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This article was taken from the January 2012 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online.
A less-is-more twits to your daily alliances.
Wired discovers more objects of desire. This month: a stripped-down cycle, a speakerless iPod dock and a man-powered coffee machine.
Stripped-down cycling
Condor Lavoro
The design is simple, especially in this decal-free stealth build, but the Lavoro's frame is finely honed for racing. The superlight Dedacciai aluminium frame flares at the top of the downtube for lateral stiffness and effective power transfer.
Weighing in at just 1.5kg means there's little to stop the Lavoro -- and you -- flying on the track.
£1,300
Nanoballs of time
Ikepod HGS80 hourglass
Swiss watchmaker Ikepod has created an hourglass that approaches the accuracy of a mechanical chronograph. Instead of sand, gold-plated stainless-steel nanoballs slip through the funnel at an even rate. Designer Marc Newson used durable borosilicate glass in his elegant hand-blown design, which weighs in at a considerable 9.6kg.
£11,500
Molucular design
BoConcept Molecules bowl
Physics inspired the design team at BoConcept to create this fruit bowl by binding molecules together, albeit on a much larger scale. As in your molecular chemistry class, this structure is made by joining spheres with metal wire to form a rigid shape. Luckily for you, the 22cm by 53cm bowl is ready-made, so you don't need to work at Cern to use it.
£119
boconcept.co.uk
Self-powered coffee
Presso Coffee Maker
The perfect espresso requires water at 90°C pushed through coffee grinds at ten-bar pressure: the Presso harnesses your own muscle power to create that force. Two aluminium lever arms squeeze up to two cups full of hot water through a chrome filter holder and valve into a steel cup. You'll need to heat the water yourself, of course.
£80.99
nigelsecostore.com
Passive sound amplifier
en&is MegaPhone
This tapering funnel is shaped to naturally amplify the sound from an iPod or iPhone. As with a gramophone horn, the sound waves extend and multiply as they pass from the tiny iPhone speaker through the widening passage until they produce sound loud enough to be heard across the Wired office. The wooden cradle maximises the resonance.
£399
enandis.com
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
