scarce, the creation is essentially a homemade eight- x six-inch calculator constructed from dyed wool that was hand-rubbed into felt. The two also "designed, etched, and populated noise-making circuit boards" which were then put into the contraption, and when connected to a USB port, touching the metal contacts that are sewn on "makes a bunch of noise," which we can causally refer to as abstract music. Unfortunately, there's no sign of these things going on sale, but if you beg the duo hard enough, you might find out if another workshop is in the pipeline.

It pains us to see the furry fad still lingering around, but joining the totally hairy Philips display comes the patent-pending "no constraints carpet," which presumably aims to provide warmth and companionship to the lonely house dweller. Reportedly showcased at the Tokyo Fiber convention, Panasonic has developed a electrified faux fur that comes in white, brown, or black / white color schemes to "deliver warmth only to the areas you touch when you cuddle it." Oddly, there was no word on where the internal heating elements get their juice, but considering that the technology isn't quite ready for commercial release, we assume the firm is keeping wraps on the nitty gritty. The fun-lovin' fur should be available in short (five feet) and long (23 feet) iterations, and while we aren't entirely sure if your local home furnishings store will actually have rolls of this stuff to cover your flooring anytime soon, those still living in yesterday can certainly hope for the best.

[Via PinkTentacle]

Next time you walk into a hiring office and spot freshly laid carpet, you might want to ensure you're at an equal opportunity employer. A new kind of floor covering has been invented at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology in Japan that determines the weight, age, and sex of the individuals strolling across. Aside from allowing hiring managers to make snap decisions about the person approaching their door, the team hopes to use it in less dodgy scenarios such as analyzing shopping patterns or audience demographics at various entertainment venues. The carpet's intelligence is derived from a layer of silicone rubber with built-in electrodes that measure the changes in electrical resistance and current flow caused by someone walking across it. Testing has produced a nearly perfect record when determining ages between 20 and 60, and gender is identified with about 75 percent accuracy -- eerie to say to the least. Although it cannot yet identify your alma mater or intelligence level, at least you can blame the carpet for your demise whenever an interview goes awry.