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With its concept and technology becoming more and more widely accepted and used, the augmented reality technology has already been adopted by designers and scientists to create something unique, just like this “Mirracle” project. Led by researchers from Technical University of Munich, the project is actually an updated version of the interactive mirror systems that display tomography images virtually on the body of the person who was scanned, and it now turns out “more intuitive and easy to use”.

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Can Ferris wheel become invisible, lifting people up and down while never showing its original structure? Said “yes”, Spanish-based artist Maider López showed us an amazing video in which the Ferris wheel is really invisible… But how? [Read the rest of this entry...]

Although bridges are usually designed to keep us away from water, I really appreciate the Moses Bridge that sits below the water line to offer us an amazing experience of passing through parted water. Made from sustainable Accoya wood coated with a nontoxic waterproof material, the bridge can last quite a longer time than we can imagine and thus to lead many more people to go through the parted water. S how do you like it? At least it seems a miracle from the pictures, since the bridge visually disappears in the water.

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Ross Nanotechnology’s NeverWet Spray is a magic product that makes liquids never stick onto anything it’s applied to, simply because the spray is silicon-based super-hydrophobic. In the video below, you’ll see chocolate running off the shoes without leaving even a bit on them, and that’s really incredible.

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Bags to pack, bags to ship and bags to advertise. Nowadays, just as you may have ever noticed, almost everything in daily life has been a medium for advertising. Bags are included too. Some of the bags emphasize the product’s features, some seem to be really magic and some just make the jokes. So which would be your No.1? Rank them out then. [Read the rest of this entry...]

Sun light is an important element in this print ad for an Israelian energy company “Shikun & Binui Solaria”. With sun light, the drab black-and-white print will turn into a colorful one, full of beautiful flowers and green grass. Via a such an idea, however, the designers are actually illustrating the purpose of sunlight and let you know that Shikun & Binui Solaria focuses on green power as well. [Read the rest of this entry...]

“What you want to sit on is nothing–like you’re supported by air”, sticking to that concept, Ben Alun-jones comes up with the Affinity Chair that features invisibility. The chair is not really invisible, but reflects its surroundings with the help of plastic acrylic sheets in conjunction with one-way mirror film. It is also built with ultrasonic sensors activate pulsing LEDs, which acts faster as the visitors come nearer while stops glowing when someone sits onto it. [Read the rest of this entry...]

The Muybridge Chairs must have played the same trick as that of the Fade-Out Chair, using transparent material to make the real chair legs while letting you see other legs that are seemingly moving. [Read the rest of this entry...]

Seemingly everybody can perform magic for entertainment: these cups can still be filled with water when they’re upside down! But at a closer look you’ll then find out that the stack of cups is actually a carafe, isn’t that interesting? [Read the rest of this entry...]

Pascal Anson is not a magician but apparently he does amazing magic tricks as the magicians do. “The Balance” is an innovative chair from the designer, who has managed to let the chair stand on one leg, two legs and of course also four legs. So how could the chair do that? Continue with the video below and you’ll then get the answer. [Read the rest of this entry...]

We’ll all live in a different world, in a neurotic fairy-tale world full of mini-sized furniture and items as those Alice has seen in Wonderland. Because designer Robert Therrien has already created some really huge tables, chairs and dishes that are about three times as big as usual ones. So do you like them? [Read the rest of this entry...]

Why could the wine bottle float in the air? To those frequent readers who still remember the Beautiful Floating Table, that is quite a simple question. So can you figure out the possible answer? [Read the rest of this entry...]

I bet most guys in front of the screen have taken these airplanes as miniature scale models. Of course you’re totally wrong, because they’re real airplanes taken using the Tilt-Shift Photography technology. Tilt-Shift is an innovative technique that uses special lenses to make ordinary scene seem much smaller in the pictures. Also improved by increasing color saturation and contrast to simulate the bright paint of scale models, the technique is particularly effective on buildings and vehicles.

Continue reading for more pics! [Read the rest of this entry...]

Hopefully you didn’t take it as a photoshoped picture, because the huge piece of handkerchief was for real found on a private art park “The Farm” located in New Zealand. According to the park’s owner Alan Gibbs, the astonishing handkerchief—though looks coming from the Cartoon World —is actually a unique sculpture made of welded steel by Neil Dawson. Impressive work! [Read the rest of this entry...]

When I was pouring wine into the goblet, the weirdest thing happened: some water is leaking from the bottom…Sounds like astonishing tricks by magicians? Then everyone could become a professional magician only if he/she owns the Leaky Goblet. It looks really attractive and interesting with the base shaped like a puddle. But do keep certain distance from your audience when performing because the puddle is not real. Note my warning.

I bet you’ll  love the perfect concept behind the Bottoms Up Shot Glass: drink up, drunk down. Simply flip the glass over, you’ll find the word ‘drink’ change into another word ‘drunk’. The magic glass is mainly based on a calligraphic design—ambigram, which makes one word to be read as more words from different angles. [Read the rest of this entry...]

From Lifegoods Design, the dubbed ‘at-at walker’ is a wooden drawer with a built-in light dimmer. It appears to be absolutely nothing particular when the drawer is in ‘off’ mode. But the moment you pull out the drawer, bright light will then come out of that and illuminate your room. Claimed by Lifegoods Design, “The lamp is like a science fiction object but characterized by the warmth and the preciousness of the woodwork.”

