curtains

The Swiss aren't generally a people known for making a lot of noise. That's why they're good at hiding money. So maybe it's not surprising that Empa--a Swiss "interdisciplinary research and services institution"--has introduced lightweight, translucent curtains that absorb sound.

Designed via computer simulations by acoustic scientists and material engineers, the curtains blend sound obstruction and redirection with specialized textile properties to reduce decibels in rooms facing noisy adjoining environments. As Empa puts it, "With a gap of 15 cm between curtain and wall, the new developed curtain--depending on the frequency--absorbs up to five times more sound than typical lightweight curtains."

Sound-absorbing materials already exist, of course, but they don't tend to complement the average living room too well--unless you're into the rubber and foam aesthetic. Empa's curtains are the stuff of scientific conferences and published tech papers right now, but the imagination reels (quietly) at the possibilities when these curtains become widely available around the world. It's fun to envision the situations and environments where the curtains would be most desirable--even mandatory. … Read more

DARPA has ordered a new system that could make taking a shot at the U.S. military's 38-ton sitting ducks just a little more problematic.

CROSSHAIRS (Counter Rocket-Propelled Grenade and Shooter System with Highly Accurate Immediate Responses) is a modular, vehicle-mounted, threat detection and countermeasure system that locates and engages enemy shooters. It will take on bullets, rocket propelled grenades (RPG), Anti-Tank Guided Missiles and even direct fired mortars, whether on-the-move or sitting still, according to DARPA.

The sole source $8 million contract went to Mustang Technology Group to integrate and test the system on the massive MRAP (Mine … Read more

Cue "Psycho" music when it comes to using Elisabeth Beucher's Green Warrior Shower Curtains. Beucher--part of the London-based textiles collective Puff & Flock--is one sadistic dame whose style philosophy of "design for pain and for our own good" aims to awaken people to the consciousness of their behavior and give them limits. Such as this shower curtain that slowly inflates (strangles?) around you while you shower, with the aim of trapping overly leisurely bathers. Claustrophobics need not apply.

Another take is a shower curtain embedded with spikes (picture after the jump) that will slowly inflate (via what claims to be an energy-efficient air pump) the longer you bathe. Overstay your welcome and you'll be spitted, though seriously these look more like ticklish tentacles than painful skewers.

Of course, there's always the concern that some people may get to like this too much. Still, either green-conscious shower curtain would assuredly ensure that family members take shorter baths in the morning, so you can get to work on time. … Read more

Having your shadow scorched into the wall is one drawback to detonating a nuclear weapon; being blinded by the flash (PDF) and not being able to drive away in your B-52 Stratofortress is another.

Now engineers at the 540th Aircraft Sustainment Squadron's B-52 Communications Navigation and Weapons Flight have designed a thermal curtain that could protect aircrews from that blinding light (PDF).

The curtain resembles a common windshield sunshade used in passenger cars, except these cost $2,500 for a seven-shade set. Measuring about a tenth of an inch thick, 40 inches to 50 inches long, and 30 inches … Read more

Crave always appreciates an attempt to do something different, especially when it involves design--whether it succeeds or not. We're not quite sure which of those two categories this phone falls into, but it certainly is taking a novel approach.

Toshiba has apparently decided to take a bit of dramatic license in designing a new handset destined for the Japanese market, with countours that evoke image of stage curtains--hence the name of the line, "Drape." The phone continues its opera-house theme inside the clamshell, where you'll find an analog clock with a Cartier-style face bearing traditional Roman … Read more