vent

See this range hood in a new light

The kitchen is all about ambiance, and the new Lumen vent hood from Miele knows it. The stainless steel canopy is elegant enough on its own, but the integrated multicolored LED light band takes things to a new level. You could go with the ordinary white, green, red, or blue lights--or you could take advantage of the built-in feature that lets you transition through all 196,000 colors in the spectrum. You can set its color changeover at 1 minute or 15 minute intervals--or pick your favorite illumination and stick with that.

The hood also sports front-mounted controls, halogen dimmer … Read more

Mouse doubles as hand dryer, triples as seizure inducer

You're so funny, Japan. When I said someone should come up with a mouse that addresses the worldwide hyperhidrosis epidemic, I was joking. I didn't mean you should actually make one with a built-in fan.

Aside from the weird fan inside that keeps your hand cool, this Japan-only mouse, sold by the folks at eSupply for approximately $21, also comes with a remote to type in messages that blink to life underneath the vents while you're not using it. Because that's exactly what Japan needs: more blinking lights.

The mouse is pretty small, so it can … Read more

It's a vent hood AND an air conditioner!

The guys at Crave beat me to the punch on the Imago Plus hood, but they didn't mention Faber's other new product: the Hybrid super-hood. The concept is deceptively simple--it's a traditional vent hood with super-quiet operation, but it's also a climate control unit that can efficiently heat or cool about 430 square feet while purifying the air.

Fry up those greasy foods and let Hybrid clear the air; it takes care of the odors, smoke, and steam, and it keeps the kitchen cool and comfortable for you and your guests. The unit's heat-source recovery … Read more

Volvo working on 'the uncrashable car'

When we first spotted ScienceDaily's report on a research project to invent the uncrashable car, our imagination went wild: Reactive armor? A high-density chassis more durable than an aircraft's black box? Laser beams to disable oncoming vehicles?

The reality, unfortunately, isn't nearly as exciting. Instead of making cool gadgets to save lives, the PReVENT project is more software than hardware. It uses existing technology that, in event of a possible collusion, allows the car's intelligent system to take over and execute evasive maneuvers.

Despite using currently available equipment, it will be some time before we see … Read more

Change.org: Way better than an online petition

Earlier this week, Caroline took a look at VentBox, a place for people to get things off their chest. The limitation with sites like that is that they don't often solve your problems, which is where Change.org attempts to fill the gap. Change.org is designed to allow people to discuss and collaborate to make a change in a wide variety of fields. You also can vent all you want by starting your own change. It's grassroots, but on a global level.

Users can create their own cause, get others to join it, and begin discussions. You … Read more