The project is on show at imm cologne 2010. [Read the rest of this entry...]

Hey guys, welcome to I New Idea again, and today I’ll perform magic tricks for you. Are you ready? Ok, let’s go! [Read the rest of this entry...]

“What you hear may be false, but what you see is true”, the famous adage has been passed down from one generation to another, but is that really true? You should take a skeptical attitude. Look at the chair; it’s floating in the air, but it’s an illusion. Actually, the chair is no different with regular ones except the transparent parts of its four legs.

An hour before, you were in Paris, now you’re in Tokyo, and thirty minutes later, you’ll find your self in Helsinki or Stockholm. Sounds incredible, huh? Sure? Believe me, all those will come true only if you have these curtains. Those open spaces in the curtains constitute different shapes of buildings, presenting various cities. And when illuminated by the sun or a street light, you’ll feel like living in other cities. More pictures below. [Read the rest of this entry...]

Would you like be someone with transcendental skills? Of course you will. But since most of us were not born with exceptional skills, we have to get them with some special devices and Everett Bradford’s ‘Prometheus Device’ is just one of them that would turn you into a charming magician. It is a hand-mounted appliance that shoots real fire. Cool! Check out downside and see how Everett Bradford made it.
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The classical dancing scene by Gene Kellyin the movie “Singin’ in the Rain” has impressed countless viewers. But even if you do not know how to dance, you can still be a focus with an allochroic umbrella in the rain. As the umbrella will change into multicolored from black-white in water, it looks quite outstanding in the dull rainy days.

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It’s a “cloudy” cup？Not really, pour into it some hot water, and now it’s a “sunny” one.

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Look this real chair! Do you know why it can stand safely with only two legs?
The answer is in its shadow, which is made of steal. It is a joint part of the chair. [Read the rest of this entry...]

This product, which dubbed Hummingbird Magnetic Bookend, seems like a magic. Except for a the hummingbird, you do not need anything else to hold these books. As a matter of fact, there is a traditional bookend hidden inside the cover of the end book to provide the stability.

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This so-called magic apartment light can reveal all the nasty things going on in an apartment. In daytime, since you do not light up this lamp, they are all invisible. But, at night, when you turn on the light, shitting, fucking, killing and stealing are all revealed. [Read the rest of this entry...]

Most of us get time with eyes; the blind may need the other devices. Now, this clock designed by Hyun Choi can let us get time with nose. There is no hand on the clock but 12 capsules are hidden at the back of the clock. You can fill the capsules with different flavor and then you can get different flavor in different time. In other words, you can smell time. It’s magic. [Read the rest of this entry...]

This roller comes with two magnetic snouts and so it can move along the track which is a continuous mobius ring having its ends permanently joined together. [Read the rest of this entry...]

Whiteboard is frequently used in presentation. However, what if there is not any whiteboard in the meeting room? You’d better take a white board by yourself. Are you kidding? [Read the rest of this entry...]

This is a innovative bridge. Only when you take the first step, the next step will appear, and when you step on the next the former one disappear. So the walker is gonna get a magical travel.

Video after the break

Designer: Michael Cross

You will also be a magic man by using this crystal ball.

Video after the break:

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Rainbow Projector is a perfect decoration for your house at night. However, what if somebody needs a portable rainbow, even in the daytime?

Created by a Japanese art director and copywriter Masashi Kawamura, this gadget is actually a flipbook whose 36 pages are all black. Since there’s an extra rainbow band on every page, a magic 3D rainbow will appear in your palms when you turning the page. [Read the rest of this entry...]

It sounds like magic, however, it is really! Created by Ludwik Leibler,a chemistry professor of France National Center for Scientific Research, this artificial rubber repair itself even be cut into many parts.

Video demonstration after the break
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You might think it is just a glass block, but it is actually inspired from Tofu, a Chinese&Japanese traditional food. Made from acrylic, this lamp gonna make your room looks magic. [Read the rest of this entry...]

You might have heard a lot of stories about Bermuda Triangle. The spoon gonna be bend in that area. I’m not sure whether it is true, but I’m pretty sure, you gonna have similar scene with this magic teaspoon.

Made from Nitinol (NIckel TItanium Naval Ordnance Laboratory, or shape memory metal), the handle of this spoon will bend through 90 degrees when placed in hot water. So, you gonna feel like in the Bermuda Triangle.

It’s cooooool!!!! [Read the rest of this entry...]

With a hidden supporter, this chair seems like flying in the air. [Read the rest of this entry...]

The Magnetix I-coaster combines speed, high-tech design and magnetism into one package. With the magnetic track, all the balls are levitating on the track of the coaster at high speeds and they could give many magic shows to your kids. [Read the rest of this entry...]

This program named MotionPortrait could transform a regular 2D picture into a 3D one and let it move at the same time. It’s magic, huh? Video after the jump [Read the rest of this entry...]

Just speak to the microphone, you gonna see some words floating in the water. It’s a magic thing. Video after the jump [Read the rest of this entry...]

Made from fabric and plastic, this display could give you magic image. It is driven by mechanical pistons blow the surface. [Read the rest of this entry...]