The Lack comes in a variety of colors.
(Credit: Ikea)
This Ikea TV stand looks nice and sturdy.
(Credit: Ikea)Made of particleboard and ABS plastic, the Lack rack comes in a variety of painted colors (and "birch effect"); it's 21.3 inches wide and deep, and 17.75 inches high. Ikea doesn't present the Lack as audio furniture; it's a side table, but audiophiles all over the world have used it to support their prized possessions. Build quality is surprisingly sturdy.
Granted, the Lack won't handle macho 100-pound high-end amplifiers, but it'll be just right for a CD player stacked on top of a cool running receiver or integrated amplifier. Or get two Lacks, sit 'em side-by-side, and put your turntable on one and the electronics on the other.
Oh, you're more of a home theater enthusiast? Ikea's got you covered. Check out the matching Lack Corner TV-bench ($59.99) that will support up to 143 pounds.
(Credit:
Voos Furniture)
High-back, leather executive chairs that let you lean backward are really cushy (and expensive), but you can achieve the same effect and not (totally) burn a hole in your wallet with the $500 Attitude Chair.
Unlike conventional seats, this contraption by Deger Cengiz is fitted with two additional legs. In normal upright position, these legs won't touch the floor. But as you lean back, they roll out to replace the two front legs that have just been lifted off the ground.
We're assuming the pair stops at a fixed angle to prevent you from tipping over. While you can't really play executive in a wooden chair like this, at least you won't embarrass yourself by falling backward.
(Source: Crave Asia via Newlaunches)
Home is where the bum is.
(Credit: Eduardo McIntosh)Yikes. If this is the future of armchair living, gimme a Fatboy Hammock anytime. Designer Eduardo McIntosh's post-apocalyptic vision of an Autonomous Living Unit looks like a hot seat custom-made for the dystopian future of John Connor (Christian Bale).
According to McIntosh, this proposes a way of putting all the functions of a home into a single chair, and is intended to be installed in derelict buildings and deserted housing projects. Though why he reckons a recliner comprising a sinister tangle of speakers, wires, tubes, and dangling light bulbs could serve the basic needs of 21st century man remains a mystery.
But since this was designed as "a somewhat satirical project," if you didn't get, well, you got it. The concept contraption was exhibited at New York's d3 as part of the "Future Cities: Past, Present" exhibit in April. More images after the jump.
... Read more
It's a speaker, no it's a TV stand! No, it's both!
(Credit: GenevaSound)We've tested a lot of sound bar speakers for CNET, but none as ambitious or expensive as GenevaSound's Home Theater system. It's a 2.1 channel virtual surround system with an all-digital 700-watt amplifier, seven speakers, and integrated 12-inch subwoofer.
There's also a CD player, radio, and an iPod/iPhone dock. Considering its $3,999 list price, you might expect this super-size home theater to include a Blu-ray player, or at least a DVD player, but you're on your own. Your TV can be placed on the cabinet or wall mounted.
Oh well, the GenevaSound Home Theater's dock accepts iPods or iPhones, and the system's video outputs allow you to watch videos on your TV.
Unlike most plastic sound bars this one's beautifully made; its hand-lacquered wood cabinet measures an impressive 66 inches wide, 19 inches high, and 21 inches deep. The GenevaSound Home Theater weighs 176 pounds.
You better clean up your act, random gadgets and services! That's right, we're talking to you. You can't escape our scorn, because you JUST...DON'T...GET IT! Don't think we won't continue to use you, though. Cold turkey was never our strong suit.
Listen now: Download today's podcast
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EPISODE 125 |
Today’s episode inspired by Tributes.com
Dell’s Mini 10 Netbook debuting on…QVC?
Wheego Whip electric car coming to America in May for $19K
All the DJ’s in the house say “OW”--the Samsung Beat DJ has arrived
Bear sleeping bag will keep you safe from bear attacks, I assume
The eagerly anticipated MP3 speaker/perfume convergence
A propos (of) nothing
... Read more
Repelling magnets keep the Hoverit lounge chair levitating above its base.
(Credit: Hoverit)If you like to feel that you're above other people, the Hoverit lounge chair might just be for you.
Using repelling magnetic forces, the Lounger lifts you up as it levitates above the structure's base--just a few inches up, but up nonetheless.
The limited-edition handmade chair by British company Hoverit measures about 6.5 feet by 3 feet by 3 feet and comes in clear acrylic, though there are customization options. You can select different shapes of cutouts for the seat--circles, hearts, droplets, or slots--as well as mats to soften the acrylic blow. And the company said it will soon have a range of accessories, including cushions.
Hoverit describes lounging in its patent-pending chair as floating on a cloud. Watching a demo of it (video below), that description doesn't seem so far off. If you're concerned about the hovering part getting pushed out of line from the magnetic field and thus causing you to go kerplunk, stabilizing poles appear to keep that section where it needs to be.
Ubergizmo, however, poses some pertinent questions, such as whether it be can swayed from side to side to emulate a hammock tied between two trees.
Unfortunately, we haven't had a chance to test the chair--and probably won't ever, as it costs $8,350.
... Read more
(Credit:
Vanity PC)
Despite their functionality, not all built-in computer desks need to have a minimalist or futuristic design. In fact, if Vanity PC has its way, computing will blend almost seamlessly into furniture of the most traditional origins.
At first glance its offerings look like a throwback to the faux armoires used to conceal ridiculously bulky tube TVs in the living room, but Vanity PC goes beyond that. Not only does it integrate the computer into all manner of furniture--including a coffee table, as pictured here--but it also builds the technology directly into the pieces, such as an LCD underneath a folding desktop and stereo speakers built into cabinets, according to BornRich.
It's obviously not as versatile as a desk that accommodates a standard laptop, but that probably doesn't matter. Judging by the designs on its site, this isn't furniture one would expect to be used by the average road warrior.
(Credit:
BornRich)
There have been other multimedia loungers that hang screens precariously overhead, but usually they try to pack in as many functions as possible for entertainment or even (gasp) work. The "Surf Chair," however, keeps things simple: It just lets you lie back and immerse yourself in the Web.
That simplicity contributes to the classically clean lines of Danish design. And don't worry about all those cords tethering the peripherals in the photo; it actually won the "Internet Collection" competition of the Scandinavian Furniture Fair a few years ago, according to BornRich, so the gear should be wire-free by now.
AlphaSphere, a multi-sensory, relaxation lounger designed in Austria.
(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET Networks)
Last week in New York, the International Contemporary Furniture Fair showcased the tip-top of modern design. More than 600 exhibitors displayed contemporary furniture, flooring, lighting, and accessories and included a fair share of tech-oriented, futuristic and energy-saving devices. To see what they had to offer, click here.
20-year-old Australian Kyle Downes just finished building his most recent Ultra Awesome project: A massive working Nintendo controller that doubles as a coffee table and triples as a storage chest.
Built from a desire to improve G4TV's similar design, Kyle printed out a picture of an NES controller on A4 sized paper for the measurements and cut the whole thing out of 4mm Medium Density Fiberboard.
The result is every gamer's dream. It's another tribute to retro tech and the perfect piece of furniture to match your race car bed and sofa cushion forts.
