Well, this is interesting timing. LiquidMetal — the space-age alloy that Apple already uses for the iPhone’s SIM ejection tool and which they licensed for future products — has just announced they are shipping commercial parts to several unnamed customers. Can anyone say LiquidMetal iPad 3?
This handmade set of two cotton applique pillows inspired by Mac keys is a nice way to put some fandom in your living room or office lounge without going overboard. Specify your initial on the letter key pillow to personalize.
$65 for the set on Etsy.
Welcome iHome: doors recently opened on a solar-powered, energy efficient prefab house that creators hope has the design cachet of Apple products.
Miles away from the usual trailer park digs, the homes feature v-shaped rooflines, bamboo floors and rooftop decks.
The name’s a hat tip to Apple — much like the iApartment building or the iHotel we’ve written about before.
“We love what it represents,” Kevin Clayton of Clayton Homes told the AP. “We are fans of Apple and all that they have done. But the ‘I’ stands for innovation, inspiration, intelligence and integration.”
The recession-friendly iHouse goes for $100 to $130 a square foot, depending on extras in what’s billed as “a moderately-priced plug and play dwelling” for the eco-conscious. The ribbon was cut on the iHouse in the US a few days ago at the annual shareholders’ meeting of investor Warren Buffett’s Berkshire-Hathaway Inc. in Omaha, Neb.
Via AP
This wouldn’t be the most practical way to display your CDs, but it might appeal to some Apple enthusiasts. Chinese designer Li Jianye took inspiration from Apple’s Cover Flow function for browsing music, more views on his blog.
Via Geeky Gadgets
A nice idea for a “retired” Mac: new life as clocks.
Here are two versions using the side panel and front cover of a G4, which sort of looks like a giant Swatch but has an operating CD drive door and zip drive opening.
The creator is a guy (handle: pixelthis) with a fondness for all things Apple who has been taking things apart since the day he could walk and occasionally putting them back together.
These Mac clocks run about $60 each, available on Etsy.
His other clocks made from computer hard drives, bike wheels and bike gears are also worth a gander.
Hail the retro-futuristic flair of the Sonic Chair, which now comes in a version with a 20″ iMac already attached.
The German-designed seat, aims to make you feel like you’re sitting inside a giant speaker, hides cables away in the metal base and has an MP3 jack.
Available in 35 colors, no specs on price for the Mac version, though the original cost a ballistic €7,000 euros (that’s about $10,000).
Via Gizmodo UK
This playful polka dot chair comes wired for sound with an audio jack for your iPod, two built-in 10-watt speakers and a 15-watt subwoofer.
The cotton canvas chair slightly rocks (to keep up with your head bobbing) and comes in brown and white dots or light blue and white dots.
Aimed at the teen market (unsurprisingly, the pink version was a sell-out) if it came in a more grown-up print or solids it’d be a great piece for the den.
$349.00 at PBteen
Via Tech Fever
