(Credit:
Appliancist)
As often as I brag about packing my lunch, I've lately experienced a noticeable dip in the number of days I'm bringing food in from home. Many days I get home too tired to cook lunch, but in a conversation today, I attributed my recent lunch-packing laziness to my desire for variety. As someone who gets so much enjoyment out of eating good food, a daily lunch that relies upon the standard sandwich and side theme gets old a bit too quickly.
Something that would spice up lunchtime is opening up the playing field to include hot foods. This portable food container provides an attractive package for your lunchtime nosh, and includes a hidden heating element to keep it hot.
Dubbed the Mo:Ben, the container began its life as an entry into an Australian Design Award competition. It's made of an external box complete with a silicone base and retractable handles, an embedded heating element that's powered by an external adapter plug and is thermostat-controlled, and an internal container that holds both your food and utensils. The box has separate compartments too, so your favorite foods won't end up tasting like each other.
How many marketing goons did it take to come up with "Beanzawave?"
(Credit: Daily Mail)In what appears to be another case of "good idea, poor execution," Heinz has partnered with Frazer Designers to invent the world's smallest USB-powered microwave. The little device aims to satisfy the appetites of office workers who have so much work on their plate they can't find the time to step outside for a bite to eat. Stranger still, the microwave is called...the Beanzawave (what?!).
The small turquoise device is officially the smallest microwave ever invented, measuring a tiny 7.4 inches tall, 6.2 inches wide, and 5.9 inches deep. Much like today's external hard drives, the microwave is entirely powered by the USB bus on a computer, so there's no extra plug necessary. If you're wondering how it'll nuke your food, the answer has the Microwave Association (what?!) worried as well. Gordon Andrews and Stephen Frazer, the masterminds and "microwave experts" (what?!) behind the Beanzawave claim the device uses phone radio frequencies that produce the heat necessary to cook a single serving of food in Heinz's proprietary "Snap Pots."
Bill takes a break and enjoys a nice pot of poison.
(Credit: Daily Mail)All right wait, what?! Phone radio frequencies to cook our food? Apparently we've totally forgotten our fear that cell phones are carcinogenic and catapulted directly to ingestion. Andrews claims it's actually possible to adjust these radio frequencies to cook different foods, including pies, burgers, soup, or tea. He also suggests powering the Beanzawave with lithium ion batteries for campers and fishermen who want hot food in the field.
This prototype isn't getting very good feedback from the Microwave Association, and they're pretty sure this miniature technology won't ever see the light of day. I'm with them. But Heinz is sticking to the plan and says the final production decision rests in the hands of public feedback, so let's hear it: would you feel comfortable eating food out of a microwave powered by your computer using phone radio frequencies? Leave a comment and let us know!
(Source: DailyMail)
(Credit:
Brando)
Those of you who've adopted frugality during this recession know that packing a lunch is one of the best ways to cut down on spending. But waiting in line to use the microwave, washing your Tupperware out, and having your lunch stolen from the company refrigerator can make saving a few dollars everyday quite inconvenient.
The USB LunchBox Warmer, by the Hong Kong-based company Brando, keeps your leftovers and homemade lunches toasty hot. Just plug it in to your computer--which acts a power source--via the included USB cable and you're ready to eat a piping hot meal at a moment's notice. Not near a computer? Switch out the cable for the included AC adapter.
Like the similar device from Thanko, the lunch box keeps your meal at a steamy 122 degrees Fahrenheit and continues insulating once it's unplugged. Thanko's version isn't available in the U.S., so when I found out that Brando was selling this at $30 (with only $3 shipping), I took a moment to rejoice.
I'm a little reluctant about buying this, though. What kind of technology are they using anyhow? It took us years to accept the fact that microwaves don't cause cancer, so I'm wondering if this product is radiation-free. I'd definitely read the fine print before using.
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