I always applaud innovations in the art of laziness, and the gadget elves at Thanko are masters at it.

Take Gorone de Megane, the latest eyewear to come out of Thanko's Tokyo workshop.

As the name suggests, these "napping glasses" let you read a book, watch TV, or use your smartphone while remaining completely horizontal in bed or on the couch.

Prisms in the specs reflect light into your peepers, leaving you perfectly positioned to nod off into a blissful snooze. … Read more

In a world where you can walk into a store and buy the same piece of wall art as 1 million other people, it's nice to have options that are more unique than that. VoicePix is betting people will want to talk, laugh, and sing their way to a piece of art that no one else can replicate. The company takes an audio recording, generates a visual wave file, and prints it out in your choice of colors.

Though VoicePix officially launches March 26, you can get in early to play around with the product. Record into your computer microphone directly on the site or upload a file. It can take up to 48 hours for VoicePix to process your recording. After that, you can view it and choose whether to order it as a physical piece of art.… Read more

I confess. I sometimes set my iPad on the bathroom counter and watch "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" episodes with closed captions turned on while I take a shower. No, it's not an elegant solution. There's a danger of shower splashing, or knocking it over while toweling off. I should probably be looking into acquiring a Koala Mount instead.

The $20 Koala Mount from Dockem is advertised as "damage-free," meaning you could potentially stick them all over your apartment and still have a good shot at recovering your security deposit when you move out. The Koala works with all iPad generations, even the iPad Mini, as well as several popular Android tablets.… Read more

Dutch designer Scott van Haastrecht has come up with an innovative way to spice up his mornings. His invention, the Image Toaster, searches Google Images and proceeds to toast the day's latest images on bread at at 6x6 pixels.

Meant as a school project for a Creative Technology course, the Image Toaster is currently still a prototype and needs to be tethered to a computer to work. The creator explains that his final product will work on Wi-Fi and only needs a power cord to function. … Read more

MakerBot and open-source hardware pioneers Adafruit Industries have partnered to produce a limited edition Adafruit Replicator 2 3D Printer bundle.

For $2,295, buyers get a Replicator 2 -- one of the hottest consumer-grade 3D printers on the market today -- and three of Adafruit's most-popular kits. A Replicator 2 normally sells for $2,200.

The three kits included in the package are Adafruit's MintyBoost V3.0, an open-source hardware charger; a 512MB RAM Raspberry Pi Model B; and a Timesquare do-it-yourself watch kit with a red display matrix. … Read more

Tony Stark may use the repulsor units on the hands of his Iron Man suit to help him fly around and fight, but Sergio Oliveira has found a different use for them. Oliveira's Iron Man arm lamp is a one-of-a-kind task light suitable for brightening up the work space of any superhero fan.

Unlike the repulsor from Iron Man's armor, the lamp version isn't likely to blast the papers right off your desk. What makes this lamp even better is that it's not a fresh-off-the-assembly-line arm. It's a battle-worn, scarred-surface arm. It looks like it's been through a few rounds with Whiplash.… Read more

There are two meanings for illumination: light and knowledge. As such, a lamp that looks like a book seems apropos -- and Lumio by San Francisco architect and industrial designer Max Gunawan immediately appeals.

When you open its cover, a concertina crafted to resemble the pages acts as a filter for the bright LEDs inside.

It's not just a pretty face, though. Like a book, it's portable, its lithium ion rechargeable with a discreet charging port hidden in the spine. Because it's lit with LEDs, its power consumption is low, lasting up to 8 hours. Neodymium magnets in the cover mean you can stick it to metal surfaces, and the wooden cover is flexible for a variety of configurations. … Read more

If you've ever been rudely interrupted by a doorbell because someone was dropping by your house at an inconvenient time, this prototype doorbell will make a lot of sense.

DoorJamz from KMN Home is a touchless, customizable doorbell that lets you adjust the ring volume, as well as set the ring to a favorite tune, just like the Swann MP3 DJ Doorbell.

As suggested in the promo video below (warning: it features a half-naked guy dancing in white socks, a la "Risky Business"), you can choose MP3s for different days of the week or for any occasion, such as "Thriller" on Halloween.

I'd definitely choose "Harlem Shake." … Read more

A watched pot never boils, but some pots can stir themselves.

Kurukuru Nabe, a pot developed in Japan, stirs its own contents, freeing you up to do better things with your time.

You'd think this is high-tech stuff, but no. It's a conventional saucepan with a grooved insert that produces a circular motion resembling a whirlpool in the water.

The design is fairly simple, as seen in this video of an aluminum pot with grooves that induce a spin. … Read more