New gadgets, devices and design solutions are becoming increasingly embedded in our daily lives, capable of making life more comfortable wherever we are and whatever we’re doing — cooking in the kitchen, washing in the bathroom, even when driving a car.
We’ve picked out 21 inventions that we think are seriously brilliant. You can’t help but wonder at the creativeness of their inventors!
The alarm clock mat: you have to get up in order to turn it off
A spray-cleaner for fruit
A video-recording contact lens
The ironing board which doubles as a mirror
The solar-powered chaise longue
A bed which lets you snuggle
The cucumber spiral slicer
The bedside table with a food tray
A net for drying your shoes
The exercise chair
A very comfortable paint roller
A ’jelly cloth’ for cleaning hard-to-reach places
Batteries which can be charged in a USB port
The heatable knife which can cut through cold butter
The scooter which turns into a suitcase
The cyclist’s backpack which has a built-in safety display
A portable, solar-powered plug socket
A brilliant idea for small apartments
The exercise cycle of the future
The easy-to-use plug
This plug not only looks beautiful and elegant, but it’s also very easy to use. The hole in the middle of the plug allows you to easily pull it out of the power outlet, and the light on the inside of the hole reminds you if you’ve left a device plugged in.
The washing machine with space for an extra load
This device will be appreciated by anyone who’s ever loaded their laundry into the washer and switched it on, only to find later that they had still had a mountain of clothes they forgot to put in. A little extra door on top of the machine’s main door allows you to put additional clothes into the machine during the wash.
The ’light bulb’ business card
This handy little thing might be of use for all those who always lose something in their bag. To switch on the light, simply turn the bulb into an upright position, at a 90-degree angle to the rest of the card. This flashlight fits not only in your pocket, but even in your wallet, so wherever you go, you can keep this handy device on you.
The onion holder
Simply keep the onion in place with this device, and start cutting. Ingenious!
A unique gadget for those who always lose things
If you often leave things in one place and forget where, and end up wasting time looking for them, these ’Pixie’ sensors will definitely be the right purchase for you. For the device to work, you have to attach it to a key chain or wallet and install a special app on your smartphone. You will see a virtual map where your lost item will be marked with a cross.
A sign projector for bikers
This highly original idea was developed by Azerbaijani designer Elnur Babaev. The ’Cyclee’ projector allows bikers to let other drivers know their upcoming movement on the road as well as makes them more noticeable in the dark. It’s attached behind the seat, and the signs light up automatically depending on the biker’s movements.
Lemon air humidifier for home and car
It can be used as home or car humidifier to effectively remove dust, clean the air inside the enclosed space to prevent colds, can get rid of the problem of static electricity, aseptic humidification can eliminate fatigue and bring you pleasant mood.
Pillows for long-distance partners
Studio Interaction Design has developed a unique pillow for couples who always want to be together but are in a long distance relationship. The gadget is very easy to use. When one of the partners goes to sleep, a sensor in the pillow sends a signal to the other pillow, and the latter lights up with a nice warm light. If you hug the pillow tightly, you can hear the heartbeat of the other person.
A lock for lids
This is a great tool for those who are dislike that old expression, “first come, first served”. Now the jar containing something delicious can only be opened by you (or by anyone who knows the code to unlock it!)
A shower for dogs
This device will allow dog-owners to wash their pets much more easily.
An alarm clock that makes you a cup of coffee in the morning
Getting up the morning is much more pleasant when you can feel the scent of freshly brewed coffee in your nostrils. British designer Josh Renouf came up with this ingenious device — a coffee machine and an alarm clock 2-in-1 combo.
Spoon-scales
This small kitchen device will be useful for anyone who has trouble measuring quantities of ingredient by sight alone. An electronic display on the spoon shows a very precise weight measurement up to 300 grams. That’s another kitchen problem solved!
Functional bed leg covers
These plastic devices have both USB sockets and ordinary power outlets which will allow you to charge your device right by your bed.
The spoon with a clip
You spoon will no longer sink into your glass.
The portable keyboard for your smartphone
Although this device is not very new, it’s worth mentioning in our list. This well-made and highly portable keyboard is great for typing documents and helps with surfing the net.
Five dishes in one pan