Cool Hunting

Alessi Spring/Summer 2008
Alessi's upcoming Spring/Summer 2008 product line builds on their reputation for smartly-designed kitchenware. This season, the Italian company employed the talents of a handful of celebrated designers to create some interesting twists on standard fare. One example is the sleekly egg-shaped “Pop-Up” bottle cap opener, which is work of Milanese designer Giovanni Alessi Anghini. The pressure-operated mechanism removes the bottle cap in one downward...

Morning Message Pillow
Some of us are less than charming before we've had our morning coffee, but London-based designer James McAdam may have found a way to put an end to misdirected morning grumpiness. His Morning Message Pillow leaves the phrase "Good Morning Sweetheart" indented on your well-rested cheek. Playing on the common sight of cheeks imprinted with pillowcase wrinkles, It's a brilliant example of design that...

Matchstick Garden
Making gardening (or at least the planting part) easier than lighting a match, Matchstick Garden is a matchbook that holds 10 cardboard matches loaded with seeds ready for planting. Available in wildflower (Cornflower, Shasta Daisy, Corn Marigold, and Field Poppy) or herb (Basil, Chives, Parsley, and Thyme), simply insert a seeded matchstick into soil, add water and sunlight, and watch your garden grow. The...

Breath Palette
The glut of minty toothpaste flavors leave refined palettes with little option when it comes time to brush. Breath Palette, a new line of flavored toothpastes and mouthwashes, are a welcome alternative for mouths bored with generic brands. Developed in Japan, the toothpaste is meant to address the problem of "taste disorders" and allergies in the mouth and is available in 32 varieties that...

360-degree plug outlets
These outlets have already made the rounds, but such an ingenious solution to a common annoyance deserves note here. The story goes like this: Some bright chaps in Salt Lake City invented a solution to the low functionality of most electrical outlets by creating a socket that can rotate a full 360-degrees, allowing us to use our electrical devices from 18 different angles. Standard...