Transforming a popular product into a wooden version is a bizarre development, but the cell phone has just undergone such treatment. The Maple Phone has been developed by two Koreans, Hyun Jin Yoon and Eun Hak Lee as they prove that phones do not need to follow the same trend of plastic products. The wooden phone exhibits a touch sensitive keypad and also a camera. For the touchpad to work correctly, we believe that some different materials are used, as this would be impossible based on wood alone. The phone is great from an environmental perspective, since wood is a natural source and completely renewable. Perhaps this will pave the way for future wooden products, for example...

The jetpack has always been a much sought after invention, which as of yet no one has managed to invent a safe, secure and economical version of. In my younger days, I used to envisage a world where people would use jetpack and take to the skies, reducing the need for transportation on the roads. It is disappointing that no jetpack has managed to enter the mainstream market. Inventor, Glenn Martin, is the latest to have a go at developing a safe jetpack product. It is not exactly a jetpack, since there are no jets involved at all. This jetpack is powered by two gasoline fuelled 200 horsepower fans, which make the jetpack incredibly loud. The lack of flaming jets is why Martin...

Osaka University have engineered a sophisticated new robotic buoy which aims to minimise sea pollution. The robot aims to reduce oil spillages aboard oil tankers. The prototype, termed SOTAB (Spilled Oil Tracking Autonomous Buoy), is a 110Kg GPS-enabled robot which measures 2.7m in length and 27cm in diameter. The concept allows the robot to be dropped into the sea automatically when an oil spillage occurs. Unfortunately the robotic buoys will not be instilled for a further three years, as it will take that duration of time to develop them from the labs into productive use. Naomi Kato, professor of Submersible Robotic Engineering in the department of Naval Architecture, developed...

It is common for people to take a drink of water with them to their bedroom at night. This is more familiar to light sleepers who wake with a thirst, so this little invention may be of greater use to you, than heavy sleepers. So, the invention is effectively a set of luminous, glow in the dark elastic bands, which have been defined as a 'new gadget'. Also, the seller refuses to accept that they are rubber bands, calling them 'stretchy rings'. Uh, yeah - the expression six and 2 three's springs to mind, pardon the pun. Although not revolutionary as the seller likes us to believe, they can prove useful to those who take a glass up to their darkened room and potentially reduce...

Kinesis Corporation(R), the leading innovator of ergonomic computer keyboards and related devices, today announced two new accessories for the award winning Freestyle(TM) Convertible Keyboard family which includes the Freestyle Solo(TM) keyboard. The new Freestyle V3(TM) and Ascent Multi-tent(TM) accessories, along with the previously-released Incline and VIP accessories, enable the Solo keyboard to improve the comfort and productivity of nearly any computer user. The easy-on/easy-off Freestyle accessories provide a virtual "Swiss army knife" of ergonomic features and configurations. The Freestyle Solo keyboard is available in both Macintosh and PC versions. According to...

This invention is still in its prototype stage yet aims to utilise defunct products and apply a different purpose to them. The Corona-Matic Waffle Maker makes waffles in the shape of computer keyboards. The gadget transforms an old style of writing equipment into a kitchen appliance which can cook up a few tasty treats. The inventor of the Corono-Matic is Chris Dimino, which was a group project at the School of Visual Arts. The task set for the students was to modify an exiting useless product into something which could be used nowadays, revolutionising the product and its use. The invention is yet to enter the mainstream market, but we think it will only be a matter of time, and...

What on earth! This space structure has been implemented by astronauts in an attempt to cool the polar caps of the earth, and to reduce global warning. OK, well that is fiction -- but this little global ornament with an electromagnetic mechanism inbuilt looks pretty damn cool! Especially with the blue LED's which illuminate the Earth during times of darkness! Not a ground breaking invention, but something we think looks cool and would sit well on anyone's desk.

Biometrics is not exactly common in our everyday lives, but the technology holds so much potential that it is inevitably going to be introduced. One form is fingerprint identification, a technology which promises so much in terms of individual security and a far safer approach to identification. Up until now, these types of technologies have only been experimented with, but now Government ministers and the Post Office have agreed to implement ID passports with sophisticated fingerprint technology built in. The current plan is to roll out the fingerprint secured passports in 2012, with some experimental cards being introduced in 2009 to Non-EU nationals and 'workers in sensitive...

Here is another bike with a twist, a bicycle which exercises all four limbs, without being restricted to indoors. The concept is built around a regular bicycle, but with a swivel axel attached to allow your arms to increase both your muscle and your speed. It is extremely easy to make and attach to a common bicycle and within a few hours of practice, you should be able to ride it as if you've been using it since you very first learned to ride a bike. It is rare for a bike to offer exercise to the upper body, so therefore is an all round comprehensive workout. The bike termed 'Robbo' includes a swivel lever design which can be applied to many existing machines including paraplegic...

Ok, so what do you get if you cross an aquarium with a refrigerator? This sounds like a joke, but this new invention does exactly that, merges the two functions of each separate device. At the bottom of the fish tank is an additional tank which contains freshwater fish, with pods for growing vegetables at the top. The neat part is that the plants filter the water which gets to the fish, whilst the fish fertilise the water for the plants. The Locavores appeared in San Francisco in 2005 and define themselves as 'a group of culinary adventurers who eat foods produced in a radius of 100 miles (160 km) around their city'. By doing so they aim to reduce impact on the environment...