It’s probably not going to get the job done if you spent your day wallowing around in a pigsty, but for reasonably soiled garments, this washing machine from Russell Hobbs has a ’super rapid’ mode that can clean an entire load in just 12 minutes! The secret is apparently a twin jet system which blasts the load with water and detergent at the same time using two separate nozzles.

Not only does it apparently offer a better wash, but it can also reduce water usage by 15%. And since it’s running less, it also reduces energy consumption by 30%. That equates to saving the average family about 212,415 gallons of water over a lifetime, and 2 years and 4 months of time spent waiting for the washer to finish. That’s time that can be better spent living life and dirtying more laundry! ~$400 (£247) for the 7kg model pictured above, and ~$520 (£320) for a 9kg model.

[ ASDA direct - Russell Hobbs 7Kg White 1200 Spin Washing Machine ] VIA [ Gizmag ]

How many times have you gone to fetch a load of laundry from the dryer only to find it’s still damp? In the grand scheme of things it’s not exactly something to get upset over, but it’s still one of those small daily annoyances we could all do without. So hopefully Maytag has put an end to that inconvenience with the Intellidry Sensor technology built in to their Bravos Steam dryer. It can basically tell if the clothes tumbling around inside are dry or not, probably based on the amount of steam still being removed, and will try to give you an ETA estimate on when everything will actually be dry. It’s also got a steam refresh mode for removing wrinkles, an epic 150 minute wrinkle prevent drying mode and for those who are mesmerized by the site of tumbling, spinning laundry, an interior light to make it easier to enjoy the show. $1199 available in 4 different colors.

[ Maytag Bravos Dryer ] VIA [ Luxury Housing Trends ]

When you think of a robotic vacuum cleaner, there’s a good chance that the Roomba comes to mind. That, or Rosie from the Jetsons. Well turn off those old cartoons because Asus (specifically their subsidiary AGAiT) is throwing their hat into the vacuum cleaning ring with the ECleaner.

The ECleaner looks very similar to the Roomba, but has a few tricks up its sleeve that the competition doesn’t. In addition to its vacuuming duties, it also has a 6000-hour UV light to disinfect the area that it is sweeping. If your room could use a little freshening up, it can also spread a fragrance of your choice wherever it goes. There still aren’t a lot of details currently, but we do know that they are shooting for a $150 price when the device makes its debut.

[ AGAiT ] VIA [ SlipperyBrick ]

Dyson’s DC25 Blueprint just started shipping en masse this month, and with an MSRP of $529.99, it’s significantly more pricey that the “bargain-minded” DC23 Turbinehead that we had a peek at last month. The company’s range of ‘Ball’ vacuum cleaners have been around for years now, but this is the first chance we’ve had to roll one over our own carpet. With a striking white finish, impeccable build quality and a design to make any gadget nerd blush, there’s quite a bit here that you won’t find on your average vac, but is the sphere really enough to warrant the lofty sticker? Read on for our two pennies.

Continue reading Dyson DC25 Blueprint impressions: is the ‘Ball’ worth it?

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Dyson DC25 Blueprint impressions: is the ‘Ball’ worth it? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Even though the installation will probably require quite a bit of renovation to your bathroom, including the re-routing of water pipes, this ceiling mounted faucet from Signorini is certainly a conversation piece. It’s part of the company’s Bilo line, and also features a stylish single lever hot/cold water mixer. And as for the price, well I’m going to assume it’s one of those ‘if you have to ask, it’s probably not in your budget’ items.

[ Signorini ] VIA [ DigsDigs ]

This is the “Slotless Toaster”, a $90 innovation which promises to toast “thick bagels or croissants, Texas toast, or baguettes” as well as the pop-tarts and skinny slices of bread handled by the toaster you have already. Has anyone spotted the problem, yet?

Yes. To get even browning, you’ll need two of them, the second suspended at an appropriate distance above the first. Either that or you’ll have to return after your bagel’s base is browned to flip it a toast the other side. It has a crumb tray, a 10.25 x 7-inch surface and a 700-watt element inside, making it much like your existing toaster, only less useful.

In fact, there is one way a regular two or four-slotter can be made to perform the same trick: just put the oversized target food on top of the slots and press down the lever. It’s not pretty, but I do it all the time and it works just fine. It also saves you almost $100: Feel free to write in with your thanks.

Product page [Hammacher Schlemmer via Coolest Gadgets]

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons is in an uproar about the things people are doing in their bathrooms. It’s not that those surgeons are just worried about losing money on procedures, they’re bound to gain clients from all the DIY messups anyway, but they appear genuinely concerned about regulations and safety. And I agree, because somehow former Gizmodo intern Benny Goldman letting the Jezebel team cajole him into a bikini wax doesn’t seem so insane when you read about people ordering Botox from websites called Discount MedSpa and putting videos of their DIY injections onto YouTube (Warning: the clip may make you cringe).

We all like to look pretty, but there are safer ways to get rid of hair, folks! And somehow it’s better to have wrinkles than order Botox from a website that looks like it was made in Microsoft Word. [Wired]

I was sure we’d covered the prototype of the Alien Abduction Lamp already here on Gadget Lab, but Google tells me otherwise. So here it is for (possibly) the first time in all its ready-to-buy, steel’n’perspex glory.

The $100 lamp comes with glow-in-the-dark aliens in the cockpit, a “Removable Bovine Abductee” and three options for the energy-saving LED light: On, off and – most appropriate – pulse.

The lamp is currently sold as part of a limited edition of 2000 units, complete with an engraved signature from the designer Lasse Klein, although soon it should be making it into an otherwise annoying novelty gift store near you, destined to become the next Big Mouth Billy Bass. Until then, visit the web site and, if you have some colored spex, view it in 3D (for those lacking the 1950s cellophane glasses, there is also an “Earthling Mode”).

Product page [Abduction Lamp via Oh Gizmo!]

Oh, where to start with the list of things wrong with the “Pilar Touch-Activated Single Handle Pull-Down Kitchen Faucet”? Perhaps the outrageous $500 price tag? Or the forcing of touch-control tech where is doesn’t belong? Or the “technical” description which drops phrases like “Touch2O Technology” and “inspired by a fusion of technology and nature”?

Now, a mixer tap in the kitchen is great. I have one, and it also has a “touch-sensitive” handle. The difference is that mine cost almost nothing and that instead of an electronically operated detecting surface it has a paddle you can tap. Both require actual touching, whether with oily fingers or the back of a hand, and both can easily be switched on or off. My faucet, though, will work as I expect it to and when it breaks, I know how to fix it.

Product page [Delta via Noquedanblogs]

We love this human-powered reading chair by Rochus Jacob, which powers an OLED lamp with the rocking motion of the reader beneath, keeping your pages illuminated by night and storing excess jiggle-energy in batteries by day.

How does the Murakami Chair work? “Advanced nano-dynamo technology which is built in to the skids of the chair.” Quite. This is probably the reason that the chair is just a concept design rather than a real, working product. Still, when Jacob manages to find a hardware store that will sell him a few pounds of stick-on nano-dynamos, expect to see this in stores. Until that time, suck it up learn to deal with a few cables already.

Project page [Design Boom]