I New Idea Homepage

New good things in and old good things out, undoubtedly we’re now living in a throw-away culture nowadays. But instead of throwing those unneeded items away, there’s actually a better way for us to deal with them: to recycle them via the Swap-O-Matic Vending Machine. The machine comes with thirteen compartments where the items to be traded can be placed in and one touchscreen interface on which users can keep track of their account. When using the vending machine, you can either directly exchange your unused item for one placed in the compartment or place it in one compartment for sale. Quite interestingly, when you buy or sell one thing, you won’t need to pay or get paid with real money but virtual credits instead. As a result, as long as you have something in hand, you can exchange it for a needed item conveniently.

[Read the rest of this entry...]

Undoubtedly everyone loves coffee – while most of us are used to enjoying a cup of coffee every day, the American company Virus is intended to produce comfortable base layer fabric that traps heat close to the skin, using recycled coffee grounds. The new fabric is announced capable of increasing skin surface temperature by 10 degrees Fahrenheit, and it features anti-UV and anti-odor properties as well.

[Read the rest of this entry...]

Using discarded car and bicycle parts he collected everywhere, Bangkok-based artist Roongrojna Sangwongprisarn has created a perfectly-detailed Predator-inspired motorcycles that are drivable too. Have a close look at its stunning details and florid exterior coating – who would ever believe the vehicle is made with old bike parts? Though there’s no information about its speed, we’re still quite interested in the motorcycle: when riding such a cool vehicle, who would need speed, right? Let’s just ride it slowly, and attracting everybody in the street.

[Read the rest of this entry...]

The tide rises, the tide falls. The flower blossoms, the flower falls away. Every day on the surface of the Hudson River, you can see a series of giant Tide Flowers built around abandoned posts of long-gone piers- they blossom wilt at low tide and open fully at high tide, creating a beautiful scene that demonstrates the movements of water as well.

[Read the rest of this entry...]

The science and technology is forwarding ahead so fast that they’ve left us many and many gadgets we no longer use, such as old-modeled radios, cellphones, music players, tablets and so on. Especially guys who are always buying new phones and updating their devices, they really don’t know what to do with those discarded one… It’s time to trade with the ecoATM. Recently emerging in California, the ecoATM is an automated gadget recycler with a touchscreen and a metal tray where you can put your devices to be recycled. The ecoATM has been inputted with over 4,000 kinds of gadgets, thus it can recognize your device, checking out if it still works and after that displays a quote for it on the screen. If you accept its offer, the ecoATM then dispenses cash in return. Or, you can cancel the trade to get your gadgets back if you’re not satisfactory with the price the ecoATM offers.

[Read the rest of this entry...]

What else can the belts do for you, except for tightening your trousers? London-based designer Inghua Ting offers us an interesting but really amazing answer: the old belts could decorate your table tops, walls and floors, in forms of 12- and 18-inch square belt tiles. You got this? It’s truly practical idea to recycle your used tiles.

[Read the rest of this entry...]

2D or 3D, currently almost all designs are seemingly to face that question. But actually it’s not that difficult to make a decision, because one could become both 2D and 3D at the same time. The Keyboard Wall is rightly a good example. It’s constructed with thousands of keys collected from old computer keyboards, creating a 2D image when you view them from the front while offering 3D pleasure as well since you can feel their unique shapes.

[Read the rest of this entry...]

Use your head and hands, and then you’ll create something simple but magical, just as this privacy monitor. Designed and made with an old LCD monitor, the device looks all white to everybody except you, as you’re wearing “magic” glasses. But why and how? Check out the link below for more details and you may even try to make your own privacy monitor too.

[Read the rest of this entry...]

There’s no waste in the designers’ mind, because anything old and unused can find their new life after redesigned by them with full imagination. These three-dimensional sculptures made out of recycled skateboard decks are rightly good examples. Created by Haroshi, each piece features a delicately distinctive pattern and shining bright colors. Who would believe they’re crafted out of layers of stacked wooden decks, if the designer didn’t tell us the truth?

[Read the rest of this entry...]

Almost in every part of the world we can find creativity, which now exists in Finland too. There in that country, Miina Akkijyrkka shapes some huge cows using old vehicles. By arranging different parts of cars to become sections of the cows, the artists cleverly created unique metal cows featuring a lovely appearance.

[Read the rest of this entry...]

Traditional clothes, especially those made from synthetic fiber, burns so easily in flame that they usually result in heavy burns to people who get stuck in fire.  To solve that problem, researchers from Texas A&M University have developed a nontoxic fabric that is fire-resistant. The new fabric is composed of renewable ingredients like clay and chitosan, and forms a protective layer of foam on the clothes’ surface to prevent the fabric from igniting when fire is applied to it. It is said that the flame-resistant fabric could find applications in clothes, car seats and many other fields, thus featuring a wide prospect in the market.

[Read the rest of this entry...]

You know that many receipts from ATM or the stores are found to contain harmful substance Bisephenol-A (BPA)? To solve that problem, the printer manufacture Epson now boasts the world’s first BPA-free free thermal receipt paper made with recycled paper. It is already launched to the market, with a price of just $57.91 per case.

[Read the rest of this entry...]

Time again new value is found with old things. With his creative design and good work, Edouard Martinet sculptures several metal animals using waste materials such as automotive engines, typewriter keys, car lights and so on. Quite surprisingly all the sculptures are created by fitting each component into place instead of using solder, while the results still turn out to be firm and solid.

[Read the rest of this entry...]

Wish you would have a bag that can last for many years or even all your life? Possibly the Footbag should be added onto your list. It is made of a pair of boots, featuring a simple look but really good durability.

[Read the rest of this entry...]

Totally beyond imagination… With subtle design and delicate carving, Wim Delvoye has transformed unused tires into amazing sculptures. In his series “Pneu” (French for tire), each piece comes with a unique pattern and they all look so great.

[Read the rest of this entry...]