When I first heard about DIY Kyoto, they literal meaning of the company’s name didn’t immediately strike me. But these designers are doing exactly what they say: creating products that make adhering to the Kyoto Protocol a do-it-yourself endeavor. They began their mission with the Wattson.

The Wattson allows you a direct and simple means of understanding just how much energy your home consumes. The gadget has a sensor which takes a measurement of overall domestic energy consumption as well as assessing individual appliances. It displays the reading as a number and also “non-verbally,” with an ambient red light that dims according to how much power your electronics are sucking through the outlets (which makes it a great educational and interactive nightlight for kids).
On top of its utility, the Wattson has a lovely clean wood meets space-age design - not the kind of device you want to hide in the closet.

The Wattson works wirelessly, so that you can take readings anywhere throughout the house, even for machines in Standby mode. You can learn about your power use in terms of wattage or in terms of costs (in this case, pounds). You may find your microwave costs you 50 pounds a year just to tell the time and wait for you to ask it to do something…

The device stores energy data, which can be downloaded onto your computer for long-term chronological reports on your home’s energy consumption. The computer connection also enables Wattson users to join online conversations about effective strategies for reducing energy use, and compare their own discoveries with those in similar domestic circumstances

The Wattson cost around £150 or $300 and can be brought here

 

Through ingenious use of design, materials and manufacturing processes, the Dosh wallet is the world’s first injection moulded wallet. A unique blend of flexible and semi-flexible polymers creates a wallet that is durable, waterproof, stylish, and packed with clever features for modern lifestyles. The patented design consists of purpose designed areas for storage of credit cards, notes and coins, as well as a unique integrated compartment for items including sim cards, keys, condom and security cards. All of these features are packaged in a funky form that is moulded in a range of vivid contemporary colours.

Henri Spaile and Mark Armstrong are the Directors of BlueSky Design Group and are the creative power behind Dosh wallets. The pair have produced many global products for some very famous household brands including Philips, Electrolux, Victa, Sunbeam and Ryobi. The company is best known for the design of the Olympic Torch for the 2000 Sydney Olympics and more recently for the design of the next generation of Trains for the Sydney rail network.

After all this success designing for other companies these two are now focusing in creating their own brand and range of products. The Dosh Wallet is the first product to be launched in what will be a series of innovative new products that will have all of the qualities that have become the signature of the BlueSky Design team.

 You can purchase the wallet at rushfaster.com for AUD$39.95.