Think of it what you will, it's definitely more unique than a framed Ikea poster. A company calles DNA 11 produces art work from unique features of the human being. In medieval times people payed a lot of money for a portrait. Nowadays it's more interesting to hang a copy of your DNA profile on the wall. Apart from DNA profiles you can also get wall art of your own fingerprint or even a lip print (a.k.a. a kiss). Prices start at about $ (...)  read more

Recently we reported on transforming your wall into a projector screen with a special paint. The reason was to find a way to have a projector screen without having a big ugly screen prominent in your living room. An Italian designer found an other smart and good looking way to hide a projector screen: in a bookshelf. You can also get bookshelves in the same design without a screen in it to make a more natural look. On the Italian website you can find the Livit Fly in different colors under (...)  read more

When it comes to home automation X10 is pretty much the standard protocol. You can connect all kinds of modules to all kinds of control stations and even build your own modules. Hack a Day shows a DIY guide to build an engine to remotely (or automated) open and close your blinds. It looks like a lot of work and you probably could use some technical know-how but nothing beats a home brew X10 module. If do-it-yourself isn't your cup of tea you could browse Amazon for all kinds of modules (...)  read more

People have always been intrigued by fire. And being able to control it should give us  a deep inherited feeling of might. But that strange desire of having a controlled fire in our living rooms can produce beautiful designer fireplaces. The Spark Fire Ribbon looks amazing and can create warmth in any cool designed living room without having to go for an old English-style fireplace. As the image below shows, the living room is not the only room that would look good with a Fire (...)  read more

An important feature on a media center PC or home theater PC (HTPC) should be that it's quiet. Hard drive and fan noise is a totally different experience when your PC is in your living room or bedroom. NEC just introduced an all-in-one media center that is water cooled, to exclude the need for noisy fans. Going for a liquid cooled solution doesn't necessarily mean it's totally quiet; you still need a little engine to move the liquid around. But generally speaking it's as good as (...)  read more