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Ikea’s Catalog Lets you See Items In Situ Before you Buy

Posted: 08 Jan 2014 08:00 AM PST

augmented reality ikea catalog

We admit it: we’ve cut little pictures furniture out of Ikea catalogs and held them up at arm’s length to see how it would look in a room. But the furniture retailer’s 2014 catalog makes it much easier to see just how their pieces would look in your home, no scissors required.

ikea augmented reality catalog

The augmented reality catalog works with your tablet or smartphone with the Ikea app. All you have to do is place the catalog on the floor in the place you imagine the new piece sitting. Then, use the app to select the product that you’d like to see there.

see ikea objects in your home before you buy them

And then, hey-presto, you’ve got an augmented reality view of your room with your dream piece of Ikea furniture right there on your device’s screen. That way you can tell if the object you’re thinking of buying will look as amazing as you imagine or if it will ruin the look of the whole room.

There are only 90 pieces to choose from on the app currently, but it would be pretty amazing to eventually plan an entire home using this virtual window into the world of Swedish furniture.

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Urban Aquaponics System Grows Food Indoors Year-Round

Posted: 07 Jan 2014 02:00 PM PST

small space indoor hydroponic aquaponic system

Urban farming has exploded in popularity in recent years, with even the least experienced among us growing vegetables and herbs inside apartments, on rooftops, or on balconies. A device called Aqualibrium was developed by two law students who also happen to be aquaponics experts.

indoor aquaponics vegetable system

The Aqualibrium is modular in nature and designed to be used in smallish spaces such as urban apartments. The plants grown in the system require no soil and can be used to provide fresh food all year. Two configurations are possible: an aquaponics setup which allows fish to live in the bottom and provide nutrients for the plants, and a plant-only hydroponic system.

aquaponics indoor grow system

Each unit is about four feet tall and two feet wide. A waterproof LED grow light helps the veggies mature, while the bottom chamber (with or without fish) holds 13 gallons of water to keep the plants moisturized. The indoor-grown food is safe and healthy to eat thanks to the fact that the Aqualibrium system requires no fertilizers or pesticides.