Superhero in our spare time? Or just needed in an emergency? Whatever the reason, you can now get a Batphone for your house.
OK, it’s not a real Batphone, but it is ‘inspired by’ the one in the 60s TV show. Which means you get a flashing light instead of a ring (although you can opt for one as well) and you are not able to ring out – the keypad/dial being replaced by that light.
It’s available in the US, priced at $112 (around £55).
Find out more at the Red Hot Phones website
We’ve seen a good selection of wood-based technology at Retro To Go, but we’ve never seen anything like the Magno wooden radio from Areaware.
Why wood? Well, according to designer Singgih Kartono, it’s because of ‘wood’s simplicity and organic vitality’. And because a radio made almost entirely of wood looks good too I guess. There’s AM, FM and SW bands, large child-like controls and ‘the most current mp3 player compatible electronics’, which I’m guessing means you can plug in your MP3 player and use it as a speaker.
Made of sustainably-grown wood, it retails in the US from April, priced at $275 (around £140).
We featured the Lexon Mini Dolmen radio some time back. At the time, I could only find it in bright colours and only in the US – but I’ve just found it for sale in Europe in this stunning dark wood finish.
And for me, it’s one of the most stylish radios on the market. Don’t expect too much in terms of functionality – just AM/FM radio, a telescopic antenna and "electronic" volume – but that’s more than compensated for by the dark wood and aluminium exterior.
Yours for a bargain £32.39.
Lego once more provides the inspiration for a piece of modern-day design – this time the Lego-style iPod speaker.
Yes, that’s right, this is a speaker for your iPod – just in case you fancy giving your earphones a day off. No batteries are required (power is via the player), just plug in your speaker and enjoy your (i)tunes. Stereo speakers are at either end of the unit, with a volume control in the centre.
It works with most nanos and the speakers are available in a range of colours, retailing for a very reasonable $25 (around £13).
Find out more at the Fred Flare website
We’re all for recycling – and so is MotoArt. The company strips down old aircraft, giving new life to items otherwise destined for the scrapyard. Like this DC-9 Motobar.
Originally this would have been working the passenger aisles in the 1960s, offering drinks and cocktails to calm a few nerves. Today it’s still a metal-panelled bar with cigarette compartment, but with a few new additions, notably an AM/FM radio and CD/cassette player, plus side-mounted 3-way speakers. Which means you can take the party with you.
There’s also a slightly more slimline Lockheed L1011 trolley available, both available with custom panelling and electronics if you prefer and with that in mind, both are price on application.
It’s rare to see just one stylish home phone, so we were amazed to find two heading to the shelves – the Colombo One and Colombo Two.
Both are the work of ChauhanStudio and will be in the shops from March. The designs (as the names suggest) are inspired by the work of Italian space age designer Joe Colombo – there’s even a ‘Boby Trolley’ colour scheme for one of the handsets. The Colombo One is pictured above, which is a more angled handset with a flat base, the Colombo Two is similar, but with a more upright shape.
But best of all is the price – both will sell for around £40 on the high street, which sounds like great value to me. You can find out more and see an image of Colombo One over at Switched On Set.
Find out more at the ChauhanStudio website
