Household products of the future- Microwave TVs and plant air purifiers

(Dyson Awards - Green Flow)

In increasing population growth, urbanization environmental concerns and a greater interaction with the virtual world is leading to the creation of ever more innovative, space saving, environmentally friendly house hold appliances.

These issues are addressed by design entries in the James Dyson Awards, which are organized by the charitable foundation created by inventor of Dyson vacuum cleaners James Dyson.

Designs submitted to the competition include; the Mono compact gas hob which can be removed from the countertop when not in use in order to maximize kitchen space. Cast Oven: ???????????????(Fun to Wait in English) a microwave which searches the internet and displays a video clip corresponding to the desired cooking time, Green Flow a natural air purifier powered by a USB port and a plant, and Sense Fire Prevention System which, using wireless technology, shuts off the cause of the fire, oven hobs for example, at the source.

Consumers can log on to the site, vote for their favorite design and broadcast it on social networking sites twitter, MySpace and Facebook via www.jamesdysonaward.org .

The awards were open to graduates from Asia, Europe, Oceania and the United Sates. Candidates were required to ‘design something that solves a problem' - applications closed on 8 July, regional winners from each of the 18 countries have been announced and the second shortlist of finalists will be announced on August 24.

Recently manufacturer of household appliances Electrolux held a competition for designers around the world to create a space saving device for modern society. The eight finalists will present their designs to the judges on September 23. For more information visit: http://www.electroluxdesignlab.com/