Furniture -- Engadget

furniture posts

Mission-style PC casemod easily slides into your La-Z-Boy collection

by Darren Murph posted Sep 18th 2009 at 2:08AM

Jeffrey Stephenson is to case mods what Benjamin Heckendorn is to console mods. There, we said it. After watching the former pump out wood-grained mod after wood-grained mod, Sir Jeff has issued yet another -- wait for it -- wood-grained mod. The black walnut mission-style side table is actually a full-blown PC in disguise, with a standard ATX mid-tower within that's equipped with an Intel Core i7 CPU, NVIDIA graphics and dual stage temperature-controlled exhaust fans. He notes that it'll be available next Spring for those with fine tastes, though we're sure he'd customize it to fit your living room suite for the right price.

DIY ShiftBrite coffeetable a beautiful, headache-inducing conversation piece

by Laura June posted May 4th 2009 at 1:44PM

Searching for the perfect coffeetable is a struggle we know well. DIYer macetech has sidestepped the whole "boring" furniture problem by installing 81 ShiftBrite LED modules into a 2x2 foot IKEA table which run a sine plasma into HSV/RGB conversion by way of an Arduino. Sure, it's probably not something your grandmother would want in her living room -- but your friends would undoubtedly be pretty jealous to see this thing hanging out in your place. Watch out for seizures, though. Video of the table in action after the break.

[Via Make]

Continue reading DIY ShiftBrite coffeetable a beautiful, headache-inducing conversation piece

Sony hides audio system within stylish RHT-G HDTV stands

by Darren Murph posted Mar 19th 2009 at 11:18AM

If Onei Solutions' speaker-infused TV stand was a bit too extravagant for your den, why not consider Sony's completely classy alternatives? The new RHT-G series follows up on last year's model by including three new HDTV stands that include multi-channel audio systems. The RHT-G950 is designed to hold sets from 40- to 46-inches, while the RHT-G1550 handles big screens in the 46- to 55-inch range and the RHT-G550 holds those 32- to 40-inch models. The G950 and G1550 each host a 5.1-channel array of speakers with 470- and 550-watts of power, respectively; the smaller G550 does 3.1 with 330-watts. There's also a dozen selectable sound modes, a trio of HDMI inputs, BRAVIA Sync support and a Digital Media Port for connecting one's Walkman, PC, phone or iPod. There's no mention of pricing just yet, but these should hit shelves in the May to July time frame.

[Via Engadget Spanish]

Gallery: Sony hides audio system within stylish RHT-G HDTV stand

eStarling's ImpactV digiframe does video, WiFi, handstands

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Dec 9th 2008 at 3:44PM

It usually takes a lot to get us stoked on a digiframe -- after all, there are so many, and they all pretty much do the exact same thing. That said, the new ImpactV from eStarling doesn't seem so shabby. Of course, we've seen some of these features on prior models (such as an 8-inch display, WiFi, the ability to email pictures to the frame, photo scheduling, and RSS feeds), but DVD quality video playback (up to 4 minutes), a custom iPhone app, Photobucket and YouTube search, and Facebook support are all very interesting. Retailing for $199, the PR we received may be stretching things a bit when they call it "an exciting evolution in furniture," but that's OK. They've probably never seen the RoboStool.

Did you cheap out on a TV stand? It probably just got recalled.

by Darren Murph posted Sep 24th 2008 at 3:08PM

Let's be honest -- after sinking a few large on a new HDTV, a few hundies on some overpriced cables and even more on HD programming, you weren't about to cough up another month's paycheck for a decent TV stand. For the 48,600 customers out there who purchased one of four different King Pao Enterprise TV Stands (likely sold and distributed by Studio RTA), you now have a product known for tipping over and ruining lives. The E Series, Fierro, Madison DLP and Madison 3000 -- all of which were sold at Best Buy and other big box retailers from May 2004 to August 2008 -- have been deemed unstable and unfit for use in your living room, and it's suggested that you cautiously remove your set and wait for a "repair kit" before it does the removing for you. Godspeed.

Video: RoboStool follows you around, never leaves you sans a seat

by Darren Murph posted Aug 2nd 2008 at 2:52PM

We can't fully express the awesomeness of RoboStool with mere words, but we'll try. A product of Norris Labs, this robotic foot stool can be navigated in a trio of ways: by using a remote control, by actually tapping into a satnav or by utilizing a thermal sensing system to make it follow its master around. We don't suppose you need more than one guess to pick which of the three is our favorite, and there's a nice demonstration video of said choice waiting after the jump. IKEA, you on this or what?

Continue reading Video: RoboStool follows you around, never leaves you sans a seat

Hand crafted cassette tape lamp turns old tech into fresh lighting

by Darren Murph posted Jun 27th 2008 at 1:31PM

Remember that hundred pack of blank cassettes you bought back in '93 when they hit 90-percent off? Man, those were the days. Unfortunately, you only got around to making three or four mix tapes, leaving you with quite a few unused hunks of junk cluttering up the closet. If you've managed to hang onto 'em just knowing a worthwhile use was just around the bend, congratulations. The ingenious cats over at Transparent House have glued an assortment of old tapes together and inserted neon lights within to keep things cool and create a rather impressive source of lighting. Oh, and if you can't figure this one out sans a how-to guide, maybe DIY work just isn't your bag.

[Via technabob]

Tristar Massage Chair isn't built for the average living room

by Darren Murph posted Jun 23rd 2008 at 3:17AM

Really, we've yet to pinpoint a massage chair that fit in well with typical furniture and didn't cost a small fortune, but we're tempted to believe that the Tristar Massage Chair was actually created with Martians in mind. This rather terrifying seating device includes all sorts of apparatuses that will reportedly remove stress from your back, feet, face and fingertips. There's also an integrated audio system for surrounding yourself in Kenny G or Killswitch Engage, whichever group helps you cope with all that you dealt with during the workday. Too bad you'll be burning that midnight oil to pay off the €5,000 ($7,807) credit card bill.

[Via Ubergizmo]

ASCII Curtains redefine interior design

by Darren Murph posted Mar 18th 2008 at 3:48PM

There's absolutely no shortage of ways to geek up the inside of your domicile, but few creations posses the perfect balance of class and geekiness like the ASCII Curtains. Reportedly hand-crafted by designer / artist / undiscovered genius Nieke Sybrandy, these nerdalicious curtains feature a light gray tree motif that is compiled entirely from code. Breathtaking, no? Hit the read link for one more look -- and don't even bother phoning up Bed Bath & Beyond, we already tried.

[Via gearcrave, thanks William]

Walking Chair tests your dedication to laziness, extravagance

by Evan Blass posted Jan 25th 2008 at 9:34AM

Anyone can go into Office Depot and pick up a rolling desk seat for fifty bucks, but it takes a truly lazy individual to shell out almost $22,000 for a chair that very slowly "walks" you into proper working position. Actually, we doubt that the commercially-available Walking Chair from Vienna-based design studio Walking Things is really built for sitting; it's more likely meant as a showpiece for the ridiculous amount of disposable income you're pulling in. Each minimalist eight-legged unit is hand-assembled upon order, meaning that you'll need to wait at least six weeks to show your friends how very little €15,000 ($21,906) mean to you.

[Via Slashgear]

Humongous Xbox 360 doubles as a cabinet

by Darren Murph posted Dec 5th 2007 at 4:04PM

Hot on the heels of the enormous Wiimote cabinet comes an absolutely gigantic Xbox 360 that truly has to be seen to be appreciated. Thankfully, there's a video of the thing waiting in the read link, but this beastly player opens up to reveal the perfect storage area for periodicals and pamphlets that are sure to collect dust and rarely ever be touched by human hands again. Additionally, a light was added behind the power button (no, it's not red) for good measure, but last we heard, the original Xbox controller (aka Duke) was no longer on speaking terms with its biological cousin (pictured).

[Thanks, J]

Craftsman builds Wiimote cabinet, neglects wrist strap

by Darren Murph posted Nov 27th 2007 at 3:59PM

We're not exactly sure why folks aren't as inclined to create confections, earrings and door unlockers with those other controllers, but something about the Wiimote just brings out the craftsman in DIY'ers at large. This go 'round, Craig has constructed a functioning cabinet that closely resembles Nintendo's heralded controller. Unfortunately, we have all ideas that it won't actually enable you to participate in any Mario Party 8 mini-games, but considering that there's no wrist strap tacked on the bottom, we wouldn't recommend whirling this about, anyway. Check out a few more shots over at the read link.

[Via NintendoWiiFanboy]

Steelcase's Walkstation marries desk and treadmill

by Evan Blass posted Oct 19th 2007 at 11:02AM

Anyone who reads the fine site Book of Joe knows that the man behind the blogging empire is religiously devoted to working out while writing, and prides himself on having integrated a treadmill into his workspace. Well manufacturer Steelcase thinks that this trend has grown beyond one individual multitasking in his underwear, and is poised to introduce a nicely-designed product called the Walkstation which seems more at home in a CEO's office than your messy living room. Not many details are available on this converged piece of furniture co-designed by the Mayo Clinic's Dr. James Levine (who's been working in this specialized field for at least two years, apparently), ~~but supposedly there's an all day demo going down on October 25th at 4 Columbus Circle if you happen to be in the New York area. And if you do go, try to show up in a cab just to be ironic.~~

Update: We've learned -- unsurprisingly, from the Joe mentioned above -- that this rig will retail for a cool $6,500, thereby making it the Rolls Royce of integrated workstations. Thanks, Joe, and keep, um, running for the stars!

Update 2: Whoops, guess there's no demo going on after all. You can still show up to that address, we guess, but you certainly won't have the good time you would have had working and exercising simultaneously.

Lite Table brings back illuminated childhood memories

by Darren Murph posted Jul 14th 2007 at 10:40PM

While some things may take you back, the Lite Table manages to warp you way back. Upon first glance, there's absolutely no doubt where this masterpiece of a table got its inspiration, and for those who wasted hours on end moving pegs and devising new Lite Bright creations as a wee lad (or dame), any price would seem reasonable for this. Granted, this piece has been spotted before, but thanks to Jellio, what appears to be a fanboy's creation is actually available for purchase. What's it gonna take? A mere $600, a whole lot of patience, and a prime spot in the living room to show your youngsters that grown-ups can still relate.

[Via UberReview]

Glide's Twist-Together decorative LED light cubes

by Darren Murph posted May 15th 2007 at 12:03AM

We've seen instances of in-house LED lighting and decorative blocks before, but Glide Inc. is melding both worlds into a single glowing building block project with its Twist-Together devices. The blocks are LED-based to keep energy costs at a minimum, but the real fun begins when adults realize that they're really buying a set of useful LEGOs on steroids. Glide insinuates that these fixtures can be arranged in just about any combination that your brain can fathom, and can even be used as props in furniture if your mischievous kids have taken a toll on bar stool legs and bookshelf dividers. The modular lighting solution was showcased this past weekend at BKLYN Designs' annual show in New York, and while we're not sure how much these things will end up running you when they hit niche shops in the future, returning to a state of childhood innocence is simply priceless.