Bringing the weather right to your tabletop, this incredible box simulates sunrise, sunset, clouds, rain and even thunderstorms based on real forecasts, letting you see expected conditions in a dazzling new way.

Designed by Ken Kawamoto, the Tempescope puts a world’s worth of weather right in front of you, downloading details from the internet then recreating those effects inside a clear plastic box, including sunshine, fog or even the pulsing illumination of a lightning storm (as seen in the video below).

The project is open source and interested parties are welcome to download the design schematics in order to create their own, or can wait for a crowdfunding campaign later this year to buy a unit instead. The deployment is also versatile – you can select your own city and time delay, reflecting either current conditions outside or near-future forecasts for wherever you want (letting you keep in touch with weather at home or in your favorite city).

The post Temposcope: Desktop Device Recreates Weather Forecast first appeared on Gajitz.

When you are operating on The Level, you can sit or stand but, either way, will be passively encouraged to stay in motion and make those 8-hour days a bit healthier and perhaps even more enjoyable.

Most Americans spend close to a full working day sitting, which is not only frustrating but also unhealthy – this inventor took lessons from his time at Teva (both regarding ergonomics and his own desk-bound experience) and put them to work in this novel (and frankly quite beautiful) device.

The Level by FluidStance “is a work platform that elicits subtle, constant movement below your feet to increase your range of motion and heart rate. Developed primarily as a tool for your immediate workspace, it can be used in common areas of both the home and office, or as a complement to a stand-up desk. The patent-pending design allows you to change the overall aesthetics via interchangeable top decks, floating bumpers, and base plates.”

This is about more than just keeping the blood flowing – excessive sitting has been linked to heart disease, cancer and depression. Many design solutions already attempt to resolve this, from spring-like seats to active health balls used as chairs. FluidStance claims extensive testing behind their work and many people have already queued up to reserve on on IndieGoGo by way of pre-ordering. A healthy mind and healthy body are linked, but whether this is the solution to reconnect both in our everyday work lives will remain to be seen.

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No need to hit ‘Save’ when you are finished with a sketch or idea and want to move on – simply scroll further along the roll to store your creation in a physical archive.

Safe from power outages and surges, remote hackers and obsolescent operating systems, the Analog Memory Desk was designed and effectively open-sourced by MCAD student Kristen Camara.

Rolled up below but available on demand, thousands of feet of butcher paper  are connected to the legs supporting the surface above. The top, meanwhile, will record anything from scribbles to coffee stains. “1,100 yards of paper will record the lists, the phones numbers you call once, the pixel size of that box on that website, the street name of that business, and the long division you try to remember.”

Licensed Creative Commons, anyone can download the plans and build their own version of this desk. “I’ve come to realize that I’m somewhat obsessed with how we remember the past. This is the latest installment in that series and a more serious attempt at furniture making. There are a hundreds of little things that we don’t try to remember every year or even every week. Does the sum of all these tiny parts produce a new narrative on our lives?”

The post DIY Analog Memory Desk: 3,300 Feet of Scrolling Paper first appeared on Gajitz.

This regal cabinet was built in the 19th century, but it holds some surprisingly advanced secrets. Hidden behind nearly every surface is another compartment, drawer, tool, or other delight.

The Berlin Secretary Cabinet is a marvel of European furniture making. It was built by the legendary Abraham and David Roentgen, master cabinetmakers of the late 1700s to early 1800s, and owned by King Frederick William II.

Its size alone would make the cabinet remarkable, but the fact that it is positively stuffed with complex mechanical devices and hidden functions makes it a treasure. It is filled with so many tricks and secrets that it seems more like a giant puzzle than a piece of furniture.

Topped off with a chiming clock, the Belin Secretary Cabinet is incredibly ornate. Its marquetry panels are complemented by the decorative hardware, much of which also functions as triggers to reveal the hidden compartments.

Building something of this size, scope, and complexity would be a feat even today with modern technology and power tools. But the father and son Roentgen team made this marvel completely by hand.

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