Smart Alliance Between The Smart Devices

Apple, Google, Amazon and the Zigbee Alliance have joined forces to develop a smart-home standard that will mean new devices are likely to be compatible with any of their hubs and voice assistants. Overseen by the Zigbee Alliance, whose board members include representatives of IKEA, Legrand, NXP Semiconductors, Resideo, Samsung SmartThings, Schneider Electric, Signify (formerly Philips Lighting), Silicon Labs, Somfy […]

Muji’s Prefab Indoor-Outdoor Living

Muji has launched a single-storey prefabricated home called Y? no Ie that has a large outdoor deck to encourage indoor-outdoor living. Y? no Ie, or Plain House, is intended for use in rural settings and is the first stair-free dwelling in Muji‘s line of prefabricated timber homes that launched in 2004. The 74-square-metre structure responds to a growing demand for […]

Tacobell’s To Offer More Alternatives For Environment & Vegetarian

Taco Bell has been a longtime favorite spot for vegetarians and vegans to get a quick meal on-the-go — and the company plans to continue catering to eco-conscious consumers over the next five years and beyond. The fast food chain just announced a list of commitments for the near future, including goals to make packaging more sustainable and to “celebrate vegetarian.” Taco […]

Passive House Principles Inspires This Sustainable Home

Australian architecture firm POLYstudio has recently completed A House for All Seasons, a contemporary family home with an emphasis on energy efficiency. Designed for a young family, the sustainable new dwelling has a flexible layout to accommodate the clients’ evolving needs within a relatively compact footprint. The project’s adherence to the principles of the Passive House standard along with native, drought-tolerant […]

Auto Levelling Tripods

Here’s a quick cut from the full article we wrote about this gizmo earlier in the week. “Rather than using a small leveling bubble, the Platyball Elite uses an electronic leveling system — similar to the system inside some digital cameras that tells you when the horizon is crooked. That electronic design allows the leveling system to be accessed via  […]

Augmented Reality T-Shirt

Swedish retailer Carlings has released its augmented-reality The Last Statement T-shirt, which can show a variety of political messages. Developed for the brand by creative agency Virtue, the T-shirt is nearly blank to the naked eye. Viewed through a phone, however, it sports a bold, animated design that comments on a political topic of the day. The wearer can choose from a […]

This Alarm Promises All In One Security Without Cameras

Swedish company Minut has created a smart-home security device for the camera-averse — an alarm that monitors movement, noise, temperature and humidity. The company wanted to create a comprehensive security device without using wi-fi-connected cameras, which are controversial but increasingly common thanks to product families like the Google-owned Nest and Amazon’s Ring. The wireless Minut alarm instead uses several sensors […]

More Than White Tiles For Bold Bathrooms

Bathrooms can easily be dismissed as the dullest room of the house, but there’s plenty of opportunity to play around with material and colour. Interiors reporter Natasha Levy has selected eight striking bathing spaces to learn from. A statement shower screen adds interest to the otherwise greyscale interior of this bathroom, which sits inside a brutalist Montreal apartment. Made from […]

Lampshade From Cabbage

Lighting can set the tone of a room, so a lamp with a natural and compostable lampshade can create a cozy, gorgeous and sustainable setting. In a partnership between Indian designer Vaidehi Thakkar and London-based Nir Meiri Studio, Veggie Lights are just that — lampshades made out of red cabbage leaves that lend a warm glow to any space. A […]