Sleepboxes can be installed at train stations, airports, and shopping centers.
(Credit: Arch Group)With more devices dedicated to the sleep-deprived on the move, the Sleepbox is one concept I'm rooting for. It's probably not for the claustrophobic, given its box-like interior, but it draws inspiration from Japan's capsule hotels.
Parked along stretches of an airport, this private nap space would be a boon for Economy Class overnighters lacking access to a Business or First Class lounge with sleeping facilities. Not all of us plebs are that fortunate, and usually have to make do with stretching out on awkward plastic seats.
Russian architect team Arch Group, thinking out of the box, has attempted to make its Sleepbox as comfy and sanitary as possible. The bed comprises a soft, flexible strip of foamed polymer with a surface of pulp tissue. The sheets are changed via a roller-like conveyer belt system, similar to the roller seat covers in bathrooms.
There's also Wi-Fi, an LCD display, sockets for charging laptops and mobile devices, a storage area to stash your luggage, and an alarm for keeping tabs on your allotted nap time.
The plan is for travelers to rent these 6.5 foot by 4.5 foot by 7.5 foot Sleepboxes for 15-minute slots or longer. This sleeps one, and hopefully stays that way. More photos after the jump.
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From the back, you'd think this man was injured and wearing some sort of neck and body brace.
(Credit: Substitute Materials)We've heard of sleep pod facilities in New York for sleep-deprived cubicle dwellers seeking some shut-eye. But here's a way to have your power nap upright while still appearing to keep to the spirit of a city that never sleeps.
This crazy contraption--by the amusing one-man Office for the Development of Substitute Materials--was actually tried and tested during a 40-minute snooze along Broadway as part of the Conflux 2009 festival, a gathering of artists, technologists, and urban adventurers.
Out of the box, you have a vertical bed that attaches conveniently to any subway ventilation grating for prop support; opaque sunglasses; free standing brolly; and noise-canceling headphones. And it all collapses into a totable briefcase.
That said, this isn't as elegantly simple as Japan's chindogu (art of useless idea) solution, the Commuter Chin Stand. Plus, it's always a bad idea to catch 40 winks in the middle of the Big Apple, where you'll be easy pickings for light-fingered pickpockets who'll clean you of everything but the braces you stand in. In short, you snooze, you lose.
A man takes a 40-minute "nap" at Broadway and 33rd St. in New York as part of the Conflux 2009 festival. He must have an incredible talent for tuning out honking horns.
(Credit: Substitute Materials)(Source: Crave Asia via DesignLaunches.com)
Desperately seeking snoozing: iNap@Work generates the sounds of work so you don't have to.
If ever an iPhone app was created for the George Costanzas of the world, it's this one: iNap@Work simulates office sounds so you can snooze while the people around you think you're working.
I mean, seriously, wouldn't a 20-minute siesta be fantastic right about now? Just fire up iNap@Work, then adjust its five sound-effect sliders until they accurately reproduce the sounds that would normally come from your cubicle.
The app simulates mouse clicking, keyboard tapping, paper crumpling, stapler stapling, pencil sharpening, and tissue, um, using.
Needless to say, it's a pretty hilarious piece of code. I'm sure it's the rare office where you could actually put it to use (without getting caught and fired, anyway), but it's definitely good for a laugh.
What other apps tickle your funny bone? I'd love to hear your favorites. (But, please, spare me the fart-noise simulators. This isn't the second grade.)
Dr. Michael Breus, the Sleep Doctor, joins us today for what is quite possibly the most informative show we've ever done. No iPhone OS 3.0 news here today. We've got something so much better. It's our 300th episode, and we're still not canceled! *Fingers crossed.*
(Credit:
Warner Bros./Wilson Tang)
That's right, we're still amazed. 300!
If you've ever listened to the show, you know we push the limit of acceptable behavior--even on the Interwebs. Justin has his poop jokes. Wilson has his stuffed peppers. And Jeff has his general hatred of humanity and happiness. Thank you, our listeners, for keeping us alive and giving us a reason to come into work every day. Go out and celebrate St. Patrick's Day with your friends, call The 404, and let us know why you listen to the show. 1-866-404-CNET (2638).
We couldn't think of any better way to celebrate than to have Dr. Michael Breus on the show. Why would an Internet culture show have a sleep doctor on? Because boy do we love sleep, and we promise you won't be disappointed. He talks about how long you should sleep. What you should eat before you go to bed. Whether clear liquor or dark liquors will give you a hang over. We cover it all. Thank you so much for your questions. He's got a great blog too.
Celebrating episode 301 tomorrow, we've got debbiefromtoronoto coming on the show. She's going to bring a big bag of goodies. We can't wait to get a hold of those ketchup potato chips. And for 302, we've got Jonathan Coulton, musician and generally cool dude. Be prepared for more awesomeness.
EPISODE 300
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(Credit:
Smarthome)
Imagine coming back from two weeks in Maui with a perfect tan, thanks to the "PODillow." The healing effects of your vacation in nirvana are rapidly fading away, and you'll do anything to salvage even a shred of that tropical antidote.
Enter the "Memory Foam MP3 Blackout Shades" from Smarthome. It won't retain that George Hamilton glow (which will please your dermatologist), but Red Ferret says you can still be "blissfully submerged" in a blend of music and soothing darkness while your MP3 player is plugged into its built-in speakers. That may be so, but we think you could save $25 and get the same effect with your iPod earbuds and a blindfold. It does have that memory foam to mold around the contours of your face, however, so you'll know if someone is sneaking a moment of bliss with your shades when you're not around.
(Credit:
Akihabara News)
In our remote-driven society, distance is often considered a good thing. The farther away a gadget can work, the better.
So in this sense, a new projector from Sanyo is somewhat counter-intuitive: Its biggest selling point is how close it can be positioned to the image it's projecting. The LP-XL40 has an "ultra-short-focus lens" that can project the equivalent of an 80-inch screen from just 3.15 inches away, according to Akihabara News.
Why is this a good thing? Think about all the tight spots where it can work--such as mounted on a wall directly above the presentation (as pictured here), without worry of irritating shadows from big heads blocking your beautiful PowerPoint slides. On second thought, maybe it's not necessarily a good thing after all.
(Credit:
SmartHome)
Sometimes we get the feeling that we missed our calling in life. Rather than writing about gadgets, or anything else for that matter, we could easily see ourselves working for an outfit called something like "The Lazy Store" or "Remotes R Us."
But as long as we have to rely on a day job, our passion will have to be confined to featuring such items as the "RemoteLinc," which can control a variety of household staples--electronics, kitchen appliances, the garage door, for example--from anywhere in the home. Ubergizmo says the remote can even be used to "create multiple lighting scenes," whatever that means.
But now that it's almost the weekend, we need to know: Could we use this remote to control the remote that automatically mows our lawn?
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