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After Hours
Play Misty for MeIt used to be that you’d have to hang a white sheet in the backyard to host movie night for a bunch of friends. Now there’s FogScreen, a $79,950 machine that creates a display out of thin air. Much like a cool-air humidifier, the system blasts tap water with ultrasonic waves to produce a half-inch-thick curtain of dry mist that you can project still or moving images onto. If you install the machine 8 feet off the ground, it’ll create a 120-inch display. At that size you could invite the entire neighborhood—and charge admission.
-- Finland
Why Don’t You Take My Card?
AdmitAnAttraction.com lets you tell someone you’re interested without risking too much (like outright rejection to your face). The website sells tickets that you can hand out to potential mates you encounter in the real world. The recipient can use the access code to view your online profile and initiate contact—or not. No names or cell phone numbers need be revealed, unless and until you’re ready to take it to the next level.
-- Canada
Speed Reader
The Espresso machine by On Demand Books, a company cofounded by former Random House editorial director Jason Epstein, can print and bind a paperback book in 4 minutes. So far, the library has some 200,000 titles no longer under copyright protection—Melville’s Moby-Dick, for example, and Potter’s The Tale of Benjamin Bunny. Early versions of the machine have been field-tested at libraries in New York and Alexandria, Egypt. A smaller, sleeker, more retail-friendly version is due out next year. With production costs estimated at a penny per page, consumers could end up saving big bucks.
-- U.S.
Put the Fans in Charge
You don’t have to be rich to own a professional soccer team—as long as you’re willing to share equal ownership with more than 50,000 other people. While it’s still accepting new members, MyFootballClub.co.ukhas already collected nearly $3 million in fees. The next step will be to use that money to purchase a team and then run it like a democracy (key club decisions will be put to a vote). Join now and there’s still time to weigh in on which club to buy. Top choice, last we checked: Leeds United.
-- U.K.
The Chameleon
Designed by the brother-and-sister team David and Lauren Handel, CAMiLEON Heels can drop nearly two inches in seconds: You simply pull, tuck and lock the lower part of the heel, which contains a steel rod, inside a hidden cavity under the arch, and the 3 1/4-inch stilettos you wore to work are down to a more manageable 1 1/2 inches for the commute home. CAMiLEONHeels.com stocks 9 different styles, from the Alessia sling-backs to Camelia Mary Janes. The Grazia pointy-toe pumps, made in Italy of soft napa leather, are $295.
-- U.S.
The Power of Dance
The Electric Slide may be making a comeback. The dance floor at the future nightclub MyTown, conceived by Dutch firms Enviu and Döll as the world’s first “sustainable dance club,” will be rigged to recapture the energy generated by dancing feet. The harvested wattage will keep the floor’s colored lights flashing—while giving the notion of sustainable living some hipster cred. The club, scheduled to open in 2008, will also draw power from rooftop wind turbines and solar panels, toilets will flush with rainwater, and patrons’ empty organic-beer bottles will be recycled as wall decor.
-- The Netherlands
One-of-a-Kind Love Songs
When you want to say I love you in a song, TailoredMusic.com can help you serenade your sweetheart. The company sells customized tunes that are recorded by professionals according to your specifications, for $99 and up. Choices range from piano ballads to folk waltzes to R & B. Simply select a song, then add names and other personal details to the lyrics. Recordings are completed in 1-2 weeks and can be downloaded as MP3 files or burned onto a CD.
-- Canada
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