More Categories:
Invention of the Year
Zoom Zoom
Sporting Life
Wet & Wild
Overboard
Hi, Robot
Safety Net
For Your Health
Fresh Ideas
Cook Smart
Hot & Cold
Now Hear This
Cutting Edge
Fire Fighter
Light Touch
Kid Friendly
E-mail this to a friend previous | next
SAY IT WITH FLOWERS
Flower Speaker

Inventors: Keiji Koga, Hiroshi Shiraki, Let's Corp.
Availability: Now, only in Japan: $284 for the vase version; $473 for the potted plant
Imagine flanking your home stereo with birds of paradise rather than a pair of speakers. The Ka-on flower speaker, housed in a vase, below, or pot, uses real plant parts—stems to conduct sound waves, leaves and flowers to serve as cones—to fill a 16-ft. radius with music. Its audio quality is closer to that of a vinyl record than a CD, but for some audiophiles, that's a good thing.

Next: D Skin

BY ANITA HAMILTON, MARYANNE MURRAY BUECHNER, LEV GROSSMAN, SIMON CRITTLE AND SORA SONG / WITH REPORTING BY HANNA KITE AND YUKI ODA/TOKYO

PHOTOGRAPH BY JUN TAKAGI FOR TIME




GET TIME MAGAZINE — TRY 4 ISSUES RISK-FREE!

Copyright © 2004 Time Inc. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

Subscribe | Customer Service | Help | Site Map | Search | Contact Us
Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Reprints & Permissions | Press Releases | Media Kit