Micro hair straightners from Cloud Nine

Do you get caught out by fly-a-way hairs or weird curly bits midway through the day? At a time when your bedroom and the implements need to sort it out are far away? Catering to this disastrous scenario, manufacturers Cloud Nine have brought out minature hair straighteners that fit in your handbag. At 6 inches…

Today is Most Depressing Day: but there's a gadget for it

I've been waiting for the most depressing day of the year to be announced (one of my little hobbies..) and apparently it's today. Today, Monday the 18th January. 'Blue Monday' is always in January and usually the middle of January - when the glow from Christmas has faded off. A cheery psychologist called Cliff Arnall…

Meet the world's first see-through toaster: the Magimix Vision

If you're particular about how brown your toast is, finally there's a toaster that will let you check exactly how brown your toast is before switching the heat off. It's a see-through toaster. Named the Vision Toaster, makers Magimix claim that it is the first toaster of its type in The World. The clear glass…

Skype moves on to the TV, and goes High Definition

Skype will bring video calls onto the television screen: soon customers will able to download Skype to TV sets that have internet access. And, thanks to a partnership with LG and Panasonic, new TVs from those manufacturers will come with preloaded Skype software and the capacity to run High Definition video. "We're bringing Skype into…

Aquavision unveils new range of bathroom TVs

If you have ever thought (seriously) about getting a TV set for your bathroom, then you'll know all about Aquavision. The company has been working quietly for some while perfecting its range of TV sets that sit in your bathroom yet are immune to water, condensation and random squirts from awkward to use conditioner bottles.…

Extreme beds: the dinosaur and the space ship

This is fun. The monster isn't under your bed... the monster is your bed. If you are a child who loves dinosaurs and doesn't get terrified by the thought of sleeping in the jaws of a tyrannosaurus rex, this would be the most amazing bed in the world. In a way, it's just a take…

SodaStream relaunches: sleeker and greener

Classic kitchen gadget, the SodaStream, which has fizzed up drinks in homes since the 70s, is back in a sleek new version. The SodaStream of 2009 comes in different colours (chrome, red and white) with a new emphasis on being eco-friendly and health-conscious. Very late noughties. The strapline is still an original 70s gem though…

Furniture designed like ice-cream and xylophones: surprisingly cute

The idea of sitting-room furniture designed like an ice-cream sounds a bit out there - would that be a round lump? Or a cone? But Jellio (strapline: fun by design) have designed a bench based on a ice-cream slider and the result is sweet and retro. Made from solid foam, it's 48 inches long and…

Changes to Facebook: more privacy control, less regional identity

Facebook is introducing changes to its privacy settings, CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced last night in a blog post that puffed the site's recently-relased massive user figures and announced 3 major new changes. 1. An end to regional networks Back when Facebook members were largely students it made sense to have specific networks for universities or…