We've seen plenty of houses of the future, but none quite like this so-called Bioscleave House by artists Madeline Gins and Arakawa, which promises to force people to "use their bodies in unexpected ways to maintain equilibrium." Those equilibrium-inducing measures include, as you can see above, a vast undulating floor (somewhat curiously made of concrete), as well as off-kilter power outlets, walls painted in about 40 different colors, and windows of varying heights, all of which is designed to keep occupants and visitors "on guard" at all times. That equilibrium also comes at some risk, however, with visitors required to sign a waiver before they enter (children aren't allowed in at all). What's more, while they seem quite pleased with their creation, the artistic duo didn't build the $2 million dollar house for themselves, and they're now looking for someone else to call it home.

[Image courtesy Eric Striffler / The New York Times, thanks TSM]

Sure there's plenty options out there for those that want quick and easy security measures for their doors, but what about those that like to make everyday activities a challenge? Thankfully, the geniuses at Art Lebedev studios have now come up with a solution in the form of the Defendius door chain, but you better act fast -- we hear it's available for today only.

It may not boast any fancy or slightly terrifying measures to haul you out of bed in the morning, or pack the DIY flavor of some clocks we seen, but if you just want to keep things simple and stylish you could certainly do a lot worse than one of these new LEXON jet clocks from designer Theo Williams. Available in wall/desk clock (pictured above), clock radio or travel alarm clock versions, the clocks each boast an electroluminescent backlit display, which lights up all your vital information (including the temperature) dot-matrix-style. You can also get the clocks in your choice of gold or brushed aluminum finishes, although it seems that only the wall clock model is available right now, with it setting you back €45 (or just under $70).

Electrolux has never been one to cling to the usual household appliance conventions, and it now looks to be pushing beyond 'em once again with its new "auto-focus" Inspiro oven, which promises to automatically pick the proper cooking settings based on the contents of the oven. That's apparently done with an array of sensors that determine the exact combination of energy consumption and time needed to bring food to the correct temperature, which Electrolux describes as working in much the same way "cameras now automatically set aperture, exposure time and focus, depending on the light and what's in the frame." Of course, those that like to feel that their smarter than their oven can also make use of a manual mode, although it's not clear when they'll actually be able to do that, with no word on a release date (or a price) just yet.

[Via Kitchen Contraptions]

It's far from the first energy monitor we've seen, but this new so-called Ewgeco device does look to be one of the more sophisticated offerings so far, with it not only promising to keep tabs on your electricity use, but your water and gas consumption as well. That's apparently done with the aid of sensors that wirelessly transfer readings to the main device, which translates the information into easy to read bars that light up green, red, or amber depending on your level of consumption. Unfortunately, the device is only being sold to businesses at the moment, and it's not exactly plug-and-play either, with one of the company engineers required to install it, and a week needed for the Ewgeco to get used to your normal usage patterns.