The Magno Radio: Retro fashion made from sustainable ebony wood
I moved to New York about a month ago and now that the apartment hunt is over, my next project is to get all the necessary junk to fill my room. The first thing I need (read: want) is an alarm clock, and I am a CNETeer (read: nerd), so I've been looking into unique iPod alarm clock radios.
(Credit:
Design Public)
In my search, I stumbled upon a batch of wooden radios designed by Singgih Kartono. They're made of sustainable ebony wood and crafted by local Indonesian carpenters in areas of high unemployment. The radios come in three sizes, each with a slightly different shape but all with the same modernist innovation aesthetic, reminiscent of George Nelson or Paul McCobb.
The models feature an AM/FM radio, two shortwave bands, and a line-out port for connecting an external audio source. Kartono also includes an external radio antenna with a wooden washer on the end that helps to increase radio reception. Also, the radio can be powered by AA batteries. It would have been nice to have an analog clock over the speaker cover, but I can respect the Ramsian "Weniger, aber besser" (less, but better) approach.
The radios are $200, $250, and $300, and can be purchased at Design Public.
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(Credit:
Design Public)
Justin Yu covers desktop computers, printers, and peripherals for CNET. When he's not scouring eBay for useless ephemera or eating hot dogs for breakfast, he spends his time making fun of Internet culture every morning on The 404 podcast. E-mail Justin. 